started.

“Son, we’ve got to go back to the cave!” Balto said.

“What cave?” Kodi asked, now thoroughly confused.

“Aleu’s cave.” Balto said.

“Why?” Kodi said. “I thought you said that it was too dangerous for Aleu to go.”

Balto nodded.

“But that’s where they took Jenna.”

“Father of Darkness…” Balto said to himself.

“Dad, you keep talking about this… father of darkness… who is that?”

“I don’t know…” Balto said.

Balto suddenly looked up at him.

‘Oh no!”

“What Dad, what?”

“We need to talk to Aleu.”

Aleu woke up in the cave.

She sat up and looked around.

‘Aniu?”

“No,” a familiar voice said. “someone else.”

Aleu turned.

“Alai!”

She ran over to him.

“Why?” She asked. “What’s wrong now?”

“Plenty.” Alai said.

“… but I thought…”

Alai finished her sentence for her.

“thought that it was over?”

Aleu nodded.

Alai sighed.

“… and so it should be… yet… something happened, something which she does not yet understand, and yet I do.”

‘What Alai, what happened?”

“Talkeet.”

“I don’t understand…” Aleu said.

Alai sighed.

“Aleu, Talkeet somehow… broke the bonds that kept Shade from influencing us.”

“The bonds that I created…” Aleu said.

Alai nodded.

“Yes.”

“So now…”

“… so now Shade is able not only to influence us, but able to manifest himself once again.”

“But I killed him.” Aleu said. “I killed him a long time ago.”

Alai nodded.

“But he’s found another body, another willing host, and all he needs now is a sacrifice…”

“A sacrifice?” Aleu asked.

Alai nodded.

“… and he already has her.”

“Who?” Aleu asked.

Alai sighed.

“Aleu, I have told you too much, she’ll be angry with me already.”

He shook his head and turned to leave.

“I’ve got to go, I shouldn’t have brought you here, it is the way of things… but…”

He turned back to her.

“Aleu I couldn’t let it happen, couldn’t let what I’ve seen come to be, Aleu… for all time I…”

He sighed.

“Aleu… I’ll always love you.”

Aleu shook her head.

“Alai, you’ve got to tell me who it is.”

Alai shook his head.

“As I have said, she’s going to be mad at me already.”

“Who?” Aleu asked.

“You know how to find out.” Alai said.

Then he walked away.

As Alai vanished, Aleu turned.

She looked at the floor and thought of everything she knew of Shade.

Suddenly a crackling sound reached her ears, and she opened her eyes.

“The cave…” Aleu said.

She was looking down at the cave she used to live in.

“Why there…” She asked.

The view moved and Aleu could see Gareth.

“Him…” Aleu said.

The view shifted again to the lower levels of the cave.

A voice hissed through the portal, and Aleu could see wolves, but different…

They were red and had spiked tails. Their eyes glowed yellow with the flames that raged within.

The view went through the cave wall, and Aleu could see her.

“No…” she whispered.

“The one…” the dark voice hissed. “The one who will bring the father of darkness…”

The view expanded then, and exploded inward, flaming fragments of it fell to the floor where they disappeared.

“He knows you’re coming my child.”

Aleu turned, a single tear rolling out of her eye.

“Aniu?” Aleu asked.

The white wolf nodded.

Aleu hung her head.

“How?” She asked. “How can I defeat him?”

Aniu sighed.

“Alai has put great trust in you, in revealing this… I do not agree.”

“But how else…”

Aniu looked up at her.

“I have the power to give life, as you have seen, and I also have the power to take it away. If the one were destroyed…”

“You were going to kill her?”

“It is the only way to be sure.”

“How could you do that?” Aleu asked. “How could you do that to your own son?”

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… Balto would understand that.”

“What?” Aleu asked.

“Aleu, if Shade escapes he will destroy your world, it will start with Nome, but soon the entire world will be drawn into his darkness… then… even I will cease to be…”

“You can’t do that!” Aleu said.

Aniu sighed.

“I will do what I must…”

“I won’t let you kill her!” Aleu yelled.

“There is no other way.”

“Let me try to stop him.” Aleu said. “Please, give me a chance, I did it once…”

Aniu cut her off.

“Aleu he is much stronger this time, there is no guarantee…”

This time Aleu interrupted Aniu.

“There never was a guarantee, but I did it… I’ll do it again.”

Aniu sighed.

“… and I will let you try,” Aniu said, “but if you fail…”

Aleu finished Aniu’s sentence for her.

“If I fail you may do what you must.”

Aniu nodded.

“You have one chance then.”

“One chance is all I’ll need.” Aleu said.

“Good luck my child, I hope you are as strong as you think you are.”

Aleu smiled.

“I’m as strong as I know I am.”

Aniu nodded, then disappeared.

Aleu turned back to the wall that had held the image of her cave.

She whispered one word as she collapsed to the floor.

“Mom…”

Chapter 6

Balto and Kodi ran up, just as Aleu opened her eyes and jumped to her feet.

“I’ve got to go dad!” Aleu said. “I’ve got to go back, no matter how dangerous it is.”

“I know,” Balto said. “The father of darkness is Shade isn’t it?”

Aleu nodded.

“Dad, I saw… saw horrible things in the cave, things not of this world, you should….”

Balto interrupted his daughter.

“No, I’m coming with you.”

“… but Dad…”

“No buts,” Balto said, “I’ve made up my mind.”

“I’m coming too.” Kodi said, stepping forward.

“Kodi…” Aleu started.

“Aleu, I think… I think they killed Dusty…. If that’s true, I’m as good as dead anyway, might as well go out doing something good.”

Aleu sighed.

“I hate to put you in danger.”

“Aleu I would give my life for Jenna,” Balto said. “I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get her back.”

“If you’re going back, then I’m going with you.”

Aleu turned to see Shadow standing beside her.

“Shadow…”

“Aleu,” Shadow said, “do you really think I’d let you go alone?”

Aleu smiled.

“No, no I guess not…”

“Let’s leave tomorrow night.” Balto said. “We’re all going to need our rest.”

“Agreed.” Shadow said.

“You mind if I crash here tonight Dad?” Kodi asked.

He sighed.

“I really don’t want to go home without Dusty.”

Balto nodded.

“Fine with me son.”

He turned to Aleu.

“Get some sleep, and we’ll meet you here tomorrow night.”

Aleu nodded.

“Okay.”

Balto turned and walked away.

Aleu sighed and laid down, followed by Shadow.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Aleu said. “I don’t know if I could live without you.”

Shadow smiled.

“Aleu, I love you, I love you more than words can ever express, and that’s enough to keep me alive for a long time.”

Aleu sighed, and Shadow put his paw over her shoulder, drawing her close.

Then, the two of them fell asleep…

Aleu was walking up to the cave.

Alongside her were Balto and Shadow, and Kodi, being the most inexperienced, brought up the rear.

Aleu turned to Shadow.

“My god…” She said.

The cave was lit up, not in the beautiful prismatic colors of Aleu’s lights, but in red, simply red.

“What could be causing that?” Shadow asked.

“I don’t think we want to know…” Balto said.

Kodi remained silent.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and five creatures unlike any Aleu had ever seen stood around them.

The beings were wolves… sort of.

Their coat was red. They had long pointy teeth, and massive claws. They looked almost emaciated. Aleu could see each bone beneath the skin, yet their muscles were huge, thick ropes that wove around the bones. Their eyes were a soulless black, and a bright fire raged within them. The