stay strong. She stayed strong for him and for her children. Alone, she was only able to take down small game, but it was enough to keep her going in the days ahead.

"I will…… always look out for you…… while dancing…… with the spirits."

Every night, she would look up at the sky hoping that the northern lights would be out. They didn't come every night, but when they did, she would imagine that Amak was in them, watching over her and making sure that she was safe. Even though Amak would be watching her with the other spirits, he could not be there to physically protect her from danger. Despite the best efforts of him and her other packmates, she was still in danger. Mayak was still out there, and it didn't take him long to realize that he had been deceived. Every now and then, she would hear him howl as he tried to find her. He seemed to be alone, as she never heard the howls of her other packmates, but the fact that he was still out there terrified her.

Many days after her flight, she heard the sound of paws running across the ground. They were coming towards her and they were moving fast. There was only one wolf it could have been - Mayak. She broke into a run to try to lose him, but he was still gaining on her. Her stomach had swelled a little more over the past few days; a sure sign she was with puppy, and that slowed her progress. With every second, she could hear him getting closer. Finally, she broke through the brush and was faced with a swift river in front of her. Soon, Mayak broke out of the brush as well, and the two wolves faced off against each other.

"Aniu, stop!" he growled, "Come on, we can't do this forever."

"You're right, we can't, so why don't you leave me alone!" she barked.

"I'm afraid I can't do that Aniu," he said, "You ruined me. My own pack betrayed me and tried to lead me away. When I realized their deception, they turned on me and cast me out! You turned them against me!"

"I did no such thing," she replied as she edged towards the river, "If they cast you out, then that's because they didn't see you as a leader. They saw you as what you are – a murderer!"

"I only killed that husky because his kind are a threat to us!" he yelled, "I can't believe you fell in love with a flea-bitten dog like that." 

"Well believe it or not, I did love him and he loved me!" she cried, "Just because someone loves another isn't a good enough reason for a wolf to kill another. You're nothing but a petty psychopath!" she cried, causing him to snarl. She took a few more steps closer to the river. She would have to act fast if she was going to escape him.

"Shut up! You betrayed me for a dirty husky and what's worse, you're carrying his mongrel children," he growled, "They won't be all dog, but they won't be all wolf either. No wolf would accept them, and neither will the humans. They'll be nothing; in fact, killing them might actually be a mercy to them."

"You're insane!" she screamed, "Only a sick, perverted wolf would think that killing innocent pups would be a service to the world." she edged closer to the river bank and felt her paw brush the shore. She needed only a few more seconds…

"Give it up Aniu, there's nowhere you can run," he warned.

"Don't be so sure," she replied before jumping backwards, right into the river. The swift current pulled her away and she pushed her head above the surface to see Mayak running to try to catch her. The current was pushing her faster than he could run and Aniu laughed as he grew more and more distant.

"You may be laughing now, but I won't stop!" he shouted, "You betrayed me Aniu, and you will pay! You can run, you can hide, but I'll never stop…" he kept on shouting, but he was soon drowned out by the sound of crashing water. She looked down the river and gasped when she saw only open sky ahead. It was a waterfall; the same current that had saved her from Mayak was now drawing her towards a sheer drop. She tried desperately to swim to the opposite shore, but the current was too strong and she was pushed over the edge.

Going over a waterfall was a very curious sensation for her. One moment, she was supported by the water beneath her, and the next, nothing. In reality, she was constantly gaining speed in free fall, but in her terror, she seemed to fall very slowly, as though time itself had slowed down. The fall felt like an eternity, with the lake below gradually growing larger and larger until it filled her entire field of vision. Moments before impact, she could even see the fish darting away from her falling form. And then, it all went black.

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The first thing that woke her up was not the sound of the river beside her, nor was it the feel of the grass under her body. Instead, it was a soft kicking at her underside. As she gradually came too, she realized that the kicking was actually coming from inside of her. She was startled at first, having never felt anything like this before, but soon she realized what it was. It was her cub or cubs kicking, probably in protest from being flung over a waterfall. She cried out in joy; it was the first signs of the life within her, and it was kicking strong.

The kicks calmed down after a few minutes and she finally worked up the strength to get up and take in her surroundings. Every part of her ached from the impact with the water, but all things considered, she was in very good shape. She looked around and saw that she was on the bank of the river, and far upstream was the cliff with the waterfall. She had been pushed downstream several miles by the current while unconscious. She sniffed the air, and there was no sign of Mayak. There was only the smell of the trees and the mist from the river. Another kick from inside her urged her to get moving, and so she started to follow the river.

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Aniu followed the river for several more days. She kept on moving, partially out of a fear of Mayak, and partially to find a safe haven to settle down. She was growing every day and would soon need to find a den site to settle into to have her pups. There was plenty of small game for her to hunt in the early spring, which was fortunate as she was eating for more than one now.

Soon the forest ended, and she could only see a flat expanse. She had followed the river to its end at the sea, and on the shore she could see another human town. There was no other place for cover, so she approached the town slowly, veering off to the east. On the side of a hill, she found a sheltered bay, which had an old, ruined, something lying on the beach. It seemed to be of human design, but it didn't look like any of the human homes she had seen before. Nonetheless, it was empty and could provide shelter, so she decided settle in.

What she had settled in was an old fishing trawler that had been beached in a storm many years ago. The town that she had found was one Amak had suggested they try to reach. Aniu may have taken a detour while evading Mayak, but in the end, she made it to Nome.

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At first, she was still on her guard, expecting Mayak to come out at any moment. When she wasn't out hunting, she would perch herself on the bow of the boat and keep watch for anything that might be approaching. Days grew into weeks, and there was still no sign of him. The winds didn't bring traces of his scent, and she wouldn't hear his howl in the night, "Maybe he thought I had perished when I went over the waterfall. If he thinks I'm dead….. then that means I'm free. I'm free to live my own life and to raise my pups." 

She knew that the time for her pups to be born was getting close and finally, in mid-spring, the day came. Truth be told, giving birth was one of the most painful experiences in her life, as it probably is with most mothers. Aniu felt like her entire body was on fire as she pushed, but her pain and effort would not go unrewarded. Soon, she was licking the tiny brown body of a male cub as he nursed. From the start, she thought that he looked like a miniature version of Amak. He had the same fur markings, but her son had lighter brown fur on his underside and bright yellow-gold eyes. While most wolves have litters with many pups, he was the only one she had been carrying. This made him all the more special to her, and she vowed that she would do everything in her power to protect him.

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Her young son's youth flew by much like her own did. One day, he was a defenseless pup, dependent on her for food and warmth. Another day, she woke up to find he had toddled down to the beach to chase a butterfly around. Soon he was becoming quite a handful for her, always wanting to go off and explore new areas.

"Oh, what will I do with you?" she asked, as she carried him back home for the umpteenth time.

"Um, let me run around?" he replied.

She chuckled a little at his remark, "Nice try kiddo, but you should stay here when I'm not around."

"Aww, but I want to run around," he whined. 

They returned to the boat and soon, she heard the sound of barking approaching. She recognized it instantly as a dog team, but her son was unfamiliar with the sound and darted under her for safety.

"Momma, what is that?" he asked nervously.

"It's only a dog team my son. Come, let's go watch them," she said and took him over to the side of the boat to watch the passing team. They