eyes.

Later that night, everyone except Aleu was sleeping. She didn't get any sleep. And Aleu felt that the encounter had to do something with her and her family. She walked to the calm water again.

Once she walked to the edge of the small cliff like she had a night ago, she saw her reflection in the water. Then red and gray color morphed into Balto and Jenna. Aleu smiled to them although her eyes watered in sadness.

''Am I ever going to return home?'' Aleu asked, realizing that this wasn't a dream, instead it was real.

Then, an another red color morphed, but a little bit darker than Jenna's. It morphed into the dark-red husky. Aleu recognized the husky.

''Kodi?'' Aleu asked as Kodi nodded.

''It's been so long since you've left, Aleu.'' Kodi replied to Aleu. These words pierced straight through her again. Not only her parents missed her, but her siblings were missing her as well.

A tear rolled down Aleu's face and it fell into the water. As it fell down, Balto, Jenna and Kodi dismorphed into the colors and disappeared.

Aleu watched into the water for some more and then she returned to the pack to go to sleep.
Later...

''Aleu, you were talking in your sleep again.'' Kenai said, nudging Aleu as the sun had risen.

''No, I didn't.'' Aleu declined, but Kenai knew she did.

'You were saying things like mama and papa again. And I heard you saying Kodi in your sleep.'' Kenai said.

Aleu blushed upon Kenai's words. She kept saying it was nothing, but Kenai didn't want to stop yet. Aleu was starting to act distantly lately.

Every night, Aleu would stay awake until she'd go to the water. Then she'd see the colors morphing into her parents first, then into her siblings as well.

As the days passed, Aleu was feeling even more homesick, sadder and more distant. She felt sorry for running away two years ago without saying goodbye to anyone except her father.

On the sixth evening, as the wolves were finishing the remaining meal of the caribous they had hunted few days ago, Kenai went to Kalhi to ask him something.

''Kalhi. I need your help.'' Kenai said.

''What'd it be, Kenai?'' Kalhi asked.

''Aleu's been acting distantly lately.'' Kenai said. ''I asked her what's wrong but she doesn't want to tell me. All I want is to help her.''

''Maybe she's been missing to someone or something.'' Kalhi said. ''Don't give up immediately. She'd feel easier if she tells you. You seem to be closer to her, I noticed.''

Kenai blushed at Kalhi's words. How could Kalhi think that he was having crush on Aleu?

Later that night, the whole pack was sleeping. Even Aleu managed to fall asleep that night. She had a dream.

She was in Nome, again. She felt some kind of joy, thinking she'd see her family again. She walked down the streets, hoping to find her father again.

As she was looking down the street for him, she noticed dark red husky and an another one, gray husky. One of them was none other else than...

''Kodi!'' Aleu yelled happily. But Kodi didn't respond to her, much to her disappointment.

As she came to Kodi and his friend, she realized that they could not see her.

''I remember before we met, how I'd play with my brothers and sisters on the beach. One of them used to howl.'' Kodi said to gray husky.


''Howl?'' A gray husky,  Dusty asked. ''Kodi, all of you siblings are like your mom. They don't have any wolf part in themselves.''

''I know.'' Kodi replied. ''But... I remember I had an another sister. She was more like my dad. I wish I could see her again. I'm missing her.''

These words struck Aleu in greater sadness. Kodi was indeed missing her so much.

''I miss you too, Kodi...'' Aleu said, at the verge of the tears.

Aleu couldn't hold it anymore. Her family was missing her, and she was far away from them. She wished that she was home, with her family again.

Aleu woke up, but without opening eyes, and then she began crying. She couldn't hold it anymore. She had to let the sadness out of her. She cried for her family all the night.

Then, in the dawn...

''Aleu? Are you OK?'' Kenai asked Aleu, noticing that there were tears rolling down Aleu's eyes.

''What...? Yeah, I am...'' Aleu said, sobbing.

''Aleu.'' Kenai said. ''I know that there is something bothering you. Please, just tell me what it is. Please, I can help you.''

Aleu realized that she was not going to progress any further with hiding her problems. She exhaled and prepared to tell Kenai what was bothering her all the time.

But then...

''Aleu!'' Kalhi said, running to her. ''Gather the pack! The caribous are going to run away!''

''Run away?'' Kenai said. ''Where they could run away?''

The three wolves ran towards the cliff and noticed caribous on the beach. Then, they noticed an ice bridge forming in the distance.

''An ice bridge!'' Kenai said. ''Where is it going to take caribous? Is it going to take us somewhere as well?''

''It's going to take both them and us to the Mainland!'' Kalhi said.

Aleu was surprised to hear that. The Mainland was nothing else than the land she was born in was Alaska. The ice bridge was going to lead her home!

Aleu howled confidentially, thus gathering all the wolves to the cliff and witnessing the ice bridge forming.

Soon enough, the ice bridge reached the beach and the caribous got onto the bridge and headed towards the other end of the bridge, to Alaska.

''Everyone! Let's go! We must not let them run away!'' Aleu yelled. Then she, Kenai, Kalhi and the rest of the wolves got on to the bridge and ran after caribous. They were returning to Alaska.

Chapter 20: Return to Alaska
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Both caribous and the wolf pack were running on the ice bridge for hours. The Other Land was far behind them, as if they were running all days.

As it seemed that they all wouldn't make it before the ice bridge would de-form, Kenai spotted a land in front of him. It was very familiar to him.

''We're almost to the Mainland, Aleu!'' Kenai shouted behind Aleu.

''Yes!'' Aleu shouted ''I see it, Kenai!''

Then, caribous jumped off the ice bridge and landed on the beach from where they had gone to Other Land two years ago. Then, they were followed by the wolf pack.

''That one is mine!'' Kenai shouted as he jumped at the nearest caribou, biting him in the neck, causing him to collapse.

''Nice one, Kenai.'' Aleu said, standing above her caribou.

Then, an another caribou collapsed down.

''Hah, gotcha!'' Kalhi said, as he had taken down his caribou.

''I wonder how's the pack doing.'' Aleu asked.

''I can say that they're doing it fine.'' Kalhi said, as he turned towards the other wolves, who had taken plenty of the caribous. The remaining ones sheltered themselves in the forest nearby.

As they ran into the forest, Kenai looked at the rocky beach he used to live until he had moved to the Other Land two years ago. He was back home.

Later...

The sun was slowly setting, wolves were either eating caribou flesh or resting at the rocky beach. Kenai laid down next to Aleu, who was resting as well.

''Hey, Aleu.'' Kenai greeted her.

''Hi, Kenai.'' Aleu replied, uninterested.

''It sure feels great to be back home.'' Kenai said.

''It sure does.'' Aleu replied, with a depressed tone this time.

''Is something wrong?'' Kenai asked, then he remembered what had happened in the dawn. Aleu still hadn't answered to him.

''Kenai...'' Aleu said, as the tear rolled down her face. ''I'll tell you what's been bothering me these days...''

Aleu took a deep breath and tried to calm down, although she couldn't force her tears back.

''It's been so long since I had seen my family, my papa the most. I wonder if he's been waiting to see me again...'' Aleu said.

''I'm sure he's missing you too.'' Kenai said. ''I understand, Aleu. I suggest you to get some sleep. We've been running all day.''

''You're right.'' Aleu said, finally calming down. ''Good night, Kenai.''

Aleu went to sleep, while Kenai was still awake. Then, all other wolves, including Kalhi, went to sleep. Kenai was the last one to go to sleep.

Kenai had a dream. He was standing in the snow, while some more was falling. Kenai had no idea where he was nor what was happening.

Then, he saw a pair of brown eyes looking at him in distance. He headed towards the eyes and when he was near them, he saw a large white canine. It didn't look like wolf after all, more like husky.

''Who... who are you?'' Kenai asked the large white husky.

The white husky began chanting to him. Kenai listened to her chant. It was beautiful voice. But, the voice didn't matter to him. Only thing that mattered to him were the names in the chant the husky said.

When the husky ended chanting, it transformed into raven and flew away. Kenai looked at it until it disappeared. Then he saw a light in a