swamp as you are.”

“I know.” She replied. “I admire your devotion. But… Christ’s sake, you can’t kill me now!”

“Any reason?”

“Well…” she murmured, giving one and only reason she wanted to live. “I have a date soon.”

“Coagulations.” Snorted Black. “I’ll do what I could.” Then he called aloud. “Wolves of Talbourne… We were unrightfully accused and we need to show our innocence. There is just one way to do that. I demand a Trial of Aniu, against liars that accused us. Against Tram.”

“That was a suggestion?” asked Teele, looking on Maya, in grasp of Garm. “All right, I guess we have limited choice… However remember: if you challenge Tram in case about whole clan, he could take a champion to fight instead of him.”

“But if Stardusters will come to the trial as whole pack, he could pick as many champions as are Stardusters… but minus one. He had to fight.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Nodded Teele and Tram gulped.

“Is that our law?” he asked Teele quietly and when she nodded again, cursed. “Werk! I should have hired a lawyer!”

“Are you ready, coward?” called Black.

“But all your pack have to fight.” Said Teele. “Even him.” She pointed on wounded Ram. Black cursed badly. “And Tram could pick any five champions he wish. Even elite soldiers.”

“Sorry, pal!” called darkfurred to Ram. “We have a duty.” Bruised prisoner nodded his head.

“NO!” called Rose. All eyes turned to her. “As mate of Sheik I have no bounds with former stardust Pack.” She declared. “But still, I could fight in name of Ram.”

“No, wait!” called Black with desperate voice. “Rose, we have all in control and…”

“I won’t let you die.” She said. Then she turned to her mate and whispered. “I don’t know, how it would end. So if… it goes wrong, take care of kids… And find them better mother than I was.” Before Sheik  managed to stop her, she entered circle of guardians.

Trials by combat - iudicum Aniu - should been fight on the Fighting Pillar, but due to extraordinary conditions, it was about to take place on main ledge, before entrance to Home Cave. Rose joined her pack and nestled to Black’s side.

“Why, Rose…” he whispered. “We could have done it alone… And now… you could die.”

“My pups are still of our pack.” She said. “And I couldn’t stand as you doing my job for me.”

And then Maya understood she was about to die. Plan of Black was desperate, but quite logical. To kill in team deathmatch Tram and then kill Maya, who was still captured. Then via facti Sheik became the one and only claimant and no one judges the winners. New appointed alpha would acquit charged ones, whatever they did. That was only Black’s hope. But to do that both Tram and Maya had to die.

“Thanks, sister.” Said darkfurred to Rose. “I love you.” In his voice sounded Maya’s sure death.

“January!” thought princess desperately. “It was so close… but somehow I blew it. Forgive me.” She felt an overwhelming yearning for malawolf, that even muffled fear of death.

Tram chose five best soldiers that he could find there and entered the improvised arena. Maya was pushed to the edge of ledge. There was no way for her to escape unnoticed by Black and even she tried, she had to cross the area of duel. Starduster thought about almost everything. Almost.

Maya choke the scream in last moment, seeing with amazement that just next to her was standing January. Hybrid was partially transparent, as if he was not a living one, but a ghost. But he was substantial for sure – he nudged princess’s side and Maya noticed as she herself started to blur. In the same time just next to them appeared a phantom, looking exactly as brownfurred wolfess.

“Just follow me!” ordered January with decisive whisper.

Her head was full of questions, but she was in the same time scared to ask them. However one observation came before all next: as a saviour, January had an impeccable timing.

*

It happened just hour before. January felt father’s presence in his sleep. He opened his eyes, to notice he had actually no eyes, at least not in material sense of that word. He was outside of his body, floating above Talbourne Home Cave. Was saw scene on ledge before Home Cave, but also what happened on east from there. Aarre was leading his army, he was just few miles away, while Tenu chased him. But it was obvious that main part of mercenary’s forces would be much too late. January smiled.

“And that’s the last good news today.” Said Steele.

“Father…” whispered malawolf and bowed his head in greeting. “So… this is real.”

“I hate to say, but yes.” Replied dog. “And I must tell you know the worst order I could. Or no, but…”

“Father… what happened?”

He didn’t replied, just showed. January saw Aniu and Shade at her side. Mother and son were looking on scene below with concern and even with some uneasiness, but that was common emotion. They didn’t look like enemies and they weren’t.

“They reconciled.” Said Steele and put to son’s mind single set of all necessary information. In time shorter than blink of an eye, malawolf learned about ancient conflict between Mother of Wolfkind and her son. About appointing Light the successor after Aniu and wrath of Shade. About fight, when Shade killed his parent. About Light, who died from despair leaving his Pack orphaned and starting the Great Dispersion of Wolfkind. And about centuries and ages when Shade was fighting with his mother in afterworld to settle old hurt. And then last days, when Aniu and her dakrfurred son reconciled. Steele wasn’t sure if Shade’s plan to destroy Talbourne was a fake from the start, opportunity to show his good will to mother, by stopping it, or it was real, but darkwolf left it. But the outcome was the same. Steele was alone.

“I’m here just two years.” He said. “And they are immortal spirits since ages. I’m no match for joined might of those two. I can’t win this war.”

“War…” Whispered January.

“Yes.” Nodded Steele. “Whole my life I was a murderer and sinner. But at autumn of my road on Earth, I changed. I met your mother, fathered you… and settled Pack to fight the only idea I thought worthy to fight for. Talbourne reign will be a catastrophe and there is so little to do with it.”

“But Aarre… our army…” started January.

“You know, why Shadow chose Maya as the future alpha?” asked dog and his son shook his head. “Because only by her agency Aniu could help her clan. In every generation there is a Champion of Aniu, wolf capable to take his power from powers of Wolfkind’s Mother. Once that was Balto. After him the gift inherited Aleu… I’m not sure why, but after Aleu’s death, that trait came to Maya. Thanks to her, Aniu could boost Talbourne army with might that even Aarre’s soldiers couldn’t stand.”

“So why…”

“Shade told me that he could transmit his powers on me and I could give them to you. But Shade betrayed us!”

“And what now?” asked January and seeing Steele’s muzzlial expression, he gulped.

“All the Pack will die… As long as Maya lives - whatever she likes it or not - Aniu could make Talbourne invincible warriors by Maya’s agency.”

“No, I will ask her…”

“To what?” asked Steele. “To have mercy on them? Spare their lives? But still, Talbourne will win. Still wolves will be imprisoned in tyranny of that abomination.”

“So… there is no chance to win it?” asked January.

“There is always a chance.” Said Steele. “But it requires a sacrifice I can’t demand.”

“Tell me!”

“If you kill Maya… but no, Aniu won’t let you… But if you wound her… even tire her, there is possibility I would disrupt Aniu’s protection over Talbourne and that would give our army chance to… retreat alive.”

“Mom…” whispered January. “Kaata… Ian!”

“They are trapped between Home Guards and Tenu.” Said malamute. “Maya would let them go, but Aniu won’t. She know, what danger for her children the Pack is.”

“I won’t survive the duel with Maya, if she is boosted by immortal… or two.” Said January.

“I could take out Shade.” Replied Steele.  “But Aniu herself would be acting still. There is no chance to win… but if you somehow tire Maya’s body, Aniu will have harder task to do with killing our family.”

“I guess it’s a Banzai charge.” Smiled January. “Just like your Expedition of Avengers… Dad, I loved this story.”

“Son, I’m sorry to ask you about it, but…”

“Make a room for me here.” Replied January. “I will join you soon.” He turned back, but then stopped and added. “But know one thing. I don’t do it for saving the World, the Ways of Nature, nor for the Pack. I’m doing it for you!” And he woke up, on the snow, next to Ian and Flame. He had a job to do – to die wisely.

*

Tenu was running at full speed, but weak body of general couldn’t gave him proper tempo. He had to make breaks often, yet was still faster than his army. “Just to get there.” Thought. “I would defend Home Valley for a while even with those Home Divisions…” He called to Fida and Ama, running by his sides.

“We split up! I’m going to Home Cave and you take all military personnel you spot here. Understood?”

“You are going alone?” asked darkfurred sister.

“I have no other option. Go now, you have an order.”

“But sir…” started white wolfess. “You could…”

“I wont die.” Snorted mercenary. “I’m far beyond this!”

*

Steele was weaker than Aniu and Shade, however he wasn’t helpless. He equipped January with all powers he could spare. Malawolf didn’t become invisible, but supernatural coat that covered him absorbed most of light shining on. Because it was a dusk, hybrid was very hard to spot.

Few thing in his body changed. He instantly stopped to produce any sweat nor hormones and just in minutes his scent was reduced just to slight aroma, easy to miss even by skilled sentries. He still made sounds while moving, but spell of Steele’s power slowed down his breath, to make him almost inaudible in careful sneaking.

That was why he simply

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