pity of my Steele? Go away, before I show how I’m sorry…”

“Stop it!” called Star with more decisive voice. “I can’t call myself Steele’s friend, however I was his charge for long time and if no one could take responsibility for you, I will. I owe that to boss.”

“And you?” asked Berenice, still looking in Balto’s eyes. “Are you <good uncle> because you ruin his career, drove him out of town and recently left him in mountains, in thank for saving your son. That why are you here?”

“You could send me off, but I will wait under your door, for moment you will be able to speak with me.” Said Balto barely sounding decisively.

“No way, I’m coming for him.”

“WHAT?” yelled Balto.

“I said her, that’s no use.” Murmured Star. “But she doesn’t listen.”

“He is alive! I feel it!” Then Star looked on hybrid.

“Balto, is there any chance that Steele is alive?” Wolfdog shook his head. “So you see. Balto was there.”

“And even if!?” called Maya. “Have you right to risk life of you pups… your and Steele’s pups to check it? Think for a while! That journey is a suicide and you and children. You don’t have to wait for day of birth – you are responsible for them already!”

“But… but…” she sobbed.

“We couldn’t helped him.” Said Star. “I’m sorry, but I’m also helpless. As well as you.”

“OUT!” shouted Berenice, but after a second she narrowed her eyes in expression of shame. “I mean… I’m sorry… But go away, please.” Three dogs set off to the door. “Balto stays!” she ordered, but then added with softer voice. “If you could…”

“Of course.” Replied confused hybrid. Star and Maya left the shed. Meanwhile Berenice laid down on straw-bedding and showed wolfdog another place. He carefully took his place and asked, looking on bitch.

“How may I…”

“How he died?” she asked with hollow voice.

“I didn’t see his end… in fact no one see and that why we thought he was with us. You know – first team thought he was in second and the second… I’m not sure what happened.” Concluded, putting enormous effort in that lie. “I guess he fell in some crack. Then was a blizzard, and it was hard to see anything. I doubt… if we even noticed his disappearance, I’m not sure if we were able to find him. We had wounded ones and storm was growing.”

“You should have.” Interrupted him Berenice. “He saved you son.”

“Berenice, please, understand me!” called hybrid. “It’s so hard for me… I will be haunted by that evening till the end of my life… I know that is my fault!” cried with sudden bolt of honesty. “And if you decide I’m worthy only of your despise, I accepted it with humility. But forgive me… I failed, but I wanted good.” She was silent for long while and Balto was hearing his own heart clatter. “Now she will decide…” he thought with fear.

“No, Balto…” she whispered finally. “I know I can’t blame you. Forgive me my reactions… That is a shock for me… And loss you just can’t imagine. For me and our children.”

Balto wanted to be silent, but his heart forced him to open his mouth and call.

“Berenice, let me help you! I promise, I will take care about your pup as they were my own… I will make up you for that loss in every way I’m able too!” She was looking for him with amaze on her face, saying nothing. Balto felt scared by own declaration, that was showing many of his emotions. Too many. And she didn’t answered. But she also didn’t say <no>!

“Leave me alone… for now.” Said she-malamute with soft voice.

“You won’t go to the mountains?” Balto wanted to be sure.

“I won’t.” she replied. “I know that Steele, if he was here, would have forbid me.”

Hybrid left Kaasen’s shed with head full of screaming voices. There were blasting his head out with every heart-beat, making him drunk with both fear and hope. When he came further from Kaasen’s house, he submerged his head into snow-drift to cool his fever. It worked only partially.

He felt total chaos inside. I murdered Steele. I don’t love Jenna anymore. I love Berenice. But I made her cry, killing Steele. How it came to that? Jenna, what went wrong between us, that I felt in love with her? Berenice? What have you done with me, that I did what I did? Steele? what would you say about that? I did what you once did… the difference is that I… succeeded.  My God… but for what cost?

Although all came as it should have, Balto was crying inside. He was crying because he betrayed Jenna and even more he was touched by Berenice’s misery. He was pity that she lost his mate, but what made her to grieve was reason that Balto felt happy and delighted. Because he was happy and miserable, delighted and scared to death, tore between joy and regret. And he was standing over those two forced inside of him, not sure which one he should follow.

“Leave the dead to bury their dead.” Thought half-wolf. “I can’t change what happened… however I just can’t let fruits of that waste.”

He smiled and raised his head from snow. He know what to do. He was going to reach his aim, whatever it took.

“Thank you, Steele.” she thought. “You gave a lesson I will never forget!”

III.II. Another Paraclete

Dig and crawl.

Steele lost his routine. He didn’t eat nor drink water from snow. He also knew that his body was unable to accept neither food nor moisture. Moreover was unable to stop the fever burning it. Oxygen was almost gone, dog was breathing with carbon dioxide and other toxins of own body. Hypoxed muscles were doing their job only thanks to steel order of will. Dig and crawl, was repeating half-dead malamute.

Steele knew he lost – even if he was about to reach the air, he was too exhausted to get any food and survive. All his logic advised him to give up and surrender to pleasant sleep of death. But love, who was guiding him for past two years was driving him still further, even to receive more of suffering. But he had to try. He owed it to Berenice.

Suddenly Steele sensed that snow before him was thinner and it got aside easily. So he was on the end of journey to die under the stars… But wait! Something was wrong… I was going too easy, so dog had hallucinations, or… someone was digging from the other side.

Fresh air his Steele’s lungs like a hammer. Sudden deluge of oxygen caused unexpected nausea and shivers. He were barely sensing he was pulled out by someone’s jaws and put on the snow under midday sun. He was breathing again and making up for days of oxygen fast. Consciousness was returning to him slowly, but he finally noticed that some small dog, mongrel of some kind, was standing over him.

“If you are going to die anyway, say it. I’m hurry right now and I wish to go farther.” Steele’s answer was just a hysterical laughter. “Damn! You are alive and there is a chance that it will stay that way…” murmured yellow furred mutt. “I guess you want me to feed you and…” Steele was still laughing, due to oxygen shock. “God dammit!” shouted newcomer. “I’m really want to kill that Balto quick and have it done, so…”

“You want to kill him too?” asked Steele, laughing even not being sure what was talking about.

“What could you know about it?”

“I know some Balto from Nome. A real bastard!” gasped malamute, still giggling and shivering in fever. “He killed me and now he is going cheat my old girlfriend and mate with my mate, because I’m dead.” Yellow furred nodded his head with indifferent expression on his muzzle. He seemed to saying: <Doctor advised to nod>. But suddenly he narrowed his eyes and asked with confusion.

“You are talking about Balto, son of Black and Aniu?” Laughter of Steele ceased on one second.

“He his son of Black and Aniu?” gasped with weak voice. “The last from Ravens Pack…”

“What the hell!?” called yellow furred. “Are that wolf-slaying malamute?”

“How do you know Aniu and Black?” asked Steele. because of still being in shock he added automatically. “They killed my father…”

Mongrel shook his head, as if he wanted to dispel an illusion, but when he noticed that malamute was still there in front of him, he said.

“That is impossible, however I must check it. Do not die for a moment pal! I will get something to eat and you will tell me more.”

IV.I. Ahead, to the past

Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?'
Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18; 21-22

Balto teethes had made a serious damage and Steele even made things worse, using wounded paw in his desperate attempt to release himself. Malamute didn’t saw his injuries but from murmurs of Victor he understood that it was bad.

“There is no other way.” Said mongrel. “I will take you to some cave and you have to recover, at least few weeks.”

“I need to go to Nome as fast as it’s possible. Or at least send a message I’m alive.”

“No way!” snorted yellow furred. “You can’t walk now, and even if you try, you will make things worse. And I can’t serve as you messenger – even if I could – because leaving you here means your death. For that coming week I must feed you.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to recall me that.” Murmured Steele angrily.

It was dawn of another day, both dogs were in improvised den in snow, still on ice field. Victor had brought remounts of some deer and malamute was highly amazed how such a small dog was able to done that. After his miraculous rescue Steele was still exhausted and shocked, that why he reacted quite nervously on mongrel. Victor stood it with unusual patience.

“Temper, temper.” Smiled yellow furred. “We just made a deal. You paid for meat with your knowledge and contacts in Nome.”

“I just… let that rascal to beat me up!” murmured furiously malamute.

“In surprise.” Noticed Victor. “It just happened.”

“And I can’t repay for that… I swore…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nodded yellow furred. “That part he have already fixed. I will do the dirty part.