your pack will leave.  Now.”  He slowly stepped forward until he was nose-to-nose with the tyrant.  “And if you or any of your clan ever come near my daughter again, I will personally end your miserable life.”

Scar bared his teeth, then turned away.  “Come,” he growled.  We watched with great satisfaction as he and his remaining followers disappeared over the hills.

There was great rejoicing that night.  The spies had been ferreted out, the battle was won, and our pack was once more secure.  The former members of the Black Claw pack were just as eager to celebrate, glad to be free of Scar’s iron rule.  It seemed the only one who wasn’t celebrating was me.  I just sat on the edge of the crowd, watching everyone else.  Suddenly I became aware of someone at my side.  It was Aniu, of course.

“Why aren’t you happy?” she asked.  “You saved my life, and the entire pack.  You’re a hero, Kodan!”

I shook my head, not sure how to answer her question.  “I just can’t seem to get over it, that’s all.  Aniu, I killed a wolf today.  Not a caribou or a rabbit, a wolf.”

She nodded.  “I understand, but you did it only out of necessity.  Kava was a spy and a traitor.”

“Yes, but he was still a wolf.”

Nothing could have prepared me for what came next.  “Well, maybe this will cheer you up.”  And then she planted a quick peck on my cheek.  I stared at her, my mouth hanging open.  “Consider it a thank-you for saving me from Kava.”

I smiled.  “Thank you.”

She smiled.  “Now come on.  The party’s all for you.  We might as well join in.”

Part 9: Aniu 

In the days that followed, Kodan and I spent a great deal of time together.  Some of the females in the pack seemed jealous of me for going steady with the pack hero, and then there were a few who couldn’t believe I was actually considering a dog, even if he had saved the pack.  Frankly, I didn’t care what they thought.  He wasn’t just a hero, he was my friend.  I had seen wolves, and Kodan was no mere wolf.  I had never seen his kind of courage or honor in anyone before, not even my father.

I imagine things would have gone perfectly from there if Kodan hadn’t fallen ill.  We consulted the Wise Ones from our own pack and every neighboring pack, but none of them could offer any helpful advice.  This disease, they said, was fatal.

Strangely, Kodan seemed hopeful.  “I know what I’ve got,” he said from his bed of leaves.  “Dogs in Nome get it all the time.  It’s some disease I can’t remember the name of, but it’s a snap to treat.”

“There’s only one problem,” I noted.  “You’re here, and Nome is somewhere out there, much too far away for you to travel.”

“I thought of that,” he agreed.  “But I know a way.  There’s a mail route that runs through our territory.  All you have to do is take me to the route, and we’ll wait until a musher comes along and finds me.”

“He might think you’re a wolf,” I pointed out.

“Maybe.  But we still have my sled, even if we buried my teammates and the musher ages ago.  We can put the sled near me, and I could slip into one of the harnesses to show that I’m a sled dog.  Once I’ve been treated, I can come back here.”

I was uneasy about the plan, but in the end I saw little choice.  Father agreed anyway, so that was that.  We already knew the mail carriers’ schedule because our hunting parties always had to be careful when the sleds passed through that area.  In three days another sled would come…and take Kodan away.

I spent those three days by his side constantly, eating when he ate and sleeping when he slept, as if we had merged into a single being.  We stayed close at all times, although nothing unseemly ever passed between us.  On the last night, I asked him again if there was any other way.

“No,” he answered.  “I don’t like it any better than you do, Aniu.  But if I stay here, I’ll die.  Even worse, I might infect the other wolves.  Including you.”

“If it were just my life I wouldn’t care,” I confessed.  “I’d rather die with you than live with anyone else.”

“I’m flattered,” he smiled.  “Aniu, I’ll be back.  I promise.  As soon as I’m better, I’ll join another team or stow away on a sled in this direction.”

“Assuming you make it to Nome at all,” I pointed out.

He stifled a yawn.  “Aniu, please.  I can’t argue right now.  I need to save my energy for the trip home.”

I nodded and allowed him to fall asleep.  But for once I did not fall asleep at the same time.  I lay there plotting, thinking, deciding how to do what I knew must be done.

Part 10: Kodan 

“Kodan, wake up.”

“Wha…?” I asked as I slowly obeyed against my will.  Aniu was bending over me.  “What is it?” I asked.

Aniu stared into my eyes.  “Kodan, I want to go with you when you to leave tomorrow.”

“Aniu, that’s crazy.  You can’t come- it wouldn’t be right.”

“That can be fixed,” she pointed out.

My mind spun as I realized what she was driving at.  “Aniu, I know we’ve talked about that possibility, but I sort of thought it would come after I got back.”

“I would gladly wait if I had more hope of your safe return.  Any number of things could happen to you between now and then, and I want to be there with you like you were with me when Kava plotted against me.”

I sighed, wishing that I could say yes.  “If you try to follow us, there’s a good chance you’ll be shot.”

She had an answer ready for that one.  “I can wear one of the harnesses like you, and the musher will simply think that I‘m a sled dog.”

“What about when we get to Nome?” I asked.  “What kind of life would there be for you then?  You’d have to stay by yourself on the edge of town or fight for your survival in the back alleys.”

“It would only be temporary,” she reasoned.  “And regardless, I am willing to choose any life with you over a life without you.  You are my life now, Kodan.”

I smiled, but I knew she knew it wasn’t a happy smile.  “I’m honored, but it just won’t work.  There’s no way.”

“Isn’t there?” asked a voice.

Aniu jumped, and if I’d been in any shape to do so I would have too.  A figure approached us.  Papa!” exclaimed Aniu.

Sequoia nodded.  “Yes, daughter.  Now, am I to understand that you two have been discussing matrimony?”

I gulped and nodded.  “Yes, sir.  I, uh… suppose we have.”

He nodded.  “Aniu, may I speak with you for a moment alone?”

They left me, and I could only guess what they said after that.  Meanwhile, it gave me time to think.  Aniu was beautiful, there was no question of that.  I knew I loved her, and the conversation we’d just had proved she felt the same.  But should we be thinking about that, just when I was leaving with some chance of never coming back?  And what about Sequoia?  Sure he respected me, and even trusted me alone with his daughter, which said a lot.  But what did he think of my discussing marriage plans with Aniu without talking to him about it first?

My thoughts were interrupted by Aniu and her father returning.  Sequoia cleared his throat.  “Aniu has told me that she wishes to be your bride.”

“Well she’s already dressed for it,” I joked.  Seeing their confused expressions, I blushed.  “Sorry, just a little wedding joke.  Human brides wear white when they get married, so…” I trailed off, seeing that the joke had fallen flat.

“Yes, well,” Sequoia continued, “she has also told me that if you do not return alive, she has every intention of dying a maiden.”

My eyes widened.  “Do you really…?” I asked.  She nodded.

“I have told her that if she takes you as her husband, the rest of the pack is likely to reject her and may even rebel when she steps up as the new alpha.”

I nodded.  I hadn’t thought about that problem, but there it was.  Aniu would be taking a serious risk if we took a step like this.  “And what did you say?” I asked.

“I said that I don’t care about that.  If it comes to choosing between leadership and you, I choose you.”

I felt such awe inside, that someone like her could care so much about me, that all I could say was, “Thank you.”

Sequoia nodded.  “I may have an answer to this, but I must discuss it with Nina.  If she agrees, you will know in the morning.”  And with that, he turned and left.

We stared after him for a long moment.  Then Aniu walked over to the other side of me and lay down with her back against mine.  “I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you very warm,” she murmured.

I smiled.  “Yeah you will.”  Then on an afterthought I added, “It’s probably a little late after all these weeks, but you might get sick being so close to me.”

We weren’t facing each other, but I could sense her smile.  “If I become ill, then there is no choice but for me to come.”

‘Yes,’ I thought, ‘but what human would take care of a sick wolf?’

Part 11: Aniu 

I asked my father the following morning what his plan was and what mother had to say about it.  “You shall know soon enough,” he replied.

A group of us escorted Kodan to the intended pick-up point.  If our scouts were right, a sled would be coming in less than two hours.  Two hours left before Kodan left, maybe forever.

Much against my will, I helped him slip into his harness.  The rotten leather made him look weaker somehow, as if his disease had spread to infect the straps as