The palace was a site of grief. A family was in mourning for a lost daughter, and another who hung on to life by the merest sliver. It was a miracle that she had survived that long, people joked that she must have more lives than a cat.

Snow White had allowed Mira's body to rest in the crypt beneath the castle that was usually reserved for royalty while they waited to see if they needed another space in the family barrow.

But it was not only Luna that had more than one life, for Snow White got the shock of her life when none other than Tamarisk appeared at the castle gates cradling two babes. She stared in open-mouthed disbelief at the vivid white scar on his chest through his open shirt, the entry hole of the arrow she thought had taken his life, before ushering him silently up to the room where Luna lay.

He placed the cubs gently on the soft bed before nuzzling his mate's face gently and whimpering softly in her ragged, unhearing ear. The little ones cried quietly as they pawed at their mother's still body, her chest only making the slightest movement of breath. Snow White picked the cubs up and rocked them until their plaintive whines subsided.

'I know this one, 'she touched the darker pup, Luath, on his head, 'but I've never seen this one before.'

He turned his beautiful eyes, now so full of woe, to her, suspiciously, as if mistrustful of her with his cubs, 'That's Miran, our daughter. His name is Luath.'

'Such beautiful names.'

'Luna chose his, I chose hers. She's named after Luna's sister who died defending her.'

Snow White walked onto the balcony. Below her three male wolves sat, Luna's brothers and father. A sudden scuffle erupted when the silver man- wolf attacked the red-head. It only ended when the third, darker wolf intervened and pinned the silver wolf to the floor while he raged and wailed out his grief.

'It's hard for a father to lose both his daughters in one night.' Snow White jumped, she had not realised that Tamm had left Luna's side to come and stand beside her, his wolf feet making no sound on the marble floor. He reached out and took his daughter in his arms. 'Do not judge him harshly, his whole life has been loss and he is angry. He blames himself for allowing events to snowball the way they have. He believes if he had stopped them going to that dance then none of this would have happened.'

'Then the story Luna told me was true?'

'Every word. There will be a singing tonight to aid Mira on the starlit pathway. If you wish you may come, but do not be upset if Polaris is slightly resentful. It may not be what you are used to, but we shall do it the traditional wolvish way.'

Tamarisk went to tend his mate who lay twixt life and death.

* * * * *

A fire had been built into a narrow strip and blazing torches set around it in a circle. The family gathered within the ring of fire, their yellow eyes ablaze with the flickering light. They had never looked more alive, which made the ceremony that much more poignant. A maidservant had been left tending to Luna and her children so all could attend the singing. Tamarisk took Luna's place and was an accepted member of the pack. Snow White kept away, she did not feel it was her place to interfere in a family affair, but she watched from a distance.

Once all were gathered in silence Polaris started the singing, low and mournful, and the whole family joined the lament one by one. Snow White thought that even the very stars would weep at such a disconsolate display of affection for a lost loved one. She had never heard wolves singing properly before, only what she now understood as communication howls, and it was both beautiful and tragic at the same time. So many voices lending individual pitch and creating a harmony so perfect it was like the song of nature, the call of the wild. That was the strength of a wolf pack.

The song drifted off into the clear night and faded slowly as the lupine choir gently stopped their chant. Polaris cast a favourite shawl of Mira's into the embers, a symbol of her spirit, and green flames flared up in acceptance of the offering. Biting his wrist until it bled, Polaris let the dark liquid drip into the emerald blaze to feed Mira's fire.

'If any grievance exists between us still that keeps you from the starlit pathway let this blood end it now. Mine to the fire and yours upon the ground on which you died. With it I thee forgive and beg thy forgiveness, blood binding us in this life and beyond. Peace upon your journey to where the silver herds run. Good hunting, my daughter!' This last was said in howl form, a blessing for his cub on the eternal hunt.

One by one they all bled into the blaze and repeated the liturgy of absolution so Mira would have no cause to stray from the One Path and so they would have peace in their own hearts at letting her go without resolving past differences.

Polaris smiled and spread his arms wide, every bit the benign patriarch, 'Come, the time for sorrow is over. Let us eat and remember Mira for the daughter and sister that she was, even if we only knew her a short time. Let us sing, dance and be thankful that she was a part of our lives.'

They feasted upon the deer that had been thoughtfully been left beside the ceremonial circle. Before Draco ate he took a large piece of meat and threw it on the burning coals, 'Eat well, Mira. Run well in the stars.'

With whoops and barks the celebrations truly began. Great armfuls of wood and dried herbs were thrown upon the fire making the flames shoot up in great golden columns. Drums were beaten and reed flutes played as the rest danced and leapt over the fire pit in displays of virility and strength. The family part was over now, friends joined the thanksgiving for a young wolfs' life well lived. Arc and Raisho both joined the revelry, their steps graceful and their voices as loud as any. There were others too, small bodies casting giant shadows. Souris and Furo were both there along with Furo's mate, a slender jill named Umbra, who danced in their own way with arched backs and rigid tails. And if they believed they saw the shadows of two female wolves dancing and floating gently in the silver smoke perhaps they were not mistaken.

The festivities continued until the stars waned from the sky. They rested where they fell, exhausted, a tangled mass of fur and scale, in a great heap together. Even little Souris slept safely, curled up between Arc's short horns.

And finally Snow White understood the meaning of the wild.

* * * * *

Ara slipped away unnoticed from the sleeping group as the sun crept above the black horizon. She first checked upon Luna and her grandcubs. They slept peacefully, Luna still unconscious but Ara thought she had improved slightly, or was she just fooling herself? Miran stirred and whimpered, threatening to wake her brother, so she stroked the pups' head and sang softly until she drifted back to sleep. The maidservant tending them slept on unaware that the wolf had been and gone.

It was early and the castle was hauntingly silent. For this Ara was thankful for she wanted to be alone. She padded gently downwards towards the crypt. To Mira.

Her beautiful daughter now slept eternally upon a block of cold grey marble. Pale dawn light filtered through the small windows, highlighting the dead wolfs gentle features and making her fair hair shimmer. Ara attended her daughter with all a mothers care, straightening her long blonde hair and placing fresh flowers in it and around her. She wished with all her heart that Mira's green eyes would open in surprise and laugh at what had happened, but that was wrong. Her eyes saw a different world now.

Ara gently took out Mira's tail from where someone had tucked it underneath her new, clean tunic. Yes, Mira was human but for her long white tail and perhaps someone had thought that that was how she should be. But her daughter wouldn't have wanted that - she enjoyed being a wolf and it was best that all knew it.

She surveyed small trinkets that had been placed around her - gifts for the life beyond - jewellery, carvings, flowers and childhood treasures from her brothers. She handled one of them, a ball made from Airstone, a type of rock that was as light as a feather, that Mira had found in a stream when but a toddler that had been a favourite toy for all of them. One of Draco's baby teeth was still embedded in it from when he had bitten it too hard when he was little, she was sure it was he who must have kept it, and, strong as she was, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

And she wasn't alone. Her red-tipped hackles rose and she felt uncontrollably angry at the dirty sneak who spied upon a grieving mother, 'Can't you leave me in peace?' Then she saw who it was. 'Oh, Your Majesty, forgive me, I.'

Snow White shook her head dismissively, 'There is no apology necessary, I understand. No parent should have to mourn their child, and she was a beautiful child.'

Ara stroked Mira's smooth forehead fondly, sniffing back the tears that still threatened to flow, 'But she was a troublemaker, always the brains behind the operation. Couldn't let a chance for mischief go, could my Mira. I am blessed that she was mine to raise and enjoy. At least I still have the other three.' There was a ghost of apprehension in her smile.

'Luna will survive.'

'Oh yes, I know that.' Ara's voice was imperious and carried with it a tone that was dangerous to defy. Snow White was sure that if Luna didn't pull through Ara would find some way to get back at her. 'She wouldn't let herself die now when she's got everything - mate, cubs, . freedom.'

That last was an order aimed at her, Snow White was sure.

'Ara, it is Ara isn't it? I was wondering what is Luna?'

'She is a wolf, what else could she be?'

'That night, in the storm.'

'Oh, yes.' Ara knew exactly what the queen was asking her. The wolf smiled a secret, conspiratorial smile. This was a bit like letting the cat out of the bag, spoiling the illusion that Luna had built around herself on that fateful evening. No, Luna was no god, but the plan had been executed to perfection. 'She's a wolf with a loyal family willing to do anything for her. And put it this way, if they allowed wolves on the stage my Luna would be the most celebrated actress in all the Nine Kingdoms.'

'Then it was.?' Realization dawned on Snow White and her eyes widened as the full impact of what she had been told revealed itself. It surely wasn't possible. Was it?

Ara knew exactly what she was thinking, 'If you get too close you can still smell the smoke on Tamm, and I stink of that pondweed. Sirius won't show his tail now because it's bald!'

'But, the three-headed beast? And the skeleton?'

'Polaris and two ferrets and Draco wearing a ram's skeleton, it stank but it was worth it! The costumes were difficult to make look convincing, but I think we pulled it off. Don't you?'

There was something about this wolfs' tone, stance and eyes that was familiar. In fact, if she were wearing a red cape and hood it would be perfect. but no, it couldn't be, could it? 'Red?' The wolf raised her eyebrows regally and Snow White knew for sure that she wasn't mistaken, 'How can this be?'

'I was cursed, but my curse was my release. I wasn't born to be a queen, I was born to be a wolf, only I didn't know it, or at least I didn't understand it. I envied wolves their freedom and so tried to take it the only way I knew how.'

'Do your family know?'

Luna guessed and Polaris knows, as did Altair, Luna's grandfather, my big bad wolf. My saviour. Mira did not know and nor do Draco and Sirius. To them I am Ara, a wolf. That is the way it should be. I am happy, Snow.'

'Vermeil.?'

'I am dead to her, and that is for the best. She would not want me like this, besides I would take the only thing she wanted of me - her crown. She is also dead to me. I am not Vermeil's mother any more. I am Ara, Mira's mother. I have been given another life - this is my Happy Ever After.'

'If that's the way you want it to be then of course I shall not tell anyone.'

'Thank you, although I would appreciate an official written record kept so if my first line fails there are others to claim my throne, if they want it. Only if they want it, they are under no obligation. But any feuding over it and my line becomes null and void, the Kingdom to be run by an elected government of all races.'

'Of course. Anything for an old friend, Red.'

Ara drew herself up and it was obvious why she had been one of the five great women who changed and created the Kingdoms, 'My name is Ara,' and she left Snow White alone with her dead daughter.

It was a shame that she had rejected her past, Snow White mused, for she would be an even greater queen due to her experiences. A wolf queen of the Second Kingdom would be a novelty indeed. Especially one with such a noble bearing to her tail!