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“Northern Delights” by Ian Madison Keller (part 1 of 2, read by the author)
In a world of anthro dogs, the Iditarod dog race is a big event that this little Chihuahua is about to get an accidental up close and personal look at while trying to warn his friend about an assassin.
Today’s story is the first of two parts of “Northern Delights” by Ian Madison Keller, who wrote the Changing Bodies series published by Fanged Fiction and edited Shark Week published Rainbow Dog Books, and you can find more of his stories on madisonkeller.net.
Transcript
You’re listening to The Voice of Dog,
Speaker:and Today’s story
Speaker:is the first of two parts of
Speaker:“Northern Delights”
Speaker:by Ian Madison Keller,
Speaker:who wrote the Changing Bodies series published by Fanged Fiction
Speaker:and edited Shark Week
Speaker:published Rainbow Dog Books,
Speaker:and you can find more of his stories
Speaker:on madisonkeller.net.
Speaker:Please enjoy “Northern Delights”
Speaker:by Ian Madison Keller,
Speaker:Part 1 of 2, read for you
Speaker:by the author himself.
Speaker:Rafael walked out of the airport and into a frozen wasteland.
Speaker:Overhead the sky was gray, the sun completely hidden behind the clouds.
Speaker:The wind whistled, sending a swirl of snow down his back.
Speaker:Rafael shivered and pulled up the collar of his bubble-gum pink winter coat.
Speaker:The color hadn't been his first choice, but even in the dead of winter stores in
Speaker:Phoenix didn't exactly carry a large selection of winter wear,
Speaker:especially in sizes that fit a Chihuahua.
Speaker:He was already cold, and he was only three steps from the warmth of the airport lobby. Rafael scowled and began following the signs towards the taxi cab waiting area.
Speaker:His cell rang, belting out Don Omar singing the first lines of Zumba. "Pa' este baile no hay salida."
Speaker:"You've reached Detective Ferreira," he answered, cutting off the catchy tune.
Speaker:A gray and white barrel-chested malamute walking ahead of him
Speaker:startled and turned to stare down at the little Chihuahua.
Speaker:A lot of people had that reaction when they found out he was a policeman.
Speaker:"Where are you?" his boss barked at him.
Speaker:The Captain was a pitbull and Rafael could picture him sitting at his desk,
Speaker:jowls quivering with rage,
Speaker:eyes narrowed. "I'm great, boss, and how are you?"
Speaker:Rafael bared his teeth at the phone and then up at the bigger dog.
Speaker:The malamute blinked and then hurried his steps away.
Speaker:"I asked where you are detective," his boss repeated,
Speaker:the growl in his voice deepening.
Speaker:"I'm taking some personal time off, sir.
Speaker:Family emergency.
Speaker:emergency." Rafael hung up. The phone rang again, which cut off abruptly when Rafael popped off the back and pulled out the battery.
Speaker:Rafael jumped into the back of one of the cabs idling at the curb waiting for passengers.
Speaker:The cabbie, a big shaggy thing of indeterminate species,
Speaker:did a double take as Rafael settled into the seat.
Speaker:"What kinda rat are you?"
Speaker:"The dog kind," Rafael barked back as he snapped on his seat belt.
Speaker:The cabbie shook his head but hit the 'fare' light on his dash.
Speaker:"Where to?" "Iditarod starting line," Rafael said and settled back into his seat.
Speaker:The shaggy dog shrugged and pulled away from the curb.
Speaker:Rafael sat up in his seat,
Speaker:struggling to see out the window.
Speaker:Mostly he could only see the tops of buildings,
Speaker:all covered in snow.
Speaker:Big flakes drifted by the windows.
Speaker:"Nice jacket," the dog said,
Speaker:grinning at him in the rear-view mirror.
Speaker:Rafael grinned back at him.
Speaker:"Thanks, it’s a family heirloom.
Speaker:You know where the racers wait to start?"
Speaker:"What, don't tell me you're a competitor?"
Speaker:He howled in laughter.
Speaker:At this Rafael let out a genuine laugh.
Speaker:"Ha, not hardly. A friend of mine is.
Speaker:Just wanted to wish him luck before he starts."
Speaker:"A little guy like you?
Speaker:In that crowd? You'll never find him in time.
Speaker:The back area is always a cluster.
Speaker:Best bet is to find a place along the starting stretch and cheer for him as he goes by.
Speaker:I know a good place where the crowd won't be too thick.
Speaker:thick." Rafael grabbed at the door as the cab made a sudden turn.
Speaker:"Cabron! Watch it. Thing is, I really need to talk to my friend before he starts the race.
Speaker:It's important." "Your dime.
Speaker:But don't say I didn't warn you.
Speaker:you." The cabbie pulled over to the curb.
Speaker:Rafael popped off his seatbelt and stood.
Speaker:Crowds of dogs streamed down the sidewalk outside the cab.
Speaker:In the distance a block ahead of him,
Speaker:almost obscured by falling snow,
Speaker:he could see a flag-topped tower.
Speaker:"Thanks. Keep the change.
Speaker:change." Rafael handed the cabbie a twenty before climbing out.
Speaker:When he opened the door he shivered as the cold air blasted him,
Speaker:seeming to whistle right through his hat and jacket.
Speaker:The snow on the sidewalk crunched under his boots.
Speaker:The sidewalks were shoveled, but more snow was falling all the time.
Speaker:Snow was piled high against the buildings and was ground to slush in the streets beneath the passing car.
Speaker:Rafael tucked his head down
Speaker:and followed the press of dogs towards the starting line.
Speaker:Either his neon jacket did its job,
Speaker:or the big dogs of Alaska were used to watching for smaller puppies in the press,
Speaker:because no one even came close to stepping on him.
Speaker:But the cabbie had been right about the crowds.
Speaker:Rafael couldn't see anything but furry legs and tails wagging in his face.
Speaker:"Excuse me, excuse me!"
Speaker:Rafael yelled, trying to get the attention of any of the bigger dogs around him with no avail.
Speaker:Finally the tide of the crowd spit him out by a long table with a banner across it that
Speaker:read 'Racer Check in.'
Speaker:Arrayed behind it were three big dogs, all northern breeds, like the racers.
Speaker:The area to the left of the table was separated from the crowd by plastic barrier tape.
Speaker:"Can I help you?" A dark gray malamute glanced at him as Rafael waved a paw about above the tabletop.
Speaker:Rafael pulled out a glossy photo of a golden furred chow dog
Speaker:and stood on his tiptoes to put it on the table while holding up his Phoenix Police Department badge.
Speaker:"I'm looking for Wang Wei Snelling.
Speaker:He's a racer. It's vitally important I talk to him before he leaves."
Speaker:"I recognize him. Don't have many chows signed up to race." The malamute handed him the photo back and checked a list in front of her.
Speaker:"The race starts soon, so you have about fifteen minutes to find him.
Speaker:The runners all wait over there.
Speaker:I'll let you through.
Speaker:through." She then pointed to her left.
Speaker:"Thanks, ma'am." Rafael wagged his curled tail,
Speaker:already half frozen, and ducked under the tape.
Speaker:Hundreds of dogs milled about on the other side although his job was made easier by the fact that most of them had white or gray fur.
Speaker:However, his own small size was still a problem.
Speaker:He couldn't see more than a couple of feet through the press.
Speaker:Even worse, loads of backpacks and supplies were piled seemingly at random in the snow blocking his way.
Speaker:"Excuse me, have you seen this dog?"
Speaker:Rafael held up his photo of Wang Wei and plowed forward into the press,
Speaker:yelling to be heard over the din.
Speaker:"What the hell are you supposed to be?" said
Speaker:the first dog who noticed him,
Speaker:a towering brown and white Saint Bernard. "I'm a Chihuahua," Rafael answered him evenly although his hackles rose.
Speaker:"And it’s vitally important that I find this dog.
Speaker:His name is Wang Wei and-
Speaker:-" The Bernard cut him off with a loud woof.
Speaker:"Haven't seen him.
Speaker:Now go away, I'm busy.
Speaker:busy." Rafael shrugged
Speaker:and sidled around the dog and his bags.
Speaker:The next dog, a white Eskimo dog with triangular ears, was a little more polite
Speaker:but knew no more than the first dog.
Speaker:Rafael continued to make his way through the crowd,
Speaker:climbing over luggage and questioning the other racers.
Speaker:Noon was fast approaching
Speaker:and Rafael hadn't gotten any closer to finding Wang Wei.
Speaker:"Please, sir, have you seen this dog?"
Speaker:The words had long since lost their meaning, but Rafael held up the picture and asked the question.
Speaker:"Him? Yeah, I have," said a big dog.
Speaker:Rafael wasn't sure but thought he might be some kind of husky.
Speaker:"Thanks anyway," Rafael said
Speaker:and started to turn away before what the dog had said sunk in.
Speaker:He jerked and spun back.
Speaker:"Wonderful! Can you point me in his direction?"
Speaker:Rafael tucked the photo back into his coat, shivering as he zipped it back up.
Speaker:Even with the coat and hat he was freezing.
Speaker:"Even better, little guy.
Speaker:I can take you right to him!"
Speaker:The husky mix wagged his tail and gestured.
Speaker:Rafael fell in beside him,
Speaker:pumping his legs furiously to keep up as the dog took off at a brisk pace through the crowd.
Speaker:"Thank you so much. You have no idea how important it is that I speak with him.
Speaker:him." Rafael panted and glanced at his watch. 11:55.
Speaker:He only had a few more minutes before Wang Wei's group was off and running, and then it would be too late.
Speaker:The husky led him into a ring of three other big dogs.
Speaker:He turned to face Rafael and raised his paws to his sides.
Speaker:"Here we are." Rafael stopped and blinked in surprise.
Speaker:He glanced around, but didn't see any other
Speaker:sign of Wang Wei.
Speaker:"What?" Before Rafael could get out anything else,
Speaker:something heavy hit him in the back of the head.
Speaker:He was out before he impacted the snow. #
Speaker:Part 2 The back of his head pounded,
Speaker:but it was the jouncing that woke Rafael.
Speaker:He felt suspended in a soft cloud,
Speaker:smelling of jerky and fabric softener.
Speaker:Soft light diffused his bed,
Speaker:coming from somewhere above him.
Speaker:A steady thump, thump,
Speaker:thump sound that matched each bump could barely be heard over the howl of the wind.
Speaker:Rafael was warm in his pink coat,
Speaker:but his hat was missing
Speaker:and a cold breeze bit into his exposed ears.
Speaker:Rafael fought free of the constricting fabric and clawed his way up,
Speaker:towards the light.
Speaker:A hole became visible above him,
Speaker:covered by a flap of fabric.
Speaker:Rafael poked his muzzle through,
Speaker:all that would fit through the small opening.
Speaker:Outside of the protection of what he now recognized as a large dog's backpack,
Speaker:the icy wind stung his nose.
Speaker:"Help! Help!" Rafael barked and clawed at the cinched hole,
Speaker:which remained stubbornly closed.
Speaker:"Let me out." The bouncing stopped.
Speaker:"What? Who said that?"
Speaker:a female voice said.
Speaker:"I'm in your backpack,"
Speaker:Rafael yelled as loud as he could.
Speaker:The backpack swayed and bobbed, and Rafael felt it settle down to the ground.
Speaker:The light dimmed as a shadow fell over the bag,
Speaker:there was a click and then the flap covering the hole flipped open.
Speaker:Rafael stared up into the eyes of a large female husky.
Speaker:Her muzzle gaped open in surprise, one ear flicking back.
Speaker:She closed her mouth with an audible click and a huff.
Speaker:"You've got to be kidding me.
Speaker:I wondered why my bag felt heavier,
Speaker:but the race was starting and...”
Speaker:She huffed and shook her head.
Speaker:“Now puppy, why are in you my backpack?"
Speaker:Rafael growled and scratched again at the cinched hole until the husky reached over and opened it.
Speaker:Rafael poked his head out of the bag,
Speaker:but immediately regretted it as the wind whistled through his upturned ears.
Speaker:He pulled his ears flat back against his head,
Speaker:wondering where his hat had gone.
Speaker:"I'm not a puppy, and I have no idea how I ended up here.
Speaker:here." Rafael felt around inside his pink coat until he located his wallet.
Speaker:He pulled it out and flipped it open,
Speaker:lifting it out to show the husky his badge.
Speaker:"I'm Detective Rafael Ferreira with the Phoenix Police Department.
Speaker:Hey!" He yelped as the husky girl reached into the bag with a paw and picked him up by the back of his coat.
Speaker:She lifted him out and then set him gently down on the snow.
Speaker:The sudden movement made Rafael's head swim with a pounding vertigo that sent him reeling.
Speaker:He collapsed face first into the soft powder.
Speaker:Now that he was outside the backpack
Speaker:Rafael was already starting to shiver.
Speaker:He sat up and looked around himself.
Speaker:He was sitting in a snowbank, surrounded by dark pine trees.
Speaker:Snow was still falling, but the light had waned.
Speaker:He'd been out for hours at least.
Speaker:The husky held up a paw, hissing in sympathy as she touched the back of his head.
Speaker:Even her feather-light touch made him yelp and jump.
Speaker:Rafael reached up and probed at the bump on the back of his head.
Speaker:He growled. "Oh, those stupid huskies!"
Speaker:The husky girl scowled and stood back up to loom over him,
Speaker:crossing her arms across her chest.
Speaker:"Oh, not you." Rafael could see the hurt in her eyes.
Speaker:He didn't want to piss her off.
Speaker:He had no idea where he was and he couldn't see any other dogs around.
Speaker:"I was talking to three huskies. They hit me in the head...
Speaker:head...and I guess stuffed me in your pack afterwards.
Speaker:afterwards." The husky girl huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.
Speaker:"Three huskies? Leader mostly white with light tan markings?"
Speaker:Rafael nodded. He was shivering violently now.
Speaker:He didn't dare perk his ears back up for fear of them freezing solid.
Speaker:The husky girl swore,
Speaker:ears going back flat on her head and baring her teeth.
Speaker:After a few more minutes of swearing she calmed down.
Speaker:She looked around them at the swirling snow and the trees, then pulled a folded map out of the pocket of her coat
Speaker:and began to study it.
Speaker:Rafael hugged himself,
Speaker:tempted to climb back into the girl's pack.
Speaker:The wind was cutting right through his thin khaki pants.
Speaker:Perfect for a warm Arizona winter and totally inadequate in these subzero temperatures.
Speaker:"What's your name?"
Speaker:She glanced up at him and grimaced.
Speaker:"Mae, and I'm sorry but it's not been a pleasure to meet you.
Speaker:Now quiet, I've got to figure out how to get you back to civilization.
Speaker:I think it's closer to go back to the checkpoint at
Speaker:Yentna Station," she stabbed a point on her map and traced with a finger.
Speaker:"Rather than continue on to Skwentna.
Speaker:It will put me behind schedule, but there's no helping it."
Speaker:"No, you can't take me back!"
Speaker:Rafael protested, jumping up and down in the snow in front of her.
Speaker:"I need to go with you."
Speaker:"What? Not happening.
Speaker:You're already getting hypothermia.
Speaker:hypothermia." Mae folded back up her map.
Speaker:"Now, get in the bag."
Speaker:"No." Rafael could tell she wasn't in the mood to talk,
Speaker:but his mission was too important.
Speaker:"Did you see a large golden chow chow with the runners?"
Speaker:"Yeah, I did. Hard to miss an Asian dog among all the American northern breeds.
Speaker:Why?" Mae crouched down next to him,
Speaker:positioning her bulk between him and the worst of the wind.
Speaker:"He's one of my confidential informants,
Speaker:here from Arizona for the race.
Speaker:race." Rafael inched closer to her,
Speaker:grateful for that and the warmth that
Speaker:radiated off her. "So?"
Speaker:Rafael almost growled in frustration at the delay this was causing.
Speaker:He'd already lost his chance to catch Wang Wei before the race started,
Speaker:and now he was losing daylight to this cruel prank.
Speaker:"There's a hit out on him. I have to warn him.
Speaker:him." Mae snorted. "You're a detective and this Wang Wei is just some criminal that helps you out, right?
Speaker:So why do you care?"
Speaker:"Wang Wei's information saved the life of me and my partner last month.
Speaker:He warned us of an ambush.
Speaker:ambush." Rafael looked away as he was wracked by a particularly violent shiver.
Speaker:"I owe him this much."
Speaker:"What about the Alaskan authorities, surely they--"
Speaker:"No!" Rafael growled and met Mae's eyes.
Speaker:"The ambush Wang Wei saved me from...
Speaker:It was other policemen.
Speaker:policemen." He gulped. "I don't know who I can trust.
Speaker:I need to warn Wang Wei in person.
Speaker:What little I was able to find out about the assassination is that it's going to happen during the race.
Speaker:race." Mae stared at him, her muzzle gaping open for a moment.
Speaker:"That doesn't narrow it down much.
Speaker:The route is over nine hundred miles long!"
Speaker:"I know. I tried to call him before he left, but he was already on a plane,
Speaker:his phone turned off.
Speaker:I followed him here, hoping to warn him before he left,
Speaker:but there were so many dogs!
Speaker:And then that,
Speaker:that cabron hit me, and well, you know the rest."
Speaker:Mae growled and narrowed her eyes at him,
Speaker:then sighed heavily.
Speaker:"That cabron is the winner of last year's race,
Speaker:Ingram Yap. Ingram's been trying to bully and intimidate me ever since I came in ahead of him in the qualifiers last month.
Speaker:He probably was trying to slow me down.
Speaker:down." She gave a big sigh and held up a paw as Rafael started to speak.
Speaker:"It benefits us both to continue on, so don't worry.
Speaker:I'll take you as far as Skwentna.
Speaker:It's a checkpoint, so all the dogs racing have to check in with the volunteers there.
Speaker:there." Rafael brightened and nodded happily.
Speaker:"Thank you!" He let Mae lift him up and stow him back in the bag.
Speaker:While he bounced along on her back, he dug around in her clothing until he found his hat,
Speaker:which must have fallen off while he was being jostled around.
Speaker:With that back on his head and bundled in her blankets, Rafael almost became warm enough to stop his shivering.
Speaker:The gentle swaying of the backpack lulling him to sleep
Speaker:competed with the pounding in his head.
Speaker:Eventually the warmth and the rhythmic motion overcame the nausea and pain
Speaker:and he drifted off to sleep. # Part 3
Speaker:A sharp jostle woke Rafael up.
Speaker:Mae barked, the sound muffled by the backpack.
Speaker:The bouncing of the pack increased in pace,
Speaker:slamming him repeatedly into Mae's back.
Speaker:The muted noise made it hard to tell,
Speaker:but the crunching footsteps sounded like they came from more than one pair of feet
Speaker:as the cadence didn't match the frequency of his crashes into Mae.
Speaker:Rafael burrowed up.
Speaker:The light had faded, and he had to feel around above him for the cinched hole.
Speaker:The cold breeze coming from it guided him
Speaker:and a moment later his gloved paw was free and grasping around blindly, looking for the cinch.
Speaker:Now that he'd seen the outside of the pack he knew how to open it,
Speaker:but the shaking and bumping meant he had to fumble around for several moments before he found it.
Speaker:The instant he pulled the clasp free and opened the hole, polar air whipped in, instantly freezing his nose and nipping at his eyeballs.
Speaker:Rafael narrowed his eyes and popped his head out.
Speaker:His head pressed against the cloth flap that covered the hole,
Speaker:blocking his view of the sky.
Speaker:The ground rushed by underneath him;
Speaker:the snow swirling in the air glowed with ghostly reflections of Mae's headlamp.
Speaker:Beyond the glare of Mae's LED headlamp the night swallowed the landscape,
Speaker:making it feel like Rafael bounced along in a snow-covered void.
Speaker:Now that his ears were out of the thick canvas, he could hear two sets of puffing breath
Speaker:and distinguish the thudding of six different feet.
Speaker:A lolling bay sounded out from the night.
Speaker:"Mae! Mae!" Rafael howled as loud as he could.
Speaker:"Stay down!" Mae huffed,
Speaker:clearly short of breath.
Speaker:"Moose. Dangerous." Even from right behind her Rafael could barely make out her words over the howling of the wind.
Speaker:"Moose?" he repeated softly to himself.
Speaker:He'd seen pictures of them,
Speaker:even seen them in person at the zoo in their fenced enclosure.
Speaker:They were massive, sure, and had big horns,
Speaker:but he'd never thought of them as dangerous.
Speaker:"Raf!" Mae barked. "Flare gun.
Speaker:Bag. Help!" Rafael dug back into Mae's pack with frantic urgency.
Speaker:He'd remembered feeling a hard plastic edge digging into his side as he'd pulled himself out.
Speaker:He ripped off his gloves and cast about where he thought it had been.
Speaker:His paw brushed something hard, and he grabbed it, pulling it closer.
Speaker:The familiar grip of a pistol was comforting in his grip,
Speaker:despite the strange feeling of the plastic rather than cool iron.
Speaker:Gun in paw, Rafael popped his head back out the hole and pushed aside the top flap. The bobbing light from Mae's lantern revealed a gigantic moose which towered over Mae and him.
Speaker:The beast's breath huffed out in a plume of steam that froze instantly.
Speaker:Ice crystals hung from the beast’s shaggy fur and dripped from its heaving nostrils.
Speaker:The moose lowered its head, centering its wide, flat antlers so that the tips
Speaker:pointed right at Rafael.
Speaker:Each pounding of the giant's hooves sent up clouds of snow and brought the moose closer to
Speaker:Mae. Rafael looked at the orange, plastic pistol then at the moose's three tons of charging fury.
Speaker:The gun was sized for a bigger dog;
Speaker:Rafael could barely get a finger around the trigger,
Speaker:but compared to the bulk of the moose it looked like a toy.
Speaker:"Hur...ry!" Mae huffed.
Speaker:It was obvious she couldn't keep this pace up much longer.
Speaker:Rafael shivered, blinking away the ice crystals that were forming on his eyelashes and lifted the gun,
Speaker:wrapping both paws around it in an effort to keep it steady.
Speaker:The moose whuffed and sped up,
Speaker:or maybe Mae slowed down,
Speaker:but Rafael knew he had only moments to act.
Speaker:The moose lowered its head still further,
Speaker:but it was so much bigger than them,
Speaker:it put its chin in line with Mae's head.
Speaker:The flap of skin hanging from its neck streamed in the wind.
Speaker:Rafael had never been so terrified.
Speaker:His heart hammered in his chest.
Speaker:He was shaking and not from the cold.
Speaker:Rafael took a deep breath,
Speaker:sighted down the barrel directly at the white of the moose's eye.
Speaker:The whipping wind and snow obscured his vision, and the backpack was bouncing up and down
Speaker:wildly. Rafael did his best to compensate for the movement, thankful for hours of practice on the range.
Speaker:He willed his shaking paws to still and pulled the trigger.
Speaker:The flare exploded from the gun with a flash and a pop,
Speaker:streaming towards its target like a comet.
Speaker:The light was so bright in the dark of the night
Speaker:that it burned a red line across his vision.
Speaker:The light smashed into the moose's nose and burst with a hiss. The moose barked in surprise and slowed down, shaking its head from side to side in an effort to dislodge the burning projectile.
Speaker:Mae continued running, and the beast disappeared into the night behind them.
Speaker:"I got it, Mae!" Rafael yipped in excitement.
Speaker:"You can stop now.
Speaker:now." Mae continued running although she slowed her pace.
Speaker:The bouncing slowed down to a manageable jostle.
Speaker:Perhaps she hadn't heard him.
Speaker:"The moose stopped chasing us," Rafael cried louder.
Speaker:"Heard you," Mae huffed.
Speaker:"Not out." She took a deep breath. "Of danger yet.
Speaker:yet." Now that the adrenaline from the danger with the moose was fading, Rafael was starting to feel cold.
Speaker:As he stared at the darkness and falling snow,
Speaker:he realized what Mae was doing.
Speaker:His flare had done nothing but startle the moose.
Speaker:It might continue to chase them once it recovered.
Speaker:Or there might be more of them.
Speaker:Rafael wiggled back down into the backpack
Speaker:and felt around until he found the gun's little zipper pouch of ammo.
Speaker:After a lot of fumbling around in the dark,
Speaker:he managed to reload it,
Speaker:just in case. Mae ran for another few minutes
Speaker:after he finished loading the flare gun,
Speaker:and when she did stop, she first ducked behind a tree.
Speaker:Rafael felt the backpack jostle and a moment later Mae peered down in at
Speaker:him, blinding him with the light of her head lantern.
Speaker:"Ouch, bright!" Rafael dropped the gun and covered his face with his paws.
Speaker:The LEDs still burned his eyes around his fingers.
Speaker:He blinked tears from his eyes and burrowed his muzzle into the crook of his arm.
Speaker:"Oops, sorry," Mae said.
Speaker:Rafael heard a button click, and the light dimmed. "That better?" Mae asked. Before Rafael could respond, Mae scooped him out of the bag and squeezed him to her chest in a massive bear hug.
Speaker:Her arms totally engulfed his little body.
Speaker:She was wonderfully warm and soft
Speaker:and Rafael relaxed into her grip,
Speaker:doing his best to hug her back while trapped.
Speaker:He wagged his tail, whipping her arm.
Speaker:"You did great with that moose.
Speaker:If you hadn't been here, I might have been done for."
Speaker:"It was nothing," Rafael lied.
Speaker:His heart was still pounding.
Speaker:He'd faced down his share of criminals on the mean streets of downtown Phoenix,
Speaker:but he'd never felt anything near the terror he'd experienced upon seeing that wall of muscled moose barreling down on them.
Speaker:Mae loosened her grip and lifted him.
Speaker:"You're shivering!"
Speaker:"Just cold," Rafael said.
Speaker:He wasn't lying, not exactly.
Speaker:The air was so frigid each breath was like a knife to his chest.
Speaker:Where the tip of his muzzle wasn't pressed against Mae,
Speaker:he could feel the cold air almost
Speaker:seeming to go right through him. But being with Mae was like lying down with a furnace.
Speaker:"Here." She set him carefully back down into the backpack
Speaker:and then fiddled with an outside pocket before passing him a large square plastic gel pack.
Speaker:"What is it?" Rafael stared at it with fascination.
Speaker:The clear pack was labeled 'Paw warmer' and it was almost as long as his arm.
Speaker:"It’s a chemical gel
Speaker:warmer. Take off the packaging and it will heat up and keep you nice and warm until we get to Skwentna.
Speaker:Skwentna." Rafael ripped off the printed plastic coating and kneaded the bag inside with his paws.
Speaker:Almost immediately it began to heat up.
Speaker:"Amazing! Heat in a bag."
Speaker:"Careful not to puncture it with your claws," Mae cautioned him.
Speaker:"Also, it works best if it’s close to your fur.
Speaker:Unzip your coat and put it inside.
Speaker:inside." Mae began closing back up the backpack.
Speaker:"Oh and keep that flare gun handy."
Speaker:"What?" Rafael squeaked.
Speaker:"Yeah, this area is known as Moose Alley.
Speaker:The forest is dense so the moose like to use the trails.
Speaker:A couple of dogs get chased each year.
Speaker:Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
Speaker:ones." Mae blew out a breath and gave him a wide mouth smile.
Speaker:"Good thing I had along a stalwart guardian.
Speaker:guardian." Despite himself Rafael felt
Speaker:himself returning Mae's grin.
Speaker:He was still mad at Ingram for pulling this prank
Speaker:and possibly dooming Wang Wei.
Speaker:But it had put him in the right place, at the right time,
Speaker:to protect an innocent dog from harm.
Speaker:Lately so much of his job had become paperwork
Speaker:done behind a desk,
Speaker:and he realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so connected with his job and life.
Speaker:It made him remember why he'd become a cop in the first place. # Part 4
Speaker:Despite the cold,
Speaker:Rafael kept his head free of the bag,
Speaker:ready and waiting in case another moose tried to give them a hard time.
Speaker:Ice crystals formed on his whiskers from each breath.
Speaker:He constantly was having to duck his head back into the bag and press his face against the blissfully warm gel-pack,
Speaker:but he persevered.
Speaker:Other than the crunching of snow under Mae's paws
Speaker:and the shushing of the surrounding pine trees in the wind,
Speaker:the night was silent.
Speaker:He'd grown up in the big city,
Speaker:and night to him meant the pounding thunder of a gunning motorcycle, the conversing of passing dogs,
Speaker:and the rumbling base leaking from a passing car.
Speaker:Even the sky was unfamiliar.
Speaker:When Rafael craned his head back, he could see hundreds of stars twinkling brightly overhead.
Speaker:The sight awed and humbled him.
Speaker:When he was a puppy, his father had taken him up to the mountains to star gaze,
Speaker:but even there the lights of the city had hidden all but the brightest stars.
Speaker:He began to pick out constellations he'd learned about in grade school. There was Orion, the Hunter.
Speaker:Usually depicted in mythological art as an English Setter. Mae turned a corner and his view shifted, revealing Leo, the roaring lion.
Speaker:Rafael bared his teeth menacingly at the sky.
Speaker:Rafael ducked back into the bag to warm his ears and nose, and wipe ice crystals from his lashes.
Speaker:When he emerged again, the trees had fallen away.
Speaker:Mae now ran through a wide open field.
Speaker:The light of the stars reflected on the glittering snow,
Speaker:green and purple dancing and flashing like they were running through a gaudy neon nightclub.
Speaker:Rafael's muzzle dropped open.
Speaker:Stars didn't do that.
Speaker:He craned his head around
Speaker:until he looked out over Mae's fluffy ears.
Speaker:Shimmering hues swung their way through the heavens above them,
Speaker:frolicking and bobbing through the air like a symphony of colors.
Speaker:"Wow..." Rafael chuffed quietly.
Speaker:Mae chuckled, her ears flickering
Speaker:and Rafael lowered his head.
Speaker:He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.
Speaker:"Quite the sight, eh?
Speaker:I never get tired of it,"
Speaker:Mae said over her shoulder.
Speaker:All Rafael could see of her was the back of her head and the tips of her ears, but he could feel her smile.
Speaker:Rafael looked back up at nature's light show and admitted that he didn't think he ever could either.
Speaker:He opened his muzzle to say as much to Mae, but then shut it again.
Speaker:He didn't want to sound like an uncultured yokel.
Speaker:He stared at the dancing sky without answering for a long minute.
Speaker:"Yeah, it's alright, I guess.
Speaker:guess." Mae growled. Her ears went back flat against her head and she picked up speed,
Speaker:jostling him around so much he had to grab on lest he bounce right out of the bag.
Speaker:"I know. Alaska's a boring backwater full of hicks,
Speaker:and you can't wait to get back to your big city and palm trees.
Speaker:Yada, yada." "What? That's not what I meant," Rafael barked out between bounces.
Speaker:But it was too late, the mood had been ruined.
Speaker:"We're out of Moose Alley and it’s still another few hours before we get to the checkpoint,
Speaker:so why don't you get some sleep?" Mae said.
Speaker:Rafael wanted to apologize to Mae and beg her forgiveness,
Speaker:but he sighed and stayed silent.
Speaker:He'd give her an apology at Skwentna, once she'd had a chance to cool down
Speaker:and when he could do it face to face.
Speaker:This was the first of two parts of
Speaker:“Northern Delights”
Speaker:by Ian Madison Keller,
Speaker:read for you by the author himself.
Speaker:Tune in next time
Speaker:to find out how Rafael finds and saves Ingram and apologies to Mae.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to The Voice of Dog.
