Jadze: The Blessed Curse

ACT II – CURSE

Disclaimer: Official characters and events from Balto, Balto: Wolf Quest, and Balto: Wings of Change are the property of Universal Studios, Inc.

The characters of Shadow, Melody, Timbre, Dash, Jadze and the Talbourne Clan (and the many, many others that I have missed), the many events, places and other things mentioned within this story, as well as the created personalities of Balto, Aleu, Jenna, Saba and Aniu are all the creative property of Rotramel the Writer (Thanks again for supporting this idea! He is the main inspiration for this whole thing! *bows*).

Any other characters (including the personality of Jadze III herself) as well as the main idea for the story itself are the property of Juuchan17.

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Chapter VI

“Yeah . . . that’s what I want to name her – Jadze . . .”

Aleu was still smiling, completely confident in her decision to name her daughter – she had no idea how much damage one little name would cause at the moment.

“Aleu,” Timbre, who was standing near her other children, stepped forward. He could see the sudden sadness into his mate’s eyes, so he chose to speak up for Melody’s sake. “um, . . . I’m afraid that the rest of us will have to disagree with your decision.”

“What?” Aleu was shocked to see her own family act this way. “She’s my daughter, and I want her to carry this name whether you like it or not!” A growl nearly slipped from her lips, but she stopped once she saw Melody lower her head sadly.

“Aleu, please understand,” she spoke in a quiet voice. “Timbre and I lost a daughter that we named Jadze. You remember that, don’t you?”

“Of course I remember her!” Aleu nodded, remembering that moment well. She was still a young Alpha when Jadze was born to them, and during a sentry duty, she was killed at a young age of around a year old. Her death made Melody and Timbre weep uncontrollably for hours and hours, refusing comfort even during the funeral procession at the river. She had presided over the memorial service; she remembered how hard it was for Melody to hear her daughter’s name called as one of the many dead, but still she managed to have the strength to pull her limp body into the river and let it go all by herself. She was the first child – unfortunately, not the last – they had ever lost in battle, but she was the most high-spirited and headstrong of the six children that Melody had birthed. “I was with you when she and her siblings were born.”

“You also had a sister with that name too, Aleu,” Balto stepped forward this time. His eyes were lowered with sorrow, for he could now remember his daughter’s last moments alive almost like a nightmare in his mind. “She was killed as well, also at a young age. Losing her was hard for all of us, you know that. Melody named her daughter in her honor, and yet she, too, was lost in the beginning of her life.”

“I know all of that, but . . .” Aleu tried to explain her own thoughts about the name, but was interrupted.

Jenna chose to conclude this situation. “We’re all just worried about what may happen to her if she bears this name, that’s all.” She sniffled a bit, shaking away some sorrow from her cheeks. “We’re still hurting a little inside after losing both children that were named Jadze, and . . . and we just don’t want this little pup to carry such a cursed name.”

“She’s not cursed, Mom!” Aleu barked in anger. She had to gasp in order to catch her breath.

Saba’s ears pricked up at her sister’s words and knew that it would be best to allow close family to have some privacy. Swiftly, she led the other wolves out of the room, but a couple of those that she tried to move – Nava and Aleu’s children – chose to stay with the family. After the other lupines left, the white Alpha left the room as well; she had other duties to attend to, including her children and the safety of the Clan. Everest chose to stay behind to watch after the situation before joining back to his mate.

Once the others were gone, Aleu spoke again, this time in a calmer voice so as not to scare her nursing child. Of course, the pup’s ears were tightly closed, not to open for at least another couple of weeks, so she was unable to hear a single thing; blind and deaf, the pup remained close to her mother’s belly, allowing Aleu to cover her with her two-toned tail in order to keep her warm.

“She won’t be cursed, Mom . . . everyone,” Aleu told the family crowd. “Aniu returned her to me – isn’t that a sign that she is not cursed as you may think, but rather a blessing?”

“But Aleu,” Timbre spoke up. “We just don’t want history to repeat itself, that’s all.” He lowered his head, peering at the tiny pup with his sad eyes. “She’s such a blessing to you and Shadow, I’m sure.”

“Of course, she is,” Shadow replied. “I thought she was a goner just like all of the other pups, but somehow she came back. That is a blessing.”

“I believe she’s good luck to our family. Third time’s the charm, I suppose,” Aleu responded with a quick, light chuckling sigh. However, her tone switched to serious as she chose to reveal the first things she encountered when she had died. “When I was dead, I spoke to both of them, my sister as well as your daughter, Timbre.”

Balto, Jenna, Melody and Timbre gasped at what they had just heard. It was hard to believe some of the things that some dogs saw from the other side – Balto knew that fact very well, for he had seen his beloved Jadze a couple of times himself while surrounded by snow blizzard winds. To those that he told this to, they were in a state of disbelief.

“Oh, how is she?” Balto was elated to hear that Aleu had met her too. He had always loved seeing Jadze’s nearly identical look to his mate in front of him, especially since she had always been enchanted by the life of a sled dog. “Does she still miss me as much as I . . . I mean, we all miss her?”

“What about my little girl?” Melody lifted her tear-filled eyes. “Is she all right?”

“I guess she . . . they both were fine, but I really don’t know,” Aleu shook her head. “They were telling me something about what was going to happen . . . and they mentioned this ‘second chance’ – I guess it was about the pup coming back to life – but other than that, I don’t really know how well they were doing.” She lowered her nose to the ground. “I’m really sorry I can’t say anything else.”

She heard the others sigh deeply, sounding rather disappointed.

“I didn’t even recognize them when they were in front of me,” Aleu continued to tell them. “It was like they were shrouded in black shadows or something, but I soon remembered them.” She looked back at her daughter, still wriggling against her belly and tail. “That’s why I want her to carry on their name – so then I’ll never forget them ever again.” She nuzzled her daughter, making her whimper softly. “Also, I’m sure she’ll continue the legacy that they left behind in our world . . . and become able to do great things. That’s why I want her name to be Jadze.” Aleu could only smile, picturing the happiness that her fallen sister and niece had on their faces if they could hear this news. At least they’d be happy, she added.

The family was silent for once – the grown ones knew that they couldn’t change Aleu’s mind on the naming of the little miracle, but Shadow wasn’t sure about the name himself – Melody’s daughter Jadze spent her last moments with him, and watching the shining bullet strike her in the chest was hard enough to forget.

I can’t argue with Aleu, Shadow thought to himself. She’s far too stubborn, even after all these years. Once she makes a decision, not even I can stop her. He let out a sigh.But . . . I’m still worried about something happening to our daughter. I don’t want her to be killed like . . . like she was . . . The images of her blood spray from the wound in her chest to the moments when he watched her eyes take their last glimpse of the material world ran through his mind. I don’t want her to grow like she did. As she died, she matured . . . He tried his hardest to shake away those memories of their last conversation together all those years ago . . .

A gunshot fired with a loud BOOM, not knowing exactly who it would strike first. Of course, its target was to be a wolf, . . . but the one it would hit was a complete surprise.

The bullet pierced the gray flesh of the young she-wolf sentry suddenly, hitting her in the chest . . . almost right at the heart. She fell onto the ground as if it were slow motion. It was somewhat beautiful, yet completely heart-breaking as the wind whipped against her blood-stained fur until the moment she fell to the hard floor.

The red wolf was nearby and had heard the shot, but turning to the guards that were close to him, he saw the gray female drop. He couldn’t believe that on her first real duty she would become a target, . . . but of course, the life of a sentry was a risk worth taking. It was their job to make sure that a pack’s Alpha was safe, while at the same time, they put their lives on the line for his – or in this case, her – own protection. Sometimes they would be merely wounded; unfortunately, most of the time, it led to a one-way trip to Aniu’s eternal light.

“Jadze!” Shadow immediately ran to her side. Other guards that had seen her fall carefully hid, hoping to save themselves from being the next victim of fire. His breath was paced, seeing how helpless the young female was, but he began to drag her carefully to someplace hidden from the firing range.

My God, who would do such a thing? Shadow had tears in his eyes while he sheltered them in a small patch of bushes lining near the outside of their territorial cavern. She’s so young . . . and this is her first venture as a sentry . . . I just spoke with her only seconds ago . . .

Despite his tears, he heard a small, weak chuckle from underneath him. It was Jadze, of course; every time she moved and tried to sit up, a little more blood squeezed out from her chest wound, only intensifying when she fell again. “Well, . . . isn’t this . . . ironic, . . . huh, Shadow . . .?”

“Jadze, please don’t move,” Shadow tried to calm her down, hoping that there may still be a chance to take the bullet out. “You’re hurt.”

Jadze only chuckled again, ignoring the pain she felt in her chest. “I know . . . It . . . it hurts to . . . breathe . . .” She gasped every time she took a breath, and more and more blood trickled from her.

“Then you shouldn’t talk so much,” Shadow replied back. It was hard for him to watch her struggle, but this was his friend, as well as a niece. He hated to see someone he knew in such pain, but this was sentry duty – always a risk, a possible chance to lose the most precious part of one’s life.

The gray wolf only chuckled once more. “You know, . . . life . . . life is . . . wonderful, Shadow . . .” She tried not to cry at the pain she felt, but her breathing continued to strain the strength she had left. She knew what this pain would lead to . . . she was going to die, but she didn’t want to show it.

“Yeah,” Shadow answered, trying his hardest to keep a strong face in front of her. He knew that she would die, but he didn’t want to believe it. He looked away, keeping his focus on saving their skins from any more danger. That’s how he was – always so protective and cautious.

A couple of minutes past before the silence was broken. It was more gunfire, shooting out from the every side of their cave. Shadow had no idea whether it was safe to take her inside the cave where he could get someone to offer some help.

“Shadow?” Her voice was calm, despite the shots that they could hear behind them in the battlefield.

“Yeah?” Shadow turned back to her. He kept his voice quiet, so as not to attract any enemy fire on them.

“Be sure . . . to tell my Mom and . . .” She stopped for a second to let out a quiet set of coughs, again causing blood to leak onto the ground. It sounded like she was really in pain, as if her heart was beginning to give out. Shadow was about to speak, but she silenced him with her voice. “. . . tell my Mom . . . Dad . . . and siblings . . .” She coughed again, this time it was shorter and less severe although a bit of blood spit out from her mouth. “ . . . give them my love . . . tell them not . . . not to worry so much . . . about me dying . . .”

“Don’t say things like that, Jadze,” Shadow comforted her with licks, trying to stop the bleeding from her chest. “You’re a fighter, girl – you can make it.” The blood didn’t stop at all, only covering his muzzle and the tips of his front paws. “You’re not going to die . . . not yet.” By the way he talked to her, it was almost like a father speaking to his own daughter. He wanted to believe every word that he told her – seriously, he did – but he knew the truth.

Her elegant yet scruffy head shook slightly side to side. “Don’t hide the . . . the truth from me . . . I know . . . I know it’s near . . .” Her lips curled up for a soft smile. “I am going . . . going to die . . .”

Shadow couldn’t help but to weep at her brave divulgence, but he had pride in the courage she showed. “Yeah . . .” He replied back, still in tears.

“You know, Shadow . . . I . . . I wanted to make . . . make a difference . . . for the Clan . . .” Jadze just disregarded the fatal wound in her chest and continued to talk to him. “I wanted . . . to take on . . . everything the world had . . . had to offer . . .”

“You did,” Shadow could only respond through his tears. “You’ve done a good job.”

She only chuckled again. “Yeah, right . . .” Jadze directed Shadow’s attention to her chest. “. . . and this is my . . . my reward, huh?” The soft chuckling continued.

“No, no, no . . .” Shadow shushed her, calming her down. “That’s not it – you’ve done all you can the best way you could, and I’m proud of you.” He seriously couldn’t help but to cry. If Timbre were here, I’m sure he would say the same thing . . . he added in his mind. I know he’s always been proud of you, Jadze.

However, she didn’t want him to treat her like a child or any other young wolf in the pack. She wasn’t a baby anymore and wanted nothing more than to be able to do something important in her life. Ever since she was a pup, she was a leader – the dominant and headstrong one of the litter of six. Now that she was old enough to do the more dangerous and effective things that were a part of Clan society, Jadze knew that it was time to make the Clan she was born into proud.

However, she just hid her emotions in the form of chuckles – that was all she could do. “At least you . . . you take notice . . . Dad still treats me . . . like a newborn . . . like a naïve, little pup . . .” Shadow’s ears pricked up at these words, but said nothing as he listened to what she had to say. Suddenly, tears began to flow from her eyes. Shadow had no real idea why Jadze was crying – he was thinking the pain had finally gotten through to her, of course – but he would understand the real reason once she explained herself. “. . . Sorry, Shadow . . . but can you . . . keep a secret?”

“Of course,” he answered. “Your secret’s safe with me.” Somehow, something about this whole conversation made his fur bristle nervously. What does she trust me with? Shadow wondered. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

“Well, . . . I said something . . . to my Dad that . . . that I wish I could take back . . .” Jadze was still in silent tears, but she was still smiling somehow through the tears, as well as the pulsating pain in her chest. “. . . I told him that I hated him . . . right . . . right before I . . . I went to duty here . . .”

“Well, I’m sure he knows that you didn’t mean it,” Shadow responded. He was best friends with Jadze’s father, Timbre, so he knew the brown wolf’s personality well. Timbre was rather protective of his family – he cared so much for them, and living in this dangerous world in which there was a chance one could be killed off for no good reason and at any time by a random hunter only increased his love for his mate and pups. “He still loves you, Jadze – I know that as well as you do.”

Jadze tried to shake her head, but she could only manage to twitch instead. “No . . . I . . . I really meant it . . . at the time . . . I was angry, . . . upset at him . . . He was afraid to . . . to let me grow up . . .”

“That’s how all fathers are sometimes,” Shadow spoke from experience. “We love our children so much that . . . well, we feel like we just don’t want to let you pups go, that’s all.” His mind was filled with the thoughts of his own children. They were all so precious to him, even Thunder, his adoptive son. “My son Sheik’s a lot like you too, you know. He’s on sentry duty tonight as well.”At least, I hope he’s still okay out there, Shadow worried to himself. All three of his children were being taught how to be good sentries, but he knew that anything could happen as a guard.

“Oh, I wish . . . I could apologize . . . to him . . .” The wounded gray wept quietly. “I know I don’t . . . don’t have much time left . . . but . . .” She sighed deeply out of frustration. “. . . but at least I’ll . . . I’ll be with Aniu soon . . . I’m not afraid of it . . . I don’t have any other . . . regrets right now . . .”

Really, Shadow was admiring Jadze’s courage, even at only a year old. Every pup grew up learning about how wonderful the Great Aniu was for all wolves, and the gray female was no exception. Aniu knew what was meant to be and what the future held, and the white wolf was the being that met every lupine that followed her with open paws once they passed away, whether they were very old or even the tragically young. Young Jadze wasn’t afraid of death now that it was a sure thing for her, especially since the bleeding refused to stop and her breathing began to slow. He only wished that he had the power to save his niece – she didn’t have to have her life end this way . . . not as young as she was.

“. . . I love these trees . . .” Jadze began to look around at the beauty of nature around her. She chuckled lightly. “ . . . they were such . . . such good hiding places . . . while I trained outside . . . Tiru and I would . . . would always try to . . . scare Raize and the others . . . when we leapt out . . .” The memory of her sisters and brothers made her smile. She let out a soft sneeze as a soft flake of white landed on her nose. “ . . . Ah . . . the snow’s always nice, huh . . . Tiru always was . . . was so hard to find in . . . in the snow . . .” A few more fluttered down, surrounding her gaze and starting to cover her fur instead of melting at the instant touch of her warmth – she was beginning to get cold, almost becoming frozen.

Shadow noticed this and immediately took action. “Jadze . . . Jadze?” The snow covered more of her body, refusing to melt. He nudged her with his nose and felt how cold she was. “Hey, don’t you fade out on me, Jadze! Not yet . . . not yet!”

She continued to speak, completely ignoring Shadow’s words. “ . . . the sky . . . so dark and . . . and beautiful . . .” Jadze’s voice was quieter now, and she seemed to sound rather delirious. She was fading fast. “. . . the snow . . . and a bright light . . . it’s drawing me . . . closer . . .” Her eyes took a final glimpse of the nature around her and closed slowly. A smile came upon her face at whatever she could see and a sigh escaped her lips. “. . . it’s so . . . warm . . .” Within a matter of seconds, she was cold and still, her form was blanketed with the white snow.

“Jadze . . .?” Shadow called her again, shaking her gently. She didn’t respond at all, but that soft smile remained on her face. “Jadze? Jadze!” He continued to shake her; it was a tad more violent this time and tears dripped from his eyes, melting some of the snow on the gray female’s lifeless body. “Jadze, no! NO!”

Shadow didn’t notice that behind him a vision of a white wolf and a young gray she-wolf were silently watching him grieve over the body. The larger of the two was the ivory lupine, looking rather motherly and safe; the younger gray was unafraid and nodded to the larger wolf. In a moment, they soon made their way into the woods, disappearing into a blizzard wind of snow.

Of course, Shadow knew there was no way he could ever forget losing his brave niece in front of him. I understand your reasons, Aleu . . . He thought as he looked at his mate and his new and perfect daughter. Little Jadze was sleeping against her mother, with each of her colored eye-patch markings visible to his gaze.

The risks are far too great . . . and I just don’t want to lose another Jadze again . . .

Chapter VII

It was daylight before Aleu finally got to rest. She was tired, exhausted from the events of the overnight – her delivery of five stillborn pups, her ‘death’ and revival, and the return of one of the dead pups to her side. Aniu had kept the promise that Aleu’s fallen niece and sister as told her – the last-born daughter was given a second chance to live, and Aleu had felt necessary to name her little miracle ‘Jadze’ out of memory of those that she had met when she had last been in the cave.

Of course, most of her family instantly thought that naming a pup that would curse the newborn’s future, as well as bringing back tragic memories of the two children that were lost far too young. However, Aleu was still as stubborn as ever – she had a hunch that Aniu meant for her newest daughter to return to life, but for what, not even she knew.

Shadow stood guard at the inside opening while his mate and daughter slept. Timbre had been thoughtful enough to give him the day off to stay by Aleu’s side instead of serving on the day sentry job; of course, he offered to lead the night security team, only because it was in his blood to maintain his role as the leader of his ever-changing team of gallant wolves that defend the Clan.

He felt quite blessed to have been given such a darling little pup, but a part of him still wanted to tell his mate how he felt about naming their daughter in Jadze’s memory. He was a bit fearful for Little Jadze, and of course, that fear was natural for any father.

I want her to live, Aniu . . . Shadow prayed in his mind to the lupine goddess. I watched Melody’s daughter suffer and join you too early, . . . Balto had lost a daughter tragically as well, . . . and I don’t want my daughter to follow her namesakes at such a young age, that’s all . . .

She’s just so precious to me right now . . .

He remembered the conversation that he and Nava had once that horrific memory of Melody’s daughter left him fearful . . .

The tan elder wolf approached the red male, easily sensing trouble about his thoughts. Even after all these years, Nava still had that way about him – he always seemed to know when someone needed advice or guidance. “Shadow, may I have a word with you?”

“Oh, of course,” Shadow followed him outside of Aleu’s quarters. “What is it?”

Nava cleared his throat before speaking. He was old after all, and his voice was a little low and hoarse. “Being worried all the time will only make life harder; what’s causing you to seem so troubled, Shadow? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Shadow sighed, drooping his head. “I . . . I had a memory of when Melody’s daughter . . . when Jadze was killed . . . it haunted me, terrified me . . .”

“Ah, so that is what’s bothering you,” Nava understood. “It must have been hard to see your niece fall so suddenly like that, but these things, although tragic as they are – always happen for a reason. I know it may be hard to understand as a father, but the future is unknown to us – everyone has their own destiny to uphold, even though some may not know exactly what they are meant to do until the time arrives. Aniu is quite a mysterious deity, you know.”

“I know, but . . . I’m just . . . I just don’t want . . .” Shadow stumbled on his words, unable to figure out how to begin exactly what he wanted to say.

“If the name ‘Jadze’ is bothering you, you should tell Aleu your feelings, Shadow,” Nava concluded from his observations. “It’ll only continue to worry you as long as you keep it inside.”

“That’s the problem,” Shadow sighed. “I don’t know how to break it to her that I don’t approve of naming our daughter after her.” His head drooped. “I . . . I don’t want her to think that I’m against her too . . .”

“If she really loves you, then I’m sure she’ll understand the way you feel,” the elder wolf shaman replied as he began to walk away.

“But when? When can I tell her?” Shadow asked, his expression easily showed how frantic he was. “How will I know when the right time is?”

“Ah, the right time will come,” Nava left his parting words to the new father as he hobbled back down to his shelf den below where they stood. “You’ll know when the right time is, Shadow. You’ll just know.”

The right time . . . Shadow let out a deeper sigh, shutting his eyes a bit. When is the right time?

When is it, Aniu . . .?

“Shadow?”

The gruff voice of Balto made the red wolf gasp suddenly. “Oh, it’s just you, Balto.” Shadow sighed, relieved by his father-in-law’s presence. “You should be resting after such a long night.”

“I’d say the same thing to you, Shadow; your eyes are already drooping from a lack of sleep,” The hybrid chuckled lightly, but his expression turned to one of worry. “So, how is she? Are they both all right?”

“Aleu’s sleeping right now – she’s been asleep since daybreak,” the proud father told him. She deserves the rest after what she’s been through.”

“What about Little Jadze?” Balto seemed to murmur the name as he said it. The family had agreed to call her ‘Little Jadze’ for now, so that in future conversations they wouldn’t confuse Aleu’s new daughter to the other two they had lost. Of course, the problem of what to call her once she grew up would be something for them to think about later – the thought of ‘Jadze III’ was common, but out of the question.

“Well, from what I’ve seen, she’s doing just fine,” Shadow looked back to where Aleu slept. The tiny beige pup was hidden carefully under her mother’s tail, sleeping serenely. Her eye-patch markings of red and gray-brown were as clear and distinct as day. “It really is a miracle that she was brought back to life.”

“I wouldn’t have believed it unless I had seen it,” Balto managed to smile at that thought. “That goes for both Little Jadze and Aleu.” His smile began to turn straight. “What about you? How are you holding up, Shadow?”

Shadow sighed loudly. “I’m not sure about all of this. I mean, I’m glad to have a new child and all, but . . . but I’m just worried about Aleu. I was so afraid that I had lost her this time . . . and I blame myself . . .”

“But you don’t seem to show it,” Balto commented, much to Shadow’s own surprise. “You’re too proud to show some of your true emotions, not like me. If something happens to my family, it just tears me up inside. However, I understand how much Aleu means to you – it’s just like how Jenna means so much to me.”

Shadow smiled. “Yeah, but you know how it is as a wolf out here in the wild. Most wolves aren’t as lucky as Aleu, myself, or even as your other daughter, Saba. Humans have this fear of our species, and hunters are relentless in trying to destroy our way of life. Wolves will unfortunately have to give up their lives for their causes, for their Alphas, for what they feel is meant to happen.” His head dropped towards the ground, his expression was now one of sorrow. “We’ve lost many friends, relatives . . .” Tears dripped down from his eyes.

“You’re just afraid for Little Jadze, aren’t you?” Balto concluded.

Shadow nodded. “I am. I want to protect her, but I know that she has her own free will once she starts to walk and all. I just . . . I just don’t want her to get hurt . . . I don’t want to lose her. Not like your daughter and granddaughter were at their young age.”

“I understand,” Balto sighed himself. He realized that this was going to be a common source of conversation from now on. “but it’s just the risk that we all have to take. Take Aleu, for example. I was afraid of her knowing about her wolf heritage at a young age, but it seems that Aniu had other plans for her once she was ready.” He looked at his sleeping daughter and granddaughter with a smile. “I never would have predicted that years later she would have led the largest wolf pack in all of Alaska and had such courage and strength.”

“Well, she does get that from you,” Shadow noted with a chuckle. “As well as her stubbornness and headstrong attitude.”

Maybe that’s why you two became mates – you’re both so much alike and you probably don’t realize it, Balto commented to himself, but on the outside, he only grinned. “Perhaps you should go rest now. You need to enjoy the rest before Little Jadze starts walking all over you.” Balto let out a chuckle at the thought.

Shadow dipped his head with a soft smile. “You’re right, Balto. Thanks.” He stood up to enter back into the room but turned back to the hybrid. “What about you and Jenna? Are you heading back home now?”

“Well, we’ll probably stay until the afternoon at the latest,” Balto replied. “Jenna’s resting in Melody’s den right now, so when she wakes up, it depends. I think Saba wants Aleu to be present for the memorial for the others, so I guess after that we’ll start on our way back to Nome.”

“You still have two young pups in Nome, right?” Shadow asked.

“They’re not really pups anymore, actually,” Balto let out a light chuckle at the thought of the gray male Likea and his red sister Sheae, his most-recent litter. He usually liked to consider his children as pups, even if they were old enough to take care of themselves at a couple of years old, but the half-wolf was smitten for puppies and young maturing canines. “Jen still watches over them, but they’re old enough to fend for themselves. Besides, the humans of Nome feed them, so if we’re gone for too long, I trust that they’ll be fine. My other children can watch them whenever they aren’t too busy with their own lives.”

He sighed after that – Kodi had Dusty and his litter of six with her, but they seemed far too busy with their duty of pulling sleds nowadays,; Blaize had recently found a mate of his own, a golden-haired female husky named Astarre, as well as being elected as the new Keeper of the Law for the town of Nome,; and all the rest of his children were either out exploring their wolf heritage in the wilderness or unfortunately dead. They’re all I have left now, he thought sadly. I have to enjoy them while I’m still able to. I’m getting older . . . and I don’t know how much longer Aniu plans for me to live . . .

“That is true,” the red wolf responded. “I guess they’re more used to the tame world right now, huh?”

Balto nodded. “They prefer the comforts of home right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one . . . or both of them chose to follow the wolf lifestyle by now.” He knew that Shadow had seen them only once before while Aleu was still Alpha, but they had grown over the many months since then. “Both Dash and Melody were like that before they chose to join the Clan . . . It seems like my children somehow have this binding connection to the Talbourne.” And to my mother as well, he added in his mind as he sighed aloud. This must be what she wants for the future of her Clan – her bloodline continued through my children and grandchildren in the Talbourne.

“Well, I’m going to rest now – I don’t want you to worry anymore,” Shadow smiled, relieving his father-in-law. “I suggest that you should get some rest too. It’s been a long night, and both of you have a long journey home.”

Balto let out a yawn, as did Shadow, and they parted ways.

The red wolf looked at the sleeping forms of his mate and daughter as he quietly approached them with a slight grin. They are both beautiful, Shadow commented as he laid himself down beside Aleu. I love them so much . . . He yawned again, lowered his head, and went to sleep.

He was in an unfamiliar place . . . a cavern? It was dark and dank, causing Shadow to shudder slightly because of the cold, chilled air around him. He was moving further inside, but why – he didn’t know. He couldn’t make his legs stop at all, almost as if he was being controlled, taking him closer to the darkness.

What is this place? Shadow wondered, looking around for something or someone that was even recognizable to him. Where am I exactly? Where’s Aleu and my daughter? Where is anything?

“Shadow?” A feminine voice called out to him.

His ears pricked up. Shadow knew that voice as clear as day . . . but it was impossible!No . . . no, it couldn’t be her – she’s dead . . . I saw her die . . .

“Shadow, it’s me,” the voice approached him, stepping out of the shadows. She revealed herself as a gray she-wolf, one with beautiful eyes of gold and gray-blue. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just me . . .”

“J . . . Jadze?” Shadow finally was able to murmur out the she-wolf’s name, still in disbelief by what his eyes were seeing. “How are you . . . Why are you . . .”

“Shadow, I know how you feel about your daughter’s name . . . you know, she is named after me,” She spoke to him, smiling warmly as a comforting blue aura surrounded the outline of her fur. “You’re afraid to let her bear that name, and Aniu senses that it troubles you.”

The red wolf’s ears fell in shame. “I am afraid. I just don’t want her to die so young like you did . . . or like Balto’s other daughter.” Shadow lowered himself to the ground, using his front paws to cover his eyes. “I’ve been remembering what happened to you when you . . . you . . .” He began to weep a bit, both out of sadness of the memory and of the fact that Jadze was even in his presence at all.

“Oh, Shadow . . . don’t worry about me – I’m fine now,” Jadze comforted him, licking his cheek. “Besides, I feel that it’s an honor for her to have such a fine name. It’s the name of a couple of true heroines that gave their lives for what they loved the most.”

“I know, but . . .” Shadow began to speak through his tears, but Jadze interrupted him.

“Shadow, life is about taking risks and living to the fullest. My life, although short, was filled with risks and I managed to discover what I was meant to do.” Shadow lifted his head at this, curious to know what she meant. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll be here. I always wanted to lead when I was alive, and now I can lead and guide you.”

Shadow was able to smile, despite a little sniffle. “Thanks. I just hope I won’t fail her, that’s all.”

“Remember what you told me when I was dying?” Jadze reminded him. “Fathers love their children so much that they are afraid to let go. Being a parent is never easy – I could tell from what I’ve observed from other parents since I’ve been here – but that’s all a part of life. Right now, your daughter will need your guidance and protection, but remember that you won’t be able to protect her forever.”

“Even my other children have their own lives to live,” Shadow told her. “But ever since your death, I’ve been afraid to let them out of my sights.” He sighed, realizing that Jadze’s words to him were right. “Maybe I should let them grow from experience. What will happen must be meant to happen, right?”

Jadze nodded. “I know it’s scary to think of what could happen to them, but they have a duty to uphold to their Clan.” She paused with her eyes closed, remembering her last days on Earth. “I knew I wanted to be a sentry because I felt that my heart belonged to the Talbourne Clan, and I knew that protecting Aleu was more important than anything else. I understood the risks of this job, but I had thought at the time that my father didn’t understand how this made me feel.”

“Timbre definitely knew the risks – he’s been a sentry many times himself. He just didn’t want anything to happen to you, but of course that wasn’t meant to be,” Shadow told his niece. Of course, he chose not to mention the fact that he was almost lost during the clash with the Uniea Clan, probably because she had already witnessed it from the afterlife. “I myself have been shot down during my duty . . . several times actually, so I know how rough it can be.”

The gray she-wolf chuckled. “Oh, you’re always so serious, Shadow. Lighten up for once, okay? Take time to spend some quality time with your family – you’ll never know when you’ll spend your last moments with them in this dangerous world we live in.”

Shadow sighed. “You’re right. Maybe I should . . .” He smiled back at the she-wolf. “Thanks for the advice, Jadze.” They nuzzled each other in a friendly manner. “You really did mature during those last moments.”

“No problem, Shadow,” Jadze chuckled again. “I’ll always be here to help. Just call and think of me when you begin to dream, and by Aniu’s grace, I should be able to come to you.” She lowered her head and began to walk back into the darkness. “Farewell, Shadow. Until we meet again . . .”

“Goodbye, . . . Jadze . . .” Shadow’s voice echoed down the cavern as the female disappeared, fading into the deep darkness.

By the time he woke up, it was past mid-day. Shadow still couldn’t believe that he saw what he saw in his dream . . . Was that really her? Did I really see Jadze? He knew that no one else would believe it if he told them. But I know what I saw, Shadow closed his eyes, remembering the she-wolf glimmering with that bluish sheen of the spirits. I saw her in front of me . . . and she said it was okay . . .

He was even more relieved when he turned beside him. Aleu and Little Jadze were still asleep beside his red fur, which made Shadow smile. Good – they’re still safe, he breathed a soft sigh of relief, but it tickled the light gray-brown muzzle of his mate.

Aleu let out a soft moan, fluttering her eyelids and looking at her mate. “Oh . . . good morning, Shadow.”

“Actually, it’s more afternoon now,” Shadow chuckled, nuzzling Aleu sweetly on the nose. “How are you feeling?”

“Well-rested after that long sleep,” Aleu responded. “This little tiger’s a little rough when it comes to nursing, but she’s a perfect little angel when she sleeps.” She nuzzled Little Jadze awake, causing her to whimper for her mother.

“I guess things couldn’t be better now, right?” Shadow asked, touching his daughter gently with his own wet nose. “After Little Jadze is old enough to be weaned, are you thinking about another litter?”

Aleu’s ears pricked up at the query. Oh no,she thought. Shadow will be so upset if I tell him the truth about the deal with Aniu . . . Oh, what should I do? Her ears fell, mainly in fear, but also in disappointment.

“Aleu?” Shadow called her name, snapping her back from her thoughts. “Are you all right?”

Aleu shook her head with a glum look on her face. I have to tell him . . . I have to tell him the truth . . . “No, Shadow . . . I’ve got something to tell you.”

“What? What is it, Aleu?” Shadow asked, sitting up beside Aleu, who also sat up as well.

“You must swear to not tell anyone else about this, okay?” Aleu asked. “I don’t want to worry everyone with my affairs.”

“I promise,” Shadow nodded. “This must be serious business.”

“It is,” Aleu began her tale in a soft tone. “When I was . . . well, dead, Aniu told me about the fact that I have actually died several times . . . and if I returned back to life . . . one more time, I . . . I . . .” She tried not to cry, but the tears couldn’t help but fall from her eyes. “I can’t be brought back next time . . .”

Shadow gasped, his eyes widened in complete shock. “No . . . Oh my God . . . Aleu . . .”

“I’ll . . . I’ll actually . . . die . . .” Aleu murmured amidst her tears. Those words were hard for the quarter-wolf to even admit to herself. The thought of even leaving my mate, children, friends and family behind . . . It just scares me . . . She thought. Although she knew that one day it would come, Aleu wasn’t sure if or when she could actually go through with it. Aniu had restored her life so many times, returning her from the point of near-death . . . the thought had her afraid for how the rest of her time on Earth would be.

“Oh . . . oh, Aleu . . . Shh-shh-shh . . .” His ears fell as he licked away her tears with his tongue. “Now you really must be careful. Thank Aniu you’re no longer Alpha . . . this would only make me even more worried about your safety.” He brushed his muzzle against hers. “Now, I’ll make sure that you’re protected at all times. I won’t let you out of my sight, Aleu . . . I promise.”

I knew that would happen, Aleu sighed lightly under her breath with a hint of frustration. Shadow was always very protective of her, even when she was Alpha. I know he means well . . . he loves me, that’s all . . . and he just doesn’t want anything to happen to me, especially since I won’t be able to come back . . .

“No, I don’t need any extra protection, Shadow!” The quarter-wolf’s stubbornness kicked in with a growl. She paused to catch her breath and stepped back, but before Shadow could reply back, Aleu only spoke her mind. “Shadow, listen to me. I know you mean well, but I can watch my own back . . . even if I am your mate. Just because I’m not the Alpha of the Talbourne anymore doesn’t mean that I’m some fragile creature that always has to be protected!”

“I know that,” Shadow retorted, but his tone returned to calm as he moved closer to her. “but . . . but I just don’t want to lose you, Aleu. You mean so much to me, and I always want to protect you, even if you’re not the Alpha anymore. You’re still my mate, and I love you too much to have something happen to you. It’s my duty as a mate . . .” He leaned his nose towards hers for a kind gesture, but Aleu moved her muzzle away with a forlorn frown.

“Well, there is more to what Aniu told me,” Aleu continued, knowing that things weren’t going to get any easier. “In order to restore my life, I made a deal with her . . . I . . . I had to give up bearing pups.” Now her tears transformed into twin waterfalls once she paused, leaning up against Shadow’s red neck. “I’m so sorry, Shadow . . . but it was Aniu’s will . . . It was the only way I could come back . . .” She sniffled. “. . . so that means . . . Little Jadze is . . .”

Shadow was stung silent as tears dripped down his face as well. He couldn’t believe those words either, but if it was Aniu’s will, Shadow knew he had to accept it. “She’s our . . . our last . . .” He only returned the gesture, comforting Aleu with his gentle touch. “ . . . shh-shh . . . Don’t cry, Aleu . . .” He tried to be strong in front of her, but now he realized that somehow . . . his vision was right.

“ . . . I feel that it’s an honor for her to have such a fine name . . .”

You’re right, Jadze, Shadow thought, slightly grinning amidst his tears of what he had just learned. He looked at the tiny newborn suckling on one of Aleu’s teats near her hind legs, gently using her jaws to squeeze milk into her mouth. His grin was now a smile. It is an honor . . . She is a special little miracle . . . that deserves a name that will suit her . . .

“But . . . we’ll make it through, won’t we?” Aleu sniffled after a few minutes. She and Shadow parted from their embrace, staring into each other’s eyes. “I know it won’t be easy for us . . . but now, we’ll be . . . just like everyone else . . .”

“It’s okay,” Shadow looked at her with sparkling eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you . . . or to Little Jadze . . .” He chuckled a bit, much to Aleu’s surprise. This is it – this must be the right time to tell her how I feel now . . . he thought. “You know, I kinda like the name ‘Jadze’ for our daughter.”

“Oh, you do?” Aleu gasped in slight delight. “You mean, . . . are you sure it doesn’t bother you? I mean, you were there when Melody’s daughter . . .”

Shadow nodded, still smiling. “Yeah, I know. Jadze died by my side, but I know that she’s okay . . . and she . . . she’s glad to know that our daughter is blessed with this name. She even said it was an honor . . .”

Aleu didn’t even need to ask him to explain himself. Aniu . . . she thought to herself with a slight grin.

“At first, I wanted to go against it . . . just like Timbre, Melody and the others were when you suggested the name,” Shadow continued. “My thoughts reminded me of Jadze’s last minutes alive . . . and what she told me . . . Those words and her death . . . they troubled me deeply, and I . . . I was afraid that the future would be repeated . . .”

“I understand, Shadow,” Aleu fell back onto the ground to her newborn pup, but rubbed her nose into his neck, down to his chest and ending halfway to his flank. “Her death was . . . so sudden, so unexpected . . . and she was so young, too young to be killed . . . It touched us all when it happened.”

“When I talked to her . . . in my dreams,” Shadow quietly wept as he continued to talk. “Jadze reminded me of the risks that we all take in life. Life is nothing more than risk, and if something is meant to happen in a certain way, then that is the way Aniu means it to be.” His lips were still smiling as he suddenly chuckled lightly. “I think that we’ll just take these cards that Aniu has dealt us and just live the rest of our lives to the fullest . . . We don’t know when our lives will end, so each moment should be like our last . . . That’s the way Jadze would have wanted.”

Aleu took a soft breath and nodded, looking up at him after gently grooming Little Jadze with her tongue. “Yes . . . let’s do that.” She smiled. “Now that I’ve been blessed with a beautiful daughter, a loving mate, and a final chance to enjoy my family . . .” Their two noses touched sweetly, tip-to-tip, causing them both to smile.

I feel like my life has started all over again . . .

Chapter VIII

The sun was warming the fur of the wolves outside that afternoon. The mood was somber and quiet now as Aleu sat by her mate and her parents; they looked out at the flowing river in front of them with drips of tears in their eyes. There wasn’t very many wolves present for this event; it was just close family, relatives and friends of the family, with exception of Saba’s younger pups and Aleu’s Little Jadze – they were being cared for in the nursery with a she-wolf until the memorial had ended. Dash, Melody and their mates and children were present – their remaining children were at least a few years old now, and unfortunately, thanks to fallen siblings and bloody battles fought within their short lives thus far, they knew a lot about death.

The white form of the Alpha stood over them from the shoreline where all could see her with Everest’s red and white form seated behind her; this was Saba’s first time doing a memorial for stillborn pups – actually, not even Aleu had ever done such a funeral before since their lives were usually plagued with violent attacks and the deaths of those sworn to protect their Alpha back then; all pup-bearing females usually had all of their pups to survive also, so the fact that Aleu, the former Alpha, bore four that were already dead when born made some wolves wonder what Aniu was up to with one pup out of five being revived. Saba’s face was calm and serene as he began to address her Clan, not exactly knowing what to say, but in her heart, she knew that these were her nieces and nephews that the Clan would never know.

She also knew that they were still Clan-born, and they deserved a proper burial as such; her eulogy was elegant, probably no one would have ever guessed that it was completely made up as she spoke it.

“My brothers and sisters, friends and family, we gather here today, not to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety, but to remember how lucky we truly are to be alive. The Great Aniu grants us life, and yet sometimes life is not meant to be, as it was early this morning for these young ones.” Her slowly-turning muzzle led everyone’s gaze to the four lifeless bodies of the pups near where Aleu’s three grown children stood respectfully on the other side of the river by their side, across from Saba’s position. Jenna began to weep quietly, causing Balto to comfort her with his nose. “We do not know whether their destinies would have been different if things were under different circumstances, but alas, all things in our lives happen for a reason – these pups, although young, sacrificed their lives as part of a bigger plan . . . which is something we do not understand at the present time.

“However, we should not just mourn for these innocent pups destined not to live among us, but be glad to know that they are forever with Aniu, surrounded by her warmth and grace. They are safe in her presence, free from this dangerous world in which we risk our lives just to survive day after day. Someday when we all join Aniu in the next world, we will meet them again . . . take joy in knowing that we shall see these little ones once more.” Saba paused, gesturing with her muzzle. “Let us pray.”

Every wolf, dog and hybrid present followed suit, lowering their noses towards the ground as Saba gave a prayer.

“O Great Aniu, you are the giver and taker of our lives. Bless your Clan this day as we remember and mourn for these innocent young that were not meant for this world. Give us the strength and comfort to carry on from this tragedy, for their arrival into our world has equally touched us all with grief. Please bless the family of Aleu and Shadow as they accept this fate, but allow them to be strong as they raise the single life that you have returned to them.”

A single tear slid down Aleu’s face as she listened to the prayer; instinctively Shadow heard her sniffle and nuzzled her with closed eyes and a caring heart. He didn’t need to see the sorrow on his mate’s face – he felt that same sadness as well.

“Now, I ask nothing more than the wisdom to make the right decisions for your Clan and your divine blessings to protect those wolves that are here today. Thank you for everything that you have given the Talbourne Clan, and may we all continue to be protected by your grace and mercy forever.”

Her prayer ended and they all lifted their heads for the burial. Saba bravely tried not to cry as she began to recite the names that Aleu had ended up giving to the pups that were born dead. “Alexa . . .”

Sheik used his mouth to carefully grab the first-born pup, the red female with the white eye marks, placed it into the river and let it go downstream.

“Poppy . . .” Saba murmured as Lima did the same to the second pup, another female one that was more brownish-orange against the sun’s rays than red. “Knoll . . .” Thunder’s turn – he took the body of his brown-gray brother and released it into the water’s current. “Galide . . .” Shadow left Aleu’s side to cross the river himself to bury the last pup, the gray male. He had tears in his eyes as his jaws opened and allowed the pup’s tiny form to fade away into the depths of the river.

“May Aniu guide thee home . . .” The Alpha let out a howl, ending her prayer. The parents – Aleu and Shadow – felt moved enough to join her, as did the others. For that one moment, they were as one, remembering the young pups that Aniu spared from the harshness of their cruel world. The howling lasted less than a minute and the memorial was over.

After Saba lowered her head in a silent yet final prayer to those taken into the clutches of the river, she rose to meet with the rest of her family and friends – they needed her to help comfort their sorrow of Aleu’s difficult delivery, and none of them had ever had such a tragedy to happen before.

This is so horrible, Aniu, Saba thought as she saw her family crying and weeping after the funeral. Why did this happen? Was it truly necessary for all of them to die just so one could live?

The white wolf spirit did not answer – Aniu was silent this day, leaving the Alpha to ponder alone the absence of Aniu’s wisdom and the meaning of this sudden family tragedy.

Perhaps she is in mourning too, Saba predicted as she comforted Aleu through her tears. They too are her descendants, just as Aleu and I are, thanks to Dad. I guess it’s only natural for her to want to be silent to me today. She sniffled and felt the nuzzles of her family beside her as they all remembered the young pups that would never grow up within their Clan before finally returning back inside minutes later – they couldn’t risk staying outside of the cave for too long, even during these sudden times of peace.

But as with all things, life continues to go on . . .

It was dark, and there were stormy gray clouds everywhere above where she looked. The brown-gray she-wolf was standing on a cliff, overlooking the forest outside of their territory, right near the large cave that the Talbourne inhabited. Things looked nice and normal only moments ago, but the blue skies quickly changed to gray clouds signaling an upcoming storm. The sun was hidden by the darkness, but a sudden form of a blood-red moon replaced it, brightening the dark and eerie mood of her surroundings. She could hear a evil cackling resound from the heavens, one that was quite familiar in her pricked up ears . . . but it was impossible . . .

No . . . Oh no . . . It can’t be . . .

Shade?

Aleu panted rapidly as she tried to run away from the darkness, knowing what Shade was capable of doing. Shade was a creature that was selfish and cruel, wanting nothing more than for everyone to bow down and worship him instead of Aniu. She knew something about him that not many other wolves knew – Shade was actually Aniu’s son, an evil child that eventually committed the first act of murder in wolf history by killing his own mother eons ago when the world was still new and wolves were the rulers of the animal kingdom. Guided only by his own power of hatred, evil and greed, Shade had many wolves to join his side until he was able to send all of Aniu’s faithful followers to the island of Ill’aenna, imprisoning them in seclusion forever. However, the Talbourne defeated Shade himself and he ended up burning eternally in Hell for his ultimate crime of murder; yet, he had succeeded in his main mission by keeping his mother’s Clan separated from the rest of the world so that his message of evil and power could continue to be taught to the remainder of the wolves that chose to follow him.

This was only the beginning of Aniu’s master plan to free her Clan, despite the loss of many lupines for the cause . . . and soon, Aleu’s destiny was to be the one to save them at last . . .

I thought Aniu used Saba to destroy him for good . . . He should be dead! She thought as she felt her heart pound as she hid in a mountain cavern. Aleu had fought him several times throughout her life, both mentally and physically . . . she had even sacrificed her own life in order to destroy his, and still, just like the legendary Phoenix, he continued to rise from the ashes and return to life, creating complete havoc for the many Clans of wolves around Alaska by using his manipulative words to cloud the hearts of vengeful wolves and canines in order to act on his own plans of revenge against the Talbourne or any others who served Aniu. As a spirit, Shade could, unfortunately, change his appearance to suit his current liking, usually becoming either his traditional lupine form or as something else . . . The last time Aleu fought him, Shade was not on four legs – he returned as a human . . . and the ultimate cost to the Clan was severe. Many wolves fell to their deaths with honor because of his vicious attacks with guns and other fast-shooting weapons, but not even she as the Alpha of the Talbourne could stop him.

She knew that if Shade was to appear, she should at least try to fight him once more . . . No, I can’t . . . Oh, I can’t move . . . but Aleu was completely immobilized by her fear. If he kills me, . . . I . . . I’ll die . . . permanently . . .

Damn it, . . . I can’t do anything . . .

Bravely, Aleu was able to peek from her hiding place, looking out at the cliff that was now lined with wolves all of a sudden . . . She managed to gasp in shock – her family and friends that were somehow defending her . . . Wait a minute, why are they risking their lives to protect me? I’m no longer the Alpha . . . Saba is! I don’t understand . . .

Shade’s burned flesh appeared before them from a cloak of mysterious dark mist, standing at the cliff’s edge that she had only stood moments ago. One who had never seen the dark wolf before would only wished that they had stuck to hearing the stories, mainly because just the sight of him would make one shiver in total fear and smelling him would make anyone throw up. Compared to the majestically perfect ivory form of Aniu, Shade was her exact opposite. He was once a black wolf, but his fur was mostly burned off by fire, leaving only the rotting flesh of pale skin that remained. His skin – well, what was left of it – was crawling with white maggots, and his eyes emanated nothing but evil, shining with a bright blood-red. His scent was so wretched and putrid, that Aleu tried to plug her nose, but it was to no avail – the stench was far too strong.

However, the group of fighters seemed to ignore the scent. They lowered themselves in a defensive position and growled with their claws out, ready to attack, but Aleu couldn’t believe that Shade would even have a chance against them, most especially because one of them standing in front of him was the same one that had destroyed him the last time before – Saba, Aleu’s successor to the title of Alpha of the Talbourne.

No . . . NO!

Her eyes were wide at what she saw – the reddish form of Shadow, as well as the now-white form of her sister Saba, was completely engulfed by the darkness of Shade. They were vaporized by the dark energy that filled the air, leaving nothing but battered pieces of what was once her mate and her Alpha.

My God . . . Just the sight of what remained of Shadow and Saba made Aleu vomit and want to turn away. Why is this happening? O Aniu, where are you?

Just when she said that, a glow filled the area where her defenders were all falling and disappearing into oblivion.  She caught a glimpse of more of them as Shade’s howl blasted around them. As each one fell, Aleu shed a tear for each one, recognizing them by name as she did so.

Melody . . . Dash . . . Timbre . . . Everest . . . no, not . . . not the kids! She saw the red, gray and brown forms of her older children disappear into nothingness. Lima . . . Sheik . . . Thunder . . . No, no . . . Nooo! Aleu collapsed amidst her tears at the sight. There was nothing left for her to do . . . everyone she trusted and loved was gone from her sight and killed.

How can the Talbourne survive now? Without a leader, we are doomed . . . and Shade will be able to finish his plan, by killing me for good . . . She cried to herself as she felt Shade’s horrid presence begin to close in on her. She shut her eyes, waiting for death to welcome her, but a wolf’s howl began to clear her senses. What the –? That howl . . . The sound was piercing, almost unreal to the ears if one was able to hear it for themselves. Opening her eyes, she saw nothing but a bright blue aura in front of her, protecting her from Shade!

Who . . . who is that? Aleu wondered about the aura. It was a wolf, no doubt about it, but the glowing was so intensely bright that she couldn’t make out who the wolf was. It felt like the radiance was so warm against her own coat . . . it completely engulfed her body, causing her eyelids to fall as if she were merely preparing for a deep sleep . . . all feelings seemed to disappear into the brilliant light as the she-wolf had a final thought on the lupine’s identity . . . Could it possibly be . . .

Is it actually . . . Aniu?

Aleu gasped herself awake, eyes opened widely. She rapidly tried to catch her breath from what she had just seen in her dream. How . . . horrible . . . Flashes of Shade’s destruction onto her family and friends appeared in her mind. It seemed too real . . . far too real . . . She could still catch a whiff of the demon lord’s scent lightly in the air, making her nearly throw up again.

Oh God, . . . was he here? She tried not to vomit, but Aleu couldn’t hold it in much longer, releasing it from her mouth with a cough, nearly gagging on the thought. She had the sudden case of the chills, sensing the whiff of evil scent looming around her for a moment until it suddenly evaporated into the air.

He was here . . . I know it . . . She let out a slight whine of fear, knowing that somehow he had managed to get into her mind that night. But why? Why would anyone show me this? I’m not the Alpha anymore – I should no longer be the target, . . . right?

But this wasn’t the only thing from her vision that bothered her.

But that wolf in the blue glow . . . was that really Aniu or . . . was it someone else? She tried to imagine anyone she knew that had a howl like that. It wasn’t me, I’m sure of that . . . Likea and Sheae are too young to even know about how to howl appropriately, or even how to survive out here so they’re out of the picture . . . Again, more names entered her head of those that she didn’t see die in her vision. Well, there’s also Sunny, Tram and Rife . . . but they’re still far too young themselves . . . What about the rest of my nieces – Dash and Melody’s remaining children? She shook her head at the thought. No, they’re old enough, but to be able to control the force of Aniu’s being like that . . . it would be impossible for any of them to handle . . .

She knew what it took to harness the power of Aniu – One must be deeply bound to Aniu in order to handle the strength she possesses . . . Aniu usually is the one that appoints such a fate, so I don’t know much else . . . Besides, the only ones I know of for sure that could even do anything with her guiding them is myself and Saba . . . She remembered . . . well, she didn’t actually remember it – she was dead at the time that it happened – but Saba’s new form was being used by Aniu and Aleu was brought back the eternal coldness of death after Shade nearly had her staring death in the face. By the time Saba defeated the hellish beast, Aleu was already dead, thus Aniu’s powers came of good use.

But whatever that was, I just hope that never happens . . . Aleu lowered her head back down to her front legs and sighed to lower her eyelids once more in relief, praying that she wouldn’t have to witness that in real life.

“Mom? Are you okay?” A small feminine voice asked her, causing her to open her eyes and see the source of the query. “I hope you’re not getting sick today, Mom, or else Dad’ll make sure I stay here with you all day today.”

It was a young she-pup, at least two months old based on her height and appearance. Her light beige-white coat shone brightly, easily letting her two eye-patch markings of gray-brown and red stand out against her blue and gold eyes. She was light on her large paws, and her tail swished eagerly.

“Hey, Mom? What’s up with you this morning? Are you all right?” She shook Aleu’s neck with her paws until the older female finally responded back.

“Oh . . . um, I’m fine, Little Jadze,” Aleu answered with a smile, giving her daughter a little lick on the cheek. “You know you don’t have to worry about me so much.”

“But Daddy says I have to,” the pup retorted back. “He’s always so protective of you, so he wants me to protect you too.”

It must be one of those things that only a father can teach their daughter, I suppose, Aleu smiled at the thought. She certainly is her father’s child . . .She let out a soft sigh. “Hmm, speaking of your father, where is he?” Aleu asked. “Have you seen him?”

“Oh yeah, I did. He left about an hour ago for the security team while you were still asleep,” her beige daughter answered back in a polite manner. “I asked him if I could go with him to see what he does, but he said no. He said that I had to be with you when you woke up since he couldn’t.” Her tone easily reflected how disappointed she was at that fact.

Yep, that’s Shadow, all right, Aleu thought with a caring smile. Always so protective of all of us.“You’re still too young to be with your father yet – you’re still a pup.”

“Ohh, Mom . . . I’m only two months old – I’m not a baby anymore!” Little Jadze huffed with a whine, much to Aleu’s own amusement.

“I know, I know, but you’re still not old enough to do what your father does yet. Maybe in a few more months,” Aleu smiled, reminiscing on how much her daughter reminded her of herself at that age. It was good to think of something positive after that horrific vision from just moments ago. “Now stay still, darling – it’s time for your bath.” She lifted her child by the scruff of her shoulders and placed her into where her front legs were waiting for her.

“Ah, hey! Mom! Moooom!” Little Jadze groaned rather loudly between the licks of her mother’s tongue against her fur. “I don’t want a bath! I know that Sunny’s waiting for me and I can’t be late!”

“Oh, where are you two off to today?” Aleu asked. She knew that Saba and Everest liked the fact that their three children now had a playmate, but since Sunny, Tram and Rife were a few months older than her daughter, Aleu knew they were bound to play roughly. But it was nice to know that Little Jadze had someone around her own age to play with. After all, the little beige pup could learn a thing or two about fighting from them – although the trio of pups were born in the tame world, they did not have enough time to get used to the presence of humans.

“It’s . . . it’s nowhere special, really . . .” The cream-beige she-pup responded innocently with a tricky grin on her face, despite the gentle strokes of wet tongue on her chest.

“Hmm, . . . well, hopefully it’s not somewhere you’re not supposed to be.” Aleu did know that her little girl could be rather troublesome at times, and she loved to take Saba and Everest’s pups on the ride. “I know how you like to run off and get into trouble.”

“Not all the time,” Little Jadze let out a small comment under her breath, but slightly hesitated with the rest of her response after hearing her mother’s tone bearing down on her guilty conscience. “Besides, we’re . . . um, we’re just going to explore the top shelf, Mom,” the pup answered, having no choice but to give into the dread of having a bath. “I promise, we’re not going anywhere else.”

“Well, I guess that’s all right,” Aleu said after touching up her daughter’s tiny tuft of fur between her large ears. “Just be careful when you play. Your father and I don’t want you hurting yourself by rough-housing or getting into trouble.”

“Oh, it’s all right – I’m just curious about where they live on the top shelf, so I won’t be reckless like Sunny’s brothers are,” Little Jadze’s head began to tilt to one side as she suddenly posed a question to her mother. “Oh, I don’t understand it . . .They live up there, and we’re always down here near the bottom – why is that so, Mama?”

Aleu’s eyelids lowered. “Well, for one thing, their mother, your aunt Saba, is the Alpha of the pack – she has to be protected, so her family lives up there so that nothing happens to them.”

“Well, that’s not fair,” Little Jadze whined. “They get to be protected while the rest of us are all in danger – shouldn’t we all be protected from trouble, Mama?”

“We are protected, little one,” Aleu smiled at her curious daughter. “You remember how I told you about the Great Aniu?” Little Jadze nodded. “Well, she protects us from harm and makes sure that everyone that believes in her power stays safe. She even performs miracles – I was brought back to life, thanks to her . . . and how else would I have had you?”

The pup’s ears fell in shame. She was old enough to learn about the circumstances of her birth weeks ago and many still considered her as either a miracle or a curse upon their Clan. “I’m sorry, Mom . . . I just . . . I . . . I . . .”

Aleu nudged her daughter, comforting her. “Oh, I understand. You’re just young right now, but in a few months you’ll understand why things are the way they are here.” Little Jadze stood up after enduring her bath and giggled as her mother nudged her in the flank. “Now, I do believe you have a play-date, yes?”

“Yeah!” the little pup leapt up and down in excitement. “Will you take me there, Mama? Please?” Little Jadze begged.

“Oh, why not,” Aleu agreed, much to her daughter’s happiness. “Besides, I have to speak with Saba about something, so we can do that while the two of you explore.”

“Okay – let’s go!” the bright beige pup scampered out of the den and yipped, waiting for Aleu to follow her lead.

“Don’t run off too far ahead, little one,” Aleu barked as she slowly made her way out of the den. “I don’t want you to run off.” Within a minute, mother and daughter were together, beginning to make their way to Saba’s top-shelf home.

As they walked, the thought of that vision continued to ring through Aleu’s mind, despite Little Jadze’s cheerful leaping and bounding in front of her as they climbed shelf after shelf to the highest dens.

I really don’t understand what this means, Aleu thought, remembering seeing the faces of those she loved being killed by Shade’s evil power. Why did it all feel so real? A tear dripped down her cheek, but she shook it off easily, so as not to worry her little pup. Saba must know something . . . and if she doesn’t, I should still warn her of this possible threat . . . I know Aniu would want me to tell her what I saw . . .

However, one other thing bothered her just as much: I just don’t understand – why was I the one that was being protected by everyone else? Even if there was a threat to the Talbourne, Saba would easily be first priority over me . . .

I’m only a former Alpha now, just a regular member of the pack . . . I shouldn’t have special treatment just because I can’t be revived anymore . . . I just want to be normal, just a normal old wolf . . . and not someone that everyone has to protect . . .

I don’t want anyone else to die because of me . . .

Chapter IX

“Catch the pebble, Jadze!” Sunny, a gray she-pup shouted to the creamy beige. She was a beauty, about nine months old . . . maybe a little older, but there was friendliness in her matching blue-gray eyes swimming in gold. By the light silver-white markings on her face, she looked more like a husky than a wolf, but her color shone like a glimmering flash against an indoor pool of sparkling water. With one of her marked paws, she hit a small rock towards her playmate.

“Got it!” The swift Little Jadze slid to catch the pebble with her front paw, blocking the shot. “Whew! That was a great shot, Sunny!”

The two friends ran to each other, not expecting to tackle themselves with their paws. Naturally, Sunny was on top, pinning down Little Jadze with her size and strength. They giggled and tried to maintain their positions. Of course, the younger of the two tried with all her might to push the larger pup off of her with her hind legs. It worked, but suddenly the two females were run over by the fast red blurs of Sunny’s two brothers, Rife and Tram.

Rife was the darker of the two males, looking a little like his father with his ivory legs and chest against his red coat. His eyes were a reddish-brown, a mix of his grandfather’s as well as Everest’s, and swallowed up in gold like most of the wolf-like members of his family. One of his eyes – his left – was patched in white. He was as gentle as his sister, but still he was a male just the same, one that liked to pounce and play. The oldest pup, Tram, was a lighter and brighter burgundy shade of red, more like Saba’s color prior to her transformation, but his markings of white-gray were only around his muzzle, down his chest and belly, and on his ankles. Unlike his siblings, his eyes were a cold icy-blue surrounded by white; however, he was the rougher of the three, always with a sense of fighting and pouncing in his eyes, so he naturally was the one to lead the charge towards the two girl pups.

“Hey! Get off of me!” Little Jadze grunted as Rife kept her pinned down.

“Yeah – we were playing and you ruined it! Let us go!” Sunny joined her friend’s retaliation as she tried to free herself from Tram’s grip. He only growled at her, nipping her right forepaw. “Ouch! That hurt, Tram!” She tried to defend herself by hitting him back with her paws. Each time Sunny tried to land a hit, she would miss him, causing the older pup to sneer and chuckle wickedly. Perhaps Tram liked to see his sister looking so defenseless underneath him . . . one could only guess.

Rife tried to imitate his brother, but hesitated to harm Little Jadze underneath him. All he did was growl at her, but it wasn’t like he enjoyed it – he actually liked the creamy beige pup as a friend, and he really didn’t want to hurt them like Tram did. He was the more chivalrous of the brothers, so he hoped that the girls would accept his forgiveness in the end; besides, he was only playing around.

“Hey, stop it!” Sunny barked, but when the boys seemed reluctant to release them, the gray had no choice but to get the authorities. “Mom! Tram and Rife won’t let us play!”

The white form of Saba was watching from afar with Aleu, just doing nothing but observing the actions of their growing children, but after hearing Sunny’s cries for help, both of them rushed to their side.

“Boys, get off of your sister and niece!” Saba scolded the brothers with a growl of warning. When they refused yet again – mainly it was Tram who was relentless in stopping – she had no choice but to physically remove them by force. “Come on, you two. That’s enough.” Saba grabbed the older pup with her jaws as Aleu took the other, moving them to a safer area, as well as putting themselves in between the boys and the girls.

“Mom, why did you do that?” Rife asked with a whine after being placed on the ground. “We were only playing with them with our pouncing and growling.”

“There’s a difference between playing and fighting, little one,” Saba spoke motherly to the darker son. “You of all pups should know that by now. You’re almost yearlings yourselves.”

“Your mother’s right,” Aleu joined in, turned her attention to the older brother. “Playing with each other is fine, but it’s not okay when someone gets hurt and says to stop.”

“Yeah, right,” Tram commented with an aloof expression towards the two grown-ups. Undoubtedly, his face was more angered than his little brother’s. “How else are we to get stronger unless we play-fight? Us wolves are supposed to learn how to battle by fighting each other at a young age; that is the only way ones like us can survive!” He turned his icy gaze at the relieved forms of his little sister and her best friend, causing them to gasp lightly. “But then again, the two of us deserve better targets; those two are too weak to even fight back – it’s absolutely pathetic.” He huffed, lifting his nose aloofly. “Girls are such weaklings . . . They won’t last long enough to do anything useful around here if they aren’t strong enough to defend themselves.”

“Tram!” Saba was taken aback by her son’s words. “You know better than to say things like that!” He had grown up more in tune to his wolf blood, but as he grew, he seemed to think more ruthlessly than anyone they had ever met. She could see just by looking into his cold glare that he was defiant, even if his mother was the Alpha of the Talbourne Clan, but Saba’s maternal rage took over against her son’s statements. “Go straight to the den – Now! I’ll talk to you later once your father gets home from his duty.”

Tram only scoffed with a devilish smirk on his face. “Humph . . . Whatever . . .” However, he followed his mother’s orders, making his way to the den that he shared with his family.

Saba sighed in relief, but Aleu could see the frustration in her sister’s now amber eyes. “Little Jadze, are you and Sunny okay?” The light brown-gray asked, thankful that her own daughter wasn’t attacked.

The two of them nodded as Rife helped his sister up onto her feet. “We’re fine, Mom,” Little Jadze replied with a smile.

“Yeah – ow . . .” Sunny fell back onto the ground once she tried to stand on her leg that Tram bit. The wound was now bleeding a bit, staining her paw red. “Actually, I think . . . I think my paw hurts a little.”

“Sorry if we hurt you, Sis,” the dark red lowered his head in apology to the girls. “I was only following Tram, but I thought . . . I thought it was only for fun, not to actually hurt anyone.” His ears fell to the side; Rife really was as sorry as he sounded – a complete opposite of his older brother. “Please forgive me . . . please . . .” He gently gave Little Jadze a lick on the cheek, as well as his sister on her wound as a sign of friendship.

“It’s okay, Brother,” Sunny smiled back at him while leaning up against him as she stood up in between Rife and Little Jadze. “I know Tram didn’t really mean it . . .” She turned to her mother with a look of worry in her eyes. “Mama, you won’t hurt him, will you?”

“I may have to, Sunny,” Saba nuzzled her daughter, licking the wound that hurt her so much. “He knew better than to be so rough when playing with you two, so I’ll definitely have a talk with him about what he did.” She sighed deeply. “I understand his passion to be rough like a wolf should be, but . . . but he still has much to learn, just like you three do.” She turned her white nose towards her sister, remembering that she had something to tell her. “Why don’t you three play near those cliffs? Just be careful, okay?”

“Okay, Mom,” Rife and Sunny nodded, replying back in unison. The two of them scampered to the area that was assigned to them, and naturally, Little Jadze’s cream-beige form followed behind theirs.

“Thanks for helping me with the kids,” Saba turned to Aleu with a smile after the pups left them alone, but once she noticed the look of concern on her sister’s face, the Alpha remembered what she had told her earlier. “Now, you said you had to tell me something? What’s up?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure if it meant anything, but I have to tell someone about it,” Aleu began to recount her vision from when she was asleep, not holding back on any detail of what she saw. She mentioned the darkness of Shade, the sudden deaths of those near and dear to her, and the mysterious lupine that protected her before Shade could come any closer to her shuddering form. Saba, by the look of things, seemed to keep her cool, but on the inside, she was afraid; Aleu had seen her be killed by Shade in her vision . . . she didn’t want that to happen for real.

“That is scary,” Saba said after hearing what happened in Aleu’s dream. “but as real as it seemed to you, I think that it all seems impossible. I defeated Shade using Aniu’s power – he’s gone for good now, isn’t he?”

“I’m not sure about that,” Aleu lowered her ears. “Don’t get me wrong, but . . . I think he was watching me until I woke up.” Saba gasped as Aleu shuddered at the reminder of the demon lord’s presence. “I know it sounds crazy, but I could smell him lingering around me . . . and then it just disappeared before Little Jadze asked me if I was okay.” She sniffled at the fact her daughter’s presence calmed her mind this morning. “I think she saved me this morning . . . I really believe that she did.”

Saba was silent, but she was able to comfort her older sister with a gentle nuzzle. It’s strange, she thought as she turned a gaze to the cream-beige pup that had just pounced on Rife’s dark form playfully. She’s such a miracle pup, and somehow . . . somehow, I sense a strange aura about her. Almost as if . . . as if she’s being protected by something . . . A smile curled on her white face. “Perhaps she did – she may not know what a service she was to you when it happened.”

“So, you believe me?” Aleu was shocked by Saba’s response.

“Of course I do,” Saba nodded. “Little Jadze is a special child, blessed back to life by Aniu herself; you know as well as I do that Aniu works in mysterious ways, so I’m wouldn’t be surprised if your daughter has such an ability. However, this doesn’t mean that she should be reckless and be treated special. She’s still a wolf, just as we all are – we’ll have to start training her like all the rest of the pups.”

“I know,” Aleu smiled. “I’ve lived longer as a wolf than you have, but you know as well as I do that it takes a lot of strength and courage to do a wolf’s duty. It won’t be easy for her – she’s a she-pup for one thing, and both of us know that the males won’t go easy on females just because we’re of the opposite sex of them.”

“Well, you’ve been an Alpha and endured difficult situations, right?” Saba asked.

“Yeah, other wolves didn’t agree with my ideals, even before I came in touch with the Talbourne Clan,” Aleu told her sadly. She trusted her sister with what she was about to tell her, especially since not many in the Clan knew of this knowledge. “When I first crossed the water to the imprisoned island, my pack – Nava’s former pack – was easily deceived by Shade, who posed as Aniu in their dreams; unfortunately, they gave their lives . . . drowning to their deaths so I could eventually free the Talbourne Clan from Ill’aenna.” She nearly broke into tears as she remembered the horrible sight . . . she could still see the young yearling named Heamer, one of the wolves that she had saved and befriended, sinking under the icy-cold depths after following Julious, a black wolf who had convinced the rest of the pack to follow him off the island. She was glad, however, that she was able to accept their apologies in her dreams. “Although I was sad that things had to be this way, I learned that things happen for a reason. If not for their deaths, I never would have freed Aniu’s Clan . . . and none of this would exist.”

“Oh, I’m sorry . . . Sorry to bring up bad memories,” Saba felt rather contrite for having Aleu remember something so horrible. “I didn’t mean to, you know.”

“It’s okay,” Aleu managed to smile. “That and other situations only made me stronger as I matured into an Alpha. I already know that you’re strong, but you will deal with many challenges within your tenure as Alpha, no matter how long it may be. I won’t guarantee that it’ll be as tough as mine, but it’ll help you become wiser of wolf life.”

“I know,” Saba responded. “The hardest part so far has been balancing Clan business and spending time with my family.” She let out a sigh. “I love them so much . . . I fear that I’ve ignored my children and Everest . . . the kids are growing up so fast – they’re almost yearlings now . . . maybe that’s the reason why Tram’s acting up so much . . .”

“You’re not the only one to have trouble with balancing duties,” Aleu admitted to her. “When my pups were newly born and young, attacks didn’t happen as often as they did when you first joined us; Shadow usually took control of protecting me while I remained with them, but I knew I was still Alpha . . . and I was still stubborn, just like Papa.” She chuckled. “I didn’t want to show that I was weak to the Clan – Aniu chose me to save the Talbourne and make them stronger, and I knew I could be strong. As the children grew, my skills as a fighter began to fade . . . I started getting defeated by enemies that were probably a piece of cake. My focus was more to my family, the life that I had made with Shadow . . . and when I saved Raye, the heir to the Onasie Clan, that led to the biggest changes to the Clan. I thought I was helping her by saving her life – sure, she was from an enemy Clan, but she was still a helpless pup, a new life on the Earth that could possibly die if I didn’t do something to help. My maternal instincts took over . . . and I think my weakness began to show from then on.” Her dark-brown ears fell at the thought. “Although we eventually created a peaceful compromise in the end, still other packs and Clans tried to take note of how weak I was becoming. Once the Uniea attacked, I was overthrown as Alpha . . . they took over everything . . . but still we survived, and I returned to my rightful place . . . but then you and Everest came along and . . . well, I guess Aniu had other plans when I asked for a way out.”

“Unlike you, I don’t want to ask for a way out, Aleu,” Saba reassured her sister. “I just want to stay strong . . . for both my family and the Clan. I want to try my hardest to manage both, but I know that it’s a time of peace right now and I’m guessing that it won’t last too much longer.”

Aleu nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. Just try not to worry on trying not to be perfect . . . I know I wasn’t, but no one expects perfection out here. Things can still go wrong, for even the most perfect plans can go awry – just be yourself and remember that you’re now a wolf, and things should be fine.”

“Well, I was afraid of that too,” Saba smiled, knowing her sister clearly understood her. “When Aniu first told me that I was to take your place, I was so scared. I knew I wasn’t used to being a wolf before my death, but although she taught me many things, I was afraid I would make mistakes as Alpha.” She closed her eyes as she remembered what Aniu told her. “She told me that it was natural for me, as well as anyone else, to make mistakes . . . and since she had taught me so much on how to lead and fight like a wolf, I was somehow destined to do this.”

Aleu could only nod as she looked at her little sister who remained deep in thought.Well, she does seem meant for this,she thought. She’s no longer the petite little sister that I remembered from years ago. Thanks to Aniu, she looks . . . gosh, and even acts more like a wolf . . . even more than I do perhaps . . . Aleu felt her lips form a smile. You trained her well for me, Aniu – thank you so much . . .

“So if you feel that something could be brewing in the near future, I suppose we should be prepared for whatever may happen,” Saba opened her eyes once more, looking at Aleu with understanding. “I should tell the security teams to continue their training, just in case. I don’t want them to be caught off their guard.”

Aleu nodded, but within her thoughts, she feared for her mate as well as Saba’s. “But Shadow and Everest will . . .” She murmured, almost as if she had forgotten that she was speaking aloud.

“I know that you’re just as worried as I am for our mates, but this is their duty, just as mine is to lead,” Saba reminded her. “As wolves, all of us have made a commitment to protect and serve our Clan. It’s a natural risk, I understand, but we don’t know exactly what we are to fight as of now. We must be prepared, no matter what . . . and if something unfortunate happens, then it is only Aniu’s will.”

Aleu let out a sigh. She knew all of that already, but apparently her maternal instincts had been more dominant than her lupine knowledge. “I know. I guess my instincts as a wolf have been getting soft.” She chuckled lightly, but she knew this was no laughing matter – this was serious business, especially with the fear of not being able to be revived again.

“Well, maybe I can help remind you of some of the fighting skills Aniu taught me,” Saba offered. “My children are old enough to start learning now, and although Little Jadze is still rather young, I’m sure the two of you can better your fighting.”

“I really appreciate it, Saba,” Aleu lowered her head graciously. “but you know you don’t have to do this.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I feel like I want to help you,” the Alpha moved towards a cliff. “Perhaps it’s for a good cause . . .” She smiled as she looked below, hearing the working voices of the ones meant to protect her. “. . . and maybe there’s another reason to it. Maybe it’ll make you stronger now that you’re no longer in charge.”

She does have a point . . . Aleu smiled as she joined her sister at the ledge. “That sounds like a good idea. When can we start?”

“Tomorrow,” Saba grinned, feeling rather good about the deal that she just made. “We’ll start in the morning.”

Back inside the Alpha’s den, the light red male pup sulked angrily. He was laid on the ground, looking out at the open entrance. Oh, if only he could run through it without getting into trouble! He watched as his brother and sister played with their niece happily, but he merely growled under his breath and lowered his ears against his neck.

“It’s not fair . . .” Tram murmured with a huff, placing his head back onto his forelegs. “I was only practicing my skills on them, that’s all . . . God, what’s so special about those three anyway?” He began to mutter irritably with the din of the three pups coming from outside of the den. “Humph, I’m better than all three of them . . . I’m stronger, faster, and smarter than any of them . . . but no one, not even my own mother, gives a damn about me . . .” He was too proud to cry, but this was one time that wanted to shed a tear.

“Yessssssss, . . . you want to show them how much better you are . . .” It was a sinister voice, one Tram had never heard before, but it seemed like only he could hear it. It sounded like it was . . . speaking directly to him! “. . . you know that you deserve more praise than you get, Tram . . .”

Naturally to anyone, it’s strange to hear a voice you don’t know calling your name all of a sudden. So to a young pup at less than a year old, it was even stranger.

Huh? Who’s there? Tram’s ears pricked up, surprised by the voice. He didn’t want anyone to think he was insane, so he only used his thoughts. It’s just my imagination . . . No one else is here . . . God, I must be hearing things . . . or something like that . . .

“No, this is all real . . . I . . . I am real . . . and I know your true strength . . .” The voice tried to get the pup’s trust. “. . . those pathetic siblings of yours are no match to what you really are . . .”

A smirk grew on the pup’s face. Finally, someone understood him! I’m glad you think so, he thought. No one else here understands how powerful I can be, but at least someone around here actually does . . .

“Just follow my lead . . . trust in my words . . . and let me make you stronger . . .” the dark voice inside Tram’s head made him rise to his feet, no longer upset. “. . . I promise, others will start to notice what power you possess . . .”

Hmm, stronger, eh . . .? I do want others to see me, to take note on how tough I am . . . Tram’s smirk looked more evil and rebellious than ever as he looked out at the sight of his playmates. All right then – lead the way . . .

I want to be stronger . . . and if you say you can do it, I want you to help me . . .

Meanwhile, the three pups ran and giggled playfully. Despite being younger and smaller, Little Jadze could easily catch up to the larger strides of Rife and Sunny, running beside them, and at one point, she passed them, stopping them in their tracks.

“Wow, you’re fast!” Rife reared on his hind legs in surprise. “Much faster than me . . . and I’m older than you!”

“Yeah, that was awesome, Jadze!” Sunny giggled as she playfully pounced on the smaller pup. “You’re really good at running!”

“Thanks!” the cute beige pup strained to lift the gray female with her paws. It didn’t work at first, but she found a way to escape the strong legs of her friend and sparring partner. “I try my best . . . that’s all . . .” She panted, catching her breath and recovering her strength, but she still managed to smile afterwards. “That was fun! Do you want to play catch the pebble with us, Rife?” She turned to the dark-red pup.

He was more concerned with his sister actually. “Sure, I’ll play, but doesn’t your paw still hurt, Sunny?” His ears fell to the side. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You were bleeding a while ago, and all that careful running may hurt it more.”

“But I feel fine, you guys,” Sunny stood, applying pressure onto her injury and making her wince. “Ouch . . . oh . . .” She sat down and lowered her head and ears in disappointment. “Okay, maybe . . . maybe it still hurts some. And I really wanted to play . . .”

Little Jadze sighed, remembering that Tram had attacked her earlier. “But he’s right, you know – I don’t want you to feel any worse either. Maybe we should take a rest for now and let you recover, okay?” Strange how she was able to compromise – she really wanted to play, but if the others were so concerned about Sunny, she was too. After all, they were best friends.

“Are you sure, Jadze?” the gray asked the creamy beige with concern. She laid down on the rocky ground out of exhaustion. “I know that you like playing and all . . .”

Little Jadze nodded. “I’m fine. You’re my friend, and I don’t want you to be left all alone.” The two girls nuzzled cheek to cheek, chuckling at the feel of their fur against each other.

“I’m fine about it too,” Rife said, joining his sister on the ground and licking her other cheek. “Besides, it’s no fun without you playing with us. I’d rather never play again if you couldn’t.”

“Thanks, you guys . . .” She smiled, but it disappeared as a serious thought occurred to her. “I wonder what was up with Tram today,” Sunny thought aloud. “He’s never bitten me before.”

“That was weird,” Little Jadze commented, joining them on the ground. “It’s like he was a different pup today than usual. Sure he bites and fights like a rough fighter, but he’s never actually hurt one of us.”

“I only joined him because I thought it was just harmless fun,” Rife sounded sorry for his participation in hurting his sister. “He didn’t say anything about hurting others; he just said for me to follow him.”

“Oh, you two are just being boys,” The beige she-pup reminded him. “Mama tells me that boys are usually the rougher siblings, just like my older brothers are, but that doesn’t mean that a girl is automatically weak and unable to fight back. Besides, your mom’s the Alpha of this Clan – that by itself takes a lot of guts!”

“That’s true,” Sunny acknowledged, but her light silver ears fell. “but I just don’t like fighting . . . Wolves are meant to fight, but I’m just too nice to hurt anyone, . . . even if it’s just a play-fight . . .” She sighed, lowering her head to her front legs. “I don’t like it when others get hurt, and it just makes me want to cry when I see it . . .Tram was right about me . . . I am weak and pathetic . . . I guess maybe . . .” She couldn’t help but to cry at the realization she felt inside, sniffling as she tried to continue. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a real wolf after all . . . and to think it took him hurting me to finally realize it . . .”

As Little Jadze and Rife comforted their friend and relative, little did the three pups realize that a dark shadow was watching them from a distance, smirking and sneering at the young female’s solemn confession of weakness. In midst of that darkness, the young male knew what he had to do - he had been given his task by the one that spoke to him in the den, and he swore to act upon it.

I’ve already weakened her spirit, and now it’s time to finish her off . . . for good . . .

Chapter X

“That’s not true, Sunny!”

The gray’s silver ears pricked up at her friend’s comment. Both Rife and her were looking at the younger beige she-pup, who had a sense of pride in her tone.

“Yes, it is, Jadze,” Sunny’s ears fell again. “I mean, I know you mean well and you’re just trying to cheer me up, but I know my weakness. I would only disappoint all wolves everywhere by refusing to fight.”

“Everyone’s scared sometimes,” Little Jadze seemed to speak as if she were another being, one that was far more wiser than her many days thus far. “and it’s natural to be afraid.” She let out a short chuckle, but she quickly returned to her serious tone. “Even I was afraid when Rife pounced on me today, so you’re not the only one. However, you shouldn’t doubt yourself or your strength, Sunny. It’s true that you are kind-hearted and not one to fight, but there will come a time when you will have to gather up your courage and fight.”

“She’s right, Sis,” Rife defended his little niece. “I’m sure there’s not a single wolf born that’s not afraid at one point or another.” He kept his thoughts to himself, but he remembered how brave his father was when their mother had perished. Rife knew that Everest loved their mother very much, and to lose her was like losing a part of himself in the process – even the three of them couldn’t believe what had happened, but somehow their mother was returned to them, although in a different physical appearance. “Today, I was afraid for you, not knowing what Tram was thinking of us doing, as well as myself for assisting him in hurting your leg.” He quickly corrected himself, before any of the girls could do so. “I know I didn’t physically hurt you, Sunny, but I still felt guilty for taking part in such a terrible act to someone I care about.”

Yeah, unlike your other brother . . . Little Jadze thought to herself, lowering her eyebrows in anger at the very thought of the bright-red pup. She had never really liked him actually, but she accepted him nonetheless – Tram was her best friend’s older brother, as well as a close member of her own family . . . she had no choice but to be nice to him.

He’s not like the other males around here . . . or other pups his age, for that matter . . . Maybe that’s what Auntie Saba noticed when she sent him away as punishment . . . She concluded in her mind, but the little pup knew that it wasn’t her right to judge his actions as she did.

“It’s all right, Bro,” Sunny gave him a small grin and a quick lick of forgiveness on his cheek. “Your actions afterwards redeemed you, so I appreciate you being there . . . and you too, Jadze.” She grinned at the small thought-filled pup. “I’d probably wouldn’t be the same without you two with me.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” Little Jadze smiled, and quickly giggled playfully. “I betcha there’s something we can do together while your leg heals, right?”

Rife nodded. “I could always tell a story, one of the ones I could imagine about where we came from.”

“Oh?” The beige pup pricked her ears up in surprise. “And where would that be?”

“Didn’t you know?” Sunny reminded her friend and niece. “The three of us weren’t born out here; Mama says we were born in the town where she and your mom were born and raised . . . I think she said it was Nome . . .?”

“Nome?” Little Jadze was even more confused. “I’ve never heard of it before, but what’s so different about it that you haven’t been back there?”

The brother and sister lowered their ears, almost as if they were ashamed of what they were about to tell her. “Well, it’s just that . . . we can’t go back there anymore. Our parents are . . . well, they’re both siblings with your mom,” Rife told Jadze with a whimper.

Little Jadze didn’t understand anything about the relationship of their parents to her own mother – in the wild, the act of inbreeding was quite rare and sometimes frowned upon, but in towns where the law prevailed, it was strictly forbidden; however, her mother never told her anything about the fact that she was born outside of the wild, so the thought of learning this from her playmates was a bit of a surprise. Still, the youngest pup didn’t say a word as Rife continued to unravel their tale.

“I don’t know much of the details of why our parents chose to fall in love, but I guess it was meant to be. The other dogs in town ended up learning their secret and didn’t like the fact that they were together. The law made it official that they could never see each other again . . . but we were born and . . .” His voice trailed off, but the young female could figure the rest out.

“ . . . and not even them being apart could stop them from finding each other again, right?” She replied.

“That’s right,” Sunny smiled weakly at her friend. “Mama and Papa loved each other so much, and us as well, that they risked everything to take us away from Nome, because they couldn’t be seen together there anymore – I think Mom used the word ‘banished’ – but that’s when we were brought here because we had nowhere else left to go.” Sunny had left out the tale of her own ordeal with a smaller band of wolves, led by the vicious Stripe, who had kidnapped her from her father’s jaws and taken her to his cave. Frightened for her life, she never would have expected her mother and a couple of unknown wolves to save her, freeing her from the cavern prison hours later. Just that event made her shiver at the sheer memory of it, so she wished not to speak of it.

“The wolves had to vote on whether to accept us or not, but we were too young to understand all of those things back then,” Rife concluded. “but as you can clearly see, they agreed to us staying as permanent members of the Talbourne, as long as we all learned how to live like wolves, of course.” He was able to grin a little bit. “Mama and Papa told us this story only a few weeks ago, but I remember they mentioned that we should never dwell on events of the past. ‘We still have the future to look forward to,’ Papa said to us, and I believe him.”

The proud moment was interrupted by a sinister chuckle and a light pattering of applause. Rife, Sunny and Little Jadze gasped at the source of the sound, which was right behind them, standing proudly on a worn boulder that resembled a cliff.

“Bravo . . . bravo, little brother,” the masculine voice replied, smirking devilishly at them. “Such a wonderful speech . . . I’m sure Father would be proud to hear you say those words . . .” He chuckled again, almost sarcastically. “. . . ‘Look forward to the future,’ . . . ha! That’s a total laugh . . .”

Instinctively, Rife lowered himself to the ground and growled; this time, he had a real reason to be angered. “Tram . . . how dare you mock our father!” The younger brother had never felt such rage flow through his veins before, but he was willing to control himself. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but with this newfound sensation awakening, the dark red felt the urge to fight – for the first time in his life, Rife felt like he wanted to kill.

“Oh? So now you want to fight like a real wolf, little Rifey?” Tram laughed as he leapt down from his cliff to the ground of the top shelf, walking towards the defensive sight of his brother. His observations amused him, entranced him, especially since Rife’s eyes followed his every step. “Yes, look at you . . . you’re feeling the power now, aren’t you? That rush of heated emotions flooding all through your flesh, yes? That feeling, my brother, is the pride of the wolf! That’s what being wild is all about . . . defending your strength and doing away with the weak . . .” Again, he chuckled at the sight. Tram had never before seen his little brother like this, . . . and he rather liked it. “Well, what are you waiting for? Make the first move . . .” His bright red fur also bristled on his back as he lowered himself into an attacking position, awaiting Rife’s own attack. “. . . or are you still the one that has to be given the commands?”

Rife’s chin nearly brushed against the rocky ground as he began to feel like he had lost control of himself. He responded not with his words, but with his actions. His form lunged towards his brother’s, claws extended and ready for the chance to draw blood. Everything was almost in slow-motion now as he began to move closer to Tram’s mirrored attack . . .

I’m sorry . . . Brother . . . but it seems like I can’t control myself . . . It looks like I’ll have to fight you . . .

The girls, however, were left to watch the horrible sight. “This is awful . . . and it’s my fault . . .” Meanwhile, Sunny had had enough of this. She stood up, wanting to do something about this possible fight between brothers. “I have to stop them!”

Little Jadze stopped her with a paw-touch on the shoulder. “No, Sunny,” she told her. “You may get hurt again . . . or make the pain worse. You know how boys . . . no, how brothers are. I’m sure they’ll find a way to settle this . . . and hopefully, no one will get hurt.”

“But Tram said that about our father . . . my father . . .” Sunny’s silver-gray ears were now close to her neck fur. “You’re right about what you said earlier: I’m not weak . . . and I have to do something to defend Papa’s honor and proud name . . . as well as my own.” She paused for a second, sighing under her breath. “Jadze, . . . I’m sorry . . .” She smiled and ran towards the growling brothers.

But a sudden movement caused the gray to be taken aback – she felt like someone had grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her to her back. Before she knew it, a form of light-beige blazed past her fallen form.

“J . . . Jadze?” Sunny managed to utter from her mouth. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not so sure myself,” the young pup grinned back for a second. “but when I figure it out, you’ll know. You should get our moms, just in case.” And with that, Little Jadze was gone, delving herself into the brawl of the two brothers.

Saba and Aleu were beginning to enjoy these times of peace. Actually, it had been a long time since the Talbourne Clan had even had so much as a few months of no attacks from Shade and rivaling wolf packs and Clans that wanted to overtake them. Saba, on the other hand, was almost a year into her tenure as Alpha, but had never even had such relaxation in all her life . . .

I’ve always either been running away, sneaking around or been busy with other things to relax, Saba sighed as she rested her long muzzle on her powerful forelegs and closed her eyes. Plus with Sunny, Rife and Tram growing up at the same time, this moment of peace seems long overdue . . .

However, there was no doubt in her mind that what she told Aleu earlier was indeed close – this time of peace would cease and Saba would finally have her chance to show the leadership and strategy skills that Aniu had taught her while she was dead. Naturally, she knew that most of the Clan had yet to warm up to her as Alpha, but her methods of doing some basic tasks were slightly different from what they were used to when her sister was the leader of the pack. She still had a bit of a husky’s intuition within her – why else would she once try to return to her old life weeks after being reborn with a wolf’s likeness? At a moment of near-death, Saba finally learned from her crucial mistakes, knowing that she was no longer the pampered house-pet she thought she was born to remain.

But something else was causing her to fidget as Saba tried to enter into a relaxing rest. She hadn’t heard from Aniu within the past two months . . . ever since Aleu gave birth to Little Jadze, and she wondered what could possibly be wrong with the wolf spirit that was now a part of her. Where is Aniu? She pondered in her thoughts. Saba remembered that on the day of the memorial for Aleu’s lost four pups Aniu did not answer her at all. She seems to be communicating with Aleu through her dreams, showing her these horrible images of destruction, but why does she not speak to me when I call her?

The ultimate worry made her lightly gasp awake, despite not being fully asleep. Could this mean that my connection with her is weakening? Am I going to be overthrown as Alpha of the Talbourne?

Saba shuttered at the thought, shaking it away with her head. No, . . . no, that cannot be so. Saba knew much better than to believe something like that. Even though when she first joined the Talbourne she didn’t have any belief in the white wolf or the fact that she was also her grandmother, after dying, being trained by Aniu personally and having her life restored, Saba had grown quite respectful for the wolf deity. Besides, Aniu told me herself that the Alpha of the Talbourne has always been one of her descendants – that’s why both Aleu and I have been chosen to do so . . . No one else here is knowledgeable enough as a leader to take my place, so I’m sure that’s not the case . . .

She closed her eyes once again and sighed, hoping that if she was able to have any dreams today, they would calm her mind of this worry she felt. But she still felt worried about all of this.

Aniu, please speak to me again . . . please prove my mind wrong . . .

Aleu, on the other hand, was fast asleep, hoping for some advice on this dream that she had that morning. Again, she was in the coolness of the cave where she always met with either her spirit guide or the Great Aniu herself, but she summoned him herself.

“Muru?” She asked, hearing her voice echo through the cavern walls. “Muru, I’d like to speak with you, if you don’t mind.”

A swirl of white mist appeared on a tall rock in front of her, causing a tiny brown field mouse to take shape as the mist dispersed. “Ah, Aleu. It is nice to see you once again.”

“The same to you,” Aleu bowed simply before getting to her query. “but I’ve been wondering about something . . .”

“Ah. You’re speaking about the vision from today, am I right?” The rodent’s beady black eyes gleamed as the quarter-wolf nodded.

“Yes. What does it mean, Muru?” She asked with fear in her voice. “Shade . . . he destroyed them . . . and yet I was protected by everyone else, including a glowing wolf . . . I don’t understand . . .”

“It is not meant for you to comprehend it at this time,” Muru spoke bluntly. “Unfortunately, Aniu meant for you to see it, as horrible as it must have been for you to watch, but why . . . ah, not even I know myself. But right now, something else will take its focus and you must take immediate action.”

Always in riddles, Aleu felt her mouth slightly grin at the mouse’s words. “But I’m not in charge anymore, Muru. My sister, Saba, is the Alpha of the Talbourne now, not I . . . Why must I do something about this?”

“That, I’m afraid, is something you must wake up to find out . . .” The small voice faded along with the rest of the dream as Aleu returned into her right mind and quietly awoke. She sighed lightly, knowing that she hadn’t really gotten any closer to answers.

Meanwhile, the white Alpha was just about to fall into a restful sleep until a slight shaking motion stunned her awake.

“Mom . . . Mom . . .” It was Sunny, looking rather exhausted from her travels on an injured leg that still ached and was covered with dried blood.

“Sunny?” Saba’s ears pricked up in worry at the sudden notice of her daughter’s tone. “What’s wrong? Are you still hurting?”

The little gray shook her head. “Rife . . . Tram . . . fighting . . .” She panted out as she sat down. “Jadze . . . she’s trying to stop them . . .”

“What?” At the mention of her daughter’s name, Aleu stood up with a gasp. Her ears were erect, listening out for sounds of a fight. “Thanks for telling us, Sunny.” Without a moment to lose, she leapt forward, hoping that her little girl wasn’t doing something stupid. This must be what Muru was talking about, she thought to herself as she went to the cliffs.

“Rest now, Sunny,” Saba licked her daughter’s wound clean as the near-year old gray laid down to recover. “Now, why is Jadze trying to stop your brothers from fighting?”

“Tram just . . . appeared out of nowhere, Mama,” Sunny had her eyes closed, remembering what she had seen of the memory. “He wasn’t acting like himself . . . even worse from earlier today when he bit me . . . It was like he was someone else, . . . someone evil . . .” Sunny shuttered at the thought of what she remembered. “I was scared . . . really scared.”

Evil? Saba thought, trying to piece this problem in her head while calming down Sunny’s spell of shaking. That’s rather strange for her to say about her own brother . . . She knew that Sunny could sometimes sense how others were inside their souls – that’s why she was so quiet and shy mostly all the time – but it had never been like this before.

“You must have been imagining things,” Saba tried her best to comfort the gray child. “Tram’s not evil – he’s just . . . he’s very confused right now. He’ll be fine; you’ll see.”

Sunny shook her head, her shuttering ceased as she looked up to her mother with worried eyes. “No, Mama. He’s not fine . . . I’m scared that he’ll . . . he’ll . . .”

Before she could finish, a loud howl – it sounded like a childish one compared to the lower ones of the grown wolves – blared out loudly, almost as if it was a cry for help. It was hard to identify whose howl it was, since Little Jadze had yet to learn a proper howl and the two boys usually howled together. It was a single wolf’s howl, and based on what was going on, Saba could deduce the source of the cry.

“Rife!” Saba turned briefly to her daughter, giving her a last lick. “Sunny, stay here. Everything will be fine, sweetie – I promise.” Finally, she leapt forward herself, running the same direction that Aleu had only moments prior. “Hang on, Rife! Mama’s coming!”

Sunny only felt tears drip down her face in worry as she continued to hear the howling cry from the other space. “Please be okay, Jadze . . .” She prayed, knowing that her friend was only fighting to protect her from getting hurt again.

The little cream pup had no real idea of what she was doing; Little Jadze just knew that she had to do something to stop this fight. “Stop!” She cried out as she leapt into the fray. “Stop this, you two! That’s enough!”

The two red males looked at this interruption, surprised by the fact that their little niece was in front of them, growling in a defensive stance. Naturally, Rife was surprised to see Little Jadze of all pups trying to cease the fight, but Tram was more amused just by the sight, chuckling as he approached her.

“So, you’re going to try and stop me?” Tram stepped forward, only smirking at the tiny beige pup in front of him. “You’re too young and weak for this sort of game, dearie . . . especially since you’re a girl.”

Little Jadze only lowered her eyebrows and growled louder at the taunt. She wasn’t weak just because she was a girl – she-wolves were just as strong as any other wolf in the pack, so why should he judge her just because of her gender and age?

“Huh, aren’t you a defiant one!” Tram’s facial expression grew more devious than ever the closer he got to the much younger female. “Maybe . . . maybe I’ll have some fun playing with you instead . . .”

“Please, I don’t want to fight you, Tram,” the pup growled a warning at the bright-red hybrid, lowering herself once again. “You may say that I’m weak just because I’m a she-pup,” Her ears were nearly buried within her neck-fur, angered and ready to spring at the male as a strange look of strength grew on Little Jadze’s face. “but perhaps you are actually the weak one, not me!”

Tram was shocked speechless by the remark. It stung him like a thorn, nearly weakening his pride. No one had ever called him weak before or even dared to say such a thing whenever he cowered over them, so the feeling did not fare well with him at all.

“Are you going to let her – that weakling little she-pup - say those things to you?” The voice within Tram’s mind shouted at him, sensing the near-yearling’s emotional breakdown was near at hand.

N . . . no . . . NO! He wasn’t weak, he knew for a fact that he wasn’t! How dare she tell me that lie! Tram’s back bristled, restoring his lost pride. I’m not weak at all! I’m older and stronger than she is – of course I’m the stronger one!

The conscience within him chuckled at his pupil’s sudden progress – he was indeed pleased by the quick recovery. “Good . . . very good . . . Now you know what needs to be done . . . Put her in her rightful place . . . Show her who the real boss issssss . . .” As sinister the act was, Tram knew the voice was right – his little niece had to pay for those words.

Yes, she must die for saying that to me . . . I am the strong one, not her!

“That’ssss right . . .” The voice continued to add more fuel into the fire burning deep within the hybrid’s soul. “You are much stronger . . . and only you can make your power known to all . . .”

Every thought of outrage caused Tram’s anger to flare more and more until he charged forward with an all-out attack towards the much smaller Jadze, who continued to stand her ground. I’ll kill all that dare to oppose my strength, even if they happen to be family!

“I . . . AM . . . NOT . . . WEAK!” Tram barked shrilly between breaths as his widened jaws of sharp teeth prepared to strangle the she-pup without wavering. He shouted loudly as he drew ever closer to his target, his little niece.

Although frightened by the charge, Little Jadze was not going to back down.

“Jadze! Move away and save yourself!” The dark-red male barked at his friend, hoping that he could get her to reconsider; however, not even the cries from Rife would be enough to make her change her mind. She was headstrong and willing to defend herself, despite not having any real training.

Well, neither am I, Tram . . . Neither am I! The beige pup clenched her teeth tight and angrily dug her clawed paws into the ground, ready to brace herself for the worst . . .

The hit never came. Instead, Little Jadze saw a red blur shoot from in front of her, deflecting Tram’s charge away from the smaller pup.

Her face grew wide with surprise and complete amazement. “Rife?” The dark pup was now down on the ground, bleeding in the spot on his side where he had taken his brother’s hit. “Oh my gosh, Rife!” Little Jadze gasped at the sight of the thin stream of blood staining Rife’s white belly.

Tram was knocked away from where his brother and niece were, panting and recovering from the impact a few yards away from the other two pups. He was furious that his own little brother would actually protect his target like he did. “You . . . you coward . . .” he murmured with a growl at the sight of Rife’s form on the ground. Still, he did not bother to finish him off, only sitting down with a huff of frustration. “I’ll get you . . . next time . . .” His icy-cold glare was directed towards the she-pup, as was his thoughts of revenge. And next time, you won’t have anyone around to protect you . . . I swear I won’t miss . . .

Rife was still alive, but he didn’t move from the ground much. His breaths were slow to contain what remaining strength he had left, as well as to not bleed to possible death. Luckily, Little Jadze was immediately by his side, still in shock.

“Thank you, Rife . . . please hang in there . . .” Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke calmly to him, hoping that nothing else would happen to the brave pup that protected her.

She didn’t know why it happened, but the cream-beige pup felt her head lift up and her eyes close as a sudden howl slipped from her lips. It was a feeling she had never felt before, but it was almost like second nature. The clear, serene sound of the howl was merely a song, a song remembering the act of a wolf that risked his life for another’s. As childlike as the cry was, it was filled with pure emotion and sorrow.

When Aleu arrived to the scene, she saw her daughter’s actions in front of her, still standing above Rife’s fallen form with one of her forepaws slightly in the air. “What . . . what happened here?” She asked her daughter once she made it to the cream pup’s side when she finally stopped her cry.

“Oh my . . . Rife!” Saba made it there moments later; seeing her son wounded on the ground, a gasp escaped from her lips. She too was surprised to see that it was Little Jadze, not Rife, that had made the howl she and Sunny had heard; however, her son was a higher priority right now. Running to where Rife was, she moved Little Jadze from Rife’s side and tried to make sure he was okay. “Rife . . . Rife, please wake up . . .”

“What happened, dear?” Aleu repeated her query once more. “Are you all right?”

“I . . . I’m fine, thanks to Rife,” She told her mother, still in a bit of disbelief at what had happened in a matter of minutes. “He and Tram were about to fight each other, but I stopped them.” She sighed deeply, still catching her breath. “Sunny wanted to defend her brother, but I wouldn’t let her . . . and Tram charged at me,” She turned to the glaring almost-yearling with his light-blue eyes, trying hard not to taunt him by sticking out her tongue. “but Rife took the hit in my place.”

“That was very brave of you, but it was also quite foolish, Jadze,” Aleu scolded her, giving her a nip on the flank. Oh, she is so much like her father, . . . maybe a little too much, the mother thought to herself with a slight smile, but this was a serious situation. “I’m sure that your intentions were pure and well, but you’re still much younger than they are,” Aleu explained to her, knowing that Little Jadze was probably wondering why she was being punished. “It could have been you bleeding on the ground where Rife is if he hadn’t saved you, you know.”

“I know, but I felt like I had to do something, Mama,” The she-pup whined sadly. “I could have taken him on . . . I know it.”

“I’m just glad that you’re okay,” Aleu licked Little Jadze’s head, trying to cheer her up. “Besides, you’ll be formally trained starting tomorrow morning.” She turned her head back, looking at her sister with worry. Hopefully, Saba will be fine enough to train both of us, the former Alpha thought in her head while watching the white wolf try to lick the blood off of Rife’s wound. “We both will, actually. I’ve arranged for Saba to teach us together, so that when you learn, I’ll relearn, okay?”

Little Jadze nodded. “Okay.” This time, she turned to where Rife was finally stirring awake in the presence of his mother and smiled. “Maybe next time I’ll be the one protecting him.”

Aleu looked back at her daughter with a look of surprise, but relaxed and joined her in a smile. “Maybe, my dear . . . maybe.”

“Is Rife . . . I mean, will he be okay, Mama?” Little Jadze asked, still not taking her eyes from him.

“I think he’s in good paws,” Aleu murmured, basing her response on her observations.

“What were you thinking, young man?” Everest was growling quite furiously in the Alpha’s den.

There was only him, Saba and Tram in the room right now, and it had been a few hours since the clash between the young relatives; Sunny and Rife were fast asleep in a nearby room, but one would fear that the loudness of the father’s voice would accidentally wake them.

“First, you disgraced your mother, the Alpha of our Clan, with your degrading words . . . then you made your sister’s leg bleed when she clearly told you to stop . . . and you even tried to attack your own niece, who is only a couple months old . . .” The rugged husky male paced back and forth in front of the seated male pup. His voice was fatherly yet stern, but none of the strict tone caused Tram to change his straight, expressionless face. “You’re not full-grown yet, Tram, but you need to learn to act like you have some common sense!”

“Hmph,” Tram turned his head away from Everest aloofly. “Whatever.” Maybe you’re the one who needs some common sense, Father!

“Tram, pay attention to your father this instant!” Saba barked at him, trying to make him understand. The pup only looked back at them with a glare, still feeling unafraid and completely unaware of how his actions made them so cross.

“Maybe I don’t want to,” Tram scoffed under his breath. “I’m old enough to do what I want!”

“Tram, we’re only your parents, and we know that you are into your wolf heritage more than your siblings, but there are still rules that you must learn to follow,” Saba’s tone went calm and motherly, thinking that perhaps the strict way wasn’t the right way to settle Tram’s rebellious streak. “Just because you’re not a pup anymore doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want in a Clan.”

“That’s right, son. Even we had to learn to follow the ways and rules once we took refuge with the Talbourne Clan,” Everest finished the little speech, also following his sister’s example. “And as long as you live here, you must learn to follow them also.”

“I’ll just run away,” Tram stood to his paws with a loud voice. “Then I won’t have to live by your stupid rules!”

“You’re too young to be out on your own, Tram,” Saba told her oldest son. “Besides, you’re better off living in a Clan, where everyone helps out for the good of all.”

“. . . Oh, you’re not going to let her talk to you that way, are you?” Tram could hear the voice calling him in his head.

“That’s what you think,” Tram huffed at his mother, acting quite confident in himself after that boost from the voice that believed in him. “I betcha I could last years on my own . . . without any of your help!” A growl found its way out of his mouth.

“I’ve lived out in the woods alone for almost four years, and I can tell you that it is not easy,” Everest explained, hoping that his son would take his wisdom to heart. “Defending your home, finding food, keeping warm . . . I struggled to survive, but somehow Aniu had a higher plan for me.”

“. . . Aniu . . . hmph! That’s nothing more than a fairy tale . . . a farce . . . Only the weak would actually believe in such nonsense . . . No wonder those two don’t understand that you are strong . . .”The voice commented, causing Tram to chuckle deviously.

You’re right, the pup replied back. When I run away, I’ll find others that will notice my strength . . . and then . . . I’ll prove to them that I never needed them!

“Well, perhaps there is a higher plan for me too . . .” Tram began to walk past his parents, still not bothering to care for anything they said. “But my destiny lies out there – away from you!” His gait turned into a sprinted run as he made his way out of the Alpha’s den.

“Wait!” Saba barked at him, hoping that her newfound agility would stop her son from making such a reckless mistake. “Tram, stop!” Never before had she felt so fast and fleet-footed as she leapt in front of the den entrance.

She was able to block his much smaller form, but what he told her next made her almost paralyzed to where she stood. His voice sounded not like his own, but there was another voice that seemed to be overlapping Tram’s . . . it was a sinister tone, one of pure evil . . . They spoke together, cursing her with a promise.

“The next time we see each other, you’ll regret that you ever defied me . . . I swear it . . .”

Saba couldn’t move a muscle, but she managed to gasp. That . . . that voice . . . It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t recognize it because of how faint it was compared to her son’s voice. Tram smirked at the sight and bolted quickly past her before she could recover the strength to try to retrieve him.

“Tram!” Everest darted towards where Saba and his son were, but it was no use. Tram had already made it to the bottom shelf of their main den. He barked to the guards at the main entrance to their caverns – “Guards! Stop that runaway!” – but it was to no avail; the bright-red hybrid pup had leapt over each of the lupine guards and was now in the wilderness, freed from the bonds of the Talbourne Clan.

So long, Talbourne . . . Tram simpered with a final look back before running forward towards a destiny that awaited him . . . somewhere out in the Alaskan wilderness.

“May you soon rest in piecesssss . . .”

“His trail is faint, buried in the fresh snow,” Shadow announced to the wolf council. “I fear he could be miles from here by now, but it’s impossible to track him by now.” His ears fell. “I’m sorry, Saba, but he’s long gone.”

“Thank you,” Saba nodded to her sister’s mate, allowing him to be seated. Beside her was Everest, who was trying his hardest to keep from showing his real emotions. It was only an hour after Tram had run away, but she managed to call an emergency meeting with the Talbourne wolf council almost immediately. “Although he is my son, we must fear for our safety now that he is running free.”

There was mainly elders present, that’s what the council was made up of. It was mostly the same ones from when she and her family was inducted into the Clan nearly a year ago. Aleu was there too – as a former Alpha herself, her knowledge would prove useful to the Talbourne Clan.

“She’s right,” Aleu commented on her sister’s words. “Tram, although he is young, knows vital information about our Clan . . . information that could prove useful to rival Clans that are our enemies.”

Nava stood up to comment. “Based on what I see, young Tram is reckless – he does not know how much he has affected the rest of us with his selfishness. We are all in great danger as long as he roams free.”

“We tried to tell him that, but it seems that he wouldn’t hear us out,” Everest told the council. “Based on what our daughter has told us, she sensed something different about Tram . . . something sinister and evil . . .”

An orange wolf named Haroe stood up. “That’s preposterous, Everest.” He let out a small scoff of disapproval. “Perhaps your daughter is merely imagining these things. Everyone knows that pups have a vivid mind for making things up.”

The red male glared his brown eyes at the orange lupine; just the sight of the angered Everest with his scarred eye made Haroe slightly jump back – when he wanted to be, Everest could strike fear into the hearts of those that upset him.

Most of the other wolves murmured amongst themselves before another wolf, a gray female named Kema, offered a response. “How should we know whether Saba’s daughter is right or wrong in her theory? She could be right.”

“But she could be wrong,” Haroe barked back, causing the two of them to growl at each other before another bark silenced them.

“Enough!” Saba spoke out loudly, causing a hush to blow over them all. Once everyone was quiet, she began to speak again. “I know that it sounds strange, but I know Sunny is telling the truth.” A fluttering of light gasps swept across the cavern, but she continued to explain. “When Tram attacked my son, Rife, Sunny mentioned to me the same thing that she told Everest. However, it was when Tram ran away that I realized that she was right.”

Again, there was more mutterings and murmurs amongst the elders and the rest of the council.

“When he said something to me before he ran off, it . . . oh, I’m not sure how to explain it . . . but it wasn’t just his voice I heard . . . There was another voice mixing with his, a faint but threatening one . . .” Saba shook away the sudden cold chills she got just by thinking of it. “It was one I had heard before, but somehow I couldn’t recognize it off-hand.” Her ears fell, making her feel almost like a failure. “I just have this feeling that . . . that something is going to happen because of this . . .”

“A calm before the storm . . .” Aleu murmured, causing Saba’s ears to rise. Maybe this is what Muru meant, not the attack on Little Jadze and Rife . . . Although that made sense now to her, still the vision she had earlier in the morning continued to perplex her. Does this have something to do with Shade returning, although it’s impossible for him to do so?

Saba nodded, remembering the conversation that she had with Aleu earlier that day. “Aleu’s right. I fear that perhaps our times of peace may be nearing an end. We must take these signs seriously and not let our guard down.”

“I agree – we cannot risk being caught off-guard,” Shadow concurred. “As a leader of a main sentry and attack team, I know we should do whatever it takes to make sure that all guards are up to speed on battling and defense tactics.”

“Yes, and I’ll help you with that too,” Everest volunteered. “We’ll need to be in tiptop shape should anything come up.” He turned to Saba with a slight smile on his face. “It’s our duty to protect the Alpha of the Talbourne Clan, no matter what sacrifices we have to make.”

“All right then. Let’s put it to a vote,” Saba announced. “Haroe?”

“Of course,” he responded with his orange ears twitching. “If anything would dare threaten our world here, we must be prepared for anything.”

“Kema?” Saba turned to the gray she-wolf for her response.

“We have been living peacefully since you have become our Alpha, Saba,” Kema spoke her mind. “I’ll admit it that I wasn’t too sure that I could move on without Aleu as Alpha, but you have surprised me with your sudden wisdom and authority to lead.” She smiled. “So, I vote that we do prepare to make ourselves ready for whatever awaits in our future.”

“Okay. Nava, what do you say?” Saba’s gaze turned to the tan elder, who had been an Alpha long before she was even conceived within her mother.

“We do not know what danger or blessing the future holds, but we can prepare for may approach us somehow,” the mystical lupine spoke wisely. “Despite her newness to our society, Saba speaks with a newfound wisdom, blessed to her by the Great Aniu. I believe that we should train all that are old enough to defend themselves, for I agree with what Aleu spoke of – ‘a calm before the storm’ is indeed upon us.” His tone was more spiritual now, as if the Great Spirits were speaking through him at that very moment. “Something is coming . . . but what it is, I know not. We must prepare to defend our home, our way of life, our hope for Aniu’s Clan.”

“Yes, I vote to immediately start training for all that can hunt or defend themselves,” Aleu stood up. “Saba has already agreed to help me relearn my fighting skills, as well as teaching my youngest pup how to defend herself.” She smiled back at her sister. “I believe that we should all be prepared.”

“Then it is agreed – we shall begin training in the morning for every wolf old enough,” It was hard for Saba to say her next words, but it had to be done. “I fear for my son’s life, but now is not the time for me to shed tears for him. We must protect what we have made here at all costs, even if we lose our lives in the process.” She now had a sense of confidence in her tone. “I know Aniu is watching over us now, protecting us as darker days approach us.”

As Saba slept that night after the meeting was adjourned, Tram’s parting words echoed through her mind, causing her to toss and turn.

“The next time we see each other, you’ll regret that you ever defied me . . . I swear it . . .”

That voice . . . that voice . . . Saba could see her son speaking those words to her, but she still couldn’t figure out the owner of the evil tone. It sounds so familiar to me, but why can’t I recognize it?

Oh, why do I feel so frightened whenever I hear that voice?Saba felt her heart pounding as the sentence continued to repeat in her mind. I am fearful for my son, for the Talbourne, as well as for myself . . .

She closed her eyes, hoping that she could sense the white wolf’s spirit within her once more. Oh, Aniu . . . I am afraid . . . It has been two months since I felt your presence last . . . I wonder what is wrong and what awaits your Clan and my family here . . . I know that you are protecting us, but I can’t help but worry . . .

Where are you now, Aniu?

(Act II – completed 10/22/08)

To be Continued in ACT III - MATURITY . . .