that pack was staring on Cris with so amazed and amused stares. Finally Niju stood up on ledge and called to gathering.

“Wolves...”

“And dogs. And wolfdogs and foxes.” Murmured Kitty, to Cris only, but in silence that fell after leader call, she was heard almost by everyone. “Ups... sorry.”

“Wolves!” repeated Peninsula alpha. “We are gathered here to speak about disturbing news. Some new pack is coming to our land.” A murmur of surprise sounded among gathered predators. Although almost everyone had already heard that, Niju confirmed it as fact, not just another rumor. “That is the fourth wolf pack that crossed the strait. On whole peninsula are now ten packs, counting three from Russian land. Eleventh clan will surely endanger us even more. That means starvation for us all!”

“Eleven packs!” whispered Kitty, to Cris’s ear. “Wow... scary! But he should say: twelve! You and your parents are pack as well!”

“Hush!” gasped wolfdog.

“That why I could propose only one thing: stop them on shore, before they enter Alaska for good.”

Another murmur sounded in gathering. This time it was a sound of fear mixed with excitation. The war was about to declare. Touch wolves of Peninsula Pack wasn’t afraid of war... in normal conditions. But this time was different.

“Boss...” called some wolf from back rank. “But scouts told that clan is huge... It’s gathering of remnants of few packs that strengthen one Chukchi group.”

“Yes, I know.” Replied Niju. “They have about forty jaws.”

A gasp sounded in pan. That was a strength! Peninsula Pack contains fourteen wolves, Buck Pack the same and natives could count additionally on Steele’s family. Of course, they could call some others pack from further areas... but newcomers could do the same, asking for help others emigrant’s groups.

“Dymitr is going with all pack to assist you.” Said Hiir, beta of Buck Pack. “He will be here in four days.”

“Those intruders are now on shore, on cape.” Added Niju. “I’m sure they won’t dare to enter our land farther before some scouting. We have some time... to prepare for war.”

“Nice...” barked Steele from his ledge. “I have no idea, why you want to declare war now, before we establish any contact with them, but I’m more curious what do you want from me and my family...”

“Every jaw will be useful.” Said black and white wolf, looking on malamute.

“You can count on me, sir!” called Kitty, giving a salute. When stares of all pack turned to her, she jumped on the ground and hid under Cris.

“Steele!” added Hiir. “Our leader told us, you are the great warrior. You have to teach us, how to fight.”

Malamute smiled with grim smile and stoop up. Exactly in the same moment his paw enflamed with rheumatic pain, but he repress a moan and turned his stare on wolves below. But Aleu noticed that and whispered.

“My dear... that is not your war...”

“I’m not so old yet.” Murmured dog.

“I didn’t mean that. I just...”

“Never mind.” Replied Steele. Then he called to gathered wolves. “I will help you... as I can. But I strongly suggest you think about some other solution. Forty jaws... that is not a sparring. If those wolves are desperate, that could mean fight to death.”

“We will check it.” Said Hviske. “We will send some scouts.”

“Hey, Cris!” whispered Kitty. “How would you like to become a hero?”

“Shut up, Kitty!” gasped wolfdog. “That is not your...” but then he smiled and licked his lips. “I will go!” called to Niju.

Pack looked on him with amazed stares. Cris straighten himself with proud pose but when he noticed that wolves were still looking on him with confusion, he turn his muzzle up, to see that Kitty was again poking out her tongue at them. Wolfdog shook his back and arctofox fell down in snow.

“I will go.” Repeated. “I’m looking like a dog... actually I am a dog, so I could pretend I have nothing to do with you.”

Steele looked on son with amaze and went down from ledge. But before he got to Cris, he was surrounded by several younger wolves, wanting to ask legendary <wolf-slayer> for advices and plead him for training. Then Aleu jumped down to her son, she got thought furry crowd and lowered her muzzle to Cris ear.

“My dear, what are doing! Don’t go in any trouble...”

“Mom, it’s also our trouble now.” Replied wolfdog and Kitty, who just had climbed back on his back nodded her head. “We have to help packs... because we have to help Ami. Or maybe...” he twisted his lips in bitter smile. “...you will get Ami back to our den.”

Then finally Steele got there and looked on mate and son. Ignoring a excited voices behind his back, he said with serious tone.

“Cris will do what he decide. He is almost three year old.” Wolfdog nodded his head with gratitude. “And besides his plan is good. No one would suspect dog of being in league with wolves.”

“No one.” Smiled Aleu and licked malamute’s lick. But then she tensed her face again and added. “But it’s dangerous...”

“For all of us, mom.”

“Pssst!” whispered kitty to Cris ear. “Haven’t you forgot something?”

“What?” hissed wolfdog.

“Well...” murmured fox. “Something like: Mom, dad, take care about Kitty?”

“You will go with him.” Said Steele. “A fox could be a perfect and discrete liaison.”

“He?!” yelled white-furred, cuddling to Cris back.”

“You wanted to be a hero.” Smiled wolfdog. “Take your chance.”

“I want you take your chance!” replied Kitty with shocked voice. “And to take me home...” But no one was listened to her.

Aleu, Steele and Cris went to center of pan, where Niju started to plan reconnaissance and sending scouts in chosen areas. But when malamute came, wolf-leader ask him for fixing the ultimate plan. Cris for the very first time in his life saw how the pack was working. And he wasn’t able to hide his pride, because his father became someone even more important than alpha. He was commonly respected advisor of all wolves on Peninsula. “I can’t let you down, dad.” Thought young wolfdog. “I will be brave and smart as you.”

When the council was over, Niju gave last orders to his scouts, nodded to Steele and Aleu and went out from valley. Flame followed him, but when Ami wanted to go there, malamute stopped her with quiet bark.

“Come here... all.” Said to his family.

They climbed on the lowest and the biggest ledge, where Aleu and Steele had been sitting a while earlier. Malamute had a little problem with coming up, but Cris managed to support father’s uncertain steps, before Aleu notice it. When they all were up, Steele said.

“Listen... whatever is going to happen, you must remember that we are the family. First of all we are responsible for each other, right?” All canines nodded theirs heads, however Ami, looking in direction of marching pack did it as the last one. “I want to help pack with all my heart, but... Well... Niju and Dymitr are my old...” he looked to the sky, like he wasn’t sure what word to use. “...friends. I know them well and thanks to that I can see when they are doing wrong. I want make a deal with that intruders...” Ami wanted to throw something, but Steele hushed her with a wave of paw. “Cris proposed he would go to scout... or to spy them. Yes, good, do it son, but remember, that we still don’t know if they are enemies.”

“Dear...” whispered Aleu. “Don’t you think that all is a bit...”

“Interesting. Like every day of our life.” Replied malamute. “We must be careful, but I hope that carefulness won’t stop us. Cris...” he looked in his son’s eyes. “You must go to that pack and get know about them... Look for everything. Check if those wolves want to fight, claim our territory or just to pass next to us and go further.”

“You can count on me, dad.” Said wolfdog.

“But that’s not all.” Added malamute. “I have to stay here, with Niju and Dymitrs and his pack... Not just to teach them... but also to stop them from doing stupid things. But something else have to be done. Aleu, Ami... you must ask for help... our distant relatives... Our family who is living with humans.”

“Uncle Ice.” Said Ami, although she had never seen the greenland.

“Yes. Him and his friends. And his humans. I’m afraid that crisis is much beyond our powers.”

So he told them what he was up to.

III. Old, good friends

The Anchorage Academy was a low, two-floor building, wide and powerful despite of it. It was like the North itself – prepared for winter winds, solid – maybe not beautiful but useful. It was few weeks after start of academic semester, so countless students were running up and down on stairs of most northern academy in USA. Arashi Tazaku for few seconds felt like he was forty years younger and he was studying. Although that school was totally different from Kobe Physician University but some mysterious climax of academy was the same in every country.

Japanese was entering the building with his son-in-law, John Ash, who brought him there on that special ceremony. In that sunny and warm (as for October) day, doctor was about to be appointee as a honorary professor of AA. Although Tazaku finished medical studies in Japan, he was recognized as famous biologist in Alaska. His private research about relations between caribu herds and wolfpack and its influence on whole ecosystem had caught attention of famous trapper – Gunnar Kaasen. Musher, widely known because his and his sled achievement during Nome-epidemic, six years earlier, was also giving some occasional lectures in Anchorage. He had told local professors about researches of Tazaku and thanks to that works of Japanese was published few years later. Finally, when that books were awarded by few Europeans universities, rector of AA decided to employ exocentric scholar. Of course, Arashi said that he had no intention to leave Buckland, but he would be grateful as honorary professor’s title. Coming to academy on 20th October he was already regretting that.

“Am I look proper?” asked