of organizing themselves into a hierarchy. For the sled dogs, there was the lead dog, while wolves had the alpha of the pack. Below the lead were the swing dogs, followed by the team dogs and then the wheel dogs in the back. As she started to build a better picture of how dogs lived, it seemed as though the biggest difference was that wolves lived wild, while dogs did not. However, that seemed to be enough to make most dogs hate wolves and vice-versa.

Aniu quickly came to enjoy the time she would spend with Amak. Even though she had only met him a couple of days before, his kind acts helped to build trust between them. She was glad that he was so open minded about wolves, because had she been found by any other dog, they probably would have killed her on sight. However, it wasn't just his noble character that she admired. As time went on, she started catching herself admiring his body, his eyes, the confident way he carried himself when walking…

"Hey, you still with me there?" he asked one night.

"Hm? Oh sorry, I guess I started to zone out a little," she replied, trying to cover the fact that she had spent most of that evening watching his sky-blue eyes.

"What is going on with me? It seems like I get excited every time I see him. I just met him and yet I can't seem to take my eyes off him. But, I have to admit, he is quite handsome; probably more so than any wolf I've seen before," she thought, "He so caring and he tells such wonderful stories. There's something else about him - I feel so safe anytime he's around. It's as though he could wrap me up in a warm embrace and…. oh there I go fantasizing again. The only other time I've heard of wolves acting like this is when they are in... love," Aniu stopped and took a moment to let that thought settle in, "Me, in love? No, it's way too fast. Or is it? Should I say something to him? No, it might put him off. Besides, I don't even know if he feels the same way about me," she thought about it and realized that over the past few days, Amak had started to act a little more affectionate towards her. Once he had even given her a small nuzzle goodnight, "Maybe he's just being nice. Besides, he's a dog and I'm a wolf; we're from two completely different worlds… even though those worlds are actually quite similar. Still, once he's gone, there wouldn't be any way that we could stay together…. or is there?"

After a few days of waiting, Aniu had recovered enough strength to leave the cave and stretch herself out. A short walk would do her some good, as she had spent the last few days lying about while recovering. She had waited until night to minimize the risk of being seen by any dogs or humans. During the walk, she passed by the cabin where she had first seen the dogs, taking care to not disturb anyone there. She noted the many small mounds in the snow, each of which held a sleeping dog. By burying themselves in the snow, dogs could trap in warmth for themselves during the cold night. It was yet another behavior that dogs and wolves shared. As she walked, she noticed a trail of prints leading away from the group of dogs and into the woods. She sniffed them and recognized the scent as Amak's. She followed it, wondering why he was wandering off on his own so late. Soon, she found him lying on his back in a clearing, gazing towards the sky and wearing a very content look on his face. She entered the clearing, and soon Amak heard the crunching of her feet in the snow.

"Hey there," he greeted when he saw it was her, "Glad to see you're up and about."

"Hello Amak. What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Just stargazing. Here, come and watch with me," he motioned at the spot next to him, so she went over and laid down on her back beside him. It was a clear night, so the stars were out, along with the greatest spectacle of all: the northern lights. She had to admit, the mood was quite romantic….. and they were all alone.

"It's a beautiful night," she started.

"Yeah, I always liked watching the lights at night," he continued, "It's like watching a dance in the sky."

"A dance?"

"See how they swirl and move in almost perfect harmony. It's like watching dancing," he said, "Though, not everyone sees the same the same thing in the lights. For some, it's just a good light show. I'm curious Aniu, what do wolves see when they look at the lights?"

"Well, when I was very young, my parents told me a story about them after I first saw them. They said that the lights in the sky are the spirits of those who have passed before us. When the lights are out, that is the when the spirits come out to watch over us and protect us," she said.

"Spirits…. I haven't heard that one before," he said, "Is that the only way the spirits appear?"

"No, there are other stories of creatures whose spirits are bound to this world, instead of being able to pass on to the next life," she replied, "Usually, it is because they have a duty they must complete in this world before passing on to the next."

"Huh, that sounds like some of the ghost stories I've heard," he said turning to her.

"I suppose they could be seen as ghosts, but they more like guides - spirit guides," she replied, turning to him as well. They gazed at each other for a moment, and she saw how the lights above reflected in his bright eyes… she looked back up at the sky, a little embarrassed, and he soon followed suit. There was a bit of an awkward silence after that, "Was he admiring me? Maybe... I know I was getting caught up in his eyes… those pretty eyes….." "Amak, what is your team like?" she put in, wanting to break the silence.

"My team? Why, they're the best group of dogs I have ever run with," he replied, "We're so close with each other that I think of them as my family."

"Really?" she asked. 

"Yes. Being the lead of the team means that I'm responsible for everyone's safety. I look out for my teammates as though they were my own brothers and sisters," he said, "Unfortunately, I lost one of them once, a few years ago."

"What happened?" Aniu asked, "Who did you lose?" 

Amak took a breath as he prepared to tell his story, "Her name was… Sierra. She was one of the swing dogs and was probably my closest friend at the time. We trusted each other so well, that I was the only one that she told… about him. You see, Sierra was in love with a… wolf."

Amak paused as he let that fact sink in. "A wolf?" she asked, "Wolves and dogs have been involved with each other before?" 

"Yes, a wolf. Sierra was kind of like me - she didn't take things at face value and met a wolf that she soon fell in love with," he continued, "I helped her keep her secret safe, but even my efforts wouldn't be enough to protect them. One night, when he tried to visit her in town, the other dogs caught them. They freaked out when they saw the wolf in town and cornered them. I heard the commotion and soon I found Sierra and her love, standing side by side while facing down the mob. At first, all they wanted was the wolf, but when they found out that Sierra was in love with him they turned on her too."

"Why? Why would they do such a thing?" she asked.

"Because, they don't want to have anything to with wolves. The prejudice against them is so strong that they don't hate just the wolves; they hate anyone who is sympathetic to them. In most of the cases where they do find someone who is involved with a wolf, they're disowned and sent away from the town," he replied.

"That's horrible! They banish them simply because of who they love?" Aniu exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, yes. The thought is, 'If you want to run with a wolf, run with them in the wild, because we don't want the wolves here.' No one wants to associate with a 'lobo-lover'."

"I'm sorry for your loss Amak," Aniu said, and she rubbed her cheek onto his shoulder to show her sympathy. His fur was so soft and comforting…. "I could snuggle up to him right here."

"Wait, that's not the end of it," Amak continued, and she broke away from his shoulder, "Even though I tried to convince them otherwise, the dogs still banished Sierra, so she went off to live with her mate's pack. The strange thing is that she left without very much fuss. I guess she loved him so much that she was willing to start over with him. A few months passed, and after I started thinking that I wouldn't see Sierra again, she returns. However, the reunion was far from happy," he paused and took a breath in, "She came back because hunters had found the pack she was with. She had managed to get away from them, but she had been fatally shot in the process. She came back to me, and in her last moments, she once again showed me how much she trusted me," he continued, "You see, while she was away, she and her wolf love had a litter of pups - half-wolf pups. On that fateful night, she brought the one pup that she could save from the hunters to me and trusted me with her care. I took that scared little pup in, and when my owners found her, they named her Sonya."

"Do the others know that she's a half-wolf?" Aniu asked.

"Sadly, yes, and they