Daniel’s body. He made no dodges from David’s hits and soon was lying on moss, blooded and bitten, but still laughing as maddog he actually was. Greenland and husky had to took him down to Buckland but he wasn’t sure if he went with them willingly or he was forced to do it. Anyway – just before evening a court of town gathered.

Ice wasn’t main judge, as well as Blade. Both dogs resigned from that task, arguing that they were close friends of victim. David was like paralysed, just the same as he was bereaving brother at first time, three weeks earlier. Husky was lying next to Daniel’s body, completely indifferent to world around. Only when Cher entered kennel, he raised his stare and looked on her with clear hatred.

“Are all in place?” asked Bart a small terrier who had been chosen to lead a trial. Dogs made a common murmur of confirmation. Only Jack added a pitiful yell to that. He just noticed Cher who was standing next to Ice and completely ignoring him.

“So we are here to decide about a murder case...”

Jack wasn’t listening to words of judge and witnesses. In fact, there wasn’t too much to listen. Ice and David described scene they saw on clearing, Cher said that she asked Jack to take Daniel to kennel. After his testimony David got back to brother’s body and pointed his stare on dead twin. He said no word until end of a trial.

A case was simple. That was a murder with cold blood – carefully planned and prepared. Ringo, who was advocate of Jack, tried to get just a exile sentence by suggest that Daniel could had been killed in affection and every doubt should be count for innocence of suspect. But that idea ruined Jack himself, who noticed a hateful stare of Cher and called with despair.

“Cease it! I wanted to kill him!”

“Ow...” murmured Ringo. He was mad with fury on Husky, because he was Daniel’s friend. But as a advocate, he did his best. “I have nothing more to add.”

“Stop!” called David, who just had raised his stare from Daniel’s body. “Don’t kill him.” A Whisper of amaze came among dogs but husky continued. “As brother of Daniel I ask for mercy on Jack from Nome.”

Dogs were amazed but no one dared to say a word. Bart looked on six of his arrays and all them nodded. There was no need to make an official deliberation.

“As a town court of Buckland we wish to give our sentence.” Started Bart. “Although we find accused guilty and for third-degree canicide we could have only one sentence: death... We want to fulfil wish of brother of victim. Jack of Nome, we are sentencing you on exile.” A murmur of excitation burst among dogs. “You have one day to leave our town and you will be killed if you will be found in distant of dog-howl from Buckland’s square. The trail is over.”

Shocked Jack was took away the kennel. When he was passing next to Cher, she whispered quietly, but loud enough for Ice to hear. “Murderer! I want nothing more to do with you!” She burst in tears and nestled to Ice. Exactly as she planed.

Eva came to David and licked his forehead with sympathy. But he only thanked her with a nod and went to Cher. In din of kennel no one, even the closest – Ice, didn’t hear their dialogue.

“So, are they both... removed?” he asked with poisonous voice.

“Ha?” asked Cher with clear fear on her face.

“Jack hasn’t killed my brother.” Said David.

“But... but... who has?” stammered out Cher.

“You.” Answered husky and bended his muzzle down to her ear. “You killed them both. I will watch your steps. Don’t be so self-confident. The higher you are, the harder you fall.” And he left kennel, leaving Cher nestled to Ice’s side. Eva again greeted him with tender hug. Of course it was tender in mackenzies standards – if she would hug some smaller and more fragile dog than strong husky, she would have probably choke him fast. But David just sighed with gratitude.

*

Jack was just left on main Buckland’s street. A semicircle of silent but hostile dogs were pushing him away from kennel. So husky took a final stare on Cher, still standing at Ice’s side and turned south. She started to speed, trying to outrun every think that was in his mind.

“It’s over.” Said greenland with gentle voice. “I’m so sorry, Cher.”

“I... I.” she sobbed. “I’ve lost Daniel. Ice, you are the last friend I have. Please, help me.”

“I will.” Replied simple-hearted greenland. “So let go home.”

*

Jack until morning made over fifty miles to Beaver Clearing. In so deep snow it was a real achievement, even for well trained musher-dog. But then he just fell on ground, and panted helplessly for long time. There found him Aleu.

“Hey...” she called carefully.

Steele had forbidden her to speak with anyone, especially with wolves and stay dogs. She was still exhausted after a labour and for most time was staying with pups in den. But hunger was overwhelming – Steele just cannot afford for descent rations of food. He was doing his best, but he was just one. So Aleu decide to hunt herself when Steele was resting in den and guarding pups. Malamute was scared by that perspective, but in fact they had no other way. Few days earlier Steele got some dog’s food from hands of former master, who met incidentally on hunt. But that was a miracle, that maybe saved lives of Aleu and pups, but just a miracle. They had to secure they existence on their own. So Aleu was hunting too. Not too far from den, but far enough to make it dangerous. Steele could heard her distress call, but had limited chances to came with help. That why he ordered her to be careful. She loved her mate and she was very sorry when she had to break his orders.

“Hey...” she repeated, closing to lying dog. She was ready to run if stranger stood, but she was almost sure that husky was too exhausted to be dangerous. “Sir, don’t sleep or you will froze to death!”

“Leave me alone!” panted dog with so pitiful voice that Aleu stood in place.

“Sir, let me help you!”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” growled Jack and stood on paws.

He was looking like a skeleton and his mad eyes were sparkling with fury. Aleu didn’t recognise old friend from Nome – she just noticed starving mad dog with dirty fur and multiple scratches on paws. She made few steps back, ready to run. Steele had right – it was dangerous. “My God... he has a rabies!” though terrified bitch. But no, then she noticed that stranger had no froth on his lips nor typical shivers of paws.

“You must eat something...” she said with gentle and calm voice. “You will be dead, if you won’t.”

“Good... that’s good!” replied dog and burst in maniacal laughter.

Suddenly he set off in random direction with full speed. Aleu was looking on running silhouette with heavy feeling in her hear. She was unable to help him. She had no time nor energy to chase him and even if she caught him  she had no meat to share. “And there is possibility he is infected.” She thought. “I can’t endanger Steele and pups.”

So she just went into forest direction, hoping to find some hares in the snow.

*

Ravens of Seward Peninsula told me that Jack froze to death about ten miles south from Steele’s and Aleu’s den. His death was quick and turned out to be real relief in that life-haze. He was running in one moment and in next he fell down on the snow. Heart attack was caused by general exhaustion and lack of will to live. His meat saved many raven’s families, who are recalling <the mad dog> even today with gratitude.

 

IX. Epilogue

And that is it – the end of my journey and prize I’ve been seeking. This is no throne I once dreamed about but my own, small haven, where I’m the ruler and monarchess. Small town on North, no fame, no glory. Just plain happiness, that turned out to be hard to get anyway.
I’m lying now in mister Tazaku’s house... my home from now on. Here is warm and peacefully, opposite to that storm outside. I’m not sleeping yet, just wondering about few things. One of them is a recollection of that apple-tree from my mother’s garden. I’m sure that now it is fine and strong tree, that will be bearing fruits soon. It has reached the light and touched the sky, whatever it took!

Early April.

Spring was almost there, but winter decided to show her last effort. Frost came unexpectedly, so Arashi Tazaku allowed his dogs to sleep in main room. His canine family had grown recently, but old Japanese had nothing against it. He had a fine house and worm inside, that he could share. It was required especially for mother and her pups.

Ice was lying next to his new mate and litter of theirs new-born children. Cher wasn’t sleeping, just she was looking on beloved greenland and six of her stepchildren. Now they all were family: she, Ice, Agnes, Lucy, Ari, Steele (junior), Kiva, Armand and new pups: Mark, Robert, Diana and Julia. Cher hoped that younger children wipe out the memory of Sky and she remain the only queen of Ice. But could wait. Cherry-furred was able to wait long in order to get whatever she wanted to.

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