ready to make the journey home.”

I decided not to tell her just then that my home was hundreds of miles away, much too far for any dog to travel alone.

Part 3: Aniu 

Kodan stayed with us for several months.  Despite the initial prejudice against him, his honor and courtesy soon earned him the respect of most of the pack.  It probably helped somewhat that he had earned Papa’s favor early on.  I could see that Kodan was very much like some of the males I had viewed more positively in the past.  He tried hard to get along with everyone, and for the most part he was successful.

Unfortunately, he was not so successful with Kava.  The black wolf tried every trick he could concoct to get the pack to dislike Kodan, and I was pleased to see that his success was limited.  Kava never missed a chance to mock Kodan’s “inferior breed,” but Kodan readily demonstrated that he was as fast as our best runners and twice as gracious a winner.  He never boasted about his victories, but ended every race with some kind remark to the losing party.  Kava tried to come up with lies about Kodan having no respect for our laws, but most of the pack saw through this charade too.  Kodan was a fast learner, and never repeated an offense or failed to apologize once it had been pointed out to him.  Kava even went so far as to challenge him to a fight, but Kodan politely backed down, saying that it would be rude for a mere dog such as himself to go up against even the least among wolves, much less a “worthy opponent” like Kava.  I was amazed at his tactfulness.  I certainly wouldn’t have called Kava a worthy anything.  Clearly, Kodan was either the most polite or the most cunning canine I had ever met.

As it drew towards spring, Kodan began to make daily trips to the place of his team’s death so he could pile more snow on top of them.  I was puzzled by this practice, and once I decided to ask him about it.  He seemed confused that I was confused.  “I’m trying to keep their bodies frozen so they won’t rot until I’ve had the chance to bury them,” he explained.

I was touched by his dedication.  “When my first brothers and sisters were born, two of them were born dead.  I forgot about them by the end of the week,” I confessed.

“I’ll bet it took your parents longer,” he said.

“Yes,” I nodded.  “But you treat these dogs, who have been dead for months, as if they were your own family.”

“Well, you could say they were,” he answered.  “I don’t really have any family back in Nome.”  His face clouded over.  “Blizzard did, though.  His mate and kids are gonna be devastated when he doesn’t come back.”

For some reason I found myself wishing that Kodan wouldn’t have to go back to Nome, which I guessed to be his hometown.  I liked him.  He was honest and considerate, a loyal friend, and his sense of honor was unlike anything I’d ever seen among wolves.  When he hunted with the pack on occasion, he always went after an old animal, never a young one, because the young ones “deserved a chance to grow up.”  Other wolves laughed at his logic, but I could see reason in it.  After all, the older ones were soon to die anyway, but the youngsters were only just getting started.  Besides, older prey meant more meat per animal.  All in all, if I wasn’t necessarily attracted to him, I found him to be a good companion.

One night I was wandering by myself under the moon.  It was a nice kind of loneliness, with just the moon and the stars and I.  I got thirsty, so I went to the river to have a drink.  There was ice, of course, but winter was nearly over and the ice was so thin I could break it with just a tap.

The sound of the water must have drowned out the sound of approaching footsteps, because I didn’t hear Kava until he was almost right beside me.  “Hey, princess,” he said in my ear.

I was so startled I almost screamed.  “What do you want?” I asked, backing up.  I had been enjoying the solitude and had no interest in Kava’s attempts to court me.

“Oh, nothing,” he said with a shrug.  He looked up at the moon.  “Nice full moon, isn’t it?” he asked.  “And the stars are lovely tonight.”

I snorted.  “You expect me to buy that kind of junk from you?”

He smirked.  “Hey, you buy it from Kodan, don’t you?”

My ears slid back.  “Not the way you’re thinking, I don’t,” I snarled.

“Hey, hey, easy there, princess.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a nice chat with the prettiest wolf around, is there?”  He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck from side to side.  “Look, there’s gonna be a big hunt tomorrow, and I was thinking maybe you’d like to go with the best-looking guy in the pack.”

I felt my lips beginning to part, showing a slight hint of tooth.  “I might if you would kindly direct me to him.  I’ve told you before, I will tell you again: no.  Besides, you know my father decides who’s in what group, not me.”

“Yeah, but you could talk to him about it.”

“Good point,” I said.  “I’ll be sure to ask him to keep our groups as far apart as possible.”

Kava growled.  “Very funny.”

“Who’s joking?  Now please leave.”

“Who’s gonna make me?” he asked, taking a step closer.

“Kava,” I warned, bristling.  “Don’t push me.”  I was pretty sure I could take him on in the unlikely event that he tried anything.  And whoever won, I knew that any damage he did to me (or vice-versa) would be nothing compared to what Father would do to him if he laid a paw on me.

As it turned out, though, the fight never took place.  A snarling blur shot out of the woods and struck Kava in the side, knocking him into a patch of brambles.  I blinked and stared in disbelief.  “Kodan?” I asked.  Gone was the calm, easygoing dog I knew.  In his place was a snarling fighter whose raised fur seemed to double his size.

“Maybe your ears aren’t working tonight,” he growled at Kava.  “She said to get lost.”

“What’s it to you, dog-breath?” Kava snapped, trying to shake the stinging plants out of his fur.

“It matters to me because Aniu is my friend,” Kodan growled.  “Now either move it or find out just how ‘weak’ I am.”

Part 4: Kodan 

You know how sometimes you get into a crazy situation and end up doing stuff you never thought you’d do?  Well, that’s what happened.  I was following Aniu, hoping to play a joke on her, and then I looked through the bushes and saw that creep Kava bothering her.

I didn’t know what came over me at that moment.  I mean, I’m a sled dog.  Not a fighter.  Never a fighter.  I would probably back down from a fight with a kitten.  But when I jumped out and crashed into Kava, I could see by the look on his face that, fighter or no fighter, I had surprised him.  Surprised, and angered.  I might have even scared him a little.  Or a lot.  “And just who do you think you are, getting in my way?” he demanded.

I narrowed my eyes.  “Someone you do not want to mess with,” I answered.  “Now either get out of here or get ready to fight.”

Kava stood up.  “Okay,” he growled.  He tested his claws on the ground.  “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”  He looked about ready to attack when a voice stopped both of us cold.

“Kava!  Kodan!”  It was Sequoia, stepping out of the shadows.  “What exactly is going on here?”

Kava jumped in.  “I was just talking with Aniu, asking if she wanted to be in the same group for the hunt tomorrow.  Then Kodan jumped out of nowhere.  He was going to attack me, honest.”

“That’s not-“ I started to say, but Sequoia cut me off with a sharp glance.  Then he stared hard at Kava.

“I have ears, Kava.  And ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for this’ doesn’t exactly sound innocent.  Anyway, you know that grouping arrangements are decided by me.”

Kava was as quick as a whip with another lie.  “Yeah, I know.  I just, uh, wanted to see if she liked the idea before I asked you.”

Sequoia fixed his gaze on me.  “Kodan, what do you have to say about this?”

“It’s all a lie, sir,” I protested.  “Kava was out here bothering Aniu, so I stepped in to stop him.”

Sequoia nodded.  “So, it all comes down to Aniu.”  He looked at her.  “What happened?”

Aniu edged away from Kava.  Every inch of her body seemed to radiate contempt for him.  “I was out here for a walk when Kava came up and asked me about the hunt tomorrow.  I told him I wasn’t interested, and he started to press the matter.  I kept telling him no, but he wasn’t listening.  Then Kodan stepped in, and then you arrived.”

Sequoia nodded.  “Very well.  It’s their word against yours, Kava.  I would like to have a word with you.”  The way he said it, I knew it wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience for the black wolf.

Sequoia turned and walked away.  Kava followed, stopping long enough to snarl at me.  “Listen, you,” he uttered under his breath, “Aniu is…”

“Kava,” called Sequoia.  Kava growled and loped away.  I went over to Aniu.

Staring after him, I muttered, “Definitely leech.”  Then I turned my attention to Aniu.  “Are you alright?” I asked.  “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head.  “No, I’m fine.”  She smiled.  “I don’t think he really planned to do anything.  Sometimes he tries to frighten me, but despite all appearances he’s got enough sense not to actually touch me.  Either that or he doesn’t have the brainpower to cook up anything rotten.”

“I’m betting on the second one,” I commented.

Aniu laughed.  “Maybe.  He tried stealing a kiss from