Part TWO – A New World

The sky looked like a finished canvas, painted with navy-blue and glittering stars from nature’s colorful palette. An aurora had just begun to perform its mysterious dance within the atmosphere, lighting the arctic landscape with its many flashes of all the colors of the rainbow. A chorus of howls joined in, creating what sounded like a joyous opera in the starry evening sky. A pack of wolves was singing their praises to their Great Aniu, the great spirit of whom they worshipped as they lived their days on Earth. Not only were they praising the White Wolf, but they had just seen their previous leader’s prophecy come to pass – a young yearling born in the land of humans with only 25% wolf blood had accepted the life that Aniu had destined her to live, by becoming the new Alpha of the Kawa Clan. 

She looked as if she fit in perfectly with the other wolves of the clan, although her scruffy fur of mousy-brown made her easily stand out among the darker, more earthy tones of her pack-mates. Her beige markings were rough and jagged like her wild ancestors, but the design of her markings, especially by the light-brown blaze on her muzzle, obviously reflected her dominant husky genes – although she looked wild, she did have more husky in her than wolf.

As the celebrating began to cease and the group of wolves started to prepare their families and companions for the next stage of their exodus, a red-brown wolf let out a quiet growl. As if he could sense his Clan’s agitation, with a mighty leap, he landed in front of a few young wolves that were about to take off into their new land. His white paws with his claws fully retracted allowed him to stand firmly on the ice as he prevented anyone from leaving the safety of the icy stab.  

“No one takes a step off the ice!” The growl crawled out of his mouth, his eyes burning like wildfire.

“But we’re here!” A she-wolf growled back. “This is our land now!” 

“Yeah!” A young male agreed. “It’s our right!”

“Yes, you are right, young one, but we should let our new alpha take the first steps on shore.” Scarlet, the reddish-brown wolf, spoke. He paused to calm himself, but quickly continued to explain his reasons, allowing his chivalrous nature to show through. “It’s only natural for the leader to quickly survey new territory before the rest of the Clan.” He looked back at the light brown female’s bright eyes of yellow and blue, seeking her approval. “What do you think, Aleu?” 

“Hmm . . . you’re right, Scarlet,” Aleu agreed. “As the Alpha, it’s only right for a true leader to care that their Clan arrives in a safe territory. I’ll bring a couple of surveyors with me, in case anything should happen.” She turned to Scarlet with a surprisingly straight look. “Scarlet, I trust you to stay here to watch the rest of the Clan in my absence. Make sure no one sets foot off the ice before I return. Okay?”

He nodded in agreement, although he wished to remain by her side. “Don’t worry, Aleu. I’ll stay right here.” 

Satisfied by her choice of her temporary replacement, she turned to the group of wolves that Scarlet was talking to moments ago. “Nuk,” she called the navy wolf to her attention. She had remembered how he and his companions had helped bring her onto the slab of ice earlier that evening, so she felt they were worthy enough to help her this time. “You and Yak will come with me and scope out the land. Sumac will stay with Scarlet to help watch the Clan while I’m gone.”

Nuk, knowing that it was an honor to be assisting an alpha on an important mission, straightened up his posture, lifting his nose to the air. “Yes, Ma’am!” As he nudged his companions to their positions, the large wolf turned to Scarlet, giving him a winking gesture before following Aleu off the edge of the iceberg. 

“I promise we’ll be back soon!” Aleu shouted back to the rest of her Clan as she and her two companions stood on a piece of rocky shore. “I trust you will take good care of everyone, Scarlet!” She giggled at the red wolf’s adorable smile and then turned to the bluish-gray wolves beside her. “Come on, let’s explore this new world!”

As the three wolves ran into the lightly misted forest by the rocky shore, the red wolf gazed back at the trio with a sigh. “May Aniu bless your steps, Aleu,” he murmured a silent prayer into the softly whispering wind, smiling slightly. “and may return you back to me soon.” 

Sumac let out a hyena laugh and patted Scarlet on the back with his paw. “You like Aleu, don’t you, Scarlet?”

His white cheeks suddenly turned pink. “What? No!” Scarlet turned to his friend. “I only want to support her, so that she performs to her full potential . . .” 

The tan wolf gave him an unconvinced stare.

“Okay, okay. You caught me, Sumac.” He lowered his head, his face flushed. “I think I’m starting to fall in love with her. I mean, my father always told me I would know when the right one came along . . . and I think she’s the one.” 

“Yeah, yeah, Scarlet,” Sumac spoke with a chuckle.

“I’m serious! Really!” Both he and Sumac turned around, walking through the remaining wolves that waited on the ice. “I really want to get to know her better! Wait,” he remembered the first real talk that he had with Aleu only minutes ago. “She asked me if I was going to teach her some skills on living in the wild! That might be how I can get closer to her!” 

Sumac scoffed. “You think you can get close to her so soon? Just by being her tutor? Kind of scandalous, don’t ya think?” He laughed with a slight snort.

“Nah, not really,” Scarlet blushed again. “Is it?” 

All the skinny tan wolf did was nod his head as the two of them returned to their watch.

Back in the forest, the three wolves scurried through the snow-covered wood, sometimes dodging fallen branches and bushes along the way. Their breaths were steady as they paced themselves through the mysterious and unknown terrain. Their fleet paws lightly crunched the frost-bitten ground, now blanketed with a carpet of dead foliage and fallen pine needles encrusted with the white and crystal-gray colors of winter. Every so often, the two males stopped at a nearby tree to leave a fresh scent marker of where they had been. The mousy-furred female tried her hand at leaving a marker too, although she still remained clueless about them even after her companions explained why they did it; personally, she thought it was a disgusting way to show a trail, but soon realized that it was an effective way to warn other wolf clans of their presence on the new territory. After about another ten minutes of traveling and marking their trail through the forest, all three of them halted at the edge of the wood – not only just to catch their breath from their nonstop trek, but also to gaze with awe at the spectacle that surrounded them at the very moment. 

It was a spacious river, nudging against the muddy edge of the forest glen. Thanks to a beaver’s dam of wood branches, a small lake of crystal-blue water lay motionless, formed beside a flat rocky shore on the other side of the silent trio, reflecting the almost hidden yet still sparkling forms of the lunar objects above them. A couple of towering mountains rested by the river bank with its rocky paths and caves, sheltering the lake and adding boundary to the forest’s edge. The calming rush of a nearby waterfall crashing atop a pile of boulders refreshed the pool, in which the three wolves felt parched and lapped the cool water with their tongues.

“This is . . . our home now, isn’t it?” Yak looked up after drinking, breaking the sudden silence. 

Nuk nodded. “It seems safe enough to me! Shelter, lots of water, and,” he paused and sniffed the air. “Mmm, I smell food! It’s perfect! What’s your decision, Aleu?”

Aleu said not a word. Her eyes were closed as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it out, opening her eyes and looking at her new surroundings with a new perspective and a smile. 

“Let’s go get the others now. It’s time to lead them home.”

Back on the ice, the rest of the Kawa waited restlessly for their alpha’s return. Several of them paced around their large temporary home, either with anticipation of reaching their new home or with impatient frustration of why their leader was taking so long to return. Although Scarlet and Sumac remained the calmest of them all, no wolf – not even the bubbly, light gray that called her “sister” - could settle one dark-gray female’s impatience and rage. 

“Why must we stay here and wait?” Riza started an uproar, aimed at the two males in temporary charge. “I’m not gonna wait for some tame-born to tell me that this place is safe!”

“Riza . . .” Lorna whispered quietly, sitting and watching nearby with a look of sadness in her eyes. She was beside a dark-brown she-wolf with white markings and a large belly that made her stand out; the light-gray nuzzled the other female, drying each other’s tears for their fellow pack-mate. “Oh, I wish I could tell her how I feel . . .” 

“Then you should,” the pregnant female encouraged Lorna. “She needs you now, and you know that. You two are twin sisters, after all.”

“But . . . but, Mom! She won’t listen to me at all!” Lorna broke down into tears, leaning against her mother’s shoulders. “I don’t know what to do anymore . . .” 

Lorna’s sorrow-filled words were drowned out by her older twin’s fiery argument with Scarlet.

“Riza! You must have faith that Aleu will return. She is your alpha, and you should show her the appropriate respect!” 

“Oh, come on, Scarlet! Just because your father was the former alpha doesn’t give you the authority to tell me what to do! And I’m sure as hell not going to listen to that damned tame-born alpha either!”

Scarlet let out a growling snort. “How dare you say that about Aleu! She’s just young and naïve, but she has fulfilled Aniu’s prophecy by being ‘the one who is wolf and does not know.’ Besides, we should give her a chance, at least.” 

“Why? So she can lead us to our deaths? Just because you’re showing affection to her doesn’t change the fact that she is nothing more than a tame-born that just happens to look like us. Besides, what would a tame-born yearling know about leading a mighty Clan?”

For once, Scarlet was silent. She has a point . . . what would a yearling with no experience in the wild know? “Well, we’ll just teach her then,” he said calmly after taking a couple of moments to ponder on Riza’s query. “If we teach Aleu over the winter about how to live in our lifestyle, I’m sure she’ll be alpha material by spring!” 

Riza let out a guffaw. “Are you serious? You are just as naïve as your tame-born alpha!” Her eyebrows lowered as her voice began to rise. “We don’t need an alpha by spring, we need a alpha now!” She lifted one of her front black paws and stomped it onto the icy ground. A couple of wolves began to agree with her words, cheering her on. “Winter’s chill is here and without food, we will all perish!” She paused to laugh. “Hell, I betcha that our” – she spoke the next word with a hint of sarcasm – “leader hasn’t even found our source of caribou yet!”

Riza’s cheer squad joined her laughter, but it was soon silenced by the sound of a high feminine howl that filled the air as it came out of the nearby forest. 

“Hmm,” Riza lowered her eyelids as a smirk began to grow on her face. “Speaking of our ‘leader’, here comes your girlfriend, Scarlet,”

Ignoring the comment from the gray and black she-wolf, Scarlet turned to the direction of the voice with his mouth open wide in a grin. “Aleu! She’s coming back!” He returned the call, which also caught the attention of the rest of the Clan. 

Suddenly, the mousy-brown quarter-wolf and her two navy companions leaped out of the forest in a flurried rush. “Scarlet!” Aleu howled back in happiness. Nuk and Yak quickly glanced at each other, winking in unison at the sight of their red friend and his love for their kind yearling alpha. The three of them leaped back onto the slab of frozen water, panting with smiles on their faces.

Everyone began to barrage the three wolves with a slew of questions, both important and not so important. 

“Is it safe for us to live? It’s not too far from here, is it?”

“What does the land look like? I hope it has everything we need!” 

“When can we go there?”

“Where’s the food? I’m hungry!” 

Aleu surprisingly took charge, hushing the Clan. “Quiet, everyone! I will tell you everything once you are silent!” As soon as every wolf was quiet, she continued with her usual excited yet calm tone. “We three have seen past the forest up to the edge of the mountains. The land on the mountains is rocky and full of caves, just like your previous territory. There’s even a waterfall, a reflecting pond, and even a river nearby – a perfect place to quench your thirst.”

Riza stepped forward, hoping that the young “tame-born” could answer her question. “What about the caribou? You were chosen to become our alpha to lead us to the caribou, so have you found it yet?” 

Aleu shook her head with her blue eyes closed. “Not yet, Riza, but I hope to continue searching until we find the herds.”

Riza’s smirk returned to her face, pleased with the yearling’s response. That’s right, Aleu. Keep searching for the caribou – our source of life. Heh, you’ll never find the caribou anyway! You’re so clueless and still a tame-born, and you’ll only cause it to run farther away from us, allowing us to starve! Your reign over us will not save us . . . unless I overtake you myself, we can still survive without your help! 

If you can’t find them, I bet I could do it . . . once I overthrow you!

“But I did smell other prey out there!” Nuk added, licking his lips as he spoke the names of what he smelled. “Rabbit, mouse, salmon, herring, fox, raccoon, squirrel, beaver – that’s what I could make out so far, but still no caribou yet.” 

“How far is this new place anyway?” The light gray form of a curious Lorna softly approached Aleu, much to the anger of her older sister who was blocked by Scarlet, Sumac and Yak.

“It’s only about a mile or two, I think,” Aleu replied. “Why do you ask . . .” She paused, realizing that she didn’t know the young wolf’s name. “Umm, may I have your name? I’m afraid I never learned yours.” 

“It’s Lorna,” She gave Aleu a small grin, then returned to a worried frown. “I asked because I’m worried about my mom.” She turned towards the resting form of the dark-brown and white she-wolf, watching her massive belly rise up and down while she breathed. “She due to give birth soon, and . . . and . . .” A tear formed in the corner of her eyes. “I don’t know if she can make the trip if we move quickly. She hobbles really slowly now and I’m scared that she’ll be too slow to catch up with the rest of the Clan! I can’t leave her here alone!”

“Oh . . .” Aleu saw the worry in Lorna’s eyes and remembered seeing the pregnant she-wolf when she made her acceptance speech. Her piercing eyes softened as she leaned close to the female, drying her tears with her own tongue in a sign of friendship. “It’s okay, Lorna. You won’t have to leave her behind – we are a Clan together, so no one will get left behind,” She heard Riza growl in the background and gave her a returning glare to silence her. “Even if we are to be slowed down, we must make it together.” 

Lorna, now finished crying her tears, put on a grin. “Thank you, Aleu.” She bowed her head and then returned to her mother’s side. Aleu returned the smile and then turned to Scarlet, giving him a nod.

“All right, let’s begin to travel to the mountains tonight.” A flood of murmurs went through the Clan, but were hushed as Scarlet continued. “It may take us a couple of days to get there, especially since we may have to stop many times to rest, but like Aleu said, no one will get left behind. Nuk, Yak,” he turned to Aleu’s accomplices. “did you mark the trail that you traveled to the river pool?”  

They nodded. “I remember the smells and the marked path too,” Aleu added. “Nuk and Yak told me what they were all about as we traveled. The pine needle scent against its bark – that’s the markers that I remember surrounding the beaver pond! You can’t miss them!”

The red wolf nodded. “Good. Then you two, and Sumac too, will lead us there.” 

“Scarlet,” Aleu spoke up to the male. “I’ll stay behind with Lorna and her mother. You watch the middle of the pack, making sure that everyone stays on track.”

“Are you sure?” Yak asked Aleu in confusion. “You are the Alpha of the Clan, so you should be up front with the rest of us!” 

She nodded her head. “I’m sure. Someone needs to make sure Lorna’s mother is well protected, and who else would be better than your new Alpha?”

“She has point, Yak,” Nuk agreed. “Nothing bad should happen to Dahlia if Aleu’s with her. Right?” He turned to his much smaller beige friend. 

“Oh, yeah.” Sumac followed suit, with his drool-covered tongue sticking out. “Aleu and Lorna can protect the back of the pack.”

“Then it is agreed,” Aleu settled the situation, but also brought up another problem. “But what about Riza?”  

At the sound of her name, the gray and black she-wolf growled. “What about me, huh? Are you afraid that I may attack you or try to escape the Clan?”

The four wolves and the quarter-wolf nodded in unison. “It’s for your own safety, Riza,” Scarlet looked at her piercing eyes, then glanced back at Aleu. “I’ll put her near the front with Nuk, Yak and Sumac so that she’s far away from you. I’ll help watch her actions as well.” He nodded and leaned his nose to hers for a quick touch. “I promise.” 

“Thanks, you guys,” The Alpha beamed with pride that she had such good friends. She elegantly leaped off of the ice block, landed onto the rocky shoreline of the new island and turned to the rest of the Clan. “Come on. We have a long road ahead of us.” She moved her head in a gesture, pointing her nose towards the forest. “What are you guys waiting for? Let’s go!”

At the sign of Aleu’s confidence and spirit of adventure, led by Scarlet and the Trio, the rest of the Kawa Clan followed their leader until Lorna and her mother slowly limped off the ice several minutes later. After everyone was accounted for, the Clan got into their traveling order: Yak, Nuk, and Sumac put Riza near them up in the front of the formation; Scarlet was near the front of the middle section, where the younger and middle-aged wolves of the Clan would travel; and finally, Aleu accompanied Lorna, Dahlia, and a couple of older wolves in the back of the pack, making sure that none of the slower pack-members were left behind.  

Scarlet looked back at Aleu and the five other wolves that were with her. “Are you ready back there?”

“We’re ready back here!” Aleu replied after allowing Dahlia to lean up against her body and her daughter’s.

“We’re ready too, Scarlet!” Sumac said, stretching his legs with his other two companions while also keeping a close eye on the rebellious Riza. “Shall we go then?”

Before Scarlet and Aleu could answer, a loud crash drowned out the excitement. Everyone turned to the sound behind them, watching the slab of ice that had brought them to their new home break apart as it smashed against a sharp shore cliff and split into many different pieces that began to float away from the shore. As the small ice pieces headed back towards the open sea that was between their old territory and their unfamiliar home, mixed emotions swept through the Clan as they watched on; a nearby raven cawed a cry into the air, making the wolves realize that this was their last moment to say their farewells to everything that they had left behind.

“Good-bye, Father,” Scarlet murmured into the light night breeze, whispering his final farewell to his elderly patriarch that he had to leave behind, due to his old age and in order to fully pass the torch of Alpha to the new one, Aleu. He closed his eyes, silently muttering a prayer for his father’s well-being for a matter of fifteen seconds before opening his eyes once more.  

“Papa, Mom, I’m okay,” Aleu closed her eyes for a quick moment, lightly whispering her last goodbyes to the life she once wished to live. “Take care of everyone else and don’t worry about me so much.” She smiled as a thin stream of salty tears drenched her cheeks and eyelashes for a few seconds; the quarter-wolf used one of her beige front paws to wipe her tears and quickly returned to normal.

“Niju, my love . . .” Riza muttered under her breath with a face that showed no emotion. “You’d better come back to me somehow. Find a way, damn it. Just come home to me, darling.” After she was finished, her expression remained the same, for she refused to let anyone see that even a rebellious she-wolf like herself could fall in love at all. 

“Nava, bless Mom from wherever you are,” Lorna prayed a whispered wish into the horizon where her birthplace still remained. “Protect her and her pups with your fatherly spirit. Give Aleu the strength to be a good leader, and protect her from my sister. I’m starting to fear that she may do her harm. May Aniu bless us all.”

“Please lead us to food! Please lead us to food!” The weird trio of wolves up front chanted together with nothing more filling their heads than thoughts of the fresh-killed caribou that they planned on feasting on whenever they found them. 

After about ten minutes of reflection, the time came for the Clan to begin their exodus to their new home. The front of the pack steadily led the way, keeping track of their scent markers that they had left on their previous trek. Scarlet and the larger middle section of the pack easily kept up with the leaders, but every few minutes, Scarlet would turn back to check on the young Kawa Alpha and the back of the pack.

Aleu, Lorna, and the pregnant she-wolf moved slowly but surely behind the rest of the Clan. The quarter-wolf had never seen a pregnant canine before – she was only over a year old and her purebred mother hadn’t any time to mention anything to her about pup-rearing before since she had pretty much lived with her father ever since she was six months old – but somehow, she was entranced by the sudden beauty of the dark she-wolf. She could sense the she-wolf’s aura just by looking at her stunning figure – motherly, serenely at peace, elegantly formed, and absolutely beaming with joy of the sensational pride of having little lives within her womb that were soon to join their dam outside.  

She learned that her name was Dahlia, an elder she-wolf that was loved and adored by all of the Kawa, especially her youngest daughter, Lorna. Her dark-brown coat was silky and radiantly groomed with many strokes of her own tongue; her white legs were limber and strong, for they had to be in order to withstand the weight of whelping pups for many years; and her elegant head make her seem gentle and almost royal.

“Aleu,” she turned to the light-brown leader beside her once they entered the forest. “I appreciate your assistance with me and my daughter. I am deeply in your debt.” 

“It’s nothing, Dahlia,” the Alpha replied. “I thought it was best for the Clan.”

Dahlia let out a sigh as she smiled. “Ah, you remind me so much of my last mate. No wonder he taught you so much when he thought your father was the chosen one.” 

“Your . . . last mate?” Aleu thought out loud. Her eyes grew large when she realized what she meant. “You mean, Nava . . . was your . . .?”

She nodded. “As Alpha, it was Nava’s job to repopulate the Clan with his bloodline. He has mated with almost all of the older females that remain, but I was the last female he ever got close to almost several weeks ago,” She looked at her belly, noticing a slight movement from within her womb. “Unfortunately, my new pups will never know how much their father would have loved them.” A tear of remorse fell down her cheek, but she quickly sniffed it away. 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Dahlia,” Aleu nudged her softly in comfort. “but I’m sure that when they are old enough, they will learn about how great of a wolf their father was.” Aleu grinned softly. “I promise to tell them one day.” Dahlia returned the gesture with a warm smile, one that made Aleu glad to be in such good company with a new ally.

After some moments of nothing but silent traveling behind the rest of the Clan, Aleu spoke up with something that had been bothering her for the past few moments. “So, I’ve been wondering about something dealing with the Kawa Clan, if I may ask you about it.” 

“Go ahead, Aleu,” The brown she-wolf elegantly approved with a small lowering of her head. “You are our Alpha after all, and I’m sure that Lorna and I will do our best to answer whatever questions trouble you.”

Knowing that she was granted permission to query them, she took a deep breath, calmly beginning to question her two new companions. “Why isn’t the Clan filled with wolves then?” she asked, her curiosity growing. “If Nava was such a great leader, shouldn’t I have counted more than just the twenty other wolves other than myself here?” 

Lorna answered quickly, allowing her mother a chance to focus more on her steps. “Let me get this one, Mother. I’m a child of Nava too, you know.” The expecting female nodded as her daughter began. “Nava was indeed a great leader, but Mother told me a story of how our Clan was when she was about my age. Many years before I was born, the Kawa Clan was filled with almost fifty wolves. Nava was only about five years older than Mother was when he took over the title of Alpha from his ailing father, Nonji, but he was wise, fair, and just with his leadership. It might have been his rare magical abilities and quite intimate connection with nature that made our Clan so great, but things went well for many years ever since his reign began as we thrived and grew stronger than ever before, doubling in number after only a couple of years.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Aleu’s voice was overjoyed for the moment but soon returned to a quieter tone once others around the three of them glared at her for her sudden outburst. “Please tell me what happened next, Lorna.”  

“However, two years before the year that my sister and I were born,” The light gray continued her tale, “nearby wolf Clans got jealous of our good fortune, thinking that the Great Aniu herself had blessed us with such a power-filled Alpha and very fertile she-wolves. Over a number of moons during the mating season, the Bear, Wolverine, and Fox Clans began a series of spontaneous invasions, constantly stealing young pups and virgin females from the Kawa, attempting to make them theirs by raising the pups as their own and breeding with the females before Nava had a chance to do it himself.” She heard her mother sniff back tears, so she paused for a moment before continuing. “My mother, the much-older and barren females, and a few mid-aged females were thankfully spared from the invasions, but after the hard battles that were fought and losses that we had suffered, our population was almost depleted to nearly nothing.”

The Alpha’s dark ears lowered. “Gosh, I . . . I never knew that. I never would have guessed that it was like that had happened. Nava never mentioned anything about that to me or my father when we had met him at the gathering,” Aleu commented, shocked by the story of the hardships that her new Clan had faced long before her own birth. She was more curious than ever to learn more about the Kawa Clan’s past, and the number of questions that she had grew and grew. “And none of the others showed any sign that such events ever happened. Why is that? Why won’t someone tell me?” 

A sudden bark from the front ended the conversation. “Maybe we will discuss that later, Aleu,” Dahlia concluded. “It seems that there may be some trouble up front that needs your assistance.” All three of the females looked to the front, seeing the entire Clan had halted at something.

“I’ll be back shortly,” Aleu promised as she gently nudged the two and ran towards the Trio at the front of the migration formation. “What’s wrong, Yak? Nuk? Sumac?” She asked them as she caught her breath. “Why have we stopped? We should keep going if we wish to reach the safe haven quickly.” 

“Aleu, we are tired,” Yak yawned. “We’ve been on the move for almost an hour!”

“Yeah, it’s the middle of the night, and we are all exhausted,” the smaller Sumac spoke up, also yawning. “Maybe we should stop for the remainder of the night and continue at sunrise.” 

“And my stomach’s growling like crazy!” the large Nuk groaned. “Ohh! I’ve never felt so hungry before in my whole life!”

Other wolves agreed with their pack-mates’ pleas of hunger and rest as they joined in. Aleu looked at them all with concern as Scarlet emerged from the middle of the pack, walking closer to the new leader. 

“They are right, Aleu,” he pointed out. “We are all out of energy and should sleep. Even Riza is tired, can’t you see that?” He turned Aleu’s attention to the gray and black she-wolf near the Trio. She had sat down with the complaining Trio with her head lying on her forelegs. “She is as tired as everyone else. Aren’t you the least bit tired yourself?”

Her light-brown and beige head shook. “No way, Scarlet! I’m full of energy and ready to lead the rest of the way there!” 

The red wolf hated to do what he did next, but it was the only way to set Aleu straight. One of his white front paws went across her cheek, leaving a slight red bruise and a stinging pain. The rest of the Clan gasped at Scarlet’s actions (with exception of Riza, of course – she just sneered happily), but they knew only he could snap some sort of sense into her.

“Scarlet . . .” A tear fell down her blue eyes, feeling like she had been betrayed by the one wolf that she once cared for only a couple of hours ago. Why . . . why did he do that to me? She thought to herself, trying to calm her cheek with her paw. I thought I was the leader here! Why is he trying to take over my job for? I just don’t understand . . . I don’t understand this at all . . .But no matter how hurt Aleu felt, Scarlet’s face remained strict. 

“Aleu, when will you think about someone other than yourself for once?” Scarlet’s voice raised in anger. “Alphas are supposed to think about the Clan over his or her own feelings and ability. Take a look around and you’ll understand!”

As Aleu took Scarlet’s words to heart, the many pairs of tired and worn eyes of her Clan returned her confused glance; their stares reflected in blue, amber, gray and fiery crimson as the male continued to narrate his feelings and the feelings of his own kin. 

“Your job is to protect them, lead them, guide them! If you overwork them, they will fail and the Clan will perish. Look at them carefully, Aleu! They need you to become responsible and mature enough to truly be a leader. Aniu chose you over all others to follow in my father’s footsteps – when will you prove through your actions that you are truly worthy?”

Yes, he’s right . . .Aleu suddenly came back to her senses after closely listening to her friend’s words, gently patting her cheek one last time before returning her paw back to the ground. Oh, how could I have been so selfish! I’ve only thought of myself and not of the Clan. I must grow up quickly here, even though I am an outsider and now an alpha . . . not to mention I’m only a yearling at that, too. She took a breath and turned back to the angry male, giving him a calm, straight expression that was quite the opposite of Scarlet’s fired-up mood. 

“You’re right, Scarlet,” Aleu admitted to him and the rest of the Clan. “I was being too immature and thinking more about my own well-being instead of the Clan.” She lowered her ears and head in disappointment of what she had done. “I’m so sorry, everyone. Let’s all rest for a couple of hours and then continue onward.”

To her surprise, the rest of the Kawa agreed with barks of approval. Her expression changed from sadness to a much calmer mood as she got back down to business. “We’ll send out a small hunting party to search for some food. A couple others –” Aleu mainly looked at Nuk and Yak after saying this, “will try to find some water, and hopefully they can find the river and lake that we encountered.” 

Scarlet and Sumac agreed to hunt for food, Nuk and Yak agreed to the idea of retracing and refreshing their trail to the foot of the mountains at the forest’s edge, and Aleu chose to remain with the others and stand guard while everyone slept, awaiting her two parties returned from their separate missions.

The light-brown yearling remained by Dahlia and Lorna, hoping to pass the time with the many thoughts in her head, but something troubled her even more . . . 

I wonder . . . why is Scarlet so bossy whenever I make a mistake? Aleu let out a sigh as she looked out at the treetops that clouded her view of the night sky above them. What exactly is his problem with me? Maybe it has something to do with the Clan’s past . . . or something that Nava might have done . . . Her head lowered in confusion. What can I do to figure this out?

“Aleu?” Lorna, who had only dozed off for a few quick moments, lifted her head up and looked at Aleu with worry. 

“Oh?” The alpha turned towards her friend, showing her relief when she saw it was the light-gray female. “Oh, it’s only you, Lorna. Sorry if I woke you.”

Lorna shook her head. “No, you didn’t wake me. My dreams channeled your inner thoughts, feelings, and worries, and that was what woke me.” 

Aleu was stunned. “Huh? How could you . . .?”

The gray female only laughed quietly. “I told you that I was a child of Nava too, remember?” She smiled as she explained to the wide-eyed quarter-wolf. “I’m sure you remember that Nava is a mystic wolf, born with rare shamanic powers given to him by the Great Spirits. When he became Alpha and spread his seed to the females of the Kawa Clan, some of their pups that he sired were lucky enough to be given a different form of mystic power themselves in time. I was one of them – I sometimes can hear the thoughts of others while I’m asleep and awake, but I can’t really control it that well ever since I first noticed it about a year ago.” She lowered her eyelids a little as a tear fell down her eyes. “I know what you want to find out, Aleu . . . about Scarlet and our Clan’s past.”

“Tell me,” The light-brown alpha requested. “If this will help me understand more about this world and the lifestyle that this Clan follows, then tell me.” 

“All right, but I will warn you first: what you are about to hear is something that only a handful of our Clan knows about.” Lorna nodded, took a deep breath, and began the conclusion of the story. “Okay, here we go:”

“During the same season when many of the Clan’s females and young pups were stolen from us, Nava went through a serious state of depression. He was truly distraught, for his last mate and litter was all stolen from him; however, one pup was spared only because it was a male . . . a mud-red and ivory pup.” 

Aleu gasped. “Scarlet?”

The gray nodded. “That is correct. Scarlet witnessed the side of his father that no others in the Clan were allowed permission to see. If the rest of the Kawa saw their Alpha in such a manic state, they would begin to lose their will to fight and realize that the chances for the Clan to recover from these ambushes would be hopeless. Nava was too wise for that and there wasn’t any way that he would want the remainder of his Clan to suffer because of his personal feelings for the children that were stolen from him.  

“As Scarlet grew up in the next three years, he learned from his father about the difficulties that his Clan went through since the year of his birth: more raids and ambushes from enemy Clans, He swore to himself that he would take his father’s place one day as Alpha, hoping to revitalize the Kawa back to its original glory. Of course, all of Scarlet’s dreams faded once Nava began having his dream visions from Aniu – the visions telling him that the caribou would not return and a new leader, ‘the one who is wolf and does not know’, would lead the Clan across the water to find them.”

The yearling Alpha was stunned by Lorna’s tale; her thoughts whirled through her head about what she had just heard. Ah! It all makes sense now! Scarlet really did want to become Alpha, and with good reason – he did not just want to follow his father’s paws, but also to revive the Kawa to its original splendor.She let out a sigh as her head fell as she looked at her paws. I don’t blame him for that. He seems to have a very good reason to want that for the Clan of his birth; I only became Alpha because I was led here to fulfill my destiny as leader. All because I look more like a wolf, I felt that I had a good enough reason to join the Kawa and do Aniu’s will. I guess . . . I guess I was wrong. 

Scarlet deserves to be Alpha, not me. He has natural potential to lead, just like his father. Maybe I should . . . maybe I should . . .

“Give the leadership up to him?” Lorna completed her thoughts. Aleu let out a small shriek, surprised by her new companion’s power. “It’s all right, Aleu. It’s your decision if you feel comfortable to pass the title of Alpha to him, but the passing of power is permanent.” Aleu’s eyes widened as she began to shake in uncertainty. “Once you give the title of Alpha to another, you can never reclaim it ever again. It is the Law of Aniu and the Spirits above . . . well, that’s what all the elders say anyway.” 

“Permanent?” Aleu repeated. “But then, what about my destiny? What would happen if I gave it all up forever?” She paused with her mouth open in a gasp as thoughts came into her head. What if I gave up? I . . . I will let down all those that believed in me – Nava, Lorna, Dahlia . . . She let out a sigh as she lowered her ears. Papa, Scarlet . . . Aniu, you wouldn’t want me to give up so easily, would you?

“Aleu,” Lorna gave her a small nudge of comfort. “You know, you don’t have to give it up. You are who you are, and no one can change that about you. I’m sure Scarlet would understand your decisions, no matter what you decide.”  

A familiar howl filled the air just before the yearling Alpha had a chance to answer. “It’s Scarlet!” One of the middle wolves spread the word, awakening the rest of the pack. “Scarlet’s returned from the hunt!”

Moans and groans quietly ran through the Clan as they heard the news of Scarlet and Sumac’s return from hunting. Aleu left Lorna and Dahlia and waited for the mud-red wolf and the skinny tan omega to arrive. It was only a matter of seconds before the males reached Aleu, each with a couple of large rabbits in their mouths. 

“Scarlet!” Aleu smiled, welcoming him back with a friendly nuzzle. “I see you’ve found some food for us.”

“Yes,” Scarlet replied after he and Sumac dropped the food at her feet. “We tried to track caribou, but all we could find were a couple of burrows filled with rabbits. I hope this is enough.” He lowered his head in shame. “I just wish we could have found the caribou instead.” 

“Don’t worry, Scarlet,” Aleu reassured him. “Maybe we won’t find them right away, but they’re here . . . somewhere.”

Sumac lifted his head, sniffing the air. “Aleu, it seems that Nuk and Yak are returning. Shall you eat your share of meat now while it’s still fresh?” 

Aleu shook her head. “No. The Clan should eat first – especially you two. I’ll find something to eat when the sun is up.”

Nuk and Yak arrived to the rest of the Clan, just as Scarlet and Lorna stood up. “But Aleu, you need your strength!” Lorna argued. “The Alpha has always taken their share first, and you need it the most too!” 

“She’s right, Aleu,” Scarlet agreed. “It’s the way of the Wolf Clan hierarchy: Alphas eat first, then the betas and others; finally, the omegas – the lowest wolves – eat whatever is left over, even if it is only meatless bones. That’s the way we’re always done it for many years.”

“But it’s not fair!” Aleu stomped a paw on the ground in a tantrum, causing everyone to look at her. “It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair!”  

“You’re right, ‘Leader.’ It’s not fair at all, is it?” The dark voice of Riza caused Lorna and Dahlia to lower their ears. “But then again, you should know that already, right?”

“Huh? Riza . . .” Aleu murmured, calming herself by sitting with her head lowered, but the dark gray continued to prove her point. 

“You thought your old life as a ‘tame-born’ was hard enough, eh? You thought it was unfair to look wild in a world that doesn’t take kindly to wolves, right? Well, guess what, honey? It’s not fair out here either! And I should know as well as any other wolf out here.” Riza concluded, giving the yearling a glaring growl. “And besides, the upcoming winter will destroy you if you keep acting like that.” She let out a murmur under her breath, “I hope the winter really does destroy you, ‘tame-born’! You don’t stand a fighting chance out here without your daddy here to save you! Heh!”

Scarlet let out a sigh. “I hate to say it, but . . . Riza’s right.” Aleu’s ears pricked up in shock. “It’s true: the winter will definitely take it out of you if you keep saying that things aren’t fair. Life is never fair . . . and I should know.” Scarlet had a sad look on his face as his head lowered. “But that doesn’t mean we should give up hope.” Aleu began to walk up to the red wolf, sitting beside him.  

“I know,” Aleu raised her head, understanding her duty. “We shouldn’t give up now. The caribou is out there . . . and as Alpha, I say that things should change. Everyone else is just as important as I am – each member of our Clan is essential to our survival, whether we are purebred or not.” A group of younger wolves agreed, letting out a few quick barks. “Well, this food isn’t going to stay fresh forever, you know.” She motioned her paw to the small stack of rabbit kill and allowed the hungry to eat, no matter what position they held.

The late-night feast had begun and the Alpha was content, lying underneath the safety of a tall pine tree. The sound of tearing bloody rabbit flesh against sharp canine teeth began to fill the air, making the aroma flow through the quarter-wolf’s nostrils and the din flood into her ears. She closed her eyes and let out a shutter; she had never killed an animal before . . . let alone eat its raw meat either. Scarlet, who had already eaten his fill, approached the laid-down female and dropped a small portion of rabbit meat in front of her. 

“For you, Aleu,” he smiled, not noticing her slight look of disgust. “I thought you might be a little famished, especially after allowing the others to eat first.”

“Uh, no thanks, Scarlet,” she said, still smelling the fresh meat and scent of death within a paw’s distance of her nose. “You go ahead and eat.” 

“What? Haven’t you ever had rabbit before?” The male asked her.

She nodded, afraid that she would be ridiculed for her response. “Nope. Papa and I usually ate straps and dried meat that my mother’s family would give us, so we never had to hunt for food. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Papa never really taught me anything about being a wolf . . . especially since he kept that a secret from me since I was born.” 

“Ah, that’s right – you’re still new to the wolf lifestyle. I suppose living the tame life had spoiled you quite a bit.” He let out a slight chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess it has, huh?” Aleu joined in his laughter. 

“Sorry, I had forgotten about that. You know, it’s not that bad really.” Scarlet informed Aleu on the meat. “The first bite’s the worst if you’re new to fresh kill, but it’s tender and good. Go ahead and try some. It’ll keep you going for a while at least.” He used his white nose to nudge the meat closer to the light-brown female.

With curiosity, she sniffed it, quickly throwing her head back at the slowly-rotting meat; but somehow, she gathered her courage and tore a small piece of fur and flesh with her teeth, chewing it and trying hard not to gag at the taste. After swallowing that test piece, she wanted more! She began to quickly wolf up the remainder of the meat, much to the calm happiness of Scarlet. 

“Wow, this isn’t that bad after all!” Aleu exclaimed after finishing her meal. She licked her blood-stained lips and teeth before letting out a yawn. “Thank you, Scarlet, for thinking about me. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Just like you didn’t have to allow the others to eat first,” he yawned, stretching his legs and preparing for sleep. “I suppose we’ll rest until sunrise?” 

Aleu nodded. “Then we’ll follow Nuk and Yak’s trail to our new home.” She yawned again as other wolves followed in yawning. “Good night.” She laid her head down upon her forelegs and had pleasant dreams for the next few hours.

- - - - - 

The sky was dark and cloudy, shaded with navy. Neither the moon nor the stars were in sight above her. The terrain was rocky where she stood, but she had no idea where she was . . . except she knew she was about halfway upon a mountain of some sorts. She lifted her nose into the air, trying to smell something or someone that she could remember. An unfamiliar scent of a moving herd of creatures hit her nostrils; her ears pricked up as the sound of vibrating hooves coming from about a mile or so away. The sound was so similar to something that she had heard in a previous dream, so there was only one thing it could be: the herd of caribou! Her instincts told her to climb, so she did automatically, sensing that the sound and smell were coming from the other side of the mountain.

The feel of the rocks against her claws as she moved forward, one step after another. The only sounds that were audible were her steady panting and the nervous pounding of her heartbeat. Onward, onward she climbed, until a caw filled the air; it was a dark raven, circling around her light-brown form. 

“A raven?” She gasped, recognizing the familiar avian. “What do you want from me?” She heard her voice echo softly; the quarter-wolf felt as if her body was out of her own control in this world. The raven only cawed back, flying past her and landing at the mountain’s apex.

She followed the bird, having a gut feeling that this raven was the same one that helped lead her to her destiny both in and out of her dreams before; once she made a few more steps, she was halted by a sudden rush of snowy wind that hit her head-on. She grunted at the force of the blow as she attempted to clutch the rocky surface beneath her using her claws. They made a screeching noise as the gale began to nudge her body backwards, for her strong claws weren’t enough to keep her stationary on the mountain. She slipped but continued to stand her ground, but it wasn’t enough. A scream of panic escaped from her lips as the snowy wind, now joined with a thin layer of misty fog, pushed her off of the edge of a nearby cliff. 

She began to fall into the darkness, trying to remain on the cliff, but her legs weren’t long enough to reach it. She screamed again as the darkness began to engulf her figure and the sound of a howling wolf joined an ominously evil-sounding chuckle of someone she had met once before . . .

- - - - - 

She let out a gasp as her head quickly jerked from her forelegs, panting in fear of the dream’s ending. That dream was anything but pleasant . . . Aleu thought. The noise of a morning howl helped her relax as a sigh escaped from her lips. She stretched her legs, fully waking up as several other wolves also began to get ready for the homestretch journey to their new home. The rising sunlight gently kissed against her fur, allowing it to show in its true mousy-brown glow. She closed her eyes and leaned her head backwards, relaxing as the rays warmed her and allowed her to focus on the duty she had yet to complete.

“Morning, beautiful,” A relaxing voice gave her a fright as she jerked her head around to the sound, soon realizing that the greeting was from Scarlet. “Did you sleep well, Aleu?” 

“Scarlet! You scared me!” She heard him let out a small giggle at her reaction to his voice, but after she calmed down, she answered back. “I slept well, thank you.”

“Oh, really? I could have sworn that I saw you tossing and turning around as you were sleeping during the night.” The mud-red wolf gave her a friendly nuzzle. “Is everything okay? You woke up so loudly.”  

“Everything’s fine, Scarlet,” Aleu lied. She paused for a moment before giving in; Scarlet had raised an eyebrow at her response, almost as if he could sense that Aleu was feeling tense about something. “All right. I suppose things weren’t exactly too good last night. I had a dream . . . and to be honest, it really scared me.”

“I see,” Scarlet sat down beside her, his ears against his neck. “You really are like my father.” The reply peaked the Alpha’s curiosity. She said not a word, but the male knew that she wanted to hear more. “Nava always seemed to hide the facts about his dreams from the rest of his Clan. He never wanted them to learn about the terrible visions that Aniu sent him, so he would maintain his calm, wise demeanor and usually tell me the truth of what gave him chills at night.” 

“So, he knew about the ambushes?” She gasped after realizing that she said too much. “Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that.” She lowered her ears at her previous actions, hoping that Scarlet wouldn’t be too mad at her knowing about his father’s hardships that he had witnessed.

At the sound of those words, Scarlet’s back hairs spiked up. He hoped to never hear about those again, but apparently this quarter-wolf found out about those terrible times a few years ago. “It’s okay, Aleu,” His ears and head lowered. “I suppose you would find out sooner or later,” he growled under his breath, then quickly calmed down and sighed. “Yeah, he knew, but he always thought that he shouldn’t interfere with the natural flow of the grand design. The loss of many of the others hurt him terribly, but he had a feeling that this was all a part of Aniu’s almighty plan for the Kawa. ‘Everything happens for a reason,’ he would always tell me. I have learned to follow that all my life, especially since I was spared by the raids.” He sighed again as a tear dripped onto the dirt ground under his white paws. 

“I see . . .You had a purpose here to the Kawa in the near future,” Aleu told him. “That’s why you were saved. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be a clueless part-wolf who wouldn’t have a single clue on being an Alpha.” She giggled a bit and nuzzled him with her nose against his neck. “I had always thought my place was with a human in my hometown; when I wasn’t adopted that day over a year ago, I never would have realized that it happened for a reason – to lead a wild wolf pack to caribou. I never have imagined things would happen like this.”

“Ah, Aniu works in mysterious ways, Aleu,” Lorna had just walked by them and overheard the Alpha’s words. As the two looked back at her, the light gray chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll learn more about her soon enough. Winter is her most dominant season, so don’t be afraid if she contacts you more often during the next couple of months until spring.” Her ears quickly pricked up as she remembered why she had originally approached them. “Oh, Aleu! I almost forgot. The rest of the Clan is ready to travel. We await only your word.” 

“Thanks, Lorna,” Aleu’s head quickly bobbed in a short bow as she watched her head back to the safety of her brown and white dam.

Scarlet sighed as he and the Alpha stood up and began to walk towards the rest of the Clan. “She’s a great sister, huh? Too bad her twin’s such a bad apple most of the time.” 

Sister? Aleu thought as she stopped in her tracks, but the truth quickly clicked. That’s right; Scarlet and Lorna are both children of Nava! They are half-siblings, both by different mothers. I almost forgot about that!

“Her twin? I don’t think I’ve heard about her, have I?” Aleu asked, twitching her ears side to side in confusion. 

“I’m sure you have – Riza is Lorna’s older sister by a few minutes,” The male replied as he turned Aleu’s attention to the dark gray female – she was causing trouble, as usual, trying to convince other wolves in the Clan to join her in overthrowing their tame-born leader. “If you haven’t noticed, she’s a lot like Niju – ruthless, selfish, and quite dark-hearted. Not many other wolves here know this – not even Riza or Lorna have obtained this knowledge – but Niju also was a child of Dahlia . . . her first-born, actually. She was with another male before Nava – his sire was a loner wolf, the former Alpha of the Bear Clan who was overthrown by his own Clan. In revenge, he stole away Dahlia one night and took advantage of her, leaving with his seed sowed within her. She birthed Niju a couple of moons later, hoping that something good would come from this terrible act that was beyond her own control; however, Niju was as dark as his father was, with his eyes set on overthrowing Nava and controlling the Kawa as their Alpha. Four years passed since his birth, and you and your father arrived to save us from his rebellious ideas and to have Aniu’s prophecy come to pass.”

“I can see the resemblance,” Aleu continued to walk beside Scarlet as they slowed down by the rest of the Clan. “I’m surprised that such a kind wolf like Dahlia could have children like Niju and Riza.” She shuttered slightly as she remembered the haunting appearance of the navy and white Niju and the way he nearly ended both Nava’s life and her own for his own ruthless intentions. “I suppose it was for a reason, just like you said, Scarlet.”  

“Perhaps . . .” Scarlet nodded with a slight smile as they continued their leisurely promenade.

By the time the two of them reached the rest of the pack, the wolves were in their traveling formation again, awaiting Aleu’s orders. “Nuk, Yak,” she turned to the large navy-gray and the faded navy-gray wolves near the front of the formation. “Did you refresh the trail to the mountain lake last night?” 

“Yes, we did,” Yak nodded.

Nuk stepped forward. “Would you like us and the lead team to escort you there, Aleu?” 

“Sure thing, Nuk, but,” The quarter-wolf smiled. “you should lead all of us there. I’m sure we’re all quite parched with thirst by now.” Other wolves nodded in agreement – they were all thirsty and without water, dehydration would cause some of the wolves to be unable to travel much longer.

Yak and Nuk looked at each other and smiled. “We’re ready to go then,” They walked over to the front team where Sumac and Riza awaited them. 

Scarlet trotted to the larger, middle group, and Aleu met up with Lorna, Dahlia and the elders in the back pack. Once the leaders of each group nodded back at each other, Aleu made the call.

“Let’s head for our new home, guys!” 

With cheers of excitement, the lead group led the way with the others pacing their way close behind them. Traveling as the sun made its trip to the top of its invisible arc-shaped path, the Kawa Clan passed through branches of trees, shrubs and bushes of many types, and random woodland creatures that also were beginning their morning routine like clockwork. After about a half-hour or so of steady jogging and trotting, Aleu heard a couple of howls from the front pack. Recognizing it as the Trio, she signaled her group to stop and ran quickly to the front of the group; Scarlet did the same thing with his group and joined Aleu and the lead pack. They stopped in awe as they realized why they had halted.

“We’re . . . here!” Aleu murmured as the glow of the late-morning sunlight hit the water’s edge, causing a translucent rainbow to arch near the waterfall’s cliff. The other wolves in the Clan followed the five leaders out of the forest’s end and into the grassy shoreline beside the lake, gasping with sheer wonderment at the place their leader had led them. 

“It’s beautiful,” Lorna said to Aleu, her eyes lit up in amazement. “It’s better than I ever pictured it to be! This is like . . . like . . .”

“Paradise . . .” Scarlet completed her statement, turning beside him and gazing once again into Aleu’s azure and gold eyes. “Pure paradise.” The way he looked at her made it seem as if he wasn’t talking about their new home, but about the elegant yearling that was in front of him. 

“Yeah,” The quarter-wolf softly agreed, returning the gesture as if no one else was watching. “It is Paradise . . . We’ve found our Clan’s safe Paradise, at last.” Their wet noses began to inch closer to each other for a loving nuzzle . . . until a loud cough ended the tender moment.

“So, Aleu,” The coughing voice began to speak, revealing herself as Riza as she pushed her way through the crowd of relieved lupines. “It seems I may have been wrong about you.” Her voice was calm, but her tone made Aleu slightly shudder with worry. “You’ve led us to a safe haven, just like you said you would . . . but what about our food?” A couple of wolves barked in agreement as the dark gray continued. “Just a meager kill of rabbits won’t be enough for us to last the winter, so when will you lead us to our caribou, just like the Great Aniu prophesized, huh?”  

The noise of the opposing wolves almost made Aleu want to break down and cry, but she knew she had to keep her cool and not let her fellow Kawa see how she really felt about the situation. “In due time, Riza,” she responded calmly with a voice of maturity. “We should bless this land first, settle down and take note of the land around us. We have no idea what else could be here, so we must study and learn about else could be living with us so that we can find the herds.”

She led the wolves around the lake’s edge, causing them to form a barrier around the shore. Lorna passed by her older sister, giving her a quick glance; Riza growled quietly as she followed the others, observing her naïve leader’s actions as she spoke her blessings to the spirits above. 

“O Great Aniu,” Aleu prayed aloud, standing with her beige ankles in a shallow part of the lake in front of the others. “You have helped lead and guide us to this place of beauty, far from the barren lands of the river where we once gathered and thrived with your blessings.” These words caused a few whispered murmurs from some of the wolves and a slight tear from Scarlet. “Now, we thank you for our safe travels and ask for you to bless us now on our quest to survive the upcoming winter and find the caribou that sustains life for us all.”

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, pausing for a silent prayer to Aniu herself. Please, Aniu . . . Give me the strength to endure this lifestyle that you have wished for me. I know that I may be only part wolf, but I wish to learn and master whatever skills I need to achieve my destiny as the Kawa Clan’s Alpha . . .  

Please, please, I beg of you . . . Just grant me the courage to survive . . . .

After her personal prayer, she raised her head back and let out a howling cry; the other wolves joined in, sending their own blessings to the Spiritual World. The chorus of howls only lasted about a couple of minutes and it was quite awkward in the midday brightness of their new surroundings; several curious woodland creatures peeked from their tiny homes, wondering what all of the racket was about, but once they realized a pack of wolves were their new neighbors, many of them returned into the safety of their tree-bound homes. 

Once the howling ceased, Aleu opened her eyes and looked out at the twenty other lupines looking back at her with mixed expressions of either gladness, relief, pride for their new Alpha’s leadership, or the rarely-seen glare of impatient rage. She gave them all a smile as she nodded her head slightly, allowing them to join her inside the coolness of the lake in front of them. With eager excitement, all of the wolves leapt from the grassy shoreline into the water, splashing and lapping up the liquid that began to quench their thirst.

The mousy-brown female did nothing but watch her Clan enjoy their new home; as she gazed upon their many cheerful actions of exploring their new home, the Alpha suddenly felt a chill wind graze against her fur, causing her legs to slightly shudder. 

Papa was right, Aleu thought to herself as she looked up. A gentle flake of pure-white slowly floated from the sky; it kissed her nose before melting against the warm wetness of her nuzzle. Winter is coming quickly . . . The melting snow trickled down her nose; she opened her mouth, allowing the water to drip onto her tongue and down her throat. She looked up and saw a few other snowflakes drop lightly from the sky and began their descent onto the ground below.

We haven’t much time now . . . The caribou must be around here somewhere . . . Her expression was firm and straight as she felt a gentle nuzzle against her neck. It was Scarlet, who spoke not a word; he could tell just by looking at the yearling that the upcoming winter was troubling her. Aleu returned the gesture, knowing that he was someone she could rely on to help her.  

Although she was in her safe haven with Scarlet by her side, she felt scared deep inside her heart. She remembered the dark gray and black she-wolf that scorned her over being a ‘tame-born’ and for stalling their search for the caribou that they desperately followed. 

“The upcoming winter will destroy you . . .”

Her words rang like a bell through her head. Riza obviously knows my weakness . . . and that’s what I’m afraid of most . . . Aleu let out a sigh and leaned against the muddy crimson wolf’s neck. I have so much relying on me: surviving the winter, leading the Clan to the caribou, making them trust me . . . 

“How can I live up to all of this, Aniu?” She murmured softly as she rubbed her nose against Scarlet’s warm fur. “How can a young part-wolf like me truly be worthy of this difficult fate that you have led me to?”

“Shh-shh,” Scarlet placed his nose on top of her light-brown and beige muzzle, calming her. “I’m here for you, Aleu. Let me help you.” He allowed her to let go of him, looked at her and dried the thin stream of tears that fell down her cheeks with his muzzle. 

“Thank you, Scarlet,” She sniffed as the two of them looked up at the sky together. “I’m ready for you to teach me.”

Somehow, they both knew this winter and how she, an unknown quarter-wolf with limited skills of being in the wild, commanded the Clan as their new Alpha would either make or break the Kawa forever. Somehow, their quest for the caribou had just begun once the first snowfall arrived, and things weren’t about to be easy anymore. 

(Part TWO – completed 4/11/07)

Rating: PG for hunting, blood, and a bit of bullying about being different. There’s possible violence too, but these are wolves that we’re talking about. Whoo-hoo, violence. ^___^ 

Disclaimer: Balto,Wolf Quest, and any other characters and situations mentioned are the property of Universal Studios, Inc. and any other names used are fan-made by me, Juuchan17.