floorboards?"

     "Yeah, but what are yous thinking about?", questioned Nikki.

     "Thinking about? No, it's what I already thought about. C'mon, I have a great plan!", declared Dauntless. They ripped out the floorboards one-by-one, putting them in a neat bundle on the floor. When they finished, they had to drag the boards into their trap's location with care, for the boards still had nails in them. They set up the trap, which was located in a forest clearing. They laid down the boards into a circle formation, and had taken care to clear out the fallen leaves and pine needles in the area. After inspecting the trap, they proceeded to procure the final materials: matches and a container holding highly flammable liquid. Looking around the boiler room, Nikki found some matches next to the boiler. Dauntless found a can of oil in a wheelbarrow outside.

     "Won't the wolf need some kind of incentive to enter the trap?", asked Nikki.

     "You're right. We need bait. According to the story, the wolf wants to kill the youngest clan member most and will attack anyone nearby, so it'll go for Star first, and we'll be its secondary target.", declared Dauntless. He saw Star right where he had left him. Not wanting to waste time, they ran with an unconcious Star in tow.

     The trap was set. Oil had been spread across the boards, and everyone was hidden except for Star, who would be acting at bait at one end of the clearing. The plan called for the wolf to enter through one end of the clearing where a forest path used by many a wild animal ended. In the center was the circle of floorboards. The entire circle was loosely covered in leaves, so that a circle of fire would form when the boards were lit up. At the opposite end of the clearing, Star's limp body would be acting as bait below a tree. Nikki and Dauntless would hide next to Star's body behind a bush, and jump out when the time was right so that the wolf would be even more encouraged to head towards the circle. They had made the perfect trap. Now, all they had left to do was wait for the inevitable. The wolf would be tracking their scents into the forest clearing at any moment now. They heard a distant rustling. It got louder and louder until they could see bushes moving. A dark and shadowy life form approached them. It was none other than Kaltag, who was scratched and scarred from his encounter with the beast. Nikki did not hesitate to jump out of the bush and into the open to warn Kaltag.

     "Kaltag, NO! Don't go one step closer! Yous is in the wrong place!", he cried. Suddenly, Kaltag's eyes grew red in color. His body began to tremble, and out came the black wolf. Kaltag's body fell limp, with the wolf standing behind it. The wolf snarled at Nikki, and then howled triumphantly.

     "I finally have you right where I want you, Star.", the creature said in an eery tone of voice. The creature stepped closer towards Nikki, who was petrified with fear. There was no escape now. Nikki's heart sank faster than the Titanic. Now, it looked like the end for Nome. "I'm in the mood for a meaty appetizer. I'll start with you first, brown dog.", growled the beast.

     "Meaty?! If I weren't so petrified, I'd- I'd- I'd...", Nikki was now closer than ever to his bringer of death, and began to cower in fear.

     "Not one step closer, Sir Creepsalot!", cried Dauntless. Instantly, a lit match was thrown into the clearing. The fire spread from the match to the boards, and a circle of fire was formed. The fire creeped steadily towards the center, where the wolf was standing.

     "NO! Not again! I was so close!", screamed the beast. The flames engulfed the wolf, who instantly imploded into a sphere of light, which rose above the flames and into the night sky, where the aurora borealis streaked through the air and destroyed the sphere. Just as quickly as it came, the aurora borealis flickered away and disappeared. The fire died down, too. It was as if the inferno new that its job was done, and had decided to leave.

     "You okay, Nikki?", asked Dauntless.

     "Yeah, I'm fine. What about the others? Will they be okay?", wondered Nikki.

     "I'm sure they will be. I'm sure Nome will be, too. The story says this only happens once, so the worst is over.", Dauntless reassured. Suddenly, the aurora borealis lit up the sky once more in an encore performance. It danced with the stars for the last time that night as the sun began to break the horizon. Nome was safe for the time being, but how long would it remain safe? This was the question Nikki and Dauntless pondered as they stared up into the morning sky, which looked to them like a sea of peace in a chaotic world full of adventure and excitement.

     Later that morning, when Kaltag and Nikki had gone back to sleep in the Kennel, Dauntless and Star were the only ones remaining awake. "So, if you're my brother, where's the rest of my family?", pondered Star.

     "They're outside of Ophir, and that's a long ways away from Nome. I doubt you'll ever get to see them. If you want to know how much they cared about you, I can give you a good idea. They were the ones that sent me here to see that you pass a certain test that only the youngest member of the clan born during the full moon can go through. I can't tell you what it is, because even I don't know what that test is. It's a test unique to the individual recieving it. They wanted to see that you passed it safely and alive.", Dauntless said.

     "Test? Like the ones humans take in schools?", Star asked.

     "I don't know what a school is. Maybe you should tell me about it when we get the chance. As for me, I'm calling it a day.", Dauntless said as he proceeded to lie down on the concrete floor of the kennel.

     Star stared into the morning sky, just as Nikki and Dauntless had a few hours earlier. This time, the sun climbed higher into the sky as though if it were staring at Star, wondering what he was thinking. What was this test? Star was questioning this. The answer to this question he did not know. One thing he did know was that a test would indeed be coming soon, and that it would most likely be rigorous. The sky was turning blue, and the birds began to chirp as life began to come back to Nome. The air was clear again with the scent of fall on the wind. One thing that wasn't clear was the many challenges that would lie ahead waiting for Star. He would have to wait and live for this moment of temporary peace amidst a sea of chaotic uncertainty called life.