Aleu?"
    Aleu thought for a moment.
    "Butterflies, and waterfalls, and little bitty baby pups, that's what makes rainbows."Aleu said.
    "Itty... Bitty... Baby... P-pups?" Tess whimpered.
    Aleu looked down at her. "I'm sorry. Did I say something that offended you?"
    "I don't wanna turn into a wainbow!  I wanna stay wif you!" Tess nuzzled into Aleu's fur.
    "Great,"Thought Aleu."I scared the kid." Then, he got an idea."It's all right. Only the bad little pups turn into rainbows."
    "Am I a widdle bad pup?"
    "I don't know. You tell me."
    Tess lowered her gaze and squished her face to think.
    "I'm a good guy like you!" She bounced.
    "Well, then,"Said Aleu with a chuckle,"I guess you'll never be a rainbow!"
    Tess bounced.  "Would you like to see my siblings?"
    "I don't know. Are they all as cute as you?" Aleu nuzzled Tess's side.
    "I don't know," Tess giggled.
    "Hmm, Okay." Aleu said. He let Tess lead him to an area of the cave close to where Tess had found him. There were six puppies besides Tess, most of them girls.
    Tess prodded 3 cubs on their sides, one by one.
    "Guys, wake up!"
    They were out and about within heartbeats.
    All 3 pups lined up, and gazed at Aleu.  One she-wolf smiled.
    "This here is Quintin," Tess nuzzled her only brother.
    "And these two are Lilly and Sapphire."
    Sapphire was the one who smiled.  They were all white like their parents, with silky pelts...
    "They are very pretty, Tess."
    All four smiled and nodded.
    Aleu heard one of the others whisper, "So, you gonna introduce the rest of us?"
    "Who do you mean?" Quintin growled.
    Another of the pups whispered,"Somebody. I wanna know Tess's new friend..."
    "Tess, who's your friend?" Lilly asked.
    I'm surprised she didn't say anything about me calling her "Kid" all this time, Aleu thought.
    Tess bit her lip.
    "What... Is your name?  I've never asked..." Tess whispered.
    "Yes you did, silly! Remember, last night? You asked my name, and I said it was Aleu..." prodded Aleu.
    "I... Forgot." Tess blushed.
    Quintin waved his snow-white paw.  "Don't take any offense.  She does that a lot." He giggled.
    Tess shot a quick glance at him, her lips curled over her teeth.
    A snarl sounded from outside. Some wolves said,"Who are you? What do you want?"
    Tess and Lilly ran and snuggled into Aleu's fur.
    "Who's that, Aleu?" Lilly cried.
    Aleu looked at the pups surrounding him, then said," I don't know."
    A rough voice sounded from outside. "I'm looking for my son, and I've tracked him to here. Let me in!"
    Aleu felt all the blood drain out of his face. "And now I do," He said, darting to the back of the cave. "It's my dad!"
    All four pups stood in front of Aleu, trying their hardest to protect him.
    "Remember what Aunty Night Shade taught us?" Tess said loudly.  "We growl our hardest and bare our claws!"
    Tess, Quintin, Lilly, and Sapphire growled and flawed their claws in the air.
    Aleu would have chuckled at how silly the puppies looked, but he was scared out of so much as blinking.
    Tess growled.  "GET IN HERE!"
    The challenge brought Aleu back to his senses. "Um, Tess, I don't think that's a good idea..."
    Aleu's father ambled through the clearing.
    The pups started yowling with all of their might!
    Aleu looked at his father: jet black, and even now a good 6 inches taller than Aleu at the shoulders. "Yeah, that's why." Muttered Aleu.
    Tess and the others growled.
    Quintin yowled.  "Get away from Aleu!  Don't touch him!"
    Sapphire swiped her paw at Aleu's father.
    The larger wolf sat, then rolled to his back. "I'm not here to hurt you, Aleu. I'm here to bring grave news...and to apologize."
    Lilly growled.  "It's a trick..."
    Aleu knew the move. It was one his mother had often used, in an attempt to escape a beating. He walked up to his father, and used the counter, placing one front paw against his father's throat, and the other on his chest.
    "Speak, but don't make any sudden movements."
    The rest growled but Lilly whimpered, "what does he want?"
    "Aleu, I bring sad news about your mother. Unfortunately, she has...passed from this world. Her final wish was that I be the one to tell you. I am sorry, Aleu, but I could do nothing."
    "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, ALEU!" Tess's screech pierced the air.
    The dark wolf growled. "Who is this insolent cub, to call you by your name, instead of the respectful Sir?"
    Aleu pressed on his father's throat until he turned blue, then unblocked his throat and said,"She is my friend, which is more than I can say for you. You will leave now, and never return." Aleu felt the eyes of the entire pack on him, but he didn't care. He released his father. "Go now!"
    Tess went up to Aleu and swiped her paw across Aleu's father's face.  She left a tiny scratch.
    Tess sat, chin high in triumph.  "That's how I, Tess, rolls!"
    The large wolf growled, but left. Aleu turned to look at the other wolves, the ones staring in awe. "What are you looking at?"
    A large black and purple wolf growled.  "It's a little odd to see something like that..."
    Aleu was confused. "Like what?"
    "You just come into our camp and almost kill a wolf without permission..." The wolf growled.
    "Yeah, it was me or him, buddy. I would prefer him, after what he did to me."
    The wolf growled deeply.  "You think you can talk to the deputy like that?"
    "I'm leaving right now." Aleu stated, walking toward the cave exit. "And I'm not coming back." Right after he said it, Aleu wished he hadn't. Tess had started to cry.
    "Don't go!" Tess wailed.
    Aleu leaned down and nuzzled Tess's cheek. "I have to, Tess. These wolves don't want me here."
    Tess screamed.  "Aunty Night Shade was just weirded out!"
    Aleu jerked back in surprise. "What?"
    "She's pregnant," Tess whimpered.  "She's just a little edgy..."
    Aleu went into panic mode. "Do you know what weirded her out?"
    "You almost killed your own father," Tess whispered.  "I was scared, too."
    Aleu sighed and walked outside. He sat down just outside the cave. "I did almost kill him. How could I deal with that when I can't even stand to see a mouse killed?"
    Tess whimpered.  "Stay... I've never had a friend like you..."
    Aleu glanced over his shoulder. For the first time, he noticed that he didn't see a certain face...
    "Where's Clara?"
    Tess breathed in and out.  The tears that had been there 5 minutes ago, came back out of her eyes.  She's not there... Tess thought.
    "MOMMY!"
    Aleu sniffed the air. There you are! He thought triumphantly, but the glee didn't last long. Oh, no... The scent was exactly as strong as his father's...and they were going the same way.
    "Where's Mommy?" Tess whined.
    Aleu looked at the poor pup. He couldn't lie to her, but he also didn't want to tell the truth. "My dad has her," he found himself saying,"and I'm gonna save her."
    Tess screamed at the top of her lungs.  "What's he going to do?!"
    Aleu put his paw over Tess's mouth. "I don't know, but I have a feeling it's a trap."
    "So, what are you gonna do?" Tess's squeak was muffled by her best friend's paw.
    "I'm gonna walk into it," he said, then he leaned down and whispered his plan in Tess's ear.
    "Do I come?" Tess whispered back.
    "No, you stay here. If I let you walk into danger, your mother would kill me herself." Whispered Aleu.
    "Mummy would never kill you..." Tess looked away.