think I know who they are, and if I’m right, they’re bad news. We need to get back to the clan, and soon!”

Saba nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Then let’s go!” Shadow said.

The two of them ran off into the night.

Saba was leading Shadow back to the cave. He’d asked if she knew the way, and she did, so he let her lead the way.

A fierce snowstorm had started in the mountains through which she and Shadow now traveled.

Saba turned down a narrow pass, and was now running into the wind. The frozen snow bit into her face, and penetrated the thick layer of hair that covered her body. It felt as if she was being stuck by a thousand small needles.

Suddenly, Saba skidded to a stop.

She stood on the edge of a drop off, a very long drop off.

A bridge made of Ice spanned the thirty some foot gap.

Saba’s eyes went wide as she saw the drop off. It had to be at least three hundred feet to the bottom.

She stepped back from the drop until her back paws touched a rock, and she almost climbed on top of it.

Shadow came around the corner then, and saw the look on Saba’s face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

Saba just stared forward, and Shadow walked to the drop.

“There’s a bridge.” Shadow said. “We’re going to have to cross it.”

Saba looked at him. “Are you insane!” She said.

Shadow sighed. “I’ll go across first and make sure it’s safe, if it is, then you can follow.”

“Uh… Shadow…” Saba said. “…I don’t like heights.”

Shadow sighed again, and stepped out on the bridge.

It held.

Shadow walked across it, and jumped to the other side.

“Come on Saba!” He yelled.

“Shadow, I mean I really don’t like heights.”

“Just look at me, don’t look down.” Shadow said.

Saba raised her head, and looked at Shadow.

“Okay Saba,” she said to herself, “You can to this…”

Saba took a few steps forward, and felt her paws brush ice.

She shivered, but didn’t glance down, instead she took a step forward, keeping her eyes on Shadow.

“Come on Saba,” Shadow said. “You can do this! Just don’t look down, keep looking at me.”

Saba was beginning to make some progress, and was about three quarters of the way down the bridge, when it cracked.

Saba froze.

Shadow could see the damage, where Saba could not. A long crack ran down the side of the ice bridge. Its integrity wouldn’t last for long.

“Saba hurry!” Shadow yelled. But Saba didn’t hear him, she was frozen by her fear.

“Saba the bridge is breaking, you can make it, but you have to do it now!”

Saba glanced down then.

She almost jumped in the air, but stopped herself; instead, she fell on the bridge, clawing into it as if clinging to the ice would save her from the collapse that the crack had precipitated.

“Saba come on, now!” Shadow yelled, as the bridge cracked again, and the fracture got longer.

“I can’t!” She yelled. “I… I can’t move.”

“Yes you can!” Shadow yelled. “Come on Saba, jump, hurry!”

Saba took a deep breath, and stood up very shakily.

“Good,” Shadow said, “you’re doing fine Saba, now, just walk to the end, come on hurry!”

The bridge cracked again, but instead of going down the side of the bridge, the fracture spiraled around and beneath it.

Saba was vaguely aware of the ground shifting under her paws, and then she jumped. The bridge split in half beneath her, and a great rumble filled the canyon, as the tons of ice plunged downward.

Saba’s leap fell a little short. Her paws slid on the ice, stopping her, but leaving her half hanging off the cliff.

“Saba!” Shadow yelled. He started to climb down the ledge, and it was only a few seconds before he reached her.

“Can you pull yourself up?” Shadow asked.

Saba gritted her teeth, and shook her head.

“I’m going to help you up then.” Shadow said.

He knelt down beside her, and started to pull Saba up the steep ledge.

Getting down had definitely been easier than getting back up was going to be.

Shadow struggled against not only Saba’s weight and the incline, but also the vicious storm that was still raging.

They’d gotten about half way to the top, when Shadow felt Saba start to slip.

“Saba, you’re slipping!” Shadow said.

Saba opened her mouth to reply, but she lost her footing, and fell, then she slid back down the hill.

Shadow watched in horror as Saba reached the edge of the cliff…

…and flew off the edge, disappearing from view.

Saba was falling.

It seemed to take forever. In reality it was no more than three seconds.

In those three seconds she had time to reflect upon her new family, and how much they would miss her, and she them.

Then she hit the ground. A cloud of snow was kicked up into the air by the impact, and her vision exploded red.

Saba was in pain!

Her perception of pain was different now though. Instead of a sharp insistent real feeling pain, this felt distant, almost as if she were watching it, not feeling it. At the same time though, it hurt!

Her mouth was full of blood, and she could feel a vast puddle of it… or something else, spreading through the cool snow beneath her.

Saba’s last thought was of Everest and her small family.

Then, Saba drifted away to a comforting darkness.

Shadow was stunned, and stared out at the open chasm, almost unable to believe what had just happened.

“Saba!” He yelled.

His voice echoing off the canyon walls and the shrieking wind were his only answer.

Shadow climbed down to the edge of the cliff.

Once he was in a good position, sure he wasn’t going to fall off himself, Shadow peered over the edge.

He gasped.

Far below, Saba lay splayed out on the ground, her dark red fur a stark contrast to the snow that surrounded her..

More shocking than that however, was the bright red stain that had spread out from under her.

Shadow couldn’t make out many details because of the height difference, but he could see enough to tell that Saba hadn’t made it… or at least wouldn’t.

Shadow sighed, and cautiously turned, climbing back up the steep hill.

When he reached the top, he almost fell. “I can’t believe it…” Shadow thought. “It happened so fast… I didn’t have time to do anything…”

Shadow sighed.

After reflecting on the news he now bore, Shadow turned, and ran off into the distance. He quickly disappeared into the blinding snow…

Chapter 5:

Back in Nome, the storm had just started to hit. Strong winds buffeted the small town, and snow fell in a seemingly never ending torrent from the dark clouds.

Astarre and Blaize were walking back from the old mill.

“So did Drake explain things for you?” Blaize asked.

Astarre nodded. “Yeah, I think I understand now.”

Blaize shivered. “Brr, we need to get inside, it’s getting really cold out.”

Astarre nodded. “I really should be getting home. My father is going to be worried about me.”

Blaize nodded back at her. “We’re headed there now.”

The two dogs rounded the corner just then, and Astarre could see her home.

She trotted up to the door.

Blaize followed. “So, you want to hang out together tomorrow too?”

She turned at the door. “Blaize… it was nice to spend the day with you today… but I can’t do it anymore.”

“What?” Blaize asked.

“I’m sorry, I really like you.” Astarre said. “… but I think it’s best if we don’t see one another again.”

“I don’t understand.” Blaize said.

Astarre looked like she was going to start crying. “Please understand.” She said. “Just believe me, it’s better for both of us.”

With that, Astarre ducked through the doggy door, leaving a very stunned and confused Blaize on the porch… alone.

Shadow returned to the cave almost an hour after Saba’s fatal fall.

He wasted no time, but went straight to Aleu’s chamber.

“Aleu?” He said.

Momentarily, Aleu stuck her head into the entryway. “Oh Shadow!” She said. “It’s you! How’d things go with Saba?”

Shadow sighed, and Aleu thought he might break out crying.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, stepping up next to him.

“There… there was an accident Aleu.” Shadow said. “… Saba’s dead.”

“What?” Aleu said. “How?”

“We were attacked…” Shadow said. Aleu interrupted him. “Attacked?!”

Shadow nodded. “She did well then though, it wasn’t until… until we came on an ice bridge, it broke and… and she fell, but she jumped, and was hanging onto the ledge… she slid right past me. I couldn’t do a thing, not a damn thing.”

Aleu hung her head and sighed. “When was this?”

“About an hour ago.”