The team had been out for hours and were starting to now grow tired. Max felt his legs turn to ice and he knew the team must have felt the same way. Max turned his head and looked back trying to see that everyone was still standing, "Is everyone alright!!" He yelled, squinting to see them,"I think the dogs are having some trouble!!" Norru yelled back.Max walked slowly twards the group of dogs, Nava and Beauti approched him, "I can't feel my paws!!"Yelled Beauti, "Max I think we should turn back, no amount of food is worth such a struggle!!" Max sniffed the air for signs of Carribu but found nothing he figured they retreated back to their homes. Max nodded his head, "I'm, afraid your right, Nava, in the past hours the storm has grown stronger, I'll announce that the hunt has been called off, noone should die for this!!" Max howled loudly and motioned with his tail for the team to gather up. When they did, Max stood up tall and spoke loudly, "I don't have to tell you how strong the storm has gotten, look we're gonna go back to the cave, its safe and warm there and hopfully a hare or a few rats may be around there," The team nodded their heads in agreement and Max started leading them back.

About an hour past when Max realized he was lost.He stopped and looked around but all he saw was white, he sniffed the ground and air but he couldn't find his way back. If he'd been alone Max would have been fine, but being that seven other lives were under his care, he'd make sure he got them home even if he had to die trying.Max felt his body growing colder and his eyelids grew heavy, he struggled his best to stay awake but found it hard to."Max!" yelled Beauti as she ran up to him, Max stopped and looked at her as she struggled to stay up from the wind.She reached him and sat down panting,"Max the hunting party thinks we should stop we know we're lost and think that it would be pointless to carry on, Nava says if we walk amlessly then we are sure to parrish," Max looked back at the white sea of snow and wind that lay ahead and then back at Beauti.He thought of Aniu and the pups and gave a silent pryer that he'd make his way back to them and then he nodded his head and yelled so that everyone could hear him,"The storm has only gotten worse, it seems we need to stop for the night and huddle closly for warmth we will continue in before sunrise," Max looked at the darking sky. Some of the wolves and dogs thought of this as suieside but others were to tired to travle any father and nodded in agreement. Max desided to compromise,"We'll find some trees and take cover in them as we rest,"Max yelled and everyone agreed to that.

A couple hours passed before the team found trees.Max's strength was almost gone and he was greatful when he led them to some thick trees so that they could finnaly rest for the night."Alright huddle up in fours male,female so there's not much akwardness between us," Max half joked and the team laughed. The team split into two close groups with Beauti,Norru,Nava,and Max huddled in one group and the remaining four in the other.Max was used to sleeping so close for warmth, it remined him of days back on the team but, it was the first time he'd slept so close to Beauti and wasn't single. This made the sitchuation akward for him to keep his mind on his family and sleep next to another girl.Max shook the akward feeling and curled into a ball as the reast did, and allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Aniu pased at the enterence of the cave while watching the storm with worried look and a heavy heart.Suddenly Aniu's tail was being tugged softly which made her look down, a small white pup with a brown paw looked up at her, Aniu smiled, "What's wrong Lucas?" she asked, trying not to show the worry in her voice. Lucas yipped and his brothers and sisters walked behind him and said unanomosly,"Ma'ma we're hungry," Aniu smiled and walked from the entrence a little before laying down and letting the pups suckle on her. She sighed and balto looked up at her curiously,"You alright mom?" he asked as he walked up to her and put his paws on her face.Aniu licked her pup and Balto growled playfuly and bit her ear. Aniu looked at him and saw how much he looked like his father, 'All he's missing his the blue eye and a few battle scars' she thought as she growled at him and he pounced on her back and sniffed her fur. Balto lifted his head and looked at the snow,"The hunting party is in trouble mom," he said suddenly. Aniu quzzicly,looked her son in the eyes and saw for a few moments, an old wolf/dog standing there, staring in her eyes. She hadn't even told her pups about the hunting party yet for fear that they'd be to young to deal with the fact that some of them may be lost and yet here was her fist youngest pup telling her there's something wrong with them. "How did....Balto how did you know about the hunting party?" Aniu asked, watching his sibblings drop off her and into sleep. Balto lifted his head and one paw and howled deep,loud, and adult-like. After a moment Aniu saw Balto and Max standing together on an icefloat howling louder and louder.Aniu got up and ran to them but the faster she ran the father they got.

Aniu woke up panting with her head in a pool mixure of drool and melted snow around her head.She looked down at her pups curled against her soft white fur.She counted her pups and found that Balto was missing.Aniu got up and looked around for him, she found her son looking at snow outside which had now stopped.Aniu walked up behind him and sat down with a sigh,Balto looked at her and wagged his tail. "Something on your mind son?" she asked. Balto nodded,"Dad," he said quietly his mom sighed and looked at the snow, "Your father used to be a sled dog he's used to such harsh weather, he'll come home and he'll make sure all of the hunting party is with him," Aniu said with smile on her face but there was much dought in her mind which couldn't ingore.Aniu knew her dream was a warning that she would watch out for.She wanted to find her mate and the team and bring them home safe before something terrible happned to them but she feared if she left Balto she'd loose him some how.Aniu sighed again and Balto put his two front paws on his mother's leg and looked at her,"I wanna find dad,"he said looking his mom in the eyes.Aniu smiled again and looked at the snow,"I do to Balto,"She said. Balto turned and ran into the snow that had entered the cave,"Lets go and find him mom!" Balto shouted loudly.Aniu laughed,"Your just like your father you know that?" Balto wagged his tail and yipped at the snow and turned and bit his mom's paw playfuly.Aniu smiled and rolled him on his back softly,"Balto I'll tell you what I'll go out and look for dad and you stay here with your brothers and sisters.I'll put Neru in charge and I want you and your sibblings to be good and listen to him.His mate just gave birth a month ago I want you all to be nice to his pups their older and bigger then you you hear me?" Balto nodded and licked his mother's face.

Max woke up, with snow covering his body.He was greatful he'd made thru the night but, if he didn't get up then he wouldn't last the next two minuets of the day.Max lifted himself and shook the frozen snow from his body, he sniffed around and started digging the rest of the hunting party out of the snow.Max found that two dogs and Norru had frozen to death over night.Max sighed and looked at Nava who was staring at his father's still body with tears in his eyes. Max walked over to him and Nava sunk his head into Max's chest and let out a long sad howl.Max and the others howled along with him as loud as they could. After a few minuets Max stepped away from Nava slowly and started to walk away, he took a few steps and looked back at Nava,"Come on Nava we have to...." Max was interupted by the sound of a gun and one of the wolves hitting the ground. Beauti gasped and started to run into the forest but was stopped when Max pulled her by her scruff causing her to fall to the ground. "Max what the hell?!" she shouted as a bullet wized by,"What you'd rather be killed?" Max said and tugged at Nava. "Nava we've got to go now before we're killed,"Max said and nudged Nava before the three of them took off running.

Aniu had been walking a good half an hour when she heard the howles and the bullets flying thru the air. Frightened, she hid in the trees and serched for the source of the bullets,Aniu growled low when she spotted a human loading his gun. The human hadn't spotted her yet and Aniu was thankful for the element of surperize as she lunged out at him and grabbed his gun, knocking him down as she ran into the forest!

Meanwhile, Max,Nava, and Beauti where running at top speed as they heard another shot. "We can't run much longer Max we have to stop soon!" Beauti said running behind him. Max said nothing and sped up.He felt weaker then he did last night, he figured it was frostbite and thought that if he got his limbs moving fast then his body would warm up."Max slow down for once! The shots have stopped we can take our time!" Beauti yelled as she raced ahead of him and stopped in front of him. Max back paddled alittle and sat down panting and growling,"What the hell do you think your doing Beauti?!" "Me?you just keep speeding like a rabid dog!What's gottin into huh? The guns have stopped we're safe that's head back to the clan now can we?" Max got up and tried moving from Beauti but she only blocked him every where he whent. Max put his head and ears down and growled loudly and Beauti growled back,"What's wrong with you?"She asked, Nava trotted behind Max and watched them. Max growled louder and showed his teeth, every ounce of his body acked in pain and his front legs shaked, threating to collaps under him. He whined slightly as Beauti and Nava watched his movments, she walked to him slowly and he bit her shoulder causing it to bleed. She licked him and he laid down, panting,Nava walked up to the side of him and sat down,"My body feels so weak," Max complained. Nava laid by him and put his paw on Max's back, Beauti sat beside him and licked his cheek, "Such a strong leader,I've never seen you act this way Maxie, you think it's frostbite?" Beauti asked, Max nodded slowly and felt snow drop onto his nose,"Looks like the storm is up for a secound go," Max said looking at the dark clouds in the sky.

Aniu walked along the snow, nose to the ground, looking for the hunting party. She'd walked a few minuets when the smell of fresh blood filled her nose.She looked up with sadness as she saw a wolf from her clan lying dead with a hole thru his heart next to a few dogs and a wolf whos family she'd befriended. Aniu sighed,"Mitsy won't be happy about this,"She said as she burried the bodies. Aniu sniffed around untill she caught the sent of her mate and what was left of the hunting party. Happy that they were alive, Aniu fallowed the sent as the snow fall increased as did the wind.

After a rest Max,Nava, and Beauti slowly began walking, searching for shelter out of the storm. "Is it just me or is the wind picking up?" Max half yelled as he tried his best to stay up against the winds increasing speed. "I can hardly see where we're going and can feel my paws freezing up if we don't find shelter soon we'll be three nature-made statues," Beauti joked. Nava growled, "You guys should spend less time joking and more time sniffing," Nava yelled before he took anouther big sniff, looking for shelter.Max growled weakly at the pup's comment but, he knew Nava had a point and walked slightly ahead of them with his nose to the ground. Max yelped as a new rush of cold was sent through his body. Sitting, he panted and shivered, trying to get back up. Beauti leaned her body against his and try her best to get him up, "Look old boy, I know how you feel the cold weather's getting to me to but, if we give up now we'll die, think of your pups and girl Maxie," Beauti pleaded. Max laid down in the snow and his eyes fought to stay open, "Beauti, I don't think I can make it girl, please tell Aniu and the pups I love them," Beauti felt a tear run down her muzzle as she shook the sadness that filled her heart, "Listen Max, your a reble, why, your the badest, the toughest, the strongest sled-dog I've ever know, now don't let a little storm like this throw ya," Beauti yelled as she and Nava pushed Max back onto his feet. Max coughed a few times and slid back down as he felt his legs weaking. The three of them knew, Max wasn't stroung enough to search any more, the storms had taken what was left of his strength. Nava looked at Beauti and both of them sighed, Nava leaned his head close to Max's ear and spoke,"Max, is there anything I can do for you before or after you leave this world?" Max raised his head and nodded, "Please, take care of my children, my mate and if we both shall leave this world before our time I want you to take my place as alpha," Nava and Beauti both gasped, "But....I'm to young to lead Max, I will have to be taught properly," "You've shown yourself worthy of and alpha, why, you remind me of my days when I lead a sled-dog team, besides, if you need help Beauti as well as any of the dogs,wolves, and hybrids in the clan will surly help you and thoes who don't will answer to Beauti," Max said with a laugh. Nava and Beauti joined in and they moved closer to Max trying to keep him warm. Max looked into Beauti's eyes and she blushed slightly, "I know we have our history Beauti, we've been through so much and been friends so long that I know your holding back tears trying to be strong and hoping I'll make it thru this run like I have every other. I've gotta tell ya, I wish I was home right now with the team and Aniu and the pups....I mean I've not even seen them walk nor heard them talk yet, I dought they know who I even am since I'm always hunting. But anyway, Beauti I want you to know your the best friend a dog could ever have....I love you Beauti," Max said as tears rolled down his eyes. Beauti sobbed as she felt Max's heartbeat slowing, "I love you to.... as much more then a friend I always have I always will," she said softly trying to hold back tears. Max licked her as he felt his body growing colder and his world slowly going dark, Nava and Beauti licked Max's face and Beauti whispered in Max's ear, "You can go now Max, we'll see you again some day,". Max smiled and closed his eyes, a few secounds later his heart stopped and body grew slightly colder. Nava and Beauti staied by his side and fell asleep.