know how, you were just lucky.”

Aniu paused.

“Try to run at me.”

“What?” Aleu asked.

Try to attack me.” Aniu said.

“But… I can’t do that, I can’t attack… you.” Aleu answered.

“Yes you can now do it, and do it like you mean it.”

Aniu smiled when she saw the concern in Aleu’s eyes.

“Don’t worry my child, you’re not going to hurt me.”

Aleu shrugged her shoulders, ran at Aniu, and ran tight into… she didn’t know what, but she bounced off of it like a rock wall.

Aleu stood up.

“How’d you do that?”

Aniu walked over to her.

“Like I’ve said before, you just have to believe. Imagine a… a bubble, for lack of a better word, around you, that nothing can penetrate, and nothing will be able to.”

“Okay,” Aleu said.

“Now, I’m going to attack you this time, and I’m going to mean it, so actually do what I’m telling you.” Aniu said.

Aleu nodded.

Aniu walked to the back of the chamber and turned around.

“Are you ready my child?”

Aleu nodded.

Aniu ran at her, full speed, growling and snarling. It was a frightening sight to behold, for Aniu could fight very well.

Aleu lost her focus and Aniu barreled into her.

Aleu smacked into the rock wall behind her.

Aniu laughed.

“That’s not exactly how it’s supposed to work/” She said as Aleu climbed tot her feet. “Try again.”

Aniu walked back across the chamber.

Aleu was afraid this time, afraid that she’d mess it up again, and hit the wall… again.

Aniu ran at her, and Aleu stared her down, watching as she grew closer.

“I can take you,” Aleu thought, “you can’t touch me.

Aniu slammed into… air, but she stopped.”

“Good job Aleu,” Aniu said, as she climbed to her feet.

“Next is how to make your attacks more effective, now keep in the back of your head, that your mind gets tired and fatigued just like anything else in our body, so especially when you’re just starting, this is going to tire you out, so don’t go thinking you can hold that bubble forever, until Shade gets tired of running into it or anything , because you will get tired, and it will fall.”

Now Aleu, I want you to think of a location in this room other than the one that you’re standing on, like over by that rock for example.

Aleu looked over and saw the rock.

She closed her eyes and pictured it in her head, the jagged edges, the one rounded corner, the way that the upper two thirds of it sloped upward….. she felt a little strange, and she opened her eyes.

She was standing beside the rock.

“How…” Aleu asked.

“Watch,” Aniu said.

Then she vanished, and a, moment later appeared beside Aleu.

“Wow,” Aleu said, “so that’s how you do that all the time.”

Aniu nodded.

“It’s also good for moving out of the way of dangerous attacks, or if you’re really good, and can block out the fear, it’s good to know if you’re falling a considerable distance.”

“Anything else?” Aleu asked.

Aniu shook her head.

“That is all for now, and I want you to practice, get to where you can do these fast, so that they require almost no thought at all, otherwise they’re useless.

“I will,” Aleu said.

“I’ll leave you to that then.” Aniu said.

Then she disappeared.

Aleu began to practice.

Chapter 8

Aleu and Alai woke up early the next morning, and started to get the clan ready to move.

Once everyone was accounted for, they left the cave.

Ender walked up, followed by the wolves that had sided with him, over half the clan.

“You fools,” Ender said, “can you not see? You will all drown. Last chance, come with me.”

But the wolves that remained were loyal, and not one of them walked over to Ender; instead they all walked away, and didn’t look back.

That night, Aleu found herself in the cave again.

This time though, it was different. A gray mist hung over the floor, and it smelled… awful.

As Aleu’s mind began to comprehend the reasons for these changes, Shade stepped out of the shadows.

“Hello again Aleu,” He said, his voice one of mocking hate.”

Aleu’s fur bristled up, and she growled at her opponent.

“You are a feisty one, aren’t you?” Shade said.

Then he leapt at her.

Aleu didn’t even think, the bubble just appeared, and Shade slammed into it.

Aleu then vanished.

Shade stood up and looked around, trying to find her.

Then abruptly, she appeared right in front of him and hit him in the face with a flurry of attacks that surprised even her with their intensity and accuracy.

Shade stumbled back and jumped at her again, but he went right through her as she disappeared again.

“Why don’t you stop being such a coward and fight ME!” Shade yelled.

He felt someone behind him and turned.

Aleu was there, but she didn’t hit him with her paws this time, she bit his shoulder.

Shade howled in pain and threw Aleu off of him.

Aleu looked, and could see a bluish glow from the wound she’d inflicted on Shade.

She smiled in triumph.

“I can do this,” She thought.

Then Shade disappeared.

Aleu looked around, looking for an attacker, but none appeared.

Aleu waited for what seemed like hours, but no Shade.

Then she remembered Aniu’s words.

“He has a spirit as well as physical form.”

“Alai!” Aleu said, then she too vanished.

Shade stood over Alai, who was sleeping.

“If I can’t take you,” Shade thought, “then I’ll take what’s most important to you.”

Shade opened his mouth wide, and prepared to bite into Alai’s neck.

Suddenly, a gray blur shot at him from the front, and knocked him over.

Shade stood up and looked around him, but no one was there.

Then the gray blur was back and hit him again.

He jumped to his feet again, angry now and looked around.

“Show yourself you coward!” He screamed.

Aleu walked out of the rock above his head.

“Just like Nava,” Aleu thought. She remembered his words when she’d asked how to do it.

“It is something that cannot be taught.”

“Well I figured it out,” Aleu thought.

Then she jumped down at Shade and tore into the back of his neck.

Shade went down hard, and Aleu could feel blood flowing between her jaws.

She clamped down though, and refused to let go, until Shade had stopped moving.

She dropped him to the ground, and spit, trying to rid her mouth of his foul taste.

Aleu watched him, and suddenly his body blew away, just turned into thousands of little particles and blew away.

There was nothing left.

Aleu smiled and went over to Alai.

She smiled again and laid down beside him.

Soon she too was fast asleep.

Chapter 9

“So it was that easy?” Dash asked. “You just beat him?”

Aleu nodded.

“Aniu was right, the practice that I’d done helped me immensely, the only thing is that… well, I’ll tell you that later, now…”

Aleu sighed.

“Now it starts to end…”

“What do you mean by that dear?” Jenna asked.

Aleu sighed again.

“Well…”

Alai woke up in the morning to find Aleu curled up beside him.

He looked at her and smiled.

He brought his head closer to hers, and nuzzled her.

Aleu opened her eyes.

Alai stood up and grinned at her.

She smiled back.

“It’s over Alai.”

“What?” Alai asked.

“The fight, my quest, it’s over.”

“Then you did it?” Alai asked.

Aleu nodded.

“Shade is no more.”

Alai smiled again.

“Aleu…. I.. was thinking, that…. since,”

He continued to stutter around for a moment.

“Well I just… you don’t have a pack, and I was wondering, if… if you’d like to be a part of ours.”

“Sure,” Aleu said.

“But… that’s not all I wanted to say…. Aleu, I was thinking that since….”

Aleu smiled, she could guess what Alai was going to ask her.

“Well,” he continued, “you’ve led a pack before… and… and I haven’t, so would you like to help me, you know be second in charge, and….”

Aleu stepped up closer to him, and looked around to make sure know one else was watching, and they were all still asleep.

“But isn’t that usually the Alpha’s mate’s job?” She asked.

Alai gulped and nodded.

“Usually.”

“So what you’re asking is?” Aleu said.

“Yes, do… do you get it?” Alai asked.

Aleu leaned over and licked him on the nose.

“Yeah,” she said.

Alai let out a sigh of relief and laughed.

“Gosh, I… I must’ve sounded like an idiot huh?”

Aleu joined him in laughing, and then they heard a thunderous roar.

The two of them stopped laughing and looked toward the shore of the ocean.

“The ice flows!” Aleu yelled.

She ran toward the water.

Alai stayed on the hill.

Aleu stepped out on the ice flows.

She winced slightly, almost expecting to hear that sharp crack, but none came.

She looked back up at Alai.

“Wake everyone up, let’s