Balto: Pain of the Past

Chapter Three

The Journey Onward

As Ryder and Aniu continue to stare into each other's eyes, expressing nothing but their love, Aniu notices a change in Ryder's expression. His eyes begin to droop, which worries her since it looks as if he's upset with her. But as his eyes continue to droop further, she realizes it is something much different. As the fatigue evident in his eyes continues to worsen, growing from severe tiredness to absolute exhaustion, Aniu realizes what is about to happen. She quickly leans forward, just in time to catch Ryder as he begins to collapse to the ground. She lies him down gently, then in the same gentle manner, she asks, "Hey, you okay? You look exhausted." At this point, Ryder is struggling to stay awake. Realizing he can barely talk at this point, Aniu sighs, then says, "You went all night without sleep, didn't you?" Ryder doesn't even say anything, he just nods lightly. After that, he does a small, exhausted yawn. "Just sleep, then. We can talk later," Aniu tells him. As if on cue, Ryder falls asleep. "No wonder he's so tired; going an entire night without sleep despite how close he came to dying not that long ago. He really has no regard for his own physical or mental health," Aniu thinks. Doing a small smile, she then quietly says, "Let's get you to a more comfortable location." Without another thought or word, she leans her head down, slides it under Ryder's stomach, then lifts him up onto her back. After that, she begins to walk around the lake back toward the forest they came out of earlier.

Just a few minutes later, Aniu arrives at a small den. It is just barely in the forest, close enough to the forest edge so that the frozen lake is still within sight. After arriving at the den, Aniu heads to the back and lies Ryder down carefully. After laying him down, she watches him for a moment, letting her thoughts run free as she reflects on everything they've been through together. "This is just like that time before. We have a special moment, then he goes unconscious, then I take him to shelter and care for him. At least this time his life isn't at any risk. Given how severe his injuries were, he would have died in maybe an hour if no one had helped him. Even if someone else had helped him, he would have still died in a few hours; no one comes back from injuries that severe through normal means," Aniu thinks, remembering everything she had to do in order to keep Ryder alive. "But above all else, if I hadn't helped him, I would still be on my own; without a lover and questioning my purpose in life," she then thinks.

With his injuries on her mind, Aniu looks at them, only to (finally) realize that they're not there. Puzzled, she looks up and down his body, and cannot find a single scratch or sign of being hurt. Even his fur is dry, which she then realizes is true for her own fur, too. "There's no way I could have done this, right? Wait, of course! It must have happened when we kissed, especially since after that we were both jumping around without any trouble or pain. If his paw was still broken, that would have been excruciating. He'll definitely catch onto this sooner or later, so should I just be open and tell him the truth? This is a big secret, not even my own siblings knew about it. No, he deserves to know. We're mates, which means no secrets between us. Besides, my parents did know, so it's not like no one at all should know. Okay, once he wakes up, I'll tell him everything." With her mind made up, Aniu decides to get some shut-eye of her own. She lies down behind Ryder, curling herself around his backside. Given her size, she easily takes up his entire body. She then lies her head on his upper neck, and closes her eyes to drift off into slumber.

[The next day | January 18, 1921]

In the den, not too early or late in the morning, Ryder finally begins to wake up. He does a big yawn, then looks around. He is confused for a moment, since he was outside in the snow when he fell asleep, but he quickly realizes that Aniu must have brought him there. However, after looking around, he also notices that Aniu is not there. He does a stretch with a slight groan, then stands up and walks out of the den. Outside the snow is still falling steadily, and a little more intensely than the previous day, but still not nearly strong enough to be considered a snowstorm. Just outside the den, staring off into space, is Aniu. She is only brought back to reality when she suddenly sees Ryder walk out of the den. "Hey, you're awake! You feel refreshed?" she asks. "Yeah, I'm good, now. Heh, seems you're always having to take care of me, huh?" he says back. "Yeah, but I like taking care of you. You're precious when you're asleep," Aniu tells him. "Uhh ... thanks ... ?" Ryder says awkwardly, blushing a little bit. "Well anyway, now that you're awake and I've had plenty of time to think about it, there's something important I should tell you," Aniu says. "Okay, I'm listening. Is something wrong?" Ryder asks. "No, nothing's wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact. Why don't you take a good at your injuries," Aniu answers. Confused, Ryder looks at his broken paw, only to realize it's not broken. "Wait, what?" he exclaims. He looks around the rest of his body, and is surprised and confused to see his injuries are completely healed, even the scars. "I'm completely healed! Was I really asleep for that long?" he asks, confused. Aniu laughs, having not expected that to be his first question. "No, you only slept for one night. There's a much different reason why you're healed, which is what I wanted to talk about," she says. "Well, you've definitely got my attention. I'm all ears."

Aniu does a small sigh, still feeling a little uneasy explaining this to Ryder. "I'm a little unsure how to explain this, but I'll give it a shot. Uhh ... a week ago, obviously the injuries you had suffered were terrible, that much we can agree on. However, they were much worse than both you and I had initially thought. It was nothing but dumb luck that I was the one you came across, 'cause anyone else would not have been able to keep you alive," she says. "Wait, so you're saying you're the only one that could have possibly healed me?" Ryder asks. "That's right, and there's a reason for that. You see ... uh ... every living creature, including you and I, possess unique powers given by nature. However, most do not know these powers even exist, and even less know how to use them. I am one of the select few that does know," Aniu answers. Hearing this kind of thing, Ryder would typically call it complete nonsense without a second thought. However, since Aniu is his mate, and there is proof behind what she is saying, he believes what she is telling him is true. "So, your power is healing, then?" he asks. "Well, it sort of is. My power is hard to explain, but it's kind of like spirit powers. I can do supernatural things other living creatures could not dream of doing, rapid healing being one of those things," Aniu explains.

"So during our time together, you've used your power two times: once when you originally healed me, and once yesterday healing my paw and scars from before," Ryder thinks aloud, finally understanding Aniu's power. "That's partially true, but I've actually used it three times. Remember after we first woke up in the valley, my paw was sprained. I healed it shortly after you fainted so that I could bring you to safety more easily," Aniu explains. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" Ryder exclaims. He is somewhat astounded, and a little embarrassed, by how many things he has failed to notice this past week. "And as for yesterday, I actually didn't mean to use my power. It happened all on its own when we were kissing," Aniu adds. "Well, that's obviously because you've never gotten to kiss someone as perfect as me!" Ryder jokes, causing Aniu to laugh lightly. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, do you still plan on returning to your town so we can kick your lead dog's ass?" she then asks. "Oh, I hadn't even thought of that. ... I'm not sure. I can't bring you into town, and I wouldn't have a home, anyway. And it's not like there's anyone there that misses me," he says. The two of them think silently for a second, then Aniu asks, "Hey, do you remember that goose that helped you find a home? What was his name again?" "Oh, what was it? Bingo? Balto? ... Oh yeah, Boris! What about him?" Ryder responds. "Maybe we could stay there. That way we're still near your town, but not actually in it, and we could easily get to the forest if we needed to," Aniu suggests.

Ryder thinks about Aniu's suggestion for a few seconds, then he says, "It's not a bad idea, but I just don't think there's any reason to return to that town." "Okay, so where should we go, then?" Aniu asks. Already having a place in mind, Ryder answers, "Do you remember a while back I was telling you about that one friend I have, the one that lived far away from me? If I'm not mistaken, his town isn't too, too far away from here. At the very least, it's much closer than my old town is." "There is a town around here, I'd say about a week's trip away. If that's the one, and your friend is there, you wanna stay there?" Aniu asks, to which Ryder nods yes in response. "Then let's get going, shall we?" she says, to which Ryder once again nods yes. Without another word, the two of them walk away from the den and back toward the frozen lake, now with a new destination in mind than the one they've had so far.

As they're walking, the two of them are silent for a little while. During that time, Ryder is thinking about Aniu's special power. Thinking about it now, he does remember when Aniu accidentally healed him the day before. His mind then wanders to her explanation about the powers given by nature, and one particular thing she said keeps echoing through his head. "Every living creature, including you and I, possess unique powers given by nature. However, most do not know these powers exist, and even less know how to use them," he remembers Aniu saying. The more he thinks about this statement, the more curious he becomes about what his power is; and the more curious he becomes, the more excited he becomes. Finally, he speaks up, asking Aniu, "Hey. About those powers you mentioned earlier, how do I use mine?" Aniu smiles. "Hm, I was wondering when you were gonna ask that. Actually, one part that I failed to mention earlier is that everyone's power is unique, and no two will have the same one. Because of this, the only one that can teach you to use your power is yourself," she explains. "So, is that a 'no,' then?" Ryder asks. "Not exactly. I can't teach you to learn how to use your power, but I can help you learn what it is. Since our powers originate from nature, the best way to learn and master them is to become in sync with nature," Aniu answers.

"What do you mean by that? 'Become in sync with nature,' what does that mean?" Ryder asks. "It means exactly what it says: to synchronize yourself with nature. Mastering this ability means that you can use nature to your advantage with whatever you're doing. Take a windstorm, for example. If you're in the forest during a strong windstorm, any tree around you could fall at any time. But if you've mastered syncing with nature, then you'd know which tree will fall before you can even hear it breaking," Aniu responds. "That's amazing!" Ryder exclaims. "Yeah, it really is, but it's not easy to learn. I took several months to completely master it, but then again, I never had anyone to teach me like you will," Aniu states. "Guess I'm lucky in that sense. So, if you've mastered it, what's the strongest way you've used this ability?" Ryder asks. "I haven't had to use it often, but the strongest way I used it was actually when I first saved you. In the wilderness in a complete white out, you'd have to be lucky to find shelter without knowing where to find it. I did wander around too, just like anyone else would, but I also synced with nature to sense if the breeze funneled and bent strangely like it would in a cave. Because of that, I was able to find that cave and save you from freezing to death," Aniu says. Ryder chuckles, then says, "Guess you've had to save me with your natural powers numerous times, huh?" "Yeah, but you're worth it. Now, let's begin your training, shall we?" Aniu responds.

Aniu looks around for several seconds, looking for a good way to begin teaching Ryder, before she finally gets an idea. "Okay, here's a good one," she says, walking over to a tree. It's a normal tree with many of its branches covered in snow, but some of them have a lot more snow than others, causing them to droop much further. "Take a good look at this tree. What do you notice about it?" she asks. Ryder looks up and down the tree, then says, "It has snow on it." "Well, nothing gets past you," Aniu says sarcastically, to which both she and Ryder smile out of humor. "Anyway, and what do you notice about the snow on the tree?" she then asks. Ryder looks up and down the tree again, then says, "Well, some of the branches only have a little bit, and some have entire piles of it." "Right. Now, without looking at the branches, I want you to predict where snow will fall if the tree were to be shaken. I'll go to that spot, and if I get hit by snow, then you predicted correctly," Aniu commands. "Okay, uh ..." Ryder begins to say, having no idea how to predict such a thing. "Um, there," he says, gesturing to a spot near Aniu close to the tree's trunk. Aniu moves to the spot, then she stands up on her back paws to lean on the tree. She then pushes with her paws to shake the tree, and quickly steps back down into the spot Ryder predicted. Some rustling can be heard in the tree, and a pile of snow falls, but not on Aniu. In fact, it instead falls on Ryder.

Ryder shouts in startlement as he falls to the ground due to the snow's weight and mass. Immediately, Aniu laughs joyfully, meanwhile Ryder briefly groans before standing back up. "Did you know that would happen?" he asks, smiling humored, himself. Aniu continues laughing for a moment before quieting down, then she says, "Of course I did. In order to sync with nature, you have to be aware of everything around you. I saw this tree, and I saw that large pile of snow up high where the tree would shake more, so I lead you right under it. It's a win-win: I get a laugh while you get a lesson," Aniu answers. "So, it all comes down to observation?" Ryder asks. "Precisely. Syncing with nature is a special ability, but it's not an actual power, which means things can only happen according to the laws of nature. So, in order to sync with nature, you have to have strong senses of observation and prediction. The stronger those are, the stronger your synchronization will be. Once you can efficiently synchronize with nature, then discovering your power will be much easier," Aniu responds. "Great! So, how long do you think it'll take for me to get a hang of this?" Ryder asks. "There's no telling. You could master it in a few days, you could barely get it down in a few months, you could hardly get a hang of it at all. It all comes down to you," Aniu explains. "Okay, let's get to it, then!" Ryder declares.

[One week later | January 25, 1921]

Throughout the last week, Aniu has given Ryder numerous tasks, all of which involved him predicting something based on how he observed other things. Even as they walked, she would play various kinds of tricks, seeing if Ryder could be observant enough to predict what might get him; and with each day, a significant improvement could be seen. Now, after a full week of practicing it, Ryder is still nowhere close to mastering it, but that is not to say he is bad at it. He has got all of the basics down quite well, and his synchronization with nature definitely shows. Right now, Aniu is giving Ryder a "final test," of sorts. While they both walk, Ryder has to be aware of everything around him and take into consideration what Aniu could use to get him in any way. Since he's become a lot more skilled than the first couple days he practiced this, she can also use her powers to make something happen so that it's less predictable. This mostly includes her harnessing a breeze to move something. As they walk, Ryder lets himself fall slightly behind Aniu, giving himself a better chance of avoiding whatever she sends at him. As they walk, however, Ryder notices a squirrel running and jumping through branches up high, occasionally causing some snow to fall. Seeing where it's heading, he gets an idea. He waits for the squirrel to get further along its course, then he enthusiastically exclaims, "Hey, Aniu." Just as he predicted, Aniu stops and turns to him, just in time for a large pile of snow to fall on her, making her fall to the ground like she had done to Ryder a week ago.

As Aniu falls to the ground with a startled shout, Ryder laughs hysterically. As she stands back up, she also begins laughing. "Your 'test' backfired on you," he says, continuing to laugh afterward. Feeling playfully-vengeful, she harnesses a sudden breeze above them, making another pile of snow fall, this time on Ryder. Having not been paying attention due to his laughter, Ryder is caught off guard as a pile of snow makes him fall to the ground again, like numerous times before the entire week. This time, Aniu laughs hysterically, and Ryder laughs along with her as he stands back up. "Hmph! Seems you failed," Aniu says humorously. "Hey, that doesn't count! I wasn't paying attention! Besides, I got you first," Ryder argues playfully. "Yeah, I suppose you did. Well-done, you can officially synchronize yourself with nature," Aniu says. "Awesome! Now that I can do that, how exactly does it help me discover my power?" Ryder asks.

Aniu thinks silently for a second, then she explains, "It's hard to say how it works exactly, it just does. Sometimes you'll be syncing with nature, then you just suddenly discover your power. That's how it was with me. I was practicing my synchronization with nature, trying to use the wind to my advantage, but there was hardly any wind at all. Then I harnessed a small breeze, and I suddenly knew what my powers are." "So in other words, I have to wait until I suddenly realize what my power is while syncing with nature?" Ryder asks. "Pretty much, yeah. You can't force it to happen, either. It'll happen when the time is right, when your power can be used in whatever you are doing," Aniu responds. "Like when you discovered yours? You needed a breeze, then you discovered your power because your power allows you to harness a breeze, is that right?" Ryder asks. "Yes, exactly," Aniu confirms. "Aw man, discovering my power could take ages!" Ryder complains. "That's how it tends to be. But hey, not knowing what to expect or when to expect it makes it more interesting, almost like a game," Aniu says. "Yeah, I suppose you could look at it that way. But still, I hope I don't have to wait too long," Ryder responds.

[Two days later | January 27, 1921]

"We're nearly there," Aniu says as she and Ryder are walking up a large snowbank. It is the middle of the day, which is clearly shown by the just-as-clear sky up above. As they come to the top of the snowbank, they are met with the sight of a town. It is much larger than Nome, and there is a river off to the side. "Is this the right town?" Aniu asks. "Yup, there's no denying it. This is Bethel," Ryder says. "So, where are we gonna stay?" Aniu asks. "I've been to this town quite a few times because of sled races, so I generally know my way around. Even if I can't find us a place, I'm sure my friend can. He knows every nook and cranny of this town, and probably knows what spot would also be safest for us to stay in," Ryder explains. "Okay, great. But if we're gonna live in the town, how am I not gonna alarm the humans as soon as I'm in their sight," Aniu asks. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Ryder says, realizing she's right. Wolves are larger than dogs, and she's large for a wolf, so she'll be towering over most of the other dogs. There's also the other defining features that clearly indicate she's a wolf, most notably her large paws and sharp teeth. Ryder thinks on what to do long and hard, then an idea hits him. "I have an idea, come with me," he says, having Aniu follow him back into the forest they just came out of.