the challenge?”

“If you step down, I will let you go.” Gasped Niju. “And even I let this dog live, but only because I have some debt to him.” Murmur of surprise sounded in pack but no one dared to oppose. Darkfurred was talking in the name of whole group. “Decide... you step down or we fight? Do you want to lead us to another doom?”

“I estimate my chances as about eighteen percent.” Whispered Steele. “But you must decide. And I don’t know if they let us go then. You know... two dead wolves daily could upset them... Aleu?”

But wolfbitch just turned her stare to the ground and was crying quietly. Malamute understood that he had to take an initiative. For once again he had a pack to take care of, again just one-dog and again he hadn’t chosen it but it had chosen him. So he had to act and save Jenna’s daughter. And then... well, then he would have time to think about future.

“Niju, we will go away.” Said Steele. “You are the leader.”

And he nudged greyfurred’s side, so she started with him thought group of wolves. Malamute was taking discrete looks around, feared that pack attack against new chief’s will, but it didn’t happened. Only Niju went to the dog and whispered.

“All right... I had to. But... the hell, now were are equal!”

“We’re equal.” Agreed former leader. „Good luck Niju.”

They went into forest, due east to quick leave the shore. For oven an hour Aleu didn’t say a word, she just obediently followed dog and crying quietly. Steele even didn’t try to comfort her. Too many questions and unknowns were burning former leader’s head, to additionally guess what needed resigned female. Finally he asked gentle.

“When did you eat for the last time?” The only answer was a single sob, what could mean both: <four days ago> or <I even don’t know>. Steele cursed in mind. “Wait here, I will hunt something.”

But he even didn’t have to order her anything, because she already fell on the snow after first word about a meal. Steele sighed and covered wolfbitch with layer of snow and then he went on hunt. He was hurry and trying with all his might to caught some solid prey. He even risked a lone chase after young caribu that recently returned from away of strait. To Aleu he got back three hours later with heavy meat. He woke up Jenna’s daughter and fed her like a helpless pup. Absurd of that scene, so similar to the scene from three years earlier almost made him laugh. But view of crying wolfbitch cooled his amusement. He understood what she felt. She lost her pack and additionally she was blamed for catastrophe over the strait. Steele didn’t know too much about that expedition but suspected that charges are completely nonsensical. But also he perfectly knew how it was blaming himself for event he had no influence on. He knew that such incident could distort whole life, like distorted his. “Whole year I was felling guilty for Sky’s death. I went mad due to regret and lust for vengeance. Some said once that I was a bastard and I deserved for it. But why it happened to daughter of sweet Jenna?” “For Balto?” Whispered some malicious voice in his mind but he cast it away.

“And now just rest.” Instructed dog although sun was still over horizon.

He wanted to cover her den with snow but suddenly she – maybe in unconscious impulse – grabbed his paw and nestled to it. Surprised dog stopped, that carefully laid next to Aleu, hugging her like a pup. They made this way to the morning – she was sleeping and crying by turns and he guarding in unrest half-sleep. When the very first grey decorated east side of horizon, greyfurred suddenly woke up and impulsively move out from Steele. She looked on her new caretaker with confusion.

“I... I’m sorry.” She said uncertainly but malamute judged that wilfully leaderess of the pack that Aleu had been day earlier, was slowly waking from slumber. “I thank you for...”

“You are welcome.” Murmured former leader, understanding that he was loosing hug on Jenna’s daughter with pity. “It is I who should beg for your forgiveness, for what I started yesterday. Probably if I knew about it all earlier it wouldn’t came to this. If I knew who you are I would restrain my madness.”

“You was avenging your sister.” She said with serious voice and stoop up from the snow. Steele judged that she was actually looking like other wolves but her eyes were totally different: deep, wise, so gentle... Just like Jenna’s. “It guess you suffered much.”

„Indeed.” Agreed dog. „But now it’s gone. I had to do that to wake up from long and bad dream. I hope you understand it.” She nodded her head. “Maybe you rest a little more. We have still a lot of meat.”

“And then what we will do?” asked Aleu. Steele greeted that plural form with amaze. “The pack?” asked two voices in his mind. One with joy, and second with irony.

“I don’t know.” Replied dog. “If you want I will help you until... you decide to go your way.” Carefully proposed former leader, trying not to suggest that he considered wolfbitch as weak or unable to independent life.

“Yes...” she agreed. “I would like to... I mean: please.”

And in that way passed next few days. They both were wandering in forest of peninsula, going east. Together they were hunting and almost without any word rejoicing that company. In next night, when they already had dig out dens and hid in them, Steele heard moans and sighs his companion.  Quickly he went out, dig her out and saw that she was shivering in some nightmare. He gentle nudged her in side and she screamed, suddenly took back to reality.

“I’m sorry!” she was moaning moment later. “But I was dreaming about terrible things... Metal dragons and humans with lighting-sticks.”

“I’m here.” Ensured her Steele. „I’m watching you...” But she didn’t let him go – she fell asleep nestled in malamute’s coat. She slept to morning, although not without feat and fur erected on the nape.

So they became a tiny pack and after week of wandering were treating each other as natural part of life. It was strange and silent pack. Aleu talked little, for most time drowned in her own thoughts and not so pleasant memories. When that recollections became too dark and dreadful to stand, without word she hugged to malamute waiting till in her ears ceased the sounds of metal monsters and moans of dying pack-mates. And Steele was still learning to live again, for second time in his life. When lust for vengeance ceased in his heart, he felt burning emptiness that could be filled only with silent presence of Aleu and calm march through forest. For year he lived with Dymitr (with?! Maybe near to but definitely not in his company...) he spoke maybe hundred of words that weren’t connected with training or hunting. And then he started to open himself for wolfbitch and initiate first chats. They synchronised well, because she was ready to talk and he could talk again.

“Do you know who I am?” asked on some evening, when on slope of Bears Mountain they were lying to sleep, side to side as usual.

“Steele, son of Sharp and Lempi.” Replied Aleu, repeating all the knowledge she had on her caretaker.

“Well... yes, in short. But haven’t your parents told you something about me?” she shocked her muzzle and he felt silent.

“So...” hastened wolfbitch.

“What <so>?” asked Steele.

“Tell me about yourself.”

“No, better not.” Judged Steele. “You would left me too fast. I wish to enjoy your company at least for little more, before you start to ask me hard questions.”

“Why should I leave you?” amazed Aleu. “For now you are my only pack I have... In fact... everything I have.”

“You could always get back to the humans.” Remarked malamute. “And to mother... father...” that last word he pronounced in unnatural way, but wolfbitch probably didn’t notice it.

“You to... I guess.” Said Aleu. „But we don’t return. I will tell you if you do the same.”

So he told her. About everything that was important and painfully, just like he once had told it to the Sky. He didn’t hid most shameful events from Nome, even he told – although with burning shame – about his conflict with Aleu’s father. Finally he confessed that he had left the sled. Wolfbitch were listening, didn’t interrupted even once.”

“Now you know why we shouldn’t travel together.” Finished malamute.

“No. Now I know why we should to.” Replied wolfbitch and recounted about her expedition to Russia.

Steele didn’t understand Aleu’s remorse, at least in logical categories. But he well knew how irrational emotions could be so he tried to comfort wolfbicth with soothing and careful words. Soothing – to show her he understood her and careful - to don’t make an impression that he was pity of her and considered her as weak nor nondependent. But just irrational reaction after that speech amazed him to the core.

“So wonderful that I have met on someone that understands me, Steele.” She announced. “I can’t return to humans and I cant live with pack. I can just stay here, on that border... with you.”

“Deer’s dropping!” interrupted her malamute, almost screaming. “You aren’t right. I will take you to Buckland. And I will return to Buckland. You will the best sled leader on the North, loved and respected by humans! And you will...”

He froze when he felt Aleu’s tongue on his lips. Wolfbitch gentle licked malamute’s muzzle and sensing the mixture of confusion and hungry consent, she pressed her lips into a kiss. And for once again Steele slip into two creatures, living in one body. First one was enjoying the moment of pleasure given by beautiful bitch, second was ordering in mind with mathematical precision all possibilities of that event. Confused and drunken with unexpected happiness whispered finally.

“But it can’t be. I wanted to kill your father.”

“I’m glad you haven’t done it.” Replied smiling