considered as highly improper.

“You are playing nice in your pack.” Noticed wolf but let the Blade off, panting with rage. “But now we are definitely equal, sledded one!”

“Only in your dreams!” smiled Steele, or at least he tried to smile with cut and bleeding muzzle. “I was going quite well.”

“Traitor! He is in league with the wolves!” sighed amazed David.

“In some way, he is.” Agreed Niju, starting in enclosure’s direction. “But we are here accidentally. We were going for those caribu...”

“Wait!” growled malamute. “Don’t you dare to touch those creatures!” He stopped between wolves and corral and by that he came closer to his recent persecutors.

“Chill out, man! We will take just one buck.” Murmured Niju with airy voice then he made first step to enclosure. But Steele was still in place.

“After my dead body, Niju.” Growled. Then he turned his stare on shocked dogs. „Are you with me or with them?” whispered.

Blade wanted to pounce on malamute and finish it all in one blow but he noticed that David uncertainly stood next to his enemy, in front of wolves. So spitz swallowed curse in his mouth and join the friend and rival. He was furious but even that fury had its barriers. He would never support the wolf against the dog. And Steele was bastard... but their bastard!

“Go away!” he barked. “Here are three of us, but we surely get one of you.”

Two groups were eyeing up and down each other, finally Niju growled with anger and turned to forest. His companions followed quickly after. Husky and spitz, instead of pouncing on malamute, just barked with scorn and started in town direction. Steele was watching their steps for some time, uncertain what to think. So then he stopped to. Since that time those two has never harassed him, as well as he has never reproached them that attack. But heavy snow of old hatred was still covering their relations just like cold snow on post’s porch from night that Steele came to town.

And that even, trivial at first sight, had significant consequences later. Blade in fight on enclosure got hurt in old wound by one of wolves. Not long later he crippled for good. He moved from kennel to pastor’s house and lived there in peace away from dogs community. Just like Steele, insidious spitz found his happiness later than others – priest’s children cast out the bitterness from his heart and for old age he became a fine and honest dog. He wasn’t longer thinking about sled and rivalry with Steele – he had new duties of house-guard and care of Carlsons family. But the most important consequence of that was a vacant in sled-team. That why when John Ash was about to set off in first autumns trek, Sky was asked to help. Steele was objecting against using young mother in work so fast but she received again harness with joy and avid heart. And just when she join the team, tragedy of <Menuet> took place.

 

VI. Of the same blood

 

Brave but poor people were serving on <Menuet>. Twenty men, enlisted in while-cutter, had numerous families to provide, high debts to pay and great hopes to fulfil. That three factors made that they hadn’t returned to Anchorage Port but they started to chase lone humpback whale instead. It’s hard to say that lone humpback was doing so far on the north but we can assume that he was so desperate as Menuet’s crew. He was fighting till the end and his planktonvore nature in last minutes of his life turned out to be as tough as of people chasing him. Before he died, he managed to heavily damage Menuet, already impaired by iceafloat. So 12th October cutter started to taking water fast and captain Thomson had no other way than take course due south. 14th October crew threw out brave whale’s body to the sea, as well as all heavy objects from deck, which were loading the sinking ship. But thanks to that Menuet got to the shore in one piece. Or better to say: almost to the shore.

On ice-float-line they sail 18th October on morning, surprised and panicked. Sailors, exhausted of four day of endless fight with element and hull of their cutter, just hadn’t noticed signs of float-danger and with full speed hit into ice-barrier. Ship stuck on shallow water, about twelfth miles from Bears River mouth and eighteen survivors barely swam to shore. That day came unexpected – or even unnatural for that season – bolt of frost. Wet, hypodermed and additionally lost on Alaskan shore men at evening started to transmit light S.O.S. signal, praying for a miracle.

The first miracle-workers were doctor Tazaku and Steele, who noticed flashes on the darkening sky. When they returned to town, alarmed whole citizens and soon whole community was working on saving the castaways. Bucklanders organised collection of food and clothes, so in short time John Ash’s sled was filled. They wanted to send trapper with first load of aid and for he take back at least few sailors. Meanwhile from post mayor was sending telegram to Anchorage with request of rescue-plane. But in those times aeroplanes were capricious machines, opposite to dogs. Bucklanders knew that fate of castaways were up to them and theirs sled-team – they had to take care about sailors until help from mayor cities would came. About nine pm the load, the driver and the dogs were ready.

“Too bad, we have just five of them.” Said doctor Tazaku, looking on team. “Your sled team is almost shorter than sled itself. It’s heavy effort. Maybe we join two harnesses more? Ringo and Moon could...”

“There is no time, dad.” Interrupted John. “And it wouldn’t help too much. They are too small and weak, could only disrupt others. I go with Sky, Daniel, David, Ice and Steve.”

“Poor creatures...” murmured Japanese. “Will you make it?” he asked then he noticed that wolfbitch and malamute nodded with muzzles. But it might was just an illusion.

“Mom, what is happening?” asked Armand, eight-month-old son of Sky. “Why do you set off so quickly?”

“Humans need us.” Replied wolfbitch. “We are carrying food for ship-castaways.”

“Maybe we could...” shyly suggested youngster, pointing with muzzle on his brother, Steele (junior). They both were avid for pulling the sled, but hey were still at least a year too young. Mother just licked their cheeks and replied with gentle voice.

“Not this time... yet. We will handle it and you take care of your sisters.”

“Dad?” asked Steele (junior), hoping that father allow for that crazy idea, like joining them to team.

“No, my son.” Replied Ice. “We will do it with mom, uncle and twins. This is not too far, we will be back in few days.”

“Ow, yes...” murmured youngster sadly. “But take care of you.” Greenland and malamute nodded then went to harness.

Meanwhile came Agnes, Lucy, Ari and Kiva to say goodbye to parents and uncle. Steele didn’t like such a sentimental farewells but he must admit that every time he saw nieces and nephews it was a pleasure to watch on strong, fine and quickly growing pups – something warm was flooding his soul. Children were so alike theirs parents – greenland fairness inherited of father but they were already grown to his size and it seemed that they were much stronger than him, probably due to quarter of wolf’s blood. Their eyes were malamute-like. But for leader it mattered not. Agnes, Lucy, Ari, Steele (junior), Kiva and Armand could looked like forest wolves, but uncle considered them as charming anyway. “Probably for these few days they will grow even more...” thought joyfully, licking their noses.

“Steele...” said Sky with pleading voice. “Let me lead this time...” Leader looked on her with mixture of disapproval and anxiety.

“Maybe not tonight. This is your first run after...”

“Come on!” she puffed. “Pregnancy hasn’t made me a cripple! Please... only this time...”

Steele knew that his sister had to prove herself in sled. Because of pups she wasn’t in route for springs treks so that was her first run after she gave birth to six of her children. Malamute understood that he should gave his role to sister but also he had some kind of dreadful premonition.

“Ice?” asked his brother-in-law, still undecided. If he forbid Sky to lead, she probably wouldn’t insist. But had he right to forbid her anything? Creeping scratching in his ears was telling him something he didn’t understands. “Something bad is in the air.” He though.

“She will make it.” Judged greenland and leader left his position on lead and went next to friend, in second pair, next to sled shaft.

John quickly fastened dogs belts and started. Sled was sliding fast and firmly – in spite of piercing frost, dogs were pulling hard, understood the significance of their mission. Lives of eighteen men were in theirs paws. Even Daniel and David, usually lazybones, trying to avoid hard work sometimes delaying the sled, that evening were running perfectly, giving Sky and Steele no cause for complains. Everybody wanted to do it quickly because marching in frozen forest wasn’t neither too pleasant nor too safe.

Ash was standing on sled and holding reins in one hand and Winchester in other. He was looking carefully on the sides and beside he covered it strictly, animals knew he was afraid. With such a frost when wolves packs still didn’t go to the south, probability of attack was serious. It seemed that trapper wished he didn’t take Tazaku’s colt – it would be additionally six shots to his thirteen-round rifle without reloading. That why he instinctively increased the flame in his paraffin lamp, to see farther into night.

“Master is in hurry.” Noticed Ice. “Is there is so bad?”

“It would be better if he saved paraffin.” Replied Steele. “But this is not our problem. Just... go ahead!”

Ash’s problem became their all problem about the midnight. It was third hour of route, so they were somewhere in half a way to probable

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