paws.

“For you, dad...” he whispered. “And for you, Natalya...”

*

It was about two hours after midnight when from inner circle came Sergey. Coalition wolves started to growl and bared theirs teethes, but Niju calmed them down. They had a messenger.

“What do you want, stray?” greeted him warmly.

“Some action.” Replied brown-furred straight. “Don’t you think that it’s the best time to finish those humans?”

“Maybe.” Nodded leader. “But what I have to do with that? It is your problem.”

“We will take care of them... But you have to promise you won’t attack us then.” Proposed Sergey.

“And why it’s that?” asked Niju. “We could wait for humans to starve. We are not hurrying.”

“Damn you, Yankee!” snorted alpha. “Where is your wolves-solidarity?”

“In the same place that is your respect for host’s rules.” Grimed Niju. “If that is all what you wanted to say, go now.”

“You will regret that!” gasped Sergey and looked on Flame, who was sleeping in snow few yards away. “I don’t how many it takes but I will kill your boy, I swear!” Although Niju tired to remain indifferent, he instinctively narrowed his eyes. “I make sure that our fight... whatever it would end... hurt you really bad.”

“Shell see.” Replied alpha, however his voice was breaking a little.

“What’s up, father?” asked Flame, who just awoke.

“No, nothing.” Said Niju, looking on returning Sergey.

“He is pleading for mercy?” asked young wolf and smiled. “Right on time, before we start!” he came to Niju and whispered him on ear. “I’ll make you proud, dad. You will see me in the first line. I prove I’m strong and worthy.” Alpha shivered.

“Go back to sleep, son.” Replied. And there came Steele.

“It’s funny, but the older I’m getting and the weaker my eyes are, my hear is going better and better.” Said, looking on father and son. “Are you sure, Niju, you want out all your pack to that test?”

“Go back to your humans, Steele.” Said Niju. “There you will be safe when it all will start.”

“I will, but you won’t.” Replied dog. “I give no heck if you want to die, but I’m trying to make sure my daughter wouldn’t lose her mate. Let them all go.”

“You are crazy!” replied Niju. “They will attack us immediately after they rest. Now they are weak and tired, lacking of food. We will crush them!”

“The last of you will kill the last of them. Praised be the victory!” snorted Steele.

“With all due respect, sir.” Said Flame. “But I think you know nothing. You aren’t a wolf and I respect that. But let us solve us problems as we are designed to. That’s the way of the Nature. That’s...”

“Stop that!” called a voice from isle’s side. It was Sergey, who was standing between Crack and Sashe. “We made a decision. If you don’t want to let us kill humans. We are going to fight now.”

“Your turn!” smiled Niju. He knew well that time was playing for locals.

“Order your wolves to fight!”

“We have to attack you?” asked Flame with malicious smile. “You do it. We could wait till spring here!”

“So...” said Sergey uncertainly, looking on Sasha and Crack. “I challenge Flame for leadership of Peninsula Pack.”

“NO!” growled Niju.

“Why not?” asked Flame. “Dad I will finish him and it all will be over...”

“No... I’m an alpha and...”

“Quit it.” Snorted Crack. “Your son is your successor and he is already considered as an alpha. Isn’t he?” Dark wolf looked on father and son, knowing that was question with no good answer. If Niju deny Flame’s status it would be a great disgrace for chief’s son. But letting him to fight... “And die!” thought Niju, looking on muscular silhouette of brown-furred. “Flame, it’s to early for you. He will win with you.” Added silently, but he could say it loud.

“Dad, let me do it!” asked Flame with official voice but a quiet and desperate plead was also heard. It was everything for young wolf. Niju looked on Steele and theirs stares met. “It’s all your fault.” Seemed to saying malamute. “You made him believe in strength... his own strength.” “Help me!” begged leader.

“No, wait!” said Steele, looking on Sergey. “I heard you started a duel with claimant for your pack... but it was interrupted for some cowards who broke the rules, helping you. Is that right?”

“I don’t know...”

“...what I’m talking about?” smiled malamute. “So what happened to your ear?”

“And what you have to do with that?” snorted brown-furred.

“It happened that I’m father of dog who challenged you. I could finish it instead of him.”

“YOU?!” called all: Niju, Flame, Sergey, Crack and Sasha.

“Are so afraid?” smiled malamute.

“You are... too old!” gasped Niju.

“So we will see if I’m still deserve to live.” Replied dog with airily voice, although in mind he was carefully estimating his chances. It wasn’t an optimistic estimation.

“Good... so...” started Sergey.

“But not now!” replied Steele. “I have to hunt for myself and rest. Let meet on tomorrow dusk.”

“You’re playing for time!” growled Sergey with anger.

“Exactly.” Smiled Steele bluntly. “But it’s all according to the rules. So if you want to hurt humans or those pack... you have to kill me quickly. But for now... I wish you all good night.” He turned back, leaving confused wolves behind. Flame caught him up before he went on the shore.

“With all due respect, I was extremely stupid, sir.” He hissed.

“In opposite to your father’s philosophy?” smiled Steele. But in next second he tensed his muzzle in expression of pain. “Get some meat for me. I can’t hunt.” Flame looked on him with fear. “My paw is freaking again.” Then he hobbled to his fir-branch bedding, leaving surprised Flame on beach.

*

Cris had to turn of almost all the senses. Wind with snow was hitting his muzzle, blinding him and almost overturning him. Dog sensed as if his nose turned to a ice-cube, so no smells were reachable. His ears were filled with howls of storm. Fortunately the way was straight, as straight was Bears Range. But route became more and more blurred due to snow-cover. If Cris still was there and hadn’t fallen down from some bluff it was a kind of miracle.

Finally he decided to face the truth – he was snowblind. Way in front of him was just a distant line of whiteness, but dog saw no cracks nor trees. He was steeping at random, praying that there were no holes in his way. But he was wrong. Suddenly he submerged in the snow, where a rock crack was filled with whiteness. Dog found himself in hole and chocking snow-mass was falling on him from every direction.

“HELP!” yelled brownish-furred to no one in particular. But someone came.

“At last!” smiled Lucas who appeared in front of brother.

“You... are not real...” panted dog. “I’m chocking and my brain is going ape.”

“I’m glad to see you too.” Said pup, licking brother’s cheek. “As I say – I’m always near, but you ask me for help now. So I am.”

“Get me out from here!” yelled Cris, sensing his air-stock in hole is decreasing quickly.

“So... as you inanition I can’t help you..,.”

“Sorry, Lucas, I believe!” yelled brownish-furred. “But take out! Dad is in danger... Natalya is in danger!”

“I know, I know... I will help you if you help yourself. Just trust me.”

“I guess I have no choice.” Whispered Cris, slowly loosing his consciousness.

“So roll on left.” Ordered pup.

“There is... a bluff...” said fog with fading voice. “We will fall.”

“Exactly.” Agreed Lucas and pushed Cris side.

World turned somersault. Dog was hit by wave of fresh air – he inhaled deeply to fully regain his awareness and understand he was rolling from slope down. Lucas was holding his neck, laughing aloud. Then they hit ledge below them. Cris gasped from pain and Lucas just call with puppyish joy. Dog started to dig out from the snow, for not to be covered once again. After few minutes he was on surface... somewhere.

“Great!” yelled brownish-furred. “I don’t know where I am. And I can’t see it. My eyes are snowblind.”

“I will be your eyes.” Said Lucas. “Follow me.”

*

“It’s bad idea!” was crying Ralph Fitch, desperately trying to stay on narrow route. “David, watch out!”

“And what I’m doing for last six hours?” asked team-leader, although human had no chance to understand him. “I wasn’t careful, you would have been dead as ice.”

“What?” called Ice from the lead of second sled. “Are calling me?”

“No, nothing!” replied husky, overscreaming the storm. “It’s fine...” called. “...night to die!” added quieter and turned to his mate, Eva, who was in second rank. “Our owner should pay us more.”

And on second sled was riding a fragile, young woman – Sara Ash. During absence of her husband she decided to take over his duties. And when plain with her father and Gunnar Kaasen didn’t return from flight on cape, she alarmed Ralph – owner of the second sled and they launched a improvised rescue mission. However the trapped was terrified of idea of woman riding sled.

“You haven’t mushed the sled!” yelled Ralph. He was doing his best as a leading musher, but to express his unrest and irritation he was complaining on Sara for all the time. “You even don’t know to drive!”

“As well as my father doesn’t know how to fly.” Noticed woman.

“And how it ended?” asked trapper. “And where we are riding? We are going now only according to David’s nose.”

“To her nose!” murmured David, looking on she-wolf, who was running in second rank next to Eva. “Aleu, how the heck you know where we are going?”

“I don’t know.” She replied honestly. “But I’m suspecting where those pack are. This is our only chance to find them. We haven’t a guide.”
She was wrong. David managed to turn on left to side-road, when he noticed that white drift of snow in front of them was moving and was actually a wolfdog. He barked aloud and both sleds stopped.

“Cris!” called Aleu with amaze. “Son, how it...”

“Mom! Fast!” whispered dog. “Dad is in serious trouble!”
”What now!?” growled Ralph with anger. He went out from

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