swirling mass of predators from tearing enemy apart.

“I said: WAIT! And you...” pointed on Steele with paw. “If you don’t tell your name, I will kill you myself.”

“Go on.” Replied former leader indifferently. „I won’t defend myself from Jenna’s daughter.”

“Do you know my mother?” she asked a bit confused. He nodded his muzzle. “Why did you pounce on Owi?”

“He murdered my sister.” Replied dog.

“Is that true?” asked disoriented Aleu, but Owi was still lying on rock and moaning from pain. Swelling on broken paw was growing fast.

“Yes, he did.” Sounded new voice on shore.

Niju and Dymitr were standing on cliff, looking down on pack. Steele favoured them with just half-second-long stare because he instantly turned his muzzle to other wolves. Rest of pack stared on newcomers with amaze. Niju smiled.

“Surprise: we are alive. I bet you missed us.” He saw two of his old underlings. “Nuk, Yak... where the hell is Sumac?

“He’s dead.” Replied Nuk. With friend he went to cliff and Niju with Dymitr with few jumps went down and stood next to Steele and Aleu.

“I said: let stay home!” murmured, passing the leaderess. But in those words, louder than malice, was actual grief for dead Sumac. “Right wolves, stay clam. I have some great matter to do with that dog.”

“He attacked Owi.” Called someone from rank. “And killed Nava.”

“Yes. And he could killed me, but he didn’t.” said Niju. “As well as Dymitr, but he showed more mercy than our pack... Nava and Owi killed his sister. I don’t know what we will do with him, probably we will tear him to pieces. But before that we will listen to him.” He growled to pack. “And if anyone step too close I will rip his throat off! Nuk, Yak... watch them.” He returned to Aleu and whispered her to ear. “And what now, sweetie? Are we in one team?”

“Yes, move!” added wolfbitch aloud. “We will get him to our valley and start a Wolfs Court.” He didn’t precise on whom that trial was about to be. “But now... go. We aren’t safe here. The flying monster could be back.” She started in grove’s direction, where once Nava’s pack was living. Uncertain wolves followed her.

Confused Steele felt like he was slowly awakening from deep slumber. Lust for vengeance shrunk to straight but thin line on his mind and rest of former leader’s consciousness took Jenna’s daughter and return of Dymitr and Niju. He was walking next to Aleu, driven by hostile stares of pack. Passing next to well known wolves whispered.

“Why did you return? To avenge Nava?”

“Maybe.” Murmured Niju. „But maybe before I do that I let you deal with Owi. By the way: nice hit!”

“I’ll show you some day.” Promised amused dog. “And you, Dymitr?”

“I don’t know... something inside tells me...” his muzzle silently finished that sentence. “...that you are my pack.” But he added. “Ow, it doesn’t matter. I’m curious in what swindle you will step.”

“I’m glad too, that I see you, guys.” Said Steele, trying to sound reliably. He run after leading Aleu, intensively thinking how it came to this and how he found himself in such unexpected company.

IX. The Call of the Wild

Traditional pack’s residence was a valley nearby cliffs. Wolves, although tired with hard escape from out the strait, seeing the old home seemed to regain vigour. Every of pack member took own seat from old times, only Nava’s ledge was vacant. On pan’s bottom main actors of that drama were waiting – Aleu, Steele, Dymitr, Niju and crippled Owi. When everyone was placing on right spot, wolfbitch came to malamute and asked silently.

“Did my pack really kill your sister?” he nodded his head. “I’m sorry... I ‘m really sorry. But I believe they had no other way.”

“I haven’t too.” Replied former leader looking on wounded Owi.

“Well... start it, Aleu.” Hastened Niju. “Or you prefer that I would lead the gathering.”

“You are not an alpha of this pack.” She said with quiet but decisive voice.

“No, not yet. But remember: I have lost just Nava. You – Mark, Yuni and Sumac.”

In behaviour of Niju wasn’t any malice – wolf just had smelt an opportunity to conquer the pack as a new leader. That why he was carefully observing poses and countenances looking for any sign of discouragement or of distrust towards the leaderess. Pack was tired of running and still terrified by recent events. If it was about to follow new chief it had to did it in that moment. Niju was sure of Nuk’s and Yak’s loyalty and them could gave him more supporters. So he was pressing hard on greyfurred although deeper in soul he was sympathizing with leaderess. From quiet talk among wolves he heard enough to imagine horror they had been thought.

“No, this is my pack!” she replied with anger. She went on big erratic stone that was traditional rostrum for predators. She started with decisive voice. “Sisters, brothers... We are here to judge on case of...” she looked on malamute and gasped. “And who, the rabbies, are you?”

“My name is Steele, son Sharp and Lempi.” Called dog aloud. By this he interrupted leaderess speech, but he was too hurry to play in protoloce games. “I’m here to avenge death of my sister, Sky of Buckland. She was murdered by wolf called Nava and Owi, present here. If he is punished I will cease further vengeance.” Lied easily former leader. “Or... if you want to do it officially, according to tradition, so let it be: I challenge Owi on duel.”

“To the first blood?” asked with ironic smile Niju.

“From the throat!” gasped malamute.

“To challenge him, he had to became pack leader first.” Reasonably noticed Aleu. “Beside, you have crippled him. He wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“He has better odds than Sky, when she was bounded with harness.” Growled Steele. “Hey you, you noble wolves! Just tell me if that was fair: attack on bounded enemy who was defending her pack? And with what handicap? Owi wasn’t hunting to satisfy his hunger – to do that he hadn’t to kill her. He did it in cold blood.”

“You don’t know our laws!” interrupted him Aleu.

“I know. Nava has taught me.” Gasped avenger. „But all right, tell me wolf, if that was fair?”

“I wasn’t there so I can’t...”

“It was!” called someone from pack.

“Thank you!” replied Steele. “I was waiting for it.”

Owi was about three meters from malamute, so in distance for one jump. That jump was perfectly aimed and long prepared. Dog pounced from the ground and flew to murdered with spread paws. Wounded wolf had no chances to avoid that attack. He fell down pinned by former leader’s mass and before he even moaned, malamute’s teethes clenched on this throat, squashing his trachea in one move. He took a sudden breath but that time instead of air he inhaled a wave of own blood. Dog instantly jumped off out victim and backed to stone wall. In freezing silence that fall after then, everyone heard last Owi’s words.

“So cold...” After a desperate cramp of his muscles he was dead.

That sound tore off some kind of veil in Steele’s mind. Or it’s better to say – ice layer of his rage broke into thousands of pieces, leaving just warn sea of old dog’s heart. Former leader was standing, shocked, just couldn’t believe in what he had done just before. He didn’t react when enraged crowd of paws and muzzles overturned him and brutally pinned to the ground. He was thinking about many things at the same time. He was recalling Sky, but only that happiest moment of their life – encounter, pride after adventure on Yukon, playing with pups of wolfbitch. He tried to understand why he had left that happy world, that after his sister’s death maybe lost many of it’s charm but was still HER world and maybe it was still waiting for malamute. And meanwhile he was looking Aleu that was barely repressing wolves fury and preventing them from tearing Steele into pieces. “She is beautiful... As her mother...” he though. When in next minute no one ripped his throat nor even hit him with paw, he slowly stood up and looked around.

Situation looked quite grim – he and wolfbitch were standing inside hostile circle of wolves. Even Niju, who was genuine hating Owi, was also growling dreadfully, probably mixing thankfulness towards Steele with authentic rage. Owi was as he was, but he was wolf from their pack. If forest predators would had killed Blade, Steele wasn’t able to rejoice it. Completely confused Aleu was looking on dog then on her pack, too scared even to think rationally.

“Kill him!” called some wolf.

“No!” screamed wolfbitch. “He was just avenging his sister.”

“Well done.” Replied that wolf. „And now let us avenge Nava and Owi.”

“Are you defending him?” amazed Nuk, looking on leaderess. “Because it is dog? One your kind?”

„Damn!” thought Steele. “That is what they called: irony of fate. I used to be a bad breedist here!” Meanwhile he was looking for optimal way of retreat thought the wall of enraged wolves.

“Aleu is in league with dog!” yelled Yak. “And she led us to the land of death! I don’t want her as chief!”

“No, that is not as you think...” whispered shocked wolfbitch but no one listened to her. More and more wolves was howling with anger and some were discreetly looking on Niju. Darkfurred barely was restraining himself from radiant smile. His time had come.

“Niju will lead us!” called Nuk. “He was always right!”

Claimant went before the circle and came to surrounded two. For several seconds was measuring Aleu with curious stare then he looked on Steele. For a while his discrete smile faded, like wolf was asking dog: and now what we will do? Malamute felt bolt of a new hope.

“Aleu! Will you take my challenge?” asked darkfurred. He was older, stronger and more self-confident. Wolfbitch was silent, balancing between passivity and cry.

“I can win with him.” Judged Steele. “But I won’t stay in pack. Should I accept