This story is told from more than one perspective. At the beginning of each part a name is given identifying who’s viewpoint it will be told from. The only exception is the Prologue, which is written in third person.
Nina awoke, yawned, and stretched. Her mate, Sequoia, stirred next to her. She smiled and nuzzled him. “Oh, not yet,” he groaned, pawing at the air in her direction. “It’s too early.”
Nina smiled. Even if Sequoia were the early-morning type, which he wasn’t, he had been out late on a hunt the night before. ‘Oh, I might as well give him some peace,’ she thought. She headed to the mouth of the cave to take in the sunrise.
Her ears perked up as she heard whimpering ahead. Advancing, she almost stepped on a tiny white cub half-buried in the snow. She sniffed it. It was a girl, and she didn’t smell like she might belong to any of the neighboring packs. But whoever’s cub she was, she certainly didn’t belong out here in the cold. Nina licked her and picked her up, bringing her into the cave. “Sequoia!” she called.
Sequoia stirred and stood up. Several members of the pack, also awakened by Nina’s call, came over to see what was going on.
“Look,” said Nina, showing them the cub. The little white wolf squirmed around on the cave floor, looking for a source of warmth.
“Where did it come from?” asked one of the wolves.
“I found her outside the cave,” answered Nina.
Sequoia studied the pup. “She’s very thin,” he observed. “And she looks ill.”
“What should we do?” asked somebody.
Sequoia looked grave. “I don’t know what we can do. It looks like nature’s going to take its course with her.”
“No!” Nina blurted out. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Even though she was the alpha female, Nina tended to be quiet much of the time and was not prone to outbursts. Slowly she said, “What I mean is, shouldn’t we try?”
Sequoia considered. “What do you suggest?”
Nina closed her eyes, thinking hard. “I want to keep her,” she said at last.
All eyes turned to Sequoia. As the alpha male, he would have to decide about any newcomers. He shook his head. “She’s not ours,” he said.
“She’s not anyone’s,” countered Nina. “She needs a home, and we have no children. Please?”
Sequoia looked at the pup. Then he looked at Nina. “Was there any sign of her parents?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. There were no tracks at all.”
He nodded. “Then she will be our daughter.”
Nina smiled and pressed her neck against his. “Thank you, Sequoia.” Then she picked up the cub and trotted over to a soft patch of dirt on the cave floor as the other wolves went off to go about their business. Lying down, she set the cub next to her. “Now,” she asked, “What will we call you?”
As if in answer, the little cub let out a squeak that sounded like, “Aneeyu.”
“What?” asked Nina, surprised by the prompt reply.
The cub didn’t answer at first, but just as Nina had begun to think it had been a random bit of baby talk, out it came again. “Aniu.”
“Aniu.” Nina tried it out. It had a smooth sound, with an almost musical tone.
“Aniu?” asked Sequoia, coming over to them.
“It’s her name,” said Nina. “At least, I think it is.”
Sequoia raised an eyebrow. “You think it is?”
“Aniu,” burbled the cub.
“Well, she said it when I asked what her name should be, and she hasn’t stopped saying it since.”
Sequoia chuckled. “Alright,” he said. “Aniu it is.”
My earliest memories are of Mama and Papa. I remember that whenever they could get away from their duties as the leaders of the pack they would play with me, running through the woods or rolling around in soft pine needles. Often on cold nights we would snuggle up together and they would tell me stories.
One evening I looked around at the other wolves as the pack bedded down for the night. I don’t know how, but for the first time I realized something. “Mama? Papa?” I asked as I snuggled between them. “How come I don’t look like you?”
Mama sighed. She seemed hesitant to speak. “Well, Aniu,” she said at last, “You were adopted.”
“Adopted?” I asked. I had heard the word before. Sometimes the other wolves would say it about me. But I had never managed to learn what it meant because they wouldn’t tell me. “What’s adopted?”
Mama and Papa exchanged looks. “Adopted,” explained Papa, “Means that we took you in. You came from somewhere else.”
I tipped my head. “Somewhere else?”
Mama sighed. “We’re not really your parents. I found you in the snow one morning and we took you in.”
I was confused. “You’re not my parents? Then where are they?”
“We don’t know. There were no tracks. We just found you out there one morning, right outside the cave. We…” Mama trailed off. “We didn’t have any children, so we adopted you.”
The words hit me like a trees falling down right in my face. I barely knew what to think. I stood up. “’Scuse me,” I said, “I need to… get some air.”
As I walked out of the cave, I could hear them talking. “Do you think we should have told her?” asked Mama.
Papa sighed. “I don’t know. She seems to be taking it alright.”
“That’s what worries me. She barely reacted at all. It’s like she wants us to think she doesn’t care.”
I shook my head as a tear leaked out of my eye. If only they knew what was going through my head. I felt betrayed, cheated, out of place.
“Maybe I should go talk to her,” said Papa. I heard him get up and approach. “Aniu?” he asked. “Are you alright?”
Unable to help myself, I sniffled. “Yeah, I’m OK,” I said. “But why didn’t you tell me before that you and Mama weren’t really my parents?”
Papa looked at the ground. “I don’t know why we didn’t tell you. I guess… I guess it was because in some ways we’d forgotten.” He was silent for a long moment. “Does it really bother you?”
I looked at him as if he had just asked a fish if it would mind taking a trip to an eagle’s nest. “Yes it bothers me. Mama’s not my real mother, you’re not my real father, this pack isn’t my real pack…” I built up as my voice got more and more tense. After a tight pause I asked what every adopted child asks at some point. “Where is my real pack? Where are my real parents? Why didn’t they want me?”
Papa pulled me in close with a paw. “I don’t know the answers, and it kills me that I don’t. But I do know this: whether or not I’m your real father, and whether or not Nina is your real mother, you will always be our daughter. And as long as we’re here, you have no need to feel like you don’t belong.” He looked up at the sky, and I followed his gaze. “You see, family is about more than looking alike or sharing the same bloodlines. Family is about loving and caring for one another.” He nuzzled me. “Does that make it any better?”
I still felt confused, but I smiled anyway. “Yeah, it does. Thanks Papa.”
He seemed to buy it. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now come. Let’s go inside.”
We went back to Mama and I lay next to her. She licked my forehead. “Are you alright, dear?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” ‘I’ve still got about a million unanswered questions,’ I thought, ‘But otherwise I’m fine.’
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I yawned. “Maybe tomorrow,” I said, burrowing into her side.
Mama and Papa eventually did have pups, and at last I felt somewhat normal. True, I didn’t have their full attention all the time now, but it was nice to be in a normal family with brothers and sisters. I changed a lot as time went on, growing into a strong and beautiful wolf. At least, everyone said I was beautiful. Every male in the pack certainly said so at one time or another. Several times a young bachelor would ask me to join him in a trip to
One day when I was about three years old and out on a hunt, it began to snow hard. We decided that we would give up the hunt and get back to the cave before it got too bad to find our way. As we headed for home, I detected a scent I had never smelled before. It smelled like wolves, but different somehow. Driven by an utterly overpowering curiosity, I broke off from the group and followed my nose.
I have often thought about that decision, and there have been times I’ve wished that I had just stayed with the group. But most of the time, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
It was cold. I don’t know how cold, but it was too cold. The sled was almost buried in the driving snow, the musher was frozen solid, and my fellow dogs lay dead or dying around me. My friend Blizzard lay on top of me, frozen like the rest. He had died keeping me warm. And now, as I lay there freezing to death, it seemed his sacrifice would be in vain. ‘Thanks anyway for trying, buddy,’ I thought as I lay there shivering. I’m not sure why I directed it to him. He couldn’t read my mind even if he was alive, and I was sure I’d be telling it to him in person pretty soon. But it felt good somehow to think any thought, and it was some comfort to think it at him as if he could hear it. I closed my eyes for what I thought would be the last time.
I don’t know how much later it was when I sensed a presence and opened my eyes. All I could see was white. Then two yellow eyes and a black dot materialized, coming toward me. I tried to keep my eyes open, but the cold air forced them shut again. I heard voices, but snow had filled my ears and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I felt myself being lifted, but the loss of Blizzard’s remaining heat made me black out altogether. Just before I slipped into oblivion, I managed to plead, “Do something for Blizzarrrrrd.” Then I was dead to the world.
When I awoke, two hours later as I would eventually learn, I was in a warm place and I felt someone next to me. Opening my eyes, I dimly saw a snowy-white shape that slowly focused itself into a vaguely canine form. ‘Where am I?’ I wondered. ‘Am I dead? Is that an angel?’ I tried to ask, “Who are you?” but the white dog shushed me.
“Peace,” it said. “Don’t move. It’s alright. Save your strength.”
Too tired to do anything but obey, I closed my eyes. I felt the angel or whatever it was lie down next to me, and the last thought in my mind was, ‘At least it’s warm here.’
The next morning I awoke to see the white stranger sitting by my side. My head was clearer now, even if my eyes were taking their time, and I smelled that the stranger was a female. Noticing the lack of wings, I mentally scratched the angel theory.
“You are awake,” she said softly.
I wanted to stand up, but I was too stiff. “Yeah. Where am I?”
“You are in the cave of the Bear Rock pack,” she replied.
“Pack…” I said, trying to take it in with my brain still foggy. “As in wolf pack?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Does that mean you’re a wolf?” I asked. I could see better now, enough to know the answer before she said it.
“Yes,” she repeated with a nod. “I am Aniu, daughter of Sequoia and Nina.” She gave me a look that reminded me of my musher- firm and appraising. “And you are?”
“Oh, uh, Kodan,” I replied. I have to admit I was a little scared. I'd heard a lot of bad things about wolves, and here I was alone in a cave with one of them. But then she couldn't be all bad, I reasoned, since I was still alive.
She stood. “You look like you could use a little fresh air. Want to come outside?”
Hesitantly I rose to my feet. “Yeah, sure.” I followed her to the mouth of the cave and looked out at the snow. That was when something clicked in my mind. “What happened to the others?” I asked.
She looked at the ground, and I could tell even before she spoke that it was bad news. “Dead,” she answered sadly. “All of them. My brother Khoros and I brought you here.” She turned to look me in the eye. “You spoke of Blizzard as we were bringing you here. Was Blizzard your friend?”
I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. “Yeah. He was lying on top of me to keep me warm.”
“I’m sorry,” said Aniu. “Blizzard was dead when we got there.”
“He died saving me,” I murmured slowly. I looked at Aniu. “Has anything been done for him?”
She shook her head. “No. You were so heavy it was all Khoros and I could do to bring you here.”
Now I felt worse than ever. It wasn’t bad enough that Blizzard had died to save my life, but thanks to me, he had been left out there alone. “How can you be sure?” I asked, not wanting to believe my friend was really gone. “He was still giving off heat. He might have been alive!”
Aniu looked me in the eye. “I know death when I see it. Your friend was dead, believe me.”
I can’t describe what it was like, but when she said it I knew with utter certainty that she knew what she was talking about. “Can I go see him?” I asked.
She seemed confused for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Yes, we can go now if you want,” she replied. “I’ll show you the way. But first, let’s introduce you to my Papa.”
Aniu’s father was gray, but anyone could see it wasn’t from age. He was lean, muscular, and at least a head taller than me. “Good morning,” he said in greeting.
I nodded. “Good morning, sir. Um, thank you for letting me spend the night.” I dipped my head to Aniu as well. “And thank you again for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.” Aniu’s father looked me up and down. “What is your name?”
“Kodan.”
“I am Sequoia, son of
‘Oh boy,’ I thought. I didn’t know much about wolves, but I did know what Alpha meant. For my purposes, it meant that one wrong word could be my last. I bowed my head. “It’s an honor to meet you, Sequoia.” After a moment I remembered the reason I had come to talk with him. “Your daughter, Aniu, has kindly offered to take me to where my companions are if you will grant permission.”
He tilted his head. “Your companions?”
“The other sled dogs,” I explained. “One of them died saving my life and I… well, I never got to say goodbye.”
He bowed his head, which struck me as an odd gesture from a superior. “I am sorry for your loss, and I honor your friend’s sacrifice. You may go at once. Aniu, show him the way.”
“Yes, Papa.”
As Aniu led me out of the cave, I was dazzled by the bright sunlight and almost walked straight into a large, black wolf. “Sorry,” I hastily blurted.
The black wolf fixed me with an expression that suggested he had never seen a dog before, and wasn’t at all happy to see one now. “What are you doing here?” he growled.
I searched my brain, which still behaved like it was half frozen, for an answer. Fortunately Aniu stepped in on my account. “This is Kodan,” she explained. “He’s a guest here, and he has full approval to remain as long as he needs to.”
The black wolf looked from Aniu to me and back again, then walked away growling.
“Now there’s a friendly guy,” I remarked sarcastically.
“His name is Kava,” explained Aniu.
“Your boyfriend?” I inquired.
She made a face that would have curdled milk. “Thank Heaven, no he is not.”
I nodded. “I think I’ve seen him somewhere before. Under a rock. Maybe a worm or a leech, or a salamander.”
To my surprise, Aniu smiled. There was a twinkle in her eye as she replied, “It must have been a worm or a leech. Salamanders are too cute.”
In spite of the thoughts of Blizzard, I felt a slight tug at the corner of my mouth. ‘At least she has a sense of humor,’ I thought.
Aniu guided me to several piles of snow. I had to dig at a few of them to find Blizzard, and each dog I uncovered brought a painful wave of memories. We had been comrades. Teammates. Friends. But none closer than me and Blizzard. He’d been my buddy since the day I joined the sled team. Finally I found him, lying on his side where Aniu and her brother had pushed him off of me. It felt wrong to see a dog who had always been so energetic and full of life now so still. I didn’t care that I was being watched. I wept anyway. “Goodbye, Blizzard,” I said. “You were a good friend. I’m sure gonna miss you.” I placed a paw on his shoulder as if he were asleep and might at any moment wake up and be his old self again. “You were like a brother to me. All the toughest parts of my life, you were there through thick and thin. You always had a joke or a wisecrack. Bet you’d get a real kick out of a blizzard doing you in, huh? You always did love the snow.” I removed my paw and stared down at him. “They say all dogs go to Heaven. I don’t know if that’s true, but if there are any up there, I’ll bet that’s where you are right now.” I choked. “Are you up there now? Are you watching me? Because if you are, I just want you to know that I love you, buddy. I love you like a brother.” I brushed snow over his already snow-white body. That would have to do for a burial until the ground was warm enough to dig him a grave. “Goodbye, pal.”
I felt a paw on my shoulder and turned to see Aniu standing beside me. Her eyes were shining just a little. “I’m sure he misses you too,” she said softly. “And I know he would be glad you made it.”
I wiped a paw across my eyes. “Thanks,” I said. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” I went and brushed the snow over my other teammates. “I don’t know what I’ll do without them,” I said.
“Well, you have our pack until you are ready to make the journey home.”
I decided not to tell her just then that my home was hundreds of miles away, much too far for any dog to travel alone.
Kodan stayed with us for several months. Despite the initial prejudice against him, his honor and courtesy soon earned him the respect of most of the pack. It probably helped somewhat that he had earned Papa’s favor early on. I could see that Kodan was very much like some of the males I had viewed more positively in the past. He tried hard to get along with everyone, and for the most part he was successful.
Unfortunately, he was not so successful with Kava. The black wolf tried every trick he could concoct to get the pack to dislike Kodan, and I was pleased to see that his success was limited. Kava never missed a chance to mock Kodan’s “inferior breed,” but Kodan readily demonstrated that he was as fast as our best runners and twice as gracious a winner. He never boasted about his victories, but ended every race with some kind remark to the losing party. Kava tried to come up with lies about Kodan having no respect for our laws, but most of the pack saw through this charade too. Kodan was a fast learner, and never repeated an offense or failed to apologize once it had been pointed out to him. Kava even went so far as to challenge him to a fight, but Kodan politely backed down, saying that it would be rude for a mere dog such as himself to go up against even the least among wolves, much less a “worthy opponent” like Kava. I was amazed at his tactfulness. I certainly wouldn’t have called Kava a worthy anything. Clearly, Kodan was either the most polite or the most cunning canine I had ever met.
As it drew towards spring, Kodan began to make daily trips to the place of his team’s death so he could pile more snow on top of them. I was puzzled by this practice, and once I decided to ask him about it. He seemed confused that I was confused. “I’m trying to keep their bodies frozen so they won’t rot until I’ve had the chance to bury them,” he explained.
I was touched by his dedication. “When my first brothers and sisters were born, two of them were born dead. I forgot about them by the end of the week,” I confessed.
“I’ll bet it took your parents longer,” he said.
“Yes,” I nodded. “But you treat these dogs, who have been dead for months, as if they were your own family.”
“Well, you could say they were,” he answered. “I don’t really have any family back in Nome.” His face clouded over. “Blizzard did, though. His mate and kids are gonna be devastated when he doesn’t come back.”
For some reason I found myself wishing that Kodan wouldn’t have to go back to Nome, which I guessed to be his hometown. I liked him. He was honest and considerate, a loyal friend, and his sense of honor was unlike anything I’d ever seen among wolves. When he hunted with the pack on occasion, he always went after an old animal, never a young one, because the young ones “deserved a chance to grow up.” Other wolves laughed at his logic, but I could see reason in it. After all, the older ones were soon to die anyway, but the youngsters were only just getting started. Besides, older prey meant more meat per animal. All in all, if I wasn’t necessarily attracted to him, I found him to be a good companion.
One night I was wandering by myself under the moon. It was a nice kind of loneliness, with just the moon and the stars and I. I got thirsty, so I went to the river to have a drink. There was ice, of course, but winter was nearly over and the ice was so thin I could break it with just a tap.
The sound of the water must have drowned out the sound of approaching footsteps, because I didn’t hear Kava until he was almost right beside me. “Hey, princess,” he said in my ear.
I was so startled I almost screamed. “What do you want?” I asked, backing up. I had been enjoying the solitude and had no interest in Kava’s attempts to court me.
“Oh, nothing,” he said with a shrug. He looked up at the moon. “Nice full moon, isn’t it?” he asked. “And the stars are lovely tonight.”
I snorted. “You expect me to buy that kind of junk from you?”
He smirked. “Hey, you buy it from Kodan, don’t you?”
My ears slid back. “Not the way you’re thinking, I don’t,” I snarled.
“Hey, hey, easy there, princess. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a nice chat with the prettiest wolf around, is there?” He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck from side to side. “Look, there’s gonna be a big hunt tomorrow, and I was thinking maybe you’d like to go with the best-looking guy in the pack.”
I felt my lips beginning to part, showing a slight hint of tooth. “I might if you would kindly direct me to him. I’ve told you before, I will tell you again: no. Besides, you know my father decides who’s in what group, not me.”
“Yeah, but you could talk to him about it.”
“Good point,” I said. “I’ll be sure to ask him to keep our groups as far apart as possible.”
Kava growled. “Very funny.”
“Who’s joking? Now please leave.”
“Who’s gonna make me?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“Kava,” I warned, bristling. “Don’t push me.” I was pretty sure I could take him on in the unlikely event that he tried anything. And whoever won, I knew that any damage he did to me (or vice-versa) would be nothing compared to what Father would do to him if he laid a paw on me.
As it turned out, though, the fight never took place. A snarling blur shot out of the woods and struck Kava in the side, knocking him into a patch of brambles. I blinked and stared in disbelief. “Kodan?” I asked. Gone was the calm, easygoing dog I knew. In his place was a snarling fighter whose raised fur seemed to double his size.
“Maybe your ears aren’t working tonight,” he growled at Kava. “She said to get lost.”
“What’s it to you, dog-breath?” Kava snapped, trying to shake the stinging plants out of his fur.
“It matters to me because Aniu is my friend,” Kodan growled. “Now either move it or find out just how ‘weak’ I am.”
You know how sometimes you get into a crazy situation and end up doing stuff you never thought you’d do? Well, that’s what happened. I was following Aniu, hoping to play a joke on her, and then I looked through the bushes and saw that creep Kava bothering her.
I didn’t know what came over me at that moment. I mean, I’m a sled dog. Not a fighter. Never a fighter. I would probably back down from a fight with a kitten. But when I jumped out and crashed into Kava, I could see by the look on his face that, fighter or no fighter, I had surprised him. Surprised, and angered. I might have even scared him a little. Or a lot. “And just who do you think you are, getting in my way?” he demanded.
I narrowed my eyes. “Someone you do not want to mess with,” I answered. “Now either get out of here or get ready to fight.”
Kava stood up. “Okay,” he growled. He tested his claws on the ground. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” He looked about ready to attack when a voice stopped both of us cold.
“Kava! Kodan!” It was Sequoia, stepping out of the shadows. “What exactly is going on here?”
Kava jumped in. “I was just talking with Aniu, asking if she wanted to be in the same group for the hunt tomorrow. Then Kodan jumped out of nowhere. He was going to attack me, honest.”
“That’s not-“ I started to say, but Sequoia cut me off with a sharp glance. Then he stared hard at Kava.
“I have ears, Kava. And ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for this’ doesn’t exactly sound innocent. Anyway, you know that grouping arrangements are decided by me.”
Kava was as quick as a whip with another lie. “Yeah, I know. I just, uh, wanted to see if she liked the idea before I asked you.”
Sequoia fixed his gaze on me. “Kodan, what do you have to say about this?”
“It’s all a lie, sir,” I protested. “Kava was out here bothering Aniu, so I stepped in to stop him.”
Sequoia nodded. “So, it all comes down to Aniu.” He looked at her. “What happened?”
Aniu edged away from Kava. Every inch of her body seemed to radiate contempt for him. “I was out here for a walk when Kava came up and asked me about the hunt tomorrow. I told him I wasn’t interested, and he started to press the matter. I kept telling him no, but he wasn’t listening. Then Kodan stepped in, and then you arrived.”
Sequoia nodded. “Very well. It’s their word against yours, Kava. I would like to have a word with you.” The way he said it, I knew it wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience for the black wolf.
Sequoia turned and walked away. Kava followed, stopping long enough to snarl at me. “Listen, you,” he uttered under his breath, “Aniu is…”
“Kava,” called Sequoia. Kava growled and loped away. I went over to Aniu.
Staring after him, I muttered, “Definitely leech.” Then I turned my attention to Aniu. “Are you alright?” I asked. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She smiled. “I don’t think he really planned to do anything. Sometimes he tries to frighten me, but despite all appearances he’s got enough sense not to actually touch me. Either that or he doesn’t have the brainpower to cook up anything rotten.”
“I’m betting on the second one,” I commented.
Aniu laughed. “Maybe. He tried stealing a kiss from me once and, well…” she rolled her eyes to the side. “Let’s just say that for a while one of his eyes was even blacker than normal.”
I was stunned. “You gave him a black eye?” I had never harbored any delusions about Aniu being helpless, but personally I found it easier to picture a rabbit getting into a fight.
“It was nothing next to what Papa did when he found out. That was the last time Kava ever tried to steal a kiss from me.”
I nodded. “Well, I’m glad I was able to help, even if you weren’t in any real danger.”
“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “So am I. Thanks.”
I felt myself grinning like an idiot. That wolf had a smile that could melt a glacier. “Anytime,” I beamed. “Care for an escort back to the cave?”
She smiled. “Sure.” We walked in silence most of the way back. The only further conversation was when Aniu said, “I owe you one, Kodan.”
I shrugged. “Hey, you saved my life. I just got Kava off your case for a while. If anything, I still owe you.”
That night I couldn’t sleep, thinking about the day’s events. I had seen cases where someone was picking on the underdog (pardon the expression) in the past, but my interventions tended to be rather meek. So why had I reacted so strongly when Kava was bothering Aniu? Had I gotten tougher from living like a wolf? Was it Kava’s pride that set me off? Or… I considered. Maybe it wasn’t that he was picking on someone, but who he was picking on. ‘Nah,’ I thought. ‘No way. We’re-’ I stopped at the deadly word “we.” ‘I’m not like that.’
I got up. Maybe some fresh air would clear my head. I went to the entrance of the cave, but stopped when I heard voices outside. Peering out, I saw Kava talking with another wolf who was also black, but bigger and more muscular. I noticed that the other wolf had a scar curving around his left eye.
“I don’t know how much more dawdling I can take,” Kava was saying. “I say we should just storm them. Our pack is stronger than theirs.”
“No,” snapped the other wolf. “We will stick with the plan. You must gain control of the Bear Rock pack. Then, when you inherit command of the Black Claw pack, all the lands of the Bear Rock pack will be ours.”
“But why wait?” protested Kava. “Why not simply declare war now? We have the greater numbers, so how could we lose?”
“Kava!” the other wolf all but shouted. “I trust there is no need to remind you that you will only inherit my rank if I decree it. If you cannot learn to fight and conquer by more than mere brute force, you will never be my heir. Am I clear?”
Kava bowed his head. “Yes, father.”
“Good. Now, what of your efforts with Sequoia’s daughter?”
My eyes widened. ‘Aniu?’
I opened my eyes to see Papa and Kodan staring at me. “What…?” I started to ask, but as quick as a flash Kodan’s paw was over my muzzle. I was surprised at first, but the look in his and Papa’s eyes told me how urgent this was. Kodan gestured that we should go outside, and I nodded. Together we left the cave.
Once we were a good distance away, Papa turned to me. “Kodan has told me something very important. Our pack is in grave danger. Especially you.”
I looked back and forth between him and Kodan, confused. “What danger?” I asked.
“Well,” Kodan explained, “I wasn’t able to get to sleep, so I decided to get some fresh air and clear my mind. But I heard Kava talking to another wolf. They were discussing plans to take over the Bear Rock pack.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“It seems,” Papa clarified, “that Kava was not as alone when he came to us as he claimed. He is the son of Scar, of the Black Claw pack. He infiltrated our pack and has been secretly gaining support. His plan, or rather his father’s plan, is to ultimately gain control of our pack.”
I was stunned. Taking over the pack? Any part in such a plot seemed beyond Kava’s mentality. “But you said that I was in especially great danger. Why me?”
“Kava hopes to win you so as to make his infiltration easier,” Papa explained.
“Well, that part won’t work too well,” I said. “I’d sooner die than be his mate.”
Kodan looked me firmly in the eye. “Based on what they said, I suspect you’ll have to eat those words.”
I gasped. “What are we going to do?”
I could see in Papa’s eyes that his mind was racing. “They don’t know that we know. We must be wary and warn those who are still loyal to us. Meanwhile, Kava is to be watched.”
“Why don’t we just get rid of the skunk now?” Kodan suggested. “We throw him out, he loses his support, end of story.”
Papa shook his head. “We might solve the problem of Kava that way, but not Scar. Once he sets his eyes on a prize, he does not give up until he has achieved it. If they lose their spy, they will attack us outright. And we are not numerous enough to withstand a direct assault.”
“So what’s the plan?” I asked.
Papa looked at Kodan. “You said that Scar wants to avoid open war if possible, right?” Kodan nodded. “Good. Then here is what we’ll do. Kava has no idea that we know what he’s up to. We can use that against him by seeing to it that he learns nothing useful and perhaps by giving him some false information as well. We will send messengers to the neighboring packs and ask for their help.” He paused, and I could tell the next part was difficult for him to say. “And Aniu, I know the idea is an awful one, but let Kava think you are weakening. Be as tolerant as you can without promising anything, and hopefully the diversion will allow us to work more freely.”
I grimaced at the thought of actually pretending to like Kava, but I agreed for the sake of the pack.
“I’ve got an idea,” Kodan suggested. “When you send the messengers, make sure he knows they’re gone.”
Papa and I looked at Kodan in surprise. “Have you completely lost your mind?” I asked.
“Not at all. I never said he would know where they were going. If wolves start disappearing for no reason, he’ll assume that they’re deserting. He’ll relay that to Scar, and they’ll expect to have an extra edge in numbers when we challenge them. And if we can gain the support of the neighboring packs…”
Papa beamed his approval. “Excellent! That’s just what we’ll do. Now then, is everyone agreed?”
Kodan and I nodded. “Let’s do it,” I said, although I was still not happy about my part in the plan.
Kodan seemed to sense my discomfort. “Hey, don’t worry,” he said reassuringly. “I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t try anything.”
Over the next few days, word spread secretly through the pack, passing only amongst those we knew we could trust. Papa sent out Khoros, my sister Tamar, and the beta wolf Taro to ask the other packs for help. We sent them in particular for two reasons: one, they were closest to us and we knew they could be trusted, and two, we knew that the closer the “deserters” were to us, the more confident Kava would become.
As for me, I played my part with great reluctance. Any time the pack ate, I ate next to Kava. Any time he asked me to go with him to Hokani Falls or any other place, I agreed. Everything beyond that I turned away, masking my disgust by feigning bashfulness. I had to do that more times than I wish to recall. The only thing that gave me the patience to keep going was the fact that Kodan reassured me every day that I was performing admirably. I noticed that he tended to twitch when he said this, as if it somehow bothered him.
After about three days, the messengers returned by night to tell us that the White River pack and the Red Sun pack had agreed to help us. Papa sent Taro and Khoros back out again to ask their leaders to meet us for a secret council of war. He instructed Tamar to hide nearby in one of the emergency dens until it was time.
A few weeks after Kodan had warned us, Papa decided that all was ready. “Tonight,” he told us, “We will trap Kava and give Scar our message.”
That night, as he did every week, Kava met with Scar. “The deserters still have not come back,” he reported happily. “And Aniu is treating me like a prince. I am sure any day now she will announce her devotion to me.”
“Excellent,” said Scar. “Do you know what has brought about the change?”
“No, but what does it matter? Soon the Bear Rock pack will be ours.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” growled Kodan, stepping out of the shadows. “The game is up, Kava. You lose.”
Scar whirled around, looking startled at first, then distasteful. “I assume this is the dog you mentioned?” he asked, turning to Kava.
Kava snarled. “He certainly is.”
Scar shrugged. “Well, you know how to deal with a breach of security, don’t you?”
Kava bunched his muscles. “With pleasure,” he growled.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Papa, stepping into the moonlight. “You have broken the trust between our packs, Scar. I assume you realize this means war.”
“Ha!” laughed Scar. “Not if I kill you now. Then your pack will belong to me.”
My fur rose up in anger as I watched from hiding, but Papa remained perfectly calm. “It would be a sad error of judgement to think you have the advantage right now.”
“The sides are equally numbered here,” spat Scar, “And even the pups in my pack are more than a match for your pet dog.”
As if by signal, the pack came out of the cave and surrounded them. “Perhaps, Scar,” suggested Kodan as I came out of hiding and stood next to him, “You should learn to count better before you say that.”
“Now,” announced Papa, “I am sure you realize that under the Code of the Wolf, I have as good a right to both of your heads as any wolf ever had against another.”
There were growls of assent from the pack. I couldn’t tell under the fur, but from the expression on his face I guessed that Kava was probably turning pale. Scar, on the other hand, stared back at us all in defiance. “Try it if you dare. You will soon pay when my pack finds out.”
Papa narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t finished,” he continued. “I will deal mercifully with you for now. Kava, you will remain here as our prisoner. Scar, you will be allowed to go free, with a message to your pack. The Bear Rock pack hereby declares war on the Black Claw pack for spying and attempted usurping. Since I know you keep secrets even from your own people, any who had no knowledge of your scheming and do not wish to be involved in the fight will be given the chance to before the battle, and they shall go free. You and all who stand with you will pay for your intrusion. Those are the terms.”
Scar considered. “Alright,” he said, “I accept your terms. Kava is yours to do with as you will.”
“Father, don’t leave me!” protested Kava. But he was met with a stony gaze from Scar.
“No failure like you is any blood of mine. You are no longer my son or a member of the Black Claw pack.” And with that, he trotted away through the gap that was made for him in the circle. Beast though he was, I felt sorry for Kava.
At the edge of the woods Scar turned back. “You can’t win, Sequoia. One day your pack and all your territory will be mine.” And he disappeared into the trees.
“He will prepare his pack for an assault,” Sequoia predicted as he turned to the rest of our pack. “We meet the Black Claw Pack tomorrow at dawn!” Then he focused an angry gaze on Kava. “I should kill you now for trying to meddle with my daughter, but I will honor the agreement with your father.” He rattled off the names of five or six wolves and ordered, “Keep this excuse for a wolf confined until further notice. Make sure he is uncomfortable.”
Kava was imprisoned in a small cave, which was then barricaded with large branches weighed down with rocks. There were gaps big enough for air and food, and snow was pushed through to provide him with water, but no space was big enough to escape. Just in case, a watch was posted on the cave day and night. We tried to question him but got no answers.
Sequoia explained everything that was going on to the members of the pack, since some of them didn’t know yet and Taro had only given them a brief explanation when he woke them moments ago. I was a bit embarrassed when Sequoia told them of my part in exposing the plot, overstating my work considerably. ‘If he’s this good about someone just being in the right place at the right time, I wonder how much fanfare there would be if I’d actually done something,’ I thought.
“Aniu’s the real hero,” I protested, and proceeded to describe how she had endured Kava’s affections in order to keep him distracted. I knew all the details, having watched every minute of it from the bushes all week.
The next morning we rallied for the attack. The Red Sun and White River packs had arrived, and Sequoia coordinated the battle plans with their leaders. I asked to be put in the front lines, as did Aniu. But Sequoia shook his head. “You, Aniu, will not be in this battle. Neither will you, Kodan.”
“What?” we asked in unison.
“I object!” I burst out, forgetting for the moment that I was addressing an alpha.
“So do I!” put in Aniu.
Sequoia looked at her. “Wars are ugly business when females are sent to fight, especially young ones.”
Aniu looked flabbergasted. “I’m not a pup anymore, and I’m not afraid! I can fight, and I should!”
“A pup you may not be, but you are still young. And I never said you were afraid. But it is best when the males go to war. Such is our custom. Besides, you’re my eldest child, my heir. I can’t put you at risk. If I fall, you must still be around to lead the pack.”
“Mama is in the fight!” protested Aniu. I thought about pointing out to her that using words like “Mama” wasn’t the best way to win this kind of argument, but I decided to let it drop.
“Your mother wishes to fight beside me, and as my co-ruler she has that right. You, on the other hand, are still under our authority, and she and I have agreed that you will not fight.” Looking at me he added, “As for you, Kodan, I don’t doubt that you would fight with honor. But you must also stay out of the battle. You are a guest, and I cannot ask you to fight our war.”
“Then make me a member of the pack so I can fight!” I insisted.
Sequoia considered. “Very well,” he agreed. “I will give you a part.”
“Anything, sir!” I barked eagerly.
“Wait a minute…” protested Aniu.
“I haven’t finished,” Sequoia said. “Kodan, it will be your job to make certain that Aniu stays out of danger. As a member of the pack, you are now under my direct orders to stay out and to make sure she does likewise.”
I felt like an idiot. ‘Should have seen that one coming,’ I thought. But I had agreed to do whatever he told me, and I could certainly think of worse jobs than guarding Aniu. It certainly hadn’t been boring so far.
“And Aniu,” Sequoia added, “As the oldest of my children, it will be your job to lead the pack if I fall in the battle. Then it will be your time to fight if you must.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I am giving you a great responsibility. Don’t waste it.”
Aniu bowed her head. “Yes, Papa.”
He nodded. “Good. Now, get to a safe place. You may watch the battle, but you must not get involved. Stay out of the fighting at any cost!”
“Come on, Aniu,” I said. “He’s in charge, and he is your father. Let’s head to that hill, where we can at least see what happens.”
She nodded, but I could see from the look on her face that if any harm came to her parents, I would be risking my life if I tried to stop her from entering the fight.
‘So be it,’ I decided. I would never forgive myself if she were harmed, even if preventing it would mean that she might never forgive me.
The Black Claw Pack came charging over the hills like a wave of fur, ready to attack. As Aniu and I watched, I could literally feel the vibrations from her growling despite the one-foot gap between us. “Relax,” I told her. “They’ll be all right.”
“You don’t understand,” she said. “You don’t understand what it’s like to face losing everyone you have.”
I shook my head. “Aniu, I already did.”
Scar let out a howl of fury as he charged, with his entire pack behind him. I couldn’t count them because they were moving too quickly, but the numbers didn’t look good.
Scar pulled his pack to a halt. “Sequoia!” he shouted. “You have kidnapped my son! Now I have come to avenge your insult!”
Sequoia stood at the top of the hill flanked on either side by wolves from our pack. “Scar, you sent your son to spy on us, and to steal my daughter. When we caught him in his treachery you surrendered him entirely to us. Today, you will pay the price for your intrusion. I promised that anyone with you who was unaware of your treachery would be spared. I repeat that promise now, where your pack can hear it directly. Anyone who surrenders now will go free unharmed. If you do not, I swear by the sun above us that before it sets, you will all die.”
Even from my distance, I could see the whites of Scar’s eyes as their lids shot upward. “It’s a trick!” he shouted. “If you go, he’ll pick you off like caribou separated from the herd!”
“Give up in peace, or die.”
“Any deserter will be instantly killed!” threatened Scar. “Don’t listen to him!”
Apparently most of his pack knew him well enough to guess the true trickster. A third of the wolves broke off and fled to the hills on one side or the trees on the other. “Get them!” screamed Scar. Several more wolves sprinted after the deserters, unaware that we had wolves of our own planted in both places. As long as the runaways reached a place out of sight from the main Black Claw pack, they would be fine. Their pursuers would not be so fortunate.
As we had hoped, Scar interpreted the yelps of terror and pain he heard as coming from the deserters. “Who else wants to run off?” he asked. Nobody answered. “Attack!” he shouted, running forward.
“Forward for honor!” howled Sequoia, as his small army charged too.
The sight of the clash was hideous. Teeth and claws flashed, and the air was filled with more cries of pain and fear than I want to think about counting. I watched, keeping an eye out to either side.
At first it looked as though the Black Claw pack would win. But then as they began to press back our side, I saw two waves of powerful, furry bodies coming out of the places where the deserters from Scar’s pack had fled to. The reinforcements were coming and, to my surprise, so were some of the deserters. “Aniu, look!” I said. “We have some new members! The deserters are on our side now!”
But Aniu was deaf to my excitement. Her eyes were locked on two dueling pairs of wolves in the midst of the fight. Her parents were locked in a deadly battle with Scar and his mate.
“It’s time to stop worrying about them, Aniu,” growled a voice behind us.
We spun to see Kava’s sick, smug expression. He was flanked by eight or nine wolves from our own pack. “…and start worrying about me,” he sneered.
“How did you break out?” I demanded.
Kava chuckled. “I still have a few loyal followers in your pack, Aniu. And your father, fool that he is, put those very wolves in charge of my prison during the fight!”
I bristled. “Don’t you dare say that about my Father,” I hissed through my teeth.
Kava laughed. “Worry about yourself, sweet stuff. By the time I’m through with you and your boyfriend, my parents will be done with your dear mother and father. Then, with them weakened, my followers and I will move in and finish them off, claiming our victory over your pack, and mine.”
I was horrified. “You monster!” I spat.
He laughed. “Don’t waste your time trying to sweet-talk me, Aniu. First I’m going to get rid of your boyfriend, and then I’ll decide what to do with you.”
I hunched my shoulders and puffed up my fur, but Kodan stepped in the way. “For the record, I am not her boyfriend. But I swear, Kava, if you lay a paw on her, I will tear you apart.”
“Oh, how heroic,” sneered Kava. He jerked his head in a signal. “Take them.”
Our former pack members surged forward from the bushes. Kodan met them head-on, grabbing one by the throat and heaving him into another. “Run!” he shouted. “I’ll hold them off!”
“No!” I jumped forward to join him, but he kicked me away with his hind legs.
“Sorry, Aniu, but your father ordered me to keep you out of the fight!”
I stared at him. He was managing to hold his own against Kava and the traitors, but I could see it wouldn’t last forever. “Come on!” I yelled. I ran, followed moments later by Kodan.
“Sorry about the kick,” he said as he came up alongside me.
“I’ll be alright,” I assured him. “Listen, I know a way we can get rid of them, but we have to fall off a cliff.”
“What?!”
“There’s a cliff nearby with a snowy ledge partway down. We can land on that and pretend to be dead. When they come down by the trail to make sure, we’ll take them by surprise and knock them off the ledge.”
He grunted. “Let’s do it.”
We sprinted for the cliff. “We have to make this convincing,” I told him. “We’ll stop at the edge and pretend to fight back.”
He gave me a sideways look. “Pretend, huh?”
I smiled in spite of myself. “Somehow I get the feeling that if you weren’t a dog, or if I weren’t a wolf, we’d end up mates.”
“Well, well, well,” chuckled Kava, catching up with us. “Now you’ve got nowhere to run, you little rats. And at such a convenient place, too.”
As far as I knew, Kava had no knowledge of the ledge. I was praying inside that this wasn’t another case of him knowing more than he let on.
“Toss the mutt of the edge,” he ordered his followers. “Aniu has given me a lot of trouble, so I think I’ll finish her personally.”
The wolves charged. “Split!” I yelled. Kodan and I jumped to either side, and three of them went over the side. The rest stopped in time, except for one whom Kodan managed to knock over while he was off-balance. At first, it seemed we might not have to resort to my plan at all. But then they converged on Kodan and threw him over.
Kava stared down as Kodan landed on the ledge. My friend twitched a couple of times, then lay still.
“One down…” Kava chuckled. Then his evil eyes locked onto mine. “And one pretty lady to go…”
I didn’t let him finish. With a howl, I leapt over the edge, aiming for a landing right beside Kodan. My landing hurt even with the snow to cushion me. I lay still beside him, allowing my legs to twitch as if I were dying.
Up above, I heard Kava snort. “Come on. We’d better make sure they’re dead.”
I opened my eye just wide enough to see him leading his pack down to us by way of a narrow ledge connected to our wider one. “Get ready,” I whispered to Kodan.
“Born ready,” he answered.
Kava stopped and sniffed at me. Seizing the moment, I rolled onto my feet and struck him a blow across the face as hard as I could, driving him back several feet. “You’re not the only one who knows how to act, Kava!” I spat. Out of the corner of my eye I could see another wolf doubled up with pain from a two-footed kick Kodan must have planted in his stomach. Kodan rammed him with his skull, knocking him against the rock wall behind us.
“Get them!” ordered Kava. But we had the advantage. Most of the traitors were still on the narrow path and could only come one at a time. So while I fought them off, knocking one after another over the edge, Kodan faced off against Kava.
Kava and I circled each other, both of us snarling and bristling. I could see saliva dripping from his mouth and wondered if he might be rabid.
“It’s over, mutt. You and the princess are dead meat.”
“I don’t think so,” I answered. “I don’t see any reason I shouldn’t rip you apart right now, but I’m going to give you one last chance to surrender.”
“Never!” he shouted, leaping forward.
Everything seemed to happen in a blur. There was a brief struggle, then I rammed him in the stomach, and the black wolf let out a howl of rage as he disappeared over the edge.
The other wolves, seeing their leader defeated, quickly gave up the fight. Aniu and I drove them back up the path. “What will you do with us?” asked one of them.
“Quiet!” I snapped. My stomach was already tied up from having actually killed someone, even if it was Kava, and even if I did it in self-defense. “Do as we say and maybe you’ll live.”
“If my father decides to let you,” added Aniu. She sounded very angry, and I don’t think I could blame her.
We returned to find the battle still in progress. The numbers were fewer on both sides, but Aniu’s parents were still locked in deadly conflict in the middle against Scar and his mate. And it looked like they were losing. “We’ve got to do something!” said Aniu.
“No,” I answered. “Your father…”
“Will die if we don’t help!” she cut me off. “We have to help!”
“Aniu, I understand your worries. But we must have faith.” I gestured to the traitors we had captured. “If we can catch this many wolves, don’t you think your parents can handle those two?”
As if I had jinxed them or something, Sequoia and Nina simultaneously fell, struck down by heavy blows from their aggressors. All the other wolves stopped fighting to watch as the Black Claw alphas advanced. Aniu tried to run forward, and in the heat of the moment I had no choice but to grab her by the tail and hold her back. She turned and growled at me, but I held on. “There’s no point in you getting hurt too,” I told her through clenched teeth.
As we watched, Scar and his mate stood over their victims. I could see even at a distance that Sequoia and Nina were still breathing. Then, as the fiends opened their jaws to finish them off, Sequoia and Nina lunged upwards and caught their attackers by the throats.
“Ha HA!” I laughed triumphantly, releasing Aniu in the process. “The old sick duck routine!”
Scar and his mate struggled to free themselves, but the jaws holding them kept an iron grip. Soon the positions were reversed, and it was Sequoia and Nina who were on top. They released their hold, but instantly put their paws down, keeping up the pressure on the enemies’ windpipes. “Surrender, Scar,” ordered Sequoia, “or I swear I will kill you here and now.”
Scar nodded weakly, as did his mate. Sequoia removed his paw and ordered, “Now call off your pack.”
Scar howled, and his wolves quickly flocked to his side. He panted and wheezed until his breathing returned to normal, then glared at Sequoia. “Attack,” he commanded.
Aniu and I gasped, but before anything could happen, the combined forces of our pack and the other two on our side surrounded them, battered but still ready to fight to the death. Scar’s wolves looked at the army surrounding them and wisely kept still.
“Scar,” announced Sequoia. “I am sure you realize this fight is over. As the victors we have full right to your lands and what is left of your pack.”
Scar snarled, but Sequoia simply cut him off. “However,” he added, “Since I have no desire for further bloodshed, I will allow you to remain as alpha of your pack, until such a time as you die or your slaves grow sick of your treachery and dethrone you on their own. But if you or any of yours ever cross into my domain again, unless they wish to join us, they will be executed at once and your pack will be utterly destroyed.”
“We have some to add to that number,” I called as Aniu and I drove our captives into the circle. “Kava got out of his prison with the help of these traitors, then tried to kill us.”
Sequoia’s surprise only showed for a moment, then disappeared again as his face resumed its stony expression. “Where is he now?”
“Gone,” I answered. “I knocked him off a cliff.”
Scar snorted. “Then he wasn’t worth keeping alive. No wolf who can’t beat a dog is a-“
“Silence!” Sequoia fairly roared. “As I said, you and those who remain of your pack will leave. Now.” He slowly stepped forward until he was nose-to-nose with the tyrant. “And if you or any of your clan ever come near my daughter again, I will personally end your miserable life.”
Scar bared his teeth, then turned away. “Come,” he growled. We watched with great satisfaction as he and his remaining followers disappeared over the hills.
There was great rejoicing that night. The spies had been ferreted out, the battle was won, and our pack was once more secure. The former members of the Black Claw pack were just as eager to celebrate, glad to be free of Scar’s iron rule. It seemed the only one who wasn’t celebrating was me. I just sat on the edge of the crowd, watching everyone else. Suddenly I became aware of someone at my side. It was Aniu, of course.
“Why aren’t you happy?” she asked. “You saved my life, and the entire pack. You’re a hero, Kodan!”
I shook my head, not sure how to answer her question. “I just can’t seem to get over it, that’s all. Aniu, I killed a wolf today. Not a caribou or a rabbit, a wolf.”
She nodded. “I understand, but you did it only out of necessity. Kava was a spy and a traitor.”
“Yes, but he was still a wolf.”
Nothing could have prepared me for what came next. “Well, maybe this will cheer you up.” And then she planted a quick peck on my cheek. I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. “Consider it a thank-you for saving me from Kava.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
She smiled. “Now come on. The party’s all for you. We might as well join in.”
In the days that followed, Kodan and I spent a great deal of time together. Some of the females in the pack seemed jealous of me for going steady with the pack hero, and then there were a few who couldn’t believe I was actually considering a dog, even if he had saved the pack. Frankly, I didn’t care what they thought. He wasn’t just a hero, he was my friend. I had seen wolves, and Kodan was no mere wolf. I had never seen his kind of courage or honor in anyone before, not even my father.
I imagine things would have gone perfectly from there if Kodan hadn’t fallen ill. We consulted the Wise Ones from our own pack and every neighboring pack, but none of them could offer any helpful advice. This disease, they said, was fatal.
Strangely, Kodan seemed hopeful. “I know what I’ve got,” he said from his bed of leaves. “Dogs in Nome get it all the time. It’s some disease I can’t remember the name of, but it’s a snap to treat.”
“There’s only one problem,” I noted. “You’re here, and Nome is somewhere out there, much too far away for you to travel.”
“I thought of that,” he agreed. “But I know a way. There’s a mail route that runs through our territory. All you have to do is take me to the route, and we’ll wait until a musher comes along and finds me.”
“He might think you’re a wolf,” I pointed out.
“Maybe. But we still have my sled, even if we buried my teammates and the musher ages ago. We can put the sled near me, and I could slip into one of the harnesses to show that I’m a sled dog. Once I’ve been treated, I can come back here.”
I was uneasy about the plan, but in the end I saw little choice. Father agreed anyway, so that was that. We already knew the mail carriers’ schedule because our hunting parties always had to be careful when the sleds passed through that area. In three days another sled would come…and take Kodan away.
I spent those three days by his side constantly, eating when he ate and sleeping when he slept, as if we had merged into a single being. We stayed close at all times, although nothing unseemly ever passed between us. On the last night, I asked him again if there was any other way.
“No,” he answered. “I don’t like it any better than you do, Aniu. But if I stay here, I’ll die. Even worse, I might infect the other wolves. Including you.”
“If it were just my life I wouldn’t care,” I confessed. “I’d rather die with you than live with anyone else.”
“I’m flattered,” he smiled. “Aniu, I’ll be back. I promise. As soon as I’m better, I’ll join another team or stow away on a sled in this direction.”
“Assuming you make it to Nome at all,” I pointed out.
He stifled a yawn. “Aniu, please. I can’t argue right now. I need to save my energy for the trip home.”
I nodded and allowed him to fall asleep. But for once I did not fall asleep at the same time. I lay there plotting, thinking, deciding how to do what I knew must be done.
“Kodan, wake up.”
“Wha…?” I asked as I slowly obeyed against my will. Aniu was bending over me. “What is it?” I asked.
Aniu stared into my eyes. “Kodan, I want to go with you when you to leave tomorrow.”
“Aniu, that’s crazy. You can’t come- it wouldn’t be right.”
“That can be fixed,” she pointed out.
My mind spun as I realized what she was driving at. “Aniu, I know we’ve talked about that possibility, but I sort of thought it would come after I got back.”
“I would gladly wait if I had more hope of your safe return. Any number of things could happen to you between now and then, and I want to be there with you like you were with me when Kava plotted against me.”
I sighed, wishing that I could say yes. “If you try to follow us, there’s a good chance you’ll be shot.”
She had an answer ready for that one. “I can wear one of the harnesses like you, and the musher will simply think that I‘m a sled dog.”
“What about when we get to Nome?” I asked. “What kind of life would there be for you then? You’d have to stay by yourself on the edge of town or fight for your survival in the back alleys.”
“It would only be temporary,” she reasoned. “And regardless, I am willing to choose any life with you over a life without you. You are my life now, Kodan.”
I smiled, but I knew she knew it wasn’t a happy smile. “I’m honored, but it just won’t work. There’s no way.”
“Isn’t there?” asked a voice.
Aniu jumped, and if I’d been in any shape to do so I would have too. A figure approached us. Papa!” exclaimed Aniu.
Sequoia nodded. “Yes, daughter. Now, am I to understand that you two have been discussing matrimony?”
I gulped and nodded. “Yes, sir. I, uh… suppose we have.”
He nodded. “Aniu, may I speak with you for a moment alone?”
They left me, and I could only guess what they said after that. Meanwhile, it gave me time to think. Aniu was beautiful, there was no question of that. I knew I loved her, and the conversation we’d just had proved she felt the same. But should we be thinking about that, just when I was leaving with some chance of never coming back? And what about Sequoia? Sure he respected me, and even trusted me alone with his daughter, which said a lot. But what did he think of my discussing marriage plans with Aniu without talking to him about it first?
My thoughts were interrupted by Aniu and her father returning. Sequoia cleared his throat. “Aniu has told me that she wishes to be your bride.”
“Well she’s already dressed for it,” I joked. Seeing their confused expressions, I blushed. “Sorry, just a little wedding joke. Human brides wear white when they get married, so…” I trailed off, seeing that the joke had fallen flat.
“Yes, well,” Sequoia continued, “she has also told me that if you do not return alive, she has every intention of dying a maiden.”
My eyes widened. “Do you really…?” I asked. She nodded.
“I have told her that if she takes you as her husband, the rest of the pack is likely to reject her and may even rebel when she steps up as the new alpha.”
I nodded. I hadn’t thought about that problem, but there it was. Aniu would be taking a serious risk if we took a step like this. “And what did you say?” I asked.
“I said that I don’t care about that. If it comes to choosing between leadership and you, I choose you.”
I felt such awe inside, that someone like her could care so much about me, that all I could say was, “Thank you.”
Sequoia nodded. “I may have an answer to this, but I must discuss it with Nina. If she agrees, you will know in the morning.” And with that, he turned and left.
We stared after him for a long moment. Then Aniu walked over to the other side of me and lay down with her back against mine. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you very warm,” she murmured.
I smiled. “Yeah you will.” Then on an afterthought I added, “It’s probably a little late after all these weeks, but you might get sick being so close to me.”
We weren’t facing each other, but I could sense her smile. “If I become ill, then there is no choice but for me to come.”
‘Yes,’ I thought, ‘but what human would take care of a sick wolf?’
I asked my father the following morning what his plan was and what mother had to say about it. “You shall know soon enough,” he replied.
A group of us escorted Kodan to the intended pick-up point. If our scouts were right, a sled would be coming in less than two hours. Two hours left before Kodan left, maybe forever.
Much against my will, I helped him slip into his harness. The rotten leather made him look weaker somehow, as if his disease had spread to infect the straps as well. It was a struggle not to cry.
“Be strong, Kodan,” said Papa. “You as well, my daughter.”
I was upset, and at the end of my patience. “You said you had a plan to help,” I pleaded, turning on my father. “For heaven’s sake, what is it?!”
He smiled. “Is this what will make you happy?”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Leaving on a dangerous journey with a dog who is not your mate to a place you have never seen, knowing that neither one of you might ever live to return. Is this what you truly want?”
“I do.”
He turned to Kodan. “Am I to understand that it is your desire to wed my daughter when and if you return?”
Kodan nodded.
“Would you do it now if you could?”
“Absolutely.” There was no wavering in Kodan’s voice, even as sick as he was.
Papa turned to me again. “Is this what you want?” he repeated.
I nodded. “Over life itself,” I answered.
He smiled. “Aniu, you had better put one of those harnesses on.”
“What?” I asked, completely thrown.
“If you desire matrimony, you shall have it. As alpha of the Bear Rock Pack, in the presence of all here, I unite the two of you as one forevermore under one condition: that you remain chaste until you are safely in Nome and well again. Whether or not you choose to return is your decision.”
I smiled. “I will, Father,” I half-cried, calling him Father for the first time.
Kodan smiled too. “Hey, I’m not gonna complain.”
I had never been happier as my brother helped me put on one of the harnesses, right behind Kodan’s. “Congratulations, sis,” he said.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little surprised. Khoros had been one of those who objected to me and Kodan being together. “You’re not bothered?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I realized that Kodan is a pretty nice guy. I guess if somebody was going to get you, it might as well be him.”
“Thanks,” grinned Kodan. “I’ll remember you said that when we get back.”
Just then one of our scouts ran up to us. “Sequoia!” he called. “The sled approaches!”
Father nodded. “Let’s go.” The wolves all gathered with him and they vanished into the woods. As happy as I was, I couldn’t help but shiver. I was leaving everything I had ever known, all for one dog.
Kodan smiled at me. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Now just lie down and try to look like you haven’t had any food or water in days.”
As I did so, I heard the sound of dogs barking and a hissing sound which I guessed to be the sled as it rushed across the snow. A moment later, the dogsled came into view.
“Whoa!” called the man at the back of the sled. The dogs stopped running, and the sled pulled to a stop. “Well, well,” he said, wiping his forehead. “And what happened to you?”
Fortunately for us, the musher- that’s what Kodan called him- bought our act. He wondered several times how we got to be out in the middle of nowhere with no sign of any other dogs, but apparently he was wise enough to know when to dwell on what he couldn’t understand and when to act on what he could. Kodan and I found ourselves wrapped in furs and riding the sled. The musher seemed to like us, and once the dogs knew that I wasn’t actually sick, they had the good sense to leave us alone. The only thing bothering us on our journey was that Kodan continued to get sicker and sicker.
I wish I could say our “honeymoon” was the best trip of my life. But between Aniu worrying about my sickness and me worrying about getting Aniu sick, it wasn’t exactly what I had hoped it would be. The clogged nose, coughing, and fever didn’t help much either.
When we were about three days away from Nome, I decided that I wanted to take one more walk with Aniu. With my symptoms flaring up the way they were, I wasn’t sure if even a vet would do me any good now. “Honey,” I suggested when the pack stopped for the night, “what do you say we take a stroll?”
She shook her head. “You need to save your strength.”
I pushed myself to my feet. “Ah, I’ve got the energy for a quick walk. Maybe the cold air will bring my fever down."
She looked doubtful.
“Listen, just one more walk as wolves before we’re both stuck living like dogs for a while, huh?” I pleaded.
“Well, alright,” she agreed.
We headed off into the woods, in the direction of Nome. I knew we wouldn’t get there, not on our own and not in one night, but it felt good to be heading in that direction. Suddenly my ears pricked up as I heard a distant sound. “Hel…”
“Aniu, did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
I took a step forward, and then I stopped and listened. This time the sound was a little clearer. “Help…” it pleaded.
“Someone needs us,” I whispered. We kept going, and soon I somehow managed to pick up a scent, even with my nose as clogged as it was. It seemed familiar somehow. “No, it couldn’t be,” I uttered.
“What?” asked Aniu.
I looked at her, and I know I must have looked a little spooked. “Do you believe in ghosts?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, why?”
I looked in the direction of the smell, sniffed again to be sure I wasn’t imagining things, then whispered, “There’s a dog out there, and it smells just like… Blizzard.”
Aniu gasped. “But he’s dead! I helped you bury him!”
“I know.” We were both shaking, and it wasn’t the cold.
“Perhaps we should go back,” suggested Aniu. I suspect she was thinking that this shock might be too much for me.
“No,” I said firmly. “I have to know what’s making that smell.”
We pressed on through the snowy woods as the smell grew stronger. Strangely the calls did not seem to grow any louder, even though we were both certain we were heading directly toward them.
Finally I saw it ahead of us: a white dog lying half-buried in the snow. “Blizzard!” I cried, running forward. Aniu hurried after me, and we skidded to a stop at the dog’s inert form.
“But how…?” asked Aniu before I stopped her.
“It isn’t Blizzard,” I told her. “It’s Snowflake, one of his grown-up daughters.”
Snowflake lifted her head. “Uncle Kodan?” she asked, blinking at me through eyes that hardly seemed willing to open.
“’Uncle?’” asked Aniu in confusion. “You never told me Blizzard was your brother.”
“He wasn’t, really,” I explained. “His kids just call me that.”
Snowflake searched with her eyes. “Where’s Dad?” she asked.
I started to cry. It was bad enough thinking for a minute that I might have a chance to see my friend again, even if it would have meant facing his ghost, only to find his daughter near the same death he had died. But having to tell her what had happened to him was almost too much. “He’s dead, Snowflake,” I told her. “Our whole team froze. I’m the only one left. He died saving me.”
Snowflake looked disappointed. “Guess I was wrong,” she whispered. “You’d been gone for so long, but I didn’t stop hoping. I came out all this way to try and find him.”
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed.
“Don’t be.” She took a deep breath. “At least I know how he went. It was the way he would’ve wanted to go, making his death count.” She turned her head to look at Aniu. “So who’s your friend?”
“Oh,” I said, wiping my eyes with a paw. “This is my wife, Aniu. She saved me once your dad had done all he could.”
Snowflake smiled at Aniu. “Pleased to meet you,” she whispered.
Aniu nodded. “And you as well.” She started to push her nose under Snowflake, trying to pry her out of the snow. “Come. We must get you somewhere warm.”
She shook her head. “Nah, I’m too far gone. I won’t make it.”
“Oh yes you will,” I growled, pushing myself under her. “You’re better off than I was, and I’m just fine. A little under the weather, maybe, but just fine.”
Aniu tried to push me aside. “Kodan, you are ill. Perhaps I should…”
“No,” I growled, standing my ground. “I have to do this, sweetheart. Blizzard died because of me. I am not going to pay him back by letting his daughter freeze to death too!” With a determined effort, I shoved my way under Snowflake and lifted her front half off the ground.
Aniu shoved her way in next to me, lifting Snowflake’s back legs. “Then let me help you.”
I nodded, and together we returned to camp. Aniu howled, waking the other dogs and the musher. “Well slap me with blubber and call me a walrus,” breathed the musher when he saw us with another dying dog on our backs. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you two weren’t even dogs.”
I winked at Aniu just before I collapsed.
Kodan had saved Snowflake’s life, but the effort left him badly drained. He drifted in and out of consciousness for days. When at last we got him to the animal doctor- or what humans call a “veterinarian”- there was some talk of “putting him to sleep.” Not understanding the phrase, I asked one of the sled dogs what it meant.
“Putting him to sleep, huh?” asked the dog in a tone of voice that was hard to interpret. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“What does it mean?” I inquired.
“Basically, they’re planning to end his pain.”
The idea itself sounded good, since I did not want my beloved to suffer. But somehow the dog’s tone told me that it was not quite how it sounded. “How would they do this?” I asked.
“Long story short, they’d do it by finishing what the disease and the blizzard started.”
I gasped. They couldn’t kill Kodan, they couldn’t!
Seeing my distress, the sled dog smiled comfortingly. “Ah, don’t worry about it too much. The vet’s a softie for dogs that put up a good fight, and so is the musher. They won’t kill him.”
I was grateful to see that he was right. Kodan was not killed. Instead, they gave him a warm cage in the veterinarian’s office, along with plenty of good food to eat. As for myself, I stayed out of sight under the building, talking to Kodan through a grate in the floor when he was awake. At night, I ventured into the woods to hunt.
One day as I was talking to Kodan, a voice piped up from the cage beside his. It was Snowflake, who was also recovering from her brush with death. “Say, Aniu, I have an idea. Do you want a home?”
I nodded. Even with Kodan to talk to, I had been somewhat lonely without my pack. Moreover, it was cold underneath the building. “Yes, I would,” I answered, “but who would take me?”
“You and I look alike, right?” said Snowflake.
“Yes,” I agreed.
“My owner is pretty old and doesn’t see so well. Once I get out of here, you can come to live at my place. As long as he doesn’t see both of us at the same time, he’ll think you’re me.”
I nodded. It seemed like a sound idea, and I had to admit that after so much time around dogs I was very curious to see how they lived.
The plan was agreed upon, and when Snowflake returned to her home I went along. Using one of her spare collars to make my disguise more convincing, I managed to settle very quickly into the life of an ordinary housedog. Looking back on it, I see now that in a way things had come full circle: I had made Kodan a part of my culture, and now I had become a part of his.
Speaking of Kodan, I suppose it is obvious what eventually happened. We mated, and it was not long before I gave birth to a litter of five beautiful cubs. Or pups, since they were half wolf and half dog. We never knew what to say they were, but they were beautiful. There were two girls, whom we named Snowflake (in honor of our friend), and Nina, after my mother. The boys we named Blizzard, in honor of the dog who had brought us together, Shadow, and Balto.
All was well for a short time, but then the world fell apart.
Getting back to Nome was quite a relief. I enjoyed my time among the wolves, and Aniu and I had plans of returning to her pack as soon as our children were old enough to make the journey. All the same, I was happy I had a chance to see old friends one last time, and I thought it would be fun to see the look on old Sequoia’s face when he found out he was now a grandfather. For the moment, however, all that mattered to me was my family.
Unfortunately that family was soon jeopardized when a visitor to the house where Snowflake and Aniu lived recognized Aniu as a wolf and drove her away. The old man was very confused, and Snowflake later told us that she herself had almost been chased out as well. Fortunately, no one was harmed in the incident, and Snowflake smuggled the puppies out safely that night. Between the two of us, Aniu and I decided that it would be best if she moved into an empty cave nearby until it was time to return to her pack.
Perhaps if I had not been so preoccupied with the near escape of my wife and children, I would have seen the warning signs that took place in my own home in the weeks that followed. Since my owner was dead, I had been handed over to his brother, who had thoughts of forming a sled team himself. I had little time to think of anything, and tried most of the time to remain aloof from my new owner in hopes that it would be easier on both of us when I left him. So it was that I never noticed the suitcases.
Several weeks before I was to leave with Aniu and our children, my new owner stopped me as I was heading out the door. He took me by the collar and guided me toward a cage. “Come on, boy,” he said. “Get in.”
I struggled. I knew enough to know that a cage could only mean trouble- especially now.
“Hey, no fussing, Kodan. We’re going to Nenana. A friend of mine told me that they need a musher there. We’ll go, buy us some dogs, and you’ll have a job again. Doesn’t that sound good?”
I struggled harder and growled. I didn’t want that life anymore. I didn’t want to be part of a sled team, pulling mail. I wanted to run with my pack, with Aniu’s pack. I wanted to sleep in the wild and eat my own food. I wanted to live… with my family.
But my fighting was useless. I was forced into the cage, and the door was shut behind me. I howled in despair. I howled all the way to the train station, and long after I had been loaded into the car and taken far from the sight of Nome. From Aniu. From all that I loved.
When at last my voice gave out, I lay down in the cage and wept, wishing that I could die.
I waited for Kodan to come, but he still did not appear. Even weeks after our children were old enough to travel, I wondered and waited. I asked every dog in Nome, trying every method from pleading to threatening, anything I could think of to find Kodan. But no matter what I did, no one knew what had happened to him.
At last I decided I should go back to my own pack. Before I left, I asked Snowflake to tell Kodan where I had gone if he ever came back. She promised that she would, and assured me that Kodan would turn up eventually. “He never quits,” she said.
I sighed. “I wish I believed you.” And with that, I took the children and left. We trekked for days, stopping only to eat and to rest. I hunted small game to feed the children, only eating whatever they left.
One night we sat to watch the stars come out. I told the children stories I had been told as a cub. I also told them how Kodan and I had met and fallen in love- partly so they would know and partly so I would remember. “Are we ever going to see Father again?” asked Balto as I finished the story.
I looked at him. He was so much like Kodan, it was impossible to bear looking at him and impossible to bear to look away, like some bitter medicine I couldn’t live without. “I’m sure we will, son,” I replied. I left unsaid the fact that I had no idea whether or not he- or we, for that matter- would still be alive when it happened.
“Oh, I wouldn’t bet on that,” chortled a voice from the shadows.
Every hair on my body stood on end. ‘That voice…’ I thought. I spun to watch as a black shape stepped out of the darkness.
“Miss me?” it asked.
“No,” I gasped as my heart turned to ice. “You’re dead. Kodan killed you.”
Kava threw back his head and howled with laughter. “Oh, it’s going to take more than some housepet to finish me off.” He glanced around. “Where’d he go, anyway? Did he run off once he found out you were pregnant with this half-breed excuse for a litter?”
I spread my feet and lowered my head, ready to fight. “If you say that again, I swear on my life that I will kill you.”
Kava laughed. “On the contrary, Princess. I am going to kill you, and your miserable whelps as well.”
“Children,” I said without taking my eyes off of Kava, “run. Get as far away from here as you can. I’ll find you as soon as I’m done with him. Whatever happens, don’t look back.”
“Mother!” cried Balto’s voice.
Taking a chance, I looked back to see tears in my son’s eyes. All the other children were already running, but he remained rooted to the spot. “Go, Balto!” I cried. “Be strong. Be brave. Be careful.”
A tear fell from his eye to the snow. “I will, Mother,” he promised, before turning to run.
“I should thank you,” said Kava spitefully as I returned my gaze to him. “Pups on the run make better sport for hunting.”
I lunged at him with my teeth bared to the gums and fury in my eyes. As the two of us locked in a deadly embrace of fangs and claws, I didn’t know who would win. All I knew for certain was that one or both of us would not leave that place... alive.
Aniu and Balto © Universal Studios
All other characters © Dragon Tamer
Dedicated to redwolf03, who inspired this story and so many others, and to tibb wolf (who is leaving this December). No matter where you are, I won't forget you.