trunk of pine on top of range. He stopped, a bit shocked by blow, then sat down. Pain reminded him a need to rest.

“It’s also a border.” He thought. “Farther are areas that Talbourne claims as own. I’m far from sharing this megalomaniac’s greed, but I have to be careful.”

*

Aleu slept much longer that she should. Or she slept the same as usual, but fell asleep much later. At least she had some time to spend alone with Shadow, without kids, without burning matters of clan. She was sure about it and was wrong. Lightning managed only postpone some of urging decisions for a day, but alpha was grateful to him anyway.

“Aleu…” said wolf, carefully entering alpha’s private chamber. “It’s almost midday.” Not true, he exaggerated a bit, there was still about two hour to sun’s zenith, but leaders advisor and friend wanted to wake her up before he would be forced to make a decision he would have to explain himself. “Aleu!” repeated louder, irritated a bit.

Then Shadow awoke and in well-taught impulse pounced on wolf on doorstep of chamber. In spite of his years, leader of security team was still fast and strong. Before he realised whom he attacked, he pinned Lightning to the ground and froze with jaws put on his throat.

“Well done…” gasped immobilised wolf. “You’ve just killed your room-service, warrior!”

“Lightning…” whispered a bit confused Shadow. “I’m sorry…” he added, standing up.

“Yeah, no offence taken. But…” he looked of friend and just waking up Aleu. “Few years ago you would killed me as soon as I entered the chamber. Now I was trying to alert you over a minute.” Leader turned his stare down. “But I’m not talking about that thing… or no, about that too. Aleu, are you ready to read me?”
”Hallo, Lightning.” Said alpha. “You right, we lowered our guard shamefully. But I’m so tired…”

“Exactly.” Nodded greyfurred. “Tired, but somehow relaxed. I don’t mean that you overslept today. You are still sleeping since the end of war.”

“To the point, Light!” hastened him Shadow.

“We squashed Uniea two months ago.” Started Lightning. “Since that time it seems that no one in Seward Peninsula is danger to us, right?” Aleu instinctively nodded her head. “No!” called greyfurred a bit too loud. “Fact we won the war doesn’t mean we could idle.”

“I’m not idling!” disagreed alpha. “For that time I’m desperately trying to join our pows to the clan, to turn our old enemies into comrades… Do you think that is so easy?”

“I have no idea.” Confessed Lightning. “I have my own duties and in plat field I see how much is to be done. We aren’t normal pack now. We are a clan. Leading over eight hundred wolves now is not the same as running tiny pack of twenty.”

“As I said, to the point.” Growled Shadow, very displeased that his mate was disturbed by such a problems, especially on such early morning.

“When you both listened to my fully report last time?” asked Lightning. “Don’t guess, I’ll tell you. Since death of… e… Talkeet…” it wasn’t a pleasant thing to do to remind how it war had ended. But death of self proclaimed leader of Uniea, once lieutenant of Talbourne, in private – nephew of alpha… it was a turning point of conflict. From that day pushing back Uniea was just a mere formality. In following month most of remaining forces of enemy clan subdued to Aleu’s power, but… “Since that day you even didn’t bother to hear intelligence news, like it all was done.”

“So what is wrong, Lightning?” asked Aleu.

“Simply – almost everything.” Seeing enraged stare of Shadow, he added. “I’m just kidding. But you must face the truth – there are numerous renegade groups that refuse to surrender. Those are some units we never prevailed… some of them left the clan in day when… Talkeet claimed leadership. They stayed loyal to Daie and his presumably son, called Merig.”

“Wow!” Aleu whistled. “They found a hobby!”

“Daie’s line was in charge of Uniea Pack, that few generations ago started to form Uniea Clan. We should understand their loyalty in order to understand their acting. But…” seeing hasting stare of Shadow he said it himself. “To the point. Those groups are operating almost in whole peninsula from Cape to Nome Valley…”

“Nome Valley!?” yelled Aleu. “Why haven’t you told me? My family there is in danger if some of those fanatics get know that I’m Balto’s daughter!” Lightning nodded. “So what you are going to do with that?”

“Ow… that’s the leader I know well.” Smiled greyfurred. “I estimated chances of possible attack on your family. I ordered my scouts to seek for enemy in Nome region and found only few eventual units. I think that team of few my scouts and about ten warriors from Shadow would keep Nome safe until rest of the forced wipe out remaining resistance. Just I need…”

“I’m going there too.” Said Aleu.

“What?” yelled both Lightning and Shadow at the same time.

“Darling, choose my escort according to Lightning’s advices. We will leave as soon as possible.”

“Ow… chief… You’ve just said that you are flooded with work here…” said uncertainly greyfurred.

“Shadow, Dash and Timbre will keep things running properly.” Judged alpha. “I also need a break… Visiting mom and dad is my idea for that.”

“Werk!” silently cursed Lightning, but he had a little satisfaction that Shadow was even more irritated about that.

*

Mid-November, northern outskirts of Nome.

The weather was mild as that season – snow was lying in thick layer, but no new falling was coming. Also frost seemed to be moderate on that time – only minus twenty Celsius degrees. Glemt – of course – was unable to measure that, but he thought it was really nice downthere.

He came to brink of forest about midday, but spent more than three hours on observing human seats. He was mostly sniffing, slowly using to new scents. Fear of humans slowly faded as he understood that he looked as domestic creature.

“And actually no one knows who I am.” He thought. “If I were looking like wolf, my arrival would be quite a news for both dogs and men. But I could just walk into town, pretend a lost dog and take a look around. I even don’t have to lie – I bet there are many dogs who want to see great Balto, the saviour of Nome.”

So about dusk he started to come down along slope. He passed a wide field, used as a runaway for local pilot, then came next to lone house with hangar nearby. He didn’t know that it was actual residence of Balto. Well, he was new there and had to learn much things.

Streets were rather empty. Most of dogs there were in save and warm interiors, along their human owners. Majority of most tough and bored youngsters, usually filling the streets on such time, was on sled-courses. Team of Kodi, team of Jack and others were on mail routes. But on main street of town Glemt noticed a single silhouette of dog. He hesitated a while, not sure if he should initiate contact with locals so fast. “But what has to come, will come.” Decided husky and moved ahead.

Saba was there… again. It became kind of her habit – to wander in full moon nights on streets, sometimes even outside the town and just look into the sky. “A melancholic soul.” Would said most of Nomers. True, but her melancholy wasn’t just any aesthetical manner, but actual mourning. He even couldn’t admit it in own mind, but still, although it over two years had passed, she was crying for Everest. In time tears became silent and dry, however still sad. Everest was her brother, but – what she also wasn’t able to admit – she mourned for him not only as sibling. It was… “No!” cut her thoughts Saba. “It doesn’t mattered now. He is dead.” Moon silently agreed.

But then she noticed a silvefurred husky, walking the street in her direction. She sighed quietly, ready for another tiring conversation. Saba was indeed beautiful bitch, with many adorers around. Many, many, especially that she was not only just charming female, but also a daughter of famous Balto. A tempting match for many.

But somehow she never was really interested in any serious relationship. She knew that, but many young dogs from vicinity did not. So quite often she was harassed by new adorer. It was simply boring to say <no> for hundredth time.

“Hallo.” Said silverfurred. “Are you local?”

“O… yes.” Replied Saba, a bit surprised by that opener. Additionally she didn’t recognize that particular dog.

“I’m new here… Could you help me?”

“It’s most cliché possible way of picking girl up or he is actually in trouble.” thought Balto’s daughter. “What do you need?” she asked, trying to sound nice. It wasn’t as hard as she initially thought – stranger made a good impression on her. He was definitely handsome, not only be features of his body. She sensed something odd, almost exotic in his moves and way of speaking. There was something odd and in the same time well known in his behaviour. Something… wolfish? The first Saba’s association came to Aleu.

“I’ve just reached the town… Is there a custom to… well… report that to… any elder council?” He almost said <to alpha>, but in last moment he repressed that lycomorphism. “I have to think in dog’s way.” He ordered himself. “God, I am dog, and I should be able to act like one!”

“As far as I know, there is no such necessarily nor even possibility. We haven’t any council here.”

“No authorities… maybe it means also no laws?” thought Glemt, but then he understood that he was just biased against domestic kinds. “They live in dogs ways. I won’t judge those, without understanding.”

“Could I camp freely on your terr… I mean: in borders of town?”

Saba burst in laughter and replied.

“From where you come, stranger? You say so funny things…”

Glemt made a decision. There was no point in pretending he is domestic dog – he just wasn’t able to keep that illusion for too long. It was better to admit he was civilised… that meant: feral in their sense of that word.

“Well… I’m coming from forest.”