White coat was covering pine forest in sight and in air light snow was still falling. It was night, beautiful night over… Nome? Yes, those lights downthere had to be sign of Nome. Over the mild landscape was shining aurora borealis, thing that Steele hated, because it always disoriented him in routes. But then he had to admit that atmospheric phenomena was beautiful. In combination with snow in the air, whole landscape was sparking with thousands of colours. It was very bright for a January night. Too bright.

“All right.” Murmured Steele, standing up from snow. “I know that is fake. I’m drowning right now, or this is yet the hall of hell.”

He said “hell”, although it was washed out from any metaphysical fear. Just a plain ascertainment that it would be quite improper if someone like him would filled heaven with his presence. But before any judgement over Steele took place, dog started to walk down in town direction. With every step the certainty of whole scene being real grew. After about half a mile, when malamute was a bit tired a bit cold and a bit impatient, he was sure that somehow all memories of his journey through the Eagle Pass were dream and Nome at night was actual reality.

On road from town – that directed to the sea – Steele noticed two canine silhouettes. With long-taught impulse, he laid down to the ground and started to crawl in snow to sneak closed being undetected. “What an idiotism!?” snorted quietly. “I’m sneaking to my own home and…” But then a new portion of memories came to his mind. “Not, that is no longer my home this is home of…”

Balto.

Bigger dog of that pair was certainly famous hybrid. Steele almost ceased his breathing, to become better camouflaged. At least… so quick. A chance to little payback. But if that was Balto, that second silhouette could be…

Jenna.

Steele froze in place desperately trying to remove that thought from mind. But it was too late – he saw her next to hated enemy, walking with smile on her muzzle and half-absent stare, pointed in Balto. Malamute ordered his muscles to take his body back. Unfortunately, they didn’t obey. His flesh was leading him closer couple, with every step gaining sudden might and will to kill. Mind of dog resisted just few moments longer. After another while former leader smiled and opened his mouth in greedy expression. He wanted to kill, even in front of Jenna. Whatever. Neck of Balto stated to pulse in strange way like grown oedema of bubonic plague carrier. Steele was seeing only it, closer and closer.

He didn’t hear neither the scream of Jenna, nor growl of Balto. He just pounced on hybrid, instantly overturning him and pinning him to the ground. Mutt was so surprised that his pathetic attempt to shun Steele’s jaws finished before it started. Former leader grabbed neck of adversary and pressed with all his might. It came even easier that with Barry (Barry? What Barry? Sick dog from that dream?), because bones got up quickly and spine was squashed in single bite. Steele jumped back, looking on swirling then stopping and dying body of Balto. When wolfdog ceased to move, malamute felt that time came to raise his sight and look on Jenna. That was the worse part of party.

“E… e…” said former leader, looking on red husky, standing over Balto’s body with eyes open wide and scream locked on her lips. “Hi, Jenna…” said with heavy afford, then he realised he had no idea what to say. “How is Rosy going?”

“You killed him.” Said Jenna, although her voice showed she didn’t believe in scene in front of her.

“Well, yes… I notice that.” Agreed malamute. “He is definitely gone.”

“Steele…” panted husky in weirdest way that anyone anytime said anything. First letter of that name was spelled with disbelief, the second and third with fear and three last with some kind of sudden tenderness. And because Steele’s name was usually spelled as just one syllable, dog felt that Jenna did something against the very basic rule of phonetics.

“I am.” Confirmed former leader, still unable to say something wiser.

But then turned out that nothing was necessary to say. She-husky went to malamute and cuddled in his side, panting with kind of relief. Steele didn’t intend to do it, but his paws just fell beneath him and he found himself in snow with Jenna at his side. Her muzzle went to his and dog felt a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Then with terrible clarity understood that this was much too beautiful to be true.

“I’m sorry, Jenna.” Said, looking deep in eyes of bitch. “I’m afraid that I have just drown.”

III.I Judgement Day

The nations were in uproar and now the time has come for your retribution, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for those who fear your name, small and great alike, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth.
Revelation 17;18

End of beautiful dream is usually terrible. But that time was different – it was twice time more terrible than Steele expected. First – he was taken away from Jenna. Second – it was cold out there, really cold. Awareness and heat were creating the constant sum. When quotient of his consciousness raised, temperature had dropped instantly. Dog was returning to his body and discovering that his flesh was shaking in uncontrollable shivers. His fur was wet as well as ground on which he was lying. But one element of both dreams was common.

“Jenna?” whispered Steele with disbelief, cuddling into side of female. “How it…”

“No, sorry, sir.” Replied feminine voice. “It’s just me, Berenice.”

So awareness fully returned and temperature dropped to the lowest bar. Steele opened his eyes and saw he was in small den. He was lying of bedding of fir branches and young malamute was resting at his side. Berenice was warm, but she had much too little warmth to heat dog up. And additionally she wasn’t Jenna. Definitely the previous dream was better. “And I killed him.” Thought Steele about Balto, smiling in spite of overwhelming frost.

“Sir… it will be all right. Soon you will fell warmth.” Assured his Berenice and cuddled closer to him. Steele sensed her soft fur of her neck… and oedemas beneath it. He froze, that mean: stopped to shivering at once. “What… Ow, sir…” she said with breaking voice. “I had to! You were drowning and…” Steele started to laugh, but in his condition it sounded almost like a cry. “Sir, I had to…”

“All, right, all right.” Interrupted malamute with tired tone. “Whatever… I guess we will finish this journey together. By the way… what happened?”

“I… just…” said Berenice with crying voice. However after few second she regained cold blood and started to speaking clearly. “When you pushed me into solid ice and fell down… I instantly stood up and saw that wolf you had knocked down earlier. He was pouncing on me, but I threw him into crack, then jumped down to catch you…”

“Hm?” interrupted Steele. “You dealt with… wolf? Adult wolf?”

“He was quite shocked after you hit him, sir.” Explained Berenice. “But it doesn’t matter. I saw you were drowning, so I jumped down and we swam to shore.”

“How the hell you broke ice?” asked Steele, but then he felt a giant bump on his forehead and understood he was used as a ram. Then another question hit him. How it was possible that young, fragile bitch got away from swamp and additionally pulled twice or three times heavier male with her? “But how did you do it?”

“Just… I managed, sir.”

“So I guess, you saved me…” said quite amused Steele, but she once again burst in tears.

“Sir… I infected you… if you didn’t stand for me… this all wouldn’t have happened. I’m so sorry…”

“Ow, quit it. What happened has happened and we can’t change it.”

Sound of his own words shocked him. He imagined Balto, saying that. “What happened has happened and we can’t change it.” Said unreal wolfdog in his vision. Lips of mutt were bearing the triumphal smile. “I will kill you… this time for real!” murmured Steele in mind and understood that advice he just had given to Berenice was useless for him.

“But now…”

“Now we are going to die from bubonic pelage.” Said dog. “Or we survive, because your bacteria are weaker than normal. Because you outlived so long with fever, I think that we have about fifty percent chances to make to the spring.”

“I… I don’t want you to die!”

“Think about yourself, baby.” Smiled Steele. “That’s your primary objective.”

“But if I die… I will go to mom and dad and you…”

“Do not think about it.” Said Steele. “Just let me dry up and we will go to hunt something.” He knew it was rather hard, because he wasn’t in condition to move. He was still shivering and cuddling in Berenice’s side. He had no idea how they could get any food, but he thought if his ward was so special she had taken down mature wolf and had pulled him out from swamp, a little hunting would be a piece of cake for her. “Could I…” asked, nestling closer to her.

“Yes, sir.” She answered, covering his head with paws. It was very ineffective in warming up, because she was much smaller that him, however Steele was partially covered by her was body.

“Sir? Call me Steele.” said malamute. “If we are going to die anyway… I won’t huff about some familiar terms. Right?” she nodded her head. “By the way, you have beautiful name… But terribly long. Don’t you mind if I call you just <Bere>?”

“Of course.” she agreed. “It even fit well. After all, I carried you here.”

“Huh?” asked Steele.

“You know… Bere-Nike. Ancient Macedonian name, means: <Bearer of victory>. So if we shorten it just to bearer…”

“Ow, good.” Smiled Steele. “I got it… I just not the best in ancient languages. How it…”

“Mother told me. She was very wise.” Explained Berenice. “But it doesn’t matter. Sir… I mean: Steele… you repeated few times in sleep some name… Jenna. Who is she?” Dog narrowed his eyes and was