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Part 4 - Sacrifice

Aniu and Storm did leave early the next morning, partly because they wanted to avoid any trouble, but also because neither could sleep any longer. There was very little talking between them, both deep in their own minds. They were still being careful though; the hunters were still out there. As the two went along, another problem slowly made its way into Storm's mind.

There was no food, at least not the kind he was used to, and he was getting hungry. Of course, he was hesitant to voice that to his friend, as he recalled what she'd said to him before, when he'd found it amusing when Aniu had to eat his type of food. 'I swear, if I ever get the chance, I'll get you back somehow,' she had said.

Storm was more than a little worried about what that could mean for him, but if Aniu didn't say something concerning the subject soon, he'd have to take a chance. Unfortunately for Storm, his friend always seemed to be able to tell what he was thinking (unless of course he was thinking about her, in which case she was completely clueless, go figure, Storm thought) and a wry grin crossed her features.

Aniu stopped in front of a huge pine tree.

"Sit." She said, and waited for Storm to obey. He did.

"Stay here and wait for me."

"Wh-"

"No questions just wait." Aniu interrupted, the smirk on her face and the tone of her voice doing nothing but assure Storm that he would no doubt soon be doing something that Aniu found amusing.

Said wolf stalked off into the forest, leaving Storm alone beside the tree. It was then he noticed how quiet the whole area was. It wasn't an eerie quiet though, but more of a peaceful quiet. Now that he was out of his reverie, Storm also took note of how beautiful the landscape was. Even though he'd ran through here many times, he'd never had the time to stop and look, as he'd been doing exactly that, running through it.

Now that he had time though... it was simply amazing. The shining sun reflected off of the fresh, mostly unbroken snow, an occasional gust of wind rattling the pine trees in a way that added even more of a serene feel to the whole place.

Aniu was gone for what seemed like five minutes, but was actually over an hour. She returned with a two small creatures in her jaws, both white furred, and Storm recognized them to be arctic hares. Aniu placed one at his paws, set hers down, and looked at him expectantly.

"Eat." She said in the same smug tone as before. Storm gazed at the creature before him, unsure of what to do. He'd never had anything like this before.

"I eat it... with the fur?" He asked, the confusion evident in both his words and eyes.

Aniu said nothing, just sitting and trying not to laugh at him.

Storm grumbled something under his breath, and bent down to try to eat the creature. He only got a mouth full of fur, and tried to spit it out, glaring at Aniu which simply caused her to laugh harder.

"I suppose it is pretty funny." Storm commented, allowing himself to laugh as well.

Aniu finished hers before Storm was even half way done, but he had to admit, aside from the fur, that it tasted very good. And after fresh food, he could see why Aniu dislike the dried up dog food.

"Thanks for that, you'll have to teach me how to hunt. That's a lot better than that old food I usually eat."

"It takes a lot of practice to learn to hunt, and training usually starts as pups, but I suppose I could show you a few things."

As they travelled, Aniu kept to her word and taught Storm a few of the basic things. Stalking was one of them. The key was keeping your steps light and the weight evenly distributed on all four of your paws, while also carefully approaching whatever prey you were trying to catch. A group of at least six wolves was best when going for something large, but one was good enough to catch the small things like the hares or an occasional bird. While Storm didn't catch anything that day, he did remarkably well in learning for his first day.

Before long night was almost upon them, and being in one of the huge valleys between two mountains meant there was a significantly less amount of caves or dens to shelter in for the night. What they did find however was perhaps nicer than a den. Another evergreen tree, huge in every aspect served as a perfect shelter for that night. Once you managed to get inside of the tree, the branches funneled up in such a way that I was almost like a tent. There was no snow inside of said tree, its thick branches sheltering them from that.

The smallness of the whole thing got Storm thinking again, and again Aniu seemed completely oblivious. The air inside the space seemed to heat up super-fast, and Storm suddenly found the need to just get out, to get away from the wolf that had so enraptured his mind. So Storm just pushed out of the tree, getting a few green needles stuck in his fur on the way out. Storm shook them off, and then pushed the snow out of a small patch of ground, clearing it out so he could lie down and do something else he usually didn't have time to do. Storm would watch the stars.

To Aniu, who remained inside, Storm's action had just completely decimated her will. She'd been working up the nerve to say something and he'd walked out. If she hadn't been so blinded by her own conclusions and feelings, she would've known that the husky felt the same way as her, and had only walked out because he thought she didn't feel the same.

Aniu was convinced he'd left because he didn't like the awkwardness of the situation, which was true, but true because of a different reason.

Aniu took a deep breath and held the cold air inside her lungs, allowing her thoughts to clear from her mind, before stepping outside as well. She found Storm a few feet away, lying on his back, staring up at the night sky.

"Amazing isn't it?" Aniu spoke quietly, mostly meaning her thoughts, but voicing it in such a way that Storm thought she meant the sky.

"It is." Storm replied in much the same way, fooling Aniu just as she'd fooled him. "All the different colors... blue, white, red, I never realized there were so many either."

"There's an old tale, that the stars represent those that have passed away." Aniu began, only semiconsciously moving to settle down beside Storm, "They say the souls watch over us... guide us if you will. And whenever one sees a falling star, it means a spirit has returned to this world to finish something that they left behind."

"Wow, really? Do you believe all that?" Storm asked, and moved a little bit closer.

"I grew up believing it, and I still do."

"I think stuff like that is all just made up, something someone came up with to explain something we don't have an explanation to."

"Well what do you think happens when someone dies?"

"I don't know... just like an eternal sleep I guess, which is why you live your life to the fullest now."

Just then, a flash of red lit up the night sky. It was followed by a rainbow of colors which filled the air, dancing all around them.

Storm and Aniu gasped simultaneously.

"The aurora..." Aniu whispered.

"What does that mean?" Storm wondered aloud, gazing up at the veritable light storm going on above and around them.

"It means that..." In that moment, Aniu's amber eyes locked with Storm's deep blue, and both of them knew. They knew what the other felt. There was no more need for words, each of them confident in how they felt and what they did. The dog and the wolf finally realized what was important to each of them and would end up, in the whole grand scheme of things, growing stronger because of it.

The next day posed a serious question that hadn't even been thought of during the last night. That question was what to say to Aniu's pack once they reached it. It would've been a whole for her to explain if the events of last night hadn't taken place, but Aniu wouldn't trade her newfound bond for anything.

Just how far was she willing to go, though? The thought had crossed her mind to not even go back, and run off and make a home somewhere with Storm. That pack was her family though, and it would stay with Aniu too long if she didn't at least tell them she was alive. She could almost see her father, who was probably worried sick about her, and Night... what would she say to him? Storm had said that they could just go back and tell the story like they'd been intending, then wait until the opportune time to speak about the relationship. This was the preferred option.

Either way had a risk of consequences though, and if the wolves decided they wanted to kill Storm, Aniu wasn't sure there was much she'd be able to do to stop them. She knew that her father would never kill her... but killing him would be like killing half of her. That was all part of the risks, and in the past few hours alone she'd asked Storm more than six times if he was willing to take those chances. He'd said yes each time, and that he'd go with her wherever she went. That didn't mean he wasn't afraid though.

Storm was more afraid for Aniu, because despite what she said about how her father would never allow any harm to come to her, Storm knew that one wolf wouldn't be able to hold back a pack if they became angry at Aniu, for... rebelling? Rebelling against the unspoken but omnipresent law that wolves and dogs should never be together. Storm hoped that whatever happened would be directed mostly at him. He had no idea what to expect, as Aniu was the only wolf he really knew.

However small the chance was, it was still possible that maybe the wolves could be persuaded like Aniu's uncle had been. That would be great, and would be one step closer in the ultimate goal of convincing both sides that they didn't need to hate the other. It was dangerous, sure, but would be worth it.

Or there was the hiding option. Both had said they'd be more than happy to simply find a home and stay there for a while, make a home, maybe raise a family... they would keep that option in mind, but for now they kept on towards Aniu's former home.

By the end of the day, said wolf was beginning to recognize some of the landscape around her.

"Hey, I recognize that peak, we're almost there. Just on the other side of that mountain. If we make good time tomorrow, we can make it back the day after."

That mountain would pose a challenge, but it was nothing they couldn't handle, at least nothing compared to what was waiting on the other side of it. It was a long climb up, but probably even longer to go around. Storm didn't know, as his team had always gone around it, which was another reason to go up. They couldn't take the risk of meeting a team; it would probably end in one or both of them being shot. Finding a place to stay for the night was relatively easy, and staying inside of it was even easier. The two both curled up, happy and content.

The next morning Storm actually managed to catch a hare, but was quickly disappointed when he found Aniu waiting with two, which she'd caught in half the time. They each ate one and shared the third before continuing on their way.

The day of travel was fun filled, partially to ease their ever growing stress, but mostly to have fun and because it made time pass faster. They played a sort of hide and seek game, each would take turns running ahead to hide, making sure not to stray too far off course. Then the other would try to find the hidden one. Aniu was significantly better than Storm, and it often ended in his giving up. There was one time he thought he had her, only to have Aniu jump down seemingly from thin air and land on his back. It scared him half to death, but was easily laughed off.

The mountain was quickly ascended using that game, and also helped them find probably the most amazing night time resting place in existence. If one climbed a narrow, rocky path up about one hundred feet, they would reach a spot that provided a clear, unobstructed view of the vast tundra that lay beyond the mountain.

"It's so beautiful out there." Aniu said, awed by the sunset.

"Not as beautiful as you." Storm commented, sounding very sincere.

"Stop that!" Aniu joked.

"Don't be modest, it's true!"

Aniu just shook her head and smiled, cozying herself against Storm for the night. Once again the aurora provided a great show for the two who watched it in each other's embrace.

The next half a day was spent with tense, silent travel. This was the day that they'd likely meet Aniu's pack, and tense they should be. It was only noon when they reached he last big rever, the river that served as the border of Aniu's packs territory.

They crossed the river quickly, as the ice was beginning to melt. Spring was almost upon the land, and signs of it were everywhere. Already sprouts of grass were beginning to poke up out of the snow, but that didn't mean winter was over. Storms had happened later in the year than this, and neither would be surprised if another big storm didn't happen before winter officially gave way into spring.

After crossing the river, they split up for a few minutes so each could have a chance to relieve themself. On the way back to Storm though, someone called Aniu's name. She turned to her right, and standing just beyond a good sized grey rock, was a black wolf, who stared at her almost disbelievingly.

"Night!" Aniu exclaimed, rushing up to her pack mate and giving him an affectionate nuzzle.

"It's so good to see you! How's the pack, are they alright?"

"Yes, they're fine, but we've all been worried about you! Where in this world have you been?"

"I'll tell you, but first I want you to meet someone." Aniu tilted her head back and let out a short, sweet howl. Somewhere another replied, and within a minute Storm came bounding through the snow.

"Aniu? What's..." he trailed off as he saw Night, who instinctively stepped forward, bared his teeth and growled.

"A dog." He hissed, "What's this about?" "Night, relax, I know him." Night relaxed his aggressive posture, but remained tense incase this dog tried anything. Storm showed no emotion, moving slowly towards Aniu, who turned away from Night to stand by his side. Her shoulder fur brushed lightly against his, giving him a message that said, 'Do not say anything.' He didn't. The next few moments were critical in gaining Night's trust, and Storm was confident in Aniu's ability to gain said trust.

"Night, this is Storm, Storm, Night."

The two eyed each other suspiciously, reading one another for any sign of aggression or ill will. Both accepted what they saw and Aniu continued.

"I'll say more once we get back to camp, but Storm is my friend. Anyone going after him is going after me too, and will answer to both of us."

Night nodded, accepting this. Aniu was still of a higher rank than him, Night still being a beta wolf.

"But if he makes one wrong move, and I will kill him." Night warned, reminding Storm very much of the time Phoenix had said almost the exact same thing to Aniu.

Storm was led by Night and Aniu back to camp, feeling more like a prisoner than Aniu's mate. Of course no one knew that he was in that position, and it would probably be wise to keep that secret for now.

On the way in, several wolves gave weird stares at Aniu, and even more at Storm. He got a lot of hate filled speech directed towards him, and all the wolves followed obviously expecting an invitation. The wolf camp was pretty nice. It was surrounded by thick bushes and many evergreen trees, which provided comfortable living spaces for anyone who wanted them.

The Alphas den was in a huge rock that stood shaped like a large right triangle. It had an opening on one side which said alpha wolf would go inside, and it was a perfect shelter for the wolf. He could also leap up on top of the rock to address the whole pack when he needed.

They stopped in front of this rock, and the wolf on duty beside it conversed quietly with Night for a few seconds, before turning and walking into the rock den. A few seconds after that, he reappeared, followed by a thick, dark brown wolf who had amber eyes similar to that of Aniu's.

"My daughter!" he cried out, his voice full of affection. He put his paws around his daughter's neck, who returned her father's embrace. They spoke quietly in each other's ears, before the big Alpha wolf turned to Storm.

And with any hint of warmth gone from his tone, he asked, "Well, well, what do we have here?"

The alpha wolf's posture had no hostility in it, showing only his experience, but being under that unwavering gaze made it difficult for Storm to keep his voice from faltering.

"My name is Storm, I am here because I helped Aniu return to your pack." He finally said, keeping his own gaze respectfully averted. The wolf then turned to Aniu.

"Is this true?" Makota asked of his daughter.

"It is." Aniu answered firmly. Makota looked back to Storm.

"Look me in the eyes." Storm did so, and after what seemed like an eternity, the wolf gave a small nod.

"I suppose then, we owe you a thank you for returning my daughter." Makota paused for a moment to jump up onto the rock beside him.

"As long as Storm is with us, he shall be treated as such. Anyone who disobeys this will answer to me. Night, you round up some wolves to hunt. We're going to celebrate tonight." After Night and his group of wolves moved off, Makota gestured to Aniu.

"I'd like to see you in my den, bring your friend with you."

Aniu glanced at Storm, her eyes reassuring him and her gentle tone helping even more.

"Just let me do the talking, we'll be okay. I promise." Storm followed the white wolf inside the. It was a bit cramped, but the two still managed to sit down, both facing the elder alpha.

"Now, I want to hear the whole story." Aniu explained from day one, telling her father everything except for what had happened in the past few days, but by the end of the story Aniu had her father liking Storm almost as much as she. He agreed to let the dog stay for a while, relieving both of them of quite a bit of stress. While they would still have to tell him eventually, they were safe for now.

After that, Makota led both of them out to join the hunt. Although Storm didn't ever touch the big caribou they were hunting, he had a key play in driving the animal towards those that did kill it. This gave him even more respect from the wolves, who figured if their alpha and his daughter trusted him, they could too. There were still those that were weary of him, but they didn't say anything.

When Aniu had eaten her share, she let Storm get his. While he was busy though, Night pulled her away from the group, taking her behind some bushes. Aniu knew what was going to happen, and her heart began racing.

"Aniu, I missed you..." Night began, taking a step towards her. She stepped back, surprising the wolf.

"Night, I can't..."

"Why not?" he protested, his eyes so full of emotion. "I love you Aniu..."

"I love you too, but not like that. You're more like a brother to me." She said, trying to get him to leave her alone without having to reveal the secret. But Night knew.

"Oh, I see, you like that... that thing more than your own kind!"

"Yes, I love Storm, more than anything in this world!" the white wolf retorted angrily, temporarily stunning Night. His face contorted in a mixture of anger and sadness, taking another step forward before whipping his head around, seeing Storm coming.

"Alright, so be it." Night said, suddenly sounding calm. He turned and stalked away, shooting Storm a hate filled glare as he did so.

"What's his problem?" Storm asked, coming up to sit beside his mate.

Aniu shook her head, "Before this whole situation started... before I was ever taken, he was supposed to be my mate. He cares about me so much, and I care for him too, but... what I feel for him is more of a sibling love. He didn't know that until now though... and I had to tell him about us... I thought he would take this whole situation a lot better... but I was wrong. I'm worried that he'll tell on us, and something bad will happen to you."

Storm put his paw on Aniu's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, we'll be fine."

Aniu buried her face in Storm's grey fur. "I love you so much Storm..." she murmured.

"I love you too Aniu, I love you too."

The next few weeks went by relatively quickly, signs of spring becoming even more abundant in the wild land. This didn't stop the tension from growing each day though. Night still hadn't told anyone, but even still hadn't spoken to Aniu. He simply shot them angry glares, avoiding all contact. Other than him, Storm had gained the trust of every wolf in the pack. But if Night said something, both Aniu and Storm were worried that it could so very quickly ruin the relation between Storm and the pack.

It looked solid on the outside, but with one small flame, it would fall apart like cobwebs under a torch. The repercussions of their secret was the worst part, and as such Storm and Aniu couldn't spend as much time together as they'd like, and that included not being able to stay in the same den at night.

It was torture for both of them, but necessary for now. They had become stuck in a sort of cycle, each day promising each other that today would be the day they told. That day had quickly become two days, those two days a week, and now three weeks after their arrival. In fact, that very subject was what Aniu went to see Storm about early one morning.

"We need to tell him today, we've been putting it off too long."

"I know," Storm said lowly, even though they were alone in the den, someone outside could easily be listening in, "we've been putting it off far too long. Today we need to speak."

"I saw Night yesterday... I think he's getting worse Storm. Please be careful, I don't think he'll try to hurt you, but if he does..."

"Don't worry about me, it's you who should be concerned, are you feeling alright?"

For the past few days Aniu had been feeling slightly nauseous during certain times of the day, especially during the mornings. It was occasionally accompanied by pains in her abdomen. If she hadn't been so stressed over the whole situation, Aniu would've probably realized what was going on, but it would completely evade her until someone told her.

"Yes, I'm fine right now, but..." she trailed off as another wave hit her. Storm quickly helped her to lie down.

"You sure you're fine? I really think you should talk to Tala..."

Tala was the healer for the wolf pack. A shy and reserved wolf, but none the less very skilled at using the limited number of resources provided to her to help treat a wolf when it got injured.

"I'm not hurt though!" Aniu protested. That was another thing lately, sudden mood swings.

"I know that, but it would just make me feel better if you spoke with her, okay?"

The wolf was going to protest again, but relented, realizing that Storm would probably drag her there if he had to.

"Alright fine, I'll go."

"Thank you, I'll wait here for you."

Aniu flicked an ear to show that she'd heard, before stalking across the camp to Tala's den. Night was in front of it, and as soon as he saw her coming, he got up and moved away, thinking that she was going to try speaking with him. She didn't though, and instead entered the den. It was pretty large for just one wolf, but needed to be if Tala had any patients.

Aniu found the elder wolf with her back to the entrance, organizing some of her supplies. Tala turned around upon hearing Aniu enter.

"Something I can do for you?" she asked kindly.

"I don't know... Storm made me come in here. I've been feeling sick the past few days, but it usually goes away by noon. I tried to tell Storm I'm fine, but he wouldn't listen..."

"That dog cares a lot about you." Tala said, causing Aniu to freeze up. "I know Aniu; your secret is safe with me."

The white wolf nodded slowly, not entirely trusting Tala.

"Now, what kind of symptoms are you having?" Tala had a feeling she knew what it was, but she needed to make sure.

"Well, when I've woken up the past few days, I felt nauseated. It comes and goes and like I said is usually completely gone by noon. I also occasionally feel a pain in my abdomen, and that I get any time. It doesn't happen much though."

Tala nodded, a small smile forming across her features.

"Lie on your side for me, will you please?"

Aniu lowered herself down, and allowed Tala to place a paw and feel around on her belly. Once the healers paw touched a certain spot, her smile grew even more and she took her paw off.

"Is everything alright with me?" Aniu asked.

"Oh yes, you're fine. But, dear me Aniu, you're going to have pups!"

If Aniu's jaw could have dropped all the way to the ground it probably would have. As it were though, she stood wide eyed, staring at the wolf before her.

"Are you... are you sure?"

"I'm very sure Aniu. These are going to be the first new pups in two years, I'm happy for you!"

"But, how will I tell Storm? How will I tell my father, how will we tell everyone?"

"Relax, Aniu. Start small. Go tell your mate first, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear the news. Tell your father next, and if he accepts that you two are mates than I'm sure he'll find a way to tell the pack."

"The keyword there being if. What if he decides not to accept it? I don't know what I'd do then..."

"There's only one way to find out. Do you want me to go with you?"

Aniu thought for a moment, "I'll do this on my own."

With that, she turned and went away, a look of determination hardening on her face. Aniu took a moment to compose herself outside of the den Storm was in. After a minutes pause, she entered the den, trying to look as joyful as possible. This was something they deserved to be happy about, but when their well-being, and now the safety of the pups were uncertain, it was difficult to be joyed.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's more than alright... Storm," Aniu took a breath, reading herself for what she had to say next, "we're going to have pups."

The husky stared at her until what she'd said dawned on him.

"Pups! We're gonna be parents!" He cried out, leaping into the air like a pup himself.

"Keep it down!" Aniu said, "We've still got to find a way to tell everyone."

"Well that's a mood killer." Storm muttered, rubbing his head where he'd hit it on the roof of the den.

"I know. We've got to consider their safety too, and I don't even know what to do!"

There were two choices. They could either leave and take a chance on their own, or stay and take a chance with the pack. Both ways had their advantages and disadvantages. What the two had to do now was decide which option was better for themselves and their future family.

"I honestly think we should stay here... I don't think I'd be able to take care of you on my own, once that time came. I'm not that great of a hunter, and I'd hate to see them starve because of me. I think we should take our chances here, and if that doesn't work out then we'll go find our own home."

"Alright... let's go tell him."

Storm and Aniu stood side by side to go find Makota, the wolf who would probably decide not only their fates, but the fate of the pups as well.

...

They ended up having to wait an hour before being able to speak to the wolf, as he'd been out of camp doing something or other. As soon as he returned though, he was promptly ushered off to his den by a very anxious daughter and a nervous looking dog.

"What's up?"

Aniu kept her gaze focused on the ground.

"I... we're going to have pups."

Makota frowned, "You and him?"

"Yes."

Silence reigned supreme as the alpha wolf took the information in.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other, I suspected there was something between you, but I didn't think it'd gone this far. And I'm sure that your relationship is the reason Night is and has been so... upset."

"That is the reason... I didn't think he would be so upset, but I was wrong."

Makota took a breath. "This is a great moment, my daughter; yours are the first pups since your birth. This is also a happy moment for you two. Go off together, and enjoy it. First though, I want to talk to Storm, alone."

Aniu nodded and left, giving Storm a reassuring glance as she left. Makota stayed silent for a moment, contemplating how to say what he needed.

"As little as a month ago, Storm, the thought of my daughter even being near a dog, let alone having pups with one would've completely and utterly repulsed and disgraced me. But, my daughter sees something in you and I see it too. You've surprised me, Storm. More than that, and I am proud to have you as part of my family and my pack. Now go be with my daughter. Keep her safe and keep her happy."

Storm's eyes widened as he received that, as it went completely beyond what he'd been expecting to hear. An enraged growl sounded from behind him, causing Storm to whirl around. His eyes fell upon an enraged Night, who stood growling and bristling in the doorway.

Before he even had a chance to react, the black wolf leapt at Storm, shoving him out of the way and hitting his head against the rock wall of the den. Suddenly there was four of everything as Storm fell to the ground.

"Night, what's-"

Night struck diagonally downward, swiping his claws across Makota's face, blinding the wolf of his left side. The black wolf kicked Makota's legs out from under him, and prepared to take the life of the alpha wolf. Storm, who saw nothing but a blur of black fur in front of him, opened his jaws and somehow managed to sink them into Night's back leg. He twisted and jerked, trying to do as much damage as possible. Night just tore his limb free, whirling around with yet another strike.

Storm put a paw up to parry that blow, and responded with one of his own. Night stumbled back a few paces with a bleeding cut above his right eye. He was ready to launch himself at Storm again, but by that time the camp had heard the fight, and many wolves came running. Night knew his time was limited.

"I'll kill you someday, dog." With that, Night took off, and only ten seconds later help arrived, in the form of Tala, Aniu, and several other wolves.

Makota got back up, unharmed except for the gashes on his face. He looked at Storm with a new appreciation. The dog had probably just saved his life.

"What was that all about?" Tala asked, confusion in her voice.

"Night, tried to kill me. If it hadn't been for Storm here, he probably would have succeeded too. Get a party out there after him, I want him hunted down and destroyed."

Several wolves gave Storm awed looks, as if they were looking upon a god. Storms deed did an enormous favor in the acceptance of him and Aniu being mates, and more than once he received compliments from the wolves, most of whom were excited that the pack would soon be having new pups to look after.

After a few more weeks, Aniu was moved into Tala's den, her pups due any day. There came one late night when Tala had to shoo Storm out and away from Aniu, so that the two females could have their privacy.

Both Storm and Makota waited outside the den, the former pacing the camp restlessly, stopping to listen every few seconds, before continuing his route. It was like he expected to be attacked any moment. It amused Makota some, as he remembered the stress and worry he'd had when he was a soon to be father. He knew that Storm would be an amazing dad to his pup or pups, and it only served to make the elder wolf happier. His daughter had definitely chosen wisely.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tala allowed the anxious husky to reenter the den. She made him promise to keep quiet though, which he did. Storm entered the den cautiously, not really knowing what to expect. Tala and Makota spoke quietly outside, not wanting to interrupt the two.

Storm saw Aniu curled up comfortably in a nest made of pine needles. There were two little grey pups cozied up against her stomach, both male. One had a darker coat than the other, but both had their dads grey fur. Aniu raised her head off her paws tiredly, her clouded yellow eyes focusing on Storm.

"Come meet your sons." She spoke warmly, the sound of a proud mother.

Storm crawled over to lie down beside the two little pups and Aniu. He had known that pups were small, but these were barely bigger than his paw!

"What do you think?" Aniu asked, a primal instinct in her needing to have the father's approval. Storm didn't know what to think. He was so overcome with love for the two pups and his mate he couldn't speak.

"They... amazing..." He managed to choke out, and Aniu smiled.

"We're amazing. Oh, would you look at that?" She said in wonder, as the darker grey pup crawled, trying desperately to reach its father, who was amazed that it even tried, being it couldn't see. Storm put his nose down, and the pup touched noses with its dad.

"You better stay with your mother, little one." Storm spoke softly, ever so slightly nuzzling the pup back toward Aniu. It looked like it wanted to try to go back for Storm, but ended up returning to cuddle beside its brother.

"What should we name them?" Aniu wondered. Neither of them had been able to think of any names. They'd hoped that seeing the pups would make it easier, but it didn't.

"Balto." Aniu said aloud. The lighter grey pup rose his head at that, and was rewarded the name. That was one down, but the dark grey one still needed a name.

Aniu glanced at Storm curiously. "You have any ideas?"

"None." Storm answered.

"How about... Indy?"

Storm's jaw dropped at the name of his old friend, the dog who had made him everything he was today.

"That's perfect."

"Good, because I'm tired."

Aniu gave Storm a quick lick on the cheek before settling down, falling asleep in less than a minute. Storm just sat for a while, gazing at his family, the love that he felt filling him up inside was absolutely amazing. He curled himself up next to his family, and made himself a promise right then and there. Nothing would ever happen to them, not if he could help it.

Storm and Aniu were given their own den after a week, much to their pleasure. After two weeks, they found out that Indy had Storm's blue eyes, making him an exact replica of his father. Balto also had the grey fur, but he also had the more wolf like traits, including slightly larger paws and Aniu's yellow eyes. It was quickly learned that Indy would cause the most trouble. After only two and a half weeks he was already trying to crawl towards the den exit. He wanted to get out, and to see the world. He was also a very sociable young pup, and liked when visitors came into the den to see him. Balto was curious as well, but was a lot less sociable, and would usually hide behind one of his two parents when someone he didn't know came into their den.

Aniu spent most of her time inside taking care of the pups. She loved them very much, but was stressed out in trying to keep them in line. So it was quite a relief when Storm offered to watch them while she went out for some alone time. Storm almost immediately regretted it, as he became the source of amusement, as Balto somehow found it funny when he bit his dad's ear. Storm was grateful that they hadn't fully teethed yet, but after only an hour he was worn out from playing with them. He didn't know how Aniu managed to make it through a whole day.

No sooner did he think that than Aniu stuck her head in the den.

"Storm?"

The husky sat up, a pup hanging from each ear.

"Yes?"

"We need to see you. Balto, Indy, let go of your father's ears!"

The two dropped down and let Storm get up. Another wolf came in to take Storms place, and it was obvious that he wasn't looking forward to it.

"Now you two stay right here and be good, we'll be right back."

Aniu led Storm outside the den, "You're too easy on them." She said once they were away from the den.

"Aw, they're just pups; we should let them play while they have the time."

"They need to learn manners; we can't have them using their visitors for chew toys!"

As if on cue, a loud yelp sounded from the den, and despite what she'd just said, Aniu couldn't resist a small laugh.

"So, what did you need me for?"

"Oh, yes. It's not good. Someone's been killed, it's fresh, and... and it has the scent of dog around it. I think I recognize the scent, but I'm not sure. We want to see if you can recognize the scent."

Aniu led Storm out of the camp and a little ways out into the forest, to the place where the wolf had been killed. Makota, Tala, and a few others stood around him. They waited patiently for Storm to scent around, and Aniu was right, it did smell familiar. It wasn't until he saw the silver fur between the wolfs claws though, and caught a hint of the smell of that fur, that he realized what it was.

"They followed us out here?" Storm whispered.

"Who followed you? Is my pack in danger?" Makota growled.

"The hunters... if they found him here, that means they can trace the path back-"

The boom of a gunshot echoed throughout the land, and a whole volley followed it. Everyone took off towards the camp. Upon reaching it, they found several dead wolves, and those that were still alive were fighting a losing battle. They tussled with several dogs, and a few humans stood around watching the fights, only interfering when it looked like one of their dogs was in trouble.

Makota and the others threw themselves into the fray. Storm pushed one dog out of the way, desperate to get to his sons. He saw the two huddled underneath a bush, staring wide eyed at the scene going on before them. Storm hurried over to them, picking up Indy in his jaws. Aniu took Balto before turning and running out of the camp, Storm right behind her. Aniu dropped Balto gently, turning to go back into the fight.

"No!" Storm exclaimed, leaping in front of her.

"I have to help my father! Move!" She cried desperately, trying to get around Storm. She tried to go around, but he caught hold and held firm.

"Aniu, those humans will kill you!"

"I don't care! I have to-" She was interrupted by the second volley of gunfire, the humans finally deciding the fight had gone on long enough.

"NO!"

Aniu's cry caught the attention of several more dogs, which turned to run after them. Aniu realized the danger and scooped up Balto. Storm took Indy and the chase began. They hurried through the forest, hindered by the two pups in their jaws. It was torture for said pups; they were being cut and abused by the brush their parents had to run through.

They seemed to be gaining ground though, when Storm heard a loud 'snap!' He felt a fiery pain shoot up his back leg, and he cried out, Indy tumbling from his grasp. The pup impacted the ground at an awkward angle, and he was most likely dead. Aniu whirled around to check on them, having heard her mates cry. Storm tried to pull his leg free of the trap, but it only caught in deeper. He looked up to Aniu.

"Take Balto, save him." He said peacefully, knowing what would happen to him.

Aniu's eyes were a golden fire, "No, I'm not leaving."

"Damn it go! Save him!"

The sounds of the dogs seemed to surround them, and little Balto huddled underneath his mother. Aniu locked her gaze with Storm, and they both knew what would happen. With nothing more than a slight nod, she turned to Indy and nudged him. He didn't respond.

"Aniu! GO!"

She picked up Balto once again, her anger and adrenaline powering her. From the sounds of it, Storm fought furiously until another gunshot rang out, probably taking his life. Aniu ran faster than she ever had before, all of the attention of the hunt directed solely on her.

Aniu finally saw an opening in the forest, and turned towards it. It was a mistake; the huge rock walls surrounded her from three directions. She could hear the sounds of dogs gaining, and knew what she had to do. A small crack in the wall served as a perfect place to hide something, and she shoved Balto into it.

"You stay in here until I come back for you, okay?"

Balto nodded his yellow eyes were huge with fear and adrenaline. Aniu felt horrible, as she knew she probably wouldn't ever come back. She then hurried off again, not knowing where she was going, but knowing where she'd end up. Despite this, she managed a small smile. Balto would be safe there.