you.”

“No!” called Ami.

Overturned sled was in snow-drift. Cart broke on tree, musher was threw away and then was desperately digging in snow to find BAR. Harness got tangled and confused dogs were still tangling it, by slowly exiting from below the snow-surface. Ami was up as first and she could see scene on ice.

“Cut me!” yelled to Daniel, Eva and Aleu thrown in snow next to her. Immediately three jaws grabbed a three main belts of harness and after just moment Ami was free.

Steele was laid on float and submerged his paws into the water. He was trying to row in place where Niju fell, but he saw no sign of friend. Some voice in his head again called: “Save your pack!”, but malamute knew he could jump after wolf. If dog die, fate of packs and humans was grim – it was over fifty raging wolves against man with machine gun. Whatever it would end, meant slaughter. Steele was only solid connection between two worlds: of man and of creatures. “I’m sorry, friend.” Murmured, looking on air-bubbles coming from the water. “I can’t risk their lives.”

And then came Ami.

Dark-furred was jumping on loose floats, overturning most of them, but managing to escape before they were gone. Finally she got to icy-island where Dymirt and Gamma were pulling shocked Flame out. She passed next wolves and jumped ahead.

“There!” called Steele, pointing with paw in eventual Niju’s direction.

Ami was strong she-wolf, she was swimming excellent. But in freezing water every second was important, before body gets hypothermed. And she had to find a drowning father-in-law.

“It’s bad idea!” yelled Steele, still padding on his float.

“Of course it is!” smiled Ami. “I’m you daughter after all!” So dark-furred took a deep breath and disappeared under surface.

Almost no one was looking on Natalya, when whole chaos started. But she stood up and started to hobble in cracks direction. She passed Arashi and Gunnar, still aiming with rifles, entered on ice. And when she saw events in front of her, she speeded up.

“Natalya!” called Cris, chewing his harness to get free. He was still snowblind, so he saw just blurry silhouettes on ice, but he sensed that his love was going to be heroic in extraordinary stupid way. “Stay where you are!”

“I stay with my pack!” she called and jumped to the air hole. Then she surfaced in free water and started to swim. To another place where air-bubbles were seen. Where Sergey drown.

“What?” gasped Steele. But he was just one – he had to follow with float Ami and Niju.

Then just next to Natalya emerged Ami, holding her alpha by fur. She smiled with relief and started to swim in Steele’s direction. In next few seconds another two muzzles showed on surface – Natalya’s and Sergey’s. Brown-furred was clearly unconsciousness, but still alive. Malamute waved his paw to show them direction. Whole four was slowly coming to float.

“Dad, it’s all right!” called Ami and then she disappeared. Just like that: in one second she, Natalya and their load were on surface and moment later they were pulled under ice-layer.

It happened what had to happened – crack on ice reached end of backwater, that means: beavers lodge. But it was old one and strength of crushing damaged whole structure. It broke, letting current flow at its full speed. So two bitches and theirs unconsciousness charges were sucked under still ice-layer. Steele gasped.

Finally Ralph got the gun and with triumphal cry he raised it from the snow. With impulse move, taught even during the Great War, he threw out empty clip and placed the new cartridge. Then he aimed gun on the backwater.

“Ralph!” called Tazaku from island. “Give it!” and he pointed on ice.

To island was retreating about forty wolves, probably scarred by previous burst. The ice between Ralph and surrounded friends was clear and it was just about fifty yards of slippery ice. Cursing loudly Ralph put BAR on ice and pushed it with all his might. Instantly after he reached for his colt in pocket. Machine gun slid on frozen surface, passing amazed wolves. Finally it got to the island’s shore, and was picked up by Gunnar.

“You know what to do?” asked Arashi.

“What we have to.” Replied Kaasen.

Mixed group of wolves stopped, seeing gun pointed at them. Norwegian steeped few steps ahead, standing on ice and looked down. Some of predators, especially those from Russia, knew that view well – human with powerful, automatic gun.  They were too far to get to him, at least before he shoot all his clip out.

“Werk!” barked Olga, looking in black hole on the peak of rifle.

“Trust me.” Smiled Norwegian and opened fire.

Bullets hit the ice, crushing it easily. If there were wolves bodies it would be a slaughter. But Gunnar wasn’t aiming in wolves. At least not those wolves. He pointed on shades under ice, pulled by current. He fired about five yards before them and was shooting until his last round.

A big air-hole was opened. From there four silhouettes emerged. Half-drowned Ami, Natalya, Niju and Sergey were floating helplessly in few-yard-hole in-between humans and pack. They froze for several seconds then Arashi called.

“What now? We have to also pull them out?”

Then creatures ran to ice-hole and grabbed four companions. They made it in last possible moment, because bodies were sucking under ice again. But about ten jaws quickly grabbed sinking ones and took them on ice. Mean while Arashi waved his hand to Gunnar.

“Draw back to the fire.” He whispered. “I prefer not to test wolves gratitude.”

Trapped jumped back over the defensive fence. He reached the bottle of vodka from his pack and broke it on brush-wall. Then Tazaku threw a flaming branch from camp-fire on it. Poured with alcohol fence burst in flames and become glaring barrier in one second. Humans shielded on the other side of they defence, reloading rifle and revolvers.

“To the forest!” called Dymitr, who after knocking down all alphas was the last leader able to bring some order. “Take wounded and get out of here!”

Four packs – concordant as ever – retreated to grove nearby. All – including Niju and Sergey, carried on back, but without Steele, Natalya and crew from sleds. After about minute malamute got to the solid ice, jumped out from float and ran to his family.

“Ami!” called.

“With packs.” Replied Cris.

“Aleu? Cris? Natalya?” cried dog, but he saw that everyone is safe sighed. “Any wounds? Anyone still on ice?”

“I’m glad to see you too, Steele.” Said Ice, totally confused by whole situation.

“Damn it! They missed!” growled Ralph, raising his colt and pointing on Natalya, as she was the new wolf her didn’t recognize. But a concordant growl of all wolves and dogs stopped them. “She is in team too?” asked and burst with spasmodic laughter. Mean while Sara came from second sled, holding colt in one hand and two clips for BAR in second.

“Dad!” she called.

“We are all right!” replied Japanese. “We will beck there when we find some ice-passage.”

All canines who had taken a bath were taken care by sled teams. For every wet fur, two dogs laid next to, warming survivors up. Except of Natalya – apart of Eva and Daniel who were warming her, joined Cris, laying next to them and licking she-wolf’s face. After about minute from forest returned Flame, looking for father and mate. When he noticed they are next to humans, he barred his fangs, but quick look of malamute calmed him down.

“Ami?” asked wolf. “Dad? Are you all right.”

“It was better.” Replied alpha with weary voice. “But it would be much worse if not your girl.” Added, looking on Ami.

“Come here.” Called Steele. “Our big family is almost at full strength. But look, it seems that flame and ice could live together.” He added and smiled seeing that wild wolf was laying nest to sled greenland. “Ow, no one got my joke?” asked malamute with surprise. “O, my God! You even don’t know each other! Flame, that is Ice, leader of Buckland’s sled team and elder of town.”

“What?!” barked Ice. “You are alive and you are still the elder. Steele, what the hell happened here... and there... and then?” asked confused dog.

“Well, it will take some time to explain.” Smiled malamute. “But we have now time to explain.”

Natayla and Sergey were yet awake. Brown-furred moaned with pain, drawing attention of human doctor who reached to his pack to bandage wound on ear. But wolf ignored those efforts and looked on his saviour.

“Natalya... why?” asked.

“You were drowning.”

“But... I tried to kill you.”

“Maybe, but you were and you are from my pack.” She replied with serious voice. “Whatever happen, I have to take care about you.”

“Will you let me back?” asked brown-furred with amaze.

“Of course. But Sasha will be beta... and as you probably know, I have a candidate for alpha-mate already.” She licked Cris cheek and closed her eyes. She was extremely tired. Then they heard a sound of plane.

Eyes of dogs and wolves turned to incoming machine. Only Cris was looking with stare for something different. He noticed barely visible silhouette of dark-furred pup who went to Aleu and Steele, who were talking standing among town dogs. It looked a bit funny, when tiny ghost climbed on rear-paws to lick mother’s and then father’s cheek. Cris understood that no one other would see of hear the strange guest. Then Lucas looked on brother and said, probably not aloud but directly to mind of brownish-furred.

“I must go.”

“Can’t you...” asked Cris to understand he was also was talking not with his voice.

“No. But this is all right.” Said ghost. “If I go, it means that from now on you are safe. By the way...” coming to Cris he stopped nudge on Ami’s side. “Don’t tell it parents, because they won’t believe you... Just know that I really regret that I didn’t make it and be with you all a bit longer. But will be close, even if You don’t see it.” And in the same moment silhouette