my little sister.” Said Everest. “I still have to look out for you.”

Saba was quiet for a moment. “So… so you faked the whole thing?” She asked, hurt evident in her voice.

No,” Everest responded. “I really was attacked, actually by the same wolves who just attacked you, though they were younger then. They injured me fairly badly, and… and I made them think I was dead. Then I snuck away.”

“So why didn’t you come home?” Saba asked.

Everest sighed. “You remember what happened the last night I saw you?”

Saba nodded. “I’ll never forget.” She said softly.

Everest sighed again. “I could see where that was going, and that path is so dark I don’t even want to imagine it.” He paused. “Saba, I have no control when it comes to you; none whatsoever. My mind tells me no, screams it at me, and yet… I… I still go forward. I had to leave because I can’t control myself around you.”

“… but I can.” Saba said. “If you’ll just come back, we can be brother and sister, and that’s all.”

Everest smiled at her. “You’re lying to yourself Saba.” I can hear it in your voice, the want… the desire… the need. I feel it too. I feel it in the air. I don’t even know how to describe it… fire… electricity maybe? I don’t know, but I can’t give in to it. That’s why I didn’t come home. Because I knew that if I stayed around you… that eventually… I would.”

Saba said nothing for a few minutes.

When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky, and betrayed how hurt she’d felt by this last comment. “So… so you gave up your entire life, everything you had ever known… just to stay away from me?” The hurt tone was back in her voice. She dropped her head, and as she closed her eyes, Everest saw a single tear dribble down her soft face.

Everest sighed again. “Saba I love you more than you could ever possibly know, but that’s the problem. It’s wrong for me to love you like this. I wish I could just make my feelings… at least those, go away, but I can’t, so I had to separate you from me.”

Saba opened her eyes and sighed. “I’ve really missed you ya know.”

“I have too Saba,” Everest said, “believe me I have.” He raised his sister’s face with his paw until her eyes were staring into his. “At first I cried myself to sleep every night because I couldn’t be with you.” He paused. “It’s… it’s really good to see you.

Saba smiled. “It’s good to see you too Everest. You know, a lot of things have happened since you left us.”

“Really?” Everest said. “Like what? Tell me everything.”

A confused look came over Saba’s face. “I thought you said you’d been watching us.”

Everest sighed. “I was… did, for a little while, but then… seeing you, and knowing I couldn’t talk to you… it… it was just too much for me to bear.”

“Well, for starters, Aleu came back.” Saba said.

“Aleu? Really?” Everest asked.

Saba nodded. “Just about six months after you… after you left. She leads a wolf pack now. She met a real nice wolf named Shadow, and they have three kids.”

“I always thought Aleu was the leader of the bunch.” Everest said. “So mom and dad are grandparents. How did they take that?”

“Mom took it pretty well, but dad kind of struggled with it at first.” She paused. “Kodi is doing all right, he’s on the mail team now.”

“So he finally made it, huh?”

“More than made it,” Saba said. “He’s the leader.”

“What?” Everest asked. “Kodi, the lead dog of the mail team?”

Saba smiled. “I know, we didn’t see that one coming either. He met a husky named Dusty, also a member of the team, and the two of them had five pups about a year ago.”

“How’s Dingo doing these days?” Everest asked.

Saba sighed and the smile quickly evaporated from her face.

“Saba?” Everest asked.

“About two years ago… Dingo… Dingo was murdered.”

“WHAT?!” Everest cried, jumping to his feet. “HOW?!”

Saba sighed again. “There was a dog that was trying to get at dad, and he did it through murdering Dingo.”

“But why him?” Everest asked. “He was always the quiet one of us.”

“No one really knows…” Saba said. “No one witnessed the event so…” Her voice became inaudible then. “It… it was really hard for mom, he was the first of us to go, and… and Dingo was her first.”

Everest nodded. “He was, wasn’t he? I can’t believe it. I didn’t expect for any of us to be… gone yet.”

Saba just nodded.

It was silent for a few minutes, and then the smile came back to Saba’s face. “And you have brothers and sisters you don’t even know about.”

Everest sat back down beside his sister. “You mean mom and dad…”

Saba nodded. “The first were Melody and Dash. They both joined Aleu’s wolf pack, and have children of their own now. Then there was Blaize and…” Saba’s voice fell again. “…and Jadze.”

“Is something wrong?” Everest asked.

“Jadze was killed in a sledding accident when she was barely a year old.”

“Oh…” Everest asked. “How’d that happen?”

Saba sighed. “I don’t know. Dad said that there was this bad storm, and that he was pulling them too fast for the conditions… anyway, he didn’t see a tree until it was too late. He and the team jumped clear, but the sled hit it and rolled. The others got out of the way, but it rolled over Jadze and killed her.”

“I’m sorry.” Everest said.

“Dad was real tore up about it.” Saba continued. He blamed himself for her death. Even to this day he still doesn’t pull a sled.”

“What?” Everest asked. “Dad, not a sled dog, not a lead dog… that just doesn’t seem possible.”

Saba nodded. “In fact he doesn’t even live in the old trawler anymore. These days he flies. Oh, and then there’s….” Here Everest interrupted her. “Did you just say he flies?!”

She smiled. “Yeah, he was adopted by this pilot not too long ago, and dad flies with him to deliver supplies. Then there’s also Likea and Sheae. They’re mom and dad’s newest, ‘bout a year old now.”

It was silent again.

“Well,” Everest said, standing. “It sounds as if everyone is doing alright.”

Saba nodded. “Everyone but me.”

Everest sighed. “It’s been really nice to talk to you Saba, but you better get on home. Your family is probably worried sick about you by now.”

Saba nodded. “I’m sure they are.” Then as an afterthought she added. “You are coming with me, right?”

Everest sighed again. “Saba, I wish I could, but the reasons I left in the first place are still here. Like I said, it was really nice to get to talk to you, and to catch up a bit, but now I need you to leave, and you have to forget about me again. That’s the only way either of us can live normal peaceful lives. I’ve been fighting myself ever since I thought it might be you those wolves were attacking, and I’m fighting myself now. If we stay together... I’ll lose eventually.”

“…but…” Saba started, but Everest cut her off. “SABA DON’T DO THIS!” He yelled.

Saba took a few steps back from her brother, shocked to hear him yell at her.

“I’m sorry Saba.” Everest said. “I didn’t mean to yell… but you’ve got to realize that we can’t be together… ever.”

“But I can’t just forget about you, not now that I know you’re alive. You can’t ask me to do that.”

Everest sighed. “Alright, you don’t have to stay away from here. You can visit if you want, but Saba… don’t… don’t tell anyone else. I’m dead to them now… let’s just leave it that way, please?”

Saba nodded slowly. “Alright, I can do that for you.”

She sighed and turned, looking out the entrance to the small cave. “Where is Nome from here anyway?”

“It’s just over those hills.” Everest said.

Saba began to walk out of the cave.

Everest couldn’t help but notice the way she walked. Even somewhat beat up and limping slightly, she was still beautiful.

Saba stopped near the mouth of the cave, and turned.

Her deep blue eyes seemed to reach out and swallow Everest whole. Saba unconsciously stepped forward about three steps, until the two of them were extremely close, nose to nose.

It was Everest who kissed Saba this time though Saba’s actions had prompted it.

This wasn’t a brother-sister kiss, but the kiss of two passionate lovers who had been separated for a long time.

The kiss lasted almost three minutes, and then it stopped, just as unconsciously as it had begun.

Saba stepped back and smiled at him, then turned and walked slowly out of the cave. She paused again and turned toward her brother. “I’ll be back soon Everest. I promise.”

Then she finished walking out of the cave, and into the crisp night air.

Everest watched as she disappeared down the slope. “Damn it!” He thought. “What the hell did I do that for?”

He sighed, and then he too left the small cave. He was hungry, and in the wild, if you were to eat, you had to hunt. So that’s what he did.

Chapter 3

Saba walked into town a little slowly. Since she’d left Everest back at the cave, her shoulder had started hurting a little more.

She’d had little trouble finding Nome. It was right over the hill, just as Everest had said. It was about a twenty minute walk back to his cave. Saba planned to visit him frequently. She wished that he’d come with her, but his reasons were valid. It would be pretty hard to explain his re-appearance to their parents.

Saba made her way to her home, which was right on Main Street.

As she entered the fenced yard, Kelly dropped her doll in the snow, and ran over to her. “SABA!” She cried. “You’re Alive!”

The girl wrapped her arms around Saba. “I thought I’d lost you!” The girl patted Saba on the head. “Where were you girl?” She smiled, and put her head on top of Saba’s. “I love you Saba. I don’t ever want to lose you.”

The girl turned as she heard the front door open up. Her mother stood in the doorway.

“Mom, look who came back!” Kelly yelled.

“That’s great sweetheart.” Her mother replied. “You need to come in for dinner though. Your father will be home soon, and I want everything to be ready. Come on now, I need help setting the table.”

“Alright mom.” Kelly said. She turned back to Saba, as