waited a moment before answering. “Well Shanaea I guess… well, I just knew. It’s not something anyone can or should tell you. You just know it in your heart. I didn’t say anything then, but I guess I knew it when your father first met me. …maybe I didn’t realize it, but I felt it then. Just… just didn’t recognize the feelings I guess… the first time I really knew was when Luke challenged the mail team to a race.” A confused look crossed Shanaea’s face. “Why then?” She asked. “Well, during the training run before the race I was injured and unable to go with the team for the real thing.” Dusty responded. “Your father saved my life during that run and I knew he was a good friend, maybe an inkling of what he truly meant to me crossed my mind then, but not enough for me to say anything to him. After the race we learned that Luke’s plane had gone down in the storm and Balto asked your father to help him search for it, but your father refused. I saw the whole exchange and went to talk to him. He wound up going, but… but he said he never wanted to see me again.” “I can’t imagine dad saying that.” Shanaea said. “…well he did.” Dusty replied. “He was angry and sometimes we say things we don’t mean when we’re angry. Shanaea nodded. “I suppose that was when I knew I loved him.” Dusty continued. “…often we don’t truly know what we have until we don’t have it anymore, and I thought your father meant what he said.” “Well, what did you do?” Shanaea asked. “I went after him, though I was sick and injured, and I got lost in the storm. Your father saved me…. without him I’d’ve frozen to death. “ Dusty paused a moment. “…why do you ask dear?” she asked finally, already knowing the answer to her question. Shanaea sighed. “I still can’t believe what Josh said about Tiembe…. you don’t think he made it up to get us apart do you? I mean, he’s always so worried about me…” “Shanaea, I know Josh wouldn’t do that.” Dusty said. “Your older brother loves you very much, that’s why he’s so protective of you. He would never do anything to hurt you. …if he said that’s what happened, that’s what happened. Shanaea sighed again. “I know, but… but Tiembe and I were close… I can’t believe he’d want to hurt me, let alone kill me… I mean why would he do that? What motive was there?” Dusty sighed. “I don’t know dear.” She said. “I did notice you two were close, and he seemed like such a nice dog… I almost can’t believe it either.” Shanaea continued to stare out at the falling snow as she continued. “I feel like… like a part of me is gone now.” Shanaea said. “I mean… I know we didn’t know each other long, but… I don’t know… I’ve never felt like I did when I was with him.” Shanaea looked at her mother for the first time since they’d stepped outside and Dusty saw tears glimmering in her daughter’s eyes. “…will this pain ever go away mom?” She asked. “I feel like my heart has been torn in two… it hurts to breathe… to live.” Dusty stood there a moment, somewhat shocked. She’d known Tiembe and her daughter were close, but evidentially she hadn’t known how close. “It will fade with time.” Dusty said. Shanaea just nodded and turned, looking out at the falling snow once more. Dusty realized then how much her children had grown up. They weren’t pups anymore. “…and it seems like it was just yesterday they were snuggled up against me… didn’t even have their eyes open yet.” Dusty thought. “…where’d the time go?” Shanaea shivered and Dusty smiled. “…come on, let’s go back inside dear.” She said. “It’s cold and getting late. You need to get some sleep.” Shanaea nodded and followed her mother into the barn. Shanaea was walking through a darkened alley in the dead of night. She recognized it; the alley was in between the restaurant and the hotel back in her home of Nome. She looked around. The alley was in the outskirts of Nome, a place known to be home to some of the more dangerous denizens of Nome. “What am I doing here?” She thought. Then she remembered. ”I’m looking for someone…” She looked around, but could spot nothing familiar looking. Then she saw it. A hole in the side of the hotel… a dark hole… Shanaea shivered. She’d always been scared of the dark. Whoever she was looking for must have been important to her, for she disregarded her fears and ducked quickly into the hole. She couldn’t see anything, nothing. She could feel the dampness of the long vacant room, could smell the musky air, but she couldn’t see anything. Fear suddenly flooded her system. If someone was out there… she’d never be able to see them. She started to make her way to the light of the hole she’d entered fro, the only light that she could see. Suddenly she froze. A deep growl came from the darkness. Her heart started beating more rapidly and she ran toward the light, but something slammed into her side and sent her rolling in the dark, slamming into a wooden desk, knocking the breath from her. She started to stand, but a sudden weakness came over her. She didn’t know what it was caused by. After a few minutes she made it to her feet, and then she found out why she felt weak. She slipped in the blood on the floor, her blood, the blood that was pumping steadily from the side of her neck. Fear overpowered her pain, and she stood again, trying to run, but only able to half shuffle toward the light. It seemed much further away than it had before, and with every step it seemed to get further away. With a jolt of fear Shanaea realized that the hole wasn’t really getting further away, but rather she was unable to keep walking at the pace she had been… her dying brain was confusing the image… A dog stepped into the light in front of the hole. It was Tiembe. There were tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry Shay, I never wanted to hurt you.” He said. “Why did you make me do this?” Shanaea faltered and fell, unable to stand any longer. She struggled to keep her eyes open as her head got nearer and nearer to the pool of blood quickly forming under her. It had become almost impossible to hold up her head… she was so weak. Tiembe stared to walk toward her, but a third dog sailed from the darkness to slam him to the ground. The dog was black and white with brown eyes. She was a bit older than Shanaea. “…mother?” Tiembe asked. The dog nodded and then tore into Tiembe’s throat. …blood sprayed… Shanaea woke quickly, breathing hard in the aftermath of the nightmare. The dream had been different this time. It was Tiembe who had attacked her, but then another dog killed him. “…his mother.” Shanaea thought. She thought back to what her grandfather had told her when she’d first told him of the dream, when she was still just a pup. “…pay attention to your dreams young one, don’t just discard them. Sometimes Aniu speaks to us through hour dreams, warns us of things to come.” Shanaea stood up and quickly walked out of the shed into the cold night. Snow still drifted lazily from the sky. She stood there for a moment, then walked to the spot where Josh had knocked her to the sidewalk earlier that morning. ….the last place she’d seen Tiembe. Shanaea thought back to the dream, the images still fresh in her mind. “Tiembe is in trouble…” She thought. She stood there for a few moments, watching the falling snow. Then she made up her mind. She sniffed the air and caught Tiembe’s scent. Shanaea turned toward the shed. “I’m sorry.” She said aloud. “…but I have to go… no matter what happens to me.” Then she turned and ran, following the familiar scent, barely noticing as the trail turned, leading her straight to the outskirts of Nome… Shanaea walked quickly through the darkened alley’s in the outskirts of Nome. She remembered the last time she’d been in the outskirts very well, remembered the glowering brown and tan dog. “You’re such a pretty young thing.” He’d said. Shanaea had been just a pup then and hadn’t understood exactly what the dog meant by this comment. She’d thought the dog was just being nice. “…boy was I naïve back then.” Shanaea thought. Young Shanaea was about to find out what a horrible place the world could be… She got the idea of his sick intentions when he’d jumped on top of her and pinned her to the ground. She’d called for help then, hoping her brother Josh would hear her and come running. He did. Her bother sailed into the dog and knocked him off of her. Shanaea and Josh had run… they ran until they met Drake, who was the keeper of the law back then, and they told him everything. Drake told them to go home and went after Shanaea’s attacker… he’d never been found. She looked around and shivered. “That means he’s probably still out here somewhere.” She thought. Shanaea shook her head, clearing it of the memory. “That was a long time ago.” She told herself. “…besides… you’re out here looking for Tiembe, keep your mind of that. She followed the scent as it turned down the alley in between the old restaurant and the hotel. She saw the hole in the side of the hotel and prayed to Aniu that the scent trail wouldn’t lead inside… but it did. Shanaea stood outside it for a moment, then she stepped inside. “…don’t worry Tiembe, I’m coming.” She said quietly. She didn’t notice that someone was watching her as she stepped into the hole… Tiembe sighed as Shanaea’s scent reached his nose. “Why’d you have to come after me?” He asked quietly. “Why’d you have to do it Shay?” “So she came…” Ki said as she stepped up next to him. “…as I told you she would.” “Yes she did.” Tiembe said. “Then she means to destroy you.” Ki said. “…as they all do.” “…guess so.” Tiembe said. “…then you know what you must do?” Ki said. Tiembe sighed as he saw her step into the hole in the side of the old hotel he’d sought refuge from the storm in. “…yes I do mother.” He said. He sighed again. “…yes I do.” Shanaea looked around the damp room

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