she thought, “I’m watching my own funeral.”

Her gaze fell on Shadow and her children, and she couldn’t help but cry, as she saw the pain that her… death had caused.

She turned to Aniu.

“Do it.” She said.

“I don’t know….” Aniu said “… my child…. I’ve: never done this before.”

“Just do it.” Aleu said.

“But I don’t know what will…”

Aleu cut off Aniu, something she’d never done before.

“Just do it, I don’t care.”

Aniu sighed.

“As you wish my child, I owe you so much…”

Dash watched, as Shasta’s name was called, and the wolves pushed her out onto the river.

He watched as she floated out of sight.

“Good-bye Shasta,” Dash thought.

He looked down at his own children, knelt down and cuddled with all of them.

They were over a year old now, and they all knew what had happened…. what it meant.”

Shadow stepped down, away from his children and walked down to the shore, motioning the wolves who had been detailed the job away.

“Aleu.” Balto said, “Alpha of the Talbourne clan.”

Shadow drug her out into the river, refusing help.

It took him a little bit, but he finally got her out in the middle of the river.

“Let go,” he thought.

He found he could not.

Tears streamed down his face, as he forced himself to let her go.

Aleu floated downstream.

Shadow walked slowly back to the shore, and rejoined his kids.

“Poor Shadow,” Dash thought.

The wolves started to leave.

There wasn’t a dry eye among them.

Dash sighed.

“Come on kids,” he said, “let’s go home.”

Aleu opened her eyes.

She looked around.

She was laying in the water.

She stood up and looked around.

Shasta was there as well.

Aleu sighed.

“I’m sorry my friend.” She said.

She looked at the other bodies around her.

“My…. Aniu, there’s been so much death… why?”

She turned, and started to walk away.

Epilogue

Shadow sighed.

He looked out on the cave, on the pack.

“My pack,” he thought.

He turned and walked back into their….. his

chambers.

Tears started rolling out of his eyes, as he thought of her again.

What was life going to be like without her?

“Can there even be a life?” Shadow thought.

He looked back at the shelf.

It had to be over a hundred feet to the floor….

“But no,” He thought, “I have to lead the pack.”

He sighed, laid down, and put his paws over his eyes.

“Oh Aleu,” he said aloud, “how can I do it alone?”

“You leader?”

Shadow’s eyes snapped open, and he stood up.

“That voice….”

“This pack is definitely doomed then.”

“It…. it can’t be….” He thought.

Aleu stepped into the room and smiled.

“They couldn’t find anyone better?”

A smile slid across Shadow’s face.

“ALEU!” He yelled.

He ran into her, and both of them rolled across the chamber.

Shadow came up on top, and licked her cheek.

“You’re real?!” Shadow shouted.

Aleu laughed.

“Well, yeah!”

“And… and you’re alive?!”

Aleu laughed again.

“Last time I checked.”

“Thank Aniu!” Shadow yelled, “but… but how?”

Aleu rolled over, and he fell off her.

“You just said it.” Aleu said.

“Aniu?” Shadow asked.

Aleu nodded.

“I’ll tell you all about it, but first… the pack really needs a leader, doesn’t it?”

Shadow nodded.

“And… and we’ve got to tell Balto, and Jenna and…. and everyone!”

Aleu smiled.

Shadow walked out on the shelf.

“Kids! Kids… come here!”

He stuck his head back inside.

“Come on Aleu!”

Aleu smiled.

“I’m coming, get them all together, and I’ll be out in a minute.”

Shadow disappeared.

Aleu looked up at the cave ceiling.

“Thank-you Aniu….” She said.

“Thank you……………”

THE END