funny.’ Balto laughed watching him leave.

‘Yes he is all, rules, rules, rules!’ Lucan sniggered sitting down beside Aniu.

‘Now now my children he does what he can to protect this pack and he has done a brilliant job and even though you are the alpha pups…’ Lucan and Balto smirked at each other, ‘…you cannot demand respect from him or the other pack mates unless you give it so remember that.’ Both pups nodded before going back to play.

‘She is so wise.’ Lucan commented once the two pups were out of earshot of Aniu.

‘She is a great mother and pack leader! Just like I hope to be one day!’ Balto said holding his head up high.

‘You the leader, I’m stronger then you.’ Lucan said jumping around at him.

‘I’m bigger!’ Balto laughed standing next to his brother.

‘Come one lets see who’s stronger.’ Lucan laughed as the two brothers began to play fight each other both laughing and having a great time.

A few months later whilst the pack was out hunting Lucan and Balto managed to slip past the pup sitter who had accidentally fallen asleep whilst looking after them. The two managed to get away from the den undetected and as they ran into the forest they began to laugh. ‘I can’t believe we made it!’ Lucan said smiling.

‘I know we have never been able to get this far.’ Balto said looking back as the two continued to run as fast as they could but it wasn’t long before Balto began to worry and slow down to a stop. ‘We’re getting a little far from the den.’ Balto said in an unsure voice as he looked back the way they had come.

‘Don’t worry we can follow the tracks back and besides I have the best sense of smell.’ Lucan smiled.

‘I do!’ Balto said back as the two began to play in the snow both not noticing the sound of breaking branches all around them

It wasn’t until they both heard a yell that the two jumped to there feet and looked around them in the shadows where they could see movement and strange sounds that they had never heard before. ‘Quick we should get back.’ Balto said taking a few steps back with Lucan right beside him nodding.

‘Yes hurry Balto…’ Lucan yelled as the two turned around and began to run and as they did they soon noticed they were being followed by something quite large which made the two pups call out to try and get their pack mates attention.

The thing chasing them suddenly jumped over them and landed in front of the pups causing them to stop and in a panic and speed off in different directions with out even realizing because they were so scared.

As Lucan ran the strange thing easily caught up to him and as Lucan came to a stop he turned around and growled angrily, ‘Balto we can take…?’ Lucan said suddenly realizing his brother wasn’t behind him, ‘…Balto?’

‘Hurry young pup you need to get out here…’ A deep voice sounded as Lucan turned around noticing the thing that was chasing them looked almost exactly like himself and he knew instantly it wasn’t a wolf.

‘Get back…’ Lucan growled looking at this strangely familiar creature.

‘Young pup you must get out of here there are deadly wolves…’ The husky said as Lucan just looked at him before shaking his head.

‘No, wolves aren’t dangerous…I am wolf.’ Lucan said calming down and looking up at him.

‘Oh…’ The husky said shaking his head, ‘…please come with me you need to know wolves are killers and they will hurt you…’

‘No!' Lucan yelled shaking his head as he spun around and began to run away, the husky was about to give chase when a man yelled his name causing him to stop and obediently walk back towards his master.

Meanwhile Balto had realized that his brother wasn’t with him and had been running around trying to find him. If anything had happened to him he'd never forgive himself Balto said to himself as he ran and ran yelling out Lucan’s name.

‘Balto!?’ Came the voice of Aniu as Balto stopped his heart skipping a beat as he turned to look at his mother who ran forward towards him. ‘Balto are you alright, why are you here? Where is Lucan? Please tell me you are safe.' Aniu said comforting Balto who was shaking as he curled up beside his mother.

‘We went exploring and this strange creature chased us and…and we heard funny noises…’ As Balto finished Aniu turned to the Beta who looked shocked.

‘Beta gather everyone and spread out, find Lucan and be careful, avoid any contact with creatures you don’t know or haven’t seen before and keep quiet. Go!’ Aniu said to the Beta who instantly nodded as he and the group immediately spilt leaving Aniu with Balto who looked very distressed.

As Aniu comforted her young son the sound of someone approaching made Aniu instantly swing around in front of Balto with her teeth barred growling loudly. Standing beside his mother protectively Balto looked into the trees, he wasn’t going to let anything happen to his mother. Though all that appeared was Lucan who ran over to Aniu who quickly nuzzled him. ‘Oh Lucan are you alright…’ Aniu said never wanting either of her pups to leave her sight again.

‘I’m fine.’ Lucan said snuggling up as close to his mother as possible as his eyes turned a little teary.

When the two pups and Aniu finally returned to the den both pups were in deep trouble. 'Balto I thought you knew better then this!' Aniu said looking at her son who looked down at the ground sadly.

'No mother don't blame him i was the one who wanted to go exploring.' Lucan said stepping forward beside Balto who turned to him and smiled weakly.

'I am very disapointed in both of you.' Aniu said looking down at her two sons, 'I want you to promise me you'll never run off like that again, because if anything happened to you...'

'We're really sorry mum.' Balto said as he and Lucan stepped forward and the family nuzzled each other.

'I would do anything to protect either of you because I never want anything bad ever to happen to you...' Aniu whispered gently to her pups.

As the night went on more and more scouts returned telling of strange new scents, footprints and the distant sounds that sounded like claps of thunder which sent shockwaves through the trees. The two pups were together down in the den listening to their parents as they pretended to be asleep.

‘This was really my fault you shouldn't have taken the blame.’ Balto said turning to Lucan who shook his head.

‘No it was my fault…we should have known better.’

'I'm just glad everyone is alright and things can go back to normal.’ Balto smiled glad that everyone was alright, he and Lucan were a little shaken but they would live.

‘It was pretty exciting though.’ Lucan smiled turning to Balto who smiled a little as well.

‘Yeah…’ Balto laughed as the two pups crawled ever closer to the den entrance to try and over hear what was going on outside.

‘We need to get out of here before someone gets hurt.’ The Beta said pacing in front of Aniu who looked confused, she was still young and inexperienced as a pack Alpha and without the guidance of her parents and brother everything just seemed to be getting harder and harder again and she had to admit she was lost.

‘These tracks were quite far away…they won’t be able to get this far the forest is to dangerous this time of year with bears.’ Aniu said looking up at her Beta.

‘You would put the lives of our pack on this assumption? Your pups?’

‘That’s enough…’ Aniu snapped stepping forward to the Beta who knew instantly he had stepped out of line. ‘We leave in a week when my pups are stronger…tell the pack.’ Aniu said hanging her head low as the Beta quickly disappeared leaving Aniu alone, lost in her thoughts of what her parents would have done...

The next day the pup sitter had taken Balto and Lucan down to the shallow river for a play whilst Aniu and the others discussed where they were to go when they left in a few days time.

Balto was sitting at the edge of the river watching the fish and laughing at their startled expressions when they noticed him watching them. ‘Aniu told me that sometimes this river can swell to be so large it fills up the whole plain.’ Balto said turning to Lucan who was trying to catch the fish who were much to quick for him.

‘That would be so amazing to see, I can’t wait!’ Lucan said jumping in the water to try and catch a fish. ‘I just missed it! Wait here and I’ll get it, I bet I can!' Lucan said chasing the fish down the river as Balto laughed loudly.

Lucan went around a small bend in the river and as soon as he did he bumped into something causing him to look up and see the husky he had seen the pervious day looking down at him. He was about to yell for help when the Husky quickly whispered, ‘Pease be quiet and just listen…I am down wind and they won’t be able to smell me…’ The Husky said looking down at Lucan who at anytime looked as though he was going to make a break for it. ‘Young pup you must come with me now before these wolves hurt you…you are a husky and belong with me and the men. Met me here tomorrow at the same time.’ The Husky said looking at Lucan who was beginning to look a little unsure and scared. ‘Please think about it Lucan I…’ The husky instantly stopped realizing he had said the pup’s name.

Lucan who at the thought of this strange dog knowing who he was panicked and turned back around and ran back up the river to Balto who was still laughing a little. ‘You didn’t catch it!’ Balto said looking at Lucan who was shaking slightly, ‘Lucan are you alright?’ Balto said concerned as he stepped forward to Lucan who quickly just shook his head.