a muffled steps of him, going away. She tried to sleep, but coldness was so overwhelming that she was scared to froze. Jack taught her about risk of challenging winter aura. Although then it was stand on about 14 Fahrenheit degrees, cherry-furred was sure that she was in grave danger. So she curled up and... felt that strange smell. Closer and stronger. Suddenly she missed for Jack’s hug even more.

*

Greyish-furred husky was a good tracker, but that time he had enormous bad-luck. After leaving Cher’s shelter in grove on slope, he chose to go downhill after strongest scent. But in the mountains even weak wind could disrupt animal’s senses – air shifted wolverines aroma from rock above in valley down. So Jack went in wrong direction, sure that he was following right track. It took almost an hour to find out that something is wrong. He was still sensing intruders nearby but saw no pawprints. Then he stopped, licked a snow to quench his thirsts and looked up. Sun was almost in zenith, although autumn zenith meant rather small angle of light. So dog, looking on south was for several seconds blinded, that he noticed some silhouettes on slope. “Cher?” he thought. “I told her to stay in place!” then he spotted more shapes. “Oh, my God... wolverines!” he jelled, seeing five predators, descending from mountain... right in hiding direction.

For a moment he was standing and looking for shortest route back. He was extreme hurry, but also knew well that way up would be exhausting. So he had to chose it perfectly. When he remembered every rock on his path, quickly but silently started uphill.

*

Cher had already found out that she was in grave danger. Although wolverines were smaller creatures, theirs sharp claws made a serious threat even to bigger predators. And then she was faced to many enemies, she didn’t to how many exactly. She was still waiting below snow surface, waiting in silence and praying for Jack’s return. In fact she know almost nothing about forest animals – she had no idea that she could easily outrun short-pawed wolverines. What was worse, she didn’t remember where exactly was her shelter. She knew that is somewhere high on rock, but have no idea where to run, or where Jack could have been gone. So she was lying still, when adversaries were digging her small drift.

Pack of wolverines were family, containing mother and four of her sons. Old, experienced female was leading her children and in spite of senses, weaken due to age, she as first discover where hiding animal was. She was surprised when she smelled dog, instead of weasel or hare, but she wasn’t fastidious – five pairs of sharp claws could easily tear almost every lone creature. But they had to be cautious anyway.

“Beware, boys.” Said mother. “I sense big dog down there.” And then loud howl sounded.

Jack was sneaking to hiding, but when he notice that wolverines found Cher’s drift, he decided to act. He howled desperately and doubled his efforts. Husky was about fifteen meters below that place, and still hard climbing was before him.

“Damn! A wolf!” gasped Kivl, one of wolverine brothers. He stopped digging and looked on mother. “What we are doing now? Kill him?”

“He come here anyway.” Said female. “Just get that here, then we will think.”

But Cher panicked and sprang out from drift. She was scared, confused and wanted only to left that white trap. So she pounced at random, didn’t know that she jumped in edge direction. Surprised wolverines saw cherry-furred, passing them by and... falling behind the bring of the ledge.

“Werk!” jelled runaway and fell down. In the same time, wolverines mother jumped aside to avoid jumping dog. But also she steeped too close to the edge and disappeared behind it.

“MOM!” called four mustelas.

“CHER!” screamed terrified Jack, watching as she was helplessly dropping from the ledge.

Cher hit the snowed slope about ten meters below and caused a small avalanche. Mass of snow set off the slope and started to sliding down. Jack could hide in rock-crack and wait until danger is gone. But in fact, he could not – he left his temporal hiding and stood in route on white mass. Just before snowy wave hit him, he jumped up and agile joined the speed of avalanche. After few seconds of shock, he started to look in swirling mass, searching for Cher. He spotted some brown shape but he noticed that it was wolverine female, falling with them. Jack dived in whiteness, where he expected to find his beloved ward. After few seconds (how many? In that speed, he lost his sense of time) he touched something soft and red and cuddled to that shape, shielding it from any hit. Then somebody turned sun off.

*

Cher felt that she was lying in strange position in some cold and wet mass. She made a random motion of paw and sudden bolt of pain struck her body. But it sobered up her in the same time. She opened her eyes and saw she was on mountain’s foot in giant drift of snow. About ten meters from her was lying Jack, still unconscious, but clearly alive. Then, closer about two meters was...

“Werk!” jelled cherry-furred.

“You blasted mutt!” growled old wolverine and started to her.

Cher understood that her right, front paw was broken and her side was deeply wounded. Mustela seemed to be untouched and mad as hell. She bared her claws with plain intention to kill. Cherry-furred tried to stand up, but she failed even to raise her head. She gulped, sensing incoming death. “Not so strong...” she thought. “I wanted to be powerful by other’s power and now I see how pathetic it was. Jack... I’ve killed Jack too!”

Wolverine stopped over bitch and raised her paw to inflict fatal blow. Cher was staring in enemy’s eyes, partially blinded by sun, shining from behind. “Dad!” whispered husky in terror. But not dad came to save her. Jack pounced on wolverine, plunging her in snow. Instantly he hit attacked with muzzle and Cher watched both silhouettes, vanishing into white mass. Then a scream sounded.

“JACK!” cried Cher, but then husky’s muzzle raised over snow. His teethes were spotted with blood and eyes expressed fear.

“Cher, are you all right?” he run to her, but froze, seeing her broken paw. “O, my God!” whispered. In the same time sounded a distant cries of wolverines.

“Mom! Mom, where are you...” and a second later calls turned to scream of terror and rage.

“Damn!” gasped Jack. “Cher, we must leave... now! Can you walk?” she only shook her head with helpless expression. “No... I must think something out... Cher, you must climb on my back and I will carry you. But help me, we have to leave now!”

*

An hour later, four young wolverines came to mountain’s foot to find own mother lying motionless in blood-red snow. Brothers stopped over parent’s body and remained silent for long minutes. Then Kivl, the oldest of siblings said with mad voice.

“One of them is wounded. We will chase them and make them pay for that!”

*

Wolverines weren’t fast creatures, at least in dogs standards. But they were definitely faster than exhausted Jack, carrying wounded and barely conscious Cher. Husky had no broken bones but fall in the avalanche shocked him hard and cut his side with several scratch. Those would be nothing if he hadn’t a precious load on his back. In that situation every step was a torture for tired dog. But he was marching still, sensing the chase right behind him. Jack was heading east, to only place he could seek help or shelter – humans route. He prayed that smell of men would scare the persecutors... and maybe some sled was running there? “No, it would be a miracle.” Thought husky. “But we need this miracle. She just can’t die!”

*

The night was coming fast, as it always comes in October. Sun set about three pm, and relive brightness was possible because of snow layer. Ice was leading the sled with Arrow in pair. It looked funny – two smaller dogs were on front, but both leader and musher understood that was an ideal option. Short greenland and even shorter mix were before Daniel and Ringo then was running Eva and David. That time husky wasn’t in pair with brother, because the difference of size between Eva and Ringo was too great to maintain a balance in harness. So David was sentenced to accompany female beginner. After them were pulling Eva’s sisters – Betty and Marry. Bitched were giving their best, but sled was going terribly anyway. In spite of eight in team, work was hard as only six dogs were in harness.

“Don’t sidetrack on me!” gasped David. He was really tired of giving constant advices to companion. “It is harder for both of us.”

“But so pleasant!” barked Eva, nudging husky’s side and burst in laughter. But seeing grave expression on muzzle of companion, she ceased. “Ow, I’m sorry. I will try...”

“Guys!” called Ice. Twins, Ringo and Arrow raised theirs ears. In spite Arrow and Ringo were females, word <guys> was describing old sled-team, skilled in their work. This question wasn’t directed to mackenzie sisters, definitely yet too ignorant to give any advice to leader. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” asked surprised Ringo. But in that second a distant howl sounded. It was a call of fear and desperate ask for help. And was made not by wolf, ice was sure of that.

“About a mile.” Estimated Daniel, the most gifted with senses from whole team. “We haven’t heard it earlier, because we are going in valley.”

“All right, crew, we will stop.” Announced leader.

“Stop?” surprised Eva. “Shouldn’t we speed up?”

“We will stop.” Gasped Ice.

“And help whoever calls for help.” Added Daniel, knowing that lead wasn’t avid to explain more.

After death of his mate and brother-in-law, Ice sworn that he wouldn’t let anyone die in forest. Few times he had forced his driver to stop and to disperse a wolf pack and in that way saved two people and one lost dog, who later came to Buckland. Ice barked to warn masters Tazaku and