way!”

But then brown-furred jumped on integral ice-layer, trampled on it and pounced in she-wolf direction. All wolves on shore held their breathes seeing as giant male was hitting fragile bitch with all his mass and pushing her into water. Before Natalyta could reacted, she was under ice and Sergey jumped again on solid ground. But then came Cris.

Dog was running on frozen river, in last period jumping in long jumps, sliding on frozen layer to get there faster. He passed next to surprised Sergey but before brown-furred moved a paw, he was in zone of cracks. Without hesitation he jumped to the water and submerged. Thermal-shock was so rapid that dog initially felt nothing unusual. Just some powerful force pressed his chest, as if it was trying to crash him. With few moves of paws Cris swam under ice layer and grabbed unconsciousness Natalya. And then his reason called to him in terror.

Maybe it was an instinct, maybe some friendly spirits advised him – Cris submerged even deeper, bounced off on the bottom and holding Natalya tight in paws he hit the ice above him. Pain exploded in his head and back that pressed hard layer. But he broke it. Spitting water from mouth, Cris emerged in improvised ice-hole. Instantly he tired to raise white-furred and put her on surface but then he felt a resistance.

“Oh, no!” growled Sergey. “Before I know you are with her, I could let her live. But if she had a mate... well I do not like rivalry.” And he pushed them both again underwater.

Pack: or maybe better to say: both packs on shore howled. Conquerors in cheering, Drifts with rage. They set off to get on ice, but growl of strays team stopped them. Sasha halted the furious charge and turned to Sergey’s followers.

“You will pay for that!” she gasped, but before she gave a command to attack sounded a loud sound of cracking ice.

Surprised Cris however didn’t lose his cold blood, maybe thanks to fact it was very difficult to lose cold blood in so freezing water. He again submerged to the bottom, letting current took them. When they floated about twenty feet, he bounced from ground and again prepared himself for bump on forehead. He pierced the ice layer and they both found themselves with muzzles over water. Dog inhaled deeply and clenched Natalya’s chest. Silver-furred coughed and spat some water from throat. Fortunately she also took also a breath. So Cris, seeing Sergey running to them, submerged once again.

He knew it was extremely hazardous. They did it twice barely and both dog and she-wolf were quickly hypotherming. Paws of brownish-furred became more and more tired and senseless. But he managed to land on bottom and spring from it again.

“There!” called Olga, pointing another crack in ice. “They’re swimming!”

Drifts howled in triumph and Conquerors growled. Sergey was unable to chase escapers, because Cris efforts damaged whole ice layer and before brow-furred more and more crack appeared. So with anger he set off to the shore.

Meanwhile Cris and Natalya swam (or were took by current – depends how one looks) to the small island in the middle of backwater. Ice there was thin, so dog broke it with easy and pulled coughing Natalya on ground.

“Egh... what...”

“Hush, my dear.” Whispered Cris. “It all will be all right.” He nestled to her side, hoping to warm her... and himself too.

Sergey got to the shore and ordered.

“Crack! Get all forces and go to the isle!”

Conquerors uncertainly followed brown-furred and beta. But right after them went Drifters, still not ready to charge on more numerous enemy, but clearly intending it anyway. Conquerors circled  the isle with rank, shielding it from incoming Drifters. Meanwhile Sergey and Crack went to shore. Alpha was looking on Natalya with view to kill.

“Cover us.” He growled. “And we will finish our job.” But then sounded a loud laughter from the shore. No one from Chukchi wolves knew it, but Cris knew it well.

“Niju!” whispered to ear of Natalya. “We are saved!”

All predator turned theirs stares to the shore. On road was standing a big groups of about thirty newcomers. Two alphas on lead – one black-and-white furred, second greyish, were looking on ice.

“All in one sack.” Smiled Niju. “I will be hard, but we will manage it. First take out that first, smaller group, closer to the shore.”

“No...” panted Cris, but he was too far to be heard by leader.

So Peninsulas and Buck went on ice and started to march towards Drifters. Seeing it, Sergey called aloud.

“Sasha! Are commanding your jaws?” When she didn’t responded, he added. “I propose an alliance... maybe even one-time deal. Together we still have serious supremacy. Put our recent argument... to ice and kill those rascals.”

“We have no other way.” Murmured Olga to Sasha’s ear.

“Drift Pack...” called gamma with uncertain voice. “Form a rank with... Conquerors.”

“Not good.” Murmured Dymitr, walking next to Niju and Flame.

“It could have been worse.” Replied at once father and son. Two ranks of four pack were closing each other.

Cris raised his head and licked Natalya’s cheek. She opened her eyes.

“You are back...” she whispered and smiled. “So it was real?”

“It is real.” Said dog with serious tone. “I love you.” She closed her eyes and cuddled harder to his side.

“So I’m more important than your mission?” asked with disbelief.

“Actually it doesn’t matter anymore...” murmured dog, looking on two groups of wolves, closing each other with bared teethes. “I’ve just failed my mission completely.”

But then Cris saw a blurry silhouette of Lucas, standing before him and with smile on his face pointing on the sky. Dog looked up and in the same moment he heard the sound of closing plane. Arashi’s and Gunnar’s vehicle was flying fast and coming to landing.

In very, very improper place.

“Pull up!” yelled Gunnar, trying to overscream the loud engine. “You can’t land here! The ice is cracked!”

But it was too late. Biplane touched icy layer on eastern edge of backwater and started to slide on it towards wolves and island. It was going quite well for first hundred yards. Then ice broke.

X. For Pack and Country

All wolves froze when unknown, screaming air-monster came from over the trees. It was speeding directly on centre of backwater, so tight ranks of pack got loosen as predators were preparing to escape. But plane touched the ice and starter to slow down. Drifters and Conquerors knew the deadly power of such machine, but they also knew that it is helpless on the ground. The only danger from that were human pilots. But every human apart of powerful rifle had also a throat to bite. The enemy on the ground was dangerous however vulnerable as any other creature.

“Look!” called Sergey with delight. “It will drown!”

Biplane was carving the ice layer by its skies. Cracks appeared under undercarriage but machine was to fast to fall in holes. Yet. Airplane was slowing down and it was sure that sooner or later it wouldn’t escape from crushed ground. More perceptive wolves knew it as well as humans in machine.

“Pull up!” yelled Gunnar. “Start it!”

“I can’t!” replied Arashi, grappling with joystick. “We are going too slow.”

“So drive to that island!” called Norwegian and turned his shift-stick right.

Wolves made a way for sliding plane. It braked just before insula but submerged into water and floats about teen yards before it. It slide on bottom few yards and stopped, touching shore with propeller. Whirling airscrew halted about five inches from laying Cris and Natalya.

“What the heck that means!” growled amazed Sergey. “Regroup and keep an eye on that humans. I guess we will have some extraordinary dinner.”

Isle was surrounded by three circles of wolves: Conquerors who were the closest, Drifters farther and Peninsulas with Bucks, who just were entering the ice. Seeing that Drifters started to getting closer to Strays. The dividing line seemed to be clear: locals and newcomers.

Gunnar and Arashi get out from plane’s wreck and jumped to the dry ground on isle. When Norwegian spotted whole gathering of predators around he instinctively grabbed his rifle and aimed.

“Stop!” called Japanese. “We haven’t enough of ammo. There is over seventy of them.”

“I have five rounds in clip, and twenty in backpack.” Reported Kaasen. “Your colts?”

“Twelve in barrels and twenty in sack.... what I left in plane.” He looked on drowning remnants of machine. “Still we have to small firepower, even if we would hit with every shot.”

“I guess they should run off after we start shooting.” Murmured trapper.

“I guess that wolves shouldn’t gather in so huge packs.” Replied doctor. “If I survive, I will shock the present biology... But what...” He noticed a pair of canines, who was lying on beach. Bitch was almost unconsciousness, lying motionlessly and dog barely raised his head to look on humans. In his eyes Japanese stopped a silent ask for warmness. “Gunnar, light a camp-fire!”

“Sure.” Murmured trapped. “Now it’s our only way of defence...” Then he noticed a wolf and dog. “Ow, and who are they? Malamute, here, in wild? With wolfbitch!”

“Something strange is going here.” Said Arashi, covering Natalya and Cris with his coat. “Give me your rifle and will keep an eye on that pack. And light a fire imiedately!”

Kaasen hadn’t to be told twice. With fast moves he cut some brush from fir and lighted it. Island was about twenty yards long and ten wide. It wasn’t many trees and bushes there, but fairly enough to easily make a solid fire and keep it for long. “About forty hours of real flame.” Estimated Norwegian in mind. “And that the time we need fix something to get alive from here.”

When trapper made a campfire, Arashi dragged dog and wolf closer to it. Wolves from around were looking on that indifferently or they were ignoring scene behind theirs backs, more focused on hostile packs.