Charlie the Great White Horse and the Journey to the North Pole

by Kenneth Mullinix

  *

  The day had broken, and a light snowfall had come with it. A mild early winter wind blew in constantly from the north. This kept the travel slow during the first part of the day.

  By mid-day, all needed rest.

  There would be a quick bite to eat. Then back to the well-worn footpath. Many wild animals used these trails, so Louis thought it best to continue onward in their footsteps, after all who knew the forest better than the animals that lived there.

  The travel was easy the next few days until one day the party finally reached the edge of the great Boreal Forest and the Arctic Tree Line. One more week of travel through this forest, and then there would lay ahead, only the wide-open wastelands of the arctic.

  "How much farther Louis until we reach the North Pole?" asked Molly as she gazed upon the great forest that now stood before them?

  "Maybe two or three more weeks, and we'll be there. We have to pass through this last forest, and then the trees should give way to the great tundra fields, maybe three days in the forest. One week in the tundra, and after that we have maybe three days, more or less in the Ingnok Mountains."

  "Were getting closer now Louis."

  "Yes we are Molly."

  "I feel it as well Louis...we are getting closer. The days are longer this far up North," said Chug.

  "Maybe two weeks, at the most" said Louis.

  With the snowfalls, now coming down with more intensity Louis dismounted Jupiter. He reached around into his saddlebags for his other heavy winter coat, the one that Mr. Beamer had given him in his attic. The bearskin white fur coat with brown spots on it was a little large for Louis. It gave the impression of anyone looking at him that he was bigger, or stronger than he actually was.

  Mr. Beamer had smitten a great wild bear called Broadfoot who lived in the northern mountains above the arctic during his travels, and had fashioned a coat and fur hat out of the bearskin, to shield him against the elements. The fight had been fierce and mighty, but Mr. Beamer had been the victor, and this was his only trophy and remembrance of that fight: so the story had been told by Mr. Beamer.

  Louis placed the bearskin hat with the long flowing tail on his head. He took his walking stick out of his saddlebag (that was strapped to Jupiter's side) and began to lead Jupiter along by his reins, as he walked along in front of him. Chug and Molly both took Louis's lead, they bundled up with their heavy coats, as they prepared to head into the thickly wooded, snow-covered forest.

  The Boreal Forest was one of the oldest and densest forests on earth. For thousands of years this forest was the guardian to the northern most parts of the world. Many traveling parties had tried to pass through this ancient forest and were never to be seen, or heard from again. The forest was so dark and precarious that little did our young travelers know of the danger they were about to enter into.

  As they passed into the unforgiving darkness and shadows of the trees, a chill went down Molly's spine, the hair on the back of her neck stood up at attention. Small goose bumps appeared on her wrist, and the tops of her hands. Louis noticing this took Molly by the hand and asked, "Molly what's wrong? Do you sense danger?"

  "I feel a presence here Louis. I am not sure what it is, but I feel a strange otherworldly figure lives here. It's just a woman's intuition I guess, but I definitely feel a companion is now with us, either in spirit, or natural form."

  Upon hearing this Chug, Apollo and Jupiter's eyes started to scan the thick, dark forest around them for a sign or a movement of life, none could be seen.

  "Well Molly if you truly feel we are in danger...then maybe we should...turn back" said Louis with trepidation, and worry resonating in his voice.

  "Maybe we should go around this forest," said Chug.

  "No I feel it is a friendly presence but I am not absolutely sure, nonetheless it is a presence that should not be denied. My mother had the ability to feel the presence of spirits and ghosts. I always thought she was just making up those stories, or was just trying to scare me. She also told me that I would have this gift, when I was older. She said she could talk with old Harvey the Ghost who lives in Miss. Pinkerton's attic, but I always thought she was kidding, but now I am starting to believe her".

  "Well Molly keep an eye open for whatever the presence is, and let us know how we can help" said Louis.

  "Man, I don't like the idea of ghosts following us," said Chug as he continued to scan the thick forest in front of him.

  "Pirates after us, crazy eye balls trying to find us, and who knows what else is out there now. If I knew it was going to be this scary, I might have stayed home, and just done my homework, like my mom always kept telling me to do."

  "Chug, stop it...you're starting to scare Molly."

  "Starting to scare me Louis? Heck I was scared to death, the moment I saw that crazy eyeball knocked out of Pete's eye socket. What could be any scarier than that? Heck who cares about an old ghost after seeing that."

  After their lively conversation about ghosts and Squint-Eye Pete, Molly reassured everyone that what she was feeling was a friendly spirit, and that they should continue deeper, into the forest.

  Throughout the day, and into to early evening with Louis in the lead, and Jupiter's reins in hand, they traveled ever farther northward, further and further into the dark foreboding forest. The sun barely broke though the canopy of the forest during the day. Only once in awhile would they be fortunate enough to find a clearing where the faint northern sunlight could reach the ground.

  With each clearing they found, they would step into the soft sunshine to warm their backs, and enliven their spirits; the life-giving sunbeams only harden their resolve to keep traveling onwards.

  As the day was finally ending, Louis found a particularly large pine tree to camp under for the evening. Chug lit a small fire, as all rested on the pine needles that had fallen on the ground around them.

  A small dinner was prepared by Molly consisting of: dried beef jerky, wild berries, a few wild roots (that had been dug up by Chug), and Molly had found a few small potatoes in her saddlebags. Apollo and Jupiter found some small saplings of pine branches to eat, and wild grasses that grew in between the pines needles, and snow on the ground.

  After a less than satisfying meal Louis leaned up against the pine tree, took off his shoes to warm his feet in front of the fire, then reached into his backpack to find one of his books that he had brought along with him.

  Louis thumbed through the book until he turned to a page where the charts of the moon's cycle were prominently displayed. After studying the charts for a few moments, Louis noticed that a full moon would be rising from the east, and coming into plain view in three days.

  "Molly, Chug look here" said Louis as he handed the open book to Molly who was resting her head against the enormous tree. As Molly took, the book in her hand's Louis continued to speak.

  "We are going to have a full second moon this month, rising over the Boreal forest, in just three days. We have not seen any moonlight for almost one week, and not a full moon for almost three and a half weeks. I guess I lost tract of the moon's cycles, because we have been so busy. You both know what this means don't you?"

  "No Louis...what does this mean?" asked Chug.

  "What are you trying to say?" asked Molly who was tired, and grouchy from the long day, and was not in any mood for games.

  "It will be a blue moon Molly."

  "A blue moon, what's a...blue...moon?" asked Chug.

  "The second full moon in a month is always a blue moon. Here we are in this strange dark forest, and from what you said before about us possibly being followed by some spirit or ghost, that means that we are going to be right here where the spirit lives, and right in his hideaway during a full blue moon."

  "You know Louis for the last day or so, I have still been feeling the presence of that ghost, or whatever
it was that I felt before. I just did not want to say anything. I did not want to scare anyone, anymore than they already were," said Molly.

  "Well, we have at least three more days before we are to the tundra fields, and open space. What are we supposed to do? Molly are, you sure there is something here with us in the forest? Maybe it is Squint-Eye Pete again. Do you think that is what you are feeling? Was it Pete?" asked Louis.

  "No I'm sure it's not Pete. That was pure evil. This is more a feeling of a spirit wanting to contact you or me for a purpose that is...somehow a part of our destiny. Like this is preordained, or this is meant for us to meet, him, or her, or it. I really cannot explain it Louis. We just need to let it happen. I am sure we will be fine," said Molly as she closed the book. She placed it on the ground in front of her. She then leaned her weary head back against the pine tree, slowly closed her eyes, and then fell deep asleep.

  Only a few more words were spoken the rest of the night. Chug stoked the small fire, to keep them warm. Apollo and Jupiter sidled up next to each other to keep warm under a large over hanging tree branch, also to block the arctic wind, as Louis pulled an extra blanket over Molly, where she lay sleeping.

  A long restfully sleep was welcomed by all, as the stillness of the forest this night allowed them to be lost in uninterrupted dreams, of better days ahead.

  It was late November now. They had only about three weeks left of travel before they would reach their final destination. They would need all the rest they could get, for the great Ingnok Mountains lay directly ahead, and the great frozen tundra fields where the protection of the forest canopy would soon leave them.