invigorated” a voice spoke behind Sashia. She turned her head to see Finlay walking towards her her long fluffy tail waving slowly.

Sashia nodded “two weeks of long rest” she agreed happily “every good dog needs rest”

“except for her” sneered Finlay pointing with her tail. Following her gaze Sashia saw Sharnii curled up alone away from the main cluster of pack-mates “if she doesn't know how to sled in two weeks she'll die before the first week back is over”.

Sashia nodded in agreement “it will be a miracle if she even gets on the team” she sneered.

Finlay snickered “yeah”

Sashia jumped and turned her head towards the house as she head the musher come out of his house. Sashia stood up and lolled out her tongue, tail wagging, the musher always came to play with them in the mornings. But he went straight into his barn, narrowing her eyes Sashia watched him disappear into the barn and heard him fumbling around for something. A few moment later he came out with the sled and harness. Sashia tipped her head to one side “what is he doing” Sashia growled.

“Looks like he's getting ready to go out on a sled ride” growled Finlay

“Shhh” hissed Sashia as the musher began to walk towards them. She brushed her tail over Sharnii's mouth for silence.

“Good morning maties” greeted the musher as he came up to the fence. Sashia leapt up and put her paws on the fence to greet him, he smiled and patted her head. Then he called “SHARNII, SHARNII COME HERE”. Instantly Sharnii shot to her paws and trotted over to the musher. Sashia curled her lips into a silent snarl and turned to Sharnii, dropping onto all fours again. Sharnii walked past her glancing at her as she went by as if to check if Sashia was going to lunge at her. Sashia ignored her turning way from the musher and greeting the rest of her pack who was now awake. After a few heartbeats Sashia turned back around to see what was happening with Sharnii. The musher had harnessed Sharnii into the empty sled, Sashia snickered “he's teaching her how to pull a sled”.  

The rest of the pack snickered in agreement “she's probably to dumb to even pull the sled” sneered Demon “ I bet you four pieces of fish that she mucks up and just stands there”

Sashia nodded “Ha your on” she growled. Sashia turned back to watch Sharnii. The musher was a few yards in front of her repeating “come on Sharnii' pull, pull” Sharnii glanced at Sashia, her eyes narrowed, and then took off towards the musher. Sashia heard demon exclaim “Moosedung”.

“looks like you owe me four pieces of fish” reminded Sashia unnecessarily. For an answer demon just growled irritably.

Sashia turned her attention back to Sharnii once more. This time the musher was a few more yards away “mush' he instructed “bring the sled back Sharnii”. Without hesitation Sharnii leapt forward and went over to the musher.

Demon snorted “for the love of the ice spirits” he hissed “she's actually smart”

Sashia s smiled teasingly “jealous much” she teased

Demon leapt at her and clung onto her back playfully “ha, not as jealous as you” he replied.

After a brief scuffle Sashia had Demon pinned down “I win” she announced proudly.

“okay, okay you win”demon admitted playfully “now get off me you great lump” demon pushed Sashia off with his forepaw. Sashia snickered and stepped off demon.

Turning her attention back to Sharnii and the musher Sashia saw that Sharnii and the musher were heading back towards them, they were finished for the day.

The musher opened the gate and Sharnii walked in “That's all for today I'm afraid maties” the musher told them all “I have to go into town today and get some supplies for the next two weeks and send a letter to my granddaughter holidaying in Australia”

Sashia wagged her tail but she didn't care, what the musher did meant nothing to her. Sashia waited until the musher had collected his things and had headed down to the town before turning to Sharnii “you may be smarter than I expected” she hissed “but that doesn't mean your not a coward”.Sharnii ignored her and pushed through the pack “hey” snarled Sashia “don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you” Sashia shoved her way through the crowd after Sharnii. Sharnii continued to ignore her “I said come back here” snarled Sashia, she leapt into the air and over the heads of her pack-mates onto Sharnii's back. Sharnii yowled in shock and thrashed beneath her nearly throwing her off her back. With a snarl Sashia twisted her head around to sink her teeth into Sharnii's throat. Sharnii yowled again and thrashed harder desperate to free herself, but Sashia sunk her claws into Sharnii's fur and clung on “you will listen to me and never argue my orders, understand” snarled Sashia. Before Sharnii could answer, Sashia was pulled off Sharnii. Sashia struggled in the grip of her pack-mates “let me go” she snarled spittle flinging from her lips as she spoke “ill flay her for her disobedience “.

“no Sashia we can't kill her now the musher would be furious” lectured Demon, he lowered hiss voice and hissed menacingly into her ear “better to kill her in the open wilderness, the musher will never know”

Sashia nodded and focused on Sharnii, she was held back by Shrewtail and Shanook, She shrugged away from Demon and Sage, stalking over to Sharnii “ill be watching you” she warned 'so put one paw wrong and Ill shred your fur and feed it to the wolves, understand”

Sharnii looked up at Sashia with the hint of a glare in her eyes “I understand “she promised, she turned and walked over to the water trough. Sashia snorted and turned away shoving her way through the crowd once more.                                            

Chapter two – The beginning of the end

Sashia tore into her fish at the checkpoint, it had been two weeks since the team had met Sharnii. The musher had trained Sharnii every day training her to pull the sled. The last few days of the training the musher had connected Sashia and the others to the sled and they had gone for short trips down into town, into the trees and back in a small circle. The position of her pack-mates had changed slightly as Sharnii moved into the pack. Shrewtail was now one of the wheeler dogs along with Shanook Sharnii was in the middle paired up with Saffron, next in line came demon then Finlay and Sage. Sashia was alone at the head of the team.

Sashia jumped as a piece of fish dropped to the ground beside her, she looked up to see sage standing next to her “may I rest here” she asked. Sashia nodded, waving her tail invitingly. Sage settled herself beside Sashia “what do you think of Sharnii” she asked around a mouthful of fish.

“she's hopeless” Sashia snorted contemptuously “she can't walk into a sled team and expect to be perfect” Sashia snorted “I caught her trying to practice again the other day” she sneered “she hopes for things that are never going to happen”

Sage nodded chewing on the fish thoughtfully “she's a smart one though” she admitted “she figured out how to pull a sled almost immediately and she seems to really enjoy the run”

Sashia snorted “yeah whatever” she growled turning her head away from Sage

“but there is something about her that isn't right continued sage “like she's surrounded by blood and hate” sage leaned close to Sashia's ear “like she's part of a prophecy”

“you and your stupid prophecies” snarled Sashia getting to her paws “when will you learn that things just happen and dogs are just dogs, there's no destiny behind them and no prophecies” Sashia sighed angrily and stalked off to her sleeping place, leaving sage staring after her in dismay. Sashia turned her back on Sage and scrapped a large hole in the snow with her claws After she had scrapped a decent sized hole she circled a few times and then lay down. Before closing her eyes she raised her head to look around the camp, most of her pack-mates were asleep, on the edge of the sleeping pack Sharnii was awake and watching Sashia through narrowed eyes and for a heartbeat Sashia thought she saw something sinister cross through their yellow depths. Sashia just snorted and lay her head on her paws, closing her eyes in sleep

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Sashia landed squarely on Sharnii's shoulders and sank in her long claws, Sharnii bucked trying to throw Sashia off, but she hung on “then” exclaimed Sashia loudly to her watching pack-mates “you twist around and bite the opponents throat” the rest of the pack yowled around her. Sashia was demonstrating fighting moves that her farther had taught her as a pup, she'd picked Sharnii as her victim. Around her the pack yowled support.

“show us how you kill them” sneered Demon

“kill her now and get rid of the pestilence in the team” snarled