Ron looked up at the brown dog with a gray scar on her back leg.

"Mira, don’t," he murmured.

"Revenge, is sweet, Ronny," Mira grinned.

"Look at them," Ron argued. He looked at his parents, grandparents, siblings and their mates, aunt and uncle, and cousins. Even Aniu’s form was visible.

"I’ve looked," Mira growled. "When I thought I knew the real you. So, they’re next. And Shadow’s first." With that Mira lunged at him. Ronold cried, not only pain, but fear for his family, as her jaws clamped shut around his paw. He saw his family’s eyes fill with tears, on the sidelines on the blood red arena.

"Ron, good gracious!" Ron shook himself awake. "Your paw!" Ron glanced down and saw that his paw was bleeding. The same paw Mira had attacked.

Ronold had been having dreams about a dog named Mira. Each dream was the same except she would attack different parts of his body. The scary thing was that wherever she attacked would be injured when he woke.

Ron’s owner wrapped up his front paw. "Go play," she said. Ron licked her hand and went outside.

"Ron!" Shadow had run to him. She must have been let out early, along with Timber. "Dream again?"

"Yes," Ron told her.

"What if she gets your throat?" Shadow was starting to panic.

"I’ve thought of it," was all Ron would reply.

"Ron," Shadow whispered. "You need to meet her. Find her and show her that you’re a good dog. Maybe you’ll find the same thing about her."

"It’s just a dream," he grumbled.

"Remember Uncle Balto and Aleu?" Shadow snapped.

"Alright," Ron growled. "Alright! I’ll find her. I’m going to help Kaltag." Ron shoved passed his sister.

Timber hurried to Shadow’s side and buried her face in his fur.
"Oh, Timber!" she cried. "I want my brother back! What’s happening! He was the best brother ever before the dreams!"

"He’s worried," Timber replied. "You know, I think he’s not telling us the whole dream."

"Why?" Shadow asked.

"Maybe, Mira threatened us. Threatened you." Shadow had to consider what he said. Yes, she and Ron did have a close bond. They were closer than most siblings were, best friends even. Did Mira know?

Ron entered the boiler room. Why was he acting up? Especially to Shadow? She’ll get hurt, his mind replied. I can’t let that happen.

Kaltag was talking to a brown dog with blue eyes and a gray scar on his hind leg when he arrived. "What’s your name?" he asked.

"Mira," she replied. "I’m half husky and half German Shepherd." Her voice faded when she saw Ron. Ron swore he heard her whisper, "Ron. It’s him. I’m where I need to be."

"Kaltag," Ron said. "Should I show Mira around?"

"You do that, boy," Kaltag replied. "Come here." Ron went to Kaltag.

Kaltag whispered, "Good luck. She’s the prettiest, the most spectacular…"

"She’s pretty," Ron interrupted, dryly. Ron saw Kaltag’s fist go up and he ran out of the room yelling, "Come on, Mira!"

He slid to a stop once he was outside. Mira walked to him.

"I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced," she said. "I’m Mira."

"I’m Ron," he replied. Mira looked him up and down, an interested look on her face.

"Want to go to the beach?" he asked quickly.

"Sure," Mira replied, breaking her gaze from Ron. He led her to the beach.

"Um... this is the beach," he said, not quite knowing what to say.

"So I see," nodded Mira, laughing gently. "Do you spend much time around girls?"

"Apart from my sister, no," Ron replied.

"Your sister’s Shadow, right? You’re close?" Mira asked. Ron’s breath caught in his throat. She knew?

"Er… yeah," he replied. Why couldn’t he lie? Maybe it was her pretty gaze. No! No falling for evil sister killer!

"How about the rest of town?" he asked. When Mira agreed, he led her back into town. Why did it seem Mira didn’t want to look him in the eye?

That night Mira asked to go back to the beach. When they arrived, Mira looked him in the eye.

"Look at your hind leg," she said. Confused, Ron glanced at the hind leg with his brown scar on it. One morning, about a month before Mira came to Nome, he woke up and found it there. Ever since then he had had those dreams.

"So?" he asked.

"N-never mind." Mira pulled her gaze away from his. "Really."

Ron didn’t understand her. She was different than he expected. Pretty nice and peaceful! Was she the same?

"Ron," Mira said, "I have to be honest. I expected a different dog than you. Er…"

"Same here," Ron said quickly.

"Well…" Mira said. "Good night." Mira got up and went to the boiler room. Ron smiled and walked to his house, hopping to get some sleep. He knew one thing, the dreams were wrong but he was more wrong….

Ron ran to Shadow, for advice and to say sorry. It was the next morning. He had had the dream again and this time his tail was bleeding.

"Shadow!" he panted. "I’m sorry about yesterday but I was worried."

"It’s alright," Shadow replied.

"And I need advice," Ron groaned.

"Shoot," Shadow said.

"Well… Can we go to your owner’s place?" Ron asked. Shadow nodded. Once they were there Ron continued, "I think I like, like Mira."

"Oooh!" Shadow wagged her tail happily. "How does she feel?"

"I don’t know," Ron admitted. Shadow gave him a look that plainly said that she wasn’t satisfied.

"Find out!" Shadow insisted. "Or should I?"

"Yes, please!" Ron replied, quickly.

Shadow scolded. "I was teasing!"

"Any way what do I do?" Ron asked.

"Tell her," Shadow replied. "That’s easy!"

"Sure," muttered Ron. "Easy."

"Either that to take time to make sure you feel that way."

"Alright," Ron said.

"Then tell her," Shadow said.

"You just want to make this difficult huh?" Ron asked.

"Yep!" Shadow replied grinning. "That’s my job!"

"See ya," Ron said. Shadow bid him good bye and Ron set out to find Mira. He found her all right. She was at the beach but when she saw him her eyes narrowed and she let out a growl. Ron gasped and scrambled back.

"So, you have the nerve to come back?" she demanded.

"W-what?" Ron gasped.

"After what you did?" Mira growled. She leaped at him. Ron slid out of the way.

"What did I do, Mira?" he asked.

"Everything!" she howled, tearing at his ear. Ron howled and kicked her off.

"Mira, what do you mean?" he asked. Mira just grinned, evilly.

"You don’t know?" she laughed. "You don’t know what was written? What was marked?"

"Huh?" Ron asked. "What do you mean?"

"It’s better this way," she cackled. Mira went for the deathblow.

"NO!" a voice howled. A black dog flew at Mira. "Leave my brother be!"

"Shadow!" Ron cried. Mira threw Shadow off, sending her into a rock. Ron snarled and leaped at Mira. "Don’t lay a claw on my sister!" Mira growled and tried to throw him off when Shadow leaped on her as well.

Somehow, Ron ended up in a black world….

Ron awoke in a blood red arena. It had stands as high as a giraffe and sharp rocks. My dream. Shadow lay in a heap on the sidelines, along with the rest of their family. He tried to get to them but found that there was barrier between them. Mira!

"Little Ronny, can’t do anything," chuckled Mira’s voice. He spun around and saw her, cackling away like a mad dog. His family awaked and Aniu’s ghostly form appeared.

"Listen Mira," he said, firmly. "Hurt me, not them."

"That’s not how it goes down," Mira cackled, approaching him. "You go, Shadow goes, then slowly they all go until you’re all like Aniu."

"Mira," whispered Ron. "Don’t. What did I do to you?"

"More than you can imagine," Mira growled. With that she lunged at him. Ron had learned from his dreams, however. He leaped into the air and came cashing down on top of her.

"Get off, me!" she howled.

"No problem," growled Ron. He leaped back into he air, planing to plummet back down on her. But Mira was too quick. She bolted out of his way, sending him crashing into the hard earth, scrapping on an especially jagged rock.

"Got you," hissed Mira. Ron groaned and coughed out blood. He looked up at her, trying to catch his breath. "It hurts doesn’t it?"

"What hurts…" Ron got to his paws "…is that I trusted you. What hurts is that I cared about you. And what hurts the most is watching you threaten my family. Well, I’ll tell you what, you won’t harm them."

"You won’t harm me," Mira growled. "Will you, Lover Boy?"

"So you think, you can mess with my family and I’ll let you?" he demanded. "You are so off, Traitor!" Ron lunged at her but she swiftly moved to the side. Then she disappeared in a flash. Ron glanced upwards but too late! She had landed on him. Ronold scrapped his paw on a sharp rock.

He looked at his family for help. He saw Shadow demonstrating a move she had used on them all as puppies. Ron smiled. He knew what to do.

Ron used his good paw to pull Mira out from under her paws. He then leaped to his paws and towered over her. He put a paw on her back to keep her there.

"Finish it off," she groaned. "Go ahead."

"No." Ron stepped back. "I don’t kill."

Mira grinned. "But I do!" She leaped up and prepared to jump on him, teeth bared to make the final blow. Ron leaped out of her way and Mira plummeted into a jagged rock. The rock went through her! What did I do? He asked himself.

"Sure you don’t," Mira gasped. "What do you call this? I’ll get revenge, Lover Boy. Just wait." Mira’s