Hit the Trail     Hit the Trail

 by Callie

  

 Author's Website: http://www.geocities.com/callinuk

 Disclaimer: Due South and all of its characters belong to Alliance
Communications.

 Author's Notes: Written as a result of Corrinne's challenge on SergeChat.

 Story Notes: 

 

  THE IDITAROD Hit The Trail by Callie	

 Diefenbaker took a last look at the navy blue sky; turning his head
upwards he sniffed at the air - it smelt cold and clean. It smelt like
home, and he yipped in pleasure to himself as he trotted back towards the
small hotel on the outskirts of Anchorage. 

 Trotting past the reception desk, Diefenbaker bounded up the stairs
towards their room and the warmth. The door opened with a gentle push of
his nose, and he looked back to make sure the door closed behind him. 

 The room was in darkness and Diefenbaker waited until his eyes adjusted
to the dimness before jumping up onto a chair to look down at his pack
mates - his friends, his family. 

 Fast asleep, Ray and Fraser were bundled together under the heavy
blankets. Diefenbaker could just make out that they were in their favoured
sleeping position - in the centre of the bed, sharing a pillow and wrapped
in each other's arms. As usual, Ray's head rested on Fraser's shoulder.
Ray murmured in his sleep, and Fraser pulled him closer. Diefenbaker
thought they looked peaceful and content, their love for each other
seeming to radiate outwards. 

 Diefenbaker cocked his head to one side gazing down at them fondly for a
while longer basking in their contentedness, glad that he was allowed to
be a part of it. He grinned to himself as he jumped silently to the floor.
Deciding that the wooden floor was too hard, Diefenbaker carefully climbed
up onto the bed curling up at the bottom of the bed, his head resting on
his paws. 

 He tried to close his eyes, but was having a hard time containing his
excitement - hence the solitary midnight walk where he had gazed up at the
bright stars in an effort to calm himself. Casting a quick glance to the
top of the bed to make sure he didn't disturb the sleeping men,
Diefenbaker shifted slightly to get comfortable. His inner excitement
threatened to overwhelm and he was tempted to howl with joy, but knew that
Fraser would be angry with him and perhaps even leave him behind as
punishment. 

 He sighed gritting his teeth, but allowed himself a small yip. He glanced
sideways, ready to give his excuses, but the two men didn't stir from
their peaceful slumber. Diefenbaker closed his eyes wishing that the
morning would come sooner. 

 When dawn broke over Anchorage, the three of them would be preparing to
make their way to the start line of the Iditarod. "The last great race on
earth," he had lip read Fraser telling Ray. 

 And Diefenbaker couldn't wait; the three of them had spent the last two
years preparing for the race spending hours and hours training their two
teams of dogs, bred for their stamina by Fraser's friend Innusiq. 

 Diefenbaker thoughts turned to each of the dogs picturing in his mind
their unique markings and individual characteristics. They were all
excellent sled dogs, and he had been allowed to help oversee their
training, and knew that they would run well for Fraser and Ray.
Diefenbaker had tried not to have favourites as he was proud of each of
the dogs, but Mickey - a sturdy light grey husky cross - was his best
friend. 

 Fraser, of course, had named his team after Canadian prime ministers
picking them for their strength and stamina. Diefenbaker snorted to
himself - being Fraser he had also picked all the same colour, although he
had to admit to himself that the sight of fourteen black and white huskies
gliding across the snow in perfect harmony was pretty impressive. 

 Fraser had wanted to help Ray pick his team, but stubborn as ever, his
blonde pack mate had insisted on picking his team himself, and had ended
up with fourteen mixed coloured dogs, not necessarily picked for their
stamina, and all markedly different from the other. Fraser had been
horrified when Ray had named his team after Disney characters, but Ray
loved the dogs and they, in their turn, loved and respected him. 

 Diefenbaker smirked to himself as he recalled the look on Fraser's face
as Ray told him the name of each dog. But he had to admit that the names
fitted the dogs so well, even down to the dog with one green eye, one blue
eye and a bent ear that Ray had named Dopey. Despite his name, Dopey and
his brother Sneezy made excellent wheelers while Mickey, his best friend,
and Cinderella were the swing dogs of Ray's team. The other team dogs, all
equally important, were a motley assortment of shapes, sizes and strength,
but Diefenbaker was proud to lead the Disney team as he had come to think
of them. 

 That in itself had caused Ray and Fraser to argue loudly one morning as
they had been preparing the teams for a training session. Diefenbaker had
quietly watched as they shouted and screamed at each other, each wanting
the other to have him lead their teams. Bored with their silly argument,
Diefenbaker had finally stood up with a sharp bark that had surprisingly
silenced both men. He had barked at them again before trotting over to
Ray's sled, having reasoned that Ray had the younger, less experienced
team, and would therefore need his skills and expertise. Both men had
stared at him for a while, but then seemed to accept his choice, and had
hugged and kissed each other until he had to remind them why they were out
in the cold, and that his dogs were getting impatient waiting. 

 He was distracted from his thoughts of the dogs as Ray stretched and
muttered in his sleep kicking him in the side. "Serves me right,"
Diefenbaker sighed to himself knowing that his blonde pack mate was a
fidgety sleeper, absently wondering how Fraser managed to sleep through
the kicks, squirming and mumbling. He shook his head in despair as Ray
kicked him again. 

 Diefenbaker gazed up at Ray in the dimness - despite his muttering and
wriggling, his usual vigorous energy was absent, sleep stealing it away
until the daylight broke. He knew that, come morning, Ray would be
bouncing off the walls with excitement and enthusiasm, his body and mouth
in constant motion. 

 Diefenbaker grinned in the darkness - Fraser would probably send them
both out of his way while he, as was his way, prepared himself quietly for
the race. He licked his lips anticipating the breakfast he would try to
persuade Ray to buy him. But it wasn't just the doughnuts and candy that
Diefenbaker loved Ray for, but the inner man himself - his strength, his
energy and humour and his love for Fraser. He was glad that Fraser had
someone to love, someone who loved him back; Diefenbaker had never seen
Fraser looking so happy and content, and thanked his lucky stars every
day, counting himself a lucky wolf to be part of their family. 

 Despite once telling Fraser that he was only city fit, Ray had adapted to
the arctic remarkably well. The first year had been hard for him, and Ray
had spent over two months seriously ill with bronchial pneumonia, but his
inner strength, courage and dogged determination had won through in the
end. He had gradually adjusted to his new life - his small garage in their
home town, built up from nothing, was extremely successful, and Ray spent
long hours repairing all kinds of vehicles from RCMP snow mobiles to dog
sleds. Although the cold still bothered him, Ray was now arctic fit, and
both he and Fraser were proud of his achievements. 

 And tomorrow was the culmination of all their hard work - the start of
the Iditarod. They would be joining sixty dog teams and their mushers to
race across 1149 miles of Alaskan territory, pitting their wits against
Mother Nature. Her beauty and her anger would test the teams to their
limits as they covered the vast expanse of the tundra. This year, the race
would take the southern route from Anchorage through Iditarod towards the
coastal towns of Koyuk and Elim and finally into Nome. 

 Ever sensible, Fraser had insisted that they work out their tactics
carefully and well in advance so they could get it absolutely right for
both them and their teams. They had practised hard, raced the teams over
all kinds of terrain in all kinds of weather, studied maps, watched videos
of past Iditarods. Fraser and Ray had both entered and successfully
completed other races in order to qualify for the Iditarod. Fraser had
planned everything down to the finest detail. So here they were in
Anchorage, one RCMP officer, one ex-Chicago detective, a deaf wolf and
their two dog teams. They were ready. 

 Diefenbaker shivered in anticipation. Still not being able to sleep, he
jumped off the bed heading towards the window. Pressing his nose against
the coolness of the glass, he gazed up again at the stars - they would be
seeing a lot of the twinkling beacons as they raced across the rugged
terrain. Forcing himself away from the window, he flopped down on the
floor, his nose resting on his paws. Diefenbaker closed his eyes - he
snuffled in his sleep as his mind filled with dreams of two dog teams
racing side by side across the snowy land.  

 It was a bitterly cold morning, although the sun was bright. The usually
quiet streets of Anchorage were bustling with activity and noise from
spectators eager to get a glimpse of the dogs and their mushers. The sound
of yapping dogs filled the air as they were harnessed to the sleds, the
mushers carrying out last minute preparations. 

 Diefenbaker had been right - their enthusiasm had gotten on his nerves,
and Fraser had sent them both out to breakfast. They were now behind their
small hotel preparing the teams for the race. In half an hour, they would
join the other starters on the first leg of the Iditarod. Diefenbaker
licked his lips as he trotted up and down alongside the Disney dogs - they
were restless, fidgeting nearly as much as their musher Ray, who was
hopping from one foot to the other with a huge grin on his face. 

 Diefenbaker stole a quick glance at his other pack mate. Fraser was
acting Fraserlike - as usual calm and in control as he checked his own
sled and dogs. Diefenbaker could see a teasing smile on his handsome face
as he was telling Ray to calm down. Ray stuck his tongue out at Fraser,
but his grin remained. Fraser stepped sideways touching Ray's face gently.
Bringing his gloved hand up, Ray touched Fraser's hand lightly, and they
stood grinning at one another for a while. 

 Diefenbaker snorted raising his eyes heavenwards - they were so stupidly
in love with each other they couldn't resist touching each other at every
opportunity. He barked at them, and they both turned sticking their
tongues out at him. 

 Diefenbaker barked again turning his back on them deciding to ignore them
both for a while. Mickey barked a question at him, and Diefenbaker turned
his attention back to his dogs. They were restless yelping and squealing
at each other in their excitement. Diefenbaker sighed in exasperation
woofing a command instructing them all to lay down to conserve their
energy for the start of the race telling them that there would be plenty
of time for yipping and barking later on the trail. 

 "Giving my team what for?" Ray interrupted him leaning forward. He whined
with pleasure as Ray ruffled his head - he liked that. Ray grinned at him.
"Come on Dief. Let's get ya sorted out. Up where you belong," Ray said
walking towards the head of the team. "In the lead." Diefenbaker thought
his chest was going to burst with pride, and he cast a glance towards
Fraser. Fraser grinned at him giving him an uncharacteristic thumbs up
signal. 

 As he trotted towards Ray, Diefenbaker woofed to each dog in turn wishing
them luck on the trail. He waited patiently as Ray harnessed him into the
lead position. He was ready. 

 Diefenbaker couldn't help it or contain it any longer - lifting his head
up towards the blue sky, he howled loud and long. Both Ray and Fraser's
dogs joined in and the air was filled with the eerie sound. 

 In three weeks or less, they would be in Nome having competed in the last
great race on earth. 

 THE END 

 Views to: Cal18@usa.net 

End