Adlartok of the North (PART III)

NOTE: READ PARTS 1 AND 2 FIRST!! :)1


"Sophia," a voice whispered in my ear.
I woke, startled. Where was I? I was lying on something strange, similar to the mat I always slept on, though somehow... levitated.
"Sophia," the voice said again. It was Ivan.
"W-where am I?" I stammered. My surroundings frightened me. I felt as though I were in some sort of a large box.
"We arrived at the Southern camp a few hours ago. You fell asleep on the sleigh." Ivan helped me up.
Suddenly everything came back to me. I recalled the swiftly passing Arctic tundra, the icy wind stinging my face. And Yakone. His final cry was still echoing in my head. I felt an oncoming surge of remorse, but I quickly repressed it. I looked for something to occupy my mind.
"What's this?" I asked, pointing at the strange, tall mat.
Ivan burst out laughing. It sounded unkind to me. "I can tell this is going to be difficult. Its a bed."
I remembered then. I once had a bed myself. I wanted to ask more questions, but he silenced me. He took me by the arm and lead me outside.
I stared in amazement. The Southern camp consisted of row after row of strange, box-like dwellings. It seemed so unnatural.
"This is only the camp. In a few days a ship will take us to the South," Ivan said. Then he lead me inside another strange dwelling.
"I have another photograph I want to show you," he said. He opened a small box as we sat down on his bed.
"This is your family." He handed me a newer photograph. There were three people in the picture. I recognized my mother and my father, but I didn't know the third figure.
"That's your sister, Genevieve. She was born a year after your disappearance."
"I have a sister?" I was stunned. She looked like me too. I whispered her name to myself. Genevieve. I waited for myself to feel a warm surge of affection towards her, but it never came. She was a stranger to me, as were my parents. They all sat there, unsmiling and with perfect, stiff posture. I did not feel for them at all. But when I thought of Sakari, Kayuh, and Kirima my heart filled with love. Suddenly it was as if the wind was knocked out of me. What had I done? I had left everyone I loved behind. I could see Sakari and Yakone's abandoned expressions most clearly, imprinted in my mind. Oh, why did I do this! Ivan's voice tore me from my thoughts.
"She's a pretty girl," he said, motioning towards Genevieve.
I nodded. She certainly was.
"But you, Sophia, are beautiful. No woman in all the world can compare, and that is why we shall be married when we return home."
"WHAT?" I shrieked. What the heck was he talking about?!
"Everything is already arranged, although we may need to make some adjustments on your dress."
"WHAT?" I shrieked again. "B-but you never asked me! I never agreed! I don't even know you so well. I didn't think we were in love yet!"
"Love?" Ivan scoffed. "Love has no say in this, Sophia. Our union was determined by our parents when we were children...an arranged marriage. You belong to me and only me! I came to the Arctic to find and take back what was rightfully mine!"
"You searched the Arctic for two years just so you could marry me?" I was getting hysterical.
"That, and there was also a large sum of money involved in the deal," Ivan said, flashing a foul grin.
I could hardly believe my ears. Quickly I leapt up and tried to run...only to be grabbed around the waist and restrained.
"Oh, no you don't! You're not going anywhere. You belong to me!"
Ivan picked me up and I started screaming. He smacked me in the mouth to make me stop. It hurt a lot and my lip began to bleed. He dragged me to a little closet in the corner and shoved me in. Then he locked the door and left.
I lay on the floor screaming and crying until I was too tired and weak. Occasionally Ivan would open the door to give me food. I refused to eat. For how long this went on, I did not know. The closet was so dark that I didn't know what time of day it was, or how long I had spent locked up. I spent my time thinking about Yakone. I loved him. I was sure about it now. When he had first told me that he loved me, I was too unsure about everything to know my opinion. And then when Ivan came, I was so captivated by him...his appearance, his stories, his manner of speaking. He was so different from everything that I knew, and it fascinated me. But now I knew that he had just blinded me. He had taken me from my home. From everyone I loved. And for what? Beauty and money. It was as if I was his possession. But in a way I was, now. He had me locked up and at his mercy. I would never see Yakone again. I would never be able to tell him that I truely loved him. And poor Sakari! She wouldn't have a big sister to look up to anymore. As I lay on the floor, drifting in and out of restless sleep, the faces and voices of all my true friends and family never left me. And for that, I was grateful.
Hours or days later, Ivan finally came for me. I was too tired and weak from hunger that I didn't fight back. Ivan mistook this as me accepting my fate. He crushed his lips against mine. I restrained myself from hitting him. This kiss was rough and forceful, the exact opposite of the tender and sweet kiss that Yakone and I had shared.
Ivan kissed me for a few minutes, and I prayed that he wouldn't force me to do anything more with him. Luckily, my prayers were answered and he pulled away. We left his cabin and I was grateful that he let me walk.
All around us people in the camp were carrying sacks and boxes to a huge ship that was docked nearby. My heart nearly stopped, then broke out into a full sprint. No! I couldn't leave the Arctic! I couldn't leave Yakone! The horror of leaving gave me a fresh burst of adrenaline. Without thinking, I sprang away from Ivan and ran faster than I ever had in my life. I heard Ivan shout but I did not dare to look back. I ran and ran, urging myself on. I was headed towards the vast and empty tundra at a surprising pace. I risked a look over my shoulder. Ivan was not following me and I understood why. All energy and hope left my body. It was no use. I was headed into the barren nothingness and my tribe was miles away. Ivan knew that I would be forced to return to him. I could not survive here. I stopped and bent over, gasping.
"NANUQ!" I cried. "Great Spirit! Help me! Take me back home!"
I sank to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably.
As I lay there, it began to snow. First it was only a few flakes swirling around me, then there were more and more  until the sky was filled with white. All was silent except for the hushed sound of falling snow. Slowly, the tears on my cheeks froze, and my body was covered by a cold blanket of white.
I lay there for a long time. I didn't feel the cold. I didn't feel the exhaustion. I didn't feel the hunger. But I felt the sadness. My Yakone, my dear Yakone. Did he hate me now? I had been so cruel to him. But now I wouldn't be able to beg forgivness...to tell him that I loved him. I whispered his name to myself, over and over again, as it was my only comfort.
All of a sudden, a powerful gust of wind blew, sweeping the snow off my numb body. The wind whipped up the snow on the tundra and swirled it around and around. I sat up in amazement to stare, because from the cyclone of snow came a mighty figure...a great beast. It roared into the sky and the snowfall ceased. Then it bounded over to me with its four powerful legs. The polar bear spirit spoke:
"Climb onto my back, my child. I shall bring you home."
I tried to move, but my frozen limbs were stiff. The spirit bowed its head to me and blew a warm breath over my body. I instantly thawed.
"Th-thank y-you," I stammered. I was too much in awe to say anything else.
Slowly, I placed my hands on the soft fur of the polar bear's back, then hoisted myself up. The beast began to move, running faster than the wind. As we raced through the Arctic tundra, I felt a wonderful calm settling over me. The warmth of the spirit and its rhythmic movement lulled me, and I rested my head on its great back.
As we rode on, the clouds in the sky parted, and a starry night took its place. The first aurora of the season blazed across the sky. It was a red aurora...the rarest kind. I thought of Yakone as I drifted to sleep.
After a long time spent in deep sleep, the spirit's gentle voice woke me. "Awake, my child. You are home."
I slid off the bear's back. "I will forever be grateful," I murmured, kissing the tip of its nose.
With that, the great spirit turned around and gracefully bounded into the darkness.
Many people of the tribe were already gathering near the edge of the tents. Some were pointing to where the spirit had just stood a moment before. And then I saw Sakari. She squealed and ran to me.
"Sakari, I'm so, so, so sorry! I abandoned you. I abandoned everyone." I gathered her up in my arms and sobbed.
"But you came back," she soothed. "You came back to us. That's what matters most."
I gently set her down, and we walked hand in hand back to the tribe. All of a sudden, Sirimiq stepped forward.
"Y-you rode the Great Nanuq?"
I nodded, smiling. That was the first time that Sirimiq wasn't looking at me with hatered.
"You're brave, you know," he said.
I laughed. "Sirimiq, are you actually being nice to me?"
He shrugged, smiling. "Na. That'd be no fun."
I hugged him and his trademark sneer returned to his face. We both laughed.
"I agree. The sneer suits you," I said.
Sakari tugged in my hand. When she had my attention, she motioned to the side, where a singular person was standing. It was Yakone. I went to him, longing to throw my arms around him. He, too, looked like he was itching to hold me.
"Sophia," he murmured.
"I'm Adlartok," I said. "Adlartok of the North." And then I threw my arms around him and kissed him. He kissed me back too, his tense muscles relaxing in relief.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" he whispered into my ear.
"Yakone, if I'm sure about anything, I'm sure about this...about you. I love you."2

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...the end...6