When Max got to the woods he tryed his best to sniff out Aniu but, had no such luck. He feared she had travled farther into town untill he spotted her tracks in the snow.Being careful not to distroy them as he walked, Max desided to let out a long lonly howl for all to hear, then he waited to hear if there was an answer to his cry. At first there was non, but after a few minutes passed, he heard a long and load howl that he could only guess was Aniu.Thinking this, he took off twards the sound and howled again only louder and more wolf-like this time, "Aniu!Is that you?Where are you Aniu?" He yelled,unfortunutly, there was no answer. Max disided to slow down a little since the howling soon stopped,he figured it had to be a clan looking for their members,"Sister! Where have you gone?! Please Aniu, I have desided to run with you, live in the wild as you do!Dear sister please show me where you have gone!"Max yelled as he came upon a river and sat down.Max sighed and looked at the moon and stars in the sky as tryed to way his options if Aniu was not to return to him. There wasn't many, the only things he could do is either live out the rest of his days with Boris and sneek thru town durring the night when people and dogs were asleep or he could become a wild lone dog hunting and feeding off the land freely.Either way, he couldn't go back to the life he once lived, no matter how much he wanted to,"Oh Max old boy how'd you get yourself in this mess? Since when does a female have you so hung up? Your three years old buddy,you should know better," Max said to himself as he looked at his reflection in the river.

Max's champian coller reflected brightly and Max was reminded of all his better days of racing.Even though he was filled with dought and guilt, he knew he'd have to leave thoses feelings behind and set his mind on learning how to hunt.Max laid down and continued to look at himself in the river, when he heard foot steps approching. Max lefted his head and growled loadly at the sound,"Brother? It is I brother!I've been looking for you," Yelled Aniu.Max was so releved it was her that his tail wagged wild, "Aniu, I'm here by the lake,"Max replied happily. Aniu lipmed over to Max and they hugged for the first time since they've met," Aniu I'm so glade your here,I....I'm not sure what to do in the wild all alone. I mean I'm a pet and a sled dog how am I gonna make it out here?" "With my help you will make it here fine,all you need is a few lessons and some days out here,your instinces will take over soon enough brother," Aniu said with a smile, "I love it when you smile," Max said smiling back at her.

They slept by the lake that night and stayed close to each other more for protection then for warmth. The next day at sun raise,Aniu tugged at Max's coller,getting him up so that they could start their training, "Brother our training should be easy,for most of the hunting information is in you as well many of what a hunter needs to survive, all I need to help you do,is remember that your roots lay in this wild land," Aniu said,sounding older and wizer then her days,"Alright then that's get to hunting,I'm starving," Max said in a bit of a high pitched tone, "Before we can hunt we must find a new den and new tarritory, then we can see to it that we have a good meal ," "Alright so how do we find a new place to live?" "You must learn to smell and at times fight but first you must see to it that the food we want lives not far from us.You see wolves, live in fox dens that have been long since gone but, very so often a fox does live in a den which has the same food source in which we use so we must fight for survival less we will die. Now, should find a den not so far from the lake and not so far from the carribu which is our food,"  "Hey Aniu what happened to your limp?" Max said looking at her now healed wounds, "......there are herbs I eat and roll in it heals wolves a bit faster then normal,but come now back to the lesson,"

Max hung on to Aniu's every word and lesson that day and pratcis what she told him to.With luck they were able to find an old den which empty and just big enough for the two of them to fit in. At the moment they were crouched a few feet away from a herd of carribu,"Ok brother here's your chance to prove yourself, all you have to do is go after one of them I suggest the medium sized one with both antlers over off the side from the rest of the herd we'll get him together," Aniu whispered,"Why that one?" Max whispered back,"Look at it, there's no marks on it,it has both antlers, and it looks a tad weak, it has to be half grown probly never fought before," "Alright Aniu,your the boss I'm only the bata dog runnin with you," Aniu rolled her eyes,"Your just new at this, I mean you were a house pet all your life, but all that doesn't matter now if you wish to eat!" Aniu said slightly loud. Max desided to shut up before he'd be killed by Aniu and started circling closer to one side of the carribu. Max looked back and saw that Aniu had the carribu's other side and crept closer,growling silenlty with excitment he waited for Aniu's signal,"Max move now now!" She whispered loudly setting Max into a run stright for the carribu. The Carribu took off and Max ran long side it biting it's side,trying to knock ot over, while Aniu charged at it and jumped on its back,"Max get its neck!" She screamed. Max sped infront of it and grabed it's neck tightly in his mouth as it slowed down making blood appear and drained deep into Max's mouth once again exciting him as it did when he bit his musher.

Later that afternoon while they ate,Max woundered what his team was up to right now, "You did good today, better then most first time hunters,"Aniu said thinking Max was worried about the hunt,"Thanks," Max said sadly, "Were are you?" "What?" "Your not worried about the hunt I can see that so were are you?" "I'm just thinkin about my team,I'm not sure if I made the right choice Aniu.I mean, don't get me wrong I love my new life but I kinda miss my old one," "Max, brother, we must learn to let go of our past so that we may face the present," "I know that Aniu but, it's just so hard letting go," "this I know for it was hard for me to except the fact that I may be alone as I saw more and more clans disipearing," "Aniu I'm so sorry you felt lonly but, I feel my team needs me badly, without me they may be lost!" "Listen! Brother!You must learn to let go of the past, your team will be well without you!I have seen them, they are strong they will make it without you fine enough," Aniu snapped right before she took anouther large bite of their catch. Max put his head down and was silent for a few minets,Aniu cearfully observed every inch of Max's body as she could while she ate, she noticed many scars and old wounds from the many battles his past held, "Brother, where....where did you get that scar across your eye?" She asked,"Scar?" "Across your one blue eye?" "Oh,when my  friend King and I where pups we hated each other, well one day in our younger years we'd gotten into a fight and he scratched me but, as you can see, he didn't aim very well and because of his mistake he lost the battle," "After the battle, you became friends because you earned each others' respect?" "Yea, it made us closer," Max said, sticking his chest out stright and smiling proudly, letting his champian collar shine from the light outside the cave.Aniu looked at the collar and sniffed it,"The one thing I never understood was why you human servants had these things around your necks," "Firstly Aniu, Iam no longer a servant of the humans and secound, this is called a collar and it is made to make sure that the runnaways are found by other humans and returned to their homes. Mine was a prize I got for being the fastest dog in Nome," Max said proudly, "Well you might want to get rid of it," "And why's that sister?" "If you come incontact with a human then he will take you back home," "I will not allow humans to come near me sister I will run back to our den if they try," "You must not return to the den less you are sure they will not follow you, you must warn them off and if they do not listen you must attack untill they back off," "Sister, Iam not acostom to fighting humans," "There is fight in you brother, you have the scars to prove it, all you have to do is try and see the humans as past dog fights," "That's great but what do I do should I get in a fight with a wolf?There is not much chance I will win," "You can learn to win your repect and kill a few wolves with a few lessons from me.Do not worry brother, I will teach you all you need to know and then maybe we can viset your team and check up on them but first, the lessons of the wild must come back to you," "When will my training begin Aniu?" "It has already began," Said Aniu with a slight grin.

The weeks that followed were intense and exhusting.Max however,took it all in and praticed everything that was taught to him,"Max you have done well in training, better then any dog I've ever seen in the wild,your pracitly a wolf dear brother," "Thankyou Aniu for teaching me," Max said with pride. "Max, there is one thing you must let go of before you are considered completly wild," "What's that Aniu?" "Your collar, you must let it go," "Aniu, even if I wanted to, I can't reach it I need hands to take it off," "Don't worry I'll take care of that just don't move alright?" "What are you gonna do?" Max asked. Within secounds,Aniu had leaped on Max, pushing him to his back and grabing his collar in her mouth, she pulled it off his neck and threw it, letting it land on a near on a tree limb, "Dag Aniu, you had me scared for a moment there I swear you where gonna bite my neck off!"
Max send, getting up from Aniu's grip. Aniu laughed and looked at Max with a huge smile, "I'm glade your finnaly free Max," "As am I Aniu," Max said with a smile.

Max yawned as the sun began to set in the sky.Colors flickered and the sounds of a howling wolf clan filled the air and Aniu sighed,"Wish I could go back to them," she said softly, "Go back to who Aniu?"Max asked.Aniu looked up at the few stars which had started to twinkle in the sky,"My old clan," "Why aren't you still with them?" "Humans chased some and killed others, they accused us of killing many anilmals in town because we were often the closet to the town but the truth is, another clan caused the killings of many of the attacks," "Why not fallow thoses of your clan who were left?" "I did not wish to leave for we had done nothing wrong so I didn't feel it was right we should leave. Besides I was thinking of leaving,after the death of my father and mother by the humans it didn't seem right that I leave the land which they called home.They started a clan on this land, them and the few lone wolves they'd already taken in and called their family," "I'm so sorry Aniu I wish the past could have been prevented," "It could have if people were more informed of wolves and were kinder to the animals of the forest, but, I do not regret it for everything happens for a reason. Perhaps if my clan were still here you'd be killed insted of living here or you'd never know what it's like to be truly free," "True and Iam glade we met and greatful you did not kill me nor did I kill you,"Max said looking into Aniu's eyes which began to shine under the coming night.They sat on a mountain near their den and for a long time just watched the stars play in the night sky and told each other of their lives,without really knowing it,they became closer then they ever had that night.

Max and Aniu fell asleep under the stars that night.The next morring Max was awoken by the sound of barking. Stretching and yawning, Max got up and looked over the mountain to see his old team running thru the forest with Raz at the lead and his girl Rose taking his old spot.Seeing this Max thought that while Aniu was asleep he could sneak down and try to head them to the spot were they stopped for a break was. Max raced off the moutain and ran till he found the lake where his old team was sure to stop as they always did, he hid in a near by bush and waited patcianly and quietly till he saw them stop. Max's old musher unhooked the team and laid down sleepily Max figured they must have raced all night and needed a break.He waited till the musher was asleep till he slinked from the bushes and off twards Raz,"Buddy..hey Raz," he whispeared, Raz turned around and looked at his old friend, "Max oh my god we all thought you were dead by now what's happened?"Raz asked, "Raz I'm fine, Aniu has tought me all she knows, says I'm the best and fastest learner as well, how's the team?" "Ever since you left it's been hard filling your shoes I mean I'm not exactly one of Nome's fastest, Their thinking about makin' King's team the new fastest dog we're in a race right now tryin ta see if our....er my team can accutlly beat him, King and Beauti are expecting a litter so she's out of races for a while untill the pups are out and wheened," "That's to bad, Beauti was a strong runner she could have really help you guys out," "You could really help us out Max, we need you back on the team, come on Maxie you could be lead again if you want you know your better at it then Iam just come back home please," "Razzy I can't go back Aniu needs me," "We need you more, Aniu is a lone wolf she probly always has been it's not like she'll mind, I mean your a dog you belong with humans she doesn't come back home please," "I can't go back I belong here now I'm wild," "Max your tame you don't even like hunting, come back home," Raz growl, "Look Raz you don't know Aniu she'll kill me if I go back, besides that I love it out here I'm finnaly free I can do whatever the hell I want and no one is there to bark orders at me," Max growled back "Fine Max if you really wanna give up your life and whined up dead on because you call yourself fighting some stupid wolf then do it!" "First off Raz wolves aren't stupid infact you could learn a few things from them, and secound, you know what Raz I've had it with your aittude!" Max growled and Raz growled back at him. Raz barked and Max lunged at him, bitting him deep in his paw causing him to bleed.Raz screamed in pain but he was not yet ready to give up the fight as he jumped for Max's neck.Max however was to fast and Raz missed and insted got Max's back right leg in his mouth and tried to pull Max off his back.Max bit Raz's tail hard and let go of it causing anouther part of Raz's body bleed,Max landed hard on the ground and was let go from Raz's grip.Max got up slowly and pepared to go after Raz again but stopped when he heard the sound of a gun, the two turned around to see the musher with a gun in his hand aimed twards the air,Max growled remembering his old owner and the his teachings from the wild mixed with the smell of fear and blood filled the air. Max's old musher looked closly at the wild dog in front of him, "Ahh Max so we meet again I was afraid you'd be food for that wolf by now but it looks like she desided to keep you huh?"Said the musher. Max growled louder and beared his teeth, "Look old boy now I don't know what you and Raz would have to fight about but whatever it is I'm sure he doesn't deserve to be killed over it, personily I'd like to let you go I mean your kinda still my dog but you know how the people of Nome are," The musher said reloading his gun. Max leaped and tackled the man fighting to get the gun out of his hands, but the musher was quiet strong and knocked Max to the ground. Max got up, shook off,lifed his head and howled loud and long, it was a howl for help which he knew Aniu would answer as well as come to his aid. As Max's old musher loaded the gun and prepared to shoot Aniu howled and leaped, taking the gun form his hand and knocking him down. Aniu tossed the gun in the lake and looked stright at Max who took off into the forest limping with Aniu not far ahead of him.

When they made it back to the den saftly latter that day, Max laid down and stretched his hinde leg out and started licking his wound. Aniu said nothing nor did she look at him that day, "Aniu....I'm sorry I just had to see my old team again I didn't mean to cause trouble," Aniu said nothing only laid down by the entrence in the den,Max let out a low wine and continued licking his sore to him i'd be just anouther war wound and anouther story to tell his pups if he had any someday.Aniu sighed and put her head in her paws Max watched her and started thinking about the events of the day, "I know I scared you today I know I could have been hurt or killed but this was something I had todo I mean I missed them I've lived with them my whole life their the only family I've ever known,"Max said,Aniu staied silent much like when they first met.The only difference was that this time there were know stars and she wasn't lonly or bleeding, Aniu was upset at Max and treated him the way she would treat anyone who was not in rank with her, to show him that he was not allowed to act this way that he was not allowed to do this.As much as she wanted to, she couldn't talk to him and she wasn't going to.

That entier day was spent in silence.They didn't talk till much later that night,when Max's paw stopped thrubbing,"Max what did you think you were doing when you whent to go see your old team?" "Aniu I'm sorry," "You could have been killed, what if I didn't get to you in time?" "Then I'd be dead and you'd be alone again," "Look how many times must I tell you that you can no longer have contact with your team because they stay around humans," "I know Aniu it was foolish of me alright I understand that!" "Yes but apparently you also do not understand how dangerous man is! They see you and me and all they see is wild things that can no longer be tame! They only see us as a threat to their lives and know that we must be destroied!" Aniu said with such seriousness that Max's ears laid down and his head dropped to the floor. He looked at into her eyes brifly and saw that she looked as though she were about to cry, he knew then that the pain of the death of most of her old clan. Max let out a sigh of respect,"Aniu next time my team and I cross paths I promise to either stay away from them or try my best to attck them if cornered,"Max said and locked eyes with Aniu, "I understand why you wish to go back with them they are your family....if you would like to truly, you may go I will not stop you," "Aniu you are my family now I do not wish to leave your side I mean....we're a clan and that means more then a sled dog team, besides with you I get to run as fast and hard as I can and go anywhere I want,"Max said and Aniu walked over and licked his sore paw,letting him know she forgave him. Max nuzzled Aniu and she blushed and backed off, she knew a leader shouldn't act like this to someone of lesser rankings but part of her couldn't help herself, she was begining to have feelings for Max which was why she screamed at him. Max looked at her, "Your right Aniu I'm sorry I'll stop," Max said, sitting up slowly, "lay back down we should get some rest," Aniu said, laying about a foot from Max who did as he was told and whent to sleep.

Max woke up the next morring just as the sun was begining to. Licking his now numb paw, he yawned and limped out of the den and into the near by lake for a drink and for a bath. Max was enjoying the feel of the water when Aniu showed up looking drowzy, she yawned and slowly stepped into the water,"How's your paw,"She asked with a yawn, "It'll heal like all the others and become another tale to tell like all the others," Max answered with a smile. Aniu looked at the sun which was still tucked behind a cloud, there was an akward silence between the two of them which was strange since, Max thought that he was only being friendly, inspite of the fact that he was beiging to have feelings for Aniu. "I think I'm good to run on it after a good swim so don't worry about me slowing you down on today's hunt," Max said after a while,Aniu just smiled and wagged her tail, "Listen Aniu about last night I was only being friendly I mean like you were when you licked my foot," "Max I know you were only being friendly I didn't mind what you did just, I....a leader is not to get that close with her clan," "Then that's not go by rank, after all there is only two of us, let us be at the same rank and do as your mother and father start our own clan where we are the alphas," "How do you think we should do that?" "Well we'll have to find a few banished dogs and some lone wolves but first maybe we could umm....preserve what's left of your old clan," Aniu laughed,"Well Max your thinking ahead of youreself aren't you? What makes you think I'll even let you breed with me?" "Easy your a beatuiful young strong female who I'm guessing will go into heat soon and I'm a tall strong hansome young fertile male that has a lot of experience with fights," "Fights not girls? How do you know your fertile if you've never bred?" "Easy, the one thing my old musher ever talked about was how he was going to breed me all these girls he thought would be perfect for me," Max said with a smile. Aniu just laughed and kissed him on the cheek, Max blushed and splashed water in Aniu's face. Aniu gasped,jumped up and splashed him back,Max growled playfuly and sunk into the water only to appear after tripping Aniu up under the water and letting her land backward in the water.