“Screw you!” hissed dog and with sudden kick of paw he threw down a drift of snow.

That mass hit Remer’s head. Guardian lost his balance and fell down, hitting ledge twenty metres lower. He bounced from snow there and slid down to another bluff. He disappeared behind brink of ledge. Soon after sounded a splash of body hitting river surface.

To fulfil the chronicler’s duty, I must tell you that senior guardian of Talbourne, master of pawarts, the best warrior of Seward Peninsula, died several minutes after, hitting with head the rock under Talbourne Creek’s waterfall. Meanwhile Steele and his companions reached the ledge.

They passed next to motionless body of Blad and stopped before entrance to main cave. That was a bit surprise. In doorstep of cavern stood a tight squad of over thirty wolves, with Lightning on lead. Master scout smiled with tone of pride and called to intruders.

“You’ve done well… what doesn’t change you will pay for every of my soldier who died today.” Avengers looked on Steele with uncertainness, while Lightning continued. “But your attempt failed. Dash warned us and we took Aleu out of here.”

“So you wish to be our main target? How haughty of you!” snorted Steele. The he gasped to his companions. “Whatever happens, we have to reach this cave. He might be lying.”

“Any plan?” asked Elske.

“It will cost your lives.” Replied dog.

“That’s for what we are here.” Smiled Annen.

“You see that snow-overhang? No! Don’t look there! Don’t show them what we are planning.” Whispered Steele. “June, August, September, October – engage them! November and I will try to use that trap.”

Hearing that Kostan gasped with fear, looking on Muista, but she replied. “Do it, my love. It has to be this way!”

“Thirty to four.” Smiled Tro. “Nice for our last stand.” She looked on malamute and added with unexpectedly soft voice. “Soon I will meet with Fort, but I hope that he won’t get huffed about it. I love you, Steele. I want you to know that.”

“I… I…” replied dog. In that moment he felt a burning needle in his heart. Some voice called in him aloud: “There are things for you to live…” “Or were.” Replied malamute. “We will meet on the other side.” Said dog aloud. “All of us! But now – go!”

Lightning dropped his jaw almost to the ground when just four wolves – three of them were females – charged at tight wall of his soldiers. He instinctively cried the attack order and rushed ahead himself. Most likely that’s why he missed as dog and wolf ran to path up and disappeared from his sight.

Fight of summer and autumn months was unfair, but Avengers seemed to fail notice that. They formed a rhombus and pierced line of enemies. Lightning’s soldiers were so numerous that they disrupted themselves – not more that four wolves could attack single Avenger in the same moment.

Months were biting at random, but wherever they hit was a paw, side or neck of enemy. From surprised defenders, four fell down in first Avenger charge, because all four of attackers managed to get first chosen target. In war cries of Talbourne sounded Annen’s call.

“Draw back!” yelled old wolf and deadly rhombus started to step back.

Meanwhile Steele and Kostan got to the ledge from where they had thrown Remer away. Dog looked on friend with silent question in his eyes. Former Uniea pawmaster replied with decisive voice.

“Let’s do it. Just after that, we storm the cave!”

With few short pushes, two canines shoved drift of snow. That mass broke a huge overhang and several tons of whiteness started its run down. Steele lost his balance and if not a quick grab of Kostan’s teeth he would have followed his own avalanche. Wolf pulled dog up and they stayed motionlessly until last of snow fell on the ledge. Then malamute stood at his own and called.

“Let’s go!”

They ran down to the ledge to see a pile of snow in place where just before a groups of wolves had been fighting. Although both canines wanted to dig in drift, looking for living companions, or – what was most probable – their bodies, they entered cave, driven by call of duty.

Cavern was silent, after cutting down voices of defenders. It also seemed empty. But then Steele turned back to see some Talbourne soldiers digging out from snow tram on ledge. He looked on Kostan with question in his stare.

“There is no need.” replied Uniea and rushed to wall of cave.

He hit it with his side, causing a wave of quake, that spread on snow-ice layer on wall. Guardians looked with fear up, where mass of snow and icicles where hanging and saw that roof was running to bury them again. Whiteness cut all yells for help.

“Are you all right?” asked Steele, pulling Kostan out of white barrier that snow-burst created. Then cave was sealed tightly thanks to cold wall.

“Yes.” Gasped shocked wolf. “We may go!” and they set off to the interior of cavern.

They were in right place – in chambers of alpha, but there was no alpha. Only five elite guards of Shadow’s Own Unit, looking with confusion of blocked way out. Their leader was a brownfurred wolf about five years old with three parallel scars on his muzzle. He called with voice of anger and confusion and cuts on his face extended due to muscles stretch.

“Aleu is not here. We are.”

“Not for long.” Snorted Steele and whispered to Kostan. “We still have done a nice job. We stormed Home Cave and killed Lightning.”

“Yeah, it’s still a thing to be proud with. But let’s add those five to record.”

“Are you mad?” asked one of guardians. “You have no…”

They even failed to notice when attackers pounced. Steele picked leader, when Uniea pawmaster chose curious soldier. Both victims fell on frozen ground with bitten throats. Remaining three guardians instantly jumped on attackers and will well trained routine tried to kill enemies of clan. Steele was stormed with two foes, Kostan with only one.

However it wasn’t an easy piece of meat. Dog allowed both adversaries pounce on him – he kneeled, letting them fly over him. Then he sprang on his paws and rushed on first soldier in sight. Youngster even didn’t manage to turn back, when dog bit his side hard. In next second another Talbourne hit in Steele’s back with all his mass, but he succeeded with something he didn’t expected to. Dog was pushed away, but he didn’t let his grasp loose. First guardian gave a ear-piercing scream and his companion noticed that malamute was thrown away still holding in jaws piece of soldier’s flesh. With nauseating wave washing his mind, corporal Juniper learned that attacked tore away more than pound of muscles out of his friend. First dog fell on the ground, bleeding with several fountains of blood from cut arteries.

Steele smiled and due to that let loose piece of second corporal. It was too much for Juniper. He turned back and tried to run ahead, but was pressed to the ground by Kostan. Uniea pawmaster immobilised enemy and waited for Steele to come.

“Who are you…” gasped shocked guardian.

“I’m Uniea.” Said Kostan. „But you can call me Revenge.”

“I also like this title.” Said Steele, coming from behind. “Saint of the Cinders.” Then he looked on Uniea. “Is it my kill, November?”

“It is, my friend.” Replied Uniea. Then dog plunged his fangs into victim’s throat.

There was no one left in the cave, apart of Steele-hit unconsciousness corporal, who was bleeding to death. Both canines laid down to the ground panting heavily. It took them over minute to regained breath. After all they were both old creature. They both lived too long.

“So, we’ve lost.” Said finally Kostan. “We haven’t found Aleu.” Steele nodded his head. “But we should try to run anyway.”

“Is there any sense in that?” asked dog. “Now, with base at full alert, we won’t find her.”

“I meant to run away.”

“You want…”

“Just trust me!” interrupted him Kostan. “Let’s go away from here and I will find you some reasonable mean to die.”

“Tro…” sobbed Steele with sudden burst of chocking emotions in his chest.

“Hold on, buddy. Soon you will could cry to the moon as far you want. But we still have a plan to carry out.”

Steele swallowed his tears and looked on friend. “So, you recall you old military habits… I would promoted you, but you see… I’m lacking of months.”

Friends laughed aloud, what seemed a bit scary, minding five blooded bodies on the floor. Kostan gave a salute, what caused Steele’s new wave of laughter. Then they both slowly came to snow wall, blocking the exit. Dog examined it with careful stare.

“I think that faster way outside would be searching for some corridor to other part of cavern system. I believe we are not in dead end.”

“But they will surely set sentries there.” Replied Uniea. “Don’t complain, you old rascal and dig. We will meet on the open air.”

“We will, mutt.” Snorted Steele and came to the white barrier.

 

VII. An Aftermath

 

Private Kerim regained his awareness and noticed he was dead. At least he thought he was dead and stayed with that soothing belief for long minutes. Then he asked himself is that not a bit strange that in spite of being deceased he still was feeling cold. So few more minutes of heavy consideration brought him to another conclusion – he was alive, however buried under the snow.

Yes, Kerim was in elite guard of Home Cave, but it didn’t mean he didn’t like to live. He volunteered to that hard service, but he was happy and lifecraving wolf, with new-settled family (his pregnant mate was called Ari) and plans for the future. So after learning he was not finished, he started to move his paws in order to dig himself out. After several minutes, he sensed some shape in front of his tunnel. It was wolf’s side.

“Hey!” called survivor. “Are you all right?”

But corporal Torik, because it was him, was dead. Choked and frozen soldier ignored that question with deadly dignity and continued his immutable state of being free from

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