“No. Her place is with the council. Her abilities–”

“I don’t want to hear it, Quicksilver,” Flint growled suddenly, flashing his teeth slightly.

Put out, Quicksilver fell into a brooding silence.

Flint embraced Aleu and nudged his two daughters, staring for awhile at Ruska’s hardened expression. “I’ll be back,” he told them, “Stay safe. I love you.” He nodded curtly to Linder, ignored Quicksilver, and slunk painstakingly across the hills, sticking to what shadows he could find. He slid behind a ridge and was gone from their sight.

Aleu sat down in defeat. The wind muttered as it skittered across the top of the cave, throwing the pale snow up in handfuls. Shaila bit her lip in worry, and then froze, ears cocked. Did she hear a soft, metallic click?

Quicksilver looked up, and his serious eyes drilled into Aleu’s soul. “Flint underestimates Remus. You do, too. Can’t you see the great power your daughter has been given? She could save lives, if only others would listen.”

Aleu’s blue eyes were fretful slits as she looked out at the horizon, hoping for another glimpse of Flint. “I really don’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to think when she was a pup, and I don’t know now.”

Meanwhile, Shaila was whirling around, straining to hear over her mother’s words. What was that crunch? And another.

“Mom,” she tried, her soft voice weakened further by her fear.

“I know it’s been said before, but I’ll say it again,” Linder declared, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

And then a shot rang out.

Remus stood trembling in the ring of pack leaders slowly forming inside the Grove. It had been almost a week since she had come before Everest with her announcement, and since then they had been waiting for Everest’s order to be obeyed, for all the alpha males to gather in the Grove for a grave council.

The Grove was a small spit of open land closed in by red mountains on one side and thick forest on the other. It was hard for the humans to get to without their flying machines, and so it had become the meeting place for the most serious of gatherings.

Remus’s heart pumped wildly. Blood spun through her head so fast she felt sick. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, wishing for Shade’s support. But for the past few days her brother had been elsewhere, helping the Eagle Pass wolves prepare for the arrivals of Alaska’s wolf leaders; at least, that’s what he told her. But Remus had other ideas as to what his activities might be, many of them concerning the attractive females she had seen him gawking at. But, whatever his whereabouts, he was not here to support her now, when she would have to face the council. When she would have to face their father.

Another alpha male slid out of the heavy mist and took his place in the ring. Remus almost jumped at his sudden appearance, but she caught herself and shivered instead. The Grove was hung with a thick curtain of silver mist. Wolves appeared and disappeared like ghosts through it, and it unnerved Remus so much she couldn’t see how the other wolves could stay so calm.

The ethereal feel of the place did not help her fear of appearing foolish in front of the most powerful wolves in the North.

The circle of wolves was almost complete. Everest cocked his head to listen to the whispered words of his beta wolf, then dismissed him and drew himself up. “Word has just reached me that the last alpha male has arrived.”

Remus suppressed a fearful shudder. Flint.

“Since he will be joining us momentarily, we can begin the council,” Everest continued.

An old gray wolf with white front paws and black patches around his eyes growled irritably. “There better be a good reason for this, Everest. I’ve traveled a long way.”

“Patience,” Everest said coolly, “I would first like to make sure everyone knows each others’ identities. The wolf that just spoke is Iceberg, leader of the Pacific pack, the southernmost pack in Alaska.” Everest went on to introduce the other wolves: Swift of the Red Aurora pack, Silver Arrow of the Anvil Creek pack, Cyan of the Midnight Sun pack, Jaydor of the White Storm pack, and Everest himself of the Eagle Pass pack. By this time everyone was staring at Remus, but before Everest could say anything about her Flint ran into the Grove and completed the circle of leaders.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he panted, “But my pack was shot at by hunters. I had to bring them to a safer place…so I brought them here. Remus!”

“What?” Everest cried.

Remus forgot about appearing afraid and stupid and just rushed into her father’s embrace. Flint hugged her as hard as he could and kissed her forehead. Then he backed up and stared at her, worry tainting his golden eyes. “Where’s Shade?

“He’s fine, Dad, he’s fine,” Remus babbled, “Dad, you were shot at? Is anyone hurt? Is anyone…?” She gulped and swallowed the word she was afraid to hear. It scraped down her throat like a dagger of ice and froze her mind.

Flint shook his head and opened his mouth, but before he could say another word Everest said dryly, “This is Flint of the Northern Lights pack. Now, you say your pack is staying in one of my caverns at this very moment?”

Flint nodded.

Jaydor exploded. “You’ve led the humans to us, you idiot!”

“Hey, give him a chance,” Cyan cut in, “He’s hardly had time to explain anything.” He glanced at Flint. “Besides, he doesn’t look that stupid.”

“Because he doesn’t look like you!” Jaydor snapped.

Cyan was still. Building anger throbbed in his blue eyes.

“Enough of this,” Everest tried, but Jaydor ignored him.

“Why are you even here, Cyan? Call yourself a pack leader? You have two, count ‘em, two wolves in your pack!”

Cyan slowly shook his head. “No. At least three. Destiny is with pup.”

“Destiny?” Jaydor inquired, “You mean–”

“Luna.” Cyan’s eyes were hard, his face set with a cool, dangerous anger. “Listen. You can make fun of me. You can jeer all you want at me. But make fun of Destiny, or lay one paw on her, and you will end up like your poor mother.”

Jaydor glared at him, and then stared sullenly at the thin grass.

“Would you two shut up?” Iceberg complained, “I’m tired enough as it is. Your arguing’s making me fall asleep!”

“Quiet, all of you,” Everest growled. When all were silent he turned to Flint. “Did the humans pursue you?”

“Yes, but we evaded them so that we lost them before we reached Eagle Pass,” Flint explained.

Everest exhaled slowly in relief. “Good. Where does your pack normally reside?”

“Directly outside Nome,” Flint said, “But apparently we’ll have to go somewhere else until this wolf hunting craze is over.”

“I fear it will never end,” Swift said quietly, “until every wolf in the North is dead.”

The sickened silence was as thick and heavy as the mist.

Silver Arrow coughed. “But what’s Remus doing here?”

Remus stared at him suspiciously. But he wasn’t accusing her; he was simply curious. She liked him almost at once.

Her stomach churned as once again all eyes turned upon her, but she shook herself and tried to stand proud. Fear would not help anything right now. “Everest asked me to tell you of my visions of a great battle between wolves and humans, but I think it’s obvious there’s already a conflict between us and them.”

“…Visions?” Cyan said, sounding a little startled.

“Yes. I am a Seer.” Remus waited for Flint to comment, but he didn’t. Her mind switched to worry mode. Why couldn’t Flint tell her if anyone had been hurt? Was this too sacred a place or too serious a time? Of course, if anything was seriously wrong Flint wouldn’t be here. But still…

Her thoughts raced. The quickest way to end this meeting would be to come up with a solution. How could they protect all wolves from hunters?

“…I just don’t know,” Everest was saying, “Our species moves closer and closer to extinction every–”

“Wait!” Remus almost jumped as an idea hit her with a jolt. It was simple. So simple. Probably too simple for any of these leaders to think of. She fixed her gaze on Everest. “One pack is already here, right? So bring the other packs, too!”

Swift was already shaking his head. “That will never work. The humans will suspect something right away.”

“Not if we’re careful,” Remus insisted, “The larger packs can come section by section.”

“But where would they stay?” Silver Arrow pointed out.

Everyone looked at Everest, but it was Cyan who said, “Isn’t there a valley around here completely surrounded by mountains? If there’s some sort of passageway from here to there, they could stay there, and it would be hard for the humans to get to it. I don’t even know if the humans know about the valley.”

“Windsong Valley!” Iceberg said thoughtfully, “That could work…”

“One problem,” Jaydor said, “This is Everest’s place.”

All eyes shifted to Everest. He was standing very still, glaring at Remus. “This is impossible.”

That glare made Remus waver a bit. She took a step back, and she felt her father beside her. She looked up at him, and he nodded with a proud gleam in his eye. That buoyed her spirit, and she turned back to Everest with a fierce smile. “No, it’s not. It can be done, if we can just use your territory.”

“And what are you going to do with all these