she replied with tone suggesting she was already away.

The threshold of unpleasant sensations is limited. They were so frozen already that another cold bath seemed just a breeze for them. However hybrid knew that was just a pretence – their bodies were on the edge of hypothermia and any error on that way would kill them.

Heavens had to watch over them – two canines reached the bank and shaking as trapped mouse entered random den just next to the river. Instantly they coiled inside, nestling to each other in way more strict than any passionate lovers would. Coldness didn’t let them sleep, what was at least good effect, because January felt that sleep would cut them to icecubes instantly.

“Yeah… now we must stay awake.” Said January. Actually it sounded like <W… we… must…shtai… aw… ak!> , because his voice was trembling. “Right?”

“I will try.” Replied Maya.

“No, no tries!” murmured hybrid. “You must not sleep! Talk to me! Don’t stop!”

She reached his neck and their throats met. Maybe it seemed absurdly, but most of warmth is lost via neck, where hot aortas are running just below the fur. So they stayed in that intimate, yet extremely odd position with muzzles almost joined.

“Jan…” January smiled. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to be called like that?”

“No, it’s nice.” Replied wolfdog. “But no one calls me that, even mother. You know… I have a friend, Ian, so calling me simply <Jan> could be confusing. But if you want… go on.”

“Ian…” murmured Maya. “That scout we captured?” He nodded his head. “If we survive this, I will meet with him… and of course, I will make sure he is treated well.”

“Thanks.” Said wolfdog.

“By the way…” asked Maya with a bit tensed voice . “Have you… special someone?”

“To cry for me, when I don’t returned?” smiled January. “Thanks God, no!” laughed nervously. “And you?” She shook her head, when hybrid sensed it clearly on hi own neck. “So, after all we are not so afraid to die, huh?”

“By the matter of fact, you would be wolf of my life.” She said with playful tone. “I will die at your side.”

“Wow, how nice.” January laughed back. “I always wanted to live and die with just the one, special girl, but previously I planned to get old before that!” They were silent for a while, but then Maya again started a quiet chat.

“Tell me more about your Pack. I want to understand why you are so loyal to it.”

“Are you really want to hear that? We could argue about that.”

“I guess that just one argument during our relationship will be acceptable.” She giggled.

“Right…” murmured wolfdog. “I’m sure you know the basis of our doctrine. That we want restore the traditional order of wolves communities, with no clans over pack and family structures… That is completely opposite to what teaches your Path of Aniu, that tells to create an utopian wolf-state all over the world, if possible. Sorry, to call it in so simplified way, but I really thought it’s absurd and dangerous. My father always told me…”

“So, it’s all about father.” Interrupted Maya.

“Well… yes, most likely yes.” Agreed January. “But look at this from the other side. Our world-views are usually based on personnel bounds and inspirations. If some idea is colliding with your personal happiness, are you really ready to disown your friends and family? If that’s true, all ideas, utopias and revolutions are done by highly unhappy persons. That way every result of such action will be corrupted with unhappiness and despair too. Am I wrong?”

“Tenu.” Whispered Maya. “Now, when you tell me that, I see that you are right, at least about one wolf. General Tenu of our military. He is unhappy… or something terrible happened to him in the past. He seems to support our cause, the cause of Aniu, but he is as you described him. Somehow corrupted. He has good intentions, but them drive him to so merciless actions that I’m scared of him.”

“It is always like that.” Smiled January. “We wanted good, but it happened as usually.  So imagine that for us, your clan is one, collective general Tenu – corrupted by ideology and with good intentions twisted by soulless body of aggressive organisation. I wish to show you, we have right, but if I fail, at last try to see by our eyes for a while.”

“You are wrong.” Protested Maya. “Only some of us are like Tenu. Most is really believing in Aniu’s Path. That keeps us from doing bad things.”

“You are so naïve.” Said January. “Sorry so say it, but no one could deny war atrocities of Talbourne. Also no one could deny similar acts on our side, because it’s a nature of total war. But we are fighting to cease that and allow no wolf community to wage war so cruel that our…” He paused for a moment and added with quieter voice. “And I’m praying that at least some would survive our <War for Peace>.”

“But why the war at all?” asked Maya. “Can’t we live in peace? Coexist. Imagine the Alaska where Talbourne Clan is living on Seward Peninsula and the Pack oversees Yukon Valley. That’s a compromise. We still serve Aniu, but let you follow whomever you want!” January smiled with bitter smile, hearing that.

“Maya, understand that is just fooling yourself. We can’t coexist in peace, because existence is not a aim of the Pack. We want the return of old times… And even if… even if Talbourne stays here with the Pack or restored Uniea as a neighbour… Do you really expect see those two organisations maintaining a peace?”

“Of course!”

“But Maya… you said you follow the Path of Aniu, because you consider it as true. But allowing the Pack to exist, you deny it! Allowing two opposites to be, you don’t prove them both right. You prove them both wrong! If we are right, what right to exist Talbourne has? And if your way is the better one, why should we uphold our errors?”

“Because we don’t know, which one is right.”

“You know… I know… Only time could tell.”

“So…” asked Maya with breaking voice. “Is there no world where we are not enemies? Where we could live… together?”

“I’ll make everything to prove there is such a world and it’s my world that might be your as well. But honestly speaking… Today I can’t give you any guarantee.” When he noticed she was crying, she gently started to lick her muzzle to dry salty drop. But after a while he froze in place, raising his ears.

“I’m terribly sorry, Maya.” He whispered. “But we must go!”

 

IX. …alive!

 

It was not that Black represses his anger and acted with cold logic. He was simply too tired to howl with rage. He and his companions came silently to den on plain, guided by trails in snow. Because snowfall had ceased previous evening and January didn’t notice it, he did nothing to cover his and Maya’s pawprints. Stardusters had clear way to hideout of runaways.

Talbourne princess and future alpha fled in last possible moment – when enemies were less that hundred yards from den. Already she was on his back, because hybrid understood that running at own paws wouldn’t made her any faster. January had no further tactic, because of previous events he assumed it was useless to think if he even didn’t know where they were. Then – at milky dawn – he already knew and that was filling him with both hope and despair.

The field was a pasture – maybe not fenced then, but for sure used by humans. Needles to say – humans seats were close, much closer that wolfdog expected to. And chase was still going on. In spite of general anger, January admired his persecutors for determination and bravery. Or for unbelievable stupidity. Maya moaned at his back, so he just clenched his jaws and made another jump ahead.

*

“There they are!” called Alam to his unit. “Faster!”

“Sir!” yelled Kaup, soldier running closer to commander. “There are humans there!”

“I bet you prefer to face humans, than fury of general!” replied sergeant and speeded on.

Of course that was not the only team who get so far. Aarre was standing on the hill and looking on scene below. His subordinates were growling quietly, ready for action, but no command was given. Finally Tomu asked with emotion in his voice.

“Boss… what are waiting for?”

“For the end.” Said beta-alpha with frozen tone.

“W… what?” whispered soldier. And Aarre turned to his most trusted wolves.

“Listen!” he called. “I hate to say it… but now you are not in service of the Pack. You are again Uniea soldiers!” Silence cut all murmurs of soldiers, stared focused on commander, expressing shock but also interest. “You are all from Uniea clan… or you are children of claners. I chose you, because of loyalty to our cause. For long years I thought that banner of our clan is long lost, but now…” He took a deep breath and continued. “January is a fine wolf and a fine leader. But he won’t return us Uniea.”

“So… we leave him there?” asked one of younger recruits. Miekkan - son of Velka.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So… we went so far…” whispered Tomu. For one second Aarre suspected treason, but then alpha-gamma added. “Sir, should we go farther in this?”

“What you mean?” asked Uniea.

“I mean… should we stop Kaata’s wolves?”

Silverfurred was running in valley, more than hundred yards before her soldiers. It seemed impossible for fragile wolfess to move with such a speed, manage to stick with scout unit and even outrun it, but it happened. With every pulse of her heart a howling pangs of conscience were slamming her head from inside and making her to run. For past two days she was imagining January torn apart by Talbourne soldiers, eventually – while she came closer to Buckland – shot down by hunters. “Jan…” she was repeating. “I’m so sorry… But God witnesses – I wanted it for your good!”

Fourth group uninvited, yet present on party was squad of Alam. They came from western bank, looking for appropriate way to cross wide backwater of river. Finally commander decided to do it in most cheeky way,

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