that doesn’t mean you’re safe from maiming.”

“Point taken.” He looked up at me warily, but only a blind wolf could have missed the smug gleam in his eyes.

Mark was getting closer. His footfalls crunched through the snow. “Shannon!” he called, “Where are you, girl?”

The fox flashed me a satisfied grin as he bowed. “I’ll take my leave of you now. I suppose I should thank you for sparing my life.”

“You should,” I said coldly, “But you probably won’t.”

He glanced at me almost admiringly. “So young, and still you know so much,” he mused, “Farewell, Shannon.”

I grudgingly backed away, and the Arctic fox slipped out and vanished somewhere between the snow and the sky as he ran off. I watched him go, wondering at fate’s twisted humor, and then remembered where I was.

As Mark caught up to me, I ran past him, howling for all I was worth.

“Did he get away, Shannon?” Mark cried as he ran after me, “Get him, girl, get him!”

My heart pounded inside my brain as I thought of what the fox had said. There was a chance I could find my brother. But if I was to find out where my brother was, I would have to leave Mark. And I couldn’t leave him. I just couldn’t…Yes, I could. It wasn’t an impossible task. But it would hurt. A lot.

Yet where was I getting, living out here? Even as I led him on the aimless pursuit of nothing, Mark was one part of my family. I needed to find the rest of it.

I left at dawn. Leaving was hard. I nuzzled Mark’s rough cheek as he lay in bed sleeping. He groaned and stirred, but didn’t wake up. Against my better judgment, I licked his face and whined softly. His bleary brown eyes opened.

“Shannon?” he mumbled, “It’s too early, girl. Go back to bed.” He combed his fingers through my fur, and my tail wagged sadly as I closed my eyes so I could remember his touch. Mark fondled my ears, and then gently pushed me away. “Go on, Shannon.”

He was falling back asleep. I wished he wouldn’t. I thought this way would be easier so I could just slip away. But is there any easy way to say goodbye?

Mark’s hand fell from my side, and his brown eyes closed. “Go, Shannon…” he murmured groggily.

His words hit me like sharp stones. But I would obey his last command to me. I went, letting the door close silently behind me.

The morning sun tinted the snow pale pink and gold, like flower petals. I took a deep breath and felt the cold air crackle through my lungs. Shannon was no more. I was once again a nameless wolf-dog searching for her past.

Unwanted tears stabbed at my eyelids. I wished the cold would freeze my heart so I wouldn’t feel the pain. The feelings made me apprehensive. I knew I had to forget them, or I would crumple right here on the ground, and my will to find my brother would disappear. Pain wouldn’t claim me.

I threw myself forward and broke into a gallop, streaking across the land as if I were prey and I was being chased by a predator. In a sense, I was: my feelings chased me, the deadliest hunter of them all. 

When I realized I didn’t need to burn off any more heartache, I slowed to a trot, and then an ambling walk. I didn’t know where White Mountain was. Or in my painful departure, I had forgotten. But who was around that I could ask for directions?

The wind blew hard gusts into my face, and the scent that rushed up my nose made my body freeze.

Oh, snap. Oh, shoot. Oh, darn. I had run into White Storm territory.

Immediately I started to scramble away, but curiosity stopped me in my tracks. How had the pack fared in my absence? The question was too interesting to leave unanswered.

I slowly pivoted around and slunk across the land. When I came to the two caves I crept behind a pine tree, rubbing my fur against its scratchy needles so my scent might be masked. I peered out from behind the branches and glanced around the area. Several wolves fanned out in groups between the caves to talk and even laugh. My eyebrows shot skywards. Unbelievable. With Jaydor as their leader, they seemed…happy.

I couldn’t see into Jaydor’s cave, but I bet anything he was inside. My guess was proved correct a few minutes later when a familiar wolf limped out of Jaydor’s cave.

The word sprang out of my mouth instantly. “Crystal!” I slapped a paw over my mouth.

Crystal raised her ears and turned in my direction. I knew she was wondering whether she had imagined my voice.

I stepped out from behind the tree for a breath and then went back. Immediately I heard the drumming beat of her paws as she forced herself to walk so as not to draw attention. I waited, and was knocked over by the enthusiastic greeting of my acquaintance.

“Luna!” Crystal cried hysterically.

I could feel and smell the tears on her muzzle. I scrambled up and eased my way out of the hug, but I smiled in spite of myself. “Hey, Crystal.” Then my eyes focused fully on her face, and my mouth dropped open. Crystal had a black eye; a purple bruise to match her blue-purple eyes. “What the…”

“What?” Her paw came up to finger the bruise. “Oh, that.” I could see she was trying to hold them in, but to no avail. New tears leaked down her face, and she sighed heavily in frustration. “I wish I didn’t cry so much! With this black eye, it hurts to cry.” She touched the bruise, winced, and quickly put her paw down.

I could feel myself going red in the face with anger. “Who did that to you?”

Crystal looked away. “Jaydor,” she whispered.

Images stabbed at my eyes of the night of the rebellion: Jaydor and Crystal, brother and sister, set against each other because one wanted to kill and one wanted to save. As alpha male, Jaydor was taking his revenge.

“Luna, he’s insane,” Crystal murmured, “He calls me in almost everyday and says…things about me, and about Ice Moon. And then he starts attacking me! And you know he’s stronger than I am, and no one can stop him because he’s the alpha male. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know…”

I was remembering a time when a wolf had attacked me, and I had felt helpless and weak. Crystal had helped me then. Now she was stuck in the same hole I had been in. I had to help her out. “Look, Crys,” I started.

She looked up in surprise at the nickname.

I sat down next to her and gave back the strength she had given to me all those months ago: “You can’t let him beat you. You think you’re weak and stupid, that you can’t handle this on your own. But you’ve had obstacles before. We all have. Life without problems might as well be death. It doesn’t amount to anything. Fight, Crys. You deserve to live.”

She looked up at me with a sparkle in her eye that hadn’t been there before. “Crys?” she asked with a trembling grin.

I shrugged sheepishly. “That’s what you told me to call you. And we are friends.”

Her face burst into smiles, but then it quickly darkened. “But what can I do about Jaydor?”

I grinned devilishly. “Follow me.”

I glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and then ran as fast as I could to Jaydor’s cave. I slammed myself against the wall, panting, and watched Crystal follow a bit more slowly. When she was at my side I peered around the cave. “Where is he?” I muttered.

“Probably behind the stone ‘chair’,” Crystal whispered back, “He likes to go back there, probably to gloat over all the injuries he gives me. What are you going to do?”

Again, I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. After what had happened this morning, I don’t think I had it in me to face Jaydor, but a simple prank would do. “You’ll see.” Tilting my head back, I took a deep breath and bellowed, “Jaydor! What kind of sick animal are you, taking out your insanity on your sister? I know you inside and out! I’ve been watching you, and I’m watching you now! If you dare hurt Crystal again, you’re going to answer to me, Luna! And trust me, you do not want to mess with a ghost!”

My words echoed off the walls and bounced around my head. I fled the cave through an exit hidden behind a huge rock in the cave wall. Crystal was right on my tail, and we collapsed outside, gasping and shaking with fear and laughter.

When my sides stopped hurting I got up and craned to see the entrance. Wolves were flooding into Jaydor’s cave, and I heard Jaydor yelling at them that it was not a ghost and that they should all get out. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could hear in his voice that I had both scared and angered him.

Crystal giggled a little. “What will they all think?”

“Let them think it was the ghost of Luna come back to haunt her worst enemy. That’ll give Jaydor something to chew on before he beats you again. I don’t think he believes it was my ghost, but he’ll think I’m watching him.”

“Thanks, Luna.” Crystal’s eyes suddenly dropped. “Um…do you remember Cyan?”

Something caught in my chest. “Yeah,” I muttered.

“Well…” Crystal looked up at me as the words came crashing out: “He disappeared. It was a few days ago. No one knows what happened to him. I’m sorry, Luna.”

My old protective shell came back. “Sorry for what? Why should I care what happens to Cyan?” I said.

Crystal’s eyes widened. “But I thought–”

“Well, you were wrong,” I cut in, “Do you know the way to a town called White Mountain?”

She pointed to the southwest with her paw, and cocked her head. “That way. Why?”

“I’m looking for my family,” I said quietly, “And a source told me there’s a wolf-dog in that town.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, but she still managed a smile. “Well. Good luck.”

“Don’t you dare cry,” I warned her, “I don’t want you going all mushy with me. Besides, I don’t want you to hurt your eye anymore, either. I’ll miss you.”

Crystal blinked hard, and I endured another hug. When she stepped back I remembered my hunting days with Mark, and pointed my nose in the direction of White Mountain. “Goodbye, Crys.”

“Yeah,” she said with a watery smile, “Goodbye, Luna.”

I sped away, thinking I was leaving the White Storm pack behind forever.

The human town looked like dozens of square caves placed in rows with everyone’s territory including a small patch of land in front