The Tale of The Arctic

Set in the northern arctic, a polar bear and his guardian, the snowy owl walks up to the mountain to see the northern lights, saves an eskimo princess from a pack of wolves and takes her up the hill.

The Tale of The Arctic

By Travis Archer

 

 Once in the northern part of the artic, a full grown 20 year old male polar bear named Biorek was lumbering up to the top of a hill with a snowy owl named Narrington, flying at the same pace as Biorek. Narrington had been his guardian ever since his mother and father were killed by a pack of wolves that were lead by a vicious white wolf, Wintuk. Biorek and Narrington would have to walk to higher ground to see the northern lights. 

“How much further do we have to walk to get there, Narrington?” asked Biorek, “My feet are killing me for god’s sake. And I’m freezing my tail off out here.” 

 

“Oh stop complaining, old boy. We’ll get there soon enough.”

 

 “I was just hoping we could get there so I could forget…” Biorek hesitated depressingly, “well you know.”

 

Narrington flapped his wings as he landed in front of Biorek. The owl looked up at him with empathy and concern as Biorek began to frown.

 

“Biorek… my dear boy,” Narrington said with deep emotional empathy,  “I know how hard it was when you lost both of your parents when you were a cub, especially since you’re thinking about them right now. But just know for a fact that I’m here for you through every step of the way, no matter what the outcome. And I promise that you will have the most fun you will ever have. Now come on then, race you to the top of the hill?”

 

“Not if I get there first,” said Biorek as he ran up the hill with Narrington ahead of him.

 

Meanwhile across the inlet at a local village, a gorgeously appealing teenage Eskimo princess named Anya was sitting by the river, staring at the mountains on other side of the water with amazement and curiosity. Her father, the chief, walked behind her and said with assertiveness and firmness, “Anya?”

 

She quickly turned her head and looked up to her father’s face with surprise. “Oh. Hello father.”

 

“Why are you sitting here staring at those mountains? You are supposed to be in the village.”

 

“I know that father, but I just wanted to know what’s on the other side of this bay. I mean, just look at that view. Isn’t it amazing? I wonder if I could go there and experience it for myself for the first time. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

 

“No! That would not be fun! Anya, you can’t go across the inlet! It’s too dangerous! That territory is filled with wolves, polar bears, birds of prey, wolverines, and even killer whales for that matter.”

 

Anya stood up on her feet and replied with a justifiable voice, “Father, I’m 16 years old! I’m not a little girl anymore! And you should know that! All I want to do is to go to the top of that mountain so I can see the northern lights up close. Why are you still holding me back when you know this is exactly what I want?”

 

“Now you listen to me, young lady!” The chief yelled with his finger pointing at her, “I lost your mother and your grandmother while I was on that landscape, and I won’t lose you too!”

 

The young princess watched her father stroll back into the village and turned her head to the landscape. At first, Anya looked as though she was unsure and hesitant about what she really wanted to do. Her eyes looked at the other side of the village. Then she took one deep breath with her eyes closed and decided to leave her village by pushing a canoe into the water, jumping into it, and paddling into the bay.

“I will see the northern lights,” said Anya with a determined tone in her voice, “whether he likes it or not.”

  

Meanwhile, at the side of the steep hill, Biorek ran through the snow while Narrington was flying ahead of him. The pine trees were on the left and right side of the hill and they were covered in snow. Biorek ran faster and faster to catch up with Narrington but then he suddenly came to a full stop to catch his breath. The owl landed on the snow as he flapped his wings. “Had enough yet?” asked Narrington as he turned his head and walked closer to Biorek, who was still breathing. “I’m waiting.”

 

“Oh Narrington… If only I had wings.”

 

“Wings? On a polar bear? You must be hallucinating.” Narrington flew to the edge of the hill and looked down at the bottom.

 

“Yeah, well, so are you feather butt. I can beat you any day, just watch. ”

 

Narrington gasped in horror as he backed away from the edge. “Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I never thought this day would come!”

 

“Why? What’s happening? What’s going on?”

 

“It’s him!” Narrington whispered, “He has returned to this side of the arctic just to finish us off.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

“Just look.”

 

Biorek turned his head and gazed over the edge of the hill and saw a large pack of wolves lead by Wintuk, the white wolf, taking down a musk ox as it fell into the snow. 

 

“It’s Wintuk,” Biorek whispered.

 

“And his whole pack, feasting on that poor ox. I think I might cry.”

 

“Go ahead, I won’t judge. But it’ll be fine; he’s down there and we’re up here. No big deal. Now, how’s about we go up that hill?”

 

“Very well then.”

 

Meanwhile, Anya kept paddling and paddling to reach the other side of the bay. There, she saw a large black dorsal fin rising from the water and sinking back in with its tail tapping the waves. She then saw the head of a killer whale on the other side of her, making a high-pitched sound and blowing water out of its blow whole. “Well” said Anya, nervously, “at least they’re harmless.” Suddenly the killer whale on her left bumped into the canoe as it jumped closer to the shore. Then another killer whale jumped out of the water with its mouth open as it charged toward Anya and the princess knocked it over with her oar. The waves tossed the canoe as the killer whales started to chase her to the shore. The water kept moving up and down as Anya kept paddling. When she reached to shore, the killer whale pushed the canoe with its snout and she fell out of it and landed in the snow. 

 

Anya slowly got up out of the snow on her two feet and wiped the snow off her face. She opened her eyes and saw the entire landscape of the arctic and looked back at the village across the bay. “I can’t believe I did this!” Anya exclaimed with excitement and exhilaration, “I finally made it to the other side!!! Now I just have to reach that mountain so I can prove my father wrong. Northern lights, here I come!” Suddenly, the ground started to shake; Anya turned her head to the left and saw a large herd of caribou running down the other hill towards her. As the herd ran closer to her, Anya ran towards the snowy fields. As she kept running up and down the slopes, the caribou ran behind her. Then, Anya rolled into a cave on her left and saw the entire herd of caribou running past her. After the caribou left, Anya quickly walked out of the cave and suddenly heard a disturbing howling noise. Anya turned her head and gasped when she saw Wintuk and his pack emerging from deep in the cave behind her and approaching to her.

 

“Well, well, well,” smirked Wintuk with his sinister grin and his menacing baritone voice, “If it isn’t our delightful little two legged morsel.”

 

Anya grabbed her spear from her backpack and pointed it at the pack. “Sorry boys,” Anya smirked, “But this human is not on the menu.”                   

 

Wintuk jumped on Anya’s chest as she fell into the snow. The wolf pack circled around the two.  “On the contrary, my dear,” Wintuk pointed his index claw under Anya’s chin, “You are the main course.”

 

“Too bad you have to fight me first!” Anya knocked Wintuk over with her spear and rose up out of the snow. The wolves began to charge at her as Anya kept swinging her spear, hitting one wolf after another. Wintuk charged at her and then she slapped him with her spear again. She walked backwards, still swinging her spear to avoid being eaten. Then Wintuk jumped on her again while she was still holding her spear, blocking her face as Wintuk kept biting at her. She then pushed him off her chest and continued to fight off the pack.

 

Meanwhile, Narrington flew to the right edge of the hill and saw the pack attacking Anya. “Oh dear!” The owl cried, “Wintuk and his pack are at it again!”

 

“Again?” asked Biorek, walking to the right edge of the hill.

 

“And he’s attacking this… human girl!”

 

“What! All right, that’s it! I’m coming down there!” Biorek jumped from the edge and ran down the hill towards the pack. 

 

“Biorek, wait! Wait!” Narrington exclaimed as he flew down the hill with him. Biorek ran and slid down the hill. Wintuk pounced on Anya’s back, shoved her face into the snow and laughed sinisterly until Biorek jumped right into the snow. The polar bear began to roar loudly and ferociously as the wolf pack got his attention. 

 

“Ah. Biorek.” the white wolf smirked, “Your just in time for the massacre. Now unless you want to join your mother and father in the afterlife, do yourself a favor, leave this territory at once!”

 

“Not a chance in hell, you pale faced mutt!” Biorek exclaimed angrily and aggressively, “You took everything from me when I was a cub, now I’m going to take everything from you.”

 

“So be it!” Wintuk replied sinisterly as he jumped from Anya’s back and slid the snow into Biorek’s eyes, blinding him. Wintuk bit the top part of his neck and Biorek swung his head as the wolf fell off his neck. Wintuk scraped him with his claws and he jumped over him, biting his neck until the polar bear knocked him over in the snow. The wolf pack began to charge at Biorek as he continued to fight them off with all his might. 

 

“Are you all right, my child?” said Narrington as he flew towards Anya.

 

“Yeah, I think so.” Anya answered.

 

“Here, Let me help you up.”

 

Biorek kept swiping his paws, hitting one wolf after another. Some of the wolves jumped on his back and the polar bear rolled his body over to get them off. Biorek kept kicking, swiping, scraping, and even biting the wolves. The polar bear grabbed Wintuk by the tail and tossed him into the cave. And then, just when he was about to stand on his feet, the razor sharp icicles broke off the ceiling of the cave and stabbed Wintuk on his back. Biorek growled at the other wolves and they quickly ran away from him in fear.

 

“Its all right,” Biorek said, approaching to Anya, “you’re safe now.”

 

“Y-you’re not gonna eat me… are you?” Anya asked, nervously.

 

“What? No. Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t eat humans, in fact I never wanted to taste one.”

 

“Oh. Well, that’s new.”

 

“The names Biorek.”

 

“Hello Biorek, I’m Anya. The princess of my village.”

 

“Salutations, princess.” Narrington added, flying over her, “I’m Narrington.”

 

“Oh, that’s just my guardian,” Biorek smirked, “couple times removed.”

 

“Actually it’s a couple of species removed.”

 

“Well, It’s nice to meet you.” Anya replied, “Anyways, I’m looking for a way that I can see the northern lights up close. Do you know any mountains nearby?”

 

“That’s exactly where we are going, princess.” Biorek answered, “And as a matter of fact, I do.”

 

“Really, Where?”

 

Biorek pointed his paw to the top of a mountain that was right behind her. 

 

“That long way up there? But, its…”

 

“Just climb on my back, your highness.” Biorek walked straight to the edge of the cliff with Anya on his back and jumped on the edge of the mountain with his claws attached to it. Then he climbed up the mountain with his claws.

 

“Have you ever done this before?”

 

“Nope, First time actually. Just don’t fall off and don’t look down.”

 

“I’ll try not to.” Anya replied, as she held tight on Biorek’s fur. Then Biorek finally reached the topside of the mountain and saw the entire wide-open view of the arctic. “Wow! I never thought I would be this high up before. And on a polar bear.”

 

  “Biorek, Anya. Look!” Narrington cried, pointing his feathers on his wings at the sky. “It’s starting.”

 

The northern lights began to light up the sky with its bright, vibrant, rainbow colors, shining and shimmering like the sun.

 

“It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of” said Anya with amazement, “And it’s even more beautiful up close.” The princess got off of his back and stood right next to him. 

 

“You like it?” Biorek asked. 

 

“Like it? I love it!” Anya exclaimed as she hugged Biorek with contentment and the polar bear hugs her back. “Thank you so much.” Anya then kissed Biorek’s nose as he began to blush.

“Well… its nothing really,” Biorek replied, “but you’re welcome. And hey, is that your village over there?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve had enough adventures for one day, and I’m starting to feel a bit homesick.”

 

“Come on, your highness. Lets get you home.” Biorek slid down the mountain with Anya on his back and ran straight to the bay. After Biorek dropped her off at the village, Anya apologized to her father for her disobedience, the chief forgives her, and the two hugged each other with relief and contentment.