The Legend of Ataneq Nanuq

by Jack Dey

  Sensing the threat had passed, Akiak’s warm muzzle pushed into his empty hand, forcing his thoughts back to the present and reminding him his dogs needed to get outside. She was his faithful dogsled team leader, wise in the things of the tundra, saving his life more often than he cared to remember. He stooped to ruffle her thick fur and then opened the hut door, the dogs bursting out into the warm sunshine excitedly barking and enjoying their sudden freedom.

  The temperature this time of year was an exhausting one degree Celsius and there was much to do before the relentless winter night once again descended on his world, plunging him into the crippling freeze. The old man felt different in the bright polar sunshine, lighter in spirit and even a small sense of hope pervaded his thinking. A noticeable freshness drifted across the polar tundra leaving the threats of winter far from his mind, while his old enemy, Nanuq, had migrated further north following the food source associated with the permanent pack ice of the extreme Arctic pole.

  For now he was content and an uneasy peace settled over his soul.

  As he ventured outside, he bent to investigate the sled lying unused in the protection of the crawl space under his hut. He stiffly drew it from its resting place and examined its condition. The shaped timber skids had dried and split, but it was still solid and usable. The tow straps the dogs wore were stiff, but would soon become pliable once the dogs had worn them in again. A shrill whistle from the old man called the dogs to the sled and away from the serious play they had engaged in. They came barking and running, excited at the thought of pulling a sled again.

  Today he would venture onto the edge of the vast tundra away from the hut to trade Arctic fox furs he had trapped during last winter. His buyer, Katu, lived fifty kilometres away and his store was an outpost for the remaining trappers living deep in the wilderness. He would trade for supplies for the coming winter and learn the grave news of the outside world. Katu was a native born Greenlander with no apparent interest in the history of an old European fugitive. The round trip would take two days and he usually stayed the night with Katu.

  The old man peered over his shoulder at the hut from his position standing at the back of the sled, a sick feeling rising in his gut as if he was saying goodbye to a trusted friend. With a pile of furs lying in the passenger well of the sled, he breathed out a nervous sigh, turned and mushed the dogs on toward Katu. The dogs barked with excitement as the old wooden sled jolted forward and sped across the Salix glauca effortlessly.

  Two hours into the journey, the old man spotted a strange sight in the distance. He called the dogs to a halt and tried to squint, to clear his vision and focus. The fear rose, marshalling his senses to high alert at the outline of a large nanuq prostrated on the ground, as if he was preparing to pounce.

  Thoughts flashed through his mind and then reason took over: all nanuq should be hundreds of kilometres to the north by now and if this particular bear was a threat, Akiak would have surely warned him. The old man trusted her implicitly; her senses were sharp, always testing the environment around her for threats and she missed nothing. From her position at the head of the stationary dog team, she raised her snout again to taste the air in the direction of the nanuq, wary of the deadly menace. Convinced Nanuq offered no threat, she turned to concentrate on another distraction and contemptuously lost interest in the hulking, motionless form.

  The old man stepped from the sled and reached for his rifle, then cautiously measured his ground till he was almost on top of the predator. The smell of decaying flesh assaulted his senses and a gasp filled his lungs. There had been a momentary struggle before this large, three metre tall male nanuq had succumbed to a single, brutal force that had stolen his life. The old man prodded the dead beast with his rifle butt and estimated the nanuq to be close to 700 kilos then searched around till he found the footprint of the culprit, perfectly preserved in a mud puddle created by melting snow. He dropped to his haunches and examined the massive pad print, then compared the huge male bear’s paw lying dead before him.

  It was nearly fifty millimetres bigger.

  He swallowed hard, the fear bristling the hair on the back of his neck and out of habit he searched the surroundings, gripping the barrel of his gun tightly. After all these years, his old nemesis was still around somewhere. The last time he saw a track like this he was only a boy, nearly sixty years ago, and the memories of that horrific day etched forever into his young mind, shaped his life and as a fugitive, drove him deep into the wilderness.

  *~*~*~*

  Chapter 2

  SUMMER 1994, AMMASSALIK VILLAGE, EASTERN GREENLAND

  Aalik Egede stood peering through the solitary window in the family home perched high on a hillside above the town, watching his seventeen year old daughter, Aanasi, walking down into the village accompanied by a girlfriend. The two girls stopped suddenly and their attention turned towards a distraction, a distraction that Aalik didn’t approve of.

  “How many times must I make my feelings known to Aanasi? That boy is bad news!” Aalik’s agitated voice bounced off the window and carried across the room and collided with his wife’s hearing while his angry gaze bored into the young man who had no right to be talking to his daughter at all.

  “You make too much of his attentions, Aalik; she is just finding out that she is an attractive young woman and is enjoying the interest from young men. Leave her be and she will make good decisions.”

  Aalik let the words of his wife fall to the ground at his feet as if she hadn’t spoken. ”She is promised to Romaanaq; their wedding has been planned since their infancy!”

  “The young like to choose their own matches these days; besides, what woman would want to be saddled with such a walrus as Romaanaq?” the wife retorted, watching her husband’s incredulous, open-mouthed gaze turn from the window and fall upon her like a derailing locomotive.

  “He is my cousin’s son and is a fine...”

  “Walrus!” the wife once again interjected. “He has no sense or tact, and given the choice of his handsomeness or a walrus’, a prospective bride would take the walrus! Do you seriously propose to tie our beautiful daughter to such a cold blooded creature?!”

  “If she wants to remain my daughter, she will do as she is told!” Aalik’s words set like concrete as he turned back to face the window. Trouble was brewing on their near horizon.

  “Ack...! Word is, among our relatives, that Romaanaq has eyes for another of his cousins.”

  Aalik turned around abruptly and shot his wife a stare that would melt an iceberg. ”Who?!”

  “Evnike, that’s who!”

  “Evni... Evnike! She is a narwhal of a girl!” he shot back.

  “Then the two will live happily together under the sea,” Aalik’s wife was losing interest in the battle.

  “Do you not see the benefit we would gain by such a marriage? My cousins are well-to-do and some of that would come our way when Aanasi marries Romaanaq.”

  “Now I see the greedy heart exposed before you! You have no interest in your daughter’s happiness, only your own gain.”

  “Happiness! What is such a word?! Our marriage was arranged by our parents and we have survived,” Aalik boasted.

  “There is a big difference between surviving and living, Aalik!” she retorted, a hint of sarcasm floating above her statement.

  “What is good for Aanasi’s parents is good for her! It is time she was taken as a bride and I intend to make the arrangements before she ruins our lives with an improper choice.”

  Aanasi’s mother waved her hand in frustration at her husband and then walked into the kitchen to escape his babbling.

  *~*~*~*

  “May I walk with you ladies?” Nikkulaat’s rich baritone voice teased their ears.

  Aanasi’s heart did a skip, as she and Elona giggled at Nikkulaat’s greeting. Elona knew all too well Aanasi’s coy feelings towards the tall, handsome Nikkulaat and to some extent she was envious of the obvious attention Nikkulaat focused on Aanasi.
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  Aanasi folded her arm around Elona’s in a protective reflex; she wanted to be alone with Nikkulaat, but she feared being alone with him at the same time.

  “You may, Nikkulaat,” Elona answered, understanding her friend’s dilemma, while Aanasi bashfully glanced down at the ground, her cheeks aglow with shy admiration.

  “Are you well, Aanasi?” Nikkulaat’s adoring gaze was directed straight at her.

  Aanasi’s eyes were flashing and full of innocence as she lifted her glance and met his stare, giving him a smile that melted Nikkulaat on the spot.

  “I am well, thank you, Nikkulaat.”

  Nikkulaat’s breath caught in his throat as if he had been winded. The soft voice carried across the summer day and tantalised his senses with its sweet perfume. Another stolen glimpse caught the sheen of Aanasi’s long black hair glistening in the warm sunshine like rich, deep black velvet hanging enticingly down over her back. Her beauty mesmerised him and he fought to tear his eyes away from another admiring gape, narrowly avoiding her eyes catching him in the act.

  “We were going to walk up on the mountain ridge to the Valley of Flowers; I am told it is carpeted in blooms after the thaw,” Elona offered, breaking the awkward, unspoken game so obviously playing out between Aanasi and Nikkulaat. “Why don’t you join us, Nikkulaat?” Elona added.

  Aanasi glanced shyly from Elona to Nikkulaat and when he consented, a smile lit Aanasi’s face like an unfolding rose bud.

  Far below the mountain ridge, the village dwindled into insignificance as the path meandered past swiftly flowing waterfalls and streams. Ahead, the trail cut through two rocky peaks blanketed in a patchwork of melting snow and delicately adorned with fluffy white clouds hanging lazily over the high summits. Time seemed to stand still as they ambled up the path between the two peaks into the valley, laughing carelessly at nothing and talking excitedly about everything.

  In an unguarded moment, Nikkulaat bent to the valley floor and picked a small bunch of purple flowers and nervously handed them to Aanasi. “These pretty flowers can’t compete with your beauty, Aanasi,” his anxious voice faltered slightly.

  She smiled at the gesture, her eyes dancing in delight and she took his offering willingly, but a chance meeting of his hand on hers while she accepted his gift made her heart jump and her cheeks flushed red, betraying her feelings.

  Then without thinking, Nikkulaat closed the gap between him and Aanasi, his heart pounding in his ears. Aanasi had overpowered him and he was drifting aimlessly in love, like a ship without a rudder about to crash headlong onto the jagged rocks of desire.

  Aanasi floated into a dreamland, fearful of her first kiss and wanting to hide, but hypnotised by her feelings and riveted to the spot by expectation. Her heart rate increased as anticipation wrapped around her, her breath hot with yearning, feeling like she was going to faint. As Nikkulaat’s warm lips softly touched hers, her breath escaped in a delighted sigh and her knees buckled under her, collapsing into his arms and filling her body with blissful passion.

  Elona was waiting for a cue to leave Aanasi with Nikkulaat, and that moment had just come. Without saying a word, Elona slipped unnoticed from the couple and left them to discover their new, innocent love.

  *~*~*~*

  The sounds of bitter conflict echoed out over the village from the Egede house, punctuated by the heartbreaking sobs of a young woman begging to be released from her father’s business deal. Aanasi pleaded and pleaded against the marriage to Romaanaq, dropping to the floor at her father’s feet and weeping in a bitter, crushed tirade.

  “I don’t love him, Father, and I never will! My heart belongs to another and if I can’t be with him, I don’t want to be with anyone!” The emotional tears and despair mingled in a crumpled body, laying heaving and sobbing on the kitchen floor.

  “I knew that boy was no good!” Aalik spat the words at his wife, who was kneeling next to her daughter, trying to comfort her. “Leave things alone and she will make the right decisions, you said. Now look what your nonsense has brought! You will obey me, Aanasi, and you will marry Romaanaq!”

  Aanasi’s violent sobbing increased at her father’s words; she was destined to a life of misery, separated from the only man she would ever love. The door to the house slammed shut as Aalik left the women to their grief and come to terms with his wishes.

  Aanasi cuddled into her mother, crying, sobbing and trying to talk at the same time.

  “Shhh, Aanasi, calm yourself. There will be a wedding as your father expects and you will marry that day. It is done. Now prepare yourself to be a bride.”

  *~*~*~*

  Reverend Emil Rasmussen checked the church registry for the coming Saturday: there were to be two weddings in close proximity to each other, one straight after the other. Two consecutive weddings in the church was nothing unusual, but what was unusual, both Inuit brides had decided for a traditional European wedding service, complete with white dress and matching veils instead of the traditional long pants, fur boots and colourful jumper.

  Weddings had a sombre tone when an arranged marriage was in progress.

  *~*~*~*

  Aanasi dawdled in a desperate state of procrastination hoping she could put off the inevitable, but as she stared at her white gown and her haggard face in the mirror, she felt lifeless and doomed to a future as a machine. She shuddered at the thought of Romaanaq touching her, while the memory of her first kiss that afternoon with Nikkulaat sent her spiralling into deep despair again.

  Her mother startled her as she entered Aanasi’s small room and spoke. “Aanasi, these things have a way of working out,” she tried to console her daughter.

  Aanasi wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to speak. “They didn’t work out for you, Mum.”

  “Ah, not so, Aanasi. If I hadn’t done my duty to your father then I would never have had you.”

  “How did you cope with your life, Mum? It must have been horrible.”

  “You learn to adjust. I have a request that you will have to trust me with.”

  Aanasi stared at her mother. What now?

  “Don’t lift your veil to your husband until you are alone with him. Now, it is time to go.”

  Aanasi was about to ask about her mother’s strange request but she was ushered out into her waiting transport instead.

  The blood ran cold down into Aanasi’s feet as she stood facing the entry to the church and the back view of a suited man waiting for her to join him at his side. The music started and she began a sombre walk, a sickening feeling growing in her stomach and she glanced through the church windows, looking for a mode of escape. She turned to face the front again, dawdling slowly towards the waiting man and her desperate future.

  The seat beside where her mother stood was empty and that puzzled her; her father was absent.

  Finally she stepped up to the man standing beside her and she nearly fainted.

  Nikkulaat’s beaming smile greeted her.

  Confusion played across her face and she peered across to her mother. A stern finger held up to her mother’s lips begged her to play along.

  Suddenly she understood. Two weddings were happening today but the brides had been swapped, and now the veil request made sense.

  Evnike and Romaanaq were being married straight after, but Aanasi and Nikkulaat would be far away before her father ever knew what had happened.

  *~*~*~*

  Chapter 3

  WINTER 2004 – REMOTE WILDERNESS CAMP, SCORESBY LAND, EASTERN GREENLAND

  It had been ten years since Aanasi’s shock marriage to Nikkulaat and each day had been like an endless honeymoon. Aanasi could only guess at the price her mother would have paid for her role in the deception of her father, but she was grateful for her mother’s sacrifice and the life she now had. Nikkulaat adored Aanasi and she in turn returned his feelings.

  Aanasi felt complete and alive in the arms of her man, but it soon became apparent that something was wrong and she couldn’t conceive. The pa
in and shame she felt at an empty womb drove a wedge between her and Nikkulaat, and she often wondered whether they were being punished for deceiving her father and marrying Nikkulaat instead of Romaanaq.

  Nikkulaat and Aanasi loved the peace and rugged beauty of Eastern Greenland. It almost seemed like they were the only two people left on the planet and that God always appeared close and inviting, walking in a frozen wonderland with two people He loved dearly.

  That night they huddled, sitting together on a bearskin rug laid on the open ice and under the playful sky, watching the northern lights weaving its beauty between the myriads of stars while their igloo home sat behind them, reflecting the green cascading lights in its white icy structure.

  Nikkulaat wrapped Aanasi tighter in his arms, pulling her against his chest. “I love you.”

  Aanasi cuddled into his warm embrace. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  “It doesn’t matter if we can’t have children; you are all I want.”

  Nikkulaat’s confession brought Aanasi hope, and she cuddled closer into him even though she still wanted to give him a child.

  Nikkulaat suddenly stood and pulled Aanasi up with him, kissing her with a deep, fiery passion, melting her freezing lips and igniting desire within her. They walked together and crawled into their igloo home, entangled in tenderness until the fire of passion subsided into euphoric exhaustion and peaceful sleep overcame them, refilling the cup of love once again.