also seems to fall asleep. Music stops.]

VIII. Brothers in paws

Cris was running south in hurry, but also being very carefully. He had left Natalya sleeping, but few times he stopped and looked back, as if he was sure she was following him. Additionally he was aware not to awake Amber, who still was in grove. And there Cris was about to meet with Kitty.

“What the hell happened!?” gasped arctofox. She appeared before dog so rapidly, emerging from below snow-surface that Cris jumped in amaze. “I’m waiting here for almost three hours!”

“Hush!” hissed brownish-furred. “There is a wolf here!”

“I know, I know... your POW.” Replied fox. “So let’s go a bit farther. He was sleeping a while ago, but with those blasted wolves you never know...” Seeing narrowed eyes of Cris, she added. “I said: wolves, not: half-malamute, one-eight...” They entered a clearing nearby.

Night was clear and frosty that Cris regretted that he had to leave Natalya alone. “She would got warm by my side, but now... Ow, hell... I wish that nothing of that happened. I’ve done bad, getting involved with her. If there was a way to explain her all and convince her to support our course against her former pack-mates...”

“Are you sleeping, agent?” Hissed Kitty, waving her paw before Cris eyes. “Wake up and tell me what I should report Niju’s scouts. Your father counts on you. He is sure we will solve problem of those intruders quickly.”

“Kitty, all things got tangled...” said Cris carefully. “That Natalya... she... fell in love with me.”

“Great! Cris, you’re genius!” cried white-furred. “One more trump card in our paws! Are you going to take over that pack thanks to her.”

“No, not thanks to her...” started dog, but then a heart-piercing howl sounded in the air.

Natalya was standing on rock-ledge, from where Sergey exiled her four days earlier. A moon’s disk was shining from behind her, making her silver fur sparking and reflecting. Her muzzle was pointed to the clear sky in loud howl. But that wasn’t a howl of calling or warning, but of grief.

“NATALYA!” called amazed dog.

“I... I though you went hunt for me...” cried she-wolf with breaking voice. “And that you will be back on morning, at my side. And you intended to be... for I was still required in your plan... But not now... I’m sorry, I’m sick of being tool.” She turned back and added with growl. “You was right. I judged you definitely too hard.” She looked on Amber who just opened hid eyes and was looking on whole scene with confusion. “Don’t worry. Although I go, Cris will take care about you. You are still needed to him.” Then she disappeared in pine-plant.

“Stop, stop!” called Cris to her. He started to climb on rock, but frost made wall extremely slippery. After few attempts, dog chose the longer way around in plant. “Natalya... It isn’t as you think...” But no one answered him. He got to Amber’s bedding and looked on black-furred. “Where she went?”

“I don’t now.” Replied sleepy wolf. “But wherever she went you’d better not follow her. I guess she finally grew up. And a pup who has just understood how it world works would be... very unpleasant to everybody...”

“But she misunderstood...”

“And what you was going to do?” asked Amber with grim smile. “Left your pack to hang with her, ignoring all the war?”

“No, but...” Then Kitty got there. Cris turned to her and ordered. “Search for scouts and forward them what you know... And say them message for my father.” Dog stopped for the while, took a deep breath and continued. “That I’m very sorry, but for now on I have to deal with my business. I can’t continue my present duty.”

“What?!” yelled Kitty. “Are you mad!? You can’t desert in face of enemy!”

“For no, he deserts in back of enemy.” Murmured Amber indifferently. “And now there is no danger for your pack. Conquerors will have some own problems in coming day.”

“Huh?” asked Cris.

“It’s obvious.” Replied dark-furred. “She is going to challenge Sergey... Because she has nothing else to do. Pack rejected her, you rejected her... I guess she finally understood she has to take what’s her with force.”

“No...” whispered dog and set off in frenzy run east.

Kitty stayed, looking confused on Amber. Wounded wolf licked his lips and said with calm voice.

“Let make a deal, fox. You will make sure that your wolfish allies will feed me and I will help you easily win that match. How you about that?”

“E...” replied shocked Kitty.

“You won’t help Cris right now.” Said dark-furred. “But you could help his pack. If you tell your leader that Conquerors are defenseless now... because they will be defenseless, after that small civil war between Drifts and Strays that Natalya is going to do... So if you convince local packs to attack now... and you obey my advices, you will win.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Said Kitty with tensed voice.

“Good, excellent.” Replied Amber and smiled. “You will find me few miles north, next to Natalya’s and Cris prey. I should get there in about a day.” He stood and started to hobble on three paws in pointed direction. “Find me there. I need more food that those leftovers. Understood?”

“Yes sir!” called arctofox and gave a salute.

She quickly set off on east, jumping with all her speed. She wanted to find Niju’s scouts as soon as it was possible. To order the attack – that was one reason. But she knew also that Cris was about to get in some really nasty troubles and she was definitely too weak to solve that herself.

*

Natalya was running with fire in her heart. Both: sudden happiness of love and despair of being betrayed mixed in haze in her mind and drove her to speed. Although she was wolf, not malamute, she easily outran tired Cris. Moreover, she expected where to go – that is where Sergey would have led his pack.

“NO!” she thought! “MY pack! I will stand for it and win or die!” But then some other voice called in her mind. “Die? Why? Such black-and-while perspective is so puppyish. And you are mature now...”

She burst in tears. Her small world that she had created after father’s death crushed in one blow. Cris didn’t love her, but using her. Is was that so unexpected? He had his duties, orders... and maybe even own mate, somewhere there. He lied to her but he had to lie to fulfill his mission. “And what is my mission?” thought she-wolf. “I hoped it was to love you, Cris. But that was just an illusion.”

[“Fang for heart” song. Tune is fast, uneasy, with rhythm consistent with rhythm of run of characters.]

[Clear, frosty night. Capture of loose forest where Natalya is speeding. She is running very fast, barely looking on her route. Snow it deep but thanks to ice-layer on it, she-wolf is moving easily. Full-moon is shining on sky, partially blinding her. She is running directly on east.]

Natalya:
No I see what is the world
And however I wish to
Close my eyes and don’t see through
I can’t ignore the truth untold
How it works on me and you

[She opens her eyes and tries to see in spite of blinding light of full-moon, shining in her face. We see the scenery – in bright (as for a night) light, shades are clear and deep. It looks quite scary, but Natalya just ignores it. Zoom-in on her face, we see tears in her eyes.]

Turning my stare to the ground
Won’t dispel the what is real
Run or die, kill or be killed
Only principles around
Mightier that is any will

[Tears, flowing her muzzle quickly freezing. She shook off the ice drops from head. On words < kill or be killed> she his with paws and without slowing she kills a sleeping hare. On brink of a clearing she stops and starts to eat greedily – she is clearly exhausted.]

It was just a puppyish dreams
To save some innocent lies
But with time all those dies
And live one the truths we see
There’s no room for weakling’s cries

[When she finishes her meal, she throws away the leftover of hare. She lower her head to wash out blood from her muzzle in snow. When she raises her muzzle, she notices that new tear spotted her fur so she submerge head in snow once again.]

Chorus:
Fang for fang, claw for claw
More you fight the more you grow
In the harshest way of live
There’s no love there is just strife

[She runs further. We see Cris following her, but dog is very exhausted. He moves with last of his strength. He stops and lick the snow to quench his thirst, but seeing Natalya disappearing on forest, he set off again.]

Second verse (Natalya/together/Cris):
Time to leave my pitiful dreams
                        God, I prey there’s not to late
Stand the cruel trail of fate
                        That’s not what for eyes it seems
            Now I got my deepest trait

[Mixed capture of muzzles of Natalya and Cris. They are running. When on lips of she-wolf we see some blood of hare, on lips of Cris is also a blood but more probably bloody-saliva, produced due to tiredness.]

I can’t love and I won’t
                        I could give my life for her
I can’t take what I can’t bear
                        Being with her is my one want
            And my quest is one I care!

[On words < I won’t> again tears show on Natalya’s face. < life