fall on confused wolves. All excitation of fight ceased and they seemed to accept they all were one team. Steele knew that most of alliances are extremely hard to start. So he didn’t started that one – he just passed over it, as it that was already done.

“It’s cold here.” He said, although it wasn’t so bad. It was just him, who was a bit hot after fight with Uniea. “Let’s go to some better place. Denser forest, or some…”

“With them?” asked old Annen, looking suspiciously on two new wolves.

“Of course, August.” Replied dog. “Those there last two months we were waiting for.”

“Is that normal for him?” asked Kostan, looking on Steele.

“Good question.” Replied Elske. “We know him just two months.”

“And you survived…” sighed Muista with tone of admire.

“Are you going?” asked Steele, turning back to wolves. They set off in forest direction.

Malamute was thinking hard and coming to more and more optimistic conclusions. He did it – he had a party capable of performing his plan. He had a Uniea pawmaster under his command and all his knowledge. What seemed to be impossible just two moths earlier, then became just very hard. Steele smiled and licked his lips.

“Balto…” he thought. “The vengeance after those years will taste even better. I wish to see your face, when you learn that you daughter is dead!”

 

II. All the Year Around

 

They insisted few hours, before Steele explained them his new manner. He just started to call his pack with names of months. Initially that wasn’t a problem for wolves – accustomed to half-crazy attitude of dog-guide – but became a problem when Steele, ow pardon, December ordered them all to use those nicks among themselves.

“I told you, you are not pack anymore. We are just a military unit, twelve-pieces army with single purpose of inflict some damage to Aleu’s lot. We have to start act like soldiers.” Said Steele, when they were resting after their first collective hunt with new-joined Unieas.

“Act like soldiers, huh?” murmured Venn with sarcasm. “Should we learn how to salute?”

“If I say so, you should, February.” Replied commander.

“Is that some ranks system?” asked Kostan, who was addressed as November since that morning.

“Close. Hit but not sunk.” Replied Steele/December. “If something changes, it must change in every aspect. I want you to forget about pack, past and all what joined you when your dead ones were alive. It’s only disrupts us. Now we are Avengers. We drop our names and sworn vengeance above all else. It’s extremely important.”

“Sounds extremely cliché.” Noticed Annen. But he didn’t protested – he understood what Steele – or December – was up to.

“So, I want you to accustom to your new names, because you will use those until we bite Aleu to dead or die in the process. I don’t mind you return to born-given names in afterworld.” Said Steele.

“What a liberal approach!” sighed Venn and smirked.

“Remember, my name is now December. I’m the commander of our pity lot.” Continued Steele. He pointed on Kostan. “Call him November and obey him as the second in command. If I’m out or dead, he takes a lead. You are October.” Added, turning to Tro. “Third in command. You…” looked on Elske “September. Annen is called August, you… sorry baby, I forget what was your name.”

“Muista.” Said wolfess.

“So once Muista now is July. Blad is June, Hviske is May, Brann is Aprill, Regne is March, Venn is called February. And not surprisingly, Sno will be January from now on.”

“That’s more like a boy’s name.” Protested Sno. Steele laughed quietly and replied.

“I expect you to be tough as a male should.” Replied leader. Then he took a look on whole pack. “So please, forget your previous names. You have to call yourself that way in combat, in rest, while chatting, arguing and declaring love each other. Period.”

“What a crap…” snorted Kostan, but seeing calming stare of Muista, added. “But I could accept that stupidity for some time. After all soon we will win or die.”

“So we are setting off?” asked excited Elske.

“Yeah. Hit the bells. We are coming on the party.” Said malamute and stood up. “Because we know that main Shadow’s forces are deep in eastern side of Yu Range, I hope to find area of Home Cave almost unguarded.”

He started to carver in snow. He made lines in whiteness and after few minutes in centre of wolves-ring appeared improvised map of Seward Peninsula. Steele lived with humans long enough to learn many useful things. Some of that knowledge helped him in past and saved his neck while he was in troubles. Some of it he just started to use. For example – idea of map. It was too hard for canine to draw an exact plan, but schematic map with basic scaling was within range of agile dog. Of course Steele even didn’t try to draw isolines, but he recompensed that by making a snow drifts to symbolise mountains and hills. His map became almost tree dimensional model.

“What the hell is that?” gasped confused Muista.

“One of means of our victory.” Replied Steele, smiling. “November, go ahead. Show us the location of posts and guards.”

“Is this…”

“Imagine that picture is seen by birds if they fly high enough. Just as if you could look from the hill… anyplace you like.” Explained malamute.

“Smart.” Nodded Uniean. “I will try to show what I know.”

And he started to point important location of Steele’s scheme. With piece of bark he indicated Talbourne Home Cave (malamute added deep line, crossing that point, to show Talbourne Creek), cones became places where enemy units used to stay. After about half an hour of work, whole model was ready.

“Please, try to remember it.” Said Steele. “We can’t draw it every time we want to plan something. Also we could not have enough time and strengths to do it during our expedition. So look carefully and carve it into your minds.” He quickly drew also a line between mountains and leading to bark of Home Cave. “Here we will try to go.”

“That’s Eagle Pass.” Noticed Annen.

“Good, you start to recognise map-system.” Praised him Steele.

“I mean that in March it’s not the safest route.” Explained old wolf.

“We crossed it with hundred creatures.” Threw Kostan in.

“Sorry, I missed the remaining ninety eight.” Snorted former beta.

With no warning pawmaster pounced on Annen, overturning him and reaching his throat. They rolled aside, wiping large part of map with their bodies. Steele reacted instantly, seeing as Kostan’s teethes pressed trachea of old beta. He jumped too and bit Kostan’s neck, hard enough to make bitten muscles to stop. They wrestled for several second – Uniean tried to bite Annen in spite of grab on his nape, Steele pressed and pressed, finally making pawmaster to let his hold loose. Just after that malamute threw Kostan on the snow, but being careful not to break more of model.

“November, August, stop it!” he gasped. He put panting Annen on paws and added with anger. “That’s all in topic of maps.”

“Don’t you dare to…” growled Kostan.

“November!” called Steele. “August asked a very important question. He surely didn’t mean to offend your dead ones.”

“They died in fight!” gasped Muista.

“Why?” asked Annen, regaining his breath. “Why they allow Talbourne to catch them so quickly?”

“We were wounded, tired and…” cried Muista. Kostan was still growling. Most likely if not Steele he would pounce on Annen once again.

“You went the narrowest path of all possible ones.” Said old beta indifferently. Although he was bleeding a little from neck, he seemed to be cool. “It’s not surprisingly they tracked you. But if you go via Buckland Pass…”

“It was impossible!” cried Muista. “We were almost hundred! They would easily detect us there.”

“Maybe.” Replied Annen. “But we are twelve. Steele…” he turned to commander. “Why are we going the shortest and most predictable – and dangerous - way, instead of sneaking where they wouldn’t expect us?”

Muista came to Kostan and rubbed to his side, calming Uniean down. Pawmaster was still looking on Annen with rage in his stare, but he understood what beta had on mind.

“And you was in such a hurry few days ago.” Smirked Steele. “But I will explain you. They won’t expect us to cross Eagle Pass, because they think it’s too dangerous. And it is too dangerous for pack, unit or sled. But not for us. We aren’t numerous, we are determined and we don’t fear of losses. We will cut that way easily, if I lead you. I went that pass many times, having sled to guide. Are satisfied with that, August?” Annen nodded his head. “So now apologise to November and July. That remark was not too smart.”

Old beta carefully came to Unieas, not sure if he wouldn’t be attacked again. But Kostan and Muista stayed calm, so he just nodded before them, lowering his ears in gesture of apology. After that Steele just set off due west.

“All right, we ate, we argued, we reconciled. So we could go. November, on my side. Show that you are commander here.”

So that way they start their expedition, leaving all behind. It wasn’t too hard, because there was not too much to left.

*

Shadow finally gathered his units. After failed search of Uniea partisans, loosing two more patrols and serious uneasiness in own army, marshal was in bad mood. He decided to return home. He needed a break and a moment of consideration. He hoped that Aleu would give him straight orders, not just general wish to appease the war. Inspecting his units, he sighed with relief, seeing well known silhouette on lead of scouting team.

“Dash!” called wolf with joy.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Replied his brother in law.

Dash returned to duty. No one asked him to do that, but since time of Talkeet’s deflection, his father decided to fight as an ordinary soldier. And that didn’t changed even after death of Telkeet. So alpha’s brother became just ordinary field commander, in rank of sergeant. Shadow always thought that was

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