• Her dark auburn hair flew backwards gently she let the north wind n** at her face gently. Letting the cold hair seep into her lungs with every breath she took. The white winter tundra went on as far as her eyes could ever see. Walking through the light powder snow her elk skin boots made a crunching sound with every step she made.
    “Moose! Boe!” She shouted and heard barking sounds heading her way. Two large husky dogs came running towards her and she smiled. “Here boys!” When she spotted her two huskies running towards her she ran and met them half way and knelt down into the frozen ground petting her dogs. “Ready to go for a run today?” She asked them.
    “As long as you stay away from the waters Kira.” A man said behind her. “The waters are melting and the ice isn’t safe.”
    “Don’t worry papa.” Kira said going over to her father and hugging the large man. In his growing age he had black hair with streaks of grey coming through. His beard had the same. With a staff in one hand and he used his free hand to hug his daughter, his youngest daughter. “Maybe have Tonka go with you?” He asked.
    “Tonka, no papa I’ll be safe I’ll also bring my spear just in case.” Kira reassured her father. “Besides you know Moose and Boe won’t let anything happen to me. Not even the polar bear king could get to me with them around.”
    “The Polar Bear King always gets what he wants and he will always bargain with you to make sure of that.” Kira’s father said in a way that made her worry lightly.
    “I’ll be safe papa, I’ll stay away from waters and the Polar Bear king.” Kira said quickly and hooked Boe and Moose up to a smaller sled. “Hut hut!” Kira shouted and the dogs took off running. Kira let her mind wonder to the story of the Polar Bear King. All the villagers knew of the story.
    The story was of a lonely prince who once found love in a very simple girl who was no more pretty than any other wild flower, but she saw the good inside everybody, but her father was a greedy man and didn’t want his daughter to marry a prince and leave him behind. He told the prince the only way he would let him marry his daughter was to make him next in line for the throne and the prince would have to renounce his thrown. Loving the girl so much he was about to when the girl told the prince that if he did she would not marry him for she knew the evils her father would throw upon the kingdom. So the prince refused with a heavy heart. Afraid his daughter would still try and marry the prince he sold his daughter to the winds of the north and they carried her far away. The prince followed in search of the women he fell in love with. While he was searching a witch came upon a girl being carried by the North winds and asked her why she was. The girl responded with her tale of love and how she was waiting for the prince to come get her. Intregued by her story the witch offered her a deal. She would send her home, if she was able to test the prince and decide if he was everything the girl said he was. The girl having faith in the prince agreed and also told the witch that the North Wind had made her pregnant. The witch promised she would take care of things later and sent the girl home. When he had found her, or rather the witch, she was starved and nearly dead thanks to the north winds. He vowed to take his revenge on them, but when he nursed the girl he loved back to health she had all but forgotten him and had become pregnant with the wind’s child. In a fury he cursed the winds and the women he loved casting her out. When he did that, she begged him for another chance but the prince would not, he had become too blinded by anger. When she asked him once more he opened the door and threw her out. At that moment she turned into her true form, a winter witch. Saying he had almost passed her test, but his anger and lack for forgiveness had failed him. She cursed him to be a bear until he could find love and forgive the past and let love tame his anger hidden within. If he couldn’t do it by the time he turned 23 he would remain forever a Polar Bear. In pity he reminded the witch of all the wonderful times he and the women he loved had, so she gave him a gift of human form at sun rise and sun set every day. With that the Winter Witch disappeared and a blizzard sealed the curse upon the prince and he became the Polar Bear King.
    “KIRA!” A voice shouted and another sled pulled up next to me, it was Tonka. The guy my father really like and wanted me to marry someday.
    “Tonka? What are you doing here?” Kira said and pulled Moose and Boe to a sudden stop and Tonka turned around coming along the side of my sled.
    “Looking for you.” Tonka grinned.
    “My father sent you didn’t he.” Kira said with an annoyed look upon her face. “He doesn’t trust me!”
    “No he trusts you Kira, he just worries about you.” Tonka said affirming what I had said about my father without him realizing it.
    “What do you want Tonka?” I asked shaking my head.
    “To follow you and make sure you don’t go near the waters.” Tonka said truthfully. I gave an annoyed looked then I had an idea pop into my head.
    “Well you did get me there, but I can’t doesn’t me you can’t.” I said with a flirtatious smile. “I wanted to go fishing, that’s why I brought my spear along, but since I can’t go near the waters would you please please please go fishing for me?” I said leaning over a bit towards him. “It would make me really happy.” I had Tonka hooked, he smiled proudly and stood up like he was the ruler of the world.
    “How many and I shall get them for you.” Tonka said looking at me with a smirk.
    “10, and they need to be red fish.” I said quickly. Red fish were harder to catch than any other kind of fish.
    “10 Red Fish for you is like a walk in the park.” Tonka said proudly and sent his sled team off. Kira smirked waving goodbye to the sucker and took off in the other direction. She wasn’t going to head to the Ice Rifts in his direction, no she was going to go South instead.
    “Hut Hut!” She shouted and Boe and Moose took off into another run across the frozen tundra. The wind hurled up snow drifts, making swirls in the air as we ran. When Kira spotted open water she began to set her foot down letting Moose and Boe know to slow down. Once the dogs had stopped Kira stepped off the sled into the crunching snow and went up to her two dogs. “Stay…” She said softly and walked up to the edge of the ice. Kira flipped down her hood shaking out her hair and watched the water. She spotted something jumping along the ice, something white.
    “It’s him…” Kira whispered. “BOE MOOSE!” Kira shouted and the two ran towards her. She threw up her hood and hopped onto the sled. Kira kicked with the dogs along the side of the ice, watching the water splash up occasionally, following the polar bear. “Mush!” She shouted giving another kick to the ground as the dogs run faster. There was a loud roar from the polar bear and both her dogs stopped in their tracks whining. “Easy boys… it’s okay.” Kira said getting off and going up to her dogs. Both of them sat down on the ice very uneasily as she patted them lightly. “Shh…” Kira whispered and stood up looking for the bear. She went back to her sled and grabbed the spear keeping a keen eye out. “Come on lets go…” She said and got on the sled hood up. She helped her dogs turn the sled around and in front of them was the biggest polar bear she’d ever seen. “Oh boy…” Kira said. Boe and Moose growled and got into a fighting position.
    “Pathetic human…” The bear spoke. Kira had a look of shock on her face and gripped her spear tightly.
    “What do you want!” Kira shouted quickly. The bear was silent for a moment like he was surprised himself. “Polar Bear King! What do you want or can we pass!” Kira snapped and that got her dogs at attention at the words of leaving.
    “Tell me human! Do you fear the water?” The bear spoke evilly.
    “Hut hut!” Kira shouted and the dogs took off running. She steered them away from the bear and towards a different direction. She watched the bear stand up then come crashing back down. There was a loud cracking sound coming from behind her. “Faster! Moose! Boe! Mush!” Kira shouted in a panic. Kira felt the sled slowly sinking behind her and water at her heels. It almost felt like the water was grabbing her trying to pull her off the sled. Kira looked at her dogs who were struggling to keep running and let o of the sled so her dogs to get to safety. The water went over her head and she swam towards the ice shore. The water slowly freezing her body and her panting and struggling to climb on top.
    “Agree to come with me and I’ll pull you out.” The bear said coming over to the ledge as Kira tried to pull herself out. She’d begun to lose feeling in her feet and slowly up her legs. She couldn’t get a grip on the ice to pull herself out.
    “NO!” Kira said quickly and held onto the ledge. “My father warned me you’d try anything to make a deal!” She spat and slowly tried again. The King stood up and hit the ice once more making it break apart and forcing her to swim to a new ledge. Feeling was almost gone from her legs and Kira’s teeth wouldn’t stop chattering.
    “Agree and I’ll save you.” The King said again.
    “So you’d kill me trying to make an agreement?!” Kira said trying to keep her body close together. “Boe.. Moose…” She said and extended a hand pushing away from the ledge and over to a new one near her dogs. The bear watched her as she grabbed the ledge of the sled. “Hut!” She shouted and the two dogs began running pulling Kira out as she kicked and pulled herself up out of the water. Kira shivered fiercely and looked to the Polar Bear King, “To get some things in life you have to give first.” Kira said and wrapped herself up tightly and sat down on the tiny sled.
    “Then I give you this.” The King said quickly and let out hot hair from his mouth towards her. The cold that had Kira’s body was gone and replaced by warmth. “Next time I shall not be so kind human.”
    “My name is Kira Polar Bear King. That’s not what I meant either, but you have my thanks.” Kira said quickly and bowed down towards the Polar Bear King. She stepped onto the sled and began kicking. “Hut hut!” She said quickly and Boe and Moose took off into a light run towards home. Kira couldn’t believe what had happened. She pondered the whole way home and saw Tonka had gotten back before she had and sighed. She became ever more dismayed when she spotted 10 Red fish.
    “Oh joy…” She said shaking her head and went towards her tent.
    “KIRA!” Tonka shouted running towards her.
    “Not now Tonka…” Kira said quickly.
    “Kira it’s important.” Tonka said in a tone that made her worry.
    “What?” Kira said stopping in her tracks. “What’s going on Tonka?”
    “Kira… your dad… he’s really sick. While you were out he just suddenly collapsed.” Tonka said sorrowfully.
    “WHAT?!” Kira screamed and ran towards her families tent.
    “I’m sorry Kira!” Tonka shouted after her.
    Kira ran into her families tend and spotted her father in his bed with the shaman women knelt beside him and horn of a narwhal above his body.
    “Papa…” Kira said going over and kneeling beside him. “What happened to you?” She whispered.
    “Your father is in a sleep now. Resting and getting his strength back, the winds tell me he is very ill, but with what not even they know.” The Shaman women said quickly.
    “Please tell me you can cure him Taiga.” Kira said looking at the oldest person in their village.
    “I do not know child. He is weak, keep a eye on him and feed him some soup in a bit. Keep him warm and send somebody for me when he awakes.” Taiga said quickly then hobbled out of the tent.
    “Is the dragon gone?” My father whispered weakly. It was their joke from when Kira was younger and they would hide from Taiga.
    “Papa.” Kira said taking his hand gently and putting it to her face and laughing lightly. He cupped her cheek gently and rubbed his comfortingly. “Yes she’s gone and I’m supposed to tell somebody you’re awake.” Kira insisted.
    “Don’t worry child, I want to talk to you first before you send for Taiga again.” Her father insisted strongly and took Kira’s hand.
    “About what?” Kira asked, but already had an idea about what, cupping her other hand over his.
    “Kira you are my youngest daughter, and your older sisters have all gone off to other tribes to marry other leaders. I want you to marry somebody within our own village to become the next leader. Our village must have two.” He emphasized the word two making Kira flinch.
    “You want me to marry Tonka don’t you…” Kira whispered sorrowfully.
    “I would prefer Tonka, but you may choose your own husband, but if you can’t or won’t I shall pick Tonka.” Her father said and cupped her cheek again. “Tonka is a good man Kira, he’s strong brave-“
    “But he’s not for me I want somebody who can run with the wind! Who can understand me, who will treat me for who I want to be and not for who I am!” Kira said quickly taking her father’s hand.
    “Just like your mother.” Her father chuckled then coughed. “She wanted a man who could run with the wolves at night, who understood her. Somebody she loved and somebody who loved her for who she was not who she was supposed to be.” He said rubbing the back of Kira’s head. “But she didn’t find him and in the end she did marry your old father. Even though I wasn’t the man she wanted, she still loved me more than I expected and I loved her back. Then our love created you Kira.”
    “And that love made mama happier than anything until it made her sick.” Kira said sadly. “Mama died because she gave all her love and life to me.”
    “No, your mother died because she wanted to have you more than anything and she wasn’t about to let you get away.” Kira’s father said sternly. “And I’ve never been happier that she had.” He coughed again and Kira stood up and went to the tent entrance. “Tonka! Get Taiga!” Kira shouted knowing he was somewhere nearby and soon Kira spotted Tonka and Taiga coming towards the tent.
    “I’ll be back, I’m going to check on Boe and Moose…” Kira said biting back tears in her eyes and ran out of the tent.
    “Kira?” Tonka asked confused and slowly followed after her.
    “Just going to check on Boe and Moose!” Kira said quickly and ran faster.
    “Kira!” Tonka shouted and ran up to her. “What’s wrong?”
    “Let’s see Tonka.” Kira snapped. “My father is sick with something we don’t know how to fix, now I’m supposed to pick a husband so if my father dies and leaves me alone there will be two people leading the village!” Kira screamed waving her hands in the air and pointed at him. “What do you think is wrong Tonka!” She snapped at him.
    “You’ll never be alone Kira.” Tonka said quickly. “I know your father wants you to pick, and I know he hopes you’ll pick me and so do I.” Tonka said softly.
    “Tonka, I can’t pick anybody right now. I just want to be alone for once, for once I don’t want anybody to follow me I don’t want anybody to worry about me. I don’t want anybody to think that because I’m the next in line for leader that I have to be babied.” Kira hissed the whistled quickly and watched two dogs come running towards her. “Just let me be alone.”
    “Okay, just be – ” Tonka began but stopped when Kira started glaring at him. “Not too long, your father will want you back soon and I won’t tell him you went out.”
    Kira nodded her head and began walking out of the village with Boe and Moose at her sides. She wasn’t going to take a sled again, she figured the Polar Bear King would be more willing to come out if she didn’t have anything with her this time. Kira went into a light jog until she was out of site and so was the village past the dunes and a ways farther.
    “Polar Bear King!” Kira shouted looking around. “Please! Polar Bear King! I want to make a deal!” Kira shouted. A large gust of wind blew snow up into the air, knocking down Kira’s hood and there stood the Polar Bear King and he came over to her.
    “What kind of deal?” He asked intrigued.
    “I know you made my father sick… fix it and make him healthy, let me say goodbye and I’ll come with you, but you must let me return every so often to make sure he’s still okay.” Kira said quickly.
    “Yes, I did make your father sick.” The bear said sadly. “But it was not for a deal with you, a deal with another.”
    “Who?” Kira asked enraged. “Who wanted my father sick and what did they offer you?” Kira spat.
    “A man who wanted to be leader, and he offered me his first born child once he becomes leader.” The bear said quickly.
    “Tonka…” Kira growled. “Make him better and I’ll do you one better.”
    “How can you do better than a child?” The bear laughed.
    “If you make him better, I’ll stay with you forever, but let me see my father every year at this time and….” Kira cleared the tears from her face. “I’ll bare you a child.”
    The bear completely froze and began circling her slowly, ignoring Moose and Boe’s growling. “You’d give up your life, and bare a child of mine for your father and to see him once a year?” He inquired.
    “My father is all I have, if I’m gone then there is no one to lead my people, so he must be very healthy to keep leading the people. If I have a second child let it go to my village so he or she may lead the people.” Kira begged, her jaw quivering. “I can’t stand to lose my father. He’s the only person who…understands me anymore.” Kira said clearing more tears from her face.
    “I will take you to your father, prove he is healthy and we shall leave. I will also let you see him once every other month, not a year.” The bear said quickly. “Talk of the child shall come later.” He added.
    Kira bit her bottom lip and nodded her head, “Then, my father is well?”
    “Yes, come. Climb upon my back and I shall take you to see him and if and when you bare a second child it shall return here to take you fathers place before your father shall ever die. I give you my word, Kira.” The bear said sincerely. Kira nodded her head fast and climbed up onto the bears back.
    “Boe, Moose home!” Kira said and the two dogs took off running the Polar Bear King began to lightly jog back to her home. Kira couldn’t believe what she had done, or the fact Tonka had tried to kill her father. “Tonka…” Kira growled. When her village was in site, people came out of their homes to see Kira on the back of the Polar Bear King, including her father.
    “Papa!” Kira shouted and jumped off the bears back and ran to her father hugging him tightly.
    “The illness is gone, Kira.” Taiga and the bear said at the same time.
    “So you are the one who cured her father eh?” Taiga asked curiously.
    “Yes I did cure him.” The bear said then turned towards Tonka. “That is the one who – ” The bear began, but before he could finish Kira had gone over and punched him across the face sending him to the ground.
    “Why!” Kira yelled and kicked Tonka in the side before her father grabbed her pulling her away.
    “Why what?!” Tonka groaned innocently.
    “Why did you make a deal with the Polar Bear King!” Kira spat.
    “You agreed nobody would find out!” Tonka spat looking at the Polar Bear King and shakily stood up.
    “Child? What are you talking about?” Her father asked.
    “Tonka made a deal with the Polar Bear King to make you sick and die then when I never picked anybody I would have to marry him and my first child would be given to the King.” Kira hissed and tried to attack Tonka again, but her father held tight and moved her behind.
    “The girl speaks the truth.” The Polar Bear king said with a bow of his head. “The man did make a deal with me as she spoke of.”
    “How did you get better?” Tonka growled glaring at the Bear to Kira to her Father.
    Kira sighed and stepped forward slowly, “I made a deal with him, it beat yours by a long shot Tonka.”
    “Kira what did you do?” Her father asked in a worried tone.
    “I’ll be back a month after the next.” Kira choked. “And so on.”
    “Kira?” Her father asked painfully.
    “Your daughter has agreed to spend her life with me to keep you healthy till her second heir returns and you are able to teach him the ways of your people and become a new leader. You shall die a proud man of your daughter and of your grandchildren to come.” The Polar Bear King said proudly.
    “I couldn’t stand and watch you die papa. I had too…” Kira said looking down and hugged her father then turned to the bear again. “One more thing?” She asked.
    “Very well.” The bear replied.
    “Tonka shall be banished from all villages forever, and if he ever has heirs they shall not be welcome by any of the villages forever. Tonka shall never be one of us, but a lonely bear!”
    The Polar Bear flinched at Kira’s words but then gave her a look of intrigue. “Very well, Tonka shall become a bear of the north as am I and shall wonder the great tundra’s, forbidden to go near a village forever.” The Polar Bear shouted and Tonka ran off. When he looked back at Kira, she was hugging her father tightly and they were slowly walking back towards the tent. “Kira.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m just getting my things…” Kira said softly clearing tears from her eyes again. She walked into her tent and began packing things into a elk skin bag. “I’m sorry papa.” Kira cried into her father’s chest.
    “What you did was years beyond your age Kira. I will look forward to see you soon.” Her father said, his tears dripped into her hair. “What he said about children?”
    “I promised him I’d bare him two children… one for himself and one for you.” Kira said and turned away. “It was the only way I could beat Tonka’s deal.” She looked at her mother’s old necklace next to her father bed and smiled. “I love you papa.”
    “I love you too Kira.” He said and hugged his daughter once more and the rubbed noses. “Be safe… I will await your return.”
    “I’ll miss you papa.” Kira said and cleaned up her face from tears and put her hood above her head and walked towards the entrance of their tent.
    “I’ll miss you more Kira.” Her father said with an aching heart as he watched his daughter leave him.