clan.

At first, it was the moose, and that worked for a long time, about a thousand years.”

“A thousand years?” Aleu asked.

Muru nodded.

“The clan that Aniu was a part of, was the first on the earth. They were born here in Alaska, and then there was a great war, splitting the wolf clan into many parts, which decided to roam the earth where the willed. The great Aniu’s clan stayed here.”

“But, wait a minute,” Aleu said, “Aniu is my father’s mother.”

“Yes,” Muru said, “the great Aniu is Balto’s mother.

“So how could she have been dead for over a hundred years?”

“Ah, well…” Muru said, “I’ll leave that for the great Aniu to tell you, if should decide to reveal herself to you.”

Aleu wasn’t really satisfied with this answer, but she could tell that Muru wasn’t going to tell her anything else, so she remained quiet.

“As I was saying,” Muru continued. “Shade wants nothing more than to see the great Aniu suffer, that is why he led her clan here. He figured out that the great Aniu was supplying them with food, and he destroyed the moose.”

“How could he do that?” Aleu asked.

“Any moose that stepped foot on this island simply ceased to exist.” Muru answered.

“But how?” Aleu asked.

Aleu,” Muru said, “this world we live in is wonderful and strange, many things are possible which we do not believe, but you have simply to believe and they are possible.”

“Is that how Nava seemed to control his environment?” Aleu asked.

Muru nodded.

“Nava is very skilled in this art, and he is very powerful. Did you know he is over fifty years old?”

“Fifty!” Aleu said.

Muru nodded.

He simply wills himself to live, and it is so. The mind is a very powerful tool Aleu.”

“So what were you saying about the moose?” Aleu asked.

“Well, since Shade was now killing the moose, the great Aniu started to use deer, and then fish and whales, anything that her clan could eat for food, and then finally you were born and events were set in motion to bring you here, when you were ready.”

“Ready for what?” Aleu asked.

Muru sighed again.

“That, again I will leave to the great Aniu, or if she should decide not to speak to you, I will tell you when you are more mature, and ready for it.”

A great sadness seemed to pass over Muru’s face.

“Muru, what is it?”

“The future.” Muru said.

“You can see the future?” Aleu asked.

Muru nodded.

“What is it?” Aleu said.

“Pain,” Muru said, “much pain…”

“What causes the pain?’ Aleu asked, “Maybe I can stop it.”

“No Aleu,” Muru said, “you must not, everything happens for a reason, everything leads up to a purpose.”

“That black wolf was Shade, wasn’t it?” Aleu asked.

“Yes,” Muru said.

“You must always watch out for him Aleu, thousands of years of planning and arranging could be lost if something happens to you, and Shade wants nothing else right now. He will make your quest a difficult one.”

“What quest,” Aleu said, “I thought that ended when I led my clan across the ice bridge.”

Do you yet know who you are?” Muru asked.

Aleu nodded.

“Yes, I am Aleu, Daughter of Balto and Jenna, leader of a clan of wolves.

Muru shook his head.

“This is only part of the answer, but I will tell you this, your quest has only begun….”

Then Muru faded.

Chapter 2

Aleu woke with a start.

“Oh my gosh,” she said aloud, “was that ever weird.”

“Aleu?” Heamer asked.

“Go back to sleep Heamer.” Aleu said.

Heamer rolled over and soon was snoring again.

Aleu got up and walked out to the water’s edge, where the ice flows still sat.

“Was that even real?” She thought, “could it have been real?”

Suddenly a horrible smell reached her nose, like death.

She wrinkled her nose and stepped back, thinking that a whale had beached itself and died on the beach.

She felt cold skin behind her.

She spun around and tried to scream, but could not.

Shade was there.

He grinned at her.

“So much for the chosen one,” he said, “that was easier than I believed possible.”

Then he sank his yellow teeth into her neck.

Aleu felt instant pain, and a wave of sickness washed over her, then she fell to the snow.

Shade looked down at her and laughed.

He kicked Aleu, and she rolled over once, but didn’t move. He laughed again and walked off. 

When Aleu awoke she was in a cave, that was odd because she remembered falling down on the snow outside.

She groaned and stood up.

She felt sick.

She threw up on the floor of the cave.

“Wow, I feel bad.” She thought. “I wonder how long I was out.”

She stumbled out of the cave and found that she wasn’t far from the clan’s cave.

She walked over to the clan.

The clan was assembled outside the cave.

Julious was in front of them.

“I say we go, and we go now, before it’s too late.”

The wolves all nodded in agreement.

Aleu stumbled up to him.

“No… no we… we can’t.”

Julious turned to Aleu.

“Oh, look who it is, our great leader, returned after what? three days.”

He laughed.

“I’ve… I’ve had these dreams,” Aleu said.

Julious laughed again.

“I too have had dreams, and the great Aniu herself has told me that we must cross, that you are weak.”

Aleu could hardly stand, she was swaying back and forth.

“And who have you seen?” Julious said, “a field mouse?”

The other wolves looked first at Aleu, and then back at Julious.

“Make your choice,” He said, “go and live with me, or stay and starve with Aleu.”

One by one every one of the wolves walked by Aleu and stood beside Julious.

“Heamer?” Aleu asked.

The young wolf looked at the ground.

“I’m sorry Aleu, but… but he’s right.”

Aleu shook her head as the wolves started walking towards the ocean side.

Aleu followed them.

“No,” Aleu said,” as the wolves started to step onto the ice bridge.

She stood up and watched as they began to cross it.

A tear rolled out of her eye as she saw Heamer step out onto the flow.

Aleu laid down, and prepared for what she knew was going to happen.

Then she stood up.

The wolves had made it out about a hundred yards, and they stopped.

Julious turned and yelled at her.

“See, you are the one who is foolish Aleu, we will be just fine.”

As he finished saying this a loud crack sounded.

Aleu sighed.

The ice bridge started to come apart, and then fell through.

Julious watched as the crack spread towards him.

Many of the wolves were already in the freezing water, and were trying to keep their heads above the water.

Many had already disappeared, including Heamer.

Tears started to roll down Aleu’s cheeks as she realized she would never speak to the young wolf, or any of her clan ever again.

As the crack reached him, Julious looked right at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I didn’t know.”

“I tried to tell you!” Aleu screamed, as the crack reached him and he fell into the water.

Aleu watched as the remaining wolves thrashed in the water, until… the water was still again.

Aleu turned and began to walk away.

Aleu was standing in the cave again.

Muru walked out from behind the crystals.

“Muru!” Aleu yelled, “WHY!”

She started crying again.

“Why?” she said quietly.

Muru walked over to her as she fell to the ground.

“The pain was necessary.” Muru said, “For now, you are free to complete your quest.”

“My quest?” Aleu said. “Everyone I knew and cared about on this island is dead!”

“I know how it feels,” Muru said, “but much better things lie in wait for you.”

Aleu turned away from him.

“I couldn’t save them.”

“I know how you feel,” Muru said.

Aleu just shook her head.

“Aleu, your journey must begin now, tomorrow you must leave this cave, do you understand?” Muru said.

Aleu turned to answer him, but he was gone.

“So Aleu,” Balto said, “they all died?”

Aleu nodded.

“Even the young ones?” Kodi asked.

“Yes,” said Aleu, “all of them, except me.”

“And you continued to have these… these visions?” Jenna asked.

Aleu nodded.

“I didn’t understand it then, but...well, as Muru said, everything happens for a purpose.”

And Aniu, my mother,” Balto said, a little disbelievingly. “She’s really thousands of years old.”

“Yes,” Aleu said, “I’ll explain how that happened a little later, but yes, she is.”

She paused.

“I know that what I am about to tell you is hard to believe, and