VOICES:

- Aniu: Young Glenn Close

-Tundra: Jeff Bridges

-Ataneq: Jack Nicholson

-Sage: Julie Andrews

       “Here you go leader” one of my pack mates mumbled, dropping a piece of meat and avoiding eye contact.

“I’m not the leader!” I almost shrieked. “And I’m capable of getting my own food thank you!”

I stormed back into our den. Why did everybody treat me like this! It was so frustrating! Everybody in my pack didn’t talk to me, let me do anything on my own or let me go anywhere on my own! The only thing that separated me from them was the fact that I was the only survivor of four sisters…

            “Aniu?!”

“I’m right here dad and I don’t think I’m going anywhere! Even if you let me!”

My father Ataneq, glided into the den. My mother Sage was right behind him.

            “Aniu, please try to understand” my mother said nuzzling my head. She glanced over my shoulder and gave my father a look.

“What was that supposed to mean?”

Sage glared at my father and whispered something in his ear. He shook his head furiously.

            “Not now, when she’s older!”

With that he exited the cave, leaving me very puzzled and twice as curious. Sage gave me a sympathetic look and followed my father.

“Well at least this will only last until I’m seven months old” I sighed, dropping to the den floor.

Four months later, I found I was wrong. The day of my seven- month birthday I woke excited that I would be able to use skills I had honed in secret and that I could finally be important. My father called the pack together in a howl and I rushed forward, howling the loudest. Immediately, my father stopped and gave me a curious look.

“What?”

            “What are you doing?”

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach and laid back my ears.

“Going hunting for the first time since I’m seven months old”

            “It’s far to dangerous for you to hunt”

My mother objected but I had reached my breaking point. I could understand the caution, the surrounding wolf packs were dangerous and constantly at war; but not being able to hunt!

“What good am I to the pack if I can’t do anything and everything is too dangerous!”

My father opened his mouth to say something but I wasn’t done yet.

“I’ve been hidden away since I’ve been born and I haven’t traveled farther then the North Border! I haven’t had time on my own since mother left! I think my sisters are better off dead then the treatment I’m getting”

The look on my father’s face was twisted. I whirled around and took off toward the west border. My father’s worried voice commanded some wolves to fetch me back. But I was surprisingly too fast. The snow that had settled on the ground the previous night was giving away my trail so when I found a creek, I made sure my scent was washed away and crossed to the other side. I laid flat in the snow and watched as the wolves sent to catch me scurried around trying to find me. They glanced across the creek for a brief second and I held my breath. Then they took off down the side of the creek.

I stood up and shook the caked snow off of me and took in my surroundings. Tall pine trees closed in around me from every side except the one closest to the creek. This couldn’t be our territory… but I wasn’t ready to go back to mine yet. I set off deeper into the woods, the trail getting darker and creepier. Suddenly:

            “Where are you goin’ in such a hurry?”

A scrappy grey wolf jumped out. I almost yipped but this wolf looked about the same size but skinnier. I could win in a fight against him.

“You better watch out! My father’s going to be back any minute with our huge pack! They’ll tear you to shreds!” I lied.

He paused for a second, but another larger grey wolf came behind him. He grinned with confidence and started towards me.

                        “The area’s clear. No one’s within hearing distance”

I gulped and bared my teeth. I was positive I couldn’t win against this bigger wolf. I started to back up very slowly.

            “You’re Aniu right? Daddy’s little golden girl?”

“I’m warning you! What do you want with me any-“

The scrappy wolf lunged at me, just barely missing me. I growled at him. Then I made a shocked face and pretended to see something behind them. Both turned whipped around to see what I was looking at. I whipped around and took off. They both looked slow and clumsy. I flew the woods and didn’t slow down until the crashing behind me disappeared. Then I dived under a tree and waited for the two to run past. The galloped by, not even noticing me. I relaxed and waited. I was brimming with self confidence with my new talent of hiding until a set of jaws locked around my back leg and whipped me out. Unable to control myself, I let out a little yip.

Yet another wolf, a black one with hatred filled yellow eyes snarled at me. He howled and the two wolves from before scrambled back and skit to a stop in front of the black wolf.

            “How could you guys be so stupid!? She was under a tree!” he snarled.

I pulled myself to my feet and felt my hackles rise. All three turned to look at me. The scrappy wolf lunged again, but I was ready. I sidestepped and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He yelped as I tried to throw him back. He was a lot heavier then he looked. The bigger wolves circled me. The sense of dread grew inside of me and my growl dwindled to almost a whisper. What had I gotten myself into? This was the farthest thing from proving I could take care of myself.

            “We don’t want to kill ya” ,chimed the black wolf, moving behind me.

                        “Yea, yea, we won’t kill ya if you just come with us” the big gray repeated stupidly.

I didn’t trust them. The black wolf, behind me, crouched down. He tried to jump at me, but I ducked and ran again. My feet flew but the wolves were organized with their leader now. The bigger gray wolf jumped at me from the right. I dodged left but the scrappy wolf was there. I ran as fast as I could only to have my feet thrown out from under me. I fell hard and tumbled. The black wolf pinned me down easily.

            “Gotcha”, he whispered while the other two chuckled.

“Sorry” I almost whispered. “What do you want from me?”

            “I want you to be my mate!” he cackled, trying to flip me over.

“No!” I managed, kicking him in the stomach with my hind legs.

            “Alright then I’ll hafta kill ya” he laughed. He wrapped his jaws around my throat and the two grey wolves laughed hysterically. 

“Let go of my daughter!” my father thundered.

The three wolves stopped laughing and the black wolf let me go. I scurried to my feet and turned to my father. He didn’t look very happy. I trotted up to my pack and nuzzled my mother, who seemed more scared then angry. Meanwhile, part of the pack surrounded the three wolves.

“Get out of here. This is our territory!” my father thundered.

My three attackers didn’t waste any time getting away and scrambled away with their tails tucked between their legs. I smiled but when my father turned to me, the joy melted away. He was furious with me.

            “That was irresponsible and foolish! Didn’t I tell you the world was too dangerous for you”

I lowered my head and tail in shame. With the pack gathered around, it was getting hotter with every word that dropped out of Ataneq’s mouth. Not to mention that it was embarrassing.

            “I never thought you’d do something like this!” he continued. “I’m disappointed in you”

I looked at the ground and shuffled my feet in the dusty snow. My father turned around and headed back to the den.

            “From now on, you’re never going to come out of that cave again until we’ve found a suitable mate for you”

I opened my mouth to object and Ataneq raised his eyebrows, ready to knock down whatever I threw at him. Instead, I jammed my mouth shut and stormed back to the den. Two wolves caught up with me and stayed on either side. This was ridiculous! But I already had a plan blooming in my head… and I was going to go through with it tonight!

            It had to be midnight when I put my plan into action. Because of what had happened