The Heart of Dog

by Doranna Durgin

  Enough, the dragon said. It cannot be. Steel found its way into the thoughts washing over Aleyku. It is past time.

  Anticipation gripped Aleyku and he stood, eyes locked on the Moon. He felt a hope stir that perhaps even in death there would be yet more to discover, new fields to run, perhaps not alone. Perhaps in death, he mused, even the Moon knows change.

  The dragon reared itself back. Its claws splayed wide, its jaws open in fearful readiness, as Aleyku began to howl.

  Aleyku's call to the Moon was steeped in the joys and victories of his life. It told of a pup named Aleyku pouncing at a butterfly, then racing back to his mother's side, proud of the pounce, though its quarry had floated safely away. It spoke of the first time he caught scent of Chetan, his first-born. It spoke of the scars collected as leader of his pack, defending all he knew and loved. It spoke of a life well lived, of a wolf now waiting—calmly, if not accepting—for his end.

  The cold world listened to Aleyku's howl, and was changed again.

  Aleyku felt the ground shiver beneath him, even before he had breathed the last of his call. Aleyku's gaze left the Moon and trailed down the intruding peak below it: the white face seemed to melt before his eyes. Masses of ice and snow shifted from their millennia-long perch on the mountaintop and fell, crashing into more ice and snow and setting it, too, loose.

  Aleyku watched the growing wall of white surge down towards him, struck by the enormity of the onslaught.

  The dragon's voice was gone. In its place, awe and terror rolled through Aleyku's mind. As the bombarding ice raced downward at them, surely the fastest thing he had ever seen, Aleyku cocked his head back over his shoulder, tongue lolling. Think you can outrun that? I can't.

  No! Your life is mine to take!

  The dragon's claws reached for him, racing against the cataclysm brought to life by his howl as it swallowed them both.

  ~~~

  Aleyku dreamed of painful things. He howled through the green boughs of his pack's forest home, cursing the Moon with his song. At his feet lay Ursa, strong mother of all his pups. Unmoving. Not yet gray in the muzzle, as Aleyku had become, she had been taken from him too young. He pawed fearfully at her cold neck, could not bear the way she lay there. She would not growl, would not move. In despair, he howled at the Moon and even Chetan, bravest of his children, dare not come close enough to mourn his mother.

  Then the dream changed. Gray now streaked not only his muzzle, but all through his coat. He crouched and growled in warning to a new challenger seeking to lead the pack, ignoring the blood dripping from scratches on his face and pulsing from the tear on his left haunch. He'd sat too long in the woods, as food had dwindled and drought worsened, unable to leave where Ursa had fallen the season before. She'd nourished her pack, bones and all, and returned to the ground. Soon enough, he was sure, the ground would turn rich again, and Aleyku would not lead the pack away until he'd seen something good come from her death. Chetan snarled, and Aleyku watched his own blood dripped from those teeth. Chetan wanted to lead the pack to the wet plains, and challenged Aleyku to decide the matter. Aleyku stumbled, feeling his leg weaken, but could not back down. It was too late for that, and even if it weren't...he didn't want to leave her. Not yet.

  The dream changed again. Aleyku was limping from the forest as the howls of the pack rose and fell in celebration of their new leader. He stood at the edge of the forest, shocked from loss of blood but more shocked from the loss of his pack. Mother Instinct had betrayed him, sent him scurrying from what could have been a proud death beneath his son's jaws. To fall where Ursa had fell. It was a mistake he could not bring himself to turn around and correct. Aleyku hesitated on three legs, terrified to leave the shelter of the trees and unsure of even where he was going...until he saw the mountaintops glowing white in the distance.

  ~~~

  The cold woke him, a slow rousing accompanied by crushing weight pushing in from all sides. Then a lack of feeling, a numbness that seemed to have cloaked the fur, flesh, and sinew along one side of his body. Slowly at first, but then with greater urgency, Mother Instinct again rescued Aleyku, forcing tremors through his body, setting his legs kicking and heart pounding. He snapped back to himself, alert, instantly terrified to find himself blind and immobile, buried in ice.

  Body spasming out of his control, kicking as if the snow were a thing of flesh he could kick away, his uppermost front leg caught painfully on something warm, very hard, and scaly.

  The dragon.

  Aleyku kicked again, but the snow packed all around him was unyielding. He could only claw back toward the warmth of the rough skin. Both front paws found a perch around a massive limb and he climbed. There on the blazingly warm dragon-flesh, stabs of pain blossomed as Aleyku's frostbitten skin warmed despite the crush of snow all around him. Hard-packed ice fell back behind him as he burrowed higher up the immobile frame of his adversary. Aleyku whimpered as pain lanced along his back, but with each whisker-length he dragged himself, the motion came easier. Night-scent reached his nose: the snow was giving way!

  Aleyku thrashed and kicked and crawled, and an old wolf rebirthed itself into the Moon-bright world. Crawling a long dragon's-arm's length away, he fell, nose to tail, panting and freezing and Alive!

  Time passed, and the Moon fell behind the last high cliff high above him. In all that time, Aleyku's eyes never left the red and gold flesh of the dragon, unsure of even an avalanche's ability to slay that magical beast. All the time, as he waited for morning, for the strength to stand and to run, Aleyku watched. Boulders pinned one of its front legs, snow and more stone hid the rest. So much mountain had come down, Aleyku wondered his fur still held him together. He thought of the powerful dragon's body so very nearly buried, and how he'd woken caught between heat-snatching cold and the dragon's warmth. Aleyku cocked his head, snow-glazed whiskers twitching in confusion.

  He relived Varas's final angry leap in the moments before the ice caught them, his defiant refusal to let the snow rob him of his victory. No, Aleyku thought, that's not right. The dragon had never sought his victory!

  The chill of night retreated from Aleyku, remembering how Varas's claws had hurried to close around him before the mountain slammed over them. Yet its powerful grip had not victoriously crushed him, they had protected him from the onslaught of snow and ice.

  Aleyku owed Varas his life.

  The ground shuddered, and the dragon's head lifted ever so slightly from the snow. Aleyku snarled weakly, dragging himself painfully to his feet and crept further back. Aleyku could see one giant eye was swollen shut, the cheek below it covered with frozen blood as Varas turned awkwardly to stare across the field at the retreating wolf.

  Did I not...say your life was mine to take? Pain was laced through the words, and Aleyku shook his head to clear a dizziness that was not his own. The ground shifted again, and again, but the dragon moved no further. The dragon really was trapped now, even his head unable to turn any further. A wordless bellow of dragon rage sizzled up and down Aleyku's spine...but below the rage, he could taste its fear.

  Aleyku's stepped closer, sniffing cautiously. Even the dragon's smoky scent had disappeared. How long could the dragon live trapped in the ice?

  Longer than you or your children will walk the world. Aleyku was struck by the brave acceptance of its fate. The hunger will be worst. Perhaps you'd like to place your head between my teeth?

  Aleyku barked his laughter. Humor too, majestic Varas? A young Aleyku had once been trapped in a rotten tree trunk for a day and a night before his mother heard his wailing and freed him from his prison at the foot of this very mountain. The courage of the dragon struck Aleyku.

  I'm sorry I'll not be able to teach you any more lessons, youngling. The wolf sniffed again, head low to the ground to remember the scent of this last foe, pleased this battle hadn't ended with the death of one or the other.

  You're welcome for your life, furrry thing, Varas called to the back of the wolf limping up the hill again.
Sadness tinged the next thought: Even though you mean to throw it away.

  Aleyku's paws and tail froze, a low growl tearing his throat as he swung his head around to glare at the head of the dragon. Be quiet, or I might stay a while and still all your thoughts. By tearing out your throat, the wolf snarled to himself.

  For what purpose? No, you've bested me and I'm no threat to you. You have no need of my strength to climb one peak, lay down and die. Coward.

  Rage added fuel to Aleyku's next growl, and he padded back towards the dragon. Coward?! There's no shame in accepting an end, child! He skirted around it, keeping carefully out of range of its mouth. To live alone on a barren hill, chasing off all those who might speak truth to you, that reeks of cowardice!

  Varas pounded his head against the ground again and again, wordless anger reaching out to Aleyku, whose hackles stiffened at the promise of violence. A life alone is the way of the dragon! We are immortal, invincible!

  Immortal, invincible masters of dirt and grass, Aleyku lashed pitilessly at his captive audience. Tremble, all, before the lord of rock and daisies, lest he huff and puff and chase you from his kingdom of loneliness!

  Not so, wolf, I'll have your bones to keep me company, and you'll be in the loneliest kingdom long before I!

  Aleyku's eyes locked onto Varas' one. A light dusting of snow, late to the avalanche, fell across his foe. Slowly, Aleyku's anger dimmed, until he sat on the cold snow again, eyes turning round and sad. It may be so, but there is nothing left for me. No companions to chase at play, or protect, no friends to ponder the sun and Moon with...all the things you've turned your back on, Varas, have been stripped from me!

  The dragon's nostrils flared, and mildly steaming breath set snow spinning in a mockery of their former destructive flame. A dragon takes no solace in the company of others, but bridles at their defiant presence and slaughters all who would stand on his ground.

  Another fine speech to give to yourself. If it is truly so, why waste the words on me?

  I...do not consider our talks a waste, mangy one, Varas told him. I am pleased I saved your life from the snow.

  Aleyku leapt back to his feet and slipped beneath the dragon's mouth, crouching in the snow just out of reach of its fangs. I thought dragons didn't care about others, Varas! How unfair, Aleyku thought, that this powerful beast should live and dedicate his life to shunning all that is life to me! And now this concern? He reared up and clawed at that powerful neck. Perhaps I should send you to that kingdom first, to assure you do not stray from the solitude you crave!

  I would enjoy a spell arguing and fighting with you, my wiley quarry, but no blows you could land before freezing to death yourself would end me, Varas said softly. Do not injure yourself, good Aleyku.

  Aleyku howled again, all four feet trampling the snow. The dragon made him want to chase his tail and chew it clean away. Perhaps I won't make the climb up today, Varas! Perhaps I'll return to the stream for one of those fish that even an old wolf can catch, sleep a night on the warm grass and return tomorrow to chew on your scaly neck. And the day after that! This snow will not melt for a season, perhaps longer, and my old legs can make many trips before then!

  The ground shook with buried dragon's laughter under Aleyku's feet. You risked your life to pass me, and now you'd spend your victory nipping at me instead of enjoying your last rest?

  The wolf stopped in mid-spin, forgetting his tail and snarling at the dragon's head and panting. What is it to you, frightener of rabbits? Perhaps I should keep you here alive and find new ways to nip at you! Yes, I could spend the last of my days chasing every rabbit and elk and rodent back up here to keep you company in your prison.

  Even as the thoughts tumbled angrily out of him, they struck a chord deep within. The wolf wondered how long such a thing could last before Varas freed himself and ran the animals from their homes again—then his belly lit with fire at the thought of surrendering even the wisp of a dream to the bullying dragon and its ilk. The mountain had been his home, too, before he'd left his childhood den to command another pack. Spend my last days defending the helpless animals of this mountain? Aleyku decided he would sleep well after that challenge!

  Varas writhed in the snow, but to no avail. Aleyku cocked his head as the dragon slumped again. Were you to succeed in taking my life, my brethren would sense my end time and fall upon you as one, bent upon revenge and control of this mount. Something very like wolfly concern wafted over Aleyku. All those you fought for would die, as would you!

  What would a dragon-child know of concern for a lowly wolf, or the rest of them?

  The cat-eye narrowed upon Aleyku. Your life is mine to take! the dragon rumbled.

  Aleyku reared again and swatted at a smokeless nostril. A fine trick! How will you slay me from your cold bed, hmm? No, I will leave you in the ice and bring life back to your precious domain. Never fear, mighty icicle, I'll come tell you how the seasons treat your mountain! An inner fire he thought he'd lost, limping at the edge of a forest, roared back to life as he considered it. Could he raise a new pack, a pack of all the animals of his childhood mountain home? Should it bother you too much, I needn't leave you alive to suffer the changes I'll make, Varas.

  Don't take my life, Aleyku! Your life is mine, but I could not fight all of dragon to keep it! The concern beating against Aleyku in waves confused him, teetering in a defensive crouch and cocking an ear as he puzzled meaning from his foe's words.

  What did Varas mean? Had his trickery impressed the dragon, or did it believe it could kill him with little effort, at any time he chose? My life is my own, dragon! He believed it, for some reason, and shuddered as his mind conjured up a sky full of dragons. But...I only fight the battles forced on me. Perhaps we can strike a bargain, you and I.

  The eye narrowed down at Aleyku. Bargain, wolf? Dragon have no need of those! It wriggled weakly again, barely sifting the surface snow, but Aleyku didn't think it was really trying. Then again, I could use the amusement. Say on.

  My life is yours to take—so say you. Have you sworn this as an oath? Aleyku watched the scaled head hesitate, then nod once, and felt a suspicion grow. Yet what if I take your life? You say more dragon will come to avenge you—

  Not to avenge. Dragon cares no more for its own kind than for others. To take revenge for my passing, yes, but then to fight each other for this land.

  Aleyku snorted his contempt for the cold ways of dragons. To seek revenge, then. The result is the same: you will have broken your oath. And if I should die protecting all the animals of this mountain while you sit and rot, so too rots your oath. Tell me Varas: what is a dragon's oath worth?

  Scaled lips pulled further back from sharp fangs, as if at a bad smell. This is no subtle trap you bait me with, Aleyku. You would have me betray that which has given me life, an honorable code, in order to keep safe my word!

  Aleyku's white-haired muzzle mimicked the dragon's expression. I see no dragon but you, Varas, and I see no betrayal. His lips raised further, the tone of his thoughts turned lighter. I see a challenge greater than any a dragon's ever attempted. All this, and the chance to see another season on this earth—not to mention the shared warmth of a pack.

  Oh, what great warmth there must be in that scrawny bag of fur! Varas gave a shrill cry which his wolf companion took for laughter, but the dragon quickly shut its beak with a nervous glance at the snowy peak above him. To live with your stink and nipping thoughts, I wonder if it is worth that price to see another season.

  Varas sighed, almost gusting Aleyku off his feet. Answer a question, wolf. These thoughts ran deep, and Aleyku could feel the first stirrings in the dragon of a desire to understand. Answer, and I may consider your folly. Why? Why would you see the mountain slopes flush with chittering rodents, smelly elk, and so very many rabbits?

  Aleyku licked his lips as he might on a full stomach, enjoying this new game of wits. The dragon's supremacy and 'invincibility' had come tumbling down with the snow, and with its undragon-like co
ncern for Aleyku himself. That raised interesting possibilities. He knew the dragon would not turn from a challenge once accepted, just as he couldn't. He savored the way his heart churned in a way he had thought lost to him, and he had hope now that the same desire could stir the heart of the dragon.

  The image of a wolf cub not yet born came into Aleyku's mind. He saw it crawling along the ground behind Varas, inching ever closer, other wolf cubs watching nervously from a distance. Then the dragon turned, unleashing harmless smoke and a mock roar on the youngster, sending it yipping away in gleeful fright...too thrilled with its close shave to notice the smile on the fierce dragon's face. Aleyku pawed at the ground, eager to see what would take root in it. I can promise you surprise, if you'll wait and see, Varas.

  Varas cocked his head to the side, a gesture Aleyku recognized as his own. Its next words were simple, to the point, and spoke of a curiosity growing beyond control. I will wait, it thought, and see. A huge sacrifice, Aleyku judged, from a powerful creature so recently bent on remaking its world.

  The wolf swelled with hope, imagining the mountain flush again with life. And with a dragon at his side? He would not stray too close to those red and gold jaws just yet, but believed a silent bargain had been struck. Then there will be time enough to answer 'why' another day, friend. Rest now. Aleyku turned and picked his way carefully through loose snow and back down the hill, tail and soul wagging with an energy the rest of him would feel after sleep and a fish from a mountain stream.

  I'll start small, Aleyku thought, not quite ready to corner bull elk and herd them home. Perhaps tomorrow I'll bring a rabbit to make your acquaintance. If I can carry the thing without sneezing it into a grave.