The last of the embers in the lantern had been extinguished, and the artificial Northern Lights had long since faded. Dingo and Aniu had curled up together last night and fell asleep while watching them.

Dingo was still fast asleep while Aniu had been wide awake for several hours. She had spent most of that time exploring and eventually decided to wake Dingo up since he showed no signs of stirring.

"Rise and shine, Dingo" she said, gently nudging him.

Dingo yawned and sat up "Morning" he murmured sleepily.

"Hey sleepy head, come on, I want to show you something" she said, and with a swish of her tail she led him off into the woods.

They didn't have to walk very far before they came across Aniu's surprise. It was a tree. Dingo wasn't sure if it was dead or dying. It's bark was dull and it's branches were naked. There was a hole at the base of its trunk, along with a large gapping hole at the top of the tree. However, there was some green moss growing on the trunk, giving the scene a breath of life.

"I call it the howling tree" she told him. "Watch this". Aniu walked up to the base of the tree and pressed her front paws on the bark, so that she could stand on her back legs supported. Aniu took in a deep breath and howled into the tree.

The howl erupted from the hole in the top of the tree and echoed through the forest.

"That's amazing." Dingo commented.

"Go on, you have a try" Aniu suggested, pushing herself off the tree and allowing Dingo to stand on his back legs and support himself on the trunk, copying what she had done.

Dingo stood there in silence, staring blankly into hole. A silence washed over the two of them before Dingo finally broke it "I don't think I can" he said, pushing himself off the tree and standing on all fours.

"Of course you can." Aniu said encouragingly. "Dogs and wolves are related. We have the same ancestors. Just because humans have breed you over time doesn't mean you lost your howl. It may not be the same as mine, but I'm sure you have one"

"I'll show you how". Aniu sat down beside the tree and Dingo sat directly in front of her. Aniu threw back her head and let out a mighty howl. It lasted for some time before she lowered her head and stopped "See? It's easy. Now you try" she told him.

Dingo gulped, took in a deep breath, and threw back his head. His howl was strained, he felt like he would choke up at any moment. His howl didn't sound much like a howl, more like a screech. Aniu had to use all her strength to keep herself from covering her ears.

Dingo's howl was cut short as he ran out of breath.

"That was... A good start" Aniu murmured, slightly lost for words.

"It was terrible." Dingo replied "I told you I couldn't do it"

Aniu edged forwards and placed her paw on Dingo's neck, roughly around his vocal cords "The problem is, that you shouldn't howl- lets call it's singing, you shouldn't sing from here, but you should sing from the heart" she said, running her paw down his chest and placing it on his heart.

"Try again, you can do it"

Dingo nodded, and threw back his head once again and howled. It was much better this time, it wasn't like Aniu's but that was probably because each one of them had a unique howl. Either that or it was because he was a dog and she was a wolf.

"That's much better" Aniu told him sweetly. "I think you're ready for the howling tree" she said, leading him over to it once again.

Dingo pressed his paws against the trunk, feeling a lot more confident, he howled into the tree. The howl echo through the woods, startling a group of birds nestled in a nearby tree, causing them to take flight.

"That was amazing, Dingo. Probably as good as mine"

"Aniu?" A voice called out from nearby.

Aniu gasped "That's my father, quick, hide"

Dingo looked around frantically and gasped in surprise when Aniu pushed him into the hole at the base of the tree. After being slightly winded, he recovered and hid himself amongst the shadows inside the hollow tree.

"Ah, there you are" Aniu's father said relieved as he approached. "Me and your mother were worried about you when you disappeared last night" he told her as he nuzzled her neck. "Where on earth were you?"

"I-" Aniu began, glancing at the howling tree and then back at her father "I wanted to sleep alone, out understand stars. My brothers keep me awake if I sleep at camp"

"Well, don't run off again without mine or your mothers permission. Understand?"

"Yes, father"

"I must admit, you exploring your territory and examining your surroundings at such a young age is rather impressive, since you are preparing yourself for later in life. But I must remind you that you are apart of the pack, they rely on you as much as you rely on them, each one of us plays a vital role." He informed her.

"You'll learn more once summer arrives"

Aniu nodded slowly, taking in his wise words. The thought of Dingo came into her mind and glanced at the howling tree nervously. Her father followed her gaze and stared at the tree suspiciously. "What are you doing out here, anyway? I heard howling"

"I was howling in this tree. It makes my howl louder than it is"

"Hmph" her father grunted and walked up to the tree, taking a brief look inside. Dingo held his breath and lied completely still.

Aniu's father's nose twitched "Can you smell something? He asked.

"Smell what?" Aniu questioned, playing dumb.

"Smells like a dog" her dad commented.

"Well, humans come through here every so often, sometimes with a dog and dogs like to wee on stuff, to make their mark."

"The howling sounded like two separate wolves"

"No, it was just me honest" Aniu said, lying through gritted teeth.

Her father glanced around at the scenery before his eyes fell upon Aniu, his daughter smiled at him warmly "I guess my ears were playing tricks on me. That's the problem with having really good senses" he joked.

Aniu breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll meet you back at camp, alright, Aniu? Don't take too long"

"I won't"

"Good" her father said and with those final words he walked through trees, his dark grey coat shimmering in the sunlight as he melted into the background, disappearing out of sight.

Once she was sure he was out of earshot, Aniu beckoned for him to come out. Dingo scrambled out of the hole, digging his claws into the trunk of the tree and scratching the bark as he made his way out.

"That was close" he murmured.

"Yeah, too close. We'll have to be more careful in future."

"Agreed" Dingo said with a nod.

Aniu swished her tail and walked along a forest trail, while Dingo followed along side. "So, lets make plans, if we want to keep meeting up, when and where?"

"We meet at the edge of the woods everyday from now on. When doesn't really matter to me, it just depends what time you can get away and what time I can get away" Dingo suggested.

"I'll try to meet you everyday but I can't make any promises. So, will I be seeing you later today or...?"

"I'll probably have to stay home and make up for disappearing last night and all this morning. It's probably what Jet wants since he worries"

"All parents worry, they're just looking out for you" Aniu told him wisely.

"Jet still thinks that you're going to try and hurt me" Dingo said with a small chuckle.

"But that's not true, I would never do something like that. But I don't blame him, if only I could meet him and set things straight" she murmured sadly.

"Jet wouldn't come into the woods, and you can't come into the town, so that probably won't happen. I guess he'll just have to accept it eventually"

"I wish dogs and wolves could just get along. We we're related once, we had the same ancestors, doesn't that matter anymore?" Aniu questioned.

"I don't know, Aniu. I really don't"

They were almost at the edge of the woods now "So, do you want me to help you carry that stuff back to town?" Aniu asked.

"No, I'm good, you should get back to camp"

"Okay, well... Thanks Dingo, for everything, I really enjoyed last night and spending time with you"

"You're welcome" Dingo replied warmly, giving her a bright, beaming smile, which Aniu returned. Why could more dogs be like Dingo? Aniu wondered if Dingo thought the same thing about her.

Why couldn't more wolves be like Aniu?

Several months past by and Aniu and Dingo's friendship grew. Dingo felt that their relationship had flourished into something more, while Aniu's feelings were unclear.

Spring finally arrived and the snow melted. Aniu shed her winter coat so that her white fur was not as thick. Dingo and Aniu continued to meet up everyday and would explore the forest together, even the furthest corners of the pack's territory.

Meanwhile, Jet was still rather weary of Dingo's relationship with the 'wolf girl' but eventually accepted it and passed it off as a phase, thinking that he'd get over it once he matured.

Dingo was approaching his 1st birthday in autumn while Aniu would be one years old by the winter season. Even though they were still quite young, the two had grown considerably.

Spring went by like breeze and summer came shortly after and so did the heat.

One hot summers day, Dingo and Aniu were resting down by a stream. Dingo was lying by the bank, his mouth wide open with his tongue hanging out the side as he panted heavily. He also had one leg hanging over the edge of the bank, allowing the water to soak his paw.

Aniu was some distances away from the stream, leaning back against a tree. She didn't have her tongue out like Dingo but she did let out a small pant every so often. Her eyes fluttered as she leaned her head back.

Sunlight was shining through gaps in the branches, dazzling her gaze. She didn't want to move since she was tired and hot so she ignored it and allowed her eyes to close. Even in darkness she could still see some of the light and she could feel the suns heat on her closed eyelids.

And then everything went completely dark. She opened one eye to see Dingo standing there, casting a shadow over her, his tongue hanging out while saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth.

"Want to go for a swim?" He asked, his voice slightly muffled by his tongue.

"The stream is too shallow to swim" Aniu replied, closing her eyes once again.

"We can play in the water, then"

"You to on without me"

Dingo leaned forwards and whispered in her ear "I'll race you"

A small smile emerged on Aniu's face as she opened her eyes and stared directly at him. "You're on"

Dingo's open mouth formed into a large doggy grin. The two stood side by side and prepared themselves for the race to the stream.

"On three" Dingo told her. "Three!" He yelled and bounded on ahead. Aniu was unprepared since he had assumed that he would count from one to three. Words formed in her mind and then spilled out of her mouth.

"Cheater!" She exclaimed, charging after him. It didn't take long for her to catch up, in fact she reached the stream first and leapt into the water. Dingo followed shortly after, causing a huge splash.

"I win!" She cried triumphantly, throwing her front paws in the air and splashing water.

"No fair" Dingo grumbled.

"That's rich, coming from a cheater. I mean, you had a head start and I still won. You're just a sore loser" she said, teasingly but somewhat mocking him as well.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah"

Dingo splashed Aniu. Aniu narrowed her eyes and sucked some of the water up into her mouth until her cheeks were swollen. She spat water in Dingo's face. Dingo growled and charged after her, splashing her with water.

They ran around the stream splashing each other when Aniu jumped on Dingo's back. They rolled over and over until Aniu managed to pin him down. "Got you!" She cried, throwing back her head and letting out a triumphant howl.

"Surrender!" She ordered, pressing her paw on Dingo's throat, but there wasn't much weight to choke him.

"Alright" Dingo said, his voice muffled by Aniu's paw.

Aniu slumped down into a sitting position. Her fur was soaked to the skin, with every part of her white coat dripping with water. She felt much cooler now and somewhat refreshed. She watched Dingo lie on his back, kicking his legs in the air as he struggled to roll over. Aniu laughed at him as he finally managed to get onto his front and sit up.

The two stared at each other and laughed at how wet they were.

"Aniu!" A voice called out from the trees.

"That's my brother." Aniu muttered. "You know the drill" she said, turning to look at Dingo.

"Find a hiding place as soon as possible, got it" Dingo replied, diving into the reeds at the sides of the bank.

Aniu made sure Dingo was hidden before calling out "I'm here!"

A light grey wolf, around Aniu's height or slightly taller emerged from the trees and walked up to the stream.

"Storm, what is it?" She asked.

"Father is about to address the pack about something. It's an important speech, and he doesn't want you to miss it. So you have to be there, he doesn't want to have to fill you in afterwards, again"

"Alright, I'll be there"

"He asked me to escort you back to camp"

"Escort me? Don't you trust me, Storm?" She asked.

"Of course, but father really wants you to be there so he sent me to bring you back to camp immediately, so I suggest you come with me now"

"I can make my way back to camp on my own, you go on ahead and I catch up to you, promise."

"That's what you said the last time" Storm groaned. Her brother sighed "Well, you better come quickly, if you miss it then I'll end up taking the blame"

"I won't let you down"

Storm nodded and turned to leave before turning back to Aniu "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, go ahead" she replied with a brief nod.

"This isn't what father said I think it's true. I think dad's worried about you, you know"

"Why would he be?"

"Because you're not involved with the pack, you're hardly ever with us, instead you're out here on your own. The pack-"

"The pack rely's on me as much as I rely on them, I've heard it all before" Aniu interrupted.

"What I'm saying is, you need to start living up to your responsibilities. You're nearly one years old, you need to start acting like you're one of us, not like you're separate from the pack. You can't afford to keep missing important speeches like this, father and the rest of the pack have all noticed that you like to slip away and be alone, you act like a lone wolf all the time. If you want father and the rest of the back to take you seriously once you reach adulthood you need to stop with all this running off business. The pack, all of us, we're a team, and there is no I in team, we all have to work together. A pack can do a lot more than one wolf can do alone. Please, just consider what I'm saying"

Aniu nodded slowly "I understand, I'll do better"

Storm smiled "You're such a good listener." He commented "Look, exploring your surroundings is fine, but you can't do it on a day to day basis, you're not a pup anymore. I'm not having a go at you, I'm just trying to help you as best I can"

"I know"

Storm glanced around nervously "We should head back to camp"

"I'll be right there"

"Don't take too long" Storm told her and then they parted ways.

"I can't believe you didn't tune out half way through that" Dingo commented once Storm was gone. Aniu turned around to see Dingo sitting in the water at the edge of the bank.

"He's my brother and he's giving me good advice, of course I listened."

"I'm glad I'm not you, no offence"

"None taken"

"It's just, I can never live up to these 'responsibilities', I like to have fun and be free, I don't want to be restricted by rules my whole life"

"It's tough but I'm grateful for everything my pack has done for me over the years. I just want to return the favour in some way" Aniu told him.

"That speech sounds important" Dingo muttered.

"Yeah, I should go see what it's about". Aniu glanced up to see that the sun was in the middle of the sky, seemingly proving that it was midday "I'll come find you once it's over"

"See you then"

Aniu turned and bounded off into the trees. Dingo watched her go.

Aniu was missing for the rest of the day. Dingo stayed in the woods since he knew she would keep her word and return as soon as she could. He played in the stream for a while before making his way to the edge of the woods and laid in the shade of the trees.

By nightfall, the temperature had dropped ad it was much cooler. Not long after the sun went down, Aniu arrived. She seemed deeply saddened but also breathless. She must have ran the whole way there.

"Sorry I took so long, I couldn't get away" she apologised.

"Don't worry, you're here now" Dingo replied "So, what was your dad's speech about?" He asked.

Aniu choked up a sob, which caused Dingo's heart to sink. Something was wrong. "I- I'm leaving" she stuttered.

"What?" Dingo breathed in disbelief. "Why, when are you going, when are you coming back?" So many questions were blurted out all at once.

"Just let me explain" Aniu told him calmly. "Around the end of spring time and the beginning of summer my pack travels to the other side of the North Mountain, where older members on the pack teach new members, such as me and my brothers and any other pups who were born in Autumn, Winter or Spring time, to train them and prepare them for adulthood"

"When are you coming back?" Dingo asked, panic in his eyes. What if her answer was 'I'm never coming back' that was surely break his heart.

"Next spring" Aniu informed him. Her eyes were clouded and she was trying to fight tears.

"Next spring?! But that's a whole year away!" He exclaimed. He could feel himself tearing up too. They'd never been apart before.

"I know" Aniu croaked, a sob caught in her throat. "If I could stay then I would, but I can't. I can't break away from tradition. I'm sorry Dingo"

Dingo didn't know what to say. His eyes were stinging and he could himself falling apart right in front of Aniu. He had to stay strong, for her sake, but he couldn't.

"I- I don't want to lose you Aniu, you're the only friend I've got!"

"It won't be forever" Aniu told him gently.

"It'll feel like it though" Dingo cried, the sob caught in his throat was hard to contain.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I won't be able to see you then so..." Her voice trailed off.

"This is our last meeting" Dingo finished her sentence for her.

Aniu nodded silently before moving towards Dingo and embracing him. She wrapped one leg around his back and nuzzled the back of his neck. The sudden burst of affection only lasted for a brief moment as she slowly pulled away.

"Don't forget me" she whispered softly.

"Of course I won't, I'll think of you every day!"

"I'll be back before you know it" she insisted "I promise" she said, lifting her paw and reaching out to him.

Dingo pulled away suddenly.

"Dingo, I know this is hard, it's hard for me too but please don't cry. Please"

Dingo turned his head away. He knew he's break down at any moment and he didn't want to do it in front of Aniu. It would only make things worse on her.

Before he could realise what he was doing, his legs ran away with him. The next thing he knew, he was sprinting down the hillside and towards the town. He heard Aniu call after him several times, but he didn't look back.

"I'm sorry" he whimpered aloud, even though she was out of ear shot.

Dingo reached the house. His muscles ached, his cheeks were burning and his eyes were stinging. He ran inside and up the stairs and into the attic.

Jet knew something was wrong as soon as Dingo came back. He watched as the young pup came running into the attic and fell into Jet's embrace.

"She's gone!" Dingo cried, the tears finally pouring down his face. His eyes wear red and puffy.

"She's gone" he repeated, burying his face in Jet's black fur. Jet couldn't get another sentence out of him after that, he just get muffling those same two words over and over. The young pups body quaked, as he continued to sob. Jet rubbed Dingo's back soothingly and lifted his head and stared out of the attic window.

On the edge of the woods was a white shape. He'd never met the 'wolf girl' before but some how he knew it was her. He stared directly at her and he knew she was staring directly at him.

He watched as the white wolf slowly backed away into the woods and allowed herself to be consumed by the shadows.

Dem feels. This is probably the longest chapter so far so... HOORAY! And that's more like, a couple of days since the last update and not a month or more. Things are looking up.

Hope you enjoyed it. And sorry if I made you a little sad.