VI. Balkanising the Alaska

Maybe it was coincidence, maybe not, but Ralph and Viin had no time to meet Ian. Istana wanted to see her brother but in the same time she was too scared about it. Finally after two days Flame dragged her mate and her children to Main Cave into prison section.

Ian wasn’t interrogated too hardly – although Teele wanted to get some information about how the heck he managed to guide his unit so deep into Talbourne territory, she was careful to treat prisoner well. After all soon after he was to be exchanged. And on on technical question Ian did answer.

“…all I’m allowed to tell you.” Started his routine statement POW, then suddenly looked in eyes of intelligence leader and added with a bit amused voice. “Ma’am, is so strange that I know the place where I was born? I simply knew where I was going.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Admitted Teele. And then came Flame and her family. “So, I’ll be going now.” Said old agent to prisoner. It might sound weird, but even she wasn’t sure how to treat him – as the enemy or as the prodigal son. So she exited the chamber, as well as two guards, who took places outside.

Meanwhile brownfurred wolfess, two troopers of Home Guard and scoutess entered the chamber. Family – finally reunited – stopped, looking on each other in awkward silence. Finally Flame broke that spell. She grunted and said:

“Hello, Ian. I brought us all here.”

“Hello, mom. Hello father, Viin. Hello… Istana.” He looked on sister he was seeing first time in his life.

“Are you treated well?” asked Ralph, unable to say anything else.

“So so.” Replied Ian. “I don’t complain.”

“So… son.” Continued wolf. “If you are ready to back to clan, I will use all my influence…”

“No.” interrupted him scout. “I mean, sorry father, I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just… I’m sergeant Ian of scout unit, serving in RAIA under sir Varjo. I’m on mission, sir… I mean: father.”

“You’ve disgraced our family!” snorted Ralph.

“I’m no longer the family.” Replied Ian. “Aunt Teele understands it.”

“Oh, stop it!” cried Flame. “Viin, tell them something… to stop it.”

“But what, mom?” asked soldier. “If he wants to stick with them…”

“Reconsider it, son.” Said Ralph with stern voice. “When you are ready to make a right choice, tell me. Until then you are really from the Pack.”

“I am.” Smiled prisoner, then added. “Sir, I see now clearly that your son actually died Frosty Pass. Or maybe even earlier. I wasn’t meeting your expectations anyway.”

“Let’s go…” whispered Flame, trying to stop the scene before some graver words would be told.

She nudged Ralph and pushed him to exit. Viin followed them, only Istana waited a while, then came to Ian, bended down to laying soldier and licked his forehead. She said quietly: “Sorry, brother” and went after her family. Ian stayed alone and he was glad of that.

The stare of Viin, it was the same! Again sneering, again laughing at his weakness. Nothing had changed by those three years and Ian felt it in most aching way. But in the same time… “Viin… Father… if you knew, what it is all about… Most likely you would killed me, because of danger to your clan… But dad… you would be proud of me, knowing, how important is your son. How I will help to destroy Talbourne!”

*

Voice of Tan seemed for Maya as a lullaby. To be exact, oragnefurred wolf was scolding her in most severe way, at least as for Tan. He would never shout at his step-sister, but calm and quiet sentences of wolf were rebuking her behaviour in the most complex way. However she was completely ignoring it, simply glad to see and hear Tan.

“What you mean <duty to the clan>!? Clan can’t require from you such a ridiculous, suicidal acting. You can’t go behind Pack’s lines. They are enemies.”

“You are going there rather often.” Noticed Maya.

“I’m a soldier!” cried lieutenant. “And you are not. Additionally you are bitch and our possible future alpha. Putting yourself in such a danger is…”

“Tan…” she interrupted him gently. “Why are you shouting on me again? At least we could see each other and you want to argue.”

“Is it my fault that each time you are visiting me, you have such a ridicules ideas? But, yeah, you’re right. I’m really glad to see you again.” He licked her cheek.

Thankfully, no one heard that talk. Field commander took his stepsister outside the camp, to small gorge of Reindeer Creek inflow to chat far from his soldiers. Tan was commander of Third Unit, under general Tenu. Since two years he had been fighting the Pack mercilessly. That why he chose to serve with mercenary that station in home – he wanted to be as close to enemy as it was possible. His heart was always burning with vengeance. He was orphaned as a pup – first of all his father was killed by Uniea. Then his mother and sister were killed by wolves called themselves “Avengers Pack”. One of them was Steele and malamute hurt orangefurred one more time. He killed Dash – Maya’s father and Tan’s caretaker after death of Jack and Shiela. So since wolf was able to, he was carrying on his vengeance over hated Pack, the followers of Steele and in some way descendants of Uniea.

To sum it – Tan had a bad luck in his life. First he lost his biological parents. Then he lost his adoptive ones – Dash on war and June during the plague. So all the emotions he was feeling, he put in two being – clan as a whole, to become unquestionable grexot and his adopted sister – Maya. He was older than she and because of his service he was seeing her rather seldom, but in those moment he tried to be the best big brother he could. Maya was very glad about that, however she admitted that sometimes brotherly love of Tan was very tiring.

“Tan, I must go there.” She interrupted his another stream of warnings. “Your wolves are captured.”

“We could retake them by force.” Said lieutenant.

“I believe… but you would lost another soldiers.” She said. “Just let this time to do it my way. January is a honest wolf…”

“He’s dog, by the way…” interrupted Tan.

“I’m too!” noticed Maya. “My grandmother was purebred husky, what makes me wolfdog almost in the same grade that January…”

“January?” asked a bit shocked Tan. “You are talking about him as a friend. But he is the enemy! His father killed uncle Dash! He killed your father!”

“Yes, I know!” she replied. “But I’m struggling now to appease this war and secure that no pup here would became orphan because of useless war!”

“It always ends up with force.” Murmured Tan. “There is no peace, where is hatred. And they hate us, Maya.”

“But January doesn’t!” she exclaimed, somehow already enjoying the incoming meeting.

*

The weather was even worse that previous time. In falling snow the visibility dropped to twenty yards, so Maya even hardly found the spot. January was already waiting and she smiled seeing him. Snow covered him almost completely, hiding all of his black outer coat. So he looked like a big icedrift with two blue eyes, watching carefully for incoming guest.

“Good day…” said malawolf, trying to overscream the growing blizzard. “If that we could call day.”

“Nice to see you… January.” She said.

“What?” asked Packer. So she came closer, nestling to his side and bending to his ear.

“I just said <hallo!>” she called.

“Yes, we can go!” replied January. “To some shielded place. On which side?”

She smiled and nudged him to go in Talbourne bank direction. But then – as if some one asked God for this in particular – blizzard ceased. Wind stopped blowing and all the screams of storm turn silence. Snow as falling still, maybe even harder, but there was quiet enough to talk.

“Oh…” murmured January. “I guess we don’t have to hide anywhere.”

“You sound disappointed.” Noticed Maya with smile. “Do you always invite new-met girls to some warm den?”

“I definitely consider dens as more romantic that igloos.” Replied malawolf, shaking off the snow of his back.

They should have talk about the trade, but the talk sidetracked on many other topics, swaying their focus away from the main problem. In spite that January promised himself that would never happened, it happened – he completely lost his awareness, ignoring white world around. That why he simply ignored some silhouettes closing from Talbourne bank and going carefully in their direction.

“Remember the plan!” called Black to his unit. “We must take down Maya. We could kill January as well, but he is not our target. When mission is accomplished, we are running downcreek to pool and already then going on our side. Snow will cover our trails.”

“Sure thing!” smiled Lake, ready for action. “Poor girl, but Rose has right – she and Sheik would be the perfect leaders!” And they marched ahead, in direction of two princes.

*

“I know! I know!” exclaimed Maya, after having a new idea. “You will visit us! I mean: you will travel to Home Cave… Soon, to get Ian back. But you will also see how we live and that my clan isn’t a bunch of pupeaters, but a fine family.”

“Yes, but what…” tried to interrupt her January.

“Don’t worry, you will be under my protection… But if your mother is still uncertain, we will give some hostages to the Pack for time you are on our side of border.”

“We wanted to solve the hostage problem, not…”

“Come on!” called Maya, smiling. “Do you want it, or not, prince of the Pack?”

“Lady Maya.” Started malawolf, faking official voice. “I would like to, but there are some basic reasons that order me to say… NO!” He screamed, looking above her shoulder.

Because he was shielding her from western wind, he was going on her right side. He noticed some silhouettes emerging from snowy fog and understood that whatever caused that alarm, could finish with completely useless massacre and he would be in the middle. However he would be really scared, knowing that in fact no alert was made.

*

“See

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