by StacyPlays
“Addison! It’s the alphabet!”
Twenty
STACY COULD NOT believe what she was looking at. The runes Addison had pointed out to her were a perfect match with the alphabet. It wasn’t long before Stacy had written the corresponding letters next to each symbol and begun to translate the diary she’d taken from the glacier using the elder wolves’ code. When she had completed several pages, she sat back and began to read.
I am a biologist. I am an explorer. I am also a biologist, but I consider myself an explorer first and foremost. That’s what called me to the tundra in the first place. The thrill of terra incognita and the chance to live among what I consider the most ethereal animals in the world—the creatures of the Arctic. If you are reading this, then it is likely that you, like me, can walk with the ancient wolves of the north. Please keep my secret. It was a year into my expedition I learned of their existence. A new species. Not Arctic wolves—but rather, magical otherworldly?? beings with powers. I don’t know where the powers come from. Perhaps the heavens. Maybe even the aurora itself. But this much I know. Humankind cannot be trusted with the knowledge of their existence. It would be a spectacle, each wolf studied and prized for the different ability it possesses—maybe even hunted or abused as weapons of war. No. It will not happen. As much as it disappoints me to exclude myself from the annals of discovery, I will not take credit for their existence. No human should. What follows in the pages of this book is a record of my findings during the years I have spent and intend to spend yet with these magnificent beings. This will include, but is not limited to, my daily interactions with them, my experiments and efforts to extend their population beyond the current breeding pair, and notes about the written language I’ve developed with them and taught them to use, which I write to you in now. It is also a personal diary of my life here with my partner, a talented artist who graciously left his work behind to live with me in secrecy. My life here is far from conventional, but it is filled with love, the pursuit of science, and daily gratitude for the rare opportunity to live and survive as a woman among these “wolves.”
Stacy couldn’t believe what she was reading. Her wolves were not Arctic wolves. Basil’s lightning strike may have accelerated the development of her powers, but they hadn’t caused them. Stacy’s wolves had dormant powers because of their lineage, and they were brought to the taiga as pups. Addison probably picked up the rune language when she still lived with the elder wolves, since her ability was tied to intelligence. That’s how she remembered it. What happened to the explorer and her partner though? Why was the elder wolf all alone? As much as she wanted to continue translating the journal, Stacy set it aside and worked well into the evening, decoding the runes in her notebook that she’d copied down from the cave walls. She hoped they would contain the answers to her questions. Addison brought a salmon en croute to Stacy at her writing desk so she could keep working. A few hours later, Basil came and lit a candle for Stacy. The ink in the pen Miriam had gifted Stacy was beginning to run dry and she had to retrace each word several times. The murals on the walls seemed to contain a history of the man and woman’s time together in the glacier with the elder wolves. The last rune was giving Stacy problems, though. No matter which way she looked at it, she couldn’t seem to make words out of the jumble of symbols.
She stared at it for a long time, until Everest came over to her and broke her concentration. Something about the way Everest looked at Stacy concerned her. She picked up the candle and followed him as he led her to where Milquetoast and Pipsqueak were curled up together, cuddling.
“Aww,” Stacy cooed. “Would you look at that. They’re best friends.”
Everest shook his head. He nudged Pipsqueak with his nose. The little lynx cub barely stirred. Everest nudged it harder. The lynx let out a little whimper but didn’t open its eyes. Stacy scooped the cub up in her arms and examined it. It was underweight—Stacy already knew that. Stacy had been so preoccupied with decoding the runes that she hadn’t paid any attention to how much dinner it ate.
“Has the cub been drinking?” Stacy asked around the cave, addressing the other wolves.
Noah stepped forward, a spoon in his mouth. It was clear he had been trying to get the cub to drink but hadn’t been successful. Stacy became worried. She looked over at Tucker, who was sleeping by the fire. His powers haven’t returned yet. It could be days or weeks before they come back. What if they don’t come back at all? What if Tucker’s healing powers died along with the elder wolf? Stacy turned to Everest.
“We all need to take turns watching Pipsqueak tonight,” she said quietly. “Wake me up if its condition gets even worse.”
Stacy’s heart ached. She’d risked Everest’s life (and her own) to rescue the lynx. They’d all survived the avalanche together. The thought that the cub might not make it through the night was unbearable. We can’t lose the cub. Milquetoast will be devastated. Tucker will blame himself for not being able to heal it. Pipsqueak was the silver lining to losing the elder wolf on the rescue expedition. If Pip dies, the whole expedition will feel like a failure. Just then, Milo the bat flew into the cave and circled around Page, who then walked over to the map and pointed to the abandoned iron mine.
“A rescue?” Stacy asked. “Now?” This was the worst possible time for a rescue, but Stacy felt like they had no choice.
“Addison, you stay here and tend to Tucker,” Stacy said. “Noah, you can take the first shift watching Pipsqueak. The others will come with me, including you, Page. Who knows if this animal is in an even worse state than Pip is. We have to see if we can help. We’re rescuers, after all. Wild rescuers.”
These words meant more to Stacy than ever before. Her wolves were meant to do this. They were the guardians of this taiga. All the wolves let out an enthusiastic bark in unison—clearly they were in agreement with her. Stacy said good-bye to Molly, Milquetoast, and especially to Pipsqueak. She hoped the cub would still be alive when she returned. Then she pulled on her leather boots, grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows, and ran after her magical wolves—out of the cave and into the dark, dark night.
Stacy’s Favorite Words from the Book
adept—being very skilled or expert at something. Example: Noah could breathe underwater just like the river fish he was so adept at catching.
annals—a record of historical events. Example: You’ll be written in the annals of time for discovering a new species.
chaos—a state of total confusion or lack of direction. Example: If any of the reindeer saw a pack of wolves, they would panic, and chaos would erupt on the tundra.
chortle—to laugh or chuckle. Example: Stacy chortled at the sight of Everest teetering on a branch that looked like it might break at any moment.
emanate—to come out or flow from a source. Example: Heat began to emanate from Tucker’s body, melting the snow around him and blanketing Stacy and the pack.
ethereal—special or delicate in a way that feels otherworldly. Example: The wolves are ethereal beings with powers.
euphoric—having or feeling a state of intense happiness. Example: A euphoric sense of relief washed over Stacy after they passed through the reindeer herd.
floe—a flat piece of floating ice, known as an ice floe. Example: The tundra broke off into miles and miles of ice floes that extended to the north and the east.
forlorn—sad and lonely, or hopeless. Example: Tucker’s forlorn howl filled Stacy with sudden dread.
frolic—to play or romp around cheerfully. Example: While the wolves frolicked in the evening light, Stacy sat down on a boulder and sketched the sunset.
gargantuan—gigantic in size. Example: Inside the glacier was a gargantuan ice cavern.
incredulous—unwilling to believe something; doubtful. Example: Stacy was incredulous that Addison could read the ice runes.
kerfuffle—a commotion. Example: The cat’s tail hairs stood on end and doubled in size during the kerfuffle.
milquetoast—a timid and meek pe
rson (or animal). Example: Milquetoast was a very milquetoast cat.
mottled—having blotchy or spotted coloring. Example: Droplet and Splat had dark coats mottled with patches of brown, black, and gray.
ominous—threatening in appearance. Example: Stacy awoke and saw the ominous ice spikes looming in the distance.
ornery—unhappy, pouty, or unpleasant. Example: They had yet to see any other signs of life aside from the snowshoe hares and one ornery marmot that wanted nothing to do with them.
palatial—spacious and impressive; palace-like. Example: The cavern was both glacial and palatial.
pandemonium—a wild uproar; chaos. Example: Suddenly, pandemonium erupted inside the cave.
pang—a sudden feeling of sorrow or pain. Example: A sudden pang of sadness washed over Stacy at the thought of leaving this magical place.
pristine—something that is like new or clean and untouched. Example: The tundra was untouched and pristine—just waiting to be explored.
relinquish—to let go or surrender control. Example: Everest relinquished his grip on Norman’s tusk.
reverberate—to create a series of echoes. Example: Tucker let out a sorrowful howl that reverberated through the glacier walls.
ricochet—to bounce around or rebound. Example: Milquetoast ricocheted around the cave, searching desperately for a safe place to hide.
studious—interested in learning and studying. Example: Addison was Stacy’s most studious wolf.
swath—a large patch of grass or land. Example: The mesa biome had flat swaths of sage and cactus that stretched as far as the eye could see.
terra incognita—undiscovered or unexplored territory. Example: Stacy wondered if the ice-spikes biome was terra incognita.
tinge—slight bit of color. Example: Addison’s coat had tinges of brown and rust red.
trepidation—a nervous or uncertain feeling. Example: Stacy noted a slight sense of trepidation in Everest’s movements.
unscathed—uninjured; without a scratch. Example: Stacy knew Wink could survive falling into the ice unscathed.
Meet the Real-Life Milquetoast!
Stacy found Milquetoast in a grocery store parking lot in the winter of 2015. He was a cold, malnourished, and injured stray cat. Stacy had to coax him out of his hiding spot with fish treats—much like how you tame an ocelot in Minecraft! The funny thing is . . . Stacy had a Siamese cat in her Dogcraft world named Milquetoast for over a year before she found him in real life!
Breed: Lilac Lynx Point Siamese
Age: Unknown (approximately five years old)
Rescue date: November 18, 2015
Favorite activity: Being held like a baby by Stacy
Favorite foods: Tuna, pumpkin
Fun fact: Milquetoast has caught several mice at Stacy’s cabin and can be quite ferocious despite his name!
Get to Know a Bear Biologist!
The behavior of the animals in Wild Rescuers: Expedition on the Tundra is fantasy. To learn more about the real animals of the Arctic, Stacy was able to interview a bear biologist!
Name:
Wes Larson
Current job:
Wildlife biologist
How did you get the nickname “Griz Kid”?
I gave it to myself when I picked an Instagram name! I knew I wanted to work with bears, and I also love University of Montana football (the Montana Griz!).
Wes Larson next to an abandoned polar bear den in Alaska.
What’s it like working on the tundra and in the Arctic?
EXTREMELY COLD. All of my trips to the Arctic have been during the winter, when it can regularly get down to -50 or -60 degrees Fahrenheit. There aren’t any trees or plants, and everything is covered by snow and ice. It’s incredibly flat, so it almost feels like you are on another planet—an endless flat, white spread of snow and ice. It’s incredible that polar bears and other animals can survive there! We humans need to bundle up with the best gear available in order to avoid freezing to death.
What wildlife have you encountered on your expeditions?
On my expeditions to the Arctic, I have encountered polar bears, Arctic fox, Arctic wolves, caribou, musk oxen, snowy owls, red fox, lemmings, ptarmigan, and a few other species!
How do you locate abandoned polar bear dens?
Abandoned dens are much easier to find than occupied dens because there are generally tracks leading away from the den and sometimes an open hole in the snowdrift. Occupied dens are much harder to find as the bear digs into the snowdrift, and then it snows over the hole that she has dug. We use infrared cameras or dog teams to find those dens. In the best case scenario, we have a bear that has a GPS collar, and then we can simply use our GPS and radio receiver and antenna to track her to her den. Once we find the bears, we set up a camera to record them leaving the den as well as the behavior of the adult bear and her cubs. These videos give us important information that helps us learn about the behavior of denning bears and how we can best avoid disturbing them during a critical and vulnerable part of their lives.
What advice would you give to young people who want to work in your field?
Don’t give up! Getting into a wildlife program in college can be tricky and sometimes takes a lot of persistence. Volunteer on as many projects as you possibly can in your area and then, once you find the college program you want to be in, make sure you keep trying to get in! It may take years, but that kind of persistence usually pays off! Also, remember that wildlife biologists usually still spend a lot of their time inside writing and reading, so don’t become a wildlife biologist if you want a job that will have you outside every day!
How can we help the polar bears?
Do your best to conserve energy however you can! Plant trees, avoid waste like single-use plastics, ride a bike instead of driving a car, and most important, encourage your parents to vote for politicians who care about the environment! And if you are old enough to vote, make sure to vote for people who want to save our wildlife!
About Griz Kid:
Wes “Griz Kid” Larson has been working with both black bears and polar bears for the last eight years. He also hosts an online show, Mission Wild, where he travels the world and learns about other wildlife biologists and their projects. He has worked with African wild dogs, pangolins, American alligators, hawks, eagles, elephant seals, tejus, and a ton of other animals. He loves being a wildlife biologist! You can follow his adventures at Instagram.com/GrizKid.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my editor, David Linker, as well as Camille Kellogg, Mitchell Thorpe, Vaishali Nayak, and everyone I work with at HarperCollins, including Caitlin Garing and Almeda Beynon. And Zane Birdwell from John Marshall Media and Mario Crystal from MetCom Studios for their excellent work on my audiobooks.
Thank you, Jessie Gang, for another beautiful book—you’re just my favorite. And five million thank-yous to Wild Rescuers’s illustrator Vivienne To—receiving your covers and illustrations for my books is better than Christmas morning.
Thank you to my mom for your creative ideas and keen typo-finding skills and to my dad for everything you’ve done for my merchandise endeavors and also for your endless enthusiasm for my wolf pack (specifically Everest!). Thank you to Madeline Lansbury—for many things, but most importantly for drawing the wonderful symbol alphabet and runes that appear in this book and managing all my author events.
Thank you to my YouTube family who I love so much: Joe, Beth, Lizzie, Joel, Delly, Alexa, Kat, Allen, Kim, Betty, Wenny, Tiff, and Mario. And, last but most certainly not least, thank you to my YouTube subscribers, many of whom I got to meet on tour for this book series. I love you all SO MUCH! Page and Molly love you; go rescue a dog.
About the Author
Photo by Casey McFarland
STACY HINOJOSA, better known as StacyPlays on the internet, started playing Minecraft in 2012. She immediately fell in love with telling stories through video games and began posting them to YouTube. Her imaginative building
series and fun-filled adventures with her wolf pack earned her a loyal audience of over 2 million subscribers. When she’s not visiting real-life biomes around the world, Stacy splits her time between the mountains of northern Utah and the desert in southern Utah with her dog, Molly, and her cats, Milquetoast and Pipsqueak (all rescued by her, of course).
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Books by Stacy Plays
Wild Rescuers: Guardians of the Taiga
Wild Rescuers: Escape to the Mesa
Copyright
Photos here courtesy of StacyPlays
Photos here courtesy of Wes Larson
WILD RESCUERS: EXPEDITION ON THE TUNDRA. Text copyright © 2020 by Stacy Plays LLC. Map illustration copyright © 2020 by Virginia Allyn. Interior illustrations copyright © 2020 by Vivienne To. Rune illustrations by Madeline Lansbury, © 2020 by Stacy Plays LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.