then his body sagged and his head fell against his chest.

Blaize took a deep breath and stood, wincing at the pain that effort caused.

After a few moments the room stopped spinning so much, and Blaize thought he could walk.

Astarre opened her eyes then, and rolled over.

“Blaize?” She asked.

He smiled and limped toward her.

“Yeah…” he said. “Yeah, it’s me. Look, don’t look behind…”

But it was too late. Astarre turned her head and looked behind her.

She saw her father, Sam, hanging on the wall, the piece of wood still sticking out of him. A pool of bright red blood had accumulated under him.

Astarre stood and walked slowly over to him.

“He’s dead.” She thought. “It’s over… it’s finally over.”

Astarre spit on the dead dog and turned, starting to walk back over to Blaize. About half way there she fell.

“Astarre!” Blaize said, running as fast as he could to her side. “Astarre are you alright?”

She smiled at him. “I’ll live.”

“I love you Astarre.” Blaize said.

She smiled again. “I love you too Blaize.”

Blaize let himself drop beside her and put his head on her shoulder.

They were both exhausted from the fight, and it wasn’t long until they were both sound asleep.

Chapter 13:

Tim was walking through the forest. Tycha’s trail had led him here, but now, as the snow continued to fall, it seemed that the trail was diminishing.

Tim looked around him, but couldn’t see much because of the blowing snow.

“Tycha!” He yelled. “Tycha where are you!?”

There was no answer to his calls but the howling of the wind past his ears.

“I’ll never find her in this.” Tim thought.

He looked around again, and stopped.

The wind blew again, and cleared the view in front of him for a few seconds. In that few seconds, Tim saw a red dog lying in the snow.

“Tycha!” He yelled, running forward, as the snow consumed her once again.

A few minutes later, he was at her side.

“Tycha, oh my God, please get up.”

Tycha didn’t move.

“Oh no…” Tim thought. “I’m too late.”

Tycha coughed and opened her eyes. “Tim?” She asked.

Tim nodded and laid down beside her. “Yeah, Yeah it’s me Tycha. I’m here.”

A slight smile crossed her face. “I… I don’t believe it.” She said. “I never thought you’d come for me.”

Tim noticed the piece of wood in her shoulder then, and the cut on her leg.

“Tycha, you’re hurt!”

She winced and nodded slowly.

“Come on.” Tim said. “We’ve got to get you back to town, to Doc.”

Tycha shook her head. “No Tim. I can’t go back, I’m… I’m a murderer.”

“No you’re not.” Tim said. “Drake found Trina and got her to Doc… she’s going to be fine.”

Tycha laughed softly.

“What is it Tycha?” Tim asked.

“I… I tried to kill her, and I only wound up killing myself.”

“Don’t say that!” Tim said. “If we can just get to Doc’s… he can fix you, he can fix anyone.”

Trina coughed, and spit some red liquid on the snow. “That… that can’t be good.” She said.

“Come on!” Tim said.

Tycha shook her head. “Tim, I can barely move, much less walk back to Nome.”

“Don’t say that!” Tim said again. “You’re…”

A tear rolled out of his eye. “…you’re going to be fine.”

Tycha’s breathing sped up somewhat.

“Tycha?” Tim said.

It took a few minutes, but Tycha slowed her breathing back to more or less normal.

“Tim… tell… tell me something… and… and tell… tell me the truth… do you… do you love her?”

“Who?” Tim asked.

“Trina.” Tycha said.

Tim sighed, and nodded. “Yeah…’

Tycha smiled.

“I’m sorry Tycha.” Tim said. “I… I never meant to hurt you… this is my fault.”

“No it’s not.” Tycha said. “I… I did… did this to… to myself…”

Tim sighed. “…but you wouldn’t have if I hadn’t…”

Tycha cut him off. “Tim… go… go back to her. If… if you really… really love her. Just… Just don’t… don’t tell Jun… Junior about… about this… please?”

Tim nodded. “I won’t.”

“I love you Tim.” Tycha said.

She started to shake, and knew she didn’t have long to say the one last thing she realized needed to be said.

“I.. I for… I forgive… you… Tim…”

Tycha’s head rolled to the side, and she stopped shaking… then she stopped breathing.

Tim looked at her, horrified.

“She’s dead…” Tim thought.

“Tim, step away from her.” Drake’s voice said from behind him.

Tim turned.

“Please Tim, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” Drake said.

Tim looked at him. “She’s dead.”

Drake sighed and hung his head. “I’m sorry Tim.”

Tim walked toward Drake. “Drake… who else knows about this… about Tycha?”

“No one.” Drake said.

Tim nodded. “Don’t… don’t solve this case… alright?”

“What?” Drake asked. “I already have. Tycha attacked Trina.”

“I know that.” Tim said. “…and so do you, but… no one else needs to, especially Junior.”

Drake nodded. “Alright, I think I understand.”

Tim just stood there for a moment.

“Tim… I really am sorry.” Drake said.

Tim nodded and turned again, walking into the blowing snow.

Aleu stood in the cave.

She was all alone.

Saeidifar had managed to get the other wolves to stop running and fight, and the humans had been routed for now, but they’d surely return.

The decision had been made to evacuate the cave until the humans were either defeated or stopped looking for them.

The others had been split into different groups and went into hiding in various places near the cave.

Aleu had returned to see if anyone had been left behind in the cave. She’d searched every chamber, but had found no one.

She now stood in the main chamber, looking around. It was odd, to not feel safe in the place she’d called home for so long.

“Well well well.” A voice from behind her said. “If it isn’t Aleu, the fearless leader.”

Aleu turned around and froze.

An older man stood in the entrance to the cave, maybe one hundred feet from her. He had a pistol in his hand, and it was pointed at her.

“Shade.” Aleu said, her voice hinting at a little of the anger she felt whenever she thought of this demon lord.

He laughed. “How is it Aleu that every time we meet and I think I’ve destroyed you that you somehow manage to survive, and come back to ruin my plans?”

Aleu smiled. “Aniu is stronger than you, and she is with me, on our side.”

Shade smirked. “Really, where is Aniu now? Is she going to stop me?”

A loud bang reverberated through the many chambers of the cave, and Aleu felt a sharp pain in her chest.

She looked down.

The white bandage that was still wrapped around her was quickly turning red, as blood from a hole in the left side of her chest soaked into it.

Aleu looked back up at Shade, who smiled, and pulled the trigger again.

Aleu stepped back a couple of times, and stopped. She felt dizzy, and the pain in her chest was worse now.

Aleu tried to block out the pain, and growled at Shade.

Shade just laughed and pulled the trigger twice more. The gun jumped in his hands and Aleu saw fire come from the barrel.

She stumbled a few steps toward Shade, then she fell, unable to stand any longer.

“So this is the end, eh Aleu?” Shade said, closing the distance between them to about twenty feet. “Finally, after all these years you’re going to die.”

Aleu looked up at him. Her vision was blurred severely now, probably from the critical amount of blood that she’d lost.

“Aniu, he can’t win.” Aleu thought. “Help me, give me strength.”

Aleu struggled to stand, and managed to get one leg to support her weight.

As she pushed herself up however, Shade shot her again.

The bullet smacked into Aleu’s leg, and she fell on her face, screaming in pain.

“I won’t give up Aniu!” Aleu thought.

She struggled to stand once again, and got her other leg up.

Shade laughed. “You’re pathetic Aleu.” He said. He extended his arm, and another of the heavy .45 shells smacked into her outstretched leg.

Aleu screamed again, and fell to the ground. She couldn’t move.

Shade walked over to her and knelt down, resting the barrel of the pistol