“Steele is near. Call me November.” Added with amused voice.

“November… why are you doing this?” she asked. “I mean… why have you started to dig so wide hole, for two.”

“Ow…” replied a bit embarrassed pawmaster. “Right, you no longer need any assistance. I will dig you second bedding.”

“No, it’s even worse!” murmured Muista. “I’m not wounded, not more tired than you… and you still help me in every move.”

“I’m so sorry, July.” Replied Kostan. “I didn’t mean to suggest you couldn’t…”

“No!” she interrupted. “I meant that is sweet.”

“Is it?” asked Kostan and stopped digging.

“Yes, but why…” she started, then stopped with sudden change of expression on her face.

“Please, tell me, what you wanted to tell.” Asked Kostan.

“I think that all what we were through… somehow muffled our senses.” Said wolfess. “We aren’t able to feel what we actually feel and understand what we already know.” She wanted to express some inexpressible thought, but she was out of words. “We will die tomorrow.”

“Yes.” Kostan nodded his head. “But that means you will be again with Taisten.”

“I know that.” Replied Muista. “And I’m happy about it.” She paused and stepped a step closer to Kostan. “But it doesn’t change a simple fact that I’m also happy to be with you tonight.” Old wolf looked on her with confusion, then replied.

“Of I’m happy too and…” He stopped. Well, he was also out of words. Fortunately Muista said simple:

“I love you, Novemeber.”

“I… love you, July.” Replied Kostan and their lips met in long and passionate kiss. In that gesture they both expressed everything. In her emotion was not even a shade of betrayal of Taisten’s memory. Or even opposite – it was a beautiful appendix to bond they had been bound previously. Finally they stopped and she put her head on his shoulder.

“God! Isn’t it stupid he declare it to each other today?”

“Most likely it is.” Replied Kostan. “But surely not as stupid as trying to say it tomorrow…” Then he added with softer voice. “I really love you, July.”

“Get away!” sounded a voice from rock above them. They turned their stares there, to see Steele observing them carefully.

“I think you should get back to Tro.” said Muista angrily.

“I will go there, but first I will send you away.” Replied commander.

“What?” gasped Kostan.

“Exactly what I said – go away!”

“What the hell…” started Muista, but then Kostan asked.

“Have you been eavesdropping us?” Steele nodded. “So what do you mean?”

“Only that what I said. I wish you to run away.” Seeing they both wanted to protest, he added. “We will carry out your vengeance, while you will try to survive. That won’t be easy, but possible – you will set off now and run north to sea shore. Then east to Buckland area. Not only that you will became another countermeasure for us, increasing our chances, but you have some odds to escape. And live!” Wolves were looking on him with lack of comprehension. “Can’t you see? You love each other! You have some reason to live! I’m lost, as well as my pack, but you could leave us behind and try to start things over again. I’ve just understood it, that if there is even slightest odd to save what left from the world in you, you have to try!”

“Are you all right?” asked Muista with genuine concern.

“Yes, I’m.” replied Steele. “For the very first time since long time. Get away.”

Kostan looked on dog with examining stare, but in eyes of leader he found only honest emotion. Most likely it was very first emotion apart of anger than wolf saw in eyes of malamute. It looked a bit confusing, however also very promising.

“You really wish us to live…” he judged. “And I still don’t understand why.”

“God dammit!” gasped Steele. “You want to prevail Aleu… so do it! By living in old, good way you are daring Talbourne with the most dreadful challenge – of own existence. Prove that they are abomination, while you are real wolves.”

“Even if that is not true?” asked Muista.

“And isn’t?” snorted Steele. Wolfess shook her head.

“No, it’s much too late, both for us and for your pack. We have changed. This war changed us, we are merely killing machines. Maybe we found some sparks of wolfity in our heart…”

“Every spark might become a fire.” But Muista shook her head again.

“I would like to… I wish to live with Kostan and forgot about this war, but it’s too late.” She looked on greyfurred. “I’m sorry. I love you, but I went much to far to get back to you.”

“No, I’m coming right where you. I’m just after you.” Replied wolf. Then turned to Steele. “Find some other countermeasures. We are going in. In Home Cave you will need some Uniea military arts!”

“Ow.” Steele smiled. “If weren’t villains, they should call us the heroes.”

“We are heroes.” Replied Kostan. “But we must win, to become praised.”

“You’re hopeless.” Murmured Steele. “And I like you for that.” Added with smile. “I’m going back, to Tro, in particular. So use this night well, because this most likely the last time we sleep.”

“Be sure we will.” Smiled Muista, licking Kostan’s cheek.

*

Dash lost control of his unit, but he had no time be worried about that. With last resorts of reason, he split his squad in to divisions, to follow dividing trails of pups. He – with half of warriors – followed scent of Tan, while Remer was sent after Cher with rest of crew.

So there were running. Dash, in spite of being formal commander, was on the tail. Maybe he wasn’t as old to feel aging problems, but he also wasn’t young as most of his subordinates. His fear gave him strength, but it was not enough.

Squad left him behind, and Dash thought even that if he died there, no one would notice that. But after about two hours more of run, he noticed that guardians stopped, panting heavily. He speeded up and got to small glade of pine forest.

“Tan!” he panted with relief. “You’re alive!”

“They… they…” sobbed pup. “Killed mommy!” and burst with tears.

“Don’t worry, kid, they will pay for that.” Said one of guardians, Boran.

“But I doubt if it would resurrect Shiela.” Thought Dash. Aloud he ordered. “Boran, take him on back. I won’t carry him… too far.”

Guardian was tired too, but he managed to put pup on his nape. Then whole column set off back. They turned again to valley, because they knew that main trail was going from there. Dash didn’t risked setting rendezvous point on predicted route of assassins, because the knew that smart leader of enemies would be surely shun and mislead eventual chase. So they lost about five hours, meeting in old place – exactly as Steele predicted.

But when Dash and his squad got to the valley, they found another team already there. They were waiting in freezing silence, what told sergeant that something was wrong – even worse that it had been day earlier. And he was right – in light of dying moon he noticed as Remer sat in front of blooded body of pup.

“Cher…” sighed Dash, hobbling to dead girl.

“We found her about ten miles north.” Said Remer with sensed voice. “I swear I will kill bastard who did that.”

“Wait, wait…” said Dash and in the same moment he gasped in pain. He stepped on his front-right paw and felt a wave of pain. When flood of adrenaline backed, he discovered that he had stretched his limb. It was already swollen and aching. “Crap!” thought sergeant. “I can’t run like that.” Then added aloud. “You are half-dead. As we know that Tan is safe, let’s rest a whi…”

“No!” protested Remer. “We must go!”

“How far you will go in that state?”

“Much farther than you, coward!” shouted senior scout. No one – even Dash – reacted on that insult.

“Boss!” called Marry, one of guardians of Remer’s group. “I have mushrooms!”

Eyes of squad turned to her. She stood on doorstep of shallow cave and waved her tail inviting. Few guardians looked on Remer (because he was addressed <boss>) and when he nodded, entered a crack.

“What are you doing?” asked confused Dash. But he already knew it – guardians wanted to boost their strength with toxic mushrooms, growing on rock of cave. Red mushrooms were powerful drug, heavy addicting and destroying even the strongest ones with kidneys devastation and consequent dehydration of body. But on short time it could give almost supernatural addition to power of body. It banished all sleepiness and pain – exactly what guardians hoped for.

“We must catch them.” Said Remer. “Squad, do what you must!”

Dash wanted to protest, seeing as his unit was drugging with dangerous funguses. But he was too weak – he managed only to hug Tan. Both pup and mature wolfdog were shaking due to frost and weariness. In bolt of clarity Dash understood that his squad was going to leave them in place, most likely to death.

“Wait!” he called after forming unit. “I’m wounded! I won’t be able to take him home.” But no one even looked on him. “Stop, God dammit! I’m ordering you! I’m your commander.”

“Don’t worry, sir.” Said Marry, already with sight dimmed with narcotic boost. “We will catch them.” And she turned back to follow Remer. Dash stayed with pup, alone in middle of night and middle of nowhere. The whole situation seemed so absurd, that he would have taken it as some kind of dream, if not a paw – still burning with pain.

“Let them go, uncle.” Whispered Tan. “Let them kill Steele!”

“No, you don’t understand.” Started Dash. “We must worry about ourselves, to find some shelter and… STEELE!?” he yelled with sudden fear. Then the last element of puzzle came to the right place. “You said: Steele? You mean blue-eyed malamute.”

“He killed mommy!” gasped pup with hatred. “I will kill him one day!”

Dash wanted to vomit, but in fact he had nothing in stomach to disgorge. So that was an answer! Strange pawprints of dog, strong evidence that leader of assassins was aware of human knowledge and that violence – so sublimed and almost artistic way of hurting other creatures - fitted old enemy of

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