beach and stopped before Aarre. Old wolf lowered his ears in gesture of total submission, as if he was an omega of pack. His stare was pointed into the ground. Hybrid hoped for him to say something first, but after a minute of silence, started himself.

“You were always an enigma to me, teacher.” Said Pack’s prince. “You was teaching me, still encouraging to solve given problems. But this time I give up, I just don’t know. Why do you want me dead?”

“Is this so hard to guess?” asked Aarre. His voice was full of sorrow, but January didn’t hear any regret. He steeped back, ready to defend himself, but he felt it was unnecessary. If old Uniea wanted to kill him then, he would had already done it and no efforts of hybrid to defend himself would helped. When silence became too long, beta-alpha said. “Your mother.”

“What? I don’t get it!” but he got it well.

“She… she is the regent now. Mother of Steele’s son, ruler of the Pack. She is not Ea right now… at least not for me.”

“Are you sure that killing a son is the best way of courts to the girl?” asked hybrid with irony. “You… fool! I’m sorry to say it, teacher, but apart of tactic skills there is not much more in your head… She does love you! I saw it long time ago.”

“I always hoped for that.” Replied Aarre. “But as long as she is mother of alpha-alpha, we can’t be together.”

“Haven’t you thought that when we win, the Pack will be gone, and she would do anything she like?”

“But when Pack is gone, Uniea clan would be never restored and…” Then beta-alpha paused, as if he was amazed by own words. “But I don’t care about Uniea. I actually was a fool.”

“Don’t worry, we all are learning on our errors.” Said January with soft voice. But then added, shouting. “God dammit! I could have been killed there!”

“That’s why my life is in your paws.” Said Aarre quietly.

“Because of what?” snorted malawolf. “Do you really believe that I would kill my best commander just before the crucial campaign of war?”

“You don’t have to.” Said old wolf. “If you said your mother about this, I will be good as dead.”

January sighed and came closer to his tutor. He had a want to bite him painfully, but then suddenly felt urge to laugh. He burst with airy giggling.

“You… rascal!” he called with choking laughter. “You know I won’t do it! You always knew it!”

“Thank you, my alpha.” Said Aarre with shivering voice.

“Tell me just one thing.” Ordered January. “Did you know about Ian’s mission?”

“What mission?” asked confused Uniea. Malawolf was sure that his teacher wasn’t lying. On honest muzzle of wolf lies had no space. He could kill, but not cheat. Like all soldiers. Hybrid laughed again.

“Aarre, perhaps you won’t believe me, but you are not the creature who pissed me the most recently.” Said and ran in forest direction.

And old wolf stayed in place, still couldn’t believe how close he was to total failure. And how stupid he was before. But most important – how happy he still could be.

*

They found lady Ea on the brink of forest, waiting for her son. Seeing that January had some business with Aarre, whitefurred was waiting patiently for unavoidable consequences of her actions. She was already imagining wrath of her child and shivering inside. But ostensible she stayed calm and decisive leaderess.

“Ma’am…” said Ian. “Aunt… I’m back.” She raised her stare on her charge.

“Good you are safe.” She said. “But he knows already. We screwed it, Ian.” Brownfurred nodded his head. “And who is wolfess with you?” She looked on Flame.

“Her name is Flame. She is my mother.” Said scout. Ea gasped with amaze. “She helped me to escape from Home Valley.”

“Oh, my God!” yelled whitefurred. “What we’ve done!?”

“Aunt… please, tell her!” said Ian, barely repressing his tears. “I can’t!” And he ran away in forest.

Ea looked on newcomer, at first a bit uncertain what to say. Fortunately, she started.

“So… I figured out that all was set up. Ian’s raid to Home Cave and his capture.” She took a deeper breath and continued. “Understand me, ma’am. I came here not knowing about it, but I don’t want go back. I wronged to my son in heaviest possible way and I have to repent that thus. However… I hoped that he loved me, not only used as tool to accomplish your plan.”

“You are totally wrong, Flame.” Said Ea. “Ask any of my soldiers.”

“What?” murmured confused brownfurred.

“Stop random wolf, to be sure I didn’t set it up.” Ordered whitefurred. Flame still didn’t understand, but she pointed on some scout, walking with report to Varjo. Soldier came, called by Ea.

“Private Irim, await for orders!” called milyfurred wolf.

“Private, tell our guest about our prison policy in case of strike of Home Cave.”

“But ma’am… that’s classified.”

“Tell it!” ordered Ea. And Irim took a deep breath and said.

“Let live everyone who surrender, except of cases mentioned by field commander. In any case make sure that Objects one, two and three survive, doesn’t matter on their acting.”

“Describe the Objects!”

“One: wolf male, about eight years old, dark-grey fur, amber eyes, possibly visible scar on left side of forehead. Two: wolf male, about four years, dark-grey fur, blue eyes, no special sings, but similar to object one. Son of object one. Three: wolf female, about eight years, brown fur, blue eyes, morphological traits similar to object two and sergeant Ian of RAIA.”

“That’s…” gasped Flame.

“Names of Objects!” ordered Ea.

“Ralph, Viin, Flame.” Replied soldier. Brownfurred gasped with amazement.

“You could go.” Said Ea to Irim. The she turned to Flame. “Do you understand? Every wolf of the Pack knows those descriptions. That was Ian’s price. He wanted to help me… but he wanted a favour… to make sure that his family would be taken alive in eventual combat. That was not an easy task, but he insisted.”

“I can’t…”

“He always loved you.” Said Ea. “Away from you, but thinking about you. Please, forgive him.”

“I? Forgive…” cried Flame. “He is ten times better son than I was mother!” then she ran to the forest, after Ian.

Ea was looking on that with smile, but then she felt fear again. Now it was her turn and she had no excuse before January. She had to face his rage.

Flame found scout in cluster of junipers, waiting in improvised snow-den. He was coiled there like a tiny pup, scared and shocked. She laid next to him, licking his forehead.

“My son… I know everything.” She whispered. “Just tell me one thing… You didn’t see me three years… so you can’t actually love person you are so far away from. But now? And tell me also: have you – coming there – been thinking about how would you feel, seeing us?”

“Some things of that were faked.” Replied Ian with shivering voice. “But I swear, not so many as I thought. Mom…” he added. “Two years back, I was on training with my squad… We got lost, were trapped in blizzard, then were wandering for days, dying from hunger. Someone had to find some food, and I was the leader… We came to frozen lake… there was no use to get food from elsewhere… So I enter the ice, jumped up and break it. They somehow put me out and caught fishes… Only because of that we survived.”

“Well, sweet.” Replied confused Flame. “But why do you tell me that?”

“To answer two questions.” He smiled. “First – why I risked that faked jump to Talbourne Creek. Because I had some practice with freezing water.”

”And the second thing?”

“That coming on that ice… I wanted to catch a fish… But it didn’t change the result – I get wet. And the same… Coming there I wanted to help aunt Ea… but it didn’t change the fact that I regained you. And I love you, mom.”

“Oh, Ian…” whispered Flame and licked her son’s forehead. But then added with severe voice. “You won’t never, ever swim in frozen rivers nor lakes again!”

 *

“I heard that.” Said malawolf. He came to mother and stopped just next to her. “Heard that Ian was actually doing good thing.”

“Son…” cried Ea, lowering her ears before January. “All I wanted was your good.”

“Yeah, sure.” Smiled wolfdog “Fortunately I survived your steps…”

“I’m so sorry!” she burst in tears.

“Mother…” said January with serious voice. “I could answer you in only one way. To invert words that you told me most often when I was young. Do you know, what were those words?”

“He hates me.” Thought Ea. “He hate me, because I manipulate him. Those words are <I love you>. And he want invert hem. He despises me!”

“And if you don’t recall, those words were…” January cleared his throat, driving Ea almost to madness, as she was waiting for the sentence. “Those words were: <January, don’t do it again!>” said hybrid and smiled. “I wish to invert it and say: Mom, don’t do it again. Right?” He put his head on her shoulder and licked her ear. “And it’s good to see you. Those were just few days, but I missed you.”

 

XII. Of sons and fathers

 

Maya was ready to go on the next morning. Her bruises of past few days were still present and not helping in march, but she wanted to get back to cave as soon as it was possible. There were several reasons – she wanted to be there, hoping that January would return directly to her home, but also he wanted to appease tensions in family. For even a moment she didn’t believed that Sheik had anything to do with Black’s attack, but she wanted to look in into eyes and confirmed that she had still a loving brother. “God!” she thought, feeling a growing irritation. “If he simply asked me to not claim for uncle’s legacy, I would seriously consider it. Uncle Shadow wanted different, but Sheik is my big brother after all. But… but now it’s all different. I have to become an alpha… to be with January and with him appease that useless war.” And she smiled to herself. Malawolf was gone, but she knew he was about to return. “Whatever he tells, he loves me. I saw it in his eyes.” Then

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