him. Whitefurred stopped. “May I have one question for you?”

“You can question me whatever you want.” Replied Cayce angrily. “But don’t be surprised, if I reply you that I’m sergeant Cayce of First Unit.”

“Sir… are Flame and Ralph of Talbourne all right?”

Cayce gulped. He turned back to see the prisoner again. He looked carefully on his muzzle and in next moment he closed his eyes, recalling some ghost of the past. It was the same wolf – the same cadet that was killed during qualification round three years earlier. Son of Flame and Ralph. Ian of Talbourne.

“Will… get here mrs Flame. She lives in side cave, next to main exit.” Said slowly. Then he replied Ian. “Yes, they are fine. Are you our wolf? Son of Flame and Ralph?”

“I’m terribly sorry, sir.” Replied Ian with genuine expression of sorrow. “I’m not authorized to tell so much details to enemy. No offence, I mean.”

“Mike, let him go.” Ordered Cayce. Mike was still holding prisoner, pressing him to the ground. “I said: let him loose!” growled sergeant and younger wolf obeyed. Ian stood up, but he was still very weak. His paws were shaking and his sight was still dimmed with weakness. But he was able to stand by himself. “So… Ian.” Said Cayce. “I have many questions for you… but now I have to say: welcome home, lad.”

“I didn’t defect.” Noticed brownfurred. “I was taken here by a force.”

“You were taken, where you belong.” Said Cayce. Seeing that some confused soldiers, were still ready to tear prisoner apart, he added. “At ease! He is Talbourne wolf! We will soon explain how it happened he was in their army. Let him walk freely.”

“Sir!” said Ian decisively. “I gave no word that I won’t escape. I said I give up, but with possibility of interrogation, I would…”

“So what, my lad…” asked Cayce. “Will you escape?”

“E…” murmured brownfurred. “Actually… YES!” he called and slammed into Cayce’s side.

Perhaps his weary appearance was a trick, perhaps seeing the route of escape wolf regained his strength. But the result was simple – he pounced on whitefurred and overturned him, then jumped among guardians and using their total surprise, he made his way through. He pushed two soldiers aside and started to speed to the exit. It took over three seconds for Cayce to react.

“ALARM!” he howled. Then all guardians ran out from chamber.

Ian was in his hardest moment of life. He had to use all his muscles, but also all his brains. He was bruised, sleepy and starved (that small piece of meat, given by guardians was just slowly being digested), but he had to ran faster than fresh sentries of cave. Additionally, he was putting all possible mental effort to recall memories of Home Cave and it’s vicinity. If he wanted to escape, he had to know any route of his run.

He easily mixed with loose group of wolves on square, but then he heard Cayce, calling an order to stop hobbling runaway. He turned aside, leaving the open plain and entered the forest. He knew – or at least expected – that route was a dead end. Behind grove once were quarters of Second Unit, where alert had to get too. So Ian decided to choose the only possible way out – to freedom or to death.

He ran down, closer to gorge. One of Talbourne Creek’s tributaries was a fast mountain torrent, embraced with deep ravine. It was in that place about three metres wide – Ian hoped that detail hadn’t changed since his last visit… - a distance hard to jump over by crippled wolf. And then scout was also wounded and weak – the quest seemed to be impossible. The same as most tasks in RAIA-service.

He bounced from ledge and pounced into air. Giving whole might he could in hind-legs thrust and flew perfectly over five metres depth, aiming at snow-hang on the other side. It was unbelievable, but he made it. However, the snow under his paws did not.

Ian sensed that his ground quaked and ran down. For short while wolf was staying in the air and desperately trying to reach with front paws to solid rock. Then gravity claimed her beloved child and Ian set off to meet the cold surface of torrent.

*

Ian and Viin were almost two, what make them consider themselves as mature wolves. Father of course repeated that was too early, but brothers felt that under his denies there was a pride of his sons. So they volunteered to Shadow’s Team in secret, however sensing that Ralph was expecting that. That was just after Bear Clan War, so military was craving the fresh blood to replace casualties.

Mother was crying, hearing they sons applied. But father didn’t protest. So on appointed day brothers came to main square, as many of young wolves from clan. They hadn’t fixed that, but brothers split in crowd. They were brothers… and that’s why they had reasons not to be in one team while qualification started. They had been always competing – since early puphood. Even in so small family, where just two cubs survived, some hierarchy must be done. Ian was on the lower step of ladder and he hoped that qualification would change that and show parent he was simply better than his litter-brother. Yet neither Ian nor Viin wanted to stand against each other so early, and surely didn’t want to eliminate themselves by some initial fight. So they picked different teams…

That was a frosty day – blizzard was so severe that the Pack’s forces might come unseen to the Valley – under condition that Steele was so mad to set off in such a messy time. It was good moment for qualifications – for sure it was ready to eliminate all weaklings.

The quest of qualification was simple – to reach the set point before next evening and there win in skirmish-fights with other teams that made it too. But the main problem was to get to finish. The route was about fifty miles long, what made quite a run as for such weather conditions.

Ian took over his small-pack and lead them straight to he aim. Because he was especially motivated, he chose the hardest way, via Frosty Pass. What surprised and shocked him what that two more teams did the same and when they got to mountain passage, they discovered three lifeless bodies on the bottom of gorge. Ian gulped, but quiet enough for no one to hear.

“Crew! Onward!” he said and entered the frozen path.

Wind was blowing from north-east what was in the same time beneficial and dangerous. Path was going on north-west, so wind was simply pushing competitors to the rock-wall, somehow securing them from fall. But sooner or later wolves would cross surface sloped or slippery enough that even windy support was not enough. In that case unprepared youngster was just sliding down to the edge of ledge and then lower – to three dead bodies. Needless to say – that happened to Ian.

He never knew when he made a mistake. Simply he found himself sliding down, with no control about own moves. He just managed to think “I’m dying!” and imagine smiling muzzle of Viin who once again turned out to be the better one. Then all his misery was cut by meeting with frozen surface of snow and firn. He lost his senses.

His team passed that place with no future accidents. They reached Sunny Valley and there met Viin’s team. Second of brothers quickly took over orphaned unit and increased his forces to fifteen jaws. He got to the finish as the last, but thanks to superior wolfpower he beat all opponents and got first grade from qualifications. Meanwhile his brother was dying.

Ian awoke about three hours later, when blizzard was still raging on. He felt that his paw was broken and saw his companions left him to die. He tried to stand up, but he based on damaged limb. Pain was so rapid, that wolf again lost his consciousness.

When he awoke once again, he knew he was dying. Frost and hunger were quickly stripping his life-forces and there was no way to stop that. Unless… Ian crawled to body of nearest competitor and started to eat. He vomited three times, but finally ate enough to survive the sleep. Somehow he was still alive when the Pack came.

Steele noticed four bodies and decided to dine too. Perhaps not all of his soldiers shared that inclination to canine food, but commander was thinking rationally – if he feasted on carcasses of enemies, he could leave more hunted game to his subordinates. So he came to nearest body.

Body yelped with fear.

“Wow!” smiled malamute. “Talk about hot meat!” But then he looked in terrified eyes of Talbourne. “Oh… you are a reject of qualification? You prefer to finished off or saved?”

Ian didn’t believe that he would be saved. From all war-logic he knew it came to: kill or be killed. He was unable to kill Packer, so he should be eliminated. The same as he had been eliminated from Shadow’s Team. Crying with dry tears and cowed in coil, trying to gain at least some time, before enemy would tear his throat.

“Aarre!” called Steele. “We are actually done with recon. Tell me – would we be able to get this lad out of gorge.”

“Sir?” gasped S.I.C.

“I don’t want to know your feeling about it, but estimation of odds.” Said commander. “Would we?”

“Perhaps… fifty-fifty I would say.”

“So: go! Put him on my back.” Before Ian would asked why he was saved by enemy after being sentenced for death by his brethrens, he lost consciousness again.

*

He awoke some time later in small rock-crack. Giant malamute was lying next to him and portioning meat. Ready pieces he was putting just in front of wolf. Ian recalled how he was hungry. He looked on his saviour.

“Yes, that is for you.” So brownfurred started to eat.

After few more minutes he also stared to think. What was that all about? What happened? And most important: “Why?” he whispered with weary voice.

“Good question, boy.” Said malamute. Ian recalled that dog was called Steele and he was the commander of mysterious Pack with which Talborne was wagging the war. “By the way: what’s your name?”

“Ian…” sighed wolf.

“So, Ian… I guess you

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