“Everything has gone according to plan, my lord,” he reported.

            “Good,” their lord replied, releasing Belle, “Keep her under watch at all times.”

            “It will be as you order, my lord.”

            “I’m glad to have such a loyal follower in you, Nemec,” his lord said, flashing his teeth in a grin.

Chapter Two

Ruth watched in shock as the home guard filed past the nursery, their heads bowed in defeat and shame. The last hope that the Ice Mountain pack had was gone. Suddenly, she realized what she had to do.

She quickly padded to the small cave in the back and gently nuzzled the pups awake. They sighed in exhaustion, but she quickly shushed them and led them out into the main nursery. Once there, she began to climb the ledges, pulling the pups up after her, one by one. At the top of each ledge, Ruth looked down to the entryway, scanning for any sign of detection. Finally, they all reached the top ledge.

            Ruth made her way slowly under the now low ceiling and pushed aside a small boulder, revealing a tunnel.

            “Come, little ones,” she whispered, “I’ll be right behind you.”

            The pups looked at the tunnel and, not yet knowing what was happening, started crawling. Once the last one had gone, Ruth crawled in, pulling the boulder back over the entrance. She heard the pups whimper as the tunnel was plunged into darkness.

            “Shhh, it’s alright, little ones. Keep going.”

            And so they crawled for a while until a ray of light shone in the distance. Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel. The pups leapt out one after another, overjoyed to be out again. Ruth hushed them as she tried to get her bearings.

            Now, Cloud’s pack was to the southeast, near Nome, she thought, or was it the southwest? No! It was the southeast.  

            “Ruth,” Isha said, “Where are we going?”

            “We’re going to visit another pack,” she said calmly. She looked to the sky and silently cursed. The light was fading fast. “Come now. Let’s go.”

            Meanwhile, Tes and his home guards were already being seen to by the invading pack. The home guard lay in groups of three or four, as instructed, and talked quietly. No one really moved. Most were too filled with shame and despair to do anything.

            Tes lay alone, contemplating Belle’s fate. They wouldn’t kill her that much was for certain. A hostile takeover was bad enough, but the murder of the leader would bring the whole of Alaska upon them. He stopped himself as he reconsidered their position. There was very little possibility that anyone outside their territory knew of their plight. Even so, she was safe, for now at least…

            Meanwhile in Nome, Jenna and Balto sat alone on Jenna’s porch. Jenna rested her head on Balto’s shoulder as she wept silent tears of loneliness. That morning Jake, Carla, and Lyle had been adopted.

            “I know it’s hard, Jenna,” Balto soothed, “But we knew it had to come sometime. They’ve all got wonderful homes now.”

            “I know, Balto,” she whispered, “but it’s not just that.”

            Jenna looked away and hung her head. Balto sensed what she was thinking.

            “Jen…” he said softly.

            “None of this would have happened if I hadn’t…If I…”

            She began to cry softly.

            “Oh Jenna,” Balto said, nuzzling her gently, “Please don’t cry. Can’t we forget about what you did?”

            “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget,” Jenna replied sadly, “You didn’t have to forgive me. You had every right to walk away and find someone else. Someone more trustworthy…”

            Balto furrowed his brow in disagreement.

“Jen, if you think I’d ever pick someone else over you…”

He stepped around in front of her and lifted her muzzle with his. He smiled reassuringly, and she couldn’t help but smile back. She nuzzled him lovingly.

“Thank you, Balto,” she whispered, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Jen,” he replied, “and nothing in the world will change that.”

He looked to the sky, and then back at her.

A sudden gust of wind made Jenna shiver and move closer.

“Would you like to come inside?” she said, “It’ll be dark soon.”

“I’m always glad to spend time with you,” he replied, nuzzling her.

As darkness settled on the Alaskan tundra, Tes tried his best to sleep. He looked sadly at the walls of the cave that had become his cell and sighed. In less than one day, he’d failed everyone who ever trusted him and lost them the one thing that meant more than anything else: their freedom. Now he and they were prisoners, slaves to the new order in their territory. And it was all his fault.

 Just then, he heard the tread of paws on the stone and looked up in surprise. Belle lay down beside him and looked at him in concern.

“Are you alright, Tes?” she whispered, “Have they mistreated you?”

“They’ve had nothing to do with me, my eva,” he replied, “How have they treated you?”

“Well enough. Most of them still respect my stature, but they won’t even let me see Ryder’s body.”

She laid her head down sadly, and Tes’ heart went out to his leader. She had lost more than he had in the takeover. Much more than he could ever hope to make up for. He suddenly felt a deep guilt rising within him.
            “I’m sorry about Ryder, my eva,” he whimpered, “I should have come faster. Maybe I could have saved him.”

            “You did all you could, Tes,” she soothed, “I’m not angry at you, please believe me.”

            “But the rest of the pack…” he continued, “They all looked at me when the home guard surrendered. Some glared, others cried, but what difference does it make? I’ve failed them. And what’s worse, I’ve failed you.”

            “Tes, no…”

            “You there, follow me,” interrupted one of their guards, nodding to Tes.

            Tes stood obediently and was lead quickly out of the chamber.

            Meanwhile, Ruth kept watch on the river bank as Isha, Ana, and Ranok slept soundly in the earthen dugout she’d found for them. Their flight had sapped much of their strength, and they were glad to rest, but it was Ruth who perhaps needed it the most. She had been on guard for more than half the night and her eyelids were starting to droop. Just as she was about to nod off to sleep, though, her keen ears detected movement across the river.

            She quickly stood and scanned her surroundings, following the almost inaudible sound of leaves under paw. She was ready to sprint and draw any potential danger away from the pups, but just as she was about to bolt, two wolves came into view, and she recognized them immediately.

            “Jacob, Fen!” she cried.

            Both wolves looked towards her and barked in surprise.

            “Ruth,” cried Fen, the older of the two, “What in Aniu’s name are you doing out here alone?”

            Ruth opened her muzzle to speak, but a sudden howl sent shivers down her back. Her fear turned to panic as more howls joined in. They were already getting closer. She quickly brushed aside the vegetation that concealed the pups’ burrow.

            “There’s no time to explain!” she cried, beckoning for the pups to cross the log that lay across the