have wished for me. I know that I may be only part wolf, but I wish to learn and master whatever skills I need to achieve my destiny as the Kawa Clan’s Alpha . . .  

Please, please, I beg of you . . . Just grant me the courage to survive . . . .

After her personal prayer, she raised her head back and let out a howling cry; the other wolves joined in, sending their own blessings to the Spiritual World. The chorus of howls only lasted about a couple of minutes and it was quite awkward in the midday brightness of their new surroundings; several curious woodland creatures peeked from their tiny homes, wondering what all of the racket was about, but once they realized a pack of wolves were their new neighbors, many of them returned into the safety of their tree-bound homes. 

Once the howling ceased, Aleu opened her eyes and looked out at the twenty other lupines looking back at her with mixed expressions of either gladness, relief, pride for their new Alpha’s leadership, or the rarely-seen glare of impatient rage. She gave them all a smile as she nodded her head slightly, allowing them to join her inside the coolness of the lake in front of them. With eager excitement, all of the wolves leapt from the grassy shoreline into the water, splashing and lapping up the liquid that began to quench their thirst.

The mousy-brown female did nothing but watch her Clan enjoy their new home; as she gazed upon their many cheerful actions of exploring their new home, the Alpha suddenly felt a chill wind graze against her fur, causing her legs to slightly shudder. 

Papa was right, Aleu thought to herself as she looked up. A gentle flake of pure-white slowly floated from the sky; it kissed her nose before melting against the warm wetness of her nuzzle. Winter is coming quickly . . . The melting snow trickled down her nose; she opened her mouth, allowing the water to drip onto her tongue and down her throat. She looked up and saw a few other snowflakes drop lightly from the sky and began their descent onto the ground below.

We haven’t much time now . . . The caribou must be around here somewhere . . . Her expression was firm and straight as she felt a gentle nuzzle against her neck. It was Scarlet, who spoke not a word; he could tell just by looking at the yearling that the upcoming winter was troubling her. Aleu returned the gesture, knowing that he was someone she could rely on to help her.  

Although she was in her safe haven with Scarlet by her side, she felt scared deep inside her heart. She remembered the dark gray and black she-wolf that scorned her over being a ‘tame-born’ and for stalling their search for the caribou that they desperately followed. 

“The upcoming winter will destroy you . . .”

Her words rang like a bell through her head. Riza obviously knows my weakness . . . and that’s what I’m afraid of most . . . Aleu let out a sigh and leaned against the muddy crimson wolf’s neck. I have so much relying on me: surviving the winter, leading the Clan to the caribou, making them trust me . . . 

“How can I live up to all of this, Aniu?” She murmured softly as she rubbed her nose against Scarlet’s warm fur. “How can a young part-wolf like me truly be worthy of this difficult fate that you have led me to?”

“Shh-shh,” Scarlet placed his nose on top of her light-brown and beige muzzle, calming her. “I’m here for you, Aleu. Let me help you.” He allowed her to let go of him, looked at her and dried the thin stream of tears that fell down her cheeks with his muzzle. 

“Thank you, Scarlet,” She sniffed as the two of them looked up at the sky together. “I’m ready for you to teach me.”

Somehow, they both knew this winter and how she, an unknown quarter-wolf with limited skills of being in the wild, commanded the Clan as their new Alpha would either make or break the Kawa forever. Somehow, their quest for the caribou had just begun once the first snowfall arrived, and things weren’t about to be easy anymore. 

(Part TWO – completed 4/11/07)

 

Author's Note (9/8/07): While writing the story, I have changed Riza's coat color throughout my progress in the tale . . . I hope that this small change does not affect too much of your reading enjoyment!

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Rating: PG for hunting, blood, and a bit of bullying about being different. There’s possible violence too, but these are wolves that we’re talking about. Whoo-hoo, violence. ^___^ 

Disclaimer: Balto,Wolf Quest, and any other characters and situations mentioned are the property of Universal Studios, Inc. and any other names used are fan-made by me, Juuchan17.

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