"tag you're it!"

"Hey no fair! You got a head start!"

"Catch me if you can Atka!" Eska laughed, trotting away from her brother like the excited pup that she was.

Balto watched in interest at his two siblings zipping around the circle of their den. Dante was chewing on a random stick. "thish teeshing ish kirring meh." he mumbled between bites. Tier walked up to him and bit the other end, pulling it away from his brother. Dante growled with detest. "what are you doing? Paws off suck-up!" Tier growled back, inviting his sibling into a tug of war with the stick.

"Are you alright Aniu?" Taku asked lying on his belly watching over his young, aniu and balto were the only pups just standing there not doing anything active. "I'm fine papa," she huffed, lifting herself with her four legs and waltzing between her fathers front paws. "You seem a bit sad is all."

"I'm not sad papa, its just that I just can't understand boys sometimes." she nuzzled her fathers chest. "You understand me don't you tlapa?" he said with a smile. "yeah but you don't count because you're a grown up." she giggled. "Should I take that as a compliment young lady?" the auburn wolf chuckled with her daughter. "if I say yes will you groom me papa?"

Atka panted as his running became walking, and walking shortly became short baby steps. "Come on, *pant* eska, *pant* is that all *pant* you got?" eska was just barely in front of him now, taking her sweet time walking. Atka was huffing and puffing as if he were about to collapse at any minute. "oh hold up I think im gonna hurl~"

"uh, ew?" eska backed away. "gotcha!" atka regained his composure and ran off into the woods. 'she'll never find me here, haha! I know this maze inside and out thanks to pop!' he calculated in his head, taking a quick left turn leading to the beach shore. "just a little farther, whoa!" his pace screeched to a halt, his vision being blocked by a bright shining light. Quenching his lids barely being able to see he put a paw over his eyes. 'dog gone it what is that? that's too bright to be the sun.' he thought getting behind a nearby tree. The little cub reopened his blue eyes, seeing that his vision was but a blur now. "darn." he said looking at his front paws as he sat. but he could also see the shadows coming closer to him and the shore. Seeing that was his moment he turned around to find a figure standing at the beach. its fur almost matching the sand, and in front of her, an invisible figure appearing to be looking at him if not the wolf on the beach.

"Now young pup do you mind telling me what you're doing out here all alone?" the wolf said trotting up to him. "Mama~" atka gasped. "where's your father? I thought I told you to stay close to him and the den." Aleu sighed sniffing atka all over. "I know you did mama but there was this squirrel see,"

"and that's what happened." Atka finished his story walking beside his mother back to the den where their family waited. "Taku!" Aleu barked aloud. "Uh-oh." Balto looked over the scene. "We'll discuss this later atka, go with your siblings back in the den. Go, go!" she nudged his behind with her muzzle. "ok ok, I'm going mama." as soon as he did as he was ordered the cubs all rallied and huddled up inside their little home. They could here their parents arguing outside. "and that's where I saw it, this ghostly figure staring right into my eyes, it was so creepy." Atka finished his tale to his brothers and sisters.

"A ghost? No way." Dante scoffed. "G-g-ghost?" Balto shook with his fur sticking up. "Come on atka you know there's no such thing as ghosts." Tier assured. "Don't tell me you're on dante's side Tier!" Atka groaned in disappointment. "I'm not, I'm actually interested." he whispered in Atka's ear. "besides I don't want balto there having a panic attack, you know him."

"well what did this 'ghost' look like?" Aniu asked intrigued. Atka shook his head in response. "I dunno, all I could see was a bright light surrounding him, and when the light faded my vision was all blurry. But I could tell that it was some sort of wolf, all black and grey, it was creepy." eska gulped hearing the story. "well mom likely saw it too didn't she? Surely she knows about it too." Tier added. "and I also know that you're a terrible liar Atka, a squirrel? Really?" Aleu walked in the den along with Taku. This wasn't going to be easy to get out of. "mama, Atka was just confused after seeing that mysterious figure at the beach. Right?" Aniu butted in.

"What mysterious figure?" Aleu asked. "You mean you didn't see it? There was this bright shining beam of light and, this wolf came in and was walking on the water like it was some ghost!" Aleu chuckled hearing this. "oh my dear Atka, first squirrels now ghosts whats next?" her laughter becoming faint after a few seconds passing of awkwardness. Realizing he was serious she kept her poker face on and tried to look jokingly at her children. "Ok pups you can go back outside and play, atka, you stay with me. You too Taku."

The pups zipped out in joy, ready to do their usual activities. Once the three wolves were alone the two adults started to question their son. "Atka I didn't see anything. Are you sure there was some form of figure in front of you?" the little tan and silver wolf nodded. "I swear he was there mama, my vision may have been blurry but I could tell he was looking directly at me like he was trying to tell me something."

Taku pondered a little "Isn't this like you and that raven you once told me about Aleu?" Aleu's eyes shifted while her ears folded. "maybe, maybe not. When I talked to Aniu during my trip she appeared before me and sometimes even my father in a ghostly form. Maybe this is the same with this new figure?"

"I promise mama I'm not lying!" Atka begged as he was picked up by the scurf of the neck and placed between his mothers paws. "Its not that," she answered. "its bath time."

enjoy the new review.

NOTICE: tlapa means powdered snow in Inuit.