Young she-wolf stood on the rock laying a glance on vest valley. Look in her eyes was sparkling but a little blank like she's somewhere else. Suddenly voice shaked her.
"Aniu, alpha Nanuq is calling us. Ceremony is about to start." solemnly said grey wolf about her age
"Just a moment, Nava. You go I'll be there in the moment" she said not even laying a simple glance of reorganization.
"But, Aniu..." Nava said trembling.
"No, buts, Nava. You go!" she-wolf replied staring at distance who knows where.
Young wolf left looking back at her few times and then ran in unknown direction. Today was supposed to be pre-winter ceremony of praying to winter spirits to give a good hunt to the pack. It's not event to be missed by the pup of the alpha male Nanuq lady Aniu but she sure thought differently. Aniu longed to see beyond the snowy valleys and wall of trees. She saw beyond them, she knew there's something more to see and she didn't want a permission to do so. Feeling of unknown nostalgia pulled her stronger than ever and in the matter of seconds she found herself running through the sea of trees, tripping from the excitement. AT the edge of the forest Aniu heard the noise and hid in the bush. In the very next moment dogs sled rushed next to her. She-wolf was looking at them amazed, thrilled, impressed in the words not describable. Meanwhile, on the seashore...
"What do mean, she went outside the forest? Nava! I gave you the simplest task! To bring Aniu here!" yelled out the big white wolf talking to Nava. By the way he behaved you could see - he was the alpha - Aniu's father.
"I'm so sorry, alpha Nanuq. I really am..." little gray one mumbled through his teeth.
"You should be! Now, go, find her!" alpha yelled.
"No, dear! He might get killed!" grey she wolf shouted to Nanuq.
"Silence, Suka! This is the right thing to do. You might be my mate but I won't let you make this decision. He should have taken care of his sister!" Nanuq said filled with anger and grey she-wolf Suka silenced.
Nava knew that his sister is his responsibility and that he has to find her so he rushed after her. Meanwhile Aniu was silently following sled she saw earlier in order to find out, to see where are they going.
"I can't recall seeing wolves like this. And which animal is that being on that carved trunk? It can't be a wolf but he's not moose nor bear either. What is it?" she mumbled silently to herself.
After few miles sled came to Nome. Aniu hid from people behind one barrel and she was watching the sled leaving the packages they brought. Their owner petted them and brought them food. On the lead place of the sled stood strong brown dog whose deep, blue eyes dazzled from pride for his team-mates.
"Good race, fellas! We brought last package of supplies and Nome's sure ready for winter now!" lead dog said laughing his heart out.
That scene left Aniu surprised. She never heard that food don't need to be hunted.
"Winter spirits must be fond of them. They never gift pray like this. But which pack of wolves is this? Grizzly-claws? No. Wolverine-scars? No. Who are they?" Aniu asked herself.
Dark figure behind the barrels watched how the things were unfolding. Young she-wolf tried to approach sled dogs but their owner yelled "Wolf!" and took off his shoe to throw it on her. She ran under the stairs of some house. Before she does her appearance caught the eye of lead dog. After things settled down he secretly approached the stairs finding white she-wolf laying under them scared to death.
"Don't be scared, wolf lady! I won't harm you, dogs and wolves are brothers by nature!" he said smirking.
"You, you are not wolf? From which pack are you?" Aniu asked trembling.
"My name's Chase, I ain't wolf I'm husky, dog. I don't have a pack but I'm lead dog of my sled if that counts." he grinned.
"You're alpha male? Can you tell that big creature not to hit me?" she collected her courage and went out.
"I guess you can say so. You mean our human? He's my "alpha"! He got scared of you, you know. People are scared of wolves, wolf lady." he said with solemnly voice.
"How am I supposed to eat if I can't go out and hunt because of them?" she said with fear in her eyes while look down worried.
"No worries about it, lady! I'll sneak out some food for you! My team-mates are good dogs they'll help you out!" Chase grinned so widely that if he wouldn't have ears his smile would go all around his head.
He turned around and was about to go but then he turned his head back.
"I forgot to ask. What's your name, wolf lady?" he asked confused.
"Aniu. Aniu from Raven pack." she shouted to him.
"Well nice to meet you, Aniu from Raven pack! Stay under the stairs. We will see soon!" Chase grinned and ran in another direction.
Aniu blushed and left a glance on black figure disappearing in the darks of Nome's streets.
"It might not be the best idea, she-wolf!" whispered someone in the dark.
Figure approached from the dark revealing big Saint Bernard growling at Aniu. His fur was chocolate brown, eyes black as coal and he had an appearance of strong invincible dog.
"He's dog and you, you are filthy wolf! He won't even look at you! You have no chance with him!" St Bernard aid with despise.
"Who are you? Why are you telling me all that?" Aniu said looking up straight at the coal eyes of hostile dog.
"My name is Doc. I know everything that happens here in the town of Nome. Nothing can be hidden from me, trust me." he said and disappeared in shadows leaving Aniu without a chance to replay.
Days that follow Aniu spent with Chase when he had time. At the twilight he would take her all around Nome, showing her different places, teaching her about people, their lifes and habits. Chase taught Aniu about different breeds of dogs, sleds that some of them pull and told her many stories of his own. Both Aniu and Chase developed feelings they couldn't explain. Chase was always surrounded by lady dogs but now he couldn't find a reason to do it anymore, he went out without a permission of his owner and was happier and more polite to his team-mates than ever. Aniu would spend her days daydreaming about walking through the streets of Nome freely like dogs do and doing so with Chase by her side. Her days were meant for daydreams and her nights were meant for spending them with Chase. Then one night he decided to take her somewhere special. They went under the hospital. He played with parts of glass and showed her "northern lights". They spent that night together and next morning went out of there as mates. Soon they were expecting their first litter.
As Doc was walking around the town one day looking for juicy gossips at the edge of town he met Nava. Grey wolf ran into him.
"Excuse me, wolf brother! Have you seen my sister? Big white she-wolf?" Nava asked whispering.
"White she-wolf? Yes, wolf brother! I've seen her. She's in trouble. Local dog named Chase with his pack kidnapped her! He'll kill her for stepping into his territory!" Doc said acting like melodramatic.
"On, no! Thank you, blood brother! I'll return you a favor some day! Now I must help my sister!" Nava said and rushed back into forest leaving Doc laughing.
After few hours Nava reunited with his pack.
"Father! Father! Pack of dogs from territory called Nome have Aniu! They will kill her!" he shouted to alpha Nanuq.
"Oh, no! Hunters, scouts, betas, gammas, omegas! Everyone after me! She-wolves and pups stay here! " Nanuq commanded.
Every male wolf from pack united and they all headed to Nome, lead by alpha Nanuq and his son Nava. She-wolves and alpha female Suka howled to escort them into battle. Few hours later dark settled and pack arrived to Nome. Nava saw Aniu with her four newborn pups sitting by the stairs talking to Chase and his team-mates.
"Attack!" alpha Nanuq said to his pack and in the matter of seconds wolves were attacking Chase and his team.
"No, father! No! Stop it! Stop!" Aniu yelled at her father.
"Silence, daughter! We're here to save you. Your safe now." he said cold-blooded.
"To save me from what?! Chase is my mate! He and his team won't harm me nor my pups!" Aniu shouted.
"Mate? Pups? He forced you to be his mate, didn't he? Nava, hold Aniu! Their alpha is mine!" Nanuq attacked Chase and in the matter of seconds Chase was lying on the ground dead like his team-members and Nanuq turned to Aniu's and Chase's pups.
Aniu ran away from Nava took pups before Nanuq have time to grab and ran. She took pups and placed him under the hospital.
"Don't worry, my little babies! Mama will come for you later! I love you!" Aniu said, licked her pups and rushed out.
She returned back to see Chase for the last time. Her fater and Nava tried to take her away but they couldn't, she wouldn't let them.
"Father, do you know what have you done? You've killed the one I've loved the most, my mate! But you won't find my pups! They shall live! Leave me! I don't want to see you anymore! Leave me!" she yelled at them crying.
Nava tried to approached her but she growled so Nanuq gave him gesture to stop.
"As you wish. Farewell, my daughter. You shall not see us again." he said solemnly with one hidden tear in his eye, then turned around and left with his pack.
Nava begged him to understand Aniu and return her home but Nanuq silenced him with eyes full of tears hetried hard to hide. They returned home with kill but not with victory. Nanuq laid his head on Suka's head and cried his heart out while Nava watched his idol, his father, his hero crying.
Next morning Chase's owner and people of Nome found Chase's team blooded and torn by wolves. Next to Chase white she-wolf laid trembling. Chase's owner took his shotgun and shot she-wolf leaving blood marks in the snow and her snow-white fur. He dug deep grave outside the Nome on the empty snowy valley and put all of the dogs inside and Aniu with them.
Doc wasn't pleased with it as someone might thought he would be. He thought that Nava was joking, he didn't know what will happen. He got scarred from it, blamed himself for so long. Since he was the only one who saw Aniu placing pips under the hospital he took little Eski to the nearby friendly wolf pack, Ginger to Nome's adoption box, Nanuq to mail owner, and Balto to the abandoned boat little outside the Nome. He placed him in some blanket he found there.
"Young precious baby. You're lucky to be born from love as big as Chase's and Aniu's was. But thanks to me you lost your loving parents. I'm sorry..." he burst into tears "Someday I'll repay for my wrong-doing. I wish you happy life and greatness, oh precious Balto." Doc whispered and left that boat never to return in it for it is reminder of the terrible mistake which is never to be undone.