stopped running and rounded the corner near the Butcher Shop.

I can't believe I'm doing this, but that wolf was starving. I couldn't just LEAVE her. And, she was beautiful...

Iron smiled as he saw geese hanging from the side of the building, plucked and plump. He just had to get a running start...

Iron backed up, then ran full-on. Leaped. Jaws hit flesh, and he pulled the goose down.

Footsteps came from the inside of the building. Iron could hear them from the window. Sure enough, the butcher's head was in the window.

"Hey! Stealin' my meats, eh?" He had a rather large knife in his hand, and the scent of meat drifted off of him.

"Get outta here, dog! SCRAM!"

Iron ran, the goose dragging along beside him. He smiled, liking the fact of being in trouble. He found it very amusing.

Entering the forest, he saw Aniu sitting down, eyeing him.

"I've brought you goose. It's plucked and everything, so you don't have to do it yourself. Enjoy."

Aniu smiled and took the goose from his muzzle, her lips and nose touching his for a moment. Iron blushed, and Aniu dropped the goose at her feet.

"I really want to thank you. This'll feed most of the pack...thank you."

Iron looked away, but Aniu put her face close to his. "And, umm...I wanted also to say that you're not as bad as I thought you were. And...you're handsome, for a husky."

She licked his cheek in a kiss, and Iron just melted. He stuttered in a silly voice, and he felt as if his legs were made of jelly.

"N-no p-problem, Aniu. Any ti-time."

Aniu laughed breezily, took the goose in her jaws, and sped off, leaving Iron, head over heels, at the edge of the forest. The husky laughed aloud giddily, then headed home, thoughts of white wolves dancing around him.

***

Aniu smirked with the goose in her jaws, giggling as Nanook stared at her in disbelief when she came into view. His large jaws were parted wide, and he croaked, obviously too speechless to speak.

The pack congratulated the female, and Aniu let the plump goose lie down in the snow before speaking.

"I just...found it lying around. Must've been prey, or something to another wolf or animal. They even plucked it for us! And now we don't have to steal from other packs, isn't it great?"

Aniu's smile faded as her father stepped in from the crowd, his white pelt bristling a bit and his nose quivering keenly.

"Smells like humans, Aniu," Kuman growled softly, "and you smell of dog."

"Yes," Nanook said proudly, growling at Aniu with contempt. "They're trying to poison us with this meat!"

Aniu whipped her tail and growled in her own defense. "If it were poisoned, I would've died already, father. And its better than nothing. You can't just pass up this opportunity for a free meal!"

Kuman lifted his teeth, but let it be. He flicked his tail, and took a bite from the bird, his long fangs glinting and his eyes dominant to anyone who stepped close to the meal. When his share was over, Aniu stepped forward and grabbed a wing, dragging it away so she and Nava could share it.

In her den, the two wolves ate hungrily, and a shine of joy came to the tan male's eyes.

"You know what you've done for the pack? We don't have to steal, and we can go on for another week now, with this in our bellies."

Aniu smiled and licked her jaw of juice from the meat. Humans had seasoned it, made it taste sharper, like herbs. She nodded to Nava and rolled onto her back, exposing her belly.

"Wanna know how I really got it?"

Nava smirked, a hint of mock surprise in his eyes. The male knew her so well he could tell that she'd been lying.

"Yeah. You met a dog, right? You smell like it."

Aniu nodded. "His name was Iron."

Nava must've seen the far-away look in her eyes, and he chuckled softly. "Seems as if this Iron is more than just a friend."

Aniu, now sitting on her haunches, narrowed her eyes at her friend and glared at him. Not being able to stay mad at him, she pushed him gently with her nose. "He's just a dog. An aquaintance, nothing more. He just showed an act of kindness, which I'm grateful for."

Nava smirked a little, but left it at that. The two wolves ate and enjoyed eachother's company for the night.

 

The next morning, Aniu awakened before dawn. She stood, padding around Nava so he wouldn't awaken, and crept outside.

She headed for the human town, a wide smirk on her face. The pack would be full again today.

Aniu arrived in the town, seeing that the streets were empty. She flattened her ears and sniffed deeply with her nose. The scent of meat was drifting from a corner of the town, and she tracked it down to a large building with geese and other meat stripped around the outside.

It's like they're going to give it to us! she thought with a chuckle, and leaned against the side, her long body easily reaching the leg of some large animal. Aniu gripped it in her jaws and headed out the way she came.

The leg dragged against the snow, collecting frost. Aniu lifted her head and broke into a run, her tail high. She smirked at the buildings passing by, and thought of how stupid the humans were for leaving their meat out of reach. No wolf would dare do that! She laughed rather loudly and sped up, aware of lights turning on behind her as the humans wakened.

In the safety of the forest, Aniu dropped the meat for a minute and licked her jaws. She shook her fur and picked the meat up in her jaws again, and headed to her den-site.

Dropping it in the middle of the site, she walked back to the forest. She yawned, her jaws outstretched wide, and sat down.

CRAAAACK! Aniu spun around, her tail lashing.

"Who's there?" she snarled viciously.

A figure lept at her, and Aniu prepared herself for a blow...

***

Iron stopped ion his tracks, his head high. He sniffed deeply and turned his head from side to side. Bear scent was strong in the wind.

His fur bristled on his shoulders as he heard a yelp. The meat between his jaws dropped to the forest floor below.

He ran to the noise. It now had gotten to a sound of snarls and a series of thuds. He saw, outstretched on the winter snow, Aniu. Her white fur was now bloody, and her eyes were shut. One leg was twisted awkwardly, and some fur was missing on her flank.

The bear stood over her, large paws in the air as if it were ready to pound down on Aniu's body. Iron crouched down, muscles bunched, and leapt at the unprotected nose of the bear, his fangs clenched on the delicate flesh.

"RrrrrOWR!!!!" the bear screeched at the unexpected attack. It swatted at Iron, and one paw connected with his waist and threw him aside. He skidded in the snow and regained balance before the bear pounded his paws down at the snow where he had been standing.

Iron bit into the bear's paw and tugged. Hard. The bear lost balance and fell over. Iron snarled and spat out crimson blood. He pounced onto the bear's stomach and bit into it's neck, only so much that it got to its feet and retreated.

Aniu groaned slightly and stirred from her place.

Iron ran to her and sniffed her fur, seeing no serious wounds, but a big loss of blood.

"Aniu?"

A groan was his reply. He took her in his gentle mouth and slung her over his shoulders. "It's alright, I'll take you somewhere safe."

And so he ran toward the only safe place he knew: the boat on the outskirts of Nome.

An abandoned room on the boat was where he laid her, on top of a dusty blanket in the corner. He licked her muzzle gently.

"Aniu, wake up. Please."

The white wolf opened an eye groggily and flicked an ear. "...Iron? What happened to the bear...?...Where am I?"

"It's all right, Aniu, you're in a safe place now. It's called a boat."

Aniu lifted her head slowly. "Thanks for helping me...y'know, back there."

Iron blushed, but hid it as he licked her wounds. "No problem. Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

***

Aniu shook her pelt and looked up at Iron, who had sat on the deck of the boat. She couldn't thank him enough for cleaning her wounds, and of course saving her life. She had grown to admire him a lot.

She blushed when he turned to look at her. Maybe, yes...it had grown to more than admiration...

Aniu shook her head to clear it. Such foolish giddiness should be saved for the other huskies that swooned over Iron. She knew there were many, he had told her.

"Aniu?"

Iron was looking at her. Aniu turned red when she noticed she'd been staring at him as she thought.

"Yeah?" She said, trying not to sound too taken away.

Iron smirked. "Nothing. It's just...news around town is that the northern lights are showing tonight, and I was wondering if, uh...you'd like to see them with me?" His eyes were pleading. As if Aniu needed to be begged.

"Sure-I mean-uh, yeah, why not?" Her effort to sound casual almost made herself laugh.

Iron smiled and turned away, and Aniu heard him sigh. She giggled to herself, and looked out to the sky. The sun was setting.

"I'm going to take a walk. My legs need a good stretch." Aniu got to her feet and limped out, holding a paw up as she walked along the sandy beach.

***

Soon the moon rose high in the sky, and Aniu retreated to the boat, her tail wagging. Iron waited near the boat, his tail wagging slightly.

"I know where we can get the best view," he said, his eyes bright with determination. He wanted to impress her.

Aniu smiled and let him lead her into town. "Just stay low," he advised, "the humans won't notice, neither will the other dogs."

She hoped so. Iron came to a large human's building, a shack almost. Heat radiated from the door. Iron nudged the door open with his nose. He held it open with his shoulder, and held out his paw in a gesture for her to enter.

"After you."

Aniu laughed a bit and walked in, her body lowered, ready for what was next. Iron padded in after her, the sound of his claws on the floor audible.

"This way."

He led her to a tunnel, rather small in size. The both of them were able to squeeze in, but they remained close to eachother. Aniu smiled awkwardly.

"I thought

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