that was a stupidity that Dash tried to repent for crimes that he hadn’t committed. But then he was really glad to have trusted kinswolf at his side. First that was just another trusted person. Second, he was technically Lightning’s scout-wolf, so Shadow wanted to ask him for few favours.

“It’s good to see you!” said with genuine joy. “Are you hungry? I have…”

“There is no time!” replied dog. “We have a serious problem!” he said quickly, taking kinswolf aside.

“What’s the problem?” asked surprised marshal. In exhausted and scared stare of Dash he sensed troubles. Real ones.

“You must see this.” Said scout, leading him into night and denser forest. They entered a small glade, where in light of moon Shadow noticed trails of camping. About ten wolves had been there some time before.

“What? Those are our mysterious assassins?” asked surprised marshal. In fact he was angry that his wide-scaled searching failed, while his brother in law managed to find wanted ones just by a chance, so near to their camp.

“Look on this.” Said Dash, coming to strange marks on the snow.

Shadow tried to comprehend what he saw, but failed. Those were just trails of some carving, then marks of some fight and additionally some purposely put there bark pieces and cones. maybe it looked a bit mysterious, but surely not dreadful.

“No idea what that is.”

“A map.” Said Dash. “You know what the map is?”

“I still have no idea.” Replied Shadow honestly. “You are the smart-head, born among humans to tell me that.”

“Exactly, humans.” Said sergeant. Shadow shook his head with confusion. “I mean: this map was done by canine, but that one was a really smart or he was raised among humans, because he know what the map is. We have tougher enemies that we thought, Shadow.”

“I still see no real…”

“Look!” ordered Dash. “Stand here…” he took marshal few steps ahead. “And watch those shapes.” Shadow nodded, but it was clear he still wasn’t comprehending brother in law’s thinking. “Imagine you are a bird and you are watching landscape below.”

“Ow, I see!” smiled commander. “That someone drew what he remembered about air view of Alaska… Home Cave in particular!” he added, recognising only visible and clear part of map. “Werk!” he cursed.

“Yeah, I meant exactly that.” Said Dash. “Whoever was here, wants to reach the Home Cave. He knows much about us and our army.” He points on cones, placed in lairs of guarding teams of Talbourne. “And he plans no good to us. Aleu is in danger.”

“Wait…” gasped Shadow. “He knows it! Part of our forces are here, away from home. In Cave no one knows about any danger, units are scattered for easier hunts…”

“Let me form small liaison team with wolves of my choice and let us run home.” Said Dash. “Now Lightning is in command of eventual defence. He is good in intelligence stuff… but that human-raised canine could surprise him. I want get beck home as soon as it’s possible.” Shadow nodded his head. “We must…”

“No!” opposed Dash. “You have an army to lead back. I will manage this. I promise!”

Marshal sighed, but silently admitted that his friends was right. He was needed there with army. And he couldn’t ordered whole army to rally home, because so huge group would move very slow. An idea of Dash was an optimal one.

“How long ago they went away?” asked Shadow.

“Six, maybe eight hours. They have serious advantage, especially they move quickly. Group is small.” Replied scout.

“But… that <map>, as you said, is incomplete.” Noticed Shadow. “Only part with Home Cave is visible. How do you know the route of assassins?”

“I don’t know.” Confessed Dash. “So we must go the shortest way and pray we pick some trail in progress. If not, we just go home and alarm them all. By the way… They wanted to wipe this map out. Thanks God they missed that fragment, that we know what is going on.”

“Right, take whom you want.” Agreed Shadow. “If I may advise you, take the best trained in combat. All of my wolves could climb mountains, but some of them are better in fight.”

“May I take Remer’s unit?” asked Dash.

“If you wish…” replied marshal, with double relief. First – he gave his brother in law the most deadly warriors he had. Second – he also gave him most troubling part of his army. “Good luck, Dash!”

*

“Crap!” Yelled Steele, running in deep snow of mountain slope. “Why haven’t you told me, they are so close!?”

“I did!” replied Kostan with snort. “You just wasn’t listening.”

“Ow, never mind.” Steele turned back to rest of unit. “Are you still with me?”

“We are, Ste… December.” Replied Venn from back.

“How January is going?”

“I’m fine sir!” replied young wolfess with irritation. “I’m not slowing you down.”

Steele decided to check himself. He slowed down and let Venn and Sno catch him. He started to run just behind them, watching steps of the youngest members of team. It always is easy to judge if one is running easily or by last of his strength. Steele took a look on two of his soldiers and estimated they could run. Maybe not all the way to the other side, but… But about it he was going to be worry later.

“You’re doing great!” called commander to former omega’s ear. “If I ever have a son, I will name him after you?”

“January, or Sno?” asked bitch and smiled in darkness of March night. By that jest she wanted to cover exhaustion that slowly claimed her.

*

Maybe it sound improbable, but they managed to made their way via Eagle Pass. They reached Ice Fields few hours before dawn and came to summit of was about midday. Group – all, including Steele and Kostan – was dying from exhaustion, but they made also way down to stopped at bring of Seward Forests on next day dusk. Steele commended a break and few seconds after he fell into fresh drift of snow.

Rest of pack laid down too, almost instantly falling asleep. It took even more then five minutes for Steele, Kostan and Annen to prevail overwhelming sleepiness. They all stood up (looking each other, a bit surprised that others managed to came to the same conclusion) and started to wake half-slumbered companions.

“Wake up, fools!” panted Steele. “You will freeze to death.”

“Dig in snow, or you’ll be cold.” Supported him Annen, nudging Sno. Sno made an extraordinary effort, especially if we remind her fragile constitution. However she was also the most tired one. She even didn’t awoke. Old beta sighed and started to dig hole for her.

“They are right.” Kostan whispered to Muista’s ear. “Stand up for a while and I will dig bedding for you.”

“She should be able to do it herself.” Snorted Steele, just passing them by with hobbling. He was so exhausted that he was tottering. He looked a bit as drunken human.

“Let it be our problem.” Snorted former pawmaster. Steele came closer to them, wanting to scold them, but old wolf added. “She got wounded in the battle. Month ago she almost died after miscarriage.”

“Ow.” Murmured malamute. If cold hearted dog was able to feel any sympathy at that moment was quite close to that state. “Why haven’t you told me, before we started?”

“If I did, would you changed your plans?” asked Kostan rhetorically. Steele shook his head.

“Cease it!” panted Muista. “I’ll be fine. There is no need to treat me as a cripple.” Then she fell to hole dug by pawmaster.

“Any guards?” asked Kostan.

“Useless.” Replied Steele. “Even warned we would be unable to defend ourselves. Besides, they rather aren’t looking for us… here.”

“I hoped you say that.” Replied Uniean and entered lair. The same where Muista was – he had no strength to dig another one. Wolfess smiled through her sleep, feeling warm body of Kostan at her side.

Steele was looking on that scene and on others efforts of Avengers to take cover. In his heart he felt something strange, and somehow alarming. Malamute was watching his subordinates with concern. He shook his head to dispel that impression, but it didn’t worked – he still was worried about their conditions (that was still acceptable) and comfort (that sounded scary) and wished they all have good places. Not because he feared they would get cold and be less efficient in future combat. Because he wanted them not to feel any pain.

“Great!” he snorted in mind. “I chose time and object to show emotional attachment perfectly! I’m looking on living deads! They will all die in just few days… and I most likely will die too. So any sympathy towards them is irrational… and dangerous. I can’t be spoiled by tenderness in such crucial moment.”

“Steele, are you coming?” asked Tro from her den. Malamute with amaze noticed that she dug bigger burrow, enough for two. For him – she put additional effort for him. He entered that den and cuddled to female.

Some absurd thought sparked in his mind. He didn’t love Tro. Apart of short time in Nome, when he believed that he loved Jenna, Steele never attached to anyone. And even if Tro’s heart was still filled with her love to Fort. Fort was dead, but it didn’t matter. So relationship between wolfess and malamute was something different… yet still was something strong. A bit too strong for Steele to stick with it easily.

“At least I will let her warm up.” Thought dog. But it wasn’t the point. He felt that he needed her closeness badly. He covered entrance to burrowing with fresh snow and soon after drifted way to black plane without dreams.

*

Dash set off on morning. He wanted to go at night, but he understood that forming proper unit was even more important that few hours of way. He needed at least fifteen jaws to confront mysterious enemy and he decide to take almost all Remer’s soldiers. But they had to rest at least for few hours. Dash allowed on that, hoping those hours weren’t crucial. He needed strong pack of warriors – after all he was chasing dangerous enemy and it would be extremely stupid to die on fangs of own game. However he sighed with relief, when

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