“So, Ian… I guess you were rated as useless for you military. And to be honest – now you are. The paw will never fully recover.”

“Sir, you are…”

“I’m fighting Aleu, not some her impaired sidekicks.” Replied dog.

“What will be with me?” asked wolf.

“In fact Home Valley is about twenty miles from here.” Said Steele. “We must go back, but we could left you some meat. You would stay here, rest for few days and when blizzard is over – safely return home. But…”

“I’m dead there.” Noticed Ian. “They left me, because I failed. I’m cripple. I can’t go back.”

“So what!?” asked Steele in incomprehensible impulse. “Should I take you with us?”

Wolf turned his eyes to muzzle dog and was looking in his blue pupils for long while. Malamute read many of thought that were flowing under face of youngster and was almost hearing cry of broken heart. Ian lost his home and old life.

“Should I take you with us?” repeated Steele automatically.

“Would you, sir?” asked Talbourne wolf.

*

Cayce was determined to catch the runaway for the second time and first time on his own behalf. He saw as scout was speeding in plant, then he followed his logic and quickly discovered his plan. He ordered to guardians.

“Follow me! To the creek!” and ran ahead.

If prisoner jumped across gorge he was out of the inner sentries range. Of course outer guardian would most likely intercept him, but whitefurred sergeant wanted to do it himself. But Cayce was almost sure that Ian was too weak even to exit the Home Valley.

He had right – they found scout, knocked down and floating in creek. Whitefurred curse and entered water. He wished to wait for some younger soldier to do that job, but he noticed that Ian was in the middle of drowning and hurry was rather suggested behaviour. He grabbed runaway with his jaws and took him to the bank. Brownfurred coughed with wet breath, showing all he was still alive and interrogate-able.

“Oh hell!” thought sergeant, carrying prisoner back to cave on his back. “That incident won’t come unnoticed. We have to report it to Tenu.”

Soon he put his load back on bedding on Main Cave Hall and ordered two soldiers to warm POW up. Then he was out of ideas. “Ian, Ian… what I should do with you?” he asked himself. Then he looked on Will with hope in his eyes. “Hey, have you told it to mrs Flame?”

“Well, I didn’t tell her who it is, but I asked her here.” Said young guardian. “She will be any minute.”

“Good, that’s good.” Said Cayce, while thinking intensively.

How it could happened? Ian died almost three years earlier in qualification to Shadow’s Team. There was  really small probability that he survived and even if the product with odds that he join the Pack was unbelievable small. However it happened. Cayce was just a sergeant, so he knew he couldn’t understand it himself. But then he recalled one thing. That day, after competition three years earlier, some of scouts asked him:

“Sir, we have over ten M.I.A.s. Shall we send a searching team?”

He looked on cloudy sky and replied. “No, useless. And besides… what for?”

With that memory he was sitting next to Ian with no idea what to think.

*

Flame entered the chamber about quarter later and looked on motionless body on brushy bedding. It took just one second for her to recognise features of unconsciousness prisoner. She ran to him and kneeled just before. She cried with purest amaze and overwhelming sense of guilt.

“My son!”

 

IV. Forgotten Past

 

January was again small pup.

At least he thought he was, because he was seeing father. Steele was standing over his lying son and telling his about something that malawolf couldn’t understand. In those times January was totally lost – he wasn’t sure if father was praising him, cheering him up to his mission or his speeches are full of reproach and disappointment. Each time he heard his voice, he tried to focus of those words, but always failed.

That time was similar, however January thought he was closer than anytime to understand Steele. He observer lips of father, trying to read from its moves. There was something about danger, but January guessed that was a common theme in wartime. Then was something about prisoner and warning. And then…

And then the dream was over. Malawolf awoke in plant next to Raindeer Creek, aside of his combat pack. Apu and others were still asleep – and it was quite natural, because it was still dark. But when future alpha noticed that Kaata was not there, he stood up and set off to Kova.

Kova was commanding the forces of Creek Division. She was an old Steele’s companion from earlier times of the Pack. Then she became a alpha-beta and in fact second in command after Aarre. When greyfurred was directing the war from strategic perspective in Haven, brown female was main field commander. That morning – or it was still late night – she was sitting just on small hummock over Raindeer Creek bank, observing it’s frozen surface with her staff.

There was also Kaata, telling something to officers, but also… January sighed with surprise. He recognised Toima, Kunto and three others soldiers of Ian’s pack, but there were no Ian in person. January ran on the hummock, stopping before gathered wolves.

“Hello, aunt!” greeted Kova. “Hi, Kaata.” Then looked on Toima. “Hey, are you back already? Where is Ian?”

“Sir…” started scout. Then January noticed that soldier was exhausted, had a nasty scratch of his side and swollen paws. Malawolf felt a freezing wave on his back, when Toima looked with uncertain stare on Kova.

“January…” said commander with unexpected softness in voice. “Ian… hasn’t returned. They split…”

“What!?” cried malawolf and jumped to Toima. He almost bite her in side, yet stopped just in front of her wound. “What do mean by…”

“Sir…” she sobbed with sorrowful voice. “It was an order! We didn’t want to leave him, but he told us to… We were surrounded and traced… And Ian said it was the only way… He ordered us to wait, while he went further, making a false trail…” January steeped back, seeing as scout was genuinely touched and feeling guilt. He wanted to say something to stop that confession, but she continued. “So he went… We waited few hours and set off to border as he ordered us.”

“All right, don’t cry.” Said January. “I believe you did exactly what he wanted you to do. But tell me, where he went as a decoy? We must find him and…”

“To Talbourne Creek Valley.” Said Toima and again burst with tears.

“Oh, my God!” gasped January. “Show me on the map!”

On hill over creek there was a map-model in snow. Steele taught his soldiers to use many of human ideas and maps were one of them. So – especially in winter, when snow allow to make such a craving easier – Packers used that way to set battle plans and indicate enemy’s presence. One of best and most detailed maps was on the peak of Reindeer Hill, from where enemy’s forces on the other bank could be seen and required changes on model made quickly.

“There.” Pointed Kuinto, darkfurred member of Ian’s team. He showed a point deep in enemy’s territory, in foot of Seward Range, about hundred miles from Reindeer Creek and about sixty miles east from Talbourne Home Cave. “He said, he would try to breach further, to give us more time.” Added Kuinto.

“Deer’s drooping!” cursed January. “Why the hell have you gone that far!?”

“Oh, sorry, sir.” Replied scout automatically. “You still aren’t alpha-alpha, so without permission of sir Varjo I can’t…”

“Never mind.” Snorted January, but he looked on Kaata. “You father will have to have a word with me… But not now: Apu, prepare our pack. We’re coming there. Kaata, pick some not-so-suicidal route for us, to the last point that Ian was seen. Try to avoid human seats and…”

“SIR!” called Kova with harsh voice. “January, what the heck are you doing?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” asked malawolf. “I’m going to find him… or retake him.” Then he turned his stare down. “Or confirm he is…”

“January!” repeated Kova forcefully. “I won’t let you go on such ridicules trip. It’s almost hundred miles into Talbourne and…”

“I don’t ask you for permission, aunt.” Interrupted her malawolf. “I’m simply going, because the Pack leaves no one behind.”

“Sure, I won’t let you stay behind.” Said brownfurred commander. She wagged her tail and two her soldiers stepped closer to wolfdog with clear intention to stop him in place.

“Apu! Tulo!” called Januray, when he noticed that. Two wolves stood up, baring their teeth. “Toima, Kunto.” Added future alpha, knowing that scouts would do anything to free their commander. Two Kova’s soldiers looked on alpha-beta with uncertain stares. “Are we going to bid, aunt?” he smiled with bitter smile. Then ordered top everyone. “We are going to search for Ian. Don’t report it neither to Aarro nor to my mother and…”

“Too late.” Said Kaata. “I’ve forwarded to lady Ea.”

“What?” gasped January. “And you, Kaata…”

“Sorry, January, but I had to.” Replied silverfurred.

“You mother has already replied.” Threw Kova in. “She strictly forbade you to go with rescue mission.”

“I don’t believe in that!” growled January. “Ian grew up with us. She loves my mother as if she was his actual parent and I can’t believe she would allow us to leave him.”

“She forbade to search him behind the enemy’s lines, but…” said alpha-beta. January looked on her carefully. “She gave her conditional permission to check if there is any possibility for POW-transfer.”

“What?” yelled Apu. “We do not negotiate with Talbourne!”

“We haven’t done that yet… but this is emergency.” Said Kova calmly. “Lady Ea want Ian back and is ready to pay the price of retaking him.”

“But it’s unthinkable!” snorted Apu. “We don’t negotiate with Talbourne because of very basic reasons! If we admit they are clan, not just a gathering of wolves, we gives them field

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