Everyone considers you are Beech and no one would object if you take a heritage of our dad.”

“That’s not a point!” replied husky. “I know you are my truly family, but it doesn’t make me a wolf. Dog should not led the pack, period. Elske has already reconciled with that she won’t be an alpha female. I did it too.”

“Bro, it isn’t funny!” interrupted him Tro. “We came to conclusion…”

“No, listen to me!” almost shouted silverfurred. “I love you all and love the pack. That means that I also will be obedient to all laws and customs of yours… of ours. And the tradition of our people is that pure-wolf should lead us. I’m not a wolf and I won’t be a leader.”

Then some shadow moved in corridor. They herd a voice.

“Actually you are partially wolf. But it makes even worse candidate for being alpha.”

“Vis!” gasped Tro. “How long you are eavesdropping us?”

“Long enough to know what you are doing.” Replied shaman. She came out from the shadow, then they noticed that also Annen was there. “Forgive me, sir, forgive me ma’am, for that indiscretion, but we have no choice. We have to secure existence of pack.”

“Explain yourself.” Ordered Fort.

Shaman and beta came to young wolves. Vis was old, grey-hoary furred female, serving as advisor and priest from times before Tro’s birth. Annen seemed to be in pack from always. Although young pair of alphas was reigning the pack, elders were always discretely running things from behind. Not because of power-hunger. It was just right thing to do. Wisdom of old age is always needed to hot-headed leaders.

“Yes, sir.” Said Annen officially. “We knew what you are going to do… and we had to interfere. There are serious reasons for Glemt not to take a lead and you know something about, ma’am.” Said old warrior, looking on alphess.

“Ha?” sighed confused dog.

“It’s just a legend… It’s not even prophecy, but product of your imagination!” replied wolfess quickly.

“What prophecy?” asked Glemt conspicuously.

“Never mind, it’s nothing.” Said Tro quickly.

“Mind it, sir.” Whispered Vis with grave tone. “Forgive me, Glemt. You know that I love you as you were my son. Since day of lady Bry’s death, I tried to take care over you as mother would. Somehow I dreamed for you to be leader. But also I know reasons that make this impossible.”

“What she is talking about?” asked husky, looking on his step-sister.

“I… We all, parents and I decided not to tell you.” She replied with regret in her voice. “It’s very bad that you get know about it.” Elske nestled closer to her beloved’s side, as he was listening to alpha’s words. “Bro… it’s just about some vision that Vis once had. I’m sure that is nothing more than a dream…”

“No, it’s much more serious.” Disagreed shaman. “It’s also about his actual heritage.” She looked in husky’s eyes. “You have been never told abut whole your story. Your parents… those who raised you decided that you don’t have to know all about your blood-relatives. But know, I must reveal it all in order to tell you about prophecy.”

“What prophecy?” asked in the same time Glemt, Elske and Fort.

“Annen… Will you tell them?” asked Vis.

“There is no need…” interrupted Tro.

“Sorry, ma’am, he should know about it.” Said old beta. “Listen, Glemt, it all started in

February three years ago…”

II. Feral Pup

Beech Pack left its usual hunting areas to hide from blizzard. Wolves were hungry, very hungry, because most of meat was meant for pregnant Bry. Alpha of pack was waiting in sanctuary for her packmates to get more food. So Beeches was wandering on Seward Range, and desperately trying to get their preys. But on that evening those attempts had to be stopped – wind and snowfall became too hard.

Leader led his companions from slopes down to the valley. Blizzard was too fierce to get back to sanctuary immediately – pack decided to stay a night in safe pan, shielded by pine forest. And on next morning they intended to get back on range. After all they were still hungry.

“Sir!” Vis whispered to alpha’s ear. “Maybe we choose another valley…”

“What’s wrong with you?” called chief so loud that even Annen, guiding the pack, took a look back. “No, it’s nothing.” Assured him Forer. “Go ahead.” Then again he looked on shaman. “So, why don’t you want to stay here?”

“My dreams…”

“Dreams!” snorted leader. “Cease it. Those are just… dreams. We can’t let imagination scare us.”

“But sir…” yelled Vis. “I recognise this forest. I recognise this path. We are going to the place that I dreamed of. There we will meet pup who would doom our pack.”

“You recognise?” smiled Forer with irony. “In my opinion every snowed forest looks the same way. Just calm down and leave that nonsense. There is no…”

“SIR!” called Annen from lead. Whole group instantly stopped. “There is…”

Forer quickly came on lead of pack. They entered a quiet pan, just below vertical slope of cliff. On snow drift next to the stone wall there was some darker shape in white snow. When alpha came closer he understood that he was looking on greyfurred husky. Female was lying in weird position and moaning quietly. Chief understood immediately – she just had fallen from the cliff.

Pack surrounded wounded dog. Some of them yelled with pain and compassion – it was clear that husky had many broken bones and damaged spine. It was just a matter of time when she was going to pass away. Forer came closer to stranger.

“Do you read me?” asked with gentle voice.

No, female was barely aware of world around. She was still moaning, even not because of pain, but general shock. Alpha noticed that most of her body was paralysed by spine damage. “At least she feels no pain.” Thought chief.

“My puppies…” whispered husky in malign. “It’s all lost now… Balto… Balto left us!”

“Sir, I think there is little we could do for her.” Said Annen, looking on alpha. “Except of…” He bared his teeth to show in what way he could end dog’s suffering. But Forer stopped him with growl.

“No, we won’t do this that way.” Said. “No killing. Let God take the life He gave her. I… oh my God!” she suddenly screamed. “She is pregnant!”

All wolves carefully looked on wounded one’s belly. She was in advanced pregnancy, just before labour. Of course after that fall…

“She is… bearing!” whispered Annen.

“Vis, can we help her?” asked alpha.

“Sir, this is not our con…” but Forer pierced her with decisive stare, so she added. “She is done already… And pups most likely too. Those are clearly prematurely ones. And that fall…” shaman looked up to see that cliff was more than fifty metres high.

“Do what you could. Maybe some will make it.” Decided alpha.

“But sir!” gasped Annen. “Soon we will have your children to take care.”

“I beg you sir, leave this place.” Pleaded Vis. “It’s all just like in my dream.”

“Do it!” growled alpha. He turned to the pack. “All of you – dig a den in the snow. Give them some shelter.”

Meanwhile Vis closed to dying husky, carefully examining her body. All that she want was to run, or maybe even kill wounded dog, before any of pups would reach this world. She was shaking on whole body, recalling terrible nightmare, that had been haunting her since few weeks. “A feral pup, stray dog will come // If pack save him, itself is done // The dog of doom will lead to death // From long dead womb to pack's last breath...” was repeating the chant that appeared in her dreams. But order of chief was clear and additionally seeing her patient muzzle to muzzle Vis awoke in herself a great dose of compassion. She was afraid, but after all she didn’t want to see that dog’s suffering. Meanwhile rest of pack was digging an improvised lair.

“How it’s going?” asked Forer, still standing over lying husky.

“Give us few more minutes, sir.” Replied Annen, working with team. “And how is she?”

“She is giving birth… I see the first pup.”

Leader bended down to she-husky, trying to calm her with touch and easy words. Meanwhile Vis was ready to receive incoming pups. They both were carefully listening to half-consciousness whispers of mother.

“It’s all lost… Balto scorned my pups…” was moaning dog. “Kill… it’s all happened so fast! I didn’t want it, but… Balto, why did you do it?”

“I guess that Balto is father of her litter.” Said Vis. “Maybe he is somewhere here too.”

“No…” suddenly replied greyfurred. “He is here…” he pointed with muzzle up on the cliff. Or at least she wanted to. Forer noticed that her head froze in half of motion, probably due to paralyse. “With her…” added bitch with gloomy voice.

“I don’t like it.” Murmured Forer. “I sense something terrible here.” Then he asked husky. “What is your name?”

“First is coming!” called Vis. “I see her… it’s a girl…” Then shaman panted with mixture of sorrow and relief. “But… she is dead.”

That was true – small pup was already done when she reached the world. Fall from cliff had crushed her body. Light-grey, almost white fur of stillborn was stained with blood. In that second Vis felt a pang of remorse. She was actually glad that pup was dead and was no threat for a pack. But it was so cruel – to cheer someone’s death. Especially death of innocent child…

“Trinea…” whispered dog. “Will you take care for my babies? Balto doesn’t want us…”

“Has he… done it to you?” asked Forer with breaking voice. He was a tough wolf, but thought that some canine would reject his mate and pups… or actually – try to kill them, seemed inconceivable for him. Or better to say: incomprehensible – totally out of moral order he knew.

“No, no…” whispered Trinea. “It’s just I… I was too weak for him.” In his simple heart alpha took it as kind of confirmation and shivered inside. “He chose Jenna.”

“Second… boy I guess.” Said Vis, bending down to husky’s side. “But he also…”

She cut this out, carefully putting dead body of stillborn on snow, next to his sister. Something broke inside her. Her head was still