land in front and a path beyond the patch that seemed to belong to everyone. The humans bustled up and down this path and I saw getting in undetected would be a problem. I didn’t know what to think of these humans and their town, so my thoughts were only to stay away from them until I became a little wiser in the ways of their world.

Eventually I found a dark, shadowy area that seemed only to be inhabited by rats, trash, and a few dogs. It was forbidding, but it was the only way in without being spotted.

I slipped into the shadows and immediately turned my face away in disgust. The smell was…rotten. Rancid. Just horrible. I pinched my face and plowed on, hoping this place came to an end very soon.

After awhile, when I had probably become one with the smell, I could pay enough attention to my surroundings to know I was being watched. Staring eyes gleamed at me from behind dumpsters, trashcans, and piles of garbage. Their gaze was made me nervous. I looked down to see my paws start to shake. I pondered whether it was from excitement or apprehension. After all, two of those probing eyes could belong to my brother.

The knowledge that I might find my brother suddenly set my heart racing and my mind in a spinning blur.

“Hey. Uptown girl.”

I whirled around to confront a mangy white husky. He stared at me through slitted eyes, and I braced myself for insults.

“What’s a decent thing like you doing down in the alleys?” he asked.

My mental shield all but disintegrated. Did this dog just kind of sort give me a compliment?

“I-I’m looking for someone,” I stammered, “Do you know where I could find a wolf-dog named Shadow?”

“Shadow?” The husky looked thunderstruck. “You want to know where to find Shadow?”

“Yes,” I managed to say firmly, “If all you’re going to do is repeat the question, I’m going to find someone with a brain to help me.”

“Just hold on,” the husky said, and looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Matt!”

A starved mutt appeared from nowhere. “Yeah?”

“This lady here requests an audience with Shadow,” he explained.

Matt’s jaw dropped. “What? Doesn’t she know–?”

“Just go get him,” the husky growled, “It’s Shadow’s decision how to handle this.”

Matt scampered away with a nervous glance back at me.

I wondered at what all the fuss was about. What made Shadow so intimidating that the mere mention of his name sent dogs atrembling?

I soon found out.

In a matter of minutes a monster of a dog stood before me. He was huge, as tall as a full-grown wolf, and as black as midnight except for streaks of gray that edged his joints and muzzle, and then delved into black once more. The only color on him was his eyes, golden and terrible as the sun. They seemed to radiate hate and heat that burned anyone his gaze set upon, this time burning me.

“Why are you wasting my time?” he said in a low voice that seemed to spit flames.

I could feel myself shrinking before him. I knew I shouldn’t let anyone see my fear, but what did it matter? They were all trembling. And they knew I was afraid. Who wouldn’t be?

“I’m looking for my brother,” I heard a tiny voice say, and when I realized it was my voice I shook myself angrily and forced strength into it. “My brother. I’m searching for him. A source told me you might be him.”

Shadow’s eyes sized me up, and when those eyes began to close I felt my cheeks flame with rage and shame.

He threw back his head and bellowed a laugh, shaking the whole alleyway, the whole world it seemed.

My patience had reached its ripping point. Anger exploded through my head as I screamed, “I am the daughter of Scout and Aniu! Aniu was born of the Blue Moon pack, and when I was born I was kidnapped by two wolves named Roan and Soran! They told me I had a brother they hadn’t stolen! So tell me whether or not you’re my brother and then I will leave!”

Shadow’s mirth had subsided. He stared at me with intent amusement. “How could I ever be related to a puny little pup like you? My parents are wolf-dogs in this town, and their parents were wolf-dogs, and for all I know it’s gone on like that almost since the beginning of time. Now you said you were going to leave…?”

“Well, that’s a relief,” I said bitingly, “Because I would have never been able to admit that a big old carcass like you could be my brother.”

His eyes glared, and the heat on my face increased ten-fold. I flinched, and Shadow relaxed at my show of weakness. “You know, I’ve changed my mind. Why don’t you stay? A pretty thing like you should have some kind of use around here.” He allowed a dark chuckle to roll around the alley from the dogs who were watching.

“It was never your decision whether I leave or not,” I said, turning around and flicking my tail defiantly at him, “Frankly, I don’t see how all these other guys can stand being around you for more than five minutes. I sure can’t.” I took a step forward, and instantly I felt Shadow’s cold breath on my neck.

“Say that again,” he breathed with menace.

I faced him coolly. “Usually I would, but I wouldn’t want to overload your little flea-sized mind.”

With a roar that nearly knocked me off my feet, Shadow sprang at me, but something came between us that sent him reeling back.

Gasping, I looked to see my rescuer was a young brown mutt, probably not even a year old.

Shadow stared at him as if he couldn’t believe the mutt had defied him. “Get out of the way, Ketch,” Shadow growled.

“Let her go,” Ketch said fiercely.

I realized my chance to escape, but my route had been cut off by other alleyway dogs. There was nothing to do but hope Ketch was good at persuasion.

Shadow’s golden eyes boiled. “Ketchikan, move!”

“No,” Ketch barked quietly, “Please…Dad. Just let her go. Just this once. Please.”

‘Oh, yeah,’ I thought, ‘Real persuasive.’ But after a few moments, Shadow growled and backed away. His low voice echoed thunder as he said, “Let her pass.” He glared at Ketch pointedly.

Ketch relaxed and turned to me. “I hope you find your brother.”

“Yeah,” I said hesitantly, “Me, too.”

The dogs parted reluctantly, and I trotted safely out of their midst and onto the tundra. I kept my dignity until I knew I was out of their sight, and then I charged on, running off the fear that had built up inside me as I had waited to be attacked. I silently thanked Ketch, and decided that enough was enough for one day. Tomorrow I would find Fire Eye and Balto. Tomorrow I would find my brother.

The next day I traveled to the northeast in my quest to find Fire Eye. The fox had made it sound like a short journey, but it was almost noon when I finally saw a cave in the distance and smelled the scent of a lone wolf.

I stopped, breathing hard. Disappointment had hit me yesterday almost immediately after leaving White Mountain. I had struggled with it, and many times had nearly given in to sobs, but as the evening wore on and I had found shelter and food, I calmed down. So I hadn’t found my brother. Would anyone want to have Shadow as their brother? I didn’t think so. Besides, there were two more wolf-dogs to go.

Down in the canyons of my soul, I knew there was a good chance neither of them were my brother, but I couldn’t give up. Not just yet.

Queer mutterings and laughs emitted from Fire Eye’s cave. I cocked my head in bewilderment, and cautiously padded up to the cave’s mouth. Inside lay Fire Eye, muttering to himself and chuckling as he rolled small bones beneath his paws. I could see why they called him Fire Eye: his brown irises seemed so bright they were almost red, and the gold around them was sickly. His fur might have been the smoke from his fiery eyes, because it started as a smoky dark gray around his head and front legs, and crept up his body to become lighter and lighter until the tip of his tail was like the gray of a fine mist.

A scent hung around him that didn’t seem quite right, though. It was sickly sweet, a different kind of smell from the White Mountain alleys, but just as horrible.

Suddenly he stiffened, and his nose twitched ever so slightly. He let out a braying laugh, and said to an invisible audience, “Looks like we have company. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had any. Come out, whoever you are! There’s nothing to fear but the darkness itself! Unless I am the darkness.” He laughed again.

I hesitated. This guy didn’t seem right in the head. Maybe I should just leave… ‘Anyone’s better than Shadow,’ I thought all of a sudden. I took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave.

“The visitor emerges from the shadows!” Fire Eye crowed. Then he seemed to fall into a mood. “And believe me, Shadow is the last dog you want to meet!”

“Uh, yeah,” I said uncertainly, “Yeah, I know that from experience.”

“Everyone has experience!” he snapped, “What you do with it determines who you are! Now what are you here for?”

“Oh, right,” I said. I tried to focus, but then Fire Eye started talking to his invisible audience again.

“Why is she wasting my time? I have too many things to do without listening to her babble on and on!” He picked up a bone in his mouth and savagely cracked it in two.

“Uh,” I said, and then tried again. “Look, Fire Eye, I’m a wolf-dog like you are. My mother was Aniu, and when she gave birth to me I was stolen by two wolves. I have a brother they didn’t kidnap, so I’ve been searching for him. Could you be my brother?”

Fire Eye sprang up and bolted past me, running outside. I whirled around and watched him start to dig at the snow, sending flakes flying towards me. I leaped out of the cave before I was buried alive, and watched as Fire Eye dug and dug and dug.

After awhile my patience started to tear again. I clenched my paws and shouted, “For Pete’s sake, Fire Eye, answer the question! Are you my brother??”

“NO!” He swung around with a glare, but then his face saddened. “I’ve lost it, I’ve lost it!”

“You sure have lost it,” I muttered, but then I looked up again. “Fire Eye!”

He was twitching and jerking with a wide-eyed expression on his face. His legs weakened,