in his eyes.” Then she stopped and Tenu walking just after her, involuntary hit with head her back.

“Sorry, general.” She said. “But please, stop for a while.”

“Stop? You are tired, my princess?”

“Not quite, but give me a minute…” She laughed. “I forgot to do something very important that I should have done long time ago.”

Mercenary stopped his squad. It was just ten chosen best fighters, while rest of his forces waited on the West Bank. Tan picked nine of most trusted wolves to escort Maya back home. Tenu himself decided soon return on front to wait for January there, but he made sure his princess was safe. After all Black was still somewhere there. However brownfurred seemed to be calm about that.

“Here.” She said and climbed on small hummock over the forest road. She looked east to sun, slowly raising on the sky and called, not too loud, but Tenu heard all perfectly. “O, great Aniu, Mother of Wolfkind. Thank You for your care and protection, thank You for generosity, all graces You give us.” She smiled, narrowing her eyes against sunrays. “Thank You for January, thank You for my love. And thank You, you give us chance to finish the war with enemy, whom we should love, not hate.” She bowed her head and started to go down from hummock.

“Any incense required?” asked Tenu with irony in his voice.

“Oh, you understood nothing.” Said Maya, but she was still smiling. “However soon you will see Aniu’s grace on your own eyes.”

“Indeed.” Smiled Aniu. Living wolves couldn’t see immortal spirit, but she saw them well.

Snow-white canine watched as her followers moved on west and she couldn’t stop her smile. After all those years, centuries, ages all was going in right direction. Thanks to her beloved great granddaughter Maya, her plan of Unity was just at paw.

“We all be together soon.” She whispered and her voice turned to gentle wind, blowing snow-dust over the forest. “There is only one thing to complete our family reunion.”
*

January ordered to call all wolves from Haven on East Bank, prepare for “Plan Omega” and wake him up when they were ready. Then he went to sleep. Over five days of constant emotions, effort and danger drained almost all his strength and will for life. He had to take a long nap, far from everyone.

He also hoped to see father. January never knew if dream he had were real or were just vision of missing mind, fuelled with hope and yearning, however he decided to act as if words of dreamy father were real. He fell asleep and indeed – quickly saw inside of his mind image of Steele.

And of some other, blackfurred wolf.

“What a shame.” Murmured darkwolf. “Dog will save the day!”

“Watch your words.” Growled Steele. “You are immortal, yet not immune for pain.”

“Easy…” smiled second canine. “Let’s talk with your boy.”

“Dad?” asked malawolf, slowly focusing on dreamy landscape around him. Two spirits greeted him in quite unique scenery – high on the sky, from where whole Seward Peninsula and greater part of Yukon Valley were seen. There was no visible ground, just transparent layer, similar to ice, but warm. “Dad? Is this… real?”

“I’m afraid more than I wished to.” Replied Steele. “Son, meet my staff – Shade, rightful alpha of Talbourne clan.”

“Maya would be disappointed.” Smiled January, but then his smiled died. “Dad… I’m not sure if you saw it, but…”

“You picked up the very wrong girl.” Said malamute. “However it’s to late for reproaches. For now the matter is: what we will do with Talbourne and Aniu.”

“We?”

“Listen.” Said Steele. “Shadow is Aniu’s son. He had own business with mother and he is helping our cause. Don’t ask about too much, you won’t understand it, as I don’t, in spite of being dead over two years. Just accept few things – we, Spirits of the Sky – are watching you all closely. We can’t interfere directly, but your power to advice, guide and strengthen you downthere is quite significant. We used to have a draw here, before I died. Aniu and Shade were fighting for centuries, but they powers were balanced. I’m just fresh aide of this rascal, but there is possibility that I could change the fate of war. Thanks to you. It will be your agency.”

“Dad… but this all… is this really necessary?” asked January, hardly believing he could oppose father’s will. “Can’t I… make a peace with Talbourne? Unite Pack with clan?”

“But it’s exactly Aniu’s plan!” called Steele. “That puts all of our efforts in vain.”

“Yet, it gives us peace.”

“Look at the price, boy!” exclaimed malamute. He came to son and nudged his side. He pointed with muzzle world below their paws. “Look down there… Talbourne and the Pack are abominations of Way of Nature. I spent… sacrificed my life to fight it… The same goes for you mother and you too. What you were doing in past few years.”

“I don’t care about Way of Nature” called January. “I was doing what I was doing only to be your son… to make you proud of me… I don’t know why your idea is good, I simply know it is good, because it’s your… As you asked me – I forgave everyone. Kaata, Aarre, mom… Because I imagined you, forgiving them. But I’m tired, dad… I’m putting all my might to follow your pawprints and I can’t see the end of road.”

Steele awkwardly hugged his son, having limited experience in hugging as an astral body. But the touch was as real as it could be in sky-world. January swallow tears that were about to flow then nestled to father’s side. They stayed silent for a while, then malamute said.

“You are right… I’m demanding too much of you… I guess much more that I should. So I will understand if you decided to go your way. You have a right to be happy… Because I fell into vicious circle. I wish no one sacrifice himself, but to achieve that we need a sacrifice now… But want you to be just happy. You will decide, when time comes.”

“You want he angry on me?” asked January with tensed voice.

“I guess not.” Replied Steele. “At least you will please your mother, what is generally a hard task and the success is remarkable thing.” Said, smiling. “But just in case, if you decide to help our cause, I will tell you, how I see this.” January nodded his head. “Call the Pack, order them to approve you as alpha-alpha. Then go with all forces you could gather to Home Cave. You have to squash military resistance of Talbourne and you have great chances now. In summer Tenu will come with his offensive. That war would kill you, as Tenu is brilliant commander and there will be many factors supporting him. But you could decide it all now. Just outmaneuver Third and Fourth Unit, as they are still on West Bank. Come to Home Cave and announce yourself as Talbourne alpha. Alone! Maya can’t have anything to do with it. You have to be sole leader… to order them to dissolve. Announce the apoliteia.”

“And you think that’s it? They would obey me, just to leave their clan?”

“You will have an army with you, to assure that.” Replied Steele. “Perhaps you would have to threat or even kill all eventual claimants.”

“You’re talking about Maya!” yelled January. “I want to be with her, not fighting her!”

“Uh… well… try to persuade her. You know… that she would be your princess anyway, doesn’t matter how many wolves follows her.”

“You requests are heavy, father.”

“I know.” Replied malamute. “Only my son could bear them.”

“Sir…” January looked on Shade. “And what you would say?”

“I would say your papa is out of him mind.” said darkfurred. “But still he is good guy in this story.”

“I don’t…” started malawolf.

“Just go back.” Said Steele. “And take what is your – succession after me. Whatever you choose to do later, remember that I love you anyway.”

“Yeah, I love you too, dad…” said hybrid, but then he learned that he was back on Earth, awake, lying in Reindeer Cave.

He stood up and noticed Kaata, sleeping at doorstep of cavern. He came to her with anger locked at his muzzle, being convinced she was eavesdropped his sleep, as he was talking in slumber. “Whatever it was real or not, she had no right to invigilate my dreams.” He thought, but then noticed that silverfurred was actually awake and listening.

And crying.

In second all anger at her ceased and wolfdog laid down nest to his friend. He licked her muzzle to wipe out the tears and she nestled to his side, still sobbing.

“I can’t comfort you, unless I know what I did to make you sad.” He said a bit embarrassed. Kaata cried much too often in last days. In fact he saw her crying recently earlier that for previous three years. “Or it has nothing to do with me?”

“It has, my alpha.” She sobbed. “Unfortunately, it has. I heard it all.”

“All right, Kaata, I’m not angry on you.” Said malawolf. But then added with inquiring tone. “You heard what!?”

“You was talking aloud in your sleep.” She said. “As if you were talking to someone… To father, most likely. But I heard you spoke about Maya…”

“Kaata, understand me.” Said slowly hybrid. “I’m not born-intelligence-analyst. I’m rather dumb creature, I can’t think as fast as you do. What do you mean exactly?”

“I love you, my alpha.” She sobbed. “I always did… and I always will. It doesn’t matter you will be with her… as Talbourne alpha… But it’s so hard to stand.”

“Werk!” cursed January. “There is no step to make that you don’t stomp on someone…” Then added with shivering voice. “Kaata… I had no idea! I thought we are friends... and all that scolds you used to flame me with sounded not so romantic, I guess.” But then added, seeing her still crying. “I’m sorry. But in fact I do love Maya.”

“I know.” She said. “And I accepted it already. I wish you to be happy. Be with her… don’t risk the war and own prosperity to follow father’s will. It’s your life.”

“As I said, I’m not born-intelligence-analyst…” started January. “But according to all what I know about game theory, you should encourage me to fight and execute dad’s

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