smiled and nuzzled her. “Hey Jen. You alright?”

She nodded. “I just want to get this over with.” She sighed and looked back up at him. “He’s dead… isn’t he?”

Balto sighed. “I don’t know Jen… I don’t know.”

Drake walked up to the platform in front of the mass of dogs then and looked around. “It looks as if everyone is here now.” He said. “This meeting has been called to order by the Keeper of the Law, myself, and is now in session. The meetings purpose is to disseminate information pertaining to the events of two weeks past, when Everest and Saba, who had been banished from Nome by myself, returned to Nome.”

Drake’s eyes slowly scanned the room as he continued. “As you all know Everest and Saba, children of Balto and Jenna, were tried and banished from Nome by myself on the basis of the fact that they had engaged in unduly familiar relations with one another, and were in fact siblings. Two days after being banished and told to never come in contact with one another again, both Saba and Everest returned to Nome together in blatant disobedience of my orders, and stole their three children from their residence at Jenna’s home. I witnessed them there, Saba, Everest, and three puppies were on Jenna’s porch. Then they ran. I sounded the alarm and a search was conducted for the fugitives.”

Drake paused and then continued. “Neither Saba, nor the puppies were seen again that night by me or anyone else that was involved. Therefore it is probable and for the purposes of this dissemination a fact, that Saba escaped further detection and escaped with her children. Everest however was tracked throughout the town for some time. Eventually when he was cornered, he ran into a barn just across the street from this very building. His pursuers caught up with him there. He then turned, having no other recourse, and tried to fight off his pursuers. At the time he was, however, outnumbered by at least 20 to 1 or more.”

Drake paused and his gaze caught Jenna’s, holding it as he continued. “Everest fought, but it was a losing battle in the first place. Eventually one of the attackers, it is not clear who, dealt Everest a serious wound to his neck.”

Jenna’s eyes clouded with tears and she broke Drake’s stare, burying her face in Balto’s shoulder as Drake continued. “He was then knocked out of the window. He fell four stories to the icy street below.”

Drake paused and the entire room could hear the silence shattered as Jenna began to sob.

“I investigated the scene, and found a large pool of blood, more than, I think, Everest could have stood to have lost at that point in time. Therefore, though no body was recovered, it shall be an accepted fact that two weeks ago, Everest, son of Balto and Jenna, was killed for violating a sentence of banishment.”

Drake paused and sighed. “If no one else has anything?”

He looked around the room, but no one spoke. “Then this meeting is hereby adjourned. Please be careful returning to your homes.”

The dogs began to talk amongst themselves and soon the old mill was filled with an indistinguishable chatter.

Balto and Jenna turned to leave, but Drake stopped them. “Jenna?”

He walked down the floor to them, and stopped as Jenna turned, looking at the floor, not wanting to meet his gaze.

“For what it’s worth… I’m sorry.” He said.

Jenna looked up at him.

Drake expected to find grief and sadness in her eyes, but what he found in addition to that surprised him.

Jenna’s eyes blazed with anger.

She gritted her teeth and smacked him in the side of the head with her paw. The blow carried with it all the force Jenna could muster and nearly knocked Drake off his feet.

His expression was one of shock, as he glanced at Balto.

Balto sighed and turned to Jenna. “Jen… that’s enough… let’s go.” His voice was soft and consoling.

Jenna nodded and the two walked slowly out the door.

Drake put his paw to his face and looked at it as if trying to decide whether he had just imagined the events of the past few minutes.

The tingling in his jaw reminded him that indeed he hadn’t, and he shook his head slowly. Then he turned and walked out the back entrance.

Darkness was closing in on the small town of Nome Alaska as a brown dog ran down the snow covered streets.

“I’m dead.” He thought. “I’ve always been so careful… how could I have spent the entire day with her! Now Tycha’s sure to know something is up.”

Tim stopped running and slowed to a walk. “I’ve got to think of a good excuse, but what?”

Tim’s thoughts shifted then, and he began to criticize himself. “If only you hadn’t gotten involved with Trina…. why’d you do it in the first place… why did you keep doing it…”

Tim noticed he was running again, slowed to a trot, and then walked into a nearby alley to gather his thoughts.

“How could you do this to her? Don’t you still love her?”

Tim was at a loss. He realized now that… he didn’t.

It wasn’t that he hated her, goodness no, not anything like that. Tycha was like his best friend… but…

…Tycha had changed since that day when they’d met in Anchorage so long ago.

“Maybe it’s not her who’s changed…” Tim thought. He sighed. “…maybe it’s you.”

In any case all this self pity wasn’t helping him any and he realized it was getting later and later as he sat here.

“I… I can’t tell her.” Tim thought. “I just can’t… but what do I tell her?”

Tim walked out of the alley and looked to the west. There, near the edge of town, he could see the dark shadow of the old trawler that he and Tycha called home.

“I’ll think of something…” Tim thought. “I have to.

Tim crept quietly up the ramp to the beached boat, careful of the creaking beams.

The boat looked deserted. Nothing moved on deck.

“I’ll just tell her I decided to sleep out here.” Tim thought. “Then she won’t know just how late I was.”

He walked toward the wheel well.

“Hey Tim.” A familiar voice said.

Tim cursed silently to himself as he turned and saw Tycha step out of the cabin she’d been sitting in and into the light.

“What are you doing coming home so late?” Tycha asked.

Tim could hear the suspicion in her voice. “Great,” he thought, “she suspects.”

“I mean… you’ve been gone for a day now.” Tycha said. “What took you so long?”

“I uh… ran into Balto in town.” Tim said quickly.

Tycha frowned. “Really.”

Tim smiled and nodded. “Yeah… haven’t seen him in a while, so… you know… we… uh… hung out.”

Tycha looked down and nodded. “Oh…”

“Look Tycha… I’m really tired.” Tim said. “It’s been a long day and I’d really like to get some sleep.”

Tycha looked up. “Tim… is there… is there something you need to tell me?”

“No!” Tim said. “… no… why?”

Tycha managed a smile, and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Tim started to walk into the wheel well.

“You not going below with me?” She asked.

Tim stopped. “I… uh… feel a little hot.” Tim said. “I’d rather sleep up here tonight… that is, if it’s okay with you?”

Tycha waited a while before nodding her head.

Tim walked into the wheel well and laid down on the old blue blanket that Balto had left there.

“Tim?” Tycha said.

He opened his eyes and yawned. “Yeah?”

Tycha sighed. “Tim I… I love you.”

Tim rolled over “Yeah… good-night Tycha.”

Tycha turned away from Tim and walked toward the hatch that led below decks. She paused at the door and looked back at him. A pair of single tears welled up in her eyes and trickled slowly down her face.

Then Tycha turned away from him and walked below decks.

Chapter 7

Today was a sad day.

Aleu was standing on a rock overlooking the entire clan.

Everyone in the chamber fell silent as she stepped forward. “My friends… and family… we have gathered today in memory of a fellow friend… sister and family member. Unfortunately Saba was killed during a training exercise early this week, when an ice bridge she was crossing collapsed. Shadow did everything he could to save her… but he could not.”

Aleu paused and sighed.

“… but though it hurts to lose her, we should not be sad, but rather glad for her. She is with Aniu now, and with this cruel world no longer. She knows an eternal happiness of which we cannot imagine, and I am sure that one day… we’ll see her again.”

Aleu paused again and tried to keep from breaking out into tears. This was her sister she was talking about this was Saba.”

“I… I think Shadow has something he’d like to say.” Aleu said, quickly losing the battle with her emotions.

Shadow stepped forward. “I do.”

He paused and looked