perfect,” he groaned. He looked and smelled all around the area, hoping to find some evidence of his daughter, but there was nothing. Suddenly, a high, grating voice called to him from above his head. “What you want? You look for something?” Balto looked up quickly, startled by hearing another voice. He saw a raven perched on a branch above him; she had been the one who spoke. “Um…” he replied, “who are you?” “I am Leeda. I make home here. Who are you? Why you come and sniff around?” “My name’s Balto. I’m looking for my daughter.” “Awk! Wolf-dog, yes? Young wolf-dog, look like you?” Balto’s face brightened. “Yes! Yes, that’s her! So you saw her?” The raven nodded vigorously. “Yah! I see her yesterday. She come and bathe in river, then go on soon; she not stay long.” “Did you see where she went?” “Awk! Yah! Come with me, and I take you where I last see her.” Balto followed the raven as she flew toward a mountain not too far off, expressing his gratitude. “Is not a problem,” she said. “You listen; I hear there is wolf pack not far away. They called the Shavenya pack.” As Balto thought about this, he wasn’t too surprised; it seemed logical for Aleu to seek out a wolf pack. She had always spoken of wanting to meet wild wolves and see what their lives were like. Aleu’s scent had still been over a day old, however. “How far, exactly?” he said. “Near,” replied Leeda. “Just over mountain, yah!” She finally landed in the barren foothills of the mountain, which were covered with rock and brown dirt that turned gray and pebble-laced as it went farther up. Balto could see what looked like a natural path winding up the mountain. “I watch her for some time in my tree, then follow. I stop here; she go up mountain. I think she wants to find wolves.” Balto nodded. “I think you’re right. Well, thank you for your help.” “Awk! It nothing. Be careful; mountain dangerous sometimes, I hear.” “Alright. Goodbye, Leeda.” “Goodbye, Balto!” The raven flew away, returning to her home, and Balto set off up the mountain, feeling hope again as he picked up Aleu’s scent once more.

Aleu had caught scents of wolves several times going up the mountain, and now they were becoming stronger as she made her way down the other side. “I’ll bet they’re not far away,” she thought. She hadn’t seen anything thus far to suggest so, but that didn’t suppress her confidence. Now that she felt in charge, not much was getting her down…except for what she had been forced to do to feel in charge. She was still caught between guilt for so abruptly walking out on her family and footloose joy at her newfound freedom. However, the former was much more tenacious. “I don’t know…” she thought, “maybe it was wrong of me. After all, I know Dad didn’t understand what I was trying to say to him…but I was impatient. I think I could’ve given it a lot more time. Maybe it wasn’t so much him being stubborn as bad communication or something. I wasn’t exactly…” She cut her thoughts short as she suddenly became dizzy. Looking over the cliff to her right, vertigo seized her, and she stumbled to her left and leaned against the rock wall, gasping for breath as her stomach rolled. She almost vomited, and she fell to the ground as her legs buckled. Lying there, trembling and panting, she thought she could hear a vague humming sound, coming from everywhere at once. “What’s happening to me?!?” she thought frantically, trying to stand up. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the strange affliction vanished, and she was able to stand normally. She shook her head to clear her senses, not understanding what had happened, and started to move on again.

Evening was approaching, and the sky was slowly turning red in the sunset. However, on the side of the mountain Aleu was on, all of the sun’s rays were blocked out, leaving it much darker than the rest of the landscape. Aleu wasn’t afraid of much, but between the strange, dark crags around her and the vibrating noise she kept hearing on and off, she almost began expecting something to leap out from nowhere and attack her. “Come on,” she thought, “you can handle this.” She steeled herself and went on, coming to a wide open path with few rocks around, exposed to the elements. The wind howled, dark and frightening, buffeting the path noisily. Still slightly unnerved, Aleu looked around for a few moments before continuing. After a few more steps, she heard something…but not the wind. It sounded like clattering pebbles. She turned and looked in the direction it had been coming from. Yes, there were pebbles falling…but nothing was there. She looked further up the slope…still nothing. Then, something moved, up on a rock ledge. Aleu, having seen it on the edge of her vision, looked up quickly, but there was nothing. She began trembling, turning around slowly, breathing quickly. “Don’t panic!” she thought. “Don’t panic!”

A noise came…not a yard behind her. She froze for a moment, then whipped around. A terrifying form stood there. It looked like a wolf, but it was blackened and smelled of smoke, and flames sputtered from its eyes and mouth. It made a horrifying sound that sounded like a distant roar. Aleu screamed and backed up quickly, and suddenly, there was no ground below her back paws. She slipped, on the edge of the precipice, and the apparition vanished. She fell, sliding down, sure she was doomed…and landed a few feet later on a flat area of the mountain. She looked around, seeing that she was very near the bottom now. Her terror overtook her suddenly, and she covered her eyes, sobbing, expecting the nightmarish creature she had seen to appear at any moment. She heard a voice, and it frightened her, but only for a moment. When she listened further, she noticed that it was a kind voice, carrying no threat. “Treisa?” it called. “Treisa?” It was approaching her. The owner looked around a rock. “Oh. Ruo ouahir euo lahkim Treisa.” Aleu didn’t respond; she couldn’t understand the language, but she knew that the owner was a wolf, large and powerful looking, this appearance offset by his age. He was obviously getting old, but his face was full of wisdom and caring. He looked at her curiously. “Ror euo tronhe puo?” he said. Aleu spoke nervously. “I, um…I don’t understand…” “Ah,” said the wolf. “You speak that tongue. I am surprised you do not speak Itera. You are not from these lands?” Aleu shook her head. “I came from a town called Nome.” “I see. I have heard of Nome. So you are a dog, then? You have the appearance of one of my kind.” Aleu nodded. “Yeah. That’s why I ran away from there. I couldn’t handle…I mean, my dad was…I have dog and wolf blood. It’s a long story. I, um…just came over the…over the mountain.” She began shivering, and couldn’t stop, nearly beginning to cry again. The wolf walked over to her and sat down. “You saw something?” he asked. Aleu looked at him through tear-filled eyes and nodded. “It was a wolf, well, not a really a wolf. It was a monster that looked like one.” “Many wolves have said that when they go over that mountain, they can see things, strange creatures and the like. The rocks in that mountain are strange; they attract metal. It causes vibrations because they pull against each other, and it makes noises in the air and ice. Although it is tiny, this sound disrupts the senses of some wolves, and they hallucinate. You were only seeing things. Have peace.” He spoke softly to her. “Renn dalm kasa, morcasei lykmu.” Aleu’s heart was comforted, and she sighed with relief, feeling her eyelids drooping. “Who…who are you?” she whispered, nodding off. The wolf smiled. “My name is Nava. Rest, my child.” He leaned his head down and tossed her gently up onto his back, walking away from the mountain as she slept.

Aleu opened her eyes slowly, raising her head, and looked around. She was lying next to a large rock, and several wolves were walking about. It was an entire pack! Aleu couldn’t believe it. She was actually in the company a real wolf pack. She saw strong-looking hunters dragging a caribou carcass, mothers with adorable puppies, and many others. A voice called from the rock. “So you are awake now, young one. Did you sleep well?” It was Nava, lying there, smiling. Aleu nodded and stood. “Yes, thank you. Is this your pack?” “Yes. I am the elder.” Aleu was startled. “The elder?” she said, and quickly bowed. “I’m sorry for not showing respect. I didn’t know you were…” “There is no problem. What is your name?” “Aleu.” “Welcome, Aleu. You may stay here as long as you wish, or until the pack has to leave.” “Leave?” “I shall tell you another time. For now, look around and meet some of the wolves. Be at peace, sister.” Aleu walked about, discovering pleasantly that virtually every wolf there could understand her speech. She decided to talk to some of the hunters. As she went to find them, a pair of male wolves approached her. “Hello, hello,” one of them said. “Who are you?” “My name’s Aleu,” she said, already not liking them. “Excuse me,” she said, moving to leave. The other wolf got in her way. “Wait a moment, pretty one,” he said. “You are not from this pack.” “That’s right,” Aleu said. “Please let me by.” The first wolf spoke. “We are trying to help you, Aleu. If you are new and a girl, it is somewhat nice to have a man at your side. The pack can be unsafe for someone so beautiful.” “Yes,” said the second. “Come with us. We will not let anything happen to you.” Aleu was very afraid as they closed in on her. “Let me go,” she said, trying not to show fear. The first wolf replied. “But if we let you go, none of us will win. Come with us. It will be worth your time.” “Have you ever been out necking in the woods before?” said the second. “You must not have, or you would not be so scared. It is fun, especially if it goes further. We will show you.” He reached a paw out towards her, and she bit him. “Ow! Feisty little one!” he said, laughing. The other touched his nose to Aleu’s shoulder, and she hit him, trying to make him leave. She was about to cry