malamute understood that was dropped spitz’s blood. Human had to carry wounded in his arms. “And whom you got here, Sky? I don’t know that dog.” He said and bended down to Steele but he didn’t touch him. He added airy. “You will take care for him. He is in quite good condition... opposite to Blade.”

And then human disappeared and Steele sensed only caring tongue of his saviour. Silent was lasting for few minutes more. Then he heard incoming and panting quite big dog. Newcomer quickly went to malamute and bitch and asked with anxiety.

“Sky, is all right?”

“Yes... for now.” Replied greyfured. “You know... Blade made it again. He gathered his gang and <greeted> our guest. God, what a shame! You must help me. Will take him to my place.” Steele felt as she bended to him and whispered. “Hey... Do you hear me? We must take you to some warmer place. It could hurt, but we can’t help it. Give me a sign you are ready.”

Malamute thought logically that Sky gave him rather limited choice – he could agree or pretend he was still unconscious. Barely he opened his jaws and moaned something agree-like. After few seconds he became propped from both sides then he found himself on the back of greyfured bitch. Cut were soaring him, but a promise of forthcoming rest inside of warm building was keeping him sane.

“Maybe I should carry him?” asked dog called Ice.

“Too late, I got him already.” Replied Sky. “Beside in that case my wolfish blood is useful. I’m stronger than you...” then she added, probably don’t want to hurt male’s pride. “...in carrying stuff of course. You are much better sled leader.”

Steele managed to open his eyes again. He noticed that his side was supporting by ashenfured greenland dog with short but thick fur. He was smaller and lighter than Sky and malamute, but he was marching wilfully, looking aside, like he was searching for any danger or challenge, ready to stand and fight. Former leader noticed that he was carrying to small but solid detached house, about fifty yards aside of main street. Through illuminated window he saw strange scene – his recent enemy – hybrid spitz was lying on the table and being dressed by short man, who looked as an Asian. He was carefully operate on bleeding body of wounded dog, holding a lancet and a towel. But them: malamute and his two new caretakers, came to small shed, build by the house’s wall. It was a storage for fuel and tools, fortunately heated by tile stove, common with main building. Steele smiled when he sensed blissful warmth, that slowly were embracing his body.

“There.” Showed Sky with her muzzle, then she went to bedding made of straw.

Ice was accompanying and support her all the time, holding Steele’s side. He help her to put her <cargo> on bed the he examined guest himself.

“He’ll be all right.” Judged. “Just a few scratches. If not that exhaustion he wouldn’t even notice it. Do you want me to stay with you?” asked Sky.

“No, go back to your master – he could be worried. I will take care of him. Beside, mister Tazaku is here.”

“Ow... and what about Blade?” inquired Ice.

“He will make it.” Replied wolfbitch, but in that statement there were no relief nor joy. “What a shame... he attacked a guest of our town! He got what he deserved. This guy didn’t let himself be led by the nose!”

“So... good night.” Said Ice, came to Sky and licked her cheek. “Come tomorrow to the kennel. We will all think about that case. Both our guest and Blade.” He went out from shed thought sophisticated dog-hatch.

Bitch went out too for few minutes. During that time Steele was slowly gathering strength and overcoming sleepiness – he wanted to ask his saviour few questions. When he got beck, she was carrying in her jaws few pounds of real sausage. It was a feat that former leader used to taste only after some extraordinary achievement or spectacular victory. “Master Kaasen wasn’t so generous to his own champion that bitch is generous to the anonymous guest.” He thought with amaze and reflexively curled his lips from burning recollection of old owner.

“Does it hurt?” asked Sky. She thrown the meat down, run to wounded and bended over him. She examined that longest cut on his side and said. “If there is so bad I’ll call my master.”

“No, don’t...” panted malamute with serious effort. „I’ll be all right, if I rest for a while. I...” he stopped talking, uncertain what to say. “I just don’t know how to thank you.”

“Thank as you wish. What matters most is you to get healed.” She replied and looked in eyes of guest.

For one second Steele’s world stopped. Dog was staring on eyes of wolfdog but he was seeing two lakes of memories and long lost warmth. He saw exactly his mother’s stare. Sky was halfwolf – greyfured and of heavy constitution of wild predator. But her muzzle seemed so well know to former leader that he closed his eyes to dispel that illusion. It didn’t work – when he looked again on his host, he was still looking on shadow of his mother.

“Who... who are you?!” he whispered, amazed.

And she, scared at first that dog was just panting from pain, wanted to turn away and call for her master. But unseen force stopped her and made her to look on her guest once again. She saw it too – former leader noticed that on her face erupted the same expression of amaze and canfusion.

“You have her eyes.” She said quietly. “Eyes of my mother.”

“Lempi...” whispered dog, recalling parent’s name. “I’m the son of Lempi of Anchorage.”

“I’m daughter of Lempi of Anchorage.” Replied shocked wolfdog. “Brother?”

“But how it could be?” sighed Steele. “You are...”

He noticed sudden shadow on host’s face. Just after that he clenched his teethes, wishing he didn’t say that – word sounding so ambiguously. Since day of parting with mother, he already forgot the meaning of word <family>. But in that moment he was thinking with cold logic, almost washed out of emotions. He understood that his sister was a hybrid. This consciousness didn’t shocked him but just in one moment opened some new path in his dimmed mind. He didn’t ask why was that way – he just accepted something new, however he wasn’t sure what was following that fact.

“A wolf?” asked Sky with tensed voice. “Yes, my father was a wolf. If that mean you – pedigree malamute, don’t want to have anything to do with...”

Former leader sensed in those words torrent of anxiety and scare. His amazed sister feared of rejection, that her new-found brother would scorn the kinship with hybrid. He recalled his own life in Nome and shivered in mind. Whole dog community was esteemed pure-breeds and treat hybrids with distrust and scorn. He himself, as pedigree one, thought once as completely natural to show cross-breeds (like Balto) that such way of things is proper. And was proper for former leader... until he saw eyes of his half-sister. In that moment he feared if rejection by his kin as well as she feared of his contempt.

“Sister...” he whispered so gentle and tenderly as he was able to. For a dog who that was living for almost seven years without loving anyone except his own fame he did it extremely well.

“Are we... a family?” asked bitch shyly. “I don’t even know you. I don’t know if we have anything to do with each other...”

“I’m Steele.” Replied malamute. „And... do you want to have a brother, Sky?” asked in rather awkward way. But her face loosen and she smiled in puppyish smile.

“Yes, I would like to.” She whispered with excitement. “Ow, Steele... I haven’t known you exist... but somehow I missed you whole life.”

“This is quite strange hobby.” Thought malamute but in next moment he was licked on forehead by her tongue.

And in room next to, behind the wall, doctor Arashi Tazaku was finish operation of stitching Blade’s wounds. He helped to dog in last moment – creature in mysterious (for medic) way hit the post door’s glass and stuck in it, wounding his side and chest with shards. Japanese took all glass-pieces away and stitched cuts. Despite his age, he was still a masterful surgeon and craft of his fingers many times saved humans and dogs in Buckland. That time was similar – Blade shunned his death by inches, when glass-shard almost reached his armpit artery.

“I wonder who made you like that.” Murmured doctor. “Maybe that wanderer?” he turned to unconscious animal. “I hope he will replace you in sled, because you won’t be able to run in upcoming months, my friend.”

Grey-haired Japanese put the dog on prepared bedding and washed the blood from the table. Then he went to a stove, took a pot of hot water and filled bowl with it. He washed his hands from redness and then he sighed with relief. That day he had done what he had to fulfil his duties.

III. The new home

Steele slept up to the midday and when he finally awoke he noticed Sky, lying on the floor of room. Uncertain what he should to do, for a while he remained in lazy half-sleep, that he stood up and carefully went to pile of fur-coats in corner of storage. He grabbed one fur with his teethes and dragged to centre of room to cover his sister.

At least he tried to. When coat touched wolfbitch she instantly stood on her paws, baring her fangs and taking an defensive position – she spread her front paws wide, bowed her muzzle and lowered her body, ready to pounce at enemy. But after a second she noticed who had awoken her and she closed her jaws with shame.

“That’s you...” she murmured. “I’m sorry... it was a bad dream.”

“If you don’t sleep already...” murmured Steele uncertainly. “...maybe you back to your bed. I fell much better, you don’t have to treat me as an invalid.

“I have never had to.” Replied Sky. “You dealt with Blade yourself and probably those few cuts are not so hard for you. But now you’d better sleep. Here.” She pointed