fear.

“Now just relax,” Toby told her, hoping she couldn’t hear his heart pounding.  He’d never encountered a wolverine before, but he’d heard some pretty bad stories from dogs who had… or had seen what was left of dogs who had.

The creature glowered and walked toward them.  “My cave…” it growled.

“I’m sorry,” Toby apologized.  “We were just leaving.  If you’ll just let us by, we won’t bother you again.”

The wolverine kept growling.  “My cave…” it rumbled again.

“Arrow,” Toby whispered.  “I’ll move right and try to distract him.  You go left when I’ve got his attention and get out of here.”

Arrow nodded, her eyes each about the size of a golf ball.  “Got it.”

Toby slowly maneuvered to the right.  As he had hoped, the wolverine turned to follow him, although it held its position in the middle of the cave.

Toby glanced at Arrow and nodded slightly, prompting her to make her move.  The beast, however, also picked up on the cue and turned toward the smaller prey.  Arrow, seeing the approach of a monster at least three times her size, froze.

“Arrow, get out of here!” Toby cried.

“But…”

The hairy beast lumbered toward Arrow before Toby threw himself at it and diverted its attention.  Red eyes glinting, it turned to face him.

“Just get out of here!” he ordered.  “I’ll distract it!”

Arrow looked both ways frantically, then dashed off.  It was no retreat, though.  Orders or no orders, she was going for reinforcements.

The wolverine glowered at Toby.  “Intruder…” it hissed as it swiped a paw at him, with claws that clearly evidenced why some tribal people would refer to it as a “Devil Bear.”

“We didn’t mean any harm,” Toby protested.  “But if you can’t listen to reason, I’ll just have to show you what happens when you mess with my daughter.”

Meanwhile, back in Nome, Luna had largely stopped worrying about Toby and Arrow.  She was much more concerned with the sudden pain that had cut through her abdominal region shortly after Toby left.  Was that a contraction, or just another muscle cramp?

“Aaah!” she cried as another one, worse than before, struck the entire back half of her body except for the tail.  This was no cramp, she knew, even as Connie came running to the sound of her cry.  ‘Please, wait,’ she thought, willing the tears not to come.  ‘I wanted Toby here for this.’

But there was no stopping it now.  Nothing, not even the fact that she might never see Toby or Arrow again, could put it off any longer.  Ready or not, better or worse, it was time for nature to take its course.

 Arrow ran into town, desperately searching for someone to help.  “Hey,” she said to a passing dog.  “Can you…?”

 “No time,” he interrupted.  “Got places to be.”

 She turned to another dog walking by.  “Can you…?”

 “I’m busy,” the dog replied, continuing on her way.

 Arrow wanted to scream.  It was Christmas Eve, there were dogs and people everywhere, and no one was willing to even let her ask for help!

 Then she caught a glimpse of a familiar face.  The yellow dog!  Maybe he would help!  Breathless, she ran up to him.  “Can you help me?” she asked anxiously.  “It’s an emergency.”

 He looked at her, barely registering any sign of recognition.  “Sorry, squirt.  Can’t help ya.”

 “Please!” she begged.  “My Dad needs help!”

 “Well what do I look like, the cavalry?” he retorted.  “Go bug somebody else.”

 “PLEASE!” she persisted, on the edge of tears.  “If nobody helps, he’s gonna die!”

 “So?” he asked, cold as stone.

 Shocked at this Scrooge of a dog, she turned away.  “I thought you would understand,” she said, beginning to sob.  “You, of all dogs…”

 As the yellow dog stared at this strange puppy, a piece of the past entered his mind.  A memory of his father explaining to him the importance of hard work as a sled dog.

 “It’s all about helping people,” his father had said.  “Helping them when nobody else can.  That’s what it really means to be a sled dog.”

 “I’ll remember that, Dad,” he had promised.  “Someday I’m gonna make you proud, I promise.”

 As the husky remembered with a shudder the nightmares he would sometimes have, nightmares of his father scolding him for failing to do as he’d been taught, failing to follow his example, he picked Arrow up and tossed her onto his back.  “Hold on tight and give me directions,” he said as he began to run.

 Surprised, Arrow blinked away her tears.  “You’re helping me?” she asked.

 He closed his eyes to slits as he focused on his running, remembering every motion he had seen watching his father.  “I’m doing this for my Dad,” he replied.  “No one else.”

 Only one observer paid them any attention as they ran past the edge of town.  Standing at the corner of a building, a single canine figure murmured, “So much grief, even in the midst of joyous times.”  Then he began to walk after them, as silent as the snow on which he trod.

 Meanwhile, Toby was still locked in combat with the wolverine.  The animal kept making lunges at him, keeping him guessing.  Its attacks left no opening, no way to counter.  It moved with the speed of a train, and was able to turn in an instant to counter any move he made.  Already his face had suffered some painful scratches from its inch-long claws and, while the damage was minimal so far, he knew it was only a matter of time before it managed to land a more serious blow.  He couldn’t beat the wolverine, but he knew if he tried to turn and escape it would be on him in an instant and then it would be over.

 ‘It can’t end like this,’ he thought.  ‘Luna’s gonna give birth!  I can’t die now, she needs me!  My kids need me!  Arrow-’

 “Dad!” cried a voice.

 Toby blinked.  “Arrow?”

 There she was, coming into the entrance of the cave astride another dog who quickly tossed her off and lunged at the wolverine.  The beast was caught unawares, and in a moment the other dog had it by the back of the neck.  The dog growled, the wolverine snarled and tried to turn.  Unable to maneuver, it tried to raise its tail to fire its spray.  But the other dog had a paw holding the tail down, and the wolverine couldn’t free it.

 Toby didn’t know where this other dog had come from, but her had other things to think about.  Quickly he darted into the fray and clamped his jaws on the wolverine’s neck, closing off its windpipe.  The creature slashed at his neck, but Toby held on and was greatly relieved when it began to weaken.  Finally, it hung limp and he let go.

 The other dog tossed its heavy body to one side, and Arrow stared at it.  “Is it… dead?” she asked.

 “Just unconscious, I think,” Toby replied, his voice raspy from shortness of breath.  “Whatever it is, I’m not waiting to find out.  Let’s get out of here.”

 As they left the cave, he turned to thank the other dog.  “Thanks.  I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for…” he began, but stopped when he caught a good look at the other dog’s face.  “You?!” he asked in surprise.

 The other dog looked at him, gasped, and turned to glare at Arrow.  “You dragged me out of town to save him?!” he demanded in rage.

 Arrow was baffled.  “You know each other?”

 Toby sighed.  “Sadly yes,” he admitted.  “Arrow, say ‘Uncle.’”

 Arrow was puzzled.  “But we won.”

 “No,” Toby replied.  “Arrow, this is your uncle. Pete.”

 “Uncle Pete?” asked Arrow in surprise.  “The big dummy?”

 Toby winced.  “Arrow, uh…”

 Pete was furious, and that last bit from Arrow didn’t help at all.  “I can’t believe you got me into a fight with a wolverine just to rescue this punk mutt!” he snapped.  “I’m outta here.”  And with that he took off, headed for town.

 Toby and Arrow stared after him.  “Even from the way you described him,” Arrow commented, “I never thought he was that bad.”

 Toby laughed.