READ: Mountain Challenge 1
Author notes after the story. Enjoy!
An old wolf stands motionless and silent at the foot of a tall, snow-capped mountain. The chill water of a mountain stream soothes the ache in his bones, before he reluctantly presses across to the far bank.
Long ago scents and sights of his brothers and sisters frolicking on the slopes of this very mountain play in his mind as his paws sink into pebbles on the shore. He walks along the shore, not wanting to leave the sounds of the stream, but the slowly healing wounds between his shoulders and on his left haunch remind him of how far he has left to travel.
After chewing at the pain he trots once more toward the mountain, sharp eyes scanning the slopes for the easiest ascent. A puff of smoke rises high above, and the gray-muzzled predator returns to his former stillness.
A herd of elk stampeded down the mountain, smashing against each other in their haste. Aleyku licked his lips, but had fed well the night before and watched the fevered run of the animals with the clarity of a full belly. Aleyku could almost smell the elk’s panic, and scanned higher on the mountain for the strange smoke that had caught his eye. Nothing. He watched the long-legged animals barrel towards him and wondered what predator had spooked them from their high mountain plains.
Aleyku bared his fangs at a flare of pain in his withers, and whipped his head around to chew at long fresh scar across his back. His chest felt cold and hollow as the pain reminded him that he was now packless, defenseless. He crept to a thick patch of grass and crouched low as the elk approached, surprised by the number of strong young males running scared. Aleyku stayed hidden long after the herd splashed loudly through the stream and rumbled over the low, rolling hill beyond, and his eyes did not leave the mountain pass. He listened and breathed deep for scent but caught nothing. It shook him that a predator powerful enough to warn off a whole herd could evade his senses. A dozen heartbeats, then a dozen more passed and still there was no sign of what had stalked the elk. Finally, Aleyku trotted warily from the grasses and continued slowly up to the path, sniffing deep with each step. Growing bolder, he began to run while the temporary relief of the waters still lent him the strength, stretching his legs out full and slapping the ground with just the clawed tips of his feet. He sensed no eyes on him, but he would feel safer when the wide path closed up again to narrow turns and twists higher up the mountain.
Aleyku did not let up his gallop until he was deep into the last thick stand of trees on the mountain. Creeping into the shadow of a low bough he fought to still his panting enough to catch any chasing scent, any stealthy footfall on his trail. Recovering from the run took too long, and his hackles rose in nervousness until quiet returned and he could listen with hard ears. He had seen many seasons, led his pack through lean times and plenty, and now felt each step he had taken, each bite he’d not been quick enough to evade.
He turned in a circle, nostrils flaring, but again there was no scent.No animal scent at all.No rabbits, no elk, not even birds. Areall the animals gone?Aleyku found the silence eerie, wondering what had become of the seemingly endless number of rabbits he and his brothers and sisters had chased at play in his first years. He remembered a scary moment as a cub, chasing behind an elk three times his height to impress his littermates, to see how close he could get before it turned and stabbed at him with its antlers, in annoyance. A smile came to Aleyku’s face, remembering how he’d always gotten closer than all the others. Forcing his mind back to the present, he tasted the empty air again: the hunter no longer prowled nearby, or so his nose said. Nothing did. He continued up the trail, but his hackles still pointed skywards, and he took care to step lightly.
Fire.
Preserving Instinct backed Aleyku up against a jutting rock when the horrible scent filled his nostrils. When he met the rock he stopped, and thought of following the elk back down the trail.No.He waited, ears twitching in vain for sound, but refused to slink back off the mountain.All that matters is reaching the top. When he was satisfied that nothing moved around him save swaying branches, he continued on. In part he was frightened how easy it had become to override life-preserving reflexes, but another part was eager to face whatever came.Stupid, looking for challenge like this.
Both relief and sadness tugged at him as he completely abandoned the cry of his Instincts for the first time in his life. Aleyku was saddened by the thought he might be running his last race, but also eager to see what lay at the end. He stooped to chew long, cool grass to settle his nervous stomache and stoke his courage. He caught it again, the strange firescent. Sure enough it was close now, wafting down the only pass leading upwards. Baring his teeth, Aleyku cantered ahead.
Stupid, but exciting!
The air was crisp, the ground chill beneath the pads of Aleyku’s paws as he clawed his way up a steep incline, and he hoped the snow of the mountaintop was near. He could feel his energy fade, his will along with it.
I will decide when it’s time to lay down!
Growling, drawing every ounce of pride to spur him on, Aleyku bounded over the crest onto a wide field and a view of the Moon, rising pale in the face of the sun. The scent of snow grew strong in his nostrils. So close now. He felt the Moon was calling him forward, his last ally, cheering him on from its beautiful perch in the sky. Looking at the eternal Moon Aleyku felt his resolve grow, and opened his mouth to bay in thanks. As he drew in that breath, the choking scent returned, and he jerked his head down to the path just in time to see the rabbits leap past. A plague of rabbits, bounding around and off of him in terror-inspired haste.One of the poor creatures’ tail was on fire, yet it was in too much of a hurry moving its legs to roll in the loose dirt. One of the last of the rabbits bounced off Aleyku’s chest, chittering in panic. It found its legs and took flight again, ignoring the shocked wolf in its single-minded flight.
Aleyku’s nose filled with rabbit dander from the collision and he sneezed, shaking his head to clear it even as the thumping of crazed feet disappeared behind him. Leaving him alone on the edge of a field, to stare through teary eyes at a monstrous thing at the far side: a giant of red and gold, scaled skin shining like pebbles in the clear streams that ran through the mountains. It had a head the size of a bear, rear legs the size of buffalo and front legs longer than Aleyku from nose to tail. As it laughed, the air grew thick with bitter smoke.
Tremble, wolf!The thoughts grew in Aleyku’s head, as if they had been his own.For if you survive this day you will remember it always as the day you learned true fear!It laughed again, smoke curling from black nostrils at the end of a mouthful of the largest, sharpest teeth Aleyku had ever seen.
What is it?
Mother Instinct spurred the wolf into a fighting stance even as his thoughts fell on each other like watery-legged newborn pups. All other scent was gone, replaced by the reek of fire such as he’d only once encountered before – in the glowing embers of a forest laid to ash. Only a hunter’s knowledge gave him the courage to stand his ground: if he ran, this monster would surely follow.
A chuckling filled his brain.The animal tries to think!In a flurry of motion, red and gold blurred like running water in a stream, and the giant stopped halfway to Aleyku. It fell to all fours, thick, fish-like scales along its spine rising at the back its neck. Aleyku scrabbled back a step but did not turn, meeting his adversary’s --enormous! -- eyes as his thoughts began to flow again. The way it now stood, the way its scales rose along its back – almost like a wolf might, come to meet a challenge.
It was making sport of him, Aleyku realized, anger pushing back fear and Instinct. He let out a low growl. For all his shock, and despite the long day’s journey, Aleyku felt his body respond to the challenge before him.Let him test me, he’ll remember this old wolf!
Now the monster blinked, huge cat eyes reflecting light as they opened again, head cocked quizzically. It Does Think! came the pleased musing of Aleyku’s challenger. Again, the emotions and thoughts appeared inside his skull, and Aleyku shook his head to clear it.
Of course I think mountain spirit!Aleyku felt a strange thrill that he would know the thoughts of this opponent, even clearer than he had read each nip and whine of his pack.Come closer, learn what else I can do!
A cold wind blew across the field between them, carrying snow-scent that replaced the smoke in Aleyku’s nostrils. He looked further up the mountain, into the grating wind, and saw the line of snow he’d come so far to lay down on, a white so bright it hurt his eyes. The ache in his bones settled deeper at the sight. Then alien laughter brayed between his ears and the monster standing in his way made the whiteness, so close now, seem almost unreachable.
Are you here to die wolf? Never fear, for your trespass I will see to it myself!
Aleyku’s answering growl vibrated to the pads of his feet. He sniffed deeper for the scent of his opponent, finding the smoke and strange odour of the thing again and breathing deep, focusing.It would not be a bad end to die with my fangs in its throat.
It laughed again, this time rearing into the air, startling Aleyku into springing up on his own haunches -- but the strange creature did not leap. It flung itself onto its back, shuddering, waves of emotion pressing in on Aleyku, who snarled and paced nervously back and forth at the mouth of the pass. His warning growl was tinged with a questioning whine.What was the thing?It was nearer the size of the mountain than of any beast Aleyku had seen in his years of hunting and avoiding.
What...what am I?It repeated in equal surprise, turning its head upside down on the ground towards Aleyku --and digging a trough in the ground as it did.I am dragon, furry morsel.It pulled itself back to its feet; then, to Aleyku’s terror, it climbed even higher, surging into the air with each snapping beat of unfurling leathery wings.The ground quakes in fear at our presence, the air shrieks a warning to all who would fly our spaces! We are immortal, invincible.
We are Dragon!
Hi folks, John here. I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of 'Mountain Challenge'. This story was first published in an antholology used in Canadian schools to teach diversity to elementary schoolkids. It was called 'Fantastic Companions' and I was proud of my spin. It's a lot mellower and a tad more kid-friendly than my usual fare, but it still includes lots of adventure, humor, stakes...and I think it asks pretty much the same questions all my other stories do. What questions? Well, dear reader, that's for you to decide 😄
Stay tuned for Part 2!