the bear was ready.

He hit Aleu in the face with one massive paw.

Aleu was thrown backwards as the force of the blow picked her up and slammed her to the snow.

She got up, shook it off, and ran at the bear a third time.

She jumped at it, but just as she was about to impact, the bear hit her with its paw again.

She flew through the air and hit the side of the mountain.

Aleu crumpled.

She struggled to her feet as the bear lumbered over.

Aleu tried desperately to remain standing, but she could not, and fell to the snow.

The bear stood over her, gaping jaws open wide, and raised its paw.

Aleu closed her eyes, waiting for the final strike.

Then she heard a growl, and the bear howled in pain.

There was a red wolf biting at its leg.

The bear kicked the wolf in the face, and he was thrown backwards.

This gave Aleu the chance to stand up and get her bearings again.

The bear was almost on top of the red wolf, when he jumped up and ran in between the bears legs.

The bear tried to hit him, but lost its balance and fell to the ground.

Aleu ran over to the red wolf.

“Thanks!” She said.

The red wolf grinned at her.

“Just thought I’d help out.”

“Are you through helping?” Aleu asked.

“Why?” The red wolf replied, he turned to see the bear stand up.

“It appears not.” He said.

Aleu jumped at the bear.

She hit its back, but it threw her off again and she rolled off of the edge of the cliff.

“No!” The red wolf yelled.

He ran at the bear and it turned, just as he slammed into its nose.

The bear backpedaled, and fell.

The red wolf hit the snow and slid a ways before he stopped.

The bear got up and started to lumber off, searching for an easier meal.

The red wolf climbed to his feet and ran to the edge of the cliff.

The gray wolf he’d tried to rescue was down below.

She’d landed on a ledge about twenty feet down.

The red wolf cautiously made his way down to her.

He stood over her and wondered.

“Is she alive?”\

Then her eyes opened and she coughed.

“What… what happened to me?”

The red wolf smiled.

“You fell off a cliff.”

He looked off of the ledge, seeing how far it was to the ground.

“The great Aniu must be watching over you, for you to have landed on this, instead of falling…. down there.”

“Probably more truth to that than he knows,” Aleu thought.

“Come on, let’s get back up there.” Aleu said.

She began to climb back up the side of the cliff.

Chapter 4

“So you really got to see Heamer?” Jenna asked, “even after he…”

Aleu nodded.

“And I would see and do many other strange things in the times to come.”

Balto smiled.

“Was the red wolf Shadow?”

Aleu shook her head.

“No, I didn’t meet him until we got back, this…

well, let me just get back to my story….”

It didn’t take long for the two wolves to make it back up on the mountainside.

Aleu looked down and her mouth fell open in shock.

The ledge was gone.

“Thank you Aniu, or Muru, whoever was responsible.”

She walked over to the red wolf, who was licking his paw.

“Are you hurt?” Aleu asked.

The wolf shook his head and stopped licking his paw.

“Me? No, I’m fine.”

“Well, I owe you my thanks,” Aleu said, “and my life.”

The red wolf smiled.

“It was nothing. What are you doing out here all alone?”

“I’m… I’m on a quest.” Aleu said.

“A quest huh?” the wolf said.

“Did that quest include getting eaten by a bear?”

Aleu smiled and shook her head.

“Not exactly.”

She paused.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” She asked.

“Hunting,” the wolf answered, “oh and the name is Alai, by the way.”

She smiled.

“Aleu.”

“Well Aleu, do you have anywhere to stay tonight?”

“I’ll find somewhere,” Aleu said, “I really must be getting back on the trail.”

“Where are you going?” Alai asked.

Aleu smiled sheepishly.

“I’m… I’m not exactly sure.”

“Some quest.” Alai said.

“Yeah,” Aleu said, “you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

The two said nothing for a long while.

“Well,” Alai said, “I don’t know anything about any quest, but I do know that it gets dreadfully cold in the mountains at night. Why don’t you come spend the night with my pack? We’d be glad to have you.”

Aleu shook her head.

“Thank you Alai, but I really must be leaving.”

“You’re in an awful hurry, for someone who doesn’t know where she’s going.”

Aleu smiled.

“Suit yourself,” Alai said. “Take care Aleu.”

Then he began to walk away.

Aleu watched him go.

“It would be nice to have a warm place to sleep, and someone to talk to for once,” she thought.

She’d been alone for the past month or more.

“How much time had passed since…”

She couldn’t remember.

“Wait,” Aleu said.

She ran at Alai’s retreating form.

He stopped.

“Change your mind?”

Aleu smiled.

“Yes.” She said, “that is if you’ll still have me?”

Alai smiled.

“I’d never turn down a brother wolf… or… or sister, sorry.”

Aleu laughed.

“Let’s go Alai.”

“This is unacceptable,” A black wolf said.

“What?” Alai said, “that I saved a fellow wolf, and a beautiful one at that?”

“No,” The black wolf said. “That you brought her here. We are having trouble enough finding food for ourselves, much less caring for outsiders.”

“But she didn’t have anywhere to stay,” Alai said, “she’d have frozen to death in these mountain nights.”

“That’s her problem,” the black wolf said.

“Ender,” a tan wolf said, as he walked in. “That is enough!”

Ender snarled at the tan wolf.

‘Magor,” Alai said.

The tan wolf nodded.

“You did fine Alai, you did as any should, we should all endeavor to care for those around us, for this brings balance.”

Magor looked at Ender.

“Caring for ones self only brings chaos.”

Ender growled at Magor and slunk away.

“May I go down and show her around?” Alai asked.

Magor smiled at him.

“Of course Alai, make her feel welcome, oh and Alai?”

Alai stopped.

Magor walked over to him.

“I should like to talk to her myself, later, about this quest of hers.”

Alai nodded.

He turned and walked away.

“So Aleu,” Alai said, “what do you think?”

“This is cool,” Aleu said, “we never had anything like this.”

“We?” Alai asked.

“My clan,” Aleu said.

Alai could tell that she did not wish to speak more of it, so he left it alone.

“Hey Kima,” Alai yelled at an orange wolf nearby, “come here.”

The wolf ran over.

“Hey Alai,” she said, “any luck?”

Alai looked at the ground and shook his head, then looked back up at her.

“I’m beginning to think that there isn’t any more left.”

He paused.

“Oh Kima,” he said, “this is Aleu, I found her out wondering the plains.”

“Alone?” Kima asked.

Alai nodded.

“She almost became a grizzly’s dinner.”

“Well you’re very lucky,” Kima said.

“and I’m Kima by the way.”

Aleu smiled.

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Kima said.

She turned to Alai.

“Look, I’ve got to go, time to feed the little ones, but I’ll catch up to you later.”

“Alright,” Alai said, “take care of yourself Kima.”

Kima turned and ran off.

Alai turned to Aleu.

“Kima has been my best friend since we were pups.”

“Oh,” Aleu said, “friends and nothing else?”

Alai looked at the ground and nodded.

“I… I made the mistake of waiting too long to tell her.” He said.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Aleu said.

Alai sighed.

“Yeah.”

“Hey Aleu,” Alai said. “Have you ever seen the northern lights?”

Aleu nodded.

“Well, I bet you’ve never seen them like this, you…. You want to join me?”

“Actually Alai…” Aleu said.

She yawned, cutting her sentence in two.

“… I’m really tired. I think I’m going to lie down.”

“Okay.” Alai said.

Aleu couldn’t help but hear the disappointment in his voice, as he turned to walk away.

“Wait.” She said.

He stopped and turned.

“Lead the way,” Aleu said.

Alai smiled.

Aleu followed him out of the cave. 

Chapter 4

Aleu and Alai walked back into the cave.

“That was beautiful Alai,” Aleu said.

They’d spent the better part of two hours talking, and Aleu was finding that she was starting to like this wolf.

She was actually kind of sad that she had to leave in the morning.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Aleu.” Alai said.

Aleu smiled.

“See ya tomorrow.”

“Guess you’ll be leaving, huh?”

Aleu smiled.

“Back on your quest?” Alai said.

Aleu nodded.

Nothing was said between the two of them for a while.

“Well,”