Fall, impact, pain, cold, blackout… All of them were happening to Beringo at the same time, in the matter of seconds as he was laying underneath the cliffs, unconscious and peeking halfway in the pile of snow, with his upper torso and head being revealed from the snow pile. He was still alive, which was a miracle but at the same time, it was hard to know from what height he'd fallen.
Every few, in mist, snow and wind, Beringo'd regain consciousness, each of them lasting no longer than three seconds before blacking out, with his vision too blurry to see anything but snow and dark gray environment, In his conscious periods, he had enough strength to think something like: "Please… help me…"
Where were his teammates?! Were they standing up there paralyzed in fear and too incapable to commence search or they got to work and were searching all over him, possibly calling for his name, but the wind's howling was doing in all its might to prevent their cries and calls to come to Beringo?
In midst of his periodical regains of consciousness, Beringo was not sure if he saw something white and very alive in front of him moving. Were they his hallucinations from his fall or what? Next thing he could see was that he was being pulled by his neck fur somewhere. Was this all real or was the impact that serious?
It was a while until Beringo regained his consciousness again, this time in different environment. He counted to three. No blacking out this time. Something was keeping him awake and the place he noticed, although very blurry, was dimly lit from outside in front of him. Something that kept him awake was also something warm, and also was resting on his impact spot. What was going on.
"Where… where am I?" Beringo asked slowly, hoping that he was not going to talk too fast and drain all the energy he was getting after being awake again. The voice, sooth and calm, echoed very close to him: "Do not worry. You are safe, I am keeping you safe. I am not going to hurt you!" Whoever was saying that was… resting on him.
"W… what?" Beringo asked as his senses were getting sharper and sharper. He felt that someone was getting up from him, but the impact spot didn't ache him. As he was still weak to move, the figure came to his sight and it was white. Beringo's sight was getting sharper and sharper as the figure itself was a female white wolf with golden eyes. Moreover, he realized that he'd been in a cave.
"I have found you halfly buried under the pile of snow underneath the cliffs. You were not waking up so I've dug you out and carried you all the way here to safety from this treacherous weather!" The while wolf explained to him what had happened all the time around. Then it came to him how this all happened.
"Wait… I fell from the cliff while trying to save my friend! My team! I have to return to my team! They are looking for me!" Beringo frantically said as he was trying to get on his fours, but as he moved, he felt the spot of impact aching him a lot, that made him stagger for a bit and make him yelp: "AGH!" Thankfully, white wolf came to prevent him from falling on the ground.
"You can't go out now! The storm is already to dangerous and you must recover your strength before you get back to your friends." White wolf carefully brought him as she was going to make sure that if he was to walk, he had to take it easy. She revealed to him: "By that, I've hunted down prey so you may replenish your hunger while recovering."
She let him go and turned around at the dead groundhog laying against the wall. He dared to ask her: "But you saw them? My friends and my master? Are they safe?" White wolf returned with the prey in her jaws and placed it by Beringo's paws, answering: "I've seen them, I've heard them. They'd found themselves a shelter up there in caves."
Feeling the relief that his team was somewhere safe, Beringo looked down at the groundhog at his paws and before he could reach for it, she asked him: "You're not badly hurt, are you?" In fact, Beringo was surprised how the pain he sustained was nowhere nearly as bad as he thought it'd be! He said this in surprise: "No, it's a miracle I'm alive actually! It must be that I've only hit a large pile of snow down there!"
White wolf liked to hear how this sounded like and watched him make a step ahead. While wincing in pain, it was pretty much a pain he could stand against and easily walk. She told him: "I have no knowledge how long and when will this storm be over, but once it breaks down and it's safe to walk out there, I'll help you return to your friends."
"T-thank you." Beringo appreciated what the white wolf was intending. There was something about her that made him ask himself… who was she? Why was she helping him instead of hunting him down? How did she find him? He had to stop asking himself all that when she nudged him: "Eat! I've hunted the groundhog while you were resting in cave. You'll need the strength!"
He looked down at the groundhog and knowing that as much as he wanted a grounded beef or salmon to eat, he was in an alien territory and he was not to question what was given to him for meal. If anything, he was overly hungry so even this groundhog was looking mouth-wateringly delicious. However, he asked her: "What about you? Aren't you going to have some?"
"No, this is for you only. I've hunted down my own and eaten it." White wolf declined Beringo's offer, thus assuring him that he could satisfy hunger all by himself on this groundhog. He looked at her with hopeful look and repiled: "Thank you. Not just for the food, but for saving me and keeping me alive in here."
"It is my pleasure." The white wolf spoke warmly, as if her actions behind whatever she was doing were purely benevolent. Though now that he'd said it, he had that burning urge to look at her and ask: "Though… why did you save me in a first place? Is there a reason why you've brought me up here?"
Truth to be said, her revelation was: "When I have seen you buried halfly underneath the snow, I could have left you there, end your life while you were still without any conscious, but my heart told me to be merciful. I just could not leave you there. You may be a dog, close to humans, but I have never seen any harm from you at us!"
At this rate, Beringo felt like she had seen in his mind and soul who he truly was and knowing that this salvation was going to remain in his memory, he knew exactly what to do next: "I… I appreciate that. Now, I have something to ask you… may I know what is your name?" The silence filled in the cave, only the wind howling echoed against the walls.
At first, it all looked like as if she was going to keep it secret, but he was wrong when she introduced herself: "Aniu, I am Aniu. And what is yours?" Beringo went silent for a few seconds, feeling like as if her wanting to know his name was going to mean something in the future, answered: "My name is Beringo."
When she heard his name, one small smile stretched on her face so she could tell him: "That is a nice you have, Beringo." With the smile he felt the warmth in her voice so of course, Beringo could not remain silent: "Likewise, Aniu. Your name is unique if I must say." She looked like as if "unique" was a compliment to her, muttering: "Thank you."
Smiling at his savior, Beringo also wondered what else was bound to happen tonight and so he asked her: "Tell me, is there anyone else coming here later? I mean, if you have your own friends?" Aniu answered him: "If you think about the wolf pack, I'm all by myself. Ever since I'd left my parents' pack, I had been journeying across lands with no pack to join."
"Really?" Beringo was surprised that a wolf like Aniu was a lone wolf! The howls of the wind outside stirred his and her fur, to which Aniu told him: "It is very dangerous to be out there, Beringo. The storm will soon die out, but other perils and dangerous beasts lurk out there. You have no other choice but to rest tonight in here."
He accepted that fact if he was going to be separated from his team, to which he answered her: "That I will do, thank you!" And of course, before they could hit the sleep, Aniu giggled and pointed at his paws: "Eat up! You are going to need the energy for tomorrow!" She was right, a freshly caught groundhog was a delicious groundhog.
No longer after he had his meal, Beringo and Aniu decided it was their time to rest. It was still dark out there and Beringo had no idea how late it was, but earlier he was going to rest, earlier he was going to wake up and hopefully find his team somewhere in the cliffs. He laid down, resting against the wall of one cave, while Aniu rested against the other wall.
Before Beringo could finally fall asleep, his eyes were gazing all around the cave, but when they were at Aniu, there was something he could not describe. What was it that made Aniu vastly different from any other wolves? Her white looks, her warm voice, her personality and choice to save him from the storm instead of leaving him to freeze to death?
More he thought about it, heavier his eyelids were and before he knew it, he was finally asleep. Little did he know that Aniu noticed him gazing at her. She was not mad or anything. In fact, she was glad that he was not afraid of her or anything. She knew deeply down how curious he was ever since he'd fully come to his senses earlier.
The dawn was coming sooner than Beringo had expected, as if his dream came to the end too fast. In fact, he noticed the gentle morning wind stirring his face and so he opened his eyes. To the east he could notice sky turning purplish orange and yellow. The weather out there was now calm and clear. Just then, Aniu was back, holding something in her mouth.
"Good, you're awake! I've brought you something to eat before you return to your friends." Aniu spoke, being glad that Beringo was handling things well. He told her: "Aniu, good morning. You did not have to!" She giggled, knowing that he was giving away a compliment. Just as Beringo got on his fours and moved ahead, he already noticed something different.
"The pain? I… I barely feel the pain!" Beringo noticed how the place he fell at from above was not aching him. In fact, he hardly could feel it as anything else but nuisance. Thus Aniu told him: "That's great to know! Here, have this for your meal before we go. The sun has not risen yet." She placed a dead rabbit in front of him and like that groundhog last night, this rabbit looked delicious!
Soon enough, Beringo had feasted on his meal, with Aniu claiming that she was easily going to hunt another one for herself later enough. Now that the breakfast was done, Beringo was ready to move on and Aniu led him outside. The daylight was becoming brighter from the east that the sky over there was turning from dark blue to brighter blue with each minute passing.
It was not the sky turning blue that had Beringo's attention. He gazed up the cliff, noticing a brighter light in a cave up there. The light could only mean… "That's the light coming from the lamp oil! Aniu, that's it, they are up there!" He was thrilled to know that he could know where his team was sheltered at. Aniu was honored to help him find the way back.
"This is it, Beringo. This is where you're leaving to meet your friends and where I go my own path." Aniu told him what was coming. The thrill that Beringo had to return to his friends watered down when she said this. It was just last morning that he'd met her and already for a friend… she was different. What was it that made her so different from others?
"Aniu? What are you talking about? Don't tell me that this is the last time we'll see each other, right?" Beringo actually felt the hesitation growing faster within him, now that he had a feeling that parting ways with Aniu was something he did not want to do. Still, Aniu knew what was she doing and she did not want to change the events oncoming.
"Beringo, your friends are up there! They need you now and you may return home with them! You should go before you end up being stranded in the hostile environment for indefinite time. You do not have to worry about me." If that words she said were the exact same words she genuinely meant, then Beringo faced it, albeit not easily.
"Aniu…" Beringo started, hoping that their parting of ways was going to end on a good note for the first time. "...before I go back there, I want to let you know this: Thank you for saving my life and keeping me safe from this ferocious storm. I owe you my life! And if we ever meet again, I wish there is a way I can repay you for saving my life."
Aniu faced those words with awe and surprise and the way he said these. Still, she did not want to break down anything with sudden change of mood but to peacefully say: "Only way you can repay me for saving your life is to go up there and return to your friends. And I also hope that this is not the last time we're seeing one another. Now go!"
So he was going, but not before looking at her for the last time and telling her: "Maybe one day we will see each other again. I will always have that in my mind." She lightly nodded as if she were saying: "So will I, my friend." At last, he had turned his head towards the cliffs and trotting through the snow and pebbles, Beringo was finally returning to his team.
Yet, as he was ready to climb these cliffs, he had that urge to look back at Aniu and smile at her. He waited, a bit too long than he needed, and turned his head. His happiness faded as soon as he noticed that Aniu was gone. Then again, he steered his attention away for too long so she must have walked away somewhere else. Looking up the cliff, Beringo knew what he had to do.
Meanwhile, up in the lit cave…
"Look, it's dawning outside! The weather is now looking much better! This is it, we are going to continue our search for Beringo!" Indiana, who was sitting at the cave entrance, let them know what was going to be the next thing they had to do. His and Dakota's search yesterday bore no fruit due to poor conditions outside.
"We better do it fast, because I don't think that master is going to wait here for long." Dakota told him, feeling that Nash was going to return to Nome with or without their lead dog. Speaking of Nash, he had improvised a bandage by shredding the pocket from his fur coat and cut it in line to tie it around his arm and cover that wound.
Justin, who was by Nash's side the most, asked Dakota: "How can you be so sure about that, Dakota? Master can't leave Beringo out there!" Even if he wanted to prove her wrong, Nash looked at Justin and told him, as if he were to understand them: "It's alright, boy. Soon enough I'll go search for Beringo myself, but if I don't find him… we'll have to return to Nome by sunset or else our careers will be at risk!"
No one liked that idea, especially because they were in US mail service for months to say. Suddenly, a deep, loud howl was heard in the distance and Roger, who gained his consciousness last evening when Dakota and Indiana returned, grunted: "Oh, this is just great! Why no one told me that we're in a wolf territory?!"
Another deep howl and Hallie, who looked after Roger, rushed outside, all while other teammates looked at one another nervously, in this small cave as the lamp oil being the only source of light. Then, Hallie's comment from outside boomed: "Wolf territory my rear! Look! That's Beringo down there! He's coming back!"
"BERINGO?!" Every other dog gasped in surprise and rushed to the cliff outside, much to Nash's surprise who asked: "Hey, hey, HEY! What are you doing?!" All five of dogs were looking down the cliff, all amazed that their lead dog was returning alive and well, steadily climbing up the cliff! Their chanting was heard: "Come on, Beringo! You can do this! Come on! Come on! You're almost there!"
With the last efforts put into climbing, Beringo reached for the edge and soon enough, with the cheers and howls of his teammates, was raised up by Indiana and Justin up on the cliff and he didn't see it coming when Hallie and Dakota rushed to nuzzle him, showing the relief that their lead dog was back! He had to catch his breath: "Easy, easy! I've just returned!"
"You have NO idea how you've frightened us all, Beringo! We were scared to death that you'd not return!" Roger explained how they were feeling like, or at least some of them felt like. Indiana and Justin both flanked him from each side, with Indiana explained: "But I remained hopeful, my friend, that you would return alive and well to us!"
"It is a miracle you are alive, Beringo! How could you survive that fall anyhow?!" Justin asked him from one side as there was a lot to explain. Just then, Nash came to the cave entrance and then he noticed his lead dog there, with his jaw dropped down in surprise as he was seeing Beringo alive and well standing over there!
"If I were to tell you, there's a lot to cover… and you'd not believe me." Beringo answered this simply for now. The first sunbeams were seen on the east and then they realized how they had spent a lot of time. Hallie, however, wasn't letting this off easily: "Beringo, we're your friends! You can rely on us and also tell us what happened!"
"Perhaps you're right. But for now, we should return home. I hope we're not too late!" Beringo hoped that their delay was not going to get them into trouble and indeed, Dakota came to nuzzle him by his chest, although without any spark in it as she told him: "We're not late… we still got time until sunset! For now, we're still thrilled to see you!"
"As I am and how you've taken the shelter in the cave! I was fearing for the worst that some of you would have been harmed badly by this storm." He gazed at Roger, for whom he'd known that he got hit in head while sliding down the hill, only for him to say: "Don't worry about me, my friend. I don't think that is the worst thing that happened to me in my life!"
"Beringo?! My goodness, it is great to see you!" Nash finally got to say something and attracted Beringo's attention. With his right arm he patted Beringo by his head and cuddled him behind the ear, speaking: "My boy, I have no idea how you've survived that fall, but seeing you in one piece, alive and well, I can say that I'm absolutely relieved to see you! You certainly have minerals to endure the wild and find your path back to us, amazing."
As he was done talking, Nash returned to the cave and trying not to apply any pain to his injured arm, pulled the sled out of the cave and managed to have his dogs placed in harness. Beringo gazed down where he ascended from, still thinking from the moment he'd awaken and parted ways with Aniu…
"Beringo, come on! It's time to go!" Indiana called him as he was holding a harness in his jaw that Beringo was supposed to place around his neck and had to lead the way back to Nome. However, he had that chilling feeling that in the distance, he heard Aniu's voice. Still, Beringo walked up to his spot and gracefully accepted the harness to be placed around his neck before Nash yelled: "MUSH!"
In matter of seconds, Beringo and his team were finally moving westwards! Even if they had to be careful, no matter the ideal weather conditions, they made their way through the mountains and a familiar town of Golovin was in their sight. Turns out they were not lost, but disoriented by a snowstorm! No doubt, this was going to lead them home.
As they were heading Nome, sun was now higher in sky and beamed its' chilly beams on cold Alaskan landscapes. If they were to keep this pace, they'd be home before noon! Sooner they were to reach Nome, better. All six dogs and even Nash were wondering what the residents of Nome were saying about them being late?
"There it is, home sweet Nome!" Beringo chanted after a while, with the familiar sight in front of them, causing all the dogs to bark in joy when the last few miles were in front of them! It wasn't until they reached the first street in Nome when one of humans spoke: "Hey, there's the missing team! They're back!"
"Team?" "Missing team?" "Back?!" Suddenly the voices erupted down the streets and houses from window to window when they saw Beringo's team returning home. Even the dogs from the sides noticed the missing team was back! Beringo could swear that he'd seen Koyuk and Scottia while running the last part of the delivery!
"HALT!" Nash yelled when they made it to the post office, from where the postmaster exited the office and talked to Nash: "Peter, are you alright! Oh my, what happened to your arm?!" The improvised bandage on Nash's arm was visible, but Nash just shrugged it off by saying: "Leave it, it's not terrible. I had to rip the pocket to stop the wound at once!"
Postmaster asked no more questions while the dogs rested down on the grounds. For them it was a wonderful feeling that they had returned home after an unexpected fall in the mountains. Though, Beringo was going to rest home, assured by Nash himself, but not before he heard familiar: "Beringo! Beringo, are you alright?!"
That voice belonged to Scottia, who, accompanied with Koyuk, rushed to their friend and wanted to know if he was alright? Beringo sighed in relief that there were some other friends who were considerate to ask him about his wellbeing. He answered her: "Scottia, you have nothing to worry about! We are all back, alive, well and each in one piece!"
It was a relief indeed. As for Koyuk, he was burning with curiosity: "What happened? There were some rumors about the snowstorm!" Dakota heard him and she answered: "A pretty nasty one if you ask us! Beringo had fallen from the edge while trying to keep Indiana safe, but were we out of ourselves when he returned alive and well!"
Scottia didn't know what to say when the rumors of snowstorm were true because she told them: "When Lewis comes and hears about this, he won't stop saying that he was true about the storm being some kind of jinx or a curse! He's still sleeping though, a shepherd likes to wake up late." This made the team, even Beringo, laugh, despite him being defensive towards the grumpy shepherd.
"Classic old Lewis! He'll have a good reason to celebrate to see us all back home." Beringo laughed again, knowing that even Lewis had to take it easy once in a while. Though, Nash returned from the post office and walked to Beringo, moving his harness away and saying: "Beringo, come boy. You are going to take a long rest, because I do think you've hurt yourself, but I don't see where!"
Hearing the word "hurt" did not bode well with the classy duo of dogs, noticed by their worried looks, only for Beringo to tell them: "It's alright. My shoulder is still aching, but it's much better than it was last night." Last night was for him going to be in memory… now that he had met Aniu… who was different, not because she was a wolf, but different from any other females he'd met by now!
Nash was making sure Beringo was not going to hurt himself on their way home, which was not too far. As concerned as Scottia and Koyuk were, that concern in Scottia's eyes was unquestionable: "Guys, guys. Just please tell us when he's starting to recover! I hope that his injury isn't too bad! It'd be terrible that the injury would put him away from duty!"
Indiana, who as much as he appreciated that these two were Beringo's friends, could not resist but to sarcastically respond: "Why don't you give some more hopes? Who knows, he may recover right here, right now!" He eventually rolled with his eyes now that he had to go through her worries and Koyuk was not amused by his response.
"Come on, you two. He didn't mean that way." Roger optimistically let them know that Indiana might be brash sometimes, but never truly wanted to hurt anyone. Koyuk told him: "We know, it's just that we've got worried for all of you being gone out there." He had nothing to worry about anymore over here.
"It's alright. Beringo will be back in action in no time, trust me!" Roger told them as he was heading last home, whose intentions were at least more amiciable than Indiana's. For them all, this was not going to stop being discussed anytime soon. It didn't matter to Beringo, because as long as he could think on his savior, he could be thankful to her and he was still alive and home.