strike.

Steele decided to move on morning of that day and get to refinery unnoticed. Then to take cover and wait for evening events. In crowd of humans, with many new dogs he could slip undetected to his enemy and inflict a one fatal blow. Malamute was sure of his ability to kill. In previous year he had been killing wolves. Many wolves, sharpening his fangs on that final, great game. Steele was almost eight year old, however he was still in prime of his strength. That was a golden autumn of dog’s live when creature was still able to reach his limits. “Now or never!” thought Steele. “Such an opportunity wouldn’t happen again.”

So he approached to northern side of town, seeing the big and remote building of refinery. However on that morning factory wasn’t lifeless. Malamute heard a noise made by numerous dogs. There had to be those dogs fighters. Steele was curious what kind of creatures would slaughter themselves in order to amuse their owners, but he repressed his curiosity and sneaked to the wall of building.

Since end of the Second Gold Rush refinery hadn’t been used, so it was half ruined factory. In wall dog found a whole in grey metal plates and he entered the darkness of inside. He knew well that factory, because he was living there long time ago… before he found master Gunnar and became the master. Old memories held him in place, making him to sniff scents around. But he sensed just presence of dozen of warrior dogs. So he set off next to wall, passing cages.

Those were blind on rears, so dogs sensed him just because of scent. But his presence wasn’t any sensation – fighters had to recognise him as some curious locals. “I will hide on director’s office, if humans haven’t taken it. Then I will… NO!” he yelled in mind and stopped. He raised his nose and sniffed again. But he couldn’t be wrong.

“God dammit!” yelled.  “Not now!”

But he was instantly deluged by memories and something totally new for him – pangs of conscience. “It’s Berenice!” he thought with shock. “She is here, capture by human breeders! I… I let her being caught!” As we wrote: that was completely new emotion for dog and it burst from complete voice. Reason of Steele called to him to leave it and focus on the quest. But everything what wasn’t reason demanded his action. Dog quickly estimated his chanced and understood that help in escape of former ward would complicate things greatly. However it still wasn’t hopeless. “I’m mad.” Murmured former leader and jumped on the cage.

Creature inside had to ignore that, because she was still motionless. So Steele took a look around and seeing that only human inside was in doorstep of director’s office, he sighed with relief. Although there was another problem – dog sensed some presence on the wall where his hole-pass was. He cursed badly, but didn’t stop. He knew that wrestling with a padlock, but metal wire net on front of cage was – paradoxically – not so hard to break, if one knows how. So Steele grabbed the brink of mesh and clenched his jaws. Few wires broke and that was enough. He steeped behind the brink and started to slide down, tearing the net with his own mass. When he touched the ground, a hole in front mesh was enough to small dog to pass. However his first impression after seeing Berenice was: “God! How she grew up!”

She-malamute raised her sleepy head and looked on her guest. For few seconds she was staring with disbelief on scene in front of her and meanwhile Steele was extending a hope. Finally he gasped.

“Go on! We’re out of here.”

“Steele!” she called and ran to mesh.

“Shh!” gasped dog. “Humans.”

“Yes, I know, but…”

“Follow me!” ordered malamute and turned away.

So they set off in silent run to the centre of factory. Steele lead Berenice to the round staircase in the middle of main hall. Then, trying to be quiet they climbed up. It wasn’t too easy for dogs to walk on metal, narrow stairs, but they managed to reach the upper platform over the hall.

“Now the real nasty part.” Murmured Steele and stopped next to wall, where roof was just one meter over the surface of platform. “Jump on my back and try to break a plates. It not so hard, those are lightly placed.”

“But Steele…” she murmured.

“Do what I’m saying!” growled former leader.

So she obeyed – jumped on dog and with her head pressed the roof surface. Rusty metal plates indeed surrendered quickly and after few moments there was a hole to the open air.

“I will throw you as high as I can, but you must jump higher by yourself.”

“And you?” she asked.

“I have problem.” Replied malamute. “Ready? One, two… three!”

Berenice was pushed up and she pounced on Steele’s back in the same time. She easily reach to roof and grabbed the brink of hole. When she stood up, unexpectedly Steele sprang from hole, as if he was shoot by cannon.

“Wow!” whispered Berenice.

“Old bed with springs and a bit of idea.” Murmured Steele. “But now there is a real challenge. We can’t just jumped down, because humans would see us.”

“But humans…” yelled Berenice.

“Shut up!” gasped Steele. “Do what I’m saying or we are toasted! We must jump to that tool shed ahead. I think this about three metres away. Can you make it?”

“I think…”

“If you failed and fall down, you will be detected. In that case, run, whatever happens. I will distract them. Right?”

“If you say so…”

“So go!” ordered Steele.

Confused Berenice set off to run and gained impetus. She perfectly jumped away from roof and with ease (Steele barely believed what he saw) landed on shed. Then malamute went. He accelerated to maximum and pounced ahead. However he wasn’t as agile as Berenice and he was heavier too. So he flew over the edge and hit hard the brink of shed’s roof. She-malamute reacted instantly, by grabbing his fur on neck and pulling him up. After several seconds they were lying on roof (to be accurate: Steele was lying on Berenice), panting heavily.

“Steele!” finally called Berenice with puppyish joy in her voice.

“Hush!” gasped dog. “We still have to run.”

Without any further explanation, he stood up and came to other brink of roof. He took a look around and jumped down on snow drift.

“It’s clear!” gasped from down. “It’s your turn.”

She followed him and landed in the same pile of snow. When she got put, he was already looking around with anxious face.

“Go! To that grove!” called and set off to run.

She had to follow him, in spite it was all stupid. But Berenice was thinking only about that encounter. “I knew I would met him. I knew it!” she thought and burst with laughter. They entered a larch grove, where tired Steele stopped. She pounced on him, overturning him and pinning to the ground. Because the exhausted dog didn’t resist (he had no strength for that), she covered his muzzle with licks.

“Steele…” she cried. “You found me! I cant believe it!”

“Yeah, great…” murmured Steele. “But let’s go farther, they could search for you.”

“You came…” she repeated. “For all those months I was dreaming about it.”

“This is the second time I became a hero against my will.” Thought former leader. “I’m happy to see you too.” Said awkwardly. “But we must go before humans…”

“No, you don’t understand.” She cried. “Master Eden is good… I have go back to him. But with you, of course…”

“Go back?” amazed Steele. He felt a fire in his throat. “But you was imprisoned.”

“No, that cage is just to protect locals from us.” Replied Berenice. “I’m fighting voluntary…” she looked on him with sudden fear. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“WHAT!?” yelled Steele. “So you didn’t need to be rescued!?”

“That was amazing!” she called. “You are my hero!” she licked him once again. “But in fact… Yes, I wasn’t in actual captivity.”

“GOD DAMMIT” howled Steele with despair. “So I did…”

“But we are together, right?” asked Berenice. “You found me. That what you wanted, right?” She noticed a confusion of his face. “You haven’t been looking for me?” she asked with breaking voice. “You came here for just your vengeance?”

“So you need my help or not?” asked Steele bluntly. “Tell me quick, I have lot of work to do.”

“But I thought… I thought…”

“What you want me to do. Decide now, because I have to get this bastard Balto, before whole city get know about my return.”

She turned her stare to the ground, stayed silent for a while and answered.

“Right, it’s not a time yes. I still haven’t a golden collar for you. But I will! Tonight I’ll show you, who I am!”

“Huh?” murmured amazed dog. “What are you talking about?”

“Us, Steele.” she replied with breaking voice. “I hope that when I find you we could be together.”

“What?” gasped Steele. “You with me? Do you know who are you talking about?”

“About you… my…”

“Stop it!” growled malamute. “Just ask anyone here about me and you will get the right view on me.”

“I love you, Steele.” sobbed Berenice. “And soon I will prove I’m worthy of you.” Suddenly she stood up and ran in factory direction. Malamute set off to follow her, but he stopped, alarmed by barks of dogs. If he had followed he would had been detected for good.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked himself, reminding Berenice’s words. Although he was living the life far from normality that dose of absurd was hard to swallow. “Anyway, there is a job to do.” His cover in refinery was useless then. Additionally his pathetic and idiotic attempt caused some noise and it was just a matter of time before was got detected. So he had to act quickly and in improvised way. He didn’t like to, but actually he was the best in such a jobs.

*

Berenice was running thought the forest.

She passed the refinery and went further to the city. All she knew what that Steele didn’t want her. And he didn’t want her because of some mysterious reason. There was the only way to solve that riddle and face with it. She had chance to get know why her Steele could love her. And as a natural-born