"I learned about the Mad Trapper in school," Jo said. "Who would have believed I would be on the river near his cabin some day."
The day grew late and the air cold. When they finally reached Aklavik it was almost dark and hard to see. Hagiyok was left outside the community and the other two companions were whisked to a home where they would be lodged for the night.
Ice had started to form on the smaller channels of the Delta. It would not be possible to complete the trip by boat. It was decided that Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok would stay in Aklavik until they could safely continue by snowmobile. They would make their way to Tuktoyaktuk.
Aklavik lay at the foot of the Richardson Mountains in the heart of the Delta. Both Gwich'in Dene and Inuvialuit lived there. The travellers had been kept as hidden as possible, but rumours had spread.
The R.C.M.P. stationed in Aklavik were sure to spot unfamiliar faces if Napachee and Jo ventured out in public. They were forced to limit their time out of doors and had to sneak out of the community to visit Hagiyok and explore the area.
Jo was taken to hunt caribou, make bannock, tan skins and learn some of the other skills of Gwich'in women before they left.
When they were ready to go they mounted the snow-mobiles which had been volunteered by members of the community until they could be returned.
Hagiyok loped behind Napachee and Jo as they headed off through the Delta. They carried their gifts of provisions, including gas and other supplies, on sleds the Gwich'in had provided.
Napachee no longer slept outside in his sleeping bag, but in one of the canvas tents made in Fort McPherson and seldom needed anything to provide additional heat other than the Coleman stove for cooking. The journey was faster with snowmobiles, but they still had to wait for Hagiyok and it was much colder now with the trees quickly thinning out and no longer providing shelter.
"Over there!" Napachee shouted. Opening the throttle on his snowmobile he sped towards a stark, lone shape on the horizon. He did not stop until he reached the large figure, made from stones piled one on top of the other.
"This is an Inukshuk," he told Jo. "It has been used by my people for centuries to guide our travels. They are also used to mark the path of caribou herds and caches of meat left behind to be collected on return journeys. They have been here, and it has remained all of this time to show us the way."
Though relieved to see a talisman of good will, they were soon distracted by the sound of a helicopter speeding in their direction!
Napachee could hear the helicopter's engine getting louder behind him. He saw the snow jump just ahead, and he realized that someone was shooting in his direction!
Hagiyok was some distance ahead of Napachee now. The bear jolted to a sudden stop at the top of a rise on the open land ahead. Seconds later Jo came to a sudden stop beside Hagiyok and looked back. As Napachee joined them on the rise he saw why they had not continued their flight.
The Arctic Ocean, unfrozen and forbidding left them with nowhere to retreat! They must be further west than Napachee had bargained.
Napachee turned and felt the blast of wind push the hair from his forehead. The helicopter was settling down a short distance behind them. Jarvis jumped from the pilot's seat and ran in a crouch towards the retreating trio. As he moved closer he slowed to a deliberate walk and unslung his rifle.
Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok had backed onto the thin ice that lined the shore of the ocean and had nowhere to go. Jarvis slowly walked onto the edge of the ice, raised the rifle to his shoulder, and aimed directly at Hagiyok.
The ocean ice under Jarvis exploded! Jarvis was thrown backwards and with one brief cry of terror he was tossed into the water and disappeared below. Bubbles continued to rise where Jarvis had disappeared and his rifle slowly drifted to the surface.
Napachee moved over to the edge of the ice and knelt down. Jo dropped to her knees and felt for a brief moment that she would be sick to her stomach. She looked up at Napachee, but could not speak.
"He is dead."
Jo moved off of the ice and wandered back to her snowmobile. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob. Napachee stood by helplessly.
"There is nothing we could have done. Jarvis would have shot Hagiyok. The water is very cold and the ice couldn't support his weight. He was sucked under by the current and there was no way we could have saved him once he went under. It's over now."
Jo knew Napachee was right but she had never witnessed anyone's death and the shock was almost too much for her. Napachee sat down on his snowmo-bile and stared out across the water.
"Where is Tuktoyaktuk?"
Napachee looked up and could see that most of the colour had returned to Jo's face.
"It is to the south east. We somehow managed to go too far west and north. It means we are going to have to do some backtracking, but it shouldn't take us too long to get there.
"I was thinking about a friend of my father's, Wilfred Pokiak, who lives there. He used to run a schooner in this area and he may be able to help us."
Jo nodded and started her snowmobile.
"Let's get going Napachee. I want to get as far away from this place as possible."
TEN
Napachee and Jo waited outside Tuktoyaktuk until complete darkness settled over the quiet community. Napachee didn't want to be spotted, but they needed help. He felt the need for extra secrecy after their encounter with Jarvis. Being this close to home there was a chance they might be recognized.
Leaving Hagiyok just outside of town, Napachee and Jo crept carefully through the rows of houses. They were just two other people in parkas on snowmobiles, zipping through the darkness.
Gathering his nerve, Napachee slowed and passed a woman walking along the road. He asked for directions to Wilfred's house. Jo kept her hood up and head bowed as they pulled away and moved along the snow-packed gravel road. She could see the odd spark flash off Napachee's snowmobile skis where they struck gravel.
Leaving Jo with the snowmobiles, Napachee walked to the door, opened it and stepped in. In the North if you were a friend you didn't need to knock.
"Hello!"
Napachee recognized Wilfred's voice from the other room as he took off his boots. Wilfred visited Napachee's family many times in Sachs Harbour.
"Hello," Napachee called back in Inuvialuktun.
At the sound of his own dialect Wilfred stuck his head around the corner. His eyes opened wide in surprise and he moved towards Napachee to hug him.
"The missing one has been found," he finally said in a soft Inuvialuktun whisper. Wilfred was only five feet five inches, but what he lacked in height he made up for in girth. He was naturally stocky and years of hard work on the land had made him muscular. His face was weathered and dark from his years on the snow and ocean and he had a huge moustache that he often greased and curled up at either end. A deep scar ran from the outside corner of his left eye to the top of his left ear. On another person the scar would have been sinister or frightening, but on Wilfred it simply made his smile appear warmer.
Wilfred led Napachee to the living room and sat him by the wood stove stoked with driftwood. Napachee curled up closer to the fire, and taking a cup of tea began to speak. He spoke in Inuvialuktun and recounted the entire adventure to Wilfred. At many points Wilfred shook his head in disbelief or uttered a solemn "Eeeeee" in agreement.
"So where are the bear and the girl now Napachee?" he asked as Napachee neared the end.
"The bear is just outside of town where I told him to stay, and Jo....Oh no! Jo is waiting outside!"
Napachee rushed to the door and gingerly peered outside. Jo stood inches away with a blank look on her face. Her eyelashes were frosted and her nose shone a bright pink. With an angry glance Jo hurriedly pushed past and entered the house.
"I'm too cold to even ask why it took you so long to let me in."
Wilfred met her, and with a smile helped her off with her parka and led her to the warmth of the fire. Handing her a cup of tea he s
ettled into his chair.
"I'm pleased to meet you Jo," Wilfred smiled. Jo wasn't sure whether it was the fire or Wildred's friendliness, but she felt warmer already. The three sat in silence, relaxing and watching the flames.
"So where do you go from here Napachee?"
"You are the only person I know that can get us to Sachs Harbour by water."
Wilfred sat back in his seat as Napachee continued.
"I know your schooner has not been used for many years, but I also know you have kept it as good as new. You have navigated the sea ice for many years and I know you can get us to the island without help from others."
Wilfred remained silent for a few moments and then began to speak. "The Sea Otter has made many a difficult trip. It is a fine ship, with a proud history. It first belonged to a respected elder originally from Alaska who travelled these waters and then settled in Nunavut. He was related to your father. If there was to be a fitting end to your journey I am sure it would be with The Sea Otter. I have treated it as a parent would treat a child and although I have not used it for a few years I have looked after it.
"The fact remains it would take days to make her seaworthy and if anyone finds the helicopter they will start to search for Jarvis in this area. That will make our task all the more difficult."
Wilfred could see a look of disappointment cloud the faces of both of his guests. "If the three of us start to work tonight, however, I believe we can have her in the water the day after tomorrow."
Jo leapt from her chair and gave Wilfred a big hug.
"Easy now," Wilfred laughed. "Even Napachee here didn't squeeze me that hard."
The next few nights were busy ones. Jo helped where she could and took food to Hagiyok who remained outside of town. When they needed a break, Wilfred showed Jo and Napachee some of the area. There were three volcano-like formations nearby called "pingos". They had cores made of ice and had been forced out of the ground by pressure in the ice below. Wilfred showed Jo and Napachee where years ago people had created storage freezers, by digging out rooms in the base of the pingos, to keep things cold in the summer.
Tuktoyaktuk had once been a booming oil town and they also saw several abandoned oil rigs and living quarters that had been used for large crews of men.
On the third evening in Tuktoyaktuk Napachee sat beside Wilfred taking a break.
"We are ready to leave. Our work is done, the ocean is calm and the temperature is right. We will need to use the motor, but the sea ice will be steady so our trip will be smooth. Ask Jo to take the bear along the shore, so we are not spotted, and we'll be off."
Wilfred remained with the boat and reviewed everything they had done to get ready for the trip. The schooner was in perfect running order with the work they had completed over the last few days. They had plenty of supplies aboard and the trip should only take a few days.
Wilfred looked up from his final preparations and spotted Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok approaching.
"You said a bear cub Napachee. Hagiyok looks more like a full grown male!" He stepped aside as the three made their way on board. Wilfred tentatively reached out as Hagiyok passed, and gently touched the bear's back. Without stopping Hagiyok looked back and opened his mouth. Shaking his head, Wilfred untied the ropes and hopped on board.
The first night and day of the journey went even better than expected. There was no wind and the strong engine pushed the reliable craft through open water and small groupings of ice. The skies were clear and the air grew increasingly cold.
"We have had company for the last hour," Wilfred informed Jo and Napachee. He pointed across the bow and they saw the form of a large Bowhead whale.
"Arqviq has been keeping us company."
Arqviq wasn't the only animal they saw as they travelled. On several occasions they encountered pods of Beluga whale as well.
"Do you still hunt whales?" Jo asked.
"The Inuvialuit are allowed to hunt a quota of twenty Qinalugak, Beluga whale, each year. But we never harvest that many. There are almost too many Qinalugak right now. They are doing very well, but the food they eat is getting less plentiful due to their large numbers. The whales' blubber contains vitamin C. Eating the skin, muktuk, helped our ancestors survive. Today we keep some small whaling camps at traditional sites, but kill very few whale."
"Have you ever seen any narwhal in this part of the arctic?"
"Toogalik the narwhal is only found in the Eastern Arctic."
As The Sea Otter neared Sachs Harbour things took a turn for the worse. The wind had picked up, shifting all of the sea ice closer to Banks Island. Napachee could tell by the grim look on Wilfred's face that things were not going the way he had intended.
"How bad is it?" Napachee finally asked.
"It's bad enough," replied Wilfred. "But it's not impossible. I'm guessing from the direction of the wind that the ice ahead, in the direction that would lead us to Sachs Harbour, will be packed together and almost impossible to navigate. I am going to shift direction and give this side of the island a wide berth to head around to the north. There is a harbour on that side which I am sure will be open. I know of this harbour because it is named Sea Otter Harbour."
It was late the next morning that The Sea Otter pulled into Sea Otter Harbour. Once they had gained the north side of the island the going had been trouble free. Wilfred and his passengers stood on the shore.
"You have a gift Napachee. You must learn what it's for and use it for a purpose that will benefit our people and others. Jo you are a brave girl and a strong person to have come this far. Use the strength you have gained. Reclaim your home Hagiyok. This is your land too."
Wilfred turned and hopped back onto the schooner. "Say hi to Enuk for me Napachee," Wilfred smiled. Jo and Napachee waved until the schooner was out of sight.
ELEVEN
Winter had returned to Banks Island. The air was fresh and the land covered with a hard layer of clean, crisp snow from the relentless wind. Their feet crunched as they moved further away from the shore.
The land looked barren and desolate without trees or vegetation, but a texture of light Jo had never encountered before haunted everything she saw.
Napachee spotted an Inukshuk and knew they did not have far to go.
Hagiyok, too, could smell familiar scents.
Napachee stopped and surveyed the land ahead of them. "Do you see those rocks in the distance?"
Jo followed his gaze and nodded yes.
"Take a closer look."
Jo squinted her eyes and concentrated on the dark objects on the horizon. The longer she stared the more it appeared they were moving.
"My eyes are playing tricks. They look like they are moving across the side of that hill."
"They are moving. They are muskox! Our word for muskox is Omingmak. We are down wind so if we take our time and walk slowly we should be able to get pretty close."
They slowly walked forward and the dots on the horizon began to take on a different shape. Jo had seen pictures of muskox, but they were even more impressive in the flesh. They didn't stand as tall as she had imagined and were much woollier than she had pictured. Their horns swept forward in awkward swirls, and their coats shook in the wind. They looked like a cross between prehistoric woolly mammoths and buffalo.
They were able to move along the rise in the land and stay out of sight until they were very close to the animals. As they came into full view of the herd, the lead bull snorted. The animals quickly moved and formed a circle with their backsides towards the centre and their heads facing out. The babies were protected in the centre of the circle.
"They do this when they are threatened," Napachee said. "If there are only two muskox on their own, they will stand rear to rear to face whatever is threatening them. There are many on Banks Island."
Napachee was getting more excited with every minute and wanted to press on. As they continued to walk he recognized landmarks from dozens of hunts he had been on with his father.
"
Look over there!" Jo whispered, grabbing Napachee's arm and pointing ahead to the right.
Napachee squinted. There, far ahead, a hunter was silhouetted against a drift in the snow. He was lying on his belly, rifle in his hand. He crawled across the snow, intent on something beyond the drift. He reached the top of the drift and stopped to take aim.
Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok moved quickly, but silently across the snow at an angle that allowed both the hunter and the hunted to be in view. They moved parallel to the hunter to see what lay ahead.
A large polar bear stood beyond the drift taking a leisurely sun bath in the crisp arctic snow. It was up wind of the hunter unaware it was being watched.
Napachee glanced across at the hunter and saw him prepare to fire his gun. He removed his fur mittens and swung them behind his back on the strings that held them together around his neck. He moved the rifle into place and sighted his quarry through the scope.
As Napachee watched the ritual he had seen dozens of times before he heard a series of soft grunts beside him. He glanced down at Hagiyok and saw something he recognized in the bear's eyes. He whirled around to look once again at the hunter.
Napachee began to run!
He watched his father settle deeper in the snow to get a comfortable shot. Enuk stared at Hagiyok's mother as she sniffed the afternoon air.
"Nooo!" Napachee cried, running across the snow.
His father was up wind and Napachee knew his voice was falling on deaf ears. He could hear his heart pounding in his head and he could not breathe. Napachee's father continued to stare through the sights of his gun.
Napachee saw Enuk close his other eye and waited to hear the report of the gun as it fired.
Enuk lifted his head away from the sights and lowered the gun. He did not know why he could not pull the trigger. He stared at the large female polar bear ahead of him and then slowly stood up. He turned away from the bear and looked directly into the face of Napachee!
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