more.

            "We love you, too, Mom," Balto and Tara said, tears falling from their eyes.  They turned after a last nuzzle from their mother. 

            As Aniu watched Balto and Tara disappear from her sight, she knew it would be for the last time.  The message Luca had given her was finally making sense to her.  She knew what she wasn't supposed to fight now.

            The white she-wolf turned in the other direction, sniffing the air once more, waiting.  Aniu knew what was coming, she just didn't know how long she would have to wait.

            "Where are you Taluas?" Aniu growled, her hackles raised.  She walked forward, ready to attack- or be attacked.

            "Am I the one you're looking for wolf?"

            The she-wolf spun around, snarling, only furry in her eyes.  "So you did come," she growled, moving closer to the husky.

            Taluas stood his ground.  "I couldn't be happy with just killing my brother," he sneered.  "I had to come back and kill you. And your pups," he added with a menacing glare as he started to circle Aniu.

            She glared at him, her gaze as cold as ice.  The she-wolf growled as she, too, started to circle her opponent.  Aniu tensed, ready to leap at Taluas- ready to kill him just as he had killed Luca. Coldly and without any hesitation.

            All of a sudden, Taluas leapt at Aniu, his jaw wide open.  She tried to grab his throat as he attacked her, but missed.  Aniu snarled, snapping at him, hoping to find a way to throw him off.

            "You're going to die," he told her, baring his teeth.  "And no one will ever find out."

            In her furry, Aniu whipped around, grabbing Taluas by his left leg.  Growling, she forced him to the ground.  The white she-wolf stood over him, ready to end his life.

            For the first time, she could see fear in his eyes.  She opened her powerful jaws, ready to tear into him just like he did to Luca, but as she started to lunge, she stopped.  Aniu flicked her ears irritably.  She wanted to get revenge for Luca, but something held her back from killing Taluas.

            Slowly, Aniu backed up a few paces.  "Get out of here," she growled, her hackles raised.

            Taluas got up quickly, keeping his eyes warily on Aniu, expecting her to attack.  When she didn't he turned and started to head back to Nome, a low growl rising in his throat.  She'll be very sorry very quickly, he thought.

            Aniu turned and started to walk back in the direction of the den.  She shook her head in slight disbelief at having let Taluas go after what he had put her and her pups through.  She could have very easily killed him and ended it, but she had not.

            "Hey bitch," Taluas snarled, leaping at her again, "we've only just begun."

            The she-wolf grunted in pain as Taluas hit her, sinking his teeth into the back of her neck and forcing her to the ground.  Aniu struggled to shake him off, but the husky was holding on too tight.

            After a few minutes, Aniu could feel her strength leaving her.  She knew she had lost a lot of blood and her only real chance at surviving was to kill Taluas.  And soon.

            Using something her mother had taught her, Aniu relaxed for a few short seconds, waiting for Taluas to, also.  It did not take long for the husky to loosen his grip on the wolf's neck.  As soon as he did, she leapt to her paws and grabbed his tender throat with her powerful jaws. 

            She put her right paw on his chest, keeping the struggling husky from escaping.  The she-wolf snarled, showing him no mercy.

            Aniu could feel the cool metallic taste of his blood slipping down her throat.  She could almost taste the revenge she was finally getting for her mate's death. 

            The she-wolf lifted Taluas's head off the ground and gave it a shake, blood splattering the snow.  The husky gave a strangled yelp and went limp.  Aniu growled, throwing him to the ground.

            "Now look who is at the bottom," she said out loud, panting.

            At the sound of a snapping twig, Aniu snarled again.  "I know you're there Christa."

            The black and white husky came out from behind a group of trees, horror and furry in her eyes.  She looked from the body of her dead mate to his killer, not being able to comprehend what lay before her.

            "What did... What did you do?!"

            Aniu rolled her eyes.  "Is it not obvious?" she growled.  "I killed him.  I killed him just like he killed my mate."

            Christa growled, her eyes not leaving Taluas's bloody body, her rage mounting with each second.

            Aniu growled once more at the husky.  She was about to walk away when Christa lunged at her, furry controlling her motions.  The she-wolf leapt out of the way, but she knew that unless she got rid of Christa at the very beginning, there would be no hope fore her as she had already lost a lot of blood.

            "You're going to pay for what you did wolf," the husky spat, ready to leap at Aniu again.

            The she-wolf tried to move out of the way, but was too slow.  As Christa jumped at her, she grabbed Aniu's left paw, biting down as hard as she could.

            Aniu howled in pain, biting down on Christa's neck causing her to let go.  The she-wolf threw her a few feet away, growling.  Chirsta strugled to her paws, the furry in her eyes starting to be replaced with fear.

            "Oh come on," Aniu said, showing her teeth again.  "You wanted me.  Now come and get me."  She paused, grinning.  "Or is it your intention to give Taluas's memory a bad name?"

            The husky snarled and ran at the she-wolf again, her eyes on Aniu's neck.  She knew that was her only way out now. 

            Christa glared at her, putting all of her energy into not letting Aniu win.  Into not letting Aniu kill her like she killed Taluas.

            As Christa got closer, Aniu grabbed her by the back of the neck, tossing her through the air.  She growled as the husky hit a nearby tree, almost wishing Chirsta would give up and go back.  But she knew the huksy would not do that.

            The black and white husky struggled to her paws again, doing the same thing.  She ran at Aniu again, but instead of running straight at her, she ran from side to side.  Christa lowered herself to the ground and leapt at her, this time making her mark.

            Aniu yelped in suprise and pain as Christa's jaws closed around her throat.  She tried desperately to force her off, but to no previal.  The husky was holding on too tight.

            The she-wolf could feel herself getting weaker the longer Christa held on.  She could tell that the husky was, too, though.  Her grip kept getting looser and looser. 

            In a vain attempt to get Christa off, Aniu leapt into the air, twisting.  With a bark of pain, the husky feel to the ground with a dull thud.  Aniu landed painfully on her side just a few feet away, glaring at her.

            There's no way I'm going to get out of this, the she-wolf told herself.  In order to save my pups... She shook the thought from her mind, still knowing what had to happen- what was going to happen.

            The she-wolf struggled to her paws.  The snow bank she