break this cage. Oh by the way, my name’s Nuvic, what’s yours?’’

Brent shook the bear’s giant brown paw and answered, ‘’Prof. Brent MacWolf. Nice to meet you Nuvic.’’

Suddenly, a piece of bone struck the cage. A weasel bared his spear threateningly and yelled, ‘’keep quiet in there, you two. Or I’ll have to silence you forever!’’

The weasel the poked the spear into the cage, which Nuvic grabbed and snapped it like a twig. The weasel pulled the broken spear back and whimpered a bit. Suddenly, every weasel, rat and stoat turned to see a figure walking toward the cage. They all bowed at the feet of the figure as they walked forward. Brent and Nuvic watched at the figure came into clear view. It was a larger rat. He seemed to be the army’s head honcho. He gave Brent and Nuvic a disgusted look and turned to the assorted vermin that bowed before him.

‘’Where you pick this scum up?’’ she asked. Brent grabbed the cage and questioned, ‘’just a cotton-pickin’ minute there dude. Who the heck do you think you are calling me scum! And why did you lock me ‘n’ Nuvic in this cage anyway?!’’

The rat whirled around and grabbed Brent’s neck through the bars.

‘’Never talk to Chieftain Razortail like that, dog, ’’ he growled, ‘’you can consider yourself lucky. You’d be dead right now if I had given the order.’’

Razortail then turned to a burly weasel.

‘’Crushjaw, I’m off to get my dinner. Guard these prisoners with your life. If you fail, you won’t have a single ounce of life left in you. Got it?’’

Crushjaw made a funny salute and nodded.

‘’Yes’ir.’’ He replied. He smiled and walked away, his tail slashing the air as he walked.

When Razortail had disappeared into the distance, Crushjaw pointed his scimitar at the Brent and Nuvic.

‘’Okay you two, here’s ‘ow things is goin’ to work,’’ he said in a commanding tone, ‘’you move, you die. Easier ‘n’ takin’ plunder from a baby.’’

Crushjaw then sat back on a rock. Brent watched him. Crushjaw seemed to be slowly dozing off. Finally, the inevitable happened. Crushjaw’s scimitar fell from his grasp as he drifted off to sleep. Brent nudged Nuvic and whispered, ‘’okay, I got a plan.’’

‘’And what, prey tell, would that be?’’ Nuvic asked.

‘’The floor of this cage has holes in it, right? Well, can you fit your legs through the holes?’’

Nuvic tried. His legs slipped onto the ground, and he lifted the cage and Brent’s combined weight into the air. Brent then pointed to a small hill.

‘’I’ve calculated that if we roll fast enough down that hill, the cage will break from the centrifugal force.’’

Nuvic gave him a dumbstruck look.

‘’Right, whatever you said.’’ He replied. Brent sighed.

‘’We roll fast enough to destroy the cage.’’ He repeated. Nuvic nodded and ran toward the hill. He jumped high into the air and the cage started to roll. Finally, it began to break apart. But there was one thing Brent hadn’t accounted for. The hill increased in grade at the exact point where the cage would be completely destroyed. Brent watched as bones scattered everywhere. Soon, both he and Nuvic were rolling down the hill. Nuvic suddenly disappeared over the edge, and Brent followed. Both dog and bear fell down into the valley below.

Balto arrived at the exact spot where Rail Wolf had said that he nearly missed a dog. Balto then noticed something on the ground. A small gadget sat in the snow. Balto picked it up and upon further inspection found it to be Brent’s Cryogenic Freeze Gun. He knew Brent had come this way. Rapatior then replied, ‘’Balto, I see some footprints. They look like running shoe prints to me.’’

‘’Brent,’’ Balto gasped and jumped onto the sled, ‘’follow those prints!’’

Brent slowly opened his eyes and sat up. Both he and Nuvic had fallen down a steep 150ft. hill and landed right on the valley floor. Brent checked his limps. Everything seemed to be intact, but what about Nuvic. Brent’s bear friend had managed to fall headfirst into a large tree stump. Brent walked up and knocked on the trunk.

‘’Yoo-hoo, anyone home?’’ he joked.

‘’Very funny,’’ Nuvic remarked airily, ‘’just get me outta here.’’

Brent examined the situation. Nuvic was stuck in the tree, and he was too heavy to pull out.

‘’Nuvic, I think we’ll have to cut you out of there.’’ Brent replied. Nuvic gave a small snort.

‘’With what? A Swiss Army knife?’’

‘’No, a laser torch.’’ Brent answered as he pulled out a wrist laser gun. Aiming, he fired the continuous laser stream and cut his way through the wood. Nuvic eyed the reddish beam; he didn’t trust it. Finally, Nuvic’s weight overcame the trunk’s structure and he fell forward, landing with a loud boom. Getting to his feet, Nuvic brushed the dirt from his fur.

‘’Well, now what?’’ he asked. Brent pointed into the forest.

‘’We go that way.’’ He replied. Nuvic nodded and followed the professor into the dense brush.

After only two hours of walking, both friends arrived at a stream. The sun had set while they were walking, and the stars twinkled above their heads. Brent sat down on a rock and watched the water flow by. Nuvic sat down beside him.

‘’So, how did you end up all the way out here?’’ he asked.

‘’I got a note from my parents-who I thought were dead-and I went off to find them. I crashed my snowmobile into a tree and after a small series of events, I ended up in that cage,’’ Brent explained, ‘’what about you? What’s your story?’’

Nuvic looked at a bright star and gave a long sigh.

‘’Well, the thing is, I ran away from home myself.’’ He replied. Brent blinked.

‘’What?’’ he questioned. Nuvic nodded sadly.

‘’You see, my mom died a few years after I was born, so my dad had to raise me as a child. I grew up as a hard worker and a strong bear for my age. But soon, he wanted me to do things that I couldn’t; things I won’t be able to do. He said it was the way to prove that I was a true bear. But I couldn’t take it anymore. So I packed up my stuff and ran away. That was a few months ago. That was when those vermin and their nut-ball they call a leader captured me. I feel really stupid, I shouldn’t have left my guard down!’’ Nuvic then slammed his fist onto a rock, cracking it slightly. Brent shook his head.

‘’If it’ll make you feel better Nuvic, I feel worse than you.’’

‘’You do?’’ Nuvic asked. Brent nodded.

‘’Yeah. I left my girlfriend and my best friends back in Nome. I didn’t tell them where I was going or anything. I’m the one who should feel stupid.’’

Nuvic put his big grizzly bear paw on Brent’s shoulder.

‘’That does make me feel better,’’ he admitted, ‘’but having you as company is what I like the best.’’

Brent smiled. This bear was a great guy. This could turn into a good friendship. Just then, the tender moment suddenly was interrupted by a sound in the bushes. Nuvic and Brent turned and got ready to fight. A figure materialised from the bushes, and both friends jumped it. After a small struggle, the cloaked figure managed to break out of the grasp of both boys and double back to a safe position. Brent panted heavily and questioned, ‘’who are you and what do you want?’’

The figure took of its cloak and threw it aside. A beautiful female fox in her late teens (17 years old) and a faded blue jump suit stood in front of the two. She had sapphire red eyes and a sly attitude. She smiled and blew Brent and Nuvic a kiss each.

‘’My name is Amber.’’ She said. Nuvic and Brent stared at the creature. But in his mind, Brent kept repeating, ‘’I’m a taken guy, I’m a taken guy, I’m a taken guy…’’

Brent waved.

‘’Well, hi…uhh…Amber. I’m…’’

‘’Brent Edward MacWolf, born March 10th 2008 in Chicken, Alaska and Nuvic Shonash Nightrazor, born October 24th 1935. I know who you are, and I know why you two are out here.’’ Amber replied. Brent growled.

‘’How?’’ he questioned suspiciously. Amber winked at him and answered, ‘’Nuvic wishes to find himself a mate and settle down in the wilderness. He ran away from home because of his strict father. And you, Brent MacWolf, are trying to find your parents! I know this because of my Magic Orb (see my Kodiak series [Kodiak and Rudolph and Kodiak’s Wild Time Ride).’’

Nuvic advanced one step. He glared at Amber.

‘’You were spying on us? Oh, when I get my hands on you fox, I’m gonna…’’

Amber raised her hand and Nuvic’s mouth slammed shut as if on its own.

‘’No one talks to me in that tone