CHAPTER 2: NEW POSSIBILITIES...NEW GOALS


Author's Note: Now you might've thought that I might be referencing a little bit of "Kaa's Hunting" too much, but it's just like I have no intentions for whatsoever, and besides, I'm getting quite creative already! If you hadn't forgot in the previous chapter, my Balto OC Wren Grey is a gray wolf who is indeed the helper of Nava, and although he was three years younger than his mentor, he has a good purpose for being kind, wise and friendly, no doubt it. Also in the first chapter, Taku has his two siblings which I came up with, Aga and Sukam, which are his brothers. Unlike Taku, Aga and Sukam are wisecracking, sarcastic and spoiled, but lovable in their own right, and they loved their brother and his mate Aleu very much. Now in this chapter, Quoketa the female black wolf and Miqa the male blue wolf are my OCs (or in someone else's cases for canon purposes, Miqa was a male blue wolf while Quoketa was a female black wolf). They are both girlfriend and boyfriend in their time, but I'm sure that any of you Balto fans realize that they were friends to our heroes. And last but not least, Sage was a wolf who had no intention on being a timid type like he used to be, but let's just say that he has been overprotective, and stuck in situations trying to figure out how to get out of them. That Sage, he reminded you of C-3PO from the Star Wars saga, but no matter how he acts, it's only a living for him. Now, you may want to know that at the end of this chapter, there was a huge mountain lion who was out to stalk our heroine for any reason, and I wonder what the big cat wants with Aleu? We won't know too much who he is until the next chapter.

After you read this chapter, please make sure to review and comment anytime. ;)


The next morning as the clan refreshed themselves up, they went to see Wren Grey to understand the words of other Alaskan species…by communicating with them. That's also no surprise as to why Aleu and Taku also came to hear the language of the wild animals in Alaska themselves so they can understand what Wren Grey had taught. New possibilities literally come from achieving new goals, but in other times, there have been days of failures that don't normally result in a clan member being exiled to the enchanted hideaway for something they have wronged out. The enchanted hideaway is a lonesome but enduring place that was right behind the island where no creature could live for years. But that's a different part of the story we'll get to in later chapters. But right now, it's time for some serious animal talk with Wren Grey and his students.

"To understand what I've had in mind; I must tell you one thing that's special about me." Wren Grey explained, "When I was a youngster living in the forest all by myself, I usually speak the languages of other animals, unlike anybody else in the clan who wouldn't have any sense to apply what I do."

"Must we, Wren Grey?" Aleu asked sarcastically. "Besides, we only envision with the caribou. How can it ever work on other animals?"

"Yeah." Taku added. "And how, pray tell, would the progress be made kindly? I don't understand!"

But Wren Grey chuckled and told them, "Now don't take it too seriously. While many of you talk with only the caribou during hunting, I only talk with the foxes, the owls, the mice, the bears, and the squirrels when I'm not hunting."

Quoketa then asked Wren Grey, "Is it decent that you have no intentions of fighting with bears? Not even the wild felines?"

Wren Grey worried, "I was afraid to do so 'cause I don't like them, they're kinda big and scary. Plus, I resent the violence that inflicted on my life. That was until the great Aniu helped me out in my dreams many nights ago."

"Gosh, that is really something." Aga spoke out with interest. "You are quite born a pacifist."

"That's not necessary, little brother, it's just the mountain lions that I must try and fight with." He then turned to face Aleu and spoke of his youth and his experience with big cats. "I've faced one when I was your age, Aleu."

"You think so?"

"Yes. But I had overcome my hatred for this beast when I was defeated by her."

"You mean the one mountain lioness you're fighting with must be named Chriea?" asked Aleu when she recognizes the danger of his past.

"Oh, she's the meanest scourge throughout Alaska next to the grizzly bear, and it's that she was also the rival to the great Chiepawa. The queens gave no mercy to the males, and they have no care about them for thousands of days through all seasons every time they court with them their age."

"Boy!" yipped Sukam with excitement, "I sure would like to meet one, won't you agree, Aga?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Uh," interrupted Wren Grey, "I'd be careful if I were you. They wish to pick their teeth on your hides, especially one who is indeed special." All too soon, Aleu and Taku glared at Wren Grey for mentioning the words 'pick', 'teeth' and 'hides'.

"Oops! Why did I say that? I guess the rumor topic isn't part of our daily life." Wren Grey chuckled sheepishly, and then Aleu and Taku calmed down. The lesson for learning the master words of the animals would then be observed by Aleu and Taku who then stretched and hopped up to rest on the flat boulders.

"Now for the lessons. Anyway, what do you suppose the words of the wolverine meant? Quoketa? Why don't you let us listen to them for a while."

"Allright, mister grey." responded Quoketa, "Never thought to speak like an animal, but never acted like one." Quoketa then took a chance on how to growl like a wolverine, but Miqa made that wolverine growl too, which is supposedly a case of ad-libbing.

"Nice going, Miqa." Quoketa retorted, "You cheated me instead."

"I'm sorry, Miqa. I just couldn't help but join you." Miqa snickered with a smug, but Quoketa then shook her head and shrugged it off.

Wren Grey then cleared his throat. "What do they mean in the words of the wolverine?"

Quoketa then answered, "Why, their words mean, we make you fear us, we are your inner conflict."

"That's very good of you, Quoketa. The wolverines are represented as something you're afraid of. Now for the words of the raven."

Aleu was surprised at Wren Grey saying 'raven', and it was obviously interesting to expect that she has known so much about the raven herself, and so did her father, Balto. "The raven? Gosh!"

"Not before you saw it anywhere, Aleu, my sweetie." Taku purred.

"Oh come one, Taku. You're just being too pushy at me a whole lot, that whole 'Raven' thing...but that's understandable."

"Miqa?" Wren Grey asked to the blue wolf.

Miqa then cawed like a raven and then responded, "They mean I am your guide and will always lead you to any path that's right."

"That was splendid, Miqa. Of course, it can't be without what the owls can say. They stay up every night hunting. Sage?"

Sage then gave out the words of the owl by hooting and then said, "We can see everything."

"An interesting effort indeed!" exclaimed Wren Grey with a smile on his face. "Why not for the whales?"

Sukam made vocalizations of an orca while his brother Aga imitated the lowering noise of a humpback whale.

"You've done quite so well, oh brothers. How did you learn to manage those sounds?"

"Well, uhhh…" Aga began but Sukam unexpectedly cuts him in.

"We have been quite by the ocean much before we moved here honestly." Sukam smiled. "By the way, their words would mean, our depths will become a world and it is ours in the silence of the sea of dreams."

"You should've let me, Sukam." complained Aga.

"Oh yeah, I kinda ad-libbed." Sukam chuckled nervously.

"I see. Now for the bears." Wren Grey called out.

At the bears part, Wren Grey couldn't decide who would speak the master words for the bears, but he thought to select all the clan members who agreed to try their hand at one.

"I…I'm not sure which one to decide, but I have an idea. Why don't all of you give it a good try, okay?" The clan members smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Easier said than done." whispered Aleu romantically to Taku, who chuckled and smiled at an excellent idea.

"Okay," said Wren Grey, "let's hear it."

As a matter of fact, the clan members roared a powerful grizzly-like roar which amazed and startled Wren Grey so much that he was almost blown away, but Aleu and Taku didn't seem to mind about the roar. Then they calmed down enough for a warrant speaking done by Wren Grey, who chuckled in delight.

"Okay, okay! That's good! I think we have done quite enough for today. Let me explain something very important…no matter how you communicate with the other mammals, chances are that the techniques alone will make you feel worthy depending on the species you happen to meet along the way. For example, when I was anyone's age, I was friends with the black bears for a few years. I was known as Tlaya, and they obviously addressed me as either cousin or brother, but I'm sure they don't mind staying with me as long as I live. I don't normally belong to any wolf in the mainland, not until I met Nava nowadays."

"That is true. Isn't it? I heard from the whispering wind that Nava had already died of old age."

"Yep, and I'm very sorry for his loss. And another thing, unlike Taku who had a great phobia of mountain lions, you alone, Aleu, will be indeed the first to overcome them."

"Wait? I am? That's what I said to Taku for. That's one of the problems he encountered many a day growing up."

"You're right." replied Wren Grey. "But also, I was thinking. The creatures that you meet can be represented each as more independent on your trials, for whether you are a wolf or another animal, years of passion and the days of yore can be worthwhile in this very world which is where we lived and strived for tribal purposes according to our spirit guides. Then Wren Grey closed out the lessons with enthusiasm. "The session is now dismissed. Go now! Speak their language! Let your imagination go!"

With Wren Grey's session over now that the members learned the master words, they were free to do whatever Wren Grey had taught them…yes, even Aleu and Taku along with his siblings who had expressions of happiness.

"If I'm not disappointed, maybe this kind of lesson would work out for me."

"Let's not forget me, Aleu." Taku said out.

"And us!" Aga and Sukam both exclaimed still contained with excitement.

"One at a time, please. We will all do whatever is said." Aleu comforted them. "After all, communication can be the best key when you're the leader yourself. I wonder if we ever speak the master words of other animals throughout the island tundra."

"I guess it'll be a good idea if we do so." Taku said.

"You're right." Aleu grinned and playfully tapped Taku on the shin with her paw. "Whoever speaks with the other beasts the most is the winner. Come with me!"

Taku then giggled playfully as he began to chase after Aleu. "Oh, I cannot believe it, this lesson is turning into much more of a contest! Just as things are gonna get more interesting."

"You wouldn't know much, but I bet you'll see more of everything you talk to."

Throughout this lesson, excitement fills the air as Aleu ran through the woods with Taku and his fellow brethren, finding every animal on this island to speak with. For beginners' luck, they each spoke the words of the squirrels, then the foxes, the bears, the arctic bumblebees, and even the birds. This communicating lesson can be worthwhile, and it's enough to know that they not only spoke with the caribou, but they also talked with other beasts in each language successfully. Meanwhile, the other wolves are managing very well, while Wren Grey had a visit with his black bear friends. Aleu and the others on the other hand are enjoying themselves with these sessions, enjoyably.

"I feel like I can take on the whole island right now!" Aleu panted.

"Yeah?" Taku panted. "Well, if you can be lucky to take on the very island that we're already in…so can I!"


But far out on the other side of the woods, a mysterious beast has made a good watch on our heroes. Softly growling with satisfaction, his claws unsheathed with power, his eyes glowing fiercely, his teeth shining like hunting knives, the giant monster cat of the wild had the ability to seek out on our heroine as his target. "Someone was in my territory, and I saw it.", the big cat thought. Is the big cat the last survivor of his kind? Is he an apprentice to someone whom he belongs to? Will he come face to face with the daughter of the half-breed the first time? What is it that he wants? What is it that he hates? Does he have the same power and strength as the mighty grizzly bear itself? Has he lost his family somewhere? Gee, that's a ton of questions and not enough answers.