his head just long enough to shake it. “No, Dad. I don't know how to get it across to you, but I'm not interested in tracking or running. Forget it.”

Out in the street, Chief Scotty was getting impatient. “Come on, Rex,” he snapped, yanking at the leash. “There's no time to rally every dog in town.”

“Toby!” barked Rex. “We have to go!”

Toby didn't want to risk a child's life, but neither did he want to see his son's life wasted. “Look, is this all you're going to do with your li-”

“Yes, my life,” snapped Melchior, rising to his feet. He made his way to where Toby stood until they were nose-to-nose through the fence. “I know I've got your nose and Mom's legs and I'm somehow some born tracking machine, but I'm not you, Dad. Tracking is your thing, not mine. Running was your dream, not mine. Now leave me alone!” And with that he stomped back over to his doghouse and dropped to his stomach with the finality of a grand piano.

Pain welled in Toby's eyes. Pain, and anger. None of the pups had ever spoken to him like that before except Angel. “Melchior...” he said one last time.

“Toby!” barked Rex. The chief's tugs on the leash were becoming sharper and more incessant.

Melchior didn't give so much as a glance. “You go be the hero, Dad. I'll hold down the fort. It's what I do best.”

With a deep sigh, Toby withdrew his head and set out to join the search.

They walked for hours. All of them wanted to go faster, but the trail was thin and sometimes escaped them entirely. Often they found places where she had tried and failed to retrace her steps, making it all the harder to guess which way she had gone. They had to go slowly to keep from losing the scent, but every minute the snow on the ground got thicker and the traces became harder to find.

At last, they reached what every tracker dreads: a dead end. “There's got to be a scent here somewhere,” said Toby anxiously, sniffing the ground and then the air.

Rex studied the ground with a defeated expression. “We may have to write this one off as a loss, son. There's at least a foot of snow fallen since she was reported missing, and wherever she is she's almost bound to have frozen by now.”

Toby shook his head. “We have to try. There's still one chance.” And with that he threw back his head and howled, a mingle of deep hound notes and the higher alto of a husky.

Rex at once seized on the idea, but stopped him. “Howling will never do. If she's still in earshot, she'll think we're wolves. Bark.”

So they did, starting in one direction and then turning away from each other until they had barked in a full circle. Then they stopped, ears poised to listen.

The chief seemed to get the idea, and when no call answered he reached inside his parka and pulled out a whistle carved from elk bone. He blew a forceful blast, then cupped his hands to his mouth and bellowed out at the top of his voice, “Lisa! Can you hear me?”

Everyone stood, riveted to their spots. They tried turns of barking, whistling, and shouting. The chief even fired his gun into the air a few times, all to no avail. At last he lowered his head. “Come on you two,” he sighed in defeat. “We'd best get on home.”

Toby turned to leave. Rex started to as well, then stopped abruptly, pulling up short on the leash. “Listen,” he wuffed.

The chief turned to him. “Rex, we've done all we can. We have to get back to Nome.”

Rex ignored his master and turned toward the west, listening intently. Toby joined him, ears forward, straining to hear any trace of sound. For a long, agonizing second, there was nothing. Then the wind blew in their faces and carried with it the slightest bit of sound, like a human voice.

“That must be her!” barked Rex, bolting toward the voice. Toby ran beside him, and the chief, who had Rex's leash wrapped tightly around his wrist, had no choice but to follow as fast as his footwear would allow.

“I knew there had to be a chance!” barked Toby ecstatically.

Rex beamed at him. “Remind... me...” he panted between bounds, “...to put you... in... for a medAAAL-!”

That was all he got out before the ground suddenly vanished from under their feet and left them tumbling headlong into a steep ravine.

After Toby left, Luna had decided to stop in on Caspar and see how he was doing after the fight. She fussed a little over Melchior's injuries, but in the end she satisfied herself that no permanent harm had been done.

“I just don't get him,” Caspar complained. “It's like he hates me or something.”

Luna shook her head. “I think he just felt kind of pressured, and you were the straw that broke the camel's back.”

Caspar tilted his head in befuddlement. “The straw that broke the what?”

“It's an expression. It's like, if you pile enough weight on top of someone, even if it's just a little at a time, eventually it will be too much for them to take. And apparently you were the last little thing that put him over the edge.”

“Oh.” Caspar went from confused to crestfallen. “I didn't mean to do that.”

“Of course you didn't,” she answered softly. “You've got a gift for leadership, so it's only natural that you want to bring out the best in others, especially your own family. Unfortunately you can't lead someone who isn't willing to follow. It's like trying to make someone drink water. You could shove their face in a bowl until they drown, but if they refuse to drink, you won't get anything done – except ticking them off.”

Caspar nodded. “Well, it sure happened that way with Mel. So how do I get someone to want to listen to me?”

She shrugged. “Well, a lot of times you can't. I think Melchior has a much more serious problem, and there's not much you can do about it. It's going to take a lot to convince him to make something of his life.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know. Your father probably stopped by on his way out of town, but if I know that boy, he...”

Caspar's ears shot up. “Dad's out of town? Why... when?”

“Calm down, calm down,” Luna interrupted. “Grandpa Rex stopped by Toby's a while ago on his way out to look for a lost girl. They should be back...” she glanced at the clock on the mantle. “Hmm...”

“What?” asked Caspar.

Luna started. “Oh, just that they should be back soon. You know what a good team they make.”

Caspar nodded, knowing there was more. “Uh-huh...”

Luna didn't want her son to worry, but she now realized that Toby had been gone quite a while, and the weather outside was getting a lot worse. “Well, it's getting late. I'd better get home before Connie gets worried.”

“Yeah, and a detour into the woods is going to eat up time.”

Luna blinked. She had forgotten how perceptive Caspar was getting to be. “Yes, I suppose I should go out and look for him. Just promise me you won't.”

Caspar sat. “I won't, Mom. I know better than to go out into a blizzard.”

She smiled. “Good boy.”

“Besides, I know all about the last time you went out looking for him, and that worked out just fine.”

Luna turned and headed out the pet flap, thanking him for the vote of confidence. She was going to need all she could get.

“Toby? Toby!” Luna wandered deeper and deeper into the woods, hoping, praying for some sign of her mate. But there was nothing. No tracks, and no scent. It was as if he, his father, and the chief had simply vanished without a trace.

She hesitated, weighing her options. She could ask for help, but this time of year more than any other was a dicey time to ask wildlife for anything. Food and fat had to be conserved, and survival often took precedence over charity. Still, she couldn't see that she had a choice. Lifting her muzzle to the skies, she howled a long and loud call of distress.

It seemed an eternity before the call was answered. First one howl, then another, coming nearer. Most if not all were males, by the sound of it. That worried her. Female wolves would be more likely to sympathize with her, whereas the more protective males might consider Toby to be a competitor and a threat to their pack. But they were her only chance.

Soon half a dozen wolves, all lean and hungry, appeared from the woods. As she had guessed, they were male. “You interrupted our hunt,” growled one, skipping the usual greeting and introduction. “What do you want?”

“My name is Luna, daughter of Copper and Taya, great-granddaughter of Aniu,” she said, doing her best to feel no fear. The mention of Aniu's name was usually enough to garner help from any wolves who had met her or knew of her, but no recognition showed in the wolves' eyes. “I'm looking for two dogs and a man who were trying to find a lost child. Have you seen anyone?”

The lead wolf shook his head. “There hasn't been any man-stink in this part of the woods for months, and you're the first dog we've seen this year. Their sleds never pass this way; that's why we settled in these parts.”

Luna nodded, dipping her head low in respect. “Thank you.”

“You should