what did he say?" Gracie said, repeating Krieger.
"He said, I am the father of five, pure German Shepherd Dog. I assure you, Baron is dead." Leon sighed. "But that doesn-"
"AHA!" Gracie yelled, excitement rising in her voice. Everyone stared at her. "We're three of his pups guys." She motioned to Ares and Rue. "So, who are the other two?"
"That's it!" Krieger yelped. "Ares, Shakespeare wanted you to join his side to kill," Krieger started. "He's gotta be keeping two pups somewhere, planning for them to join his side," he finished. Rue joined in.
"Akira's gotta be the mother of those pups, otherwise why would she be with them?" Rue panted with her addition. Ares finally understood.
"They gotta be back in that cabin," Ares added.
"And that means we're going back in," Krieger barked.
"Not you guys," Gracie started. "Me, I have to go back in, to prove my father wrong and end this war." All of the dogs shot worried glances around the group.
"But you can't Gracie," Krieger yelped. "You'll never make it back out!" Gracie covered his mouth.
"I can and will," Gracie stated. "But I do want Leon along."
"Wha?" Leon stood shocked. "I don't wanna go!"
"Leon, I want you to go and personally tell my father that Baron is alive and he is going to have to step down," Gracie calmly replied. "All the rest of you, get back to camp." She sighed. "I'll bring the pups back with me, and I will return." She turned to go and Leon plodded behind her, but she looked back over her shoulder. "But on the slight chance that I don't," Gracie stated defiantly. "Then I died doing what I wanted to die doing." A tear fell from Rue's working eye and she turned to leave, with the others behind her. Gracie and Leon broke into a sprinting run back toward the cabin.
When Gracie and Leon had reached the door, there was no mistake the two were still home. Voices boomed from the inside, vibrating the snow under where the dogs were standing. Angry voices.
"How could you let them get away, Akira?" A voice belonging to Shakespeare screamed.
"It was you, MASTER," Akira hissed. "But what does it matter? We still have our future."
Outside, Leon nodded to Gracie and mouthed 'their future.' Gracie understood and braced her self to knock the door over with all her strength. The pups were their future and she had to find them.
"Wait, Gracie!" Leon quietly snapped. She turned to him. "Look!" He pointed. "There's a back door!" Light flooded out of the warm room Leon had pointed to, perfect for the keeping of puppies. "But one of us is going to have to distract them from the front," Leon sighed.
"I'll do it!" Gracie barked.
"No!" Leon blocked her chest from moving with his paw. "Let me." The glimmer in his eyes suggested he wasn't going to change his mind. "Wait for me to jump in and shock them, then you grab the pups and run!"
"You got it," Gracie nodded. Leon braced and then slammed himself into the door, smashing it to pieces. Inside, Gracie heard a startled yelp and a deep bark. She took this time to sprint in to the back room, the light blinding her eyes and then she skidded into a basket. She shook her head and opened her eyes. What she saw made all her insides go warm. Two beautiful wolf and German Shepherd Dog mixes were romping around in the basket, biting one another's ears, happily pouncing and whining. So innocent and yet they didn't even know what was planned for them. Gracie shot her head back up when she heard a sharp yelp she knew could only belong to Leon. But she closed her eyes and persevered, picking up the pups by the scruff of their necks. Tears were now streaming down her face because she knew Leon was in trouble. She scrambled out the door, pups in her mouth, snow being sprayed everywhere from her awkward running lope. Then she heard a high voice that made her stop in her tracks, set down the pups, and cock her head to listen.
"Gracie, please help me!" A high voice whined.
"Rue?" Gracie yelped frantically, tossing her head this way and that, now in panic mode.
"Sis, help!" the voice whimpered.
"Rue!" Gracie barked. "Where are you?" Her heart was pounding so hard it was audible outside her chest. Tears were now pouring down her face as her hackles raised and she snarled out of frustration and confusion. Then she saw white fur glinting from behind a tree. "What have you done with Rue, Akira?"
"For me to know and you to never find out, helpless mutt," Akira growled. Gracie showed her fangs and beckoned Akira to start a fight.
"I will find out, if it's the last thing I do, WOLF!"
"Hand over the pups and your sister will live, stupid one," Akira snarled. Akira had Gracie there when she spotted a gray and white blur shoot through the air.
"There is no Rue! Take the pups and run, Gracie!" barked the voice, she soon recognized as Krieger. Krieger landed on Akira's back leg from which Ares had crushed earlier that day and a piercing scream broke through the forest. Crows scattered from every tree in sight. Gracie scooped up the pups and ran deep into the forest, not quite sure what direction she was heading. Her heart was leaping into her throat and it seemed like she was choking on her own tongue, but still she ran. Gracie's paws burned as she smashed into something furry, causing her to drop the pups. She lifted her throbbing head and looked into her Father's eyes. He grinned and showed his teeth.
"Give back our future... and your future for that matter," Shakespeare said calmly. Gracie's fur raised along her back and she snarled. Her tail got all spiked up and her withers raised.
"Never, Dad!" yelled Gracie, clearly disgruntled. She moved the pups with her paw to behind her front leg and stood in front, protecting them. "They have a better future with us!"
"With who?" Shakespeare sneered. "A bunch of mutts who don't even know who they are?"
"We know who we are!" Came a defiant bark from behind. Krieger stepped to Gracie's side and growled at Shakespeare. "We're Baron, Gracie, Rue, Ares, Leon, and Krieger. Pure blooded heroes, all the way to the bone!" He motioned to the pups. "And this future is for the greater good!" Krieger snapped. Gracie chuckled quietly. What a cheesy hero speech, she thought to herself. Krieger gave her a look and she resumed her protecting of the pups.
"There is no Leon. Not anymore," Shakespeare smirked. "He's off to see Hades."
"No! He can't be dead!" Gracie yelped. "He's too smart for that!"
"Not dead, mutt!" Akira limped up, dragging her hind leg behind her. "Perhaps Hades is not the god himself but a dog of a different kind." Akira grinned. Gracie pressed her ears against her head and revealed all of her teeth.
"He was kidnapped!" Gracie yelled, enraged. Akira and Shakespeare smiled but not for long as Krieger pounced and smashed them into a pine tree.
"Go, Gracie!" He yelled. Gracie grasped the pups and threw them onto her back, too tired to carry them by mouth and the two dogs raced back to camp to join the others.
The everlasting fire burned bright in the sunset, mimicking the many colors of the horizon. The team all sat in a circle next to it with the pups in the middle, all except Leon. It took a lot of explaining on Gracie's part on where Leon was, and the group mourned for the longest time before finally settling for what they had now. Ares fondled the little boy pup and Rue played with the girl one.
"We need names," Baron said sweetly, now revived but with several scars across his body. Krieger smiled.
"They better be good ones," Krieger added happily. "Because they're our future." Gracie laughed.
"How about Denali for the boy?" Ares suggested, wagging his tail. "You know, like the island off Alaska."
"It's perfect for our future little sled dog," Baron said, beaming. Denali panted and lolled his tongue out of his mouth, clearly happy with his new
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