Cooper and the Kodiak Trail

Chapter 1: The Yard

Cooper awoke with a start. He struggled to wake his heavy, sleepy legs and scrambled to his feet. His blurry eyes surveyed the Yard. Overnight, a light frost had covered the ground, making the air crisp and cold. Fog hung like a misty blanket in the trees. The sun had not yet reached the horizon, but a soft glow just beyond the shallow hills to the east hinted that it would be daylight soon.

As a lazy yawn escaped his jaws, Cooper shook the sleep from his head and realized suddenly that the hour of the morning was terribly late. In a slight panic and now fully alert, he snapped his body to attention.

He took a deep breath and hundreds of smells filled his nose. Stew from dinner last night, the sweet smell of maple sap oozing from the nearby trees, and the hint of a sour skunk who must have slipped through the Yard last night unnoticed. As he sorted through the tickling sensations, he desperately searched to find the one scent brimming with fond childhood memories. Nervously, he pricked his ears and strained for any hint of his friends. Finally, familiar voices and laughter beckoned to him from the distance. Cooper jerked his body into action. His clumsy feet were instantly wide awake as he dug them deep into the ground, getting a fast start in the direction of the commotion. He rounded the corner of his house and dove down the slope to the far corner of the Puppy Block. When he had reached the wooden fence that bordered the Yard, he quietly crouched and peeked through a large knothole. To his relief, there was Uncle Yanok, surrounded on this morning like every other by a captivated audience of young pups. Their eyes were wide with anticipation as he bellowed another of his legendary tales,

“and then, that porcupine spinned ‘round and dropped his tail to the ground with a WHUMPF!”. Yanok slapped his paws together with a heavy thump and the pups jumped back, startled. Satisfied by their surprise, Yanok continued with a smirk,

“And the next thing ol’Tiny knew, his nose was chock full o’ needles!” The old storyteller’s large belly jiggled as he allowed several heavy chuckles to escape. He paused, and his gaze changed to a thoughtful stare up into the morning sky. He shook his head and with a playful grin went on,

“He was hollerin’ and yelpin’ like a pup stuck in a bucket! And the rest of us, well, we all juss sat there and watched Tiny as he began flippin’ from his back to his backside, rollin’ in the dirt with those huge paws o’his jussa pullin’ at those needles in his nose. We thought the very black was gonna come clean off!”

Yanok’s entranced audience winced at the thought of their own little noses pricked with porcupine needles but giggled at the sight of one of their heroes thrashing about, giant paws attached to his nose. Uncle Yanok’s dark eyes sparkled as he watched his listeners chatter softly amongst themselves. His face, now speckled with flecks of gray, beamed with pride. He never tired of telling his stories to the Pups. Looming like a giant over the group, he tilted his gentle brow and continued with his tale,

“Now, Ol’ Piney knew exactly what he had done to poor Tiny. He turned back ‘round, stood up, and shook that little porcupine finger at him and said, ‘Mmm mmm, you have some problems now young sir! You are a sled dog aren’t you? In fact, judging from that harness you wear and the view you have out here in front, I’d say you’re not just any sled dog, you’re a lead dog!’” Uncle Yanok’s imitation of Piney’s very proper posture and quirky rodent voice caused the pups to shriek with laughter, but he continued mockingly and, shaking his big index finger in the air shouted,

“‘I think you were supposed to be doing your job leading your friends and your master down this nice trail. Instead, you let your curiosity and your nose take you off your course and straight into trouble.’” Knowing the importance of his lesson, Yanok paused,

“May these needles in your nose remind you forevermore that your nose alone does not lead you to just any destination. It is your feet, your heart, and your courage that will take you to your destiny. So, run as if your fathers and grandfathers were beside you today! Remember this: honor those that came before you and you will achieve great things.”
The old dog watched as each pup’s eye twinkled in wonder, as if Piney himself stood before them. Satisfied, Yanok’s voice changed once again to his own deep drawl,

“And then, ol’Piney winked at us, flashed a wicked smile, and vanished into the bush!” The Pups howled their enjoyment and rushed to the Elder’s feet with tails wagging, leaping over one another in a mob of delight.

“Tell us another one Uncle!” they all yipped in harmony. Yanok’s ears dropped softly in adoration as he said,

“Our time is up young’uns, but we will have another story in the mornin’. The sun is almost awake! The day is about to begin! And, you have grasshoppers to catch! So, it’s time to say goodbye for now. ” He waited for the Pups to remember their daily rhyme and then he joined them in unison, “

The trail may be long, but my heart is strong.
Brother by my side, Guardians be our guide.
My feet are swift, my courage true
I’ll run and I’ll run, a Journey’s dream come true. “

He dismissed the Pups and began his slow saunter back to the Elders Den.

Cooper stared through the knothole, longing to rush up to Uncle Yanok with the others. How he loved the Piney and Tiny story! He desperately missed listening to Uncle Yanok’s tales every morning, but the Lessons were reserved for the Pups, and he was no longer a Pup. He was finally a Journey. He pondered this as he recalled the moment only three days ago when he received his very own harness. Even now he could see his name stitched into its fabric hanging on a nearby tree waiting patiently for the next run.

As a pup, Cooper always had one ear trained for the Keeper, anticipating the tune whistled by their master as he prepared the gear for the next trip on the trail. The tune alone seemed to electrify the entire Yard as every Journey began to howl and bark in excitement, each begging hysterically to be chosen for the day’s run. From the Puppy Block, even Cooper and the other Pups would take part in the daily events, joining in with tiny puppy howls, hopping up and down on stubby puppy legs, and running along the fence as fast as their puppy feet would go. Their eager eyes were always watching as the Journeys were harnessed for their next adventure. The excitement of the run and the thrill of an outing on the trail was contagious. As the team would race out of the Yard, towing the sled behind them, Cooper and the others left behind would throw their heads back to howl and sing, cheering the team as far as their voices would carry.

Cooper had learned of the trail adventures from Uncle Yanok’s stories and knew that one day he too would be strong enough to become one of them. He had waited his whole life to be a Journey and now that he was, he was proud and scared. In the Yard, Journey was a respectable title. As great travelers, sometimes gone for many days at a time, Journeys always returned to the Yard with food, supplies, and other things vital for survival. They often faced many dangers out on the trail and Cooper’s memory had been filled with the heroic tales of his Journey relatives. Being a Journey was an honor, but it meant hard work and great dedication. Cooper’s days of running through the Puppy Block chasing grasshoppers were over. But, he faced his future with great anticipation. He could only imagine the bold new things waiting for him! Maybe one day the Pups would gather and Yanok would tell of Cooper and his fantastic adventures in the morning Lessons. Still, as he watched the pups through the hole in the fence, Cooper couldn’t help but feel some remorse, as though a chapter in his life had closed forever.

Suddenly, Cooper realized that his sister, Tundra, had finally joined him by the knothole.
“Tundra!” he shouted, “I was looking everywhere for you! Why didn’t you wake me up?” He popped to his feet and playfully reached out to take her paw in his mouth, leaning into her shoulder to knock her over. Tundra giggled and said sarcastically,

“Wake you up? Haven’t you heard? Now that you’re a Journey you have the wind to wake you up!”

She wasted no time in reminding him how skillfully she had flattened him when they were youngsters by swiftly bumping his ribcage into the air with her muzzle. Cooper quickly found himself on his back with Tundra’s playful snarl staring down at him.
“And now, all you have to do is listen!” she grinned. Cooper bashfully lowered his ears and smiled back at his sister with a shameless grin that melted her heart. She gracefully stepped aside allowing her brother back on his clumsy feet and they both began their stroll back through the Yard to their doghouse.

Growing up together in the Puppy Block, Tundra and Cooper were inseparable. Now approaching their second Winter, the two were almost fully grown. Tundra, with her pure white ruff, white chest and legs was much smaller and more petite than her brother. Her long full coat was luxurious but very dense and coarse to shield her from blowing snow and piercing wind. She had several large salt and pepper patches on her back and sides. Two of these patches covered each of her eyes and ears, making it appear as though she wore a clever, mischievous mask. When they were Pups, Tundra was the first to emerge from the puppy box, strutting about with such confidence. Her fearlessness and grace only grew stronger as she grew older and today her athletic frame was poised and powerful. Lined with short but thick fur, and sitting high atop her head, her ears were pointed and straight. Like all dogs, these remarkable ears were anchored to the top of her head with an invisible swivel, making it possible for them to pivot in any direction should strange sounds alert her to danger. Tundra’s large brown oval eyes were sharp and inquisitive, symmetrically spaced within the large patches of fur that lined either side of her face.

Cooper always knew he was a bit different from his sister. In fact, he knew he was different from all the other Pups in the Yard. His long spindly legs were always going in opposite directions, earning him a reputation of being quite clumsy. His dark coat was thick and coarse like Tundra’s, but mostly black mixed with shades of gray and brown. Even though he was less than two Winters old, Cooper’s paws were already as large as a river stone, spreading wide with every step. And, though he often found it difficult to plant his large feet firmly on the ground, he had long powerful strides which revealed an extraordinary strength brewing patiently in his growing shoulders and hindquarters. Cooper was particularly proud of his white stocking which covered his left foreleg from the tip of his toe to the top of his knee. He was so proud of this in fact that as a puppy, Cooper would raise his left paw to his master as a greeting, as if to say ‘Hello! Thank you for my white sock, I quite like it!’

Cooper’s mother had always said to him, ‘All the things that make you different are little presents you have to give others. So, share them with everyone!’ So Cooper simply learned to find ways to use his quirks to bring happiness to the others in the Puppy Block. When his paws were much bigger than the other Pups, he used them to dig bigger holes and endless tunnels so that everyone could play in them. When he was much taller than the other Pups, he would let them run underneath his belly and in between his long and gawky legs. Now that he was a Journey, he thought to himself, he would have to find new ways to use his peculiarities.

It was Cooper’s eyes, however, that set him apart from all his brothers and sisters in the Yard. The deep, golden color of his eyes contrasted starkly against the dark colors of his face, his long black eyelashes and the black lining around the borders of his eyes. Flecked with what seemed like hundreds of shades of yellow, gold, and brown, the amber tint of his iris gave off an iridescent glow that lingered in the air, especially in the darkness. Of all of his differences, this one in particular he could not understand, and try as he may, he could not find a way to use his unique eyes as a gift to the others. In fact, most often his gaze caused everyone, Journey’s and Elders alike, to be afraid of him. Though Cooper’s face had an unmistakably kind appearance, his beautiful pair of golden eyes possessed the power to penetrate stone and soul alike.