from the darkness.
She turned to Raye.
“…stick close.”
Raye nodded and Aleu crept up the hill, making hardly a noise as she ascended.
When they got to the top Aleu gasped.
The valley below was filled with black wolves.
“…there must be at least two hundred of them.” Raye whispered.
Aleu sighed.
“…they’re walking west.”
“…you think they’re going to attack your Clan?” Raye asked.
“…are there any other Clans around?” Aleu asked.
“…guess not.” Raye said.
Aleu heard a new voice then, this one closer.
“Raye, stay here.” Aleu whispered. “…I’ll be right back… if for some reason I don’t return or you hear them give an alarm get out of here, okay?”
“…but there’s no way you could take all of them Aleu.” Raye whispered.
“I don’t think the addition of one more would make much difference.” Aleu said. “They’d just kill us both. …don’t try to be a hero. If something goes wrong, just get out of here as quietly as you can.”
Raye nodded.
“…be careful Aleu.”
Aleu smiled.
“…of course kid.”
Then she crept away from Raye towards a group of bushes on top of the hill.
The voices grew louder as she approached, and soon Aleu could see the forms of three black wolves standing on the other side of the bushes.
“…everything is going as planned sir.” One of them said. “…we’re making our way toward the Talbourne and should be there in about five minutes. The other three units are already in place and are simply awaiting your word.”
The bigger black wolf smiled.
“…excellent Payne. You will lead our forces to victory this night… rejoin them and report to me if anything changes.”
“Yes sir.” The wolf said.
He turned and walked back down the hill to join the flood of wolves in the valley below.
“Can I talk to you sir?” The other black wolf said.
“…what is it Jaso?” The other said.
“Sir I have to say… well, I’ve been your friend for some years now Lytion, and I must question your judgment in attacking the Talbourne.”
“…and why is that Jaso?” Lytion asked.
“Though we have them outnumbered sir they are protected by Aniu herself and all attempts to extinguish their light from this world have been met with failure, no matter what the odds. Shade himself failed in this.”
Lytion smiled.
“…Aniu will pose no problem this night, nor will she be able to stick her nose into our affairs… my father is even now taking care of that.”
Aleu gasped and the wolves turned.
“What was that?” Jaso asked.
Lytion closed his eyes.
Aleu felt a calming sensation come over her.
“…Aniu?” Aleu thought.
Then it was gone and Aleu knew she was alone once more.
“…I sense nothing.” Lytion said. “…must’ve been the wind.”
Aleu crept silently away from the bushes and back to Raye.
“…well?” Raye whispered.
“…we have to get out of here.” Aleu said. “…I’ll tell you later.”
Raye nodded and followed Aleu as she crept down the hill.
When they reached the bottom Aleu turned to Raye.
“…try to keep up.” She said.
Then Aleu turned east and started running back toward the river.
Raye followed.
It didn’t take long for Aleu to make it to the cave she had in mind.
It was about six miles south of the cave.
She crept silently up to the entrance and looked around, but if anyone was there Aleu could not see, hear, or smell them.
“It seems safe.” Aleu said.
She stepped into the cave and walked back into it a ways.
Raye followed.
“Aleu, do you mind telling me what we’re doing here?”
“We’re spending the night here.” Aleu said.
“…but… but the Shadow Clan is headed for the Talbourne… aren’t they?”
Aleu sighed and nodded.
“…yeah kid… yeah they are.”
“Then what are we doing here?” Raye asked. “We should be warning them!”
Aleu shook her head. “…you saw how many of them there were didn’t you?”
“Yeah I did.” Raye said.
“That’s only one unit.” Aleu said. “I overheard their Alpha talking… there are two more already in place… if you were seen at the cave… it’d just trip the attack that much sooner. We wouldn’t be able to warn them of anything… at least this way Timbre’s unit might be able to make it back to the cave before they attack.”
“How can you just abandon them?” Raye asked.
“I’m not abandoning them.” Aleu said. “I promised your mother that I would take care of you, that I would keep you safe… taking you into a war zone is hardly what I’d call safe.”
“…but it’ll be a massacre!” Raye said.
Aleu sighed.
“It… it would be whether we were there or not… but yes, I fear you are right.”
“…but what about your family?” Raye asked.
Aleu sighed.
“Raye… I hate to leave them but… but Shadow is a great fighter… and I doubt the cave will fall in one night.”
“…that’s cold Aleu.” Raye said. “…don’t you love them? What if they’re killed!”
“Raye that’s enough!” Aleu said. “…I know it’s cold but y’know what, that’s life Raye. You’ll learn when you’re an Alpha… you have to look at the big picture, no matter how important the small one seems to be… we’re going to go back, just not tonight.”
“…when then?” Raye asked.
“…tomorrow.” Aleu said.
She sighed.
“The fight tonight will be bad, there’s no doubt of that… but the Clan shouldn’t fall the first night… we’re stronger than that… we’ll go back tomorrow morning before they counter-attack.”
Raye nodded.
“Aleu… Aleu I’m sorry.”
Aleu shook her head.
“It’s okay kid.”
Raye sighed.
“…thank you, for coming after me… tonight I mean.”
“You’re welcome kid.” Aleu said. “…now, it’s going to be a long day tomorrow… let’s just get some sleep.”
Raye nodded and Aleu laid down, wincing as her injured leg touched the floor.
“Are you going to be alright Aleu?” Raye asked.
Aleu yawned.
“Yeah kid… I’ve been hurt worse.”
Raye walked over and laid down beside Aleu.
Soon the two of them were sound asleep.
Chapter 3
Balto walked down the icy sidewalk of Nome. He was on his way to see Jenna.
He and Luke had just returned from another trip in his plane and he was running a little late.
“…I’m running a lot late…” Balto thought.
He turned the corner and could see Jenna’s home just down the street. Balto picked up his pace a little and soon he was standing in front of the old two story house.
Balto walked up the steps in the front and stepped through the doggy door.
He took a few steps inside and then stopped and smiled.
Jenna was curled up on the couch. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply, caught in the throes of sleep.
Balto walked quietly over to the couch and crawled up beside her, snuggling close to her.
He looked at her for a moment, taking this quiet moment to reflect on how beautiful she was and how truly lucky he was to be with her.
After a few minutes he gently nudged her and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled.
“Hey Balto…” She said.
Jenna yawned.
“…running a little late aren’t you?” She said with a smile.
Balto sighed.
“Yeah, sorry about that; we hit a bad patch of weather on our way back. It cost us some time.”
“It’s alright.” Jenna said. “I’m just messing with you.”
Balto smiled and nuzzled her.
“I know.”
Jenna yawned again.
“…are you tired?” Balto asked. “I can leave if you’d like to get some sleep. I can come back tomorrow.”
Jenna shook her head slowly.
“No, I’m fine. I want you here.”
Balto smiled and Jenna laid her head on his shoulder, cuddling close to him.
“How’d your trip go?” Jenna asked.
“As good as can be expected…” Balto said. “…other than that storm of course.”
“…well that’s good.” Jenna said.
“Yeah…” Balto responded.
“I’m glad to be back Balto.” She said. “I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Balto smiled.
“I’m glad to have you back Jenna… it was hard for me to live without you.”
Jenna smiled and snuggled closer to him.
“You know Balto… out of all the things we’ve done and seen together… I think the times like this are best. …when we’re here together, just you and I with no worries or concerns… just us.”
Balto nodded.
“Yeah… I agree.”
“I love you Balto.” Jenna said.
Balto looked at her and smiled.
“I love you too Jen…”
Jenna sighed.
“Balto… can you promise me something?”
“What’s that Jen?” Balto said.
Jenna looked up at him.
“…that you’ll never leave me.”
Balto smiled and laid his head across Jenna’s neck.
“I promise.” Balto said.
Balto laid there a moment longer and before he knew it he and Jenna had drifted off to sleep.
Snow was steadily drifting from the sky as a group of wolves came over the top of the hill. Though it was partially concealed by the falling snow, the wolves could see the cave’s main entrance where Shadow still stood guard.
Timbre for one was glad. His unit was just now returning from a twenty-four hour stint outside the cave during which it had been their mission to locate and destroy the group of black wolves who’d been attacking them as of
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