barrel of the pistol below her left ear.

“I’m sorry Aniu.” Aleu thought. “I tried.”

Shade started to squeeze the trigger…

…but a voice stopped him.

“Hey, leave her alone!”

Shade turned and looked behind him.

A single white wolf stood in the entrance to the cave.

Shade laughed and stood, Aleu would wait, she wasn’t going anywhere, in fact, she might already be dead.

Shade raised his pistol.

“…and who might you be?” He asked.

“My name is Saba, and you will listen to me!” Saba said.

Shade laughed again. “…or what?”

He pointed the pistol at the white wolf and pulled the trigger.

The white wolf moved so fast that Shade could barely see it, from it’s position in the entrance to the cave to another, a few feet from it’s inner wall.

The bullet impacted harmlessly on a tree outside the cave.

“How is that possible!” Shade screamed. “Who are you!?”

Saba looked up and closed her eyes.

A great flash of blue light struck down from the ceiling of the cave, enveloping Saba in a great blue storm of energy.

Shade shielded his eyes from the blinding light with his hand.

The blue light faded, and Saba looked down, right into Shade’s eyes.

Then she opened her own.

A blue light filled them.

“It is time for you to go home my son.” She said.

“You!” He yelled. “It was foolish of you to come down here Aniu, now you’ll die as well.”

He raised his arm and pulled the trigger of his pistol three times.

The bullets were right on target and spun toward the white wolf, then…

…they stopped.

“I don’t believe it.” Shade said.

The three bullets hovered in the air not two inches from the white wolf’s face, still spinning slowly.

Aniu stepped to the side and the bullets resumed their course, striking and ricocheting off of the rock wall of the cave.

Shade raised his arm again, but Aniu vanished.

“What the…”

Shade heard growling behind him, and turned, right as Aniu leapt at him…

…and went into him.

Shade screamed, and then a bright flash of green light and smoke exploded through the cave.

When the light and smoke cleared, Aniu stood there. She held a very angry black wolf by the back of the neck. It was how a mother wolf would transport her children.

“As I said earlier.” Aniu said. “It is time for you to go home. You’ve caused enough trouble for now.”

A square of red light appeared next to her, and Aniu turned, throwing Shade into it.

Shade screamed, and a blast of red light flooded the chamber. When it cleared, Saba stood there. She fell to the ground, as if a puppet cut from it’s strings.

A few moments later Saba opened her eyes.

She looked up toward the ceiling of the cave. “Is it done?” She thought.

Aniu’s sweet voice answered her. “Yes my child, it is done.”

“We were too late to save Aleu though.” Saba thought.

“She has been faithful to me for a long time.” Aniu answered. “…even as she faced certain death her faith never wavered I think it is time that I rewarded her.”

Saba walked over near Aleu’s still form. A vast puddle of blood had spread beneath her sister, and Aleu wasn’t moving.

“How?” Saba asked.

“Put your paw on her chest.” Aniu said.

Saba did, and gasped as the holes that still pulsed blood, began to close. Soon, there was no hole at all.

Saba put her paw on Aleu’s leg, and watched, mystified as the same thing occurred.

“This is my act of repayment.” Aniu said. “This is her reward.”

Saba smiled. “Thank you Aniu.”

“Have faith my child, whatever happens… have faith.” Aniu said, her calming voice drifting slowly away.

Saba felt it now. Aniu was gone once again, for now anyway.

She heard a cough and looked down.

“Aleu?” She said, leaning near her sister.

Aleu’s eyes fluttered open and she stared at Saba. “Who… who are you?”

Saba smiled. “Aleu, it’s a long story.”

“Your voice… it seems familiar.” Aleu said.

Saba smiled again. “Aleu, it’s me. It’s Saba.”

A look of confusion crossed her face. “…but that’s impossible.” Aleu said.

Saba laughed. “Aleu, nothing is impossible. You must only have faith.”

Aleu smiled. “Aniu?”

Saba nodded. “She saved you.”

Aleu looked down and noticed for the first time that she was no longer bleeding.

She smiled. “All things are possible.”

Saba nodded.

Aleu suddenly looked around, franticly. “Where is he!?”

“Where’s who?” Saba asked.

“Shade.” Aleu said.

Saba laughed. “Aniu took care of him. You no longer have to worry about him.”

Aleu breathed a sigh of relief. “Then we can get the others. They can come back home.”

“Yes. Saba said.

Aleu stood, and walked toward the entrance of the cave.

“Come on Saba.” Aleu said. “We’ll go get the others, and then you have to tell me all that Aniu told you. I think I know why you’re back.”

Saba nodded and walked over to Aleu.

“Everest won’t recognize you now.” Aleu said.

Saba smiled. “Everest! My children, are they alright!?” She’d almost forgotten about them in the time she’d spent with Aniu.

Aleu smiled and nodded.

“Let’s go!” Saba said, running toward the entrance to the cave. “Where are they?”

“Follow me.” Aleu said.

The two sisters walked out of the cave together.

Chapter 14:

Tim walked as if he were blind, his intended destination the dog shed than more than one hundred feet from him.

Indeed he was blind to the happenings around him, blind not by sight, but by heart.

Tycha was dead.

This was never his intention, never what he wanted.

He thought of what Drake had said.

“The path to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Tim sighed and stepped through the door to the dog shed.

Junior stood as his father stepped into the room.

He could tell immediately that something was wrong.

Junior stood from his place by Jill and walked toward him.

“Dad, is… is something wrong?”

Tim hung his head.

“Dad?” Junior asked again.

“Your mother…” Tim stopped. “…she’s dead.”

Junior stepped back several paces and stopped, a shocked expression on his face. “…dead? How?”

Tears streamed down Tim’s face as he looked up at his son. “We were walking… in the forest… the man must have thought that… that she was a wolf… or that I was… he shot her.”

A tear rolled out of Junior’s eye. “No…” He shook his head and walked toward his father, laying his head on his shoulder. “No!”

Jill stood up, for clearly, all was not as it should be, and walked toward Junior, stopping by his side.

The three mourned Tycha’s loss, together.

Aleu stood beside Saba.

“I asked for you.” She said.

“What?” Saba asked.

Aleu smiled. “I asked Aniu for a way out… and you are that way.”

“…but… but why?” Saba asked. “You’re a great Alpha.”

“I know, and I enjoy it… but my children are growing up, and they’re doing it without me. With Shadow leading the teams, and me leading the clan… our family has fallen by the wayside. I don’t want that.”

She paused. “I asked Aniu for a way out… and she gave it to me.”

“You really want to give it up?” Saba asked.

Aleu nodded. “As much as I love it… yes. My family is more important.”

Saba nodded. “Alright.”

Aleu stood in front of the clan, which was gathered below her.

“My family, I ask you to gather here because I have some news to impart to you.”

Aleu sighed.

“This will be my last address to you as your Alpha.”

A stir of voices began then, and Aleu waited for them to quiet down.

“I’ve enjoyed my time as your Alpha. You have given me much more than I could ever repay. The reasons for my stepping down are personal, and in no way the fault of any of you.”

Aleu turned to Saba, who was standing beside her.

“Aniu has sent you a replacement for me. I give you the new Alpha of the Talbourne Clan, Saba.”

Another stir of voices began at the mention of Saba’s name.

“Yes, this is the very same Saba who was in our midst recently, and who we had feared dead. She did die, but by the power of Aniu, she was resurrected and sent here to help us defeat Shade and to lead us.”

Everest tuned out the rest of Aleu’s speech to the clan at the mention of Saba’s name.

“Saba?” He thought. “It… it can’t be…”

He started to walk forward, unconscious of the fact that Aleu was still