mentioning about, when she had hit in boards of wall and actually survived due to luck. So she nodded her head.

“But you don’t have to say about it to Steele.” she replied. And shepherd laughed once again.

“Sure thing.” He agreed. “Well, baby, I took no offence, because it was a good match. I’m going back to my owner, but I hope to see you around.”  Berenenice and Steele nodded and dog turned away and walked with a bit uncertain steps towards his owner. But then he stopped and looked again on Berenice. “Nice going. I’m sure after that season you will go to Anchorage. You deserved for it.”

“Could we go home?” asked malamute.

“Yeah, as you wish, my dear.” She replied.

When fight-heat was over, Berenice turned from aggressive and decisive to be perfectly humble obedient. It was a shocking duality of her character when he showed a steel will towards her adversaries and almost everyone else, but she was gladly subdued to every word of Steele. I guess that no one could be a master and ruler all the time and had to have a fragment of his live where he is trusting and following someone else.

So they went out from refinery, where tournament was going on into January night and turned to Gunnar’s house. In way back, they were talking about some common matter but heavy subject was floating in the air. Finally Steele didn’t resisted and asked bluntly.

“How long it will take?”

“What, my dear?”

“Your fighting.” Said Steele with serious voice. “How long you are going to do that.”

“As long as you allow me.” She replied with humble voice.

“Ow, stop it!” snorted dog. “You know I can’t forbid you that. I see that is your life and I want that you leave it by your own will. But understand it! I’m dying every time I see you on the ground, under some killer with bared teethes. Look at that Garry. He seems to be nice guy… and he was in fact close to kill you!”

“No, he surely didn’t want…”

“Of course he didn’t want, but there are accidents and you are not invincible. I bet you think you are immortal, but almost every one thinks that, until he or she dies!” Berenice turned her eyes to the ground. “Is the only way I have you on my side, safe is that someone cripple you on ring?” Former leader almost shouted. Instinctively she-malamute looked on lamed paw of Steele and narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry to say that, but sometimes I wish that you get hurt, because that would stop you from fighting and you would surely won’t be killed.” She sobbed with growing cry. Steele was silent for a while and added with softer voice. “I’m sorry. I just… I’m really proud of you and your achievements. But I’m afraid that some day you would pay for it.”

“I’m doing it to show you, who I am.” She sobbed. “I want you to see I’m the best for you.”

“Well.” Murmured Steele with confusion. “I’m extremely proud of it… But few more such evening and you made my fur hoary. Would you imagine how would I look with hoary coat?” finished with playful voice, however that joke wasn’t the best. “Just…” They reached the Kaasen’s kennel, Steele let Berenice to enter as a first. “Have you ever thought about pups?” She stopped in doorstep as frozen. “Just asking if…”

“Do you want it, Steele?” she asked with breaking voice.

“I want what you want, but if you…”

“That mean <yes>?”

“Yes.”

She entered the shed and laid down on their bedding and looked on coming Steele. “Are you sure?” He nodded his head and laid down next to her. “So I guess you got me.” She answered with uncertain voice. “In that case my career has to be postpone a little. However, I think I will be rewarded for that.”

“I hoped you make a right decision.” Smiled Steele with relief. He closed his eyes and put his head on her side. They were silent for a while, then Berenice asked with shyly voice.

“My dear… if we made a decision… why don’t we… well… get started?”

Steele burst in laughter, and reached to her muzzle to lick her cheek.

“As you wish, my love…”

*

As some of you maybe already noticed, there were no other Nome dogs on fight of League. Almost all local community was more concerned with presumed tragedy on route to Galena. Five days earlier a sled of Peter Kinrs set off on Easter Route. The leader of team was Kodi, son of famous Batlo. Both musher and dog leader were young and ambitious ones, avid to break own limits. Cher and Saba heard their brother as he said he was going to do nearest journey via Eagle Pass, but they didn’t believed him. It was stupid – no one rode that way in middle of winter, that was a suicide. But after anxious ask to Galena and grave reply that sled didn’t reach the town, more and more dogs understood that Kodi’s pack could had actually dared for that stupidity. And more and more dogs of Nome were sure that whole team was lost.

It wasn’t that Steele was totally immune for others problems. But he and Berenice were living on the edge of community. Strange pact that Jenna had forced on him two years earlier was working but caused than two Gunnar Kaasen’s dogs were rarely interested in life of town. Around Steele there was still a wall of mistrust but Berenice didn’t care about that. Her mate was enough for her instead of rest of the town. So they were living in brink of society – hated Steele and secretly admired by many Berenice. They didn’t considered themselves as Nomers, just dogs accidentally living there. And in fact they were travelling much. Martin Eden was taking often both her and him (being sure that cheering of mate helps Berenice) to other towns of DFL’s matches. Because of wound on his paw Steele was no longer puller, but a passenger on sled, what always seemed funny for him. But enough of that: I have just to say that crisis of whole town came to our heroes a bit later.

“My dear… what is happening?” asked Berenice with sleepy voice. Steele was looking from window on gathering in front of post office.

“Just stay here. I will check that.” He replied, jumped down to his mate and licked her cheek. After last night they both were exhausted, however he started to act so protectively as she was already in advanced pregnancy.

So malamute exited a shed and walked into post office direction. He was steeping slowly and carefully because on so frosty mornings as that one his paws was aching hard. Often in that time he was thinking about Star, who had done him that, but he was thinking without anger. In fact Star was the dog who behaved the best from locals – he was even sometimes speaking with Steele, greeted with while they meet and generally was the exception from common social boycott of malamute. And to Star called Steele to get know what happened.

“Hi, pal. What the heck means that?”

“You didn’t hear?” asked dog with tensed voice. He was nervous and scared. His eyes, always mad a bit (as Steele thought) were even more absent that morning. “They are lost!”

“Who?” surprised malamute. They where standing about ten metres behind crowd of dogs and star replied him quietly, as if he didn’t want other to hear he was speaking with Steele.

“Master Kerig’s sled. With Maya aboard.” Maya was Star’s niece and Steele felt a genuine sympathy towards old friend.

“Where?” he asked.

“On Eastern Route, but…” said star with breaking voice. “They took a way through Eagle Pass!” almost shouted. “Now, in January! God, that storm buried them!”

“Easy…” hushed him Steele. “That is close to Buckland. I’m sure that they launched an expedition…”

“No!” cried Star. “The Bucklands telegraph cable is broken. We haven’t called the Buckland.”
”Ow, that’s a problem.” Thought Steele and added aloud. “And that plane? Human called Duke came here two weeks ago with plane. He could…”

“They said he won’t.” whispered Star. “Another blizzard is coming.”

“But I see master Gunnar is preparing a sled…” noticed Steele. “So he could…”

“To Eagle Pass?” asked Star rhetorically. “Who would reach it in winter?”

“You once did.” Recalled Steele.

“Because you were leading.”

“So I guess I have some advantages apart of being pupeater.” Smiled malamute but then he froze his smile and added. “I’m really sorry, friend. But… but for now you can do nothing.”

Former leader turned away and started to walk home. He understood few things. Initially that town lost its best pullers. Apart of Maya, in team were Dusty, Kirby, Kodi, Bart and some youngsters Steele can’t recall. The current first league of pullers. Master Gunnar was preparing the rescue missions with some second hand old heroes, Steele wouldn’t be surprised if Star, Kaltag and Nikki were included. But there was a second thing. Kodi was there. A son of Balto. Steele felt a bit embarrassed that he sensed something like satisfaction about it. “No, it’s really nasty. That boy had nothing to do with past of his father… But I just can’t resist…”

“What happened?” asked Berenice, when he entered shed. In few words he repeated heard story.

“Too bad.” Said she. “It’s very unfortunate… however maybe it’s have to be that way. Some life ceases… some other is about to sprout.” She smiled and asked with stare Steele to sat down to her. “I already felt I’m pregnant. Soon we will be parents.” He didn’t replied, just kissed her. But in the same moment they heard a knocking on door.

Actually it wasn’t knocking but just few hits with muzzle in hatch of doors. They both answered instinctively: <Come in!> however they were seriously surprised that someone was visiting them. But their maze grew even more when to the room entered Balto.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you…” said wolfdog with shaking and weary voice. “But may I talk with Steele?”

“What I’ve done to be punished with your presence?” malamute greeted him warmly. Balto stopped in place, half being outside. Steele suddenly felt that whatever he was thinking about hybrid, mocking at his as a guest wasn’t the best thing to do. So he add. “Well, it doesn’t