Rise of the Underdogs: Jasper

Arrival: The Elder’s Secret

Over the course of the next two days, we continued our journey on foot, engaging in conversations about the importance of remembering our roots. These discussions centred on how best to honour where we came from, even as we prepared to integrate with the communities we would encounter during the upcoming phase of our travels.

During these forty-eight hours, we allowed ourselves periods of rest and enjoyed shared meals, ensuring that we remained nourished and prepared for the road ahead. The consistent routine, marked by steady movement and time for recuperation, proved essential in helping us recharge physically and mentally. This rhythm not only sustained our energy but also provided moments for reflection as we anticipated the experiences to come.

Throughout this portion of our travels, Ujurak’s presence was increasingly quiet. He spoke only when necessary, primarily to guide us and ensure that we remained on the correct path. His brief directions reminded us of the importance of staying true to our course while also allowing space for our own thoughts and conversations within the group.

Our travels culminated at a provincial marker, which signified a significant transition in our journey. The sign stood out vividly against the landscape. Crafted on a sturdy wooden base, the sign was painted in bright, welcoming colours—rich blues and greens reflecting the nearby sea and tundra, with accents of red and yellow adding warmth and cheer. Large, bold letters spelled out ‘Welcome to Nain’, making it easily visible from a distance. Around the wording, traditional Inuit motifs and images (stylized northern lights, seals, and Inuksuks) were carefully illustrated, paying homage to the community’s heritage.

The sign exuded a sense of pride and hospitality, inviting travellers to pause and take in both the artistry and the significance of arriving in such an important place. The greeting was displayed in both the local language and the universal languages spoken in the Canadian outskirts, marking our arrival and the beginning of a new chapter.

I smiled, letting out a breath as we broke the treeline. My siblings, gathering around me, stood in quiet awe of the new landscape before us. We paused together, absorbing the scene that unfolded beyond the forest’s edge. It was a place unlike any we had encountered so far. The quietness of our group reflected the significance of this moment, as we took in the unfamiliar environment with a mixture of anticipation and reverence. From our vantage point, the features of Nain were revealed gradually, inviting us to step forward and begin this new chapter of our journey.

As we entered Nain, the first sounds that reached our ears were the distant hum of generators, signalling the energy sustaining the scattered dwellings, and the constant rush of river water coursing over stone beds. These sounds mingled with the grating noise of vehicles, each element contributing to the unique soundscape of the community.

Beneath this layer of human and mechanical activity, the air itself was alive with movement. The wind’s breath lifted and twisted, then gently settled the snowflakes as they danced their way from sky to land. This natural rhythm created an ever-changing scene, as snowflakes swirled around us, marking our arrival with their quiet, persistent descent.

“Here is where we part ways, pups,” Ujurak murmured calmly. Embracing each of us in turn, he continued: “Recall my teachings when necessary, and use not your strength to harm, but to bring peace. It was, and forever will be, the sole reason shifters were created by those who watch from beyond the Great Divide. For peace and deliverance from dark forces.”

Akita smiled, her young face unburdened by pain or torment. Her eyes, clear, soft, and ancient in their knowing, rested on the older shifter with quiet reverence. “Elder, we thank you for helping us get this far.”

Something about this, about the last five weeks, was off. Things were starting to create a curiosity in me, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing, but I knew Ujurak was at the center of it.

Then, her steps light and careful, Akita stepped forward. Her voice was steady with purpose. “Tonight, before we rest, we will pray to the ancestors for you.”

The words hung in the air like breath on snow. Simple, sacred, and final.

Holding her hands in his, he bowed his head. Bringing her knuckles to his lips then his forehead, he spoke once more. “Children of Moonlight, may you find what you seek on your journey to a new home. May your people reunite under a stronger, far sturdier banner, and may you all find peace at the end of your long road.”

A truck moved by, its noise jolting us to look toward the road. When we turned back, there was no sign of the man or the bear he could shift into.

“What the…” River breathed, his eyes wide and mouth ajar in shock.

Actually, we all pretty much looked the same except for Akita.

I stared at her, at the tiny twelve-year-old I was trying to keep alive. Her blond hair was tied back in an intricate braid, twigs and dry, dead leaves tangled in the interwoven strands. Her eyes maintained the clearness rather than a summoners glassy gaze. Yet, I couldn’t help wondering what the hell just happened.

“Hey! You guys lost?” Someone called, and we turned to see a man on a machine. It loosely resembled a sleigh pulled by sled dogs except this version was powered by a gas engine.

Recalling that the creation was a ‘skidoo’, I smiled. “We come from the north, near the Arctic. Our tribe was… lost. Separated during an attack. We were told to seek the Diggory family when we arrived.”

His face seemed to lose all colour as he blinked in understanding. “Boy, not many know that shifter family except for those of us who live around them. They’re peaceful, quiet-like. We don’t want any trouble here.”

Levi’s temper reared, but I held up a hand to signal a stop motion. One wrong move, and our carefully crafted path would collapse around us. “Brother?”

Realizing the human knew of shifters and their kin, I calmly stated our purpose. “I am Jasper Stone of the Arctic Shield pack. Son of Alpha Aurilla and her Mate Reginald, brother of these five pups who range from twelve to sixteen. We seek no trouble. Only a place to rest and the means to continue southward to the Grand Alpha’s land. Would you be so kind as to point us in the direction of the Diggory family?”

His eyes narrowed, lips pursing into a thin line of disapproval. Then he saw her, my sister. “She… dear God. You travelled all the way from the Circle with a child?”

“Several, Sir,” River interjected, his way with words working in our favour. “I, myself am only fifteen Springs – years, if time must have a counter.”

“Our road’s been a hard one, but we leaned on each other to survive,” Carson added. “My twin and I are thirteen, and our little sister just turned twelve a little over a week ago. Our provisions are running really, really low, and we just want a place to rest in peace for a while before we continue.”

Nodding, I straightened my spine. “Sir, we might be Werewolf shifters, but only two of us – myself and my sixteen-year-old brother Levi – hold the ability to shift into the White Wolf. Please, for the sake of my younger siblings, I ask you to find the kindness to point us in the right direction.”

“Five pups and a nearly adult shifter,” another voice, one laced with soft laughter, spoke up.

We glanced down the road only to see a girl in Inuit garb walking closer to us. Levi grinned, “Ai! We promise we come in peace.”

“How weird,” she muttered, ignoring his teenaged desperation. “Well, you better come with me. Father said you would arrive today. Something about the veil thinning enough or something. Only the Elders really recall the old ways, but your kin hold tight to them as well.”

“Tara,” the man hissed. “Your parents will murder me if you bring strangers into your house!”

She – Tara – laughed. “Oh, please. Father was the one who sent me to get them. Don’t be such a stick in the mud, Thomas.”

We walked, led by the girl until we reached a small, two-story house near the center of the town. The door opened, and a woman with long, graying hair smiled at us. “Granddaughter, are these the ones?”

“Yes, Granny. I found them exactly where Pop-Pop said they would be,” Tara replied, hanging her coat on the hook behind the door.

“Come inside, young ones. Please, my home is haven to the right beings,” the woman said.

Akita grinned then, her honeyed eyes taking on a slightly impish gleam. “Ujurak helped and told us to find you.”

The woman’s smile faded, her throat bobbing as she paused the ladle she’d been stirring the pot of stew with. I could smell the vegetables and meat simmering in the herb-infused water. “That name… it’s been nearly fifty years since anyone’s made that claim.”

I blinked, narrowing my gaze on the woman. “You know him?”

“Know?” She set the utensil down, her aging brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she sat at the small round table. “Child, Ujurak was my father. A hunter who lost his life in the north over fifty years ago. Myself, my children, and their children have the blood of the White Bear and can shift, but he was the last true Elder of our clan. You saw him?”

When we advised her that we had, in fact seen him, she asked us to describe his gear, his intonation, and his bear form. Her face wrinkled with emotion as she let the tears fall.

“He walked the Moon Path to bring you six to safety. He saw your strength and courage from the Great Divide, and chose to lead you through paths Rogues and pack Trackers cannot follow to get you here.” She explained.