Some time earlier, back to Beringo's house…
"What do you think, how it is going to be like when we get to talk to his mate… Aniu?" Justin wondered how it was going to be like the following day to not only have an another chance to meet Aniu better, but to see Beringo's own family. The secret they had been longing to unravel was happening and they couldn't obviously wait.
"Well, last time I shared my opinions of her, I left a pretty bad impression, unless she didn't take it personally. Tomorrow I'll try to make it up to her if I have to." Hallie explained what she intended to do and her decision was possibly the bravest one to discuss. As for Dakota, she admitted: "You know, I didn't have that many problems with her so I guess the two of us will get along while we watch our puppies play."
"I wonder how do they look like? Whether they're little wolves in dogs' looks or little dogs in wolves' looks?" Indiana asked himself, though he wasn't judging them for who they were. If they really had that sweetness of Aniu, then they could believe that Beringo's puppies were indeed precious, possibly the most precious puppies?
"Though, Indy, I don't know how will Audrey take it with them? She's always somehow boastful when it comes to other puppies, thinking she's in the lead of the game." Dakota rose her eyebrow, already knowing her daughter pretty well and how she did not get along with her older brother and his friend Molly. Indiana couldn't deny that.
"I will have to talk to her about that. I won't have our daughter be someone full of herself just because she wants friends over strange choices." Indiana decisively considered this thought, not wanting to have his daughter be blinded by prejudices as she'd grow. The window in the living room started shaking, to which little Molly asked: "Daddy? Is someone out there?! The window is shaking hard!"
"I don't know, Molly. It doesn't feel like so…" Justin looked up the window, wondering who'd bother them right now but as he climbed to take a look, he noticed that there wasn't anyone out there but the window kept shaking, to which he counted two and two to say: "The wind is very strong out there! I hope it won't shatter the windows in the house!"
As for Hallie, she peeked her head through the dog doors and in confusion, she pulled her head back again to ask: "Are you sure that today is April?! Because it feels like a November to me!" The strong wind… the cold… at the end of the April… something was not right over here… even Max asked: "Mommy! Is something bad going to happen to us?!"
"No, no, honey! Calm down! We have a storm coming, but master will make sure we're all safe!" Dakota went to comfort her son, clearly caring for her son being upset. Even if Audrey wanted to say something that he was overreacting, Dakota's look made her realize she was going to say: "Don't!". Even Audrey was a bit afraid, to be honest, just like Michael, Palmer and Yukon.
"I just hope that Beringo is safe out there! And Roger too, but him being at Shanice's will provide him a safe cover." Indiana was getting pretty concerned for the safety of his best friend or both his friends, not liking where this was going. The atmosphere in the room was getting pretty tense, wondering what was coming next.
"Oh, this is not good! It is snowing right now!" Justin looked outside the window, noticing the larger and larger snowflakes accumulating on the window, before the mist started to shroud the environment outside. Wondering what kind of storm was coming, they were hoping for the safety of their friends, but only for one now because…
"Wait, do you hear that?" Dakota perked her ear towards the door and they heard someone huffing and wheezing, hoping that Beringo was out there! But soon enough, the dog doors being opened, it revealed a chubby tan furred male covered in snow - Roger! While the light disappointment was seen in their eyes, they were relieved to see their friend home!
"Roger! Oh, thank goodness you're home! We were wondering where you'd stay!" Hallie expressed her relief once seeing her friend back home, who shook the snow off him, answering: "It's alright, Hallie! I wanted to stay at Shanice's at first, but she told me to return home so master won't be concerned for my whereabouts!"
"Seems wise, but Beringo is not home yet!" Indiana alerted him for the danger of their lead dog still being out there, thus Roger saying: "You what?! Are you telling me he hasn't returned from outside the town?! The dangerous snowstorm has come!" They were all worried of course, but that was just the beginning.
The light came from the hall and soon enough, Nash was seen holding the oil lantern in his hand, explaining: "We've got the bad news, everyone! The snow storm has disabled the electricity for the entire town and we have oil lanterns to rely on only! I hope that… wait…" He noticed that the room was missing something… or someone…
"Let me see! Max, Audrey, you two are here… Yukon, Molly, Michael, Palmer… you four are here… Indiana, Dakota, Justin, Hallie, Roger… and Beringo? Beringo! Heel, boy! Where are you, Beringo?!" Nash turned around the house to see where his lead dog was and with every second passing that was giving him no response, he grew more anxious.
"Where could Beringo be right now?!" Nash asked his dogs, wondering what made his lead dog not be at home and he carefully opened the doors because of the wind and snow raging out there, to which he shouted in the air: "BERINGO! HERE, BERINGO! BERINGO!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" Wherever he was, no response was giving Nash no hope whatsoever.
He was looking pretty distressed, hoping that his lead dog was not far from home so knowing that he had to seek shelter for himself, Nash faced the wind and snow when he got outside the house, holding the lantern as his shouting was fading in the storm. This left his dogs wonder what they could do while their master was gone.
"We have only one possible choice left! It is too dangerous to follow the master, but this has to work!" Indiana remembered something and since no one else was getting the clue, the let them know: "The Polar Bark! Come on!" Indiana headed to the first window, which once he opened, almost shattered against the wall if he hadn't held it firmly.
"What is daddy doing?!" Max asked when he noticed the snow coming in the house, making the house colder than it already was, to which Dakota let him know: "Something you will need to know when you grow older, pups!" Roger rushed to Indiana and asked him: "What are you going to tell the other dogs?! Where is the message going to reach?!"
"I'm going to alert the town of Beringo gone missing! If it has to be, we have to alert those dogs who live in mountain cabins in every possible direction around the town about him!" Indiana's message was saying it all and while they had little to no contact with the dogs living in those cabins, they had to maintain their communication with them no matter what, for the sake of other towns.
The puppies were staring in surprise how Indiana was barking and howling in the pattern kind of order, that way sharing the message or just spreading the word, hoping that he was barking and howling loud enough for other dogs to hear it. Once Indiana was done, he and everyone else in the house were hoping for the response.
Soon enough, a chain of howls and barks, using the same pattern as Indiana's initial message was heard by the first dog who caught the message, but only a second later two others were heard and it was the matter of time when the town of Nome was going to erupt into "bark and howl" mode with "Polar Bark" happening, even to the mountain dogs.
"Let's hope that they saw him and at least provided him the safety!" Hallie was pretty much afraid for her friend's safety like anyone else in the house, only to be encouraged by Dakota's: "Look, whatever happens, at the first sunlight at dawn, we are going out there to find him and hopefully he'll be alright!"
After all, they'd been like brothers and sisters to one another all these years and caring for one another was vital for their friendships. As for the puppies, they were to go to bed soon and not to go with their parents tomorrow morning due to a possible exhausting search waiting for them, just like how it was for Nash who had just returned, his search being in vain.
The snowstorm was raging as the dark was coming and only adult dogs could not rest well, even their master, who spent a good chunk of the night nervously walking in his room, thanks to his boots stepping from one side of the room to the another. Still, they all had manage to wake up as the dawn was breaking, thanks to Dakota's words.
"Justin, go wake the master up! We're going as soon as we're sure he's awake!" Indiana told him to get going, albeit whispering because the puppies were still asleep. Last thing that their parents let them know was that they were going to make sure Beringo would return, since he had the moves of the professional sled dog. Justin didn't waste a second so he rushed to master's bedroom in no time.
In no more than half a minute they heard Nash's mumbling: "B… Beringo!? Oh, that's you, Justin! He didn't come home yet?! We better get moving!" And of course, Justin rushed straight down to them so they could move on, one by one leaving the house until all five of them were in front of the house.
"Do you think we can follow his scent anywhere?" Roger asked. He could remember the path he and Beringo took because they stopped in front of Shanice's before he headed outside the town that same afternoon. Dakota spoke: "What do you think our noses are for? If we weren't born with them, then we'd have to make clues like humans!"
"Easy, both of you! We don't have time to argue right now!" Hallie stood between them, clearly not going to tolerate this behavior. Seeing where they were heading to, they decided to easen their tension when Indiana spoke: "She's right, you know. We have more urgent matters right now! Let's go!" Of course, they could still track down Beringo's scent from yesterday somehow.
When they were in front of Shanice's home, Roger wished he could drop by to see how she was doing, but seeing it was still very early and they were in the middle of something, they moved on. Justin eventually let them know: "Beringo's scent is leading outside the town! Do you think that by any chances he returned to the town before the storm struck?!"
"I have no idea! Let's follow the scent first!" Dakota immediately rushed to the outskirts of the town, with others not even thinking to stop her. The scent, it was still somehow present despite the fact that the storm could have scattered it away! Was he by any chances in the old boat right now?! Did he spend his entire night in the damp and dust?!
"Beringo?! BERINGO! Aniu! Are you two there?!" Hallie barked ahead, who despite her initial prejudices, was courageous enough to mention her name first. There was no response at first, thinking that they were still sleeping. But when she was to repeat her calls and questions, Roger shouted: "Hey, his scent, along with some others, lead to the hills!"
"What?!" The others asked in disbelief and seeing how Roger was already far ahead, they were already fearing that Beringo was not in the boat either! "WAIT UP!" They called for him to take it easy and it didn't seem easy to catch up with him, because any second now he could be running anywhere for more clues.
"Did you find where it leads?!" Justin asked him while he was catching his breath, to which Roger's answer was: "Their scents could be leading to that forest! But I also noticed something over there, below the edge!" They looked the same way where he was looking at and once they were closer, all of them realized in horror what they were looking at…
"Is that his…?! No! NO! This can't be!" Hallie glared in shock and horror when she realized what was it over there, a dried red liquid and it didn't help when Indiana sniffed the rock, making him stutter: "It… it's B-Beringo's! Oh my goodness! I hope he wasn't badly hurt!" The panic was growing faster than anything in the town of Nome and outskirts today.
"Spread out! Search the area and see where it leads!" Indiana commanded them to inspect the area after once figuring out the most recent scent lead somewhere else, away from the forest. It wasn't until minutes after when Dakota stumbled across the bump in the snow, yelling: "Hey! HEY! My paw hit something soft in the snow!"
"Where?! WHERE?!" Roger asked her when he rushed to her position, along with anyone else in the area and once Justin stepped on something soft in the snow, he looked below in the ground and noticed something gray in the snow, softer than a rock, but not as soft as snow and it wasn't until seconds after…
"Beringo! That's Beringo! Let's get him out of there!" Indiana told them to dig as fast as possible, hoping that there could be some hope and within seconds, the untouched pile of snow was all over the place until all five of them could get a better view on their lead dog, buried underneath all the snow, with Indiana pulling him out of there.
"Someone better howl to master to let him know we found him!" Indiana frantically spoke when they got him out and of course, Justin, Roger and Dakota turned towards the town and howled as loud and as long as possible, even gaining the attention of Nash and two other humans, who were seen rushing towards them.
"They're coming! Master is coming with two others!" Dakota spoke, hoping that there was a hope in this desperate situation. But Hallie and Indiana didn't look it that way when they noticed the frostbite covering Beringo's wound, fearing whether it was a shallow or severe wound, to which Hallie started: "Beringo! Beringo, we know you're still here! Stay with us, master is coming to help you!"
The tears were already in her eyes and even she laid gently on top of him to provide the warmth, hoping that would somehow make him come to his senses. It wasn't until they heard Nash's voice saying: "Did you find him?! He's right there?! Get out of my way! Beringo! BERINGO!" Hallie moved aside to let her master and two other humans come through.
"Oh my God! Peter, he looks pretty badly wounded!" One of two of his companions noticed the frostbite covered wound on Beringo's torso, which Nash himself acknowledged. Kneeling in the snow and pulling Beringo's body by his side, he started rubbing his body as hard as possible, repeating: "Beringo! Beringo, my boy! Please… please wake up!"
The dogs were glaring in shock and awe as their master was looking like he was going to suffer an emotional breakdown, with the first eyes seen in their master's amber eyes. Harder he rubbed, more desperate he became. His companions were trying to help in any way possible, but that didn't seem like a possible option.
"Beringo… please… don't leave us…" Nash's voice was heard, him choking in the tears when he saw his favorite sled dog and the lead dog not giving any vital signals. Just as Hallie was looking like she was about to cry, Dakota was also very close to that. Not even males were looking like they were going to remember this terrible day without shedding a tear.
Then, after two or three minutes of frantically rubbing Beringo's frozen body, Nash finally stopped. He couldn't take it anymore when they heard the brown haired man sob in defeat and grief now that it had occurred to them all - they were too late, it was too late to save Beringo. Nash's second companion placed his hand on the shoulder to tell him: "Peter, I'm so sorry for your loss…"
"I… I d-don't understand…! I-I c-c-can't believe that h-he would l-lose his life out… outside the t-town… w-what had him k-killed?!" Nash's voice was heard breaking due to tears overcoming him as he was embracing his sled dog's body… Beringo passed away that night due to a severe wound and cold and this day was going to be a mourning day for the citizens and dogs of Nome.
And at this point, both Dakota and Hallie were seen crying openly and leaning their heads on their mates' shoulders, who nuzzled them out of comfort even if they were all pretty much devastated by the lost of their friend, even Roger whose mate was to hear the news of the loss. Indiana seemed like he was the most devastated one of them five, seeing his best friend no longer living with them.
"I… I will… b-bury him… behind my house… when we get home…" Nash explained to his friends what he intended to do with Beringo's frozen body. The next thing he did was that he took his fur coat off him and placed it down on the ground so he could put Beringo's body inside, wrap it up and then carry it home. One of his friends asked: "Aren't you going to be cold like that?"
"I… I don't care…" Nash replied to him, wishing that none of this would have happened, that he kept a better eye on his pets lately. He called for his other dogs: "Let's go home… all five of you… I'm so sorry… that he couldn't make it…" The dogs wished they could communicate with their master when they were following him and his friends home, with Justin whining by his leg to show the compassion.
"It's alright, boy… we'll need to give your master some time." The second of two companions of Nash's spoke to Justin, being impressed by what kind of compassion he was treating his master. As for now, they were walking back in the town and by the time they had reached the first houses, the sun had fully risen at the east.
"Who's Peter carrying in his arms?" Some of the humans who found themselves on the streets in the morning saw Nash carrying his fur coat and a body of the famed sled ace in it. Even if his friends were saying things like: "Please, not now! This isn't the right moment." There were some who persisted, some of which started whispering things that weren't sounding very nice.
Once they had returned to their home, Beringo's body wrapped in the fur coat was placed on the wooden table found on the porch and just as he was to enter the home with his dogs, one of his friends spoke: "Peter… is there anything we can provide you with right now? Do you need our help at least?"
Nash wanted to be alone and far away from every other human right now, but seeing how they weren't going to step back in their intentions, he just told them: "I just want to be with my dogs now… for an hour. Then I'll bury him in the backyard, but I don't have a shovel." To which his second friend opted: "Let me. I have rusty one at home, but it'll come in handy."
So his friends left him and his dogs to go inside, with them all being devastated by the tragic loss of their friend, their brother, their leader and their inspiration. Of course, the puppies were all awake when they saw their parents, but when they saw them with devastated looks on their faces, Max asked: "Daddy? What happened? Why are you all looking sad?"
The puppy lowered his tail and ears when he felt some kind of discomfort between the adult dogs. They didn't answer to him, being choked up from tears to answer the little one. Even Molly asked: "Mommy, what's going on? Did you find Beringo?" The answer she was going to get was absolutely going to devastate her one way or another.
"Beringo… is not coming back… anymore…" Justin was strong enough to speak in the name of his mate, before the females broke into tears again. Even the puppies, all six of them, gasped in shock and horror when they heard those words. They didn't want to believe that their role model and their parents' best friend… was no longer alive.
"That… that's not fair!" Max yelped when his eyes were filled with tears, being the one who could speak when Molly already broke into tears and hid below her blankets, with Max doing the same in his bed. They all wished Beringo was with them, alive and well, but the revelation of his passing had to be spread around.
"I'll go tell the others what happened. They should know and they should also give the tribute to our friend…" Roger ended up calming down first, albeit the chubby dog was far from being done grieving, being told by Indiana: "Make sure you're home in less than an hour, Roger." Tan husky didn't waste a second anymore when the rushed straight ahead to tell the dogs like Shanice, Lewis, Koyuk and Scottia of the passing of the town's ace.
"Just to be clear, don't assume that Aniu would do this to him!" Indiana feared that the new rumor was going to sparkle, that Beringo was not frozen to death because of the accident, but rather murdered by the wild animal like a wolf. Dakota finally got to her words: "I wasn't going to, Indiana… besides, that wound looked more like he fell from the higher place!"
"I wasn't going to assume either. I realized that Aniu would never, EVER, lay a paw on him." Hallie spoke, thinking that Aniu should not be judged for his demise, but Justin asked: "But what about Aniu? Where is she and more importantly, where are their puppies... ? Don't you think that the snowstorm… claimed them too?!"
"We may not know that actually… maybe we will never find that out." Indiana told him his opinion, thus raising a curious question of Aniu's whereabouts and their puppies. To think how devastated the puppies were, they could also face the possible bitter truth of them not seeing Beringo and Aniu's puppies… ever.
Within an hour, Nash's two friends showed up, one of which offered him a shovel to bury Beringo wherever he'd planned. Even Roger fulfilled his word, albeit he was close to be late because Shanice actually decided that despite her odds and very high pregnancy, to pay her tribute to Roger's fallen friend. And of course, Koyuk and Lewis, as well as Scottia, who could not make it, found out about the terrible news.
"Where… are they going to bury him?" Shanice asked, thinking how her welcome to her and Roger's puppies was not going to be that cheerful anymore. Since they could see Nash lighting the candle, in a loving memory to Beringo, Justin answered: "In the backyard. They have him wrapped in Nash's old fur coat. Don't ask if he'll get a new one."
"What made him think of going out there in the storm?! If only he decided to stay home yesterday! Maybe that way he'd be still with us!" Koyuk was in an utter denial that one of the first friends he met once he and Scottia moved to Nome was no longer with them, that Indiana actually told him: "Koyuk, it isn't easy for any of us, but many of us wish that had none of this had happened."
"We all ha' wished none of this ha' happened, lad, but at's nae our decision to give. All we ken decide is yon Beringo's decision was fur his own guid or nae." Lewis let him know his thoughts and it wasn't in his usual grumpy tone, but as if his tone got pretty soared up in grief, clearly showing the disbelief for the loss of the town's ace.
Soon, Nash and his friends were seen heading outside and of course, all dogs were following. Once they had made it outside, they could notice Nash gently grabbing Beringo's lifeless body wrapped in the fur coat and brought to the street, to which he told them, quite silently: "It is time… to put him at rest."
Silently, one by one, they all moved to the backyard of Nash's residence, which was a bit wider than the front yard. The ground was good enough for the burial and once the shovel hit the ground, it was pretty manageable to dig a two meters deep hole, after moving the snow aside first. Once the hole was deep enough, Nash nodded to them.
Just as they were looking how their friend was being placed in the cold ground, to his rest now that he was in his afterlife, there were more dogs around whom the others knew from the sight or such, some of which were formerly blinded by the vicious rumor that had costed Beringo's reputation at one point.
"I'm so sorry for your loss. I am sure he meant a lot to you." One of the dogs spoke to Dakota, who with her teary eyes, looked at the bright brown husky with the equally brown muzzle, brighter ears and some extra hair between his ears and spoke: "He was like a brother… not just to me, but all of us… one of a kind!"
Soon enough, the first grieving howls came from Justin and Hallie, only to be followed by other dogs, even those from the sight, except for Lewis, who was chanting something in his native language. This was the last time they were seeing Beringo and they gave their tributes the best way they could. Soon enough, his tomb was sealed with the fresh soil and a small wooden cross nailed on the wall above his burial ground.
"I… I really wish I could have known him better, Roger… I am sure that he was like your brother when you met him…" Shanice asked him when she was observing the memorial site of the fallen sled dog, with Roger answering: "He was… and I really admired his sled dog spirit, since his parents were famed sled dogs in this town."
As for Koyuk, he was about to move on, like how Shanice had to be home not to further strain herself. He let them know: "I have to go home now… Scottia is already devastated by Beringo's loss and I'll do my best to comfort her." Others respected his goals for today and after giving one last tribute to his deceased friend, Koyuk walked away.
"Me lad, ye were like a son to me. Ah wish ye dinnae pass away this soon. May ye rest in peace, Beringo!" Lewis spoke in his soared tone, placing his paw on the burial site for the last time before he moved on, leaving Beringo's friends behind. They were the last to observe their friend's resting place before moving on.
"Beringo, you were like a brother to us." Indiana started, followed by Dakota. "A great friend." Justin succeeded her. "A leader." Ending with Hallie. "And most importantly, the kindest ace this town ever had." Roger of course, was already walking Shanice home so this left them four to howl one last time in front of his tomb, as if their howl was meaning: "May you rest in peace!"
No long afterwards, when Beringo's resting place was left alone, it was soon after when the two unexpected canines were passing by, both black malamutes. They clearly didn't notice where they were going, albeit Fritz asked: "Della, what's with all the mourning and those melancholic howling in the town? I've been listening to them the entire morning."
"They say something terrible has happened… that someone died!" Della explained to her mate what was happening in the town, being clueless herself. Though, their answers were quite soon answered when one of the dogs, who knew Beringo from sight, was talking to his friend: "It is still curious how Beringo was found frozen to death outside the town… there's a chance he was… killed by a wild animal!"
Beringo, frozen to death? Did he just hear that correct?! Fritz glanced at the dog who was saying that, wanting to know: "What did you just say about Beringo? That he was frozen to death?!" He was wondering whether his mind was playing tricks due to him growing quite antisocial and cynical over the year, losing the touch with reality.
"Well, it is true! They found him near the old boat this morning, frozen to death and possibly attacked by the wild animal, a wolf perhaps!" That dog answered to him, clearly not paying attention it was Fritz, mostly because how antisocial he was in general. Truth to be said, Fritz may not have liked Beringo, but he knew that him cheering on the death of his rival was just too shallow for him, but good enough for his team, save for Della.
"Dead? I… I had no idea Beringo was dead!" Della was stunned by this revelation, who was also a bit outside reality herself, but she had her own reasons why. The other dog pointed out: "Can you believe this is how the dynasty of gray furred husky aces ends? Beringo's parents Marion and Clark were one of them, now their line was cut… permanently."
These news stunned Fritz beyond his imagination… all his life he had never questioned anything about Beringo's ancestry and now he found out that… he was the son of the two dogs he admired growing up, only for him to turn into his sour rival all because of the influence of his greedy, cheating and selfish trio of friends…?! This was just too much for him!
"Della! Della, let's just go home! I don't think I can take any more of these news!" Fritz was getting visibly upset, realizing how instead of listening to his friends, he could have tried to make friends with Beringo and this tribute his admiration for Marion and Clark, once the aces of Nome. The guilt was now burdening him massively. Della didn't object.
On their way home, Della was aware of Beringo being the son of Marion and Clark all along, but if she tried to consult with her mate about it, now it'd be either resulting in them breaking up in a sour note. Had she tried before, she'd have been silenced by Cosmo, Laurel or Hardy for being a "mole" in their team. The life was hard for both of them.
Once they had made it back home, they just went straight through the doors instead of the dog ones and of course, when they were home at once, a sight of their litter of Alaskan Malamute puppies cheering was visible, albeit it died down with Fritz telling them: "Puppies… I don't want anyone but your mother to talk to me today… This was a very bad day for all of us!"
And thus Fritz headed up the stairs in his master's room and the puppies, who had been around two months old, barely had their father care for them all the time along. They felt like they had no father, only their mother giving them love, which was not enough. One of the puppies, with black eye patches and icy blue eyes, a male one, asked: "Mom… when is dad going to pay attention to us? My friends have their dads doing so!"
"I hope your father will come to his senses one day, Steele. I'll be with you today!" Della whispered to her son named Steele. She didn't want to trouble her mate, who has gnawing himself for his misdeeds and misjudging for Beringo all this time along. She feared for her puppies and how they were going to be easily exposed to negative influence now that her mother love was not strong enough against them if there was no father care to shield them stronger.
Thus, a terrible day had struck the town of Nome. Beringo, a famed ace of Nome and the son of famed aces, passed away. It was commonly accepted that he'd frozen to death, albeit there were the possible rumors of Beringo being murdered by the wolf, something that certain dogs were going to use for their own selfish goals.
Even if it seemed like there was a never-ending darkness for the residents of Nome, be it human, dog or any other kind, coming to them, there was a light in the darkness. Beringo may have been gone but there was something. That something… or someone, did not die that day, destined to live another day after the tragic separation.
His legacy.
THE END OF SEASON TWO