The sun rolled down, coloring the sky with it’s blood, defeated by the darkness only to be born again tomorrow in the clear skies

The sun rolled down, coloring the sky with it’s blood, defeated by the darkness only to be born again tomorrow in the clear skies. The moon filled the snowy forest with a cold, silvery light. It slithered on the frozen ribbon of the river, and reflected in the eyes of about two dozen or so lean shadows which were running silently along the frozen water. They were wolves, and in the lead was Alue. She flashed her eyes in the direction of a black wolf, cocking her head to the left meaningfully. The wolf nodded quickly and turned left, motioning half the pack with him. Alue followed them with her eyes and continued on her way.

In a minute or so, the pack slowed down, then stopped completely. Alue lifted up her head and sniffed the air, her body tense, senses tingling. And there it was, the smell. The caribou. She looked into the darkness, and finally saw a small gathering of caribou, nudging at the earth with their hooves, trying to find something which could’ve been left of the grass. Alue looked past the spot, but couldn’t see anything else. However, she felt the black wolf, that he’d do everything perfectly.

Alue turned her head and motioned the pack in different positions with her eyes. Immediately they disappeared into the darkness, leaving her with Sumac, Kojil, Muraco and Psyche.

Alue crouched, her fur on the end, her soft lips stretching into a menacing silent snarl. She waited in that position for some time, then - she jumped.

She landed swiftly on her paws, then kicked again, sending a hurricane of snow, and sped towards the caribou with earsplitting howls, yelps and barks. The others were only a moment late. They made a semi-circle around the caribou, snapping at them, bringing panic. The caribou darted around, blind with fear. As they tried to run away, wolves were jumping out right in front of them from the shadows.

Alue finally got what she had in mind. A young, sickly caribou and a big, fat, clumsy adult were separated from the rest. The wolves let them run away, but closed in on their prey. Both showed peculiar strength in fighting off the wolves.

As Alue witnessed three of her pack members get injured by the sharp hooves, she made a sound that was a cross between a yelp and a howl. It was a signal.

The black Alpha-male pounced from behind the pines, with half the pack following him. He jumped on the caribous first, and finished one off with a sharp snap on the throat. The body jerked, spraying the wolves and the other caribou with it’s blood. The other one was killed by the rest of the pack.

Alue glared around, the adrenaline from the fight slowly leaving her. She licked her chops, enjoying the warm blood in her mouth. As the leader, she walked up to the caribou first, but instead of eating it, laid on her stomach and whispered a few words. The freeing of the spirit, and the apologies for taking a life. There was a quiet gust of wind, thick fog covered the pack for a moment… Then Alue took her first bite of meat in many days. She chewed on it happily, and called the other wolves to join in. She herself gulped down the fresh meat and walked up to the black male.

“You were outstanding. This is our lucky day, thank the spirits…. Not always can we get two caribous, in one rising and setting of the sun…” said Alue gently, and nuzzled him lovingly.

“Under you lead, we can do anything” he answered with a soft chuckle.

“So you want to celebrate? Let’s bring the pups, mothers-to-be and the elders here. We’re having a feast!”

“Wait up. Sometimes I think you’re still the pup Balto and the great Aniu brought to our pack. First we have to check the area for hunters,” laughed the black male. Alue stared at her mate silhouetted in the moonlight, and felt great tenderness rise yet again inside her. She still couldn’t believe her luck… And the four pups playing in their cave.

“Psyche! Shea!” Alue finally called out. Two silhouettes immediately parted themselves from the eating pack and glided over.

“You know what to do,” nodded Alue. The wolves disappeared into the midst of the trees.

“Now, Suchin?” Alue asked the beautiful male. He just laughed and licked her shiny nose. “Yes.”

 

“Mom! Mommy!” Alue heard squeaks of the tiny fluff balls. “Aunt Nuri is so boring! She didn’t play with us!”

“Hey, hey, calm down, Aunt Nuri is not a chew toy,” laughed Alue, remembering her father and the weird Uncle Boris. Faint sadness took hold of her, but she became occupied with Shay and Neva who were playing tug-of-war with her tail.

“Hey!” Alue snapped playfully at them. The pups scattered, yelping happily, barking in delight. Alue chased them for a while, laughing, the quicksilver of the moon’s light and the twinkle of the stars getting caught in her eyes and rich, gray fur.

“Now, who’s hungry?” she panted after a while.

“Oh, mum! I am!”

“I am!”

“I want caribou!”

“Finally! I’m starving!” were the excited responses.

“We better get going then!” Alue said to the pups and then to Nuri; “We got two caribous over by the Moon Creek. Lead the rest of the pack there as soon as possible, I don’t know when we’re going to eat as much as this again…” Nuri bowed, then jumped into the bushes and out of sight.

Alue set off towards the caribou with four pups shooting around, eating snow and wrestling on the way. When she got there the young caribou was almost finished by the hunters, who were now lying on the snow in tight packs of two and three, enjoying the rest, warmth and the food. The pups sped in the direction of the caribou and were already fighting over a piece of fat.

“They seem to be enjoying themselves…”

Alue spun around and came nose-to-nose with Suchin. “Oh, you gave me quite a fright.”

“I’m sorry,” Suchin whispered quietly. “We should be careful. Psyche and Shea spotted a human camp nearby. They seem to be out hunting.”

Alue looked at her mate helplessly.

“But what are we going to do?” she whispered back desperately. “We can’t leave the food! We’re starving! The other pack members are going to come now! The caribou are scared, they must’ve traveled away after tonight’s attack. We will go hungry again, and I can’t let that happen!… Look at our pups! They’re skin and bones!..”

“C’mon, no need to get nervous. We just need to be really quiet. The humans are on guard, they must’ve heard us hunting… We can pull it off. The only concern is the pups.”

Alue nodded, not knowing what else to do.

“Hey, c’mere!” Suchin called out.

“Yeah dad!” was the reply and four fur balls rolled under his feet. “What’s the matter?”

“You need to be really quiet, or Niju will come out from behind the rock at night…”

“Niju?” squeaked the pups in terror.

“I can take him anytime!” barked Shay, who was the boldest of the four.

“But we’ll be quiet,” whispered Mana in fright.

“That’s the spirit,” winked Suchin. As the pups rolled off, Suchin sighed.

“Alue… Whatever happens. If the hunters will come… Save yourself, don’t try and help me. The pups need you.” Suchin’s eyes filled with tears. Alue nuzzled him and stroked him with her soft paw gently. She knew that Suchin had lost his parents and his mate three comings of the Great Snow ago. A summer before she entered the pack.

“It’ll be okay,” Alue assured him. A lonely tear twinkled down his muzzle.

“Alue… I love you, Alue. I don’t want anything to happen to you…”

“I know. I love you, Suchin.”

And the first weak rays of the sun found them wrapped around each other, with pups tucked in between them, watching sorrow-free dreams…

 

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

“WHAT?” yelped Alue, snapping out of her dreams. Then when she realized what was happening her heart sank. The pups were wrestling in the snow, and it seemed that Neva was hurt again by her brothers and sisters. Alue realized she never guessed how loud Neva could cry. Suchin was already on his feet, but his body woke up before the mind did. He was looking around in a haze.

“What’s happening?”

Alue didn’t answer him though, preoccupied with calming Neva. Suchin looked around and understood what happened instantly.

“Sumac!” he barked. “Wake up the pack members quickly! The hunters might’ve heard us, we shouldn’t be caught off guard.”

“Suchin, surely they won’t…” Alue started hesitantly.

“Maybe, maybe not. They won’t kill us without a fight. Remember, we are wolves at heart. They won’t shoot us like a pack of rabid dogs!”

 

“Is everyone here?” Alue asked Suchin as he counted the wolves.

“It seems so,” he answered slowly. “Is Taki with you?”

“No, I thought he was with you and the rest of his brothers and sisters!” Alue growled anxiously. Suchin spun around and faced her.

“WHAT?…”

BANG

“They’re here!” Yelled Sumac, and everyone started off to find a hideout. Most pack members were taken with panic, this was their first encounter with humans. Suchin and Alue were one of

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