still looking on his neck.

“Have them grown bigger?” asked dog with tired voice.

“No sir… I’m just… eee… marvelling at your muzzle features.” Replied she-dog.

Unexpectedly for himself, Steele burst in laughter. He had to sit down on snow, repressing his giggles. After about minute he calmed down, looked on her and said.

“Well said, baby. I’m sure those oedemas made look more mature and nobly. But if you are ready, we should go.” She nodded her head and Steele turn back to east. “So come. I’m not going to die unless I come to some more civilised area.”

*

The weather was perfect, at least for winter time. Sun was shining with its full force, and although it quickly disappeared over horizon, no wind nor snow disturbed pleasant, calm dusk.

“When you are tired, just tell me.” Said malamute, turning his head to companion, walking about twenty feet behind him.

“No, sir.” Replied Berenice. “But I’m curious, where we are going.”

“I’m curious too, baby.” Smiled malamute.

“That means you haven’t any…” asked she-dog, but she stopped, not sure if Steele wanted to talk. “But tell me, sir, why do you do it. I mean… don’t you have some pack… or I don’t know… family, sled?”

“No.” replied Steele. “It’s all as you see. I have now you and presumably: the bubonic plague.”

“And your collar?” inquired she.

“I doubt if it could be a carrier.” Replied Steele with slight irritation.

“I mean: why you are the carrier of the collar?” asked Berenice, as if she missed the joke.

“Let’s make a deal: no questioning about past, right?” Steele stopped and turned to his companion. She stopped intently too, not to close to him.

“I’m sorry, I just…”

“Let’s make a stop.” Decided Steele.

For place to stay a night they chose a dense cluster of young pines, probably natural plant after some old fire there. They separately dug dens in distance about fifty feet. Berenice asked why so far, if there were marching much closer, but Steele explained that in place the probability of infection is greater, so they have to be careful.

“You know… few things changed since we left mountains.” Said, but before he finished that sentence, he understood ha was absolutely right. And he missed some simple necessities of camping in new area.

“Werk!” growled quietly. “Berenice… try to walk to edge of cluster… silently.”

“What…”

“Do you think you would fool wolf’s senses?” asked voice from the dark.

Steele tried to analyse the situation. It was dark, they were in unknown area and were surrounded by unknown number of wolves. A hungry ones, probably starving for long time of epidemic. Suddenly malamute burst in hysterical laughter, understanding the complete stalemate of situation.

“Are you so avid to die, pet-dog?” asked a voice from the darkness. In shades of cluster Steele noticed several silhouettes of forest predators. Presumably it was just an avant-garde. However, it didn’t matter.

“Hey, savage!” called dog playfully. “I think you could attack the pine with similar success. We are not destined to be eaten.”

“I do not believe in destiny.” Said alpha of pack, coming closer to surrounded ones.

“Berenice… could you show this gentlewolf your beautiful neck?” asked malamute, chocking with laughter. She obediently stepped out from shade and lifter her head. Oeademas were so thick that even in that light, wolves saw them.

“That’s a bluff!” called leader. “You look healthy and I’m sure you wouldn’t travel with infected one.”

“So, you want to try it? Go on…” He stepped in pack’s direction. Younger wolves instantly scattered in bushed before him and malamute started to march to brink. Passing next to Berenice, he whispered. “Follow me… and be ready to run!”

“Hold where you are!” called alpha with firm voice. But seeing that malamute walked still, added with slight confusion. “Stop! I said stop!”

“Or what?” asked Steele. “You eat me and my bacteria?”

“Werk!” cursed wolf.

“Okto, what we are doing?” asked some uncertain voice from second rank.

That sound shocked Steele with high voltage. That name! If he was…”

“Okto of Ravens Pack?” smiled dog. “I’m pleased to kill you!” then he gasped to Berenice. “Sorry, baby, you’re on your own for a while. I have some business with that furball!”

“Sir… I think they have a little tactical advantage.” Replied bitch with confused voice.

“But they’re assuming I have some biological weapon.” Smiled Steele. “There is some river nearby, I heard its noise. Go there, if I survive, I’ll find you there.”

“Wait… don’t leave me!” she called.

“Yes, of Ravens Pack.” Said Okto with amazed voice. “But that pack no longer exists. Do I know you?” Then seeing that malamute is closing still, he stepped back. “Well… you reminds me someone…”

“Winter 1922.” Said Steele. “Road to Cape Bathurs… January, expedition of Toronto University, but you probably even don’t know it is university… A traitor called Black…”

“You are son of that…” understood Okto. “But wait, it’s not fair… you can’t infect me!” But alpha did the worst thing he could do – he stepped down to small pan, witch turned out to had a dead end. Leader stopped, touching with back to ground wall behind him.

“No way out.” Smiled Steele.

“If you even infect me or kill me now, you won’t get alive from here.” Growled Okto.

“You wanna bet?” asked Malamute and made few steps closer.

“Screw it, boss! I’m hungry!” called some of wolves… and ran in Berenice’s direction.

Most of pack was still reasonable and scared of plague carriers. But few younger ones, dimmed by hunger lost their cold blood and joined the half-suicidal chase. Steele saw it in corner of his sight, but he was still standing in front of killer of his father. He cursed in mind, however he wasted both to pay his debt and survive. Helping she-dog was the easiest way to waste those chances.

“Won’t you stop your companions?” asked malamute. “They chase their death…”

“They are already lost.” Said Okto. “But let make a deal… I will let you live, if you step back…”

“Shut up!” growled avenger.

“Think! Your sweet companion is about to be eaten and you are thinking about…”

“Damn you!” cried Steele and spat on Okto. Wolf shunned that projectile and took a defensive position. But Steele didn’t repeat any attack. He turned back and ran to exit from pan. Pack of wolves scattered before him and dog started a chase after few mad renegades, wondering what for he was doing it.

“I’m risking my life and wasting a chance to revenge for some dying kid, who could only infect me in return. How noble… how pathetic!”

He easily caught the first of raging wolves. It was a female, barely aware what she was doing – hunger dimmed her mind and – fortunately – also senses, because Steele easily overturned her and pinned to the ground. He didn’t want to kill, it just happened. He clenched his jaws on her throat, finishing anguished and probably already doomed life.

Then dog stood up and set off to further run. He exited dense forest and entered area of thinner flora. In summer that place was a swamp, but under quilt of snow and frost it turned to special race-track. Steele hated that, because if one stepped on thin ice he fell to water or mud beneath. That looked as solid ground could be – even in winter – deadly trap. One of wolves met that fate – he just stomped on barely frozen surface of mud-pool and instantly fell down to den. Malamute passed next to him, not checking if predator success to escape that pit.

Then he saw there remaining wolves and Berenice. That was dead end, far more deadly that one where Okto had been caught. All four ran on frozen small lake, covered with layer of snow. But due to frost the water of lake shirked enough to create a serious disparity between its surface and layer of ice. Steele saw few air-holes that led to swamp about three feet below. Because of that one who fell down had limited chance to get out.

“Werk!” yelled dog, seeing the scene: Berenice stopped, understanding that one step ahead would crack the ice, but three wolves were still going towards her.

“Hey, you!” called former leader to distract attackers. However it changed nothing – predators were still coming to their prey. “Damn you!” yelled Steele and ran to the lake.

The first wolf he hit with whole impetus of run, so he threw him many metres away. Then he heard the ice was cracking, so he jumped aside, just on second attacker.

“Run!” called to Berenice, who was still standing like paralysed.

Ice definitely broke and Steele even didn’t have to fight with next opponent. He just made a desperate shun to reach solid ice and slimy wolf fell down to cold swamp below. Then dog noticed why Berenice was still in place – her paws submerged under the snow and – most likely – also under the ice. She was standing still only thanks to resistance of snow layer. It was slowly lowering and lowering, to base on cracked ice or water. Young bitch was unable to move.

Steele got to her when he felt teethes of third wolf on his side. But he ignored it and pushed she-dog away from trap. He overturned and slid on ice several metres. Meanwhile wolf jumped on Steele’s back, what was much too much for thin ice. Suddenly malamute discovered that world around became very wet.

II.II Drowned Past

Wet, dark and distant. That way Steele could describe his state, if he was in state proper to describe anything. In fact when malamute submerged under surface of water, he instantly lost his consciousness due to thermal shock. Tired, hot and probably with fever was suddenly threw into freezing water, what could bring only one result. But when night came for his body, his mind – who knows – maybe soul, was awake still.

Steele knew that everything he was seeing and sensing was just a dysfunction of anoxied brain, however he FELT that was real. Impossible, but true. Dog found himself on slope of snowed hill. White coat was