As I was growing up, I always wondered what had happened to my father. He'd disappeared when I was very young. Every time I asked my Mom, she would shake her head sadly and tell me "I don't know, sweetheart. He went out just a few days after you were born and never came back."

Then, a little later that year, when I was about 6 months old, Winston came to my Mom's and my den. I was asleep at the back of the den, but woke up when I heard her crying. I saw Winston put his paw on my Mom's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jeena," he was saying, his voice heavy with sorrow, his ears back, tail down, and shaking his shaggy head sadly. "Our scouts only just found him. I wish I hadn't had to tell you this . . . but as lead Alpha, it's my duty. George was a fine, upstanding Omega, and an excellent member of our pack. At least we know that he went quickly, from what we could tell."

Between sobs, my Mom asked Winston "Will they be bringing him home, so we can have the proper ceremony for him?"

Winston was shaking his head again. "I'm sorry, Jeena. There's no way to safely reach his body. Not without risking more lives. He's part of the mountain, now."

My Mom sighed and nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "I understand, Winston. And thank you. At least now I know what happened. Now I can tell . . ." She and Winston both noticed me at the same time, as I started to cry at the back of the den. "Sweets!" my Mom cried out, running to me. She gathered me up in a hug, and started sobbing again. I joined her, both of us crying uncontrollably.

Through it all, I heard Winston softly say "I'm sorry . . ." as he turned and left us to our grief. We both fell asleep crying.

A few hours later, Mom and I awoke to the sound of Winston howling, telling everyone to gather in the area below the den hill.

We got up and went to the den entrance and saw everyone, even all the Alphas, coming into the area. We went down to join the pack, as Winston had ordered. I'm sure Mom knew what was going on, but I had no idea. We took our places with the rest of the Omegas, and Winston stood on a rock overlooking the pack, with Eve by his side. Kate and Lilly were just below the rock facing their parents, Kate on the Alpha side, Lilly on the Omega side.

Winston spoke up, his voice proud and strong, but grave. His blue eyes showed his sorrow at losing a member of his pack. "I called all of us together today to honor the memory of George.

"As you all know, he disappeared a few days after Jeena gave birth to Sweets. We never knew what happened to him, only that it wasn't like him to just run off. I sent out search-parties, but no trace was ever found.

"Until today. Our scouts, in their duties to the west, saw George's body down in among some rocks, down the side of the mountain. They identified him by what they could make out of his markings. We can only assume he'd been looking out over the area, back toward here, and lost his footing, somehow. It IS a beautiful view, one that I've enjoyed myself several times, just not in that exact place.

"We will now have a requiem howl for our pack-brother. As George's widow, Jeena will start, then Sweets, his daughter, will join. Then the rest of us will join in order of rank." He looked to my Mom, who stood, her blue eyes filled with tears. She laid back her ears, slowly lowered her head, then threw it back and howled. It was the saddest sound I'd ever heard.

I did the same, more by instinct than by choice. I HAD to give voice to my grief. OUR grief.

Within a few more moments, the entire pack was howling, mourning the loss of my Dad.

We howled for what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. Winston spoke again, looking to the blue sky. "May your spirit find peace, George. This entire pack will continue to look after your mate and your daughter. This we promise you." He looked out over all of us, getting nods of agreement from all the rest of the pack. He nodded once, then said "This remembrance is concluded. Everyone go back to your duties, please."

Everyone, before they left, stopped and said a word or two of condolence to Mom and I. We both accepted their words with gratitude, knowing that our pack was a strong one, and that we would never want for anything, so long as there was anything to share.

I learned that day of the unity of the pack. That as long as that exists, we can get through anything, as long as we believe in each other and are willing to be support to those who need it.