would win with him, he was always our best fighter. Besides... his new sidekicks would stand for him.”

“But your original pack will stand for you.”

“Coup d’etat!” gasped kitty with excitation. “Cris, you are a genius!”

“Cris, you are funny!” smiled Natalya with bitter smile. “Leave it and just show me some hunting areas here, if you mind. If not, I will serve myself...”

“No, wait!” called wolfdog, seeing she was going to leave. “It’s dangerous here.”
”Of course it is, since my companions are here.” Replied silver-furred with grim voice. “If you are so kind...”

But then a portion of snow fell from rack above them. They turned theirs stares up, to see giant, brownish-furred wolf with scars across his forehead. Next to him were two black males and others wolves were emerging from behind edge of ledge. Kitty, who was on ledge just few feet below them, peeped from her shelter and called with muffled voice.

“Cris! Count them!” but then she hid again in rock-crack.

“Hello, Natalya...” said leader with venomous tone. “I see you have already made some acquaintances with locals. Good, let’s use to new neighbours.”

“When I give a sing, you will run.” Whispered silver-furred to wolfdog. “And don’t bother to return. It’s dangerous.” And to alpha she smiled and called with cheeky tone. “Not really. That is my mate and we are planning to rid off some claimant who has assumed the title of alpha in Drift Pack.”

Cris looked a bit confused on Natalya, but then he turned his stare on giant male, barring his teethes. Sergey burst in laughter and jumped down on ledge in about half of height of rock. Kitty hid herself deeper in crack, but she was just few steps from predator.

“A mate? God, and I didn’t believe when they tell me about so fast American way of life...” He grinned on wolfdog. “You are going to beat me?”

“It still could be avoided, if you step down.” Said Cris with decisive voice. In fact he was glad what snow was deep and he half submerged in it, because while he was looking on strong wolf, his paws were shivering. “That’s not good idea!” he though. “Neither for me nor packs. When that guy kill me, nothing would stop the war.” But then he reminded a bleary Natalya’s eyes and he howled inside. “Crazy? Well, definitely, but how gallantly!”

“Any weak spots?” asked Cris, crouching to the jump.

“Wait, I was kidding!” gasped silver-furred. “Run! I will stop him and explain that...”

“I guess I just don’t get a Russian sense of humour.” Replied wolfdog and added quietly. “To leave my den!” Then he pounced ahead.

In two jumps he got to the ledge. Sergey was so surprised that he even didn’t try to shun the sudden charge. Cris was much lighter that his adversary but he manage to hit with impetus and overturn grey-furred. Two Sergey sidekicks instantly jumped down on ledge, but there was so little room there that they could just stop on the brink and looking on swirling mass of fur.

“Leave her alone!” called Cris and while he was wrestling with front-paws, he his with rear-ones, hoping to get to wolf’s underbelly. He missed, but he accidentally pushed one of dark-furreds side, throwing him down. The second assistant ignore friend’s trouble and attack in the freed space. “Wait you turn!” gasped Cris, who was chocking by Sergey.

“Leave him!” called Natalya from rock’s foot, but no one was listening to her. All pack was standing on the brink of cliff, looking on duel.

Cris was slowly loosing his consciousness, due to chocking. He sensed that enemy’s jaws are closing to his throat, so in one, desperate move he rolled his body and pushed the rock-wall. All three – leader, dark-furred and wolfdog fell down. In short fall – it wasn’t more than eight yards – Cris managed to grab in jaw some scrap of fur and he pulled it to change his position. He moved on the top of flying mass and when they all hit the ground bodies of alpha and his beta amortised that shock. Wolfdog rolled aside, hearing a howl of pain from Sergey’s throat. He instantly stood up on paws and was almost rammed by running Natalya.

“Retreat!” she cried, pulling his fur on nape. Confused wolfdog followed silver-furred and they left the grove before distracted pack could react.

After few minutes of run, Cris understood what he was holding in mouth. It was a part of Sergey’s ear. The very first blood on that war was already spilt.

“Ow, my God!” yelled Natalya, seeing Cris prize. “You wounded him!”

“Nice one, huh?” smiled wolfdog and from his lips dropped some wolf’s blood.

“No! He won’t let it go!” yelled silver-furred. “We must run farther.”

“Is that a problem?” asked Cris, throwing out the auricle. “You was about to leave, I guess...”

She-wolf instantly stopped, looked on him and burst in loud laughter.

“Bite me down!” she cried with puppyish joy. “You are a freak! You are stray dog who has just challenged the wolf’s alpha just to impress own ego!”

“No exactly...” murmured brownish-furred. “I was going to impress you...”

“Cris, you are extraordinary canis.” Said silver-furred. “Apart of few unpleasant circumstances I’m glad we are escaping now.” He smiled, looking on her, but she added. “But now: go! We must find some shelter before they march further on east, then we must hunt... You have to show me game here... But now, run!”

“Yes, ma’am!” smiled Cris, following silver-furred.

Kitty was looking on that scene from distant pine-trunk. After while of thinking she scratched a bark, making two strait lines. She giggled silently and whispered.

“One disabled, one deflected, only thirty-eight to go. We are outstanding saboteurs!”

VI. My Enemy

Natalya and Cris stopped about five miles north from the grove. When then ceased they run, took few deeper breathes and quenched their thirsts with fresh snow, they again burst with puppyish laughter. Something broke in silver-furred – day before she was pinned by her worries, stretched between memory of father and fear of the future. But in that run all fears disappeared. She felt free, although she was an outcast.

“Because I’m an outcast.” She thought. “No duties, no dangers. I’m sorry father, but I won’t take a burden which I can’t carry.”

“So, what now, berserker?” she asked Cris. Dog had been running the same distance, but he wasn’t panting as she was. “You’re tough, I guess.”

“In running – yes.” Replied brownish-furred, smiling. “My father was the best sled leader in whole Alaska...”

“Was...” whispered Natalya. “I’m sorry, Cris.”

“No... I mean...” said dog, hearing he was misunderstood. But just second later he thought that a little of misunderstanding could save him many lies. “I mean, it’s ok. It was long time ago...”

“My father died just week ago.” Said Natalya and Cris nodded his muzzle with compassionate gesture. “But don’t talk about that. I’ve lost my pack today, so I exhaust a pool of bad luck today. Let’s talk about something more pleasant. Where is some food?”

“Come on.” Said Cris. He was a bit panicked, because he had never hunted there, so he tried a improvised excuse. “But it would be harder than you think. Arrival of your companions made a mess here and scared much of game off.”

“I’m a good tracker.” Smiled Natalya. “Just tell me, where I should start my chase.”

“Natalya...” asked Cris silently. She stopped and looked on him. “Why did you do it? Why did you leave your pack? It was just the matter between me and Sergey.”
”And why did you start all this? It was just the matter between me and Sergey.” Smiled she-wolf. “Come on, it was an impulse. And we have some fun, after all.” Then she added quieter. “And I had to leave anyway... But it doesn’t matter. Lead the way!”

*

Kitty decided to stay on the ledge for few hours than follow track of Cris. In normal conditions it would be hard, because arctofox wasn’t a good tracker. But mixture of wolf’s and dog’s scent was very unique and even weak nose of white-furred quickly found the way. She was marching significantly slower that long-pawed creatures, but she was sure that Cris would return in fixed place like they had set. “And I hope he remember to leave some left-overs for me!” thought Kitty, jumping in deep snow.

*

Buck Pack came three days after Aleu, Ami and Cris had left. So Steele had about twenty five recruits under his command – that was: both groups, excluding scouts. Even alphas joined that drill what seriously amused malamute. He remembered when four years earlier he was practising with Dymitr. Maybe <practising> wasn’t the best word – he captured young wolf and kept him for almost year as personal prisoner. Grey-furred had to show malamute all wolves fighting techniques and Steele was feeding him in return. In time that forced relation turn to be something more than bond between prisoner and guardian, but before malamute realised that he made some friendship with predator, he left to fulfil his personal revenge. In fact they met with Dymirt again two years later, when grey-furred was already alpha of Buck Pack.

“He changed.” Smiled Steele, looking on friend , just overturning with easy some sparing-partner from own pack. “He was weak and undecided wolf... I seems that affaire with me made him a real warrior.”

It was correct – Dymitr was excellent fighter and commonly respected leader. His pack was disciplined, maybe even more that Niju’s Peninsulas. And after all this years wolf saved still a lot of fondness towards former student. He greeted Steele warmly and quickly accepted Niju’s idea to make malamute informal leader of packs coalition. Moreover – he was very helpful in trainings, because not only Steele had learned from Dymitr – also Dymirt had learned from Steele.

“Right, that’s enough for today.” Ordered malamute, seeing as his old teacher was easily gripping much younger and stronger Flame. “Take some break and assign scouts for tomorrow.” Then he wagged his tail to ask Niju