“One …two…GO!!!”

Arrow took off, leaving Everest behind but Everest wasn’t as dumb as Arrow had counted on… or as fast. At the time he was supposed to start, Everest took off like a golden jet, swiftly gaining on the grey form in front of him. Arrow’s laughter only made Everest push himself harder. But the finish line was coming too fast! Determined as ever, Everest pushed himself alongside Arrow. With another bound he just barely pushed himself ahead of Arrow and won. Head and tail high, Everest slowed down to a jog and still panting, went back to embrace his win.

            “Arrow wins!” barked Echo.

“What?!” Everest said, taken aback. “But I won!”

                        “You dirty, filthy, no good…!” Odin started to bark, running out of insults before he could spit them out.

            “Well I’ve got three witnesses who all said I beat you!” Arrow sneered. “How about this then… we can fight it out! Didn’t you say you could beat me at that too?”

Odin began to argue with Arrow, but Everest thought it over and Chief’s wisdom rang in his head.

“No. If I lost fairly, I lost” said Everest, all the while knowing that he hadwon. “And even if I did fight you, you don’t fight fair either and I’d probably end up killed by you four”

Odin stopped mid sentence and turned to Everest, surprised. Echo, Wave and Ice all glanced at Arrow with guilty, ashamed expressions on their faces. Arrow, however, scowled.

            “You’re not my father and you’re not a part of this pack! Take a hike loser!”

I will! Everest thought in his head. And with that, Everest spun around and left, head and tail still in the air.

                        “They’re the ones who don’t belong in this pack!” Odin spat. “They should be kicked out… if only Chief knew!”

Everest didn’t hear Odin. I was faster! Everest screamed in his head. I should have won and I am a part of this pack!

Then, shifting his thoughts to how Chief said kings always take walks to sort things out, Everest stormed off down a trail that led out of his territory. Not that he cared. He was so deep in thought, he barely noticed at all. Realizing his friend needed to be alone to blow off some steam, Odin said a quick goodbye and headed back to the pack to give Arrow a piece of his mind. Without knowing, Everest walked farther and farther until he had wandered across the territory lines and out of the high altitude lands he called home. He was so deep in thought that he almost missed the other figure…

            “Freeze!” demanded the other wolf, a female. “You’re crossing into our territory!”

Everest halted, shocked at first, until he saw who was speaking. Then he smiled.

“Fly” he said, touching noses with the other wolf.

The other wolf, a lighter golden color then Everest, smiled and wagged her tail playfully. They had already known each other for a month or two, but they already knew that they were meant for each other.

            “So what’s wrong?” She said, plopping down next to him and licking his cheek.

“Just Arrow again” Everest sighed.

Fly smirked.

            “You could beat him! I’m the best fighter out of my pack and you beat me up the first time you saw me! Why don’t you just fight it out?”

“That’s not… how it’s supposed to be. Chief taught me that fighting should only be a last resort and he’s the leader”

            “He also said that we shouldn’t be together because we aren’t in the same pack”

Everest smiled.

“That’s not the same… Chief doesn’t even know you. If he did, he’d probably love you as much as I do”

He licked her nose and she wagged her tail.

“I should probably go before anyone notices I’m gone” Everest said regretfully.

Fly frowned as Everest got to his feet.

“But I’ll see you tomorrow” Everest smiled.

Everest gave her a last lick on the nose and turned around.

“How about at sunrise?”

            “I’ll be there!” Fly giggled.

Everest beamed and took off. Once he was back in his territory, the young wolf hadn’t taken two more steps before he saw Odin circling around, nose to the ground.

“Odin, what’re you doing?”

Odin looked up and beamed.

            “Successfully tracked you down!” he stated proudly. He paused and sniffed the air. “And you just saw her again didn’t you?”

Everest brushed past.

“Maybe I did…”

Odin grimaced.

            “You better be careful! If you get kicked out of the pack, I have to be all alone with… them!”

Everest grinned.

“Trust me. If I go, I’m takin’ you with me”

Chapter II

            A lone white figure treaded down the mountain, wind tossing his fur as he descended. As he climbed down the mountain to his pack, he pondered Aniu’s words.

“How should I know what that’s supposed to mean?” he thought out loud. “Is Everest going to lead? What’s so bad about Arrow? I raised him as any parent would raise a good pup…”

He strode downward in silence, not minding where he was going since the mountain was the heart of his own territory, and no one dared enter even though the Ublureak were a peaceful pack. At least he knew the answer to one question… he had to tell Everest now. How Aniu knew was a wonder to him, but he figured Everest deserved to know about his own history. Ironically, just as he reached the base of the huge mountain, Chief spied the wolf he was looking for.

“What are you two doing so far from the pack?” Chief asked with a smile.

Everest and Odin exchanged glances.

            “Getting a drink of water!” Odin supplied.

Chief smiled wider.

“But the river’s on the other side of the territory” he said, eyes twinkling.

Everest threw Odin a look. Chief didn’t need to ask. Ever since Fly and Everest had their first run-in, he had known that they had been meeting daily. Aniu had told him something about that too…

“Every time I go to the top of that mountain, I meet with Aniu” Chief started. “She’s a guiding spirit and all of the wolf packs in this area depend on her… and sometimes she gives us a little help. Today, she told me about you Everest”

Everest’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“I’m not sure what everything she said means… but I did understand a few things that she had said…” the old wolf said thoughtfully. “Aniu said you came from the Illiivat pack… but only one other from that pack still exists The rest of your family was wiped out… but I don’t know by who. She also said-“

            “Dad!”

Chief frowned and turned to his son.

“Arrow, can this wait?”

Arrow glared at Everest as soon as he reached his father, but focused back on the older wolf when Chief cleared his throat.

            “No” said Arrow firmly. “There’s someone back at the pack that wants to meet you. He said he travelled far to get here”

Chief paused for a second. Telling Everest could wait. It was rude to turn down a guest. The old wolf sighed and followed his son back towards the pack.

Everest watched on suspiciously. Odin was mad.

            “What is wrong with him?!” Odin said dramatically. “It’s like we’re not even the same species! Like we’re no better then… food!”

“I don’t think he was lying” Everest said slowly. “But that’s worse then if he was lying. I think we should stay away for a while”

Odin nodded and followed his friend.

“Illiivat” Everest thought out loud, trying the name out.

            “It’s definitely better then Sanerk” grumbled Odin.

Everest thought back when Chief had first discovered Odin… Everest had still been a puppy too and had only been with the pack a few months. Odin had come from the Sanerk pack, named after their dusty colored fur. Their pack was the biggest around but led by foolish alphas who didn’t take very good care of their pack. As a result, Odin’s parents had died of starvation, leaving Odin and his four sisters in the care of an aunt who already had a few pups of her own. But before he knew it, Odin was accidentally separated from his own pack