Not long afterwards, the year 1920 had become a history and the year 1921 was among people of Nome (and the rest of the world). The snow for the residents of this small town in this part of year was nothing new and not even for dogs. Not even for Cosmo, the gray and indigo colored small husky who was seen walking around the streets.
Being in Fritz's team, one would expect that he'd be with them. Truth to be said, he was heading towards them and as for him, Cosmo was just done seeing this one female he had an interest for and much to his delight, so had she. Right now, he had to return to his teammates and let them know about some things.
Leaving the street and going through the alleyway, he looked at the shack that had the entrance only through the alley, Cosmo knew that he was in the right place because how the old oak doors were a slightly open. Pushing the wood with his muzzle, he made it inside when he heard Hardy: "Cosmo, has anyone been following you?"
"No one, Hardy, thankfully." He spoke to the chinook now that he, Hardy, Laurel and even Firtz and Della were present. He further let them know: "Not even a human could see me even if I were running on the street right in front of their eyes!" As much as he found it fun how he bragged about it, time for joy and humor was no more when…
"As if they'll ever see us as anything else than just being dogs." Fritz said this in his deep and cynical voice, with Della giving him that look as if she were saying: "Please do not say that, Fritz!" She was trying this for weeks, only to give up on trying as Fritz's cynical personality was the most prominent on the surface.
"But at least Cosmo will have something to share with us!" Laurel assured him that there was something that Fritz was probably going to be interested in finding out. Cosmo was ready to share away proudly what he had in mind: "Well, listen up! After I've done my investigations for the last few weeks myself, I might have something that'd have our popularity restored!"
"That will only work for me if the humans are going to acknowledge that plan, Cosmo." Fritz responded to him, without any amusement in his tone. Up until that final race against Beringo's team… Fritz was seeing the fortune and happiness in his life, but now that ever since Beringo had taken over the title of the ace, Fritz watched in pain ever since how none of humans were paying attention towards them anymore, as if they'd been obsolete relics…
"Do you remember that one time I found myself close to the boiler room and I overheard the conversation with their team, along with those classy two dogs and that old grump?" Cosmo asked them if they had any memories about it and Hardy had: "What about that day?" With the glee on his face, Cosmo explained: "Up until I had to flee because I accidentally hit that beam that knocked everything over? You're going to love what I have to say!"
"Then share away!" Laurel was impatient to know what it all was and now that he had their attention, Cosmo made some calculations and connected some dots to make the logic out of everything he could remember. Even Fritz, who seemed like he was not feeling like listening, was paying attention to what his friend was saying. As for Della, she did not like hearing this.
Eventually, as Cosmo was done, Laurel and Hardy seemed like they enjoyed listening this the most, as if all these facts and news were going to help them for something… malevolent. In the end, Cosmo did ask them: "So what do you say? Should we spread the word and tell other dogs?" He was hoping for his gunshot by his teammates.
"I am in!" Laurel accepted this nonetheless, as if this chow-chow was ready to accept any deal. "So am I." Hardy vouched for the word to be spread. Della, however, was not really fond of this idea: "Are you sure this is wise? I know that we're no longer being recognized that well, but don't you think that this is just too… malicious?"
"Della, look at it! That final race had the reputation being taken away from us and being given to Beringo's team and now this is our chance to bring it back." Fritz, who would normally oppose plans like this, sounded like he favored it, even acknowledging what the damage would be done afterwards. "Besides, from what I've seen myself, I have been asking myself if any sane dog would be able to do such things!"
Since all the males were in favor of Cosmo's plan over here, Della sighed. She didn't wish any malice to the others, be it her friend or enemy, but seeing that should she vote no, it'd not count because she would've been defeated four-by-one and so, she reluctantly said: "I… I am in." Fritz gave her a weak smile all while Cosmo, Laurel and Hardy were eagerly awaiting this!
"Let's go! The sooner the others know, the better!" Laurel suggested them to get moving and of course, he, Cosmo and Hardy left the shack, all while Della and Fritz remained behind. All while Della's mind was filled with thoughts like: "Fritz, sweetie, you should end this as soon as you can! This is nothing like you! Those three are leaving a terrible influence on you!" As much as she wanted him to realize that, she knew that wouldn't be any possible…
Two days later…
"So, where do you think that great ship sails at? It comes all the way here once a month." Roger asked Beringo, Justin and Hallie around, since Indiana and Dakota were still in their bed, sharing it together as they didn't feel like getting up this early. Four of them were early in the morning by the docks, observing possibly the largest ship they'd seen!
"I've heard that there's this town of Anchorage, further to the east and south and they say it is the biggest town of Alaska! Some people call it "New York" or Alaska, but where is New York anyways?" Justin told him what he thought and heard about the boat that had some people coming down in the docks. Tourists, guests, visitors, supplies, anything that could be named was brought here today.
"Just imagine one day that all six of us get on board on that ship and we all sail to that town! How would it all look like if we were in that town?" Hallie gave her suggestion, only for Beringo to let her know: "Yeah, as much as we'd love to, just imagine all those search parties looking all over for us! That'd be bizarre to happen, Hallie."
"Eh, if you think so, Beringo." Hallie shrugged, who sounded like she was merely joking on boarding the ship. Since they were here to see the large ship docking in Nome on monthly basis, they could carry on, most likely having a breakfast, much to Roger's delight: "What do you think we're having for breakfast today?"
"I don't know, but if all of us get home before you, maybe we'll get to eat something before you eat it, Roger! Ha ha, just joking!" Justin teased him here, for which Roger was baffled at first, then downright unamused. Beringo, however, didn't want to get his friends hot headed right now so he asked them: "May I ask you something? You know, change a topic before things around here with you get heated."
"Whatever serves you right." Hallie didn't see a problem with that, all because of how Roger giving that look to Justin, but Beringo's question intrigued her: "Tell me, what do you think of the wolves?" They were clearly not expecting this kind of question and Hallie couldn't decide what to say other than: "Wolves? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I have been thinking lately… since you've heard in tales how wolves are vicious, bad and dangerous, but have you ever been thinking of a chance that there is a wolf who is neither of these personalities I just described?" Beringo was giving them an impression how his question was just hypothesis, general thinking, not how he was secretly seeing Aniu for the last few weeks.
"I don't know, Beringo. I haven't encountered any wolves in my life and when we're doing mail deliveries, I always hope that I don't get ambushed by one and worse… attacked!" Justin's point of view certainly didn't enlighten Beringo over here. To be this prejudicial towards wolves with the paper-thin thinking was clearly showing on surface.
Hallie and Roger were looking at one another, thinking about this question and neither of them had any answers or at least any of answers that'd Beringo favor. He insisted on asking them: "I am curious… what if the scenario of us getting lost happens during the mail delivery happens and we come across a wolf who you, Justin, described as someone who'd ambush you… but what if that wolf happens to be peaceful and wants to help you?"
"Well… I uh, I… I don't know?" Justin was not thinking this one either and clearly Beringo was not happy how Justin didn't even try. Though, Hallie hopped in: "Beringo, I might not have seen a wolf in my life before and I've never been thinking this about before, but at least I can offer you something plausible."
"Okay, I was hoping at least one'd understand what I'm saying!" Beringo saw this as a relief that Hallie was not letting this topic go without answering him. Though, not much of a promising thought: "I'd gladly accept that wolf's offer to help us, but once the wolf starts making something funny, then I'd go all by myself to find the way home!"
Seeing how her answer was going towards the direction he was not happy about, he used the last card: "Roger, what do you think?" Truth to be said, Roger couldn't offer any better: "I don't know, my friend. I mean, sure, I'd seek help if necessary, but how do I trust a wolf who'd possibly attack me without any valid reason?!"
Even if he could ask other friends right now, Beringo sighed in defeat, clearly seeeing that this was not working. Roger asked him however: "What's with the 'wolf' topic on our talk anyhow?" Beringo looked at each one of his friends before making a pretty dark thought: "I guess that this secret relationship will remain secret for indefinite time..."
"It doesn't matter. It was theoretical question anyhow." Beringo told them motionlessly and straight-faced, although the disappointment was deeply present in his face. Just as they were going to return home, Beringo turned his head and with a gaze on the right, he saw one of those dogs he didn't know well. However, what that dog did was not… pleasant.
The dog upon noticing how Beringo glanced at him gasped in shock and fear and moved backwards, hoping to find a rear way out. Beringo was visibly puzzled, what just happened over here?! He asked them: "Did you guys see that?! That dog in the alley got himself frightened when he saw us on the street! What made him think so?"
"Yeah, I just saw that dog backing up! I'm not so sure right now, but maybe he's had a bad nightmare and now is afraid to be with anyone? He was alone if you've seen it." Hallie noticed this strange behavior and then again, it could've been that the dog couldn't get any proper sleep and was literally afraid of his shadow. Beringo's answer was: "A pointlessly lost cause right here."
But as they were moving on, two other dogs, now on the streets, once they saw them coming and Beringo in general, were terrified to notice oncoming dog. Again, Beringo noticed that and right now he was starting to think that this was getting very strange. Was now suddenly every dog in Nome having a nightmare last night?!
"Tell me you saw that at least!" Beringo wondered if they were paying attention to those dogs who terrifyingly gazed at Beringo and his friends, mainly him. Roger got it right here: "I did! If these dogs were having nightmares too, then why didn't we have them?" It was clear that "nightmare" right here was something they were going to find out soon.
"I have an idea. Hallie, why don't you go ahead first and make sure that someone sees you? Maybe it is someone of us they're afraid of!" Justin suggested her and seeing that she couldn't complain as they were in middle of something strange, she answered: "Alright, Justin." She moved ahead, wondering what the outcome was going to be.
Moving a bit ahead from her friends, she just noticed one dog in the alley and that dog noticed her. Surprisingly, that one was acting normal upon seeing her. Now it was Roger's turn to move on and when that dog saw him, it was all the same. Nothing even changed when Justin followed up, thus leaving Beringo to move on.
Then, unlike his friends, when Beringo was spotted by that dog, he gasped in fear upon seeing who had come to his sight, saying: "Oh no!" And thus, the dog started backing away and soon enough, ran to the other end of the alley, disappearing behind the corner. Roger, Justin and Hallie gazed at Beringo, who was baffled by what just happened.
"Beringo?! Why was he terrified when that dog saw you, but not us?" Hallie was surprised by this outcome and Beringo was genuinely shocked by all this, answering her: "I have no idea! Look, if I did something terrible or something frightening to anyone, I would have told you about it!" He was hoping that this wasn't going to turn the tides in friendship.
"No, we're not against you here, my friend. We are just confused by all this, you know?" Justin assured him that despite this accident, he wasn't going to give up on him over here. Appreciating how he was not going to be left behind over here, he told them: "Thanks. Listen up, get Indiana and Dakota, because this is some kind of serious business going on! I'll meet you at Koyuk's and I hope he and Scottia won't be afraid of me!"
"Koyuk's? We'll be there, let's go!" Roger beckoned Justin and Hallie to move on and alert their teammates all while Beringo rushed to Koyuk's. He was feeling a bit annoyed that he came across few other dogs who were shocked when they saw him. At least Lewis wasn't here and would he be shocked to see him… or carry on with his grumpy antics?
"Koyuk, Scottia? Are you two home?!" Beringo called for them in front of their house. Much to his relief, when he heard them from inside and seeing Koyuk leaping on the windowsill, he asked him in a friendly way thankfully: "Beringo, hi! What's new?" This was something at least, that there was someone who didn't gasp in shock upon noticing Beringo.
"Koyuk, my friends are coming over and I need you and Scottia over here! There's something important I need to tell you!" Beringo informed him what was going on and from inside, he could hear Scottia saying: "What's going on, Koyuk? Why is Beringo nervous?!" All for which he answered her: "Let's get outside, Scottia. It's something serious!"
Looking at the delicately built spruce house and those windows with some expensive glass made out there, Beringo noticed Koyuk disappearing from his sight and it wasn't until he'd heard the creaking of the dog doors that his two red-furred friends had come out. Even after seeing him once again, none of them flinched in fear or shock.
"Beringo? Why are you looking upset? Is something not right?" Scottia wondered why Beringo was like this and what was he passing through, only for him to tell her: "Wait up, Scottia. I'll tell you and my friends what's happening. Well, Indiana and Dakota don't know, others do." He wasn't going to let his closest friends clueless.
Indeed, it was after a few minutes that Indiana and Dakota were seen with the rest of the team. Indiana, while in a distance, asked his friend: "Hey, Beringo! What's with all that shock and fear stuff?! Hallie was telling me it was something urgent!" He had this right and also no idea how urgent it was going to be once he heard it!
Noticing they were all around in the street, making a circle around him, here he let them know: "Well, you must be wondering what "shock" and "fear" are doing in this context? Roger, Justin, Hallie, you've been there, but I'll take over in the name of us all here." They nodded in understanding, as the other friends were about to find out…
Thus Beringo explained them about how they were just outside when dogs started shivering in fear once they saw Beringo on the street, something they'd never do before. The topic was open for some discussion, about what they were thinking of this situation. Dakota finally broke the chain of discussions: "Beringo, I know that this may be a stupid question, but you didn't have any business with any of those dogs, right?"
"Of course I haven't! I don't talk to them anyhow, okay?" It wasn't really expected from Beringo to be this brash and then again, he almost felt like as if he'd let the truth slip out of his jaws. This eventually led her to ask: "Then what do you think it is? Can you think of anything?" Even if he could, there was nothing out of it that'd give them any logical solutions.
The chain of discussing started again, but was set free soon with Indiana: "You know, this is all fishy to me. Hey, don't look at me like that!" He unintentionally mentioned something he disliked a lot, leading to his teammates to giggle at this ironic statement before he got his chance: "This all smells on some kind of gossip to me."
"Really? What makes you think so?" Koyuk was suspicious of his guess, only for Indiana to answer him: "I don't know, maybe you give me ideas and I have all the answers of this world?! Alright, alright… well, it is not the best guess I have, but I still think of this as someone trying to be a showoff and throwing some kind of rumor."
"So, what are we going to do?" Scottia asked, wondering if someone as brash as him was telling the truth? Dakota suggested: "Here's what. Beringo, you'll go with one of us to find out furthermore if others are actually afraid of you. Others will go individually and try to talk with any of the dogs and try to find out what's going on. Any questions?"
Surprise, surprise, no one had given any questions, so Dakota told them: "Right! Let's move on! Let's hope that this fear is nothing else but someone's salty joke. Beringo, come with me." Beringo was surprised that she'd choose him, but if Indiana was not minding this, going all the way to trust them, then he couldn't comply.
So each one of them spread out in various directions, with Beringo following Dakota and asking her: "Dakota, how do you think this is going to work out? What if they don't tell us a word just because you're my friends?" Dakota was persistent in her intentions, just letting him know: "Don't you worry about that, my friend. Have in mind that whoever set this up, that someone will have it coming soon!"
Liking how fierce she was in bringing that someone to justice, Beringo also realized that this demeanor made him glad he let her go for Indiana. Just then, a familiar Scottish voice called from the side: "Beringo, lad! What's new with ye?" Lewis got him right here as he was resting on the front door, enjoying the light breeze stirring his thick fur.
"Lewis, we're in the middle of something. Apparently, all the dogs are afraid of me for some reason and we suppose someone has been gossiping!" Beringo explained to the shepherd what was going on and Lewis just asked: "Gossiping? Someone has been a wee clipe, aye? Ah dinnae hear anything!" He didn't like the nature of someone gossiping.
"Lewis, mister, we're trying to find out if that gossiping was true and who is behind all this if that's all true." Dakota spoke to the Scottish shepherd, ditching her stereotypes towards the grumpy shepherd for better. Seeking this as something helpful, Lewis told them: "Say, yee wee lassie, mind if auld Lewis helps ye in seeking?"
If Lewis were to help in finding out the culprit, this meant one: the more, the merrier! Under one condition Dakota named it: "Sure, but we must be doing this on our own. Do you think you can find out by yourself?" She didn't have to ask this, because him replying led Dakota feel baffled over here: "Yer aff yer head if ye dinnae trust me! Of course ah am going to help!"
"Count him in." Beringo let her know as Lewis was ready to move on and help the young ones to find out if any of these were true. He told them: "Ah shall go and skelp the scunner who does this, aye?" All in all, Beringo and Dakota nodded as whatever he just said, in Dakota's mind, did sound oddly strong and fierce from him!
Leaving the two huskies behind, Lewis decided to ditch his resting routine and move on across the town, wondering where to start finding the clues. His efforts were fruitless at first, mainly how because of this fear, no one wanted to be on the streets and most notably, nowhere close where Beringo would go. Lewis noticed that change.
Just as he was passing in front of the "General Store", with all the meat hanging on the hooks, that all smelled delicious to him, he heard someone in the alley behind and who'd say? He clearly heard: "You've outdone yourself this time, Cosmo! Now Beringo is paying his prize for stealing our reputation!"
"Och, a scunner is there!" Lewis thought to himself as he was not going to let his presence be revealed just yet. He hid behind the box from where he could peek between the wooden boxes into the alley and there he saw Cosmo, along with Laurel and Hardy, all three of them having those gleeful looks.
"If it weren't for you eavesdropping at them two months ago in the boiler room and hearing him telling the story how his mother who was not there, rescuing him from the snow, we'd have a hard way to get our vengeance!" Laurel gleefully said, hoping that one day their retribution was going to rise to the skies again, not just among the dogs, but among humans!
"Yeah! Now that we've told them how Beringo is now seeing things, they're all believing that he's insane and deranged! Wait until Fritz hears this!" Cosmo excitedly and gleefully was looking how this was going to bring their leader back to former glory. Truth to be said, maybe Fritz wouldn't have been like this because of three of them.
"Thanks to your efforts, Cosmo, we're rewarding you tonight with some fresh beef we will try to get. You may be a bit blunt compared to us, but you're full of surprises!" Hardy appreciated his teammate's effort with a spice of insult, which Cosmo responded with: "Hey!" But at the same time, he was dearly hoping for that beef tonight.
"Okay, Hardy and I are heading to Fritz and Della. You just don't worry and wait for us that we give you your award, alright?" Laurel told Cosmo what was coming for him later as he and his chinook friend moved on to their "chief". Not to mention, that wide smile on his was made him feel like he'd done the proudest thing in his life.
"Ho ho ho! I haven't eaten a beef in a long while! If it is good as they're saying, then this is as good as celebrating a birthday!" Cosmo gleefully commented, leaving him to move on. A pair of hazel brown eyes were peeking through the boxes angrily… but not without any ideas. Just as Cosmo was about to leave the alley, a piece of veal was thrown from behind the box in front of his eyes, for which he said: "Oh, what is this? A free veal!"
But as he was about to grab it greedily with his jaws… "The veal is a lie!" Boomed Lewis' voice as he furiously showed his head from behind the box. Cosmo looked at the middle aged grumpy shepherd in surprise and nervously laughed, backing away as he asked: "Oh, it is… you? Was this your veal, mister?"
"Ye eejit! Ah dinnae care for this veal.. ah only care how yer a sleekit wee scunner!" Lewis started approaching him slowly, but enough for Cosmo to feel anxious by the presence of someone he'd talk behind the back. He told him: "What are you saying? I didn't do anything!" This lie certainly didn't do any good to him, as seen in Lewis' eyes.
"Dinnae lie to me! Ah have heard enough fur a wee clipe like ye! Yer spreading a rumor that Beringo is aff his head? Have ye nae shame for at?!" Now that Cosmo was cornered in the alley, with Lewis blocking his way out to go anywhere, he was trembling nervously, at the cost of the prize all because of his rumor that Beringo was insane.
"All I've done was to prove I have the use from my friends and all I want is for my chief to be on the top of the game like he used to be!" Cosmo couldn't come up with any worse excuse than this one, as it was clear that him being nervous made him forget what he was saying. This just ignited: "Och really?! Fur selfishly selling Beringo's pride and feasting on grand beef as a reward! Ye and yer lads are no brawer than a human clipe! Noo out of ma sight before ah skelp ye!"
Cosmo now had his way out, but seeing how he was cornered and berated by Lewis all because of his intentions made him feel terrible for his actions. He ran as fast as he could, possibly thinking what were the consequences of his wrongdoings. As for Lewis, he kept breathing madly in the alley before he started to take it easy.
"A sleekit scunner… Beringo dinnae deserve yon. Easy noo, Lewis." Lewis spoke to himself, calming his nerves now that he realized that Beringo, someone he had seen as his son figure, was now being feared by other dogs of Nome all based off on the false accusations because of Fritz's cronies. There was no evidence that Beringo was mad, which Lewis dearly hoped for.
If the others found out what the rumor was, Lewis sighed, knowing how bad this was going to be once the word would come to Beringo. At the same time, if they did not, Lewis realized that he could go find out where Beringo and his friends were and let them know he had discovered the rumor and who started it. Leaving the alley while calming down, he had to ask himself if the damage caused by this rumor could be undone or it was all beyond repair?