Chapter One

The massacre

Two young pups were play fighting outside of their den. Their mother was watching them, feeling amused. After a few minutes, she said, “Kateri, could you go get your siblings? It’s time to eat.”

“OK Mama!” said Kateri, the black and white one, leaping up. The grey and brown one, Balto, tumbled around chasing his tail. Kateri ran to the den. She called in, “Toga, Kira and Mara! It’s time to eat!” there were cries of, “Yeah! I’m hungry!” and “FOOD!” and “Me too, me too!” and the pups tumbled out of the cave. Their mother, Aniu laughed. “Settle down, settle down, one at a – what is that?” Her ears pricked alertly. Their father, a husky named Khan, stumbled in to the clearing, eyes wild with fear.

“RUN! Their coming – hunters!”

Aniu gasped, and cried, “You heard him!” but they were too late. A couple of huskies burst into the clearing and snarled. The pups were frozen with fear. Khan stood in front of his family and snarled. “Leave my family alone, Zeke.”

Zeke laughed cruelly. “You think you can stop us? Oh look, here come our friends.” he was right. The hunters came into the clearing. One of them raised his gun to Khan but then lowered it.

“Khan?” he said, in disbelief. He was his best dog. “Attack, Khan!” he said, pointing to Aniu. Khan did attack, but not Aniu. Zeke. “NO Khan!”

Mean while Aniu was nudging her pups away. “Run! Don’t come back!”

“But – but Mama –!”

“I said go!”

“Oh no you don’t!” said the second hunter. He pointed his gun and shot Toga. He yelped and fell to the ground, lifeless. Aniu snarled and lunged at the hunter, latching onto his arm. The hunter yelled. The other hunter shot Aniu, who like her son, fell to the ground lifeless. Khan howled in not physical pain, but mental. He shoved Balto out of the clearing and into the underbrush. “GO!” Balto did so, and ran as if his life depended on it, which it did. Meanwhile back at the clearing Kira and Mara were huddled by Toga, whimpering. Kateri was burrowing into Aniu’s fur. Zeke grabbed Mara by the back of her neck and shook her until her neck snapped and she too, died. He was just about to grab Kira, when Khan hurtled into him. Zeke fell onto his back and Khan ripped out his throat in fury. The other husky whimpered and ran. One hunter tried to shoot Khan, but missed. Kira tried to sneak away but was shot the same way as Toga. Khan snarled and seemed to lunge at the hunters, but instead, reached into Aniu’s fur and grabbed Kateri and ran. Kateri was whimpering her sibling’s and mother’s names. Khan ran through the town, not stopping to answer anyone’s questions. He ran to an old abandoned fishing hut and collapsed inside, breathing heavily. Kateri crawled out of his mouth and whispered, “Daddy?” She nuzzled his neck and curled up in is think fur. She whimpered herself to sleep.