get into all the time.”

Balto thought about what he had just said.

He looked at the ground and sighed.

“Look, it’s just that… these wolves will not hesitate to kill you, and you’ve got no real experience to speak of…”

Blaize interrupted him.

“I was in that fight with that sled team a few weeks ago.”

“Yes,” Balto said, “but sled dogs do not fight like wolves do, especially these wolves, just go home, watch over your mother, and I’ll be there before you know it, okay?”

Blaize nodded, then he turned to the wolf that Balto had indicated.

“So what’s your name?”

The wolf stepped forward.

“I am called Hiakue.”

Blaize smiled.

“Well Hiakue, we’d better get going.”

The two of them walked back to the tunnel Balto and the others had used to get into the cave.

“You can still catch up to them Aleu,” Balto said.

Aleu just laughed, and walked forward.

Balto looked at Shadow, who shook his head, then followed Aleu out of the cave.

Balto took off after them.

Blaize and Hiakue were walking through the woods, when a black wolf leapt out at Blaize.

Blaize froze.

Hiakue jumped in front of him, and intercepted the wolf in mid leap.

The black wolf, and Hiakue rolled until they hit a nearby rock. This impact dazed Hiakue, and the black wolf got on top of him.

“Get out of here Blaize!” Hiakue yelled, as the black wolf went for the kill.

Blaize looked away as the black wolf tore into Hiakue.

He looked behind him, it was clear, a straight shot home, away from here…

He looked back and saw the black wolf ripping into Hiaku.

“Away from that,” He thought.

He looked behind him again.

Then he turned around and ran…. straight at the black wolf.

Dash was in the midst of Battle.

He dodged a paw that came flying his way, and hit the wolf to his left, knocking him to the ground.

It was hard tell friend from foe, as the wolves, all looked alike, and some of his friends before, were enemies now, in fact, most of the wolves he knew around him, were now his enemies.

He jumped to the left to avoid a wolf that jumped at him, and kicked another, that tried to bite him.

Dash looked over to see Shasta doing the same thing about a hundred yards to his left.

Dash began to try to make it to her, slowly, as there were more wolves fighting here than he had ever seen.

“Nothing’s going to happen to you Shasta,” he thought, “I’ll watch out for you.”

Tiru knocked another wolf to the ground, and jumped over him.

She dodged another attack, and turned to the right, not seeing the paw that came flying at her.

The paw caught her right below the ear, and she hit the ground.

She struggled up and was hit by a wolf, that jumped at her.

The two of them rolled around on the ground, surrounded by fighting wolves.

Tiru hit the wolf in the face several times, feeling blood flow between her claws, then she kicked him in the chest, and finished with a strike to his belly, that threw him away from her.

The wolf yelped, and hit the ground.

She jumped to her feet, and looked at her enemy.

She growled, and prepared to leap on top of him, staring at his exposed throat.

Then she stopped, and watched as the wolf got slowly to his feet.

“Kacto?” She asked.

Kacto growled at her.

She turned, intending to leave him alone, to let someone else fight him, but she was suddenly hit from behind, knocked to the ground, as he leapt on top of her.

Aleu ran through the cave, dodging fighting wolves, only fighting those who stood in her way, she was looking for someone in particular.

Shadow had started out doing his best to protect her, but had wound up more or less chasing her.

Balto had tried to follow, but was unable to keep up, and stopped as one of the black wolves dropped down in front of him.

Balto looked at him and growled.

The wolf leapt at him, and Balto prepared to defend himself.

Aleu had made her way to the top of the cave, and was preparing to run into the chamber, that had once been her home. Suddenly, she sensed an enemy nearby and turned.

Time seemed to slow, as she saw the black wolf, jaws open wide, sailing at her, from his perch on a rock above her.

She knew there was no way that she could possibly dodge him, they were going to hit.

“And hit hard,” Aleu thought.

She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact, but none came, as Shadow leapt in front of her, teeth bared.

He intercepted the wolf’s attack, and the two of them collided, rolling until they hit the wall.

Shadow and the wolf were a little dazed by the impact, as they stood up.

Aleu looked back at Shadow.

The black wolf leapt at him, and hit him.

His head hit the wall pretty hard.

Aleu moved to help.

“Aleu go get her!” Shadow yelled, as he threw the wolf off of him.

“Go!”

Aleu nodded at him, then she disappeared into the chamber.

Shadow stood and faced his opponent.

Then he heard growling from behind him, and turned to see another black wolf drop down behind him.

The two wolves began to circle Shadow.

Shadow eyed his enemies cautiously.

“Here goes,” he thought.

Then the wolves jumped at him.

Lightning was coming over the hill now, leading the second wave.

He looked to his right and left and saw Sheik and Lima beside him.

It felt good to be on the right side again.

He couldn’t see him, but he knew that Thunder was somewhere near the back.

The group was close enough to the cave now to see the battle taking place there.

It was a horrific thing to behold.

There were dead and injured wolves everywhere, and the battle hadn’t been going but for about ten minutes yet.

Lightning sped up the pace, wondering if anyone from the first wave had survived.

Soon, they were running full out.

Then they heard a gunshot.

Lightning screeched to a halt.

“What was that?” He thought.

Another sounded, and Lima dropped.

“No!” Lightning thought.

Yet another crashed through the woods, and the tight group of wolves, scattered, now just a jumble, headed at the cave.

Lightning let them all run by him, watching the unmoving body of Lima.

“It can’t be….” He thought.

Two more shots crashed through the woods, one of them taking bark off of a tree a few inches from his head, the other, close enough to spray snow into his face.

“I’ve got to get out of here!” He thought.

Then he turned and ran.

Blaize hit the black wolf hard, and the two of them rolled over and over, they stopped when Blaize flipped over, and landed on his feet.

The black wolf continued rolling until he hit a tree on the edge of a cliff.

The wolf was somewhat dazed, and was unprepared for Blaize as he slammed into its side, throwing it very near the cliff.

Blaize ran at the wolf, and as he neared, the seemingly dazed wolf snapped back to his senses, and hit Blaize right in the nose with his paw.

Blaize stumbled back and shook his head.

The black wolf growled.

Blaize was scared, his father had been right when he said that Blaize knew nothing of fighting, or at least not fighting when your life was on the line.

Blaize could see a cool confidence in the wolf’s eyes that scared him.

Blaize let his fear guide him, that and something else, that he didn’t quite know he could tap into, instinct, the battle hardened instinct of his wild ancestors.

He dodged the wolf’s next attack, and hit him in the face, as the wolf reeled back from the unexpected attack, Blaize jumped at him, throwing all of his weight into an attack that again surprised the wolf in its ferocity.

Blaize slammed into the wolf, throwing him to the side.

Blaize was on top of him almost instantly, burying his teeth in the wolf’s thick hide.

The wolf struggled, trying to get away, but Blaize held on.

He almost let go, somewhat nauseated by the taste of blood flowing into his mouth, but then he remembered what would most surely happen if he did, and clamped his jaws tighter.

The wolf finally sagged, deadweight.

Blaize let go and the wolf fell to the ground.

Blaize looked down at the wolf and saw what his teeth had done to it.

He almost threw up, then he looked back at the wolf, unable to comprehend what he’d just done.

The wolf had, not five minutes ago, been somebody, alive, now…

“I killed him,” Blaize thought.

Then he heard the sounds of battle, growling and barking.

He looked back to the cave.

“Dad,” he thought.

Then Blaize took off running, running back to the cave.

Dash was having a hard time defending himself, and watching out for Shasta at the same time.

It was actually growing quite dangerous, as he was more concerned for her than for himself.

He narrowly dodged a paw that sailed at him from the right.

He did evade it, and kicked the assailant in the face, propelling the wolf away from him.

Dash never took his eye off of Shasta.

Watching as she too weaved and dodged, to avoid deadly strikes that were thrown at her from all directions.

Dash tried to stay beside her, but the unpredictability of her movements made it almost impossible.

Shasta noticed Dash was watching out for her, and tried to separate herself from him.

"It's sweet," she thought, "but if he doesn't start watching his own back, instead of mine, he's going to get smashed."

Dash still followed her, amazingly keeping up with her as she moved.

Dash had gotten to know her very well in the last few years, and he had