The Unwanted Winter - Volume One of the Saga of the Twelves

by Richard Heredia

  The rest of their party rambled in, remarking on the novelty of the hidden entrance or the cave itself, while Joaquin continued to take stock of his surroundings. As he’d noted before, the chamber was almost completely circular, except for one portion of the wall - the one directly opposite the entrance. It didn’t curve. Rather, it was straight. Along this unbent expanse of the wall, wood had been stacked, neatly, nearly five feet from the ground. This was shocking, because there was enough firewood to last a month. He was sure of it.

  That made him wonder how long they were going to stay here. Would they be there a month? Probably not, since we don’t have enough supplies, he admonished himself. Actually, they didn’t have any supplies to speak of. Of course, they couldn’t stay here that long.

  He shook the thought, noting there were also a few large logs, possibly for sitting, conveniently placed around the fire pit. On the left hand side of the cave, there were great piles of pine boughs and fern fronds that looked comfortable, almost cozy, even from where he stood. They were meant for sleeping. They had to be, they looked so comfortable.

  Maybe I’m just tired.

  Other than that, the cave didn’t have much else to offer. The ground was relatively flat, but there were areas where it looked as though something unnatural had made it so. There was evidence some kind of stone formations used to be there, but they’d been forcibly removed. It was scratches and small gouges that gave it away. Add to the fact, the ground was also a shade or two lighter in color in those areas as well. He could tell their exposure to the air, in comparison to the other areas of the ground, had been recent. Overhead was a different story altogether. The ceiling resembled the type of ceiling typical of any cave, very uneven and jagged with telltale stalactites hanging from the roof here and there.

  The boy noticed where many of the newly smoothed areas existed on the floor of the cave there was a corresponding rock formation hanging from the ceiling, not everywhere, but in more than three-quarters of the cases. He knew then, someone had been preparing this cave for quite some time. This wasn’t a recent discovery, not at all.

  When he voiced his opinion to the group, Kodiak responded to his comment without hesitation. “You are very bright, young man, and you are correct. My daughter, Kenai, has been preparing for this day for almost five years now.”

  “What did you say?” interjected Anthony more intensity than the situation warranted.

  Kodiak turned to face Anthony. She somehow smiled around her snout and formidable jaws. “I know it was hard for you, Anthony, to let her go all those years ago. I know you shed tears over your loss.”

  Anthony started to shake his head, but didn’t complete the gesture, choosing instead to look at the ground and shuffle his feet.

  “As it was hard for me too,” continued the bear-Dog, “having to sit and wait, not knowing exactly how long I would have to endure the anguish of being separated from her, while I aged and became evermore decrepit and infirm as my life progressed. Often, I was quite sure I would perish before I would be able to lay eyes on this head strong, willful daughter of mine.”

  Kenai chuckled.

  Mikalah went up to the huge bear-dog and gave her as much of a hug as she was able. The beast’s neck was too large for her arms to completely encircle. The proud looking creature rested her neck upon Mikalah’s small shoulder as she sighed. Already, there were tears in the young girls’ eyes.

  As one, they listened to Kodiak as she told the story. Her eyes seemed to drift off into the distance. “It was a clear night at the time she was chosen for this great work and a comfortable one as well. I was in a deep sleep when the Great Yellow rose from the edge of the earth more quickly than usual. Thinking it was day, I opened my eyes not bothering to get up and realized it was still night. And yet, from behind me, I could sense a light, brilliant, giving off the appearance of the return of the day. I came to sitting position, turned to gaze upon it, and was amazed to see it was my daughter who was glowing with such an intensity, she was difficult to look upon. It was as though she burned from within, a boundless surging of light that pulsed with the beat of her heart. I became afraid and began to growl. I wasn’t sure what was happening. I was hoping she wasn’t in pain. I sniffed the air, the ground and still I couldn’t understand why my daughter was aglow. I took a step toward my candescent baby, growling a little fiercer.

  “Suddenly, this strange warmth surrounded me, all at once, touching every inch of my body. I think I shuddered involuntarily. Maybe it was an instinctual attempt to shake it off. Regardless, I wasn’t successful.” Kodiak paused, swallowing deeply.

  Joaquin could see this was hard for her. It must’ve been a bittersweet reunion between them, he figured. Having been apart for so long must’ve been hard on them. It seemed unfair though, after being reunited, to be banished to this nightmarish world.

  Though he never tried to come across as tough guy, he was typically sensitive to what others felt, had little problem with empathy. He might mask it at times, but mostly he was a warm and thoughtful young man, perceptive and caring of others. He hoped, at times, he didn’t show too much, but, when he felt a lump rise in his throat, this time, he didn’t try to force it down, worried he’d be embarrassed. He let it rise. He tried to visualize the sacrifice the great bear-dog had faced in the light of the greater good. He knew that he could never be as brave (or as trusting) as Kodiak. It didn’t take him overly long to come to that conclusion either. He was human. She’d been a dog, a faithful pet.

  I never thought I’d come to realize we could all use a bit more trust with the help of a canine. Your faith is amazing, Kodiak.

  “It was then, I heard his voice,” continued the bear-dog. “The Lord of the Light did not speak with his mouth, mind you. He did so with a voice in my head. A voice that spoke to me and reassured me, but, most of all, promised me, I would see my daughter again. I would merely have to wait for a while.

  “After the allotted duration, he said, I would see her again, but in another place. Though we would look different and have a great responsibility placed upon our shoulders, we would be together. We would accomplish what we were born to do together – side by side.”

  Now, it was Elena’s turn to give comfort. She placed her small hand upon Kodiak’s massively muscled shoulder and stroked the beast softly, tears in her eyes as well.

  “So, I brought myself under control and watched as my poor daughter’s body began to writhe and contort, but she slept and felt not a thing. I whimpered as she began to fade, to become less real. Though I did not possess the mental capacity I have now, I still had a notion, she was going to a place far away, farther any of our kind could ever imagine.

  “The pulsating light emanating from her began to the flash faster and faster, as the beat of her heart pumped blood through her veins. Each time it throbbed, my daughter diminished, the light surrounding her grew in strength. It became steadier and steadier as time progressed, thrumming quicker than I could discern. Until, at last, it shone continuously. It grew to such a degree, it almost blinded me. But, I would not take my eyes from my beautiful daughter, knowing this would be the last time I would set eyes upon her for a long, long time. She became less substantial, less flesh, bone, gristle and more a thing of light. I watched as she slowly dissipated as the light grew until there was nothing left of her, only the light remained. My beautiful pup was gone. The light flared twice more, like the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings. Much too early, it vanished too. I was alone. My baby, the last of my only litter, had been taken from me. She was all I had.”

  Joaquin wasn’t too surprised to see a huge tear well in one of her large eyes and fall to the floor with an audible splash.

  “I howled for a while. When the Lady with the Long Hair banged on the window of her sleeping chamber for me to be quiet, I went and found a spot at the highest point of the back yard and resigned myself to begin the long wait I would have to endure, in order to see my daughter again. I whimpered and wheezed the e
ntire night, for I was completely alone, for the first time in my stunted memory. All of my pups had been taken from me. It was the worst night of my life.” She shuddered, releasing a quivering breath that echoed softly throughout the cave.

  Joaquin could see the youngest of the girls was whimpering quietly into the neck of Kenai, who continued to cuddle her with her giant chin nestled on her neck and shoulder.

  “So you have been here this entire time?” beseeched Anthony, his voice filled with an intensity that reeked of accusation. His voice crackled. His tone was edged with anger at reliving the hurt he’d felt back then.

  Joaquin could see it. It was as plain as the granite surrounding them.

  “Yes, Tony, I have, waiting and preparing, all this same time, for the day when the Lord of the Storm would rise up and challenge the order of things and bring you all into this world,” replied Kenai softly, so as not to hurt the ears of the girl hugging her. Kenai’s tone was consoling.

  Joaquin knew she felt guilty over leaving Anthony, her boy-master, behind.

  What he didn’t know was Kenai was the only dog Anthony had ever owned. Because, after she’d left, he vowed to never again have a dog for a pet.

  “You must have been very lonely,” he said, just as quietly, catching himself, reigning in some of the misplaced anger he’d felt moments before. “Well, I hope it helps knowing I missed you very much over the years. Not once did I ever forget you were my first dog. You have always been special in my mind.”

  “Thank you, Tony,” muttered the bear-dog as Mikalah released her grip. She stepped away, wiping her eyes.

  “I thought you’d run away. We all did. I guess I was always a little bit mad at you for that,” he admitted. His eyes were so filled with tears, Joaquin felt, at any second, they were going to cascade down his face like a river bursting over the edge of a levy.

  “That is ok, Tony, I probably would have felt the same way,” offered Kenai in her sweet, rumbling voice, like age-old rocks crumbling.

  Mikalah still wept quietly into her fur, clinging onto her neck as if she needed support to stand on her own two feet.

  “I just loved you so much…” His voice did break then. He half-turned away from them, in order to gather himself.

  Both Joaquin and Jason looked away, giving him a degree of privacy.

  “Thank you for loving me, Tony. I have always felt it, even when I was here all alone and frightened to death. I knew somewhere, out there in the great big nothing, you loved me. It was one of things that kept me sane, that kept me focused.” Kenai’s massive eyes brimmed as well. She stopped to clear her great throat, which rattled Elena and made her pull back her head from the bear-dog’s neck.

  “No, thank you, for everything you have done, because, without it right now, most of us would be freezing to death, out there in the snow,” he said, masking his emotions.

  Around the cave, many others of the group voiced similar opinions, instinctively attempting to break the awkward intimacy of the moment.

  Kenai just nodded in acceptance, but otherwise stayed silent. Her eyes were locked on Anthony, her gaze thoughtful as a tear or two soaked into the hairs about her eyes.

  “Well, Kenai,” began Joaquin, exhaling a huge, rattling breath of air, glancing around the cave again, “it looks like you have done just about everything you could have done in order to make this place as hospitable and welcoming as possible, especially under the circumstances. Thanks.”

  The bear-dog smiled warmly at him. Her orbs coming to rest upon the larger boy, her snout making her grin appear somewhat strange, unlikely, on a creature that shouldn’t have been able to do so.

  “So,” he went on, clapping his hands together, “let’s see if we can get this fire going. It looks like Andrew is about to turn into a Popsicle right before our eyes.”

  Anthony perked up. “Yeah, that’s a great idea, dude. Does anyone have matches or a lighter or something to light the fire?” he asked expectantly.

  The animals just looked at each other and shrugged, having little need for such tools. Their thick hides and furs were more than enough to keep them warm.

  The kids glanced at once another, shaking their heads negatively.

  “Use the fire rocks I found,” offered Kenai. “They are right there sitting along the rim of the pit I built.”

  All eyes turned to look the two flat, palm-sized rocks the bear-dog had indicated. Both of them were much darker when compared to the rocks upon which they sat.

  Fire Rocks? thought Joaquin, puzzled by the bear-dog’s phrasing.

  Jason made his way over to them an excited expression on his face, making Joaquin stare at him with a little apprehension. He was immediately uncertain. He knew his friend could be slightly eccentric at times. The look on his face made him hope silently the kid wasn’t going to embarrass him this time around. In the past, he’d been known to do just that…

  “Is that flint?” asked the Asian teen, picking up one of the stones, examining both sides in thought.

  Joaquin’s eyebrows shot up in recognition. Flint! He winced suddenly, having forgotten the swollen shiner below his left eye. The jerking motion sent a jolt of pain across his visage.

  “What is flint?” asked Mikalah. Her face, made puffy with crying, was bunched up in confusion, her curiosity boiling over.

  Jason glanced over his shoulder at the little girl with a broad smile on his face. “It’s used to start fires. Kenai’s term, ‘fire rocks’, is actually quite accurate.”

  The little girl turn her head to the side in thought, her expression unchanged.

  “Hey, does anyone have a pocket knife or something made of steel?” Jason looked around his expression as enthusiastic as Anthony’s had been a moment before.

  Joaquin glanced around at the kids, then noticed Andrew fiddling around with the pockets of his jeans.

  “Hey, I think I have something you could use,” said Andrew.

  All eyes turned to the boy.

  Anthony chuckled, quirking: “Drew always has something up his sleeve.”

  At his side, Joaquin could see Anthony’s sisters were smiling as well. He figured it must be some sort of inside joke.

  Andrew pulled out a tiny Swiss Army knife-kit, tossing it over to Jason.

  Joaquin felt his face melt in to a grin. Jason loved Swiss Army knives, ever since he’d been a little boy.

  “Awesome,” was all Joaquin’s friend said and quickly bent down into the pit. He flicked open a tool from the knife-kit that looked like a standard screwdriver head, about two inches long.

  All of the kids gathered around him. He held the rock in his left hand, placing the edge of the screwdriver against a flat area of the flint, applying a degree of pressure. Deftly, he struck it across the surface of the stone. Joaquin was surprised to see a huge spark neatly jump from the contact zone, between the flint and steel, and into the kindling Kenai had already placed within the fire-pit.

  Mikalah let out an impressed, Aaaaah, as it dawned on her what Jason had been talking about

  Joaquin could almost hear her think, Fire rocks!

  The spark smoked where it landed for a bit, glowing dimly in the half-light of the cave. The kindling must have been extremely dry, because when Jason bent a bit closer and blew softly upon the ember, a second later, a bright yellow-orange flame burst forth. Within moments, it was spreading, catching ahold of the thicker twigs and leaves. A minute later, it began to burn in earnest.

  Anthony trotted to the stack of wood alongside the wall of the cave. He pulled forth a handful of small branches, and ran back. He fed them to the fire, to build up the heat, so it would consume the larger ones Kenai had stacked “tee-pee” style. The coals they would leave behind would insure a lesser chance of the blaze dying out with time.

  “Aaaah, man, you don’t know how good that feels,” moaned Andrew. He came farther forward and let the warmth of the fire sink into his chilled body. At his side, Jason held up the both pieces of flint and the Swiss Arm
y knife to him.

  “Looks like you’re the keeper of the tools, since I gather from your friends over there you seem to be one to always have the right thing at the right time,” he said.

  Andrew smirked at the other boy, but took the implements of fire and put them in his pockets. He just laughed to himself and then resumed warming himself. The fire grew precipitously and began to spread its soothing heat farther about the cave.

  “How did you ever manage to find flint, Kenai?” wondered Anthony, walking up to his former pet and scratched her behind the ears. The rest of the kids and animals either sat on the wooden logs or the floor nearby.

  “I had five years, Tony. I had a lot of time on my hands,” she replied with a just a hint of sarcasm, though she was smiling back at him by the time she’d finished.

  Anthony laughed aloud and let himself be led back to the fire. It was roaring now, giving of a decent amount of heat. He sat on one of the logs and Kenai laid down beside him, letting the warmth wash across his face.

  They all fell silent, letting the much welcomed heat from the flames chase the cold from their bodies, warming both their bones and their minds. Each of them was content to be still for a spell and allow themselves some time to catch up with the events unfolding around them.

  The seconds passed into minutes, only the periodic crackle and hiss of the fire echoed throughout the cave. Joaquin watched the smoke curl and twist up toward the ceiling, half-expecting to see it gathering en masse above them. He was surprised to see, there was a small crack directly above the spot where the fire burned. He knew why Kenai had chosen to build the fire pit here. It must have led to some other chamber or possibly, to the surface, because, quite conveniently, the smoke was sucked right through the crack and vented out of the cave, almost at the same rate it made its’ way to the ceiling.

  Huh, thought Joaquin, who would’ve imagined we’d have a natural chimney in a place like this. He let his eyes fall back to the Kenai, who was resting near Anthony, enjoying the fruits of her creation. Even through the veneer of her tremendous bulk and impressive features, he couldn’t help but think how magnificent a beast she was. Bear-dog or not, Kenai rocked!