With Tala finally calming down, albeit she was still shaken from that accident with Saku snapping at her and Hunter and him storming away, she and Hunter could finally go on to search for Saku. He couldn't have left Maska's clan, as he was now deeply bonded with it and he had nowhere else to go.

From the trees, across the rivers, throughout the rocks and snowy grasslands, Tala and Hunter wanted to make sure that by the nightfall, they were going to find Saku at last. Sadly, with the sun setting on the west and the skies getting darker, it was clear that they should cease their search as the darkness would make their search harder than it already was.

"I… I don't know what to say… I just hope that Saku is going to be fine and come back…" Tala spoke as she could feel another rush to emotions coming to her eyes. Being next to her, Hunter let her lean her head on his chest so she could unleash her emotions stream down Hunter's gray underbelly. He didn't care for that, as he wanted to make Tala feel relieved.

"Tala, Tala… come on. It's getting dark. We should get back to the den or we might get in trouble!" Hunter spoke to her as he didn't want to expose himself and his sister to the unknown dangers of the Alaskan nighttime. She parted her head from his chest and asked him while looking her brother in the eyes: "But… what about Saku?"

Hunter sighed, knowing that he wanted to help her and make sure that they'd find him, but he let her know: "If he's still out there… he'll have to come back by himself. We have to go sadly." As much as she didn't want to go, but to continue looking for her friend, she agreed and whispered: "Let's go then. We'll start looking for him in dawn."

Hunter nodded to his sister to assure her they were going to do the exact thing. After a while, Tala and Hunter headed to the den into one cave, where the entire Maska's clan was sleeping. Once they entered, they heard whispering: "Psssst, Tala!" Immediately she perked her ears and joyfully whispered: "Saku?! You're back?! Oh, wait…"

It wasn't Saku, but it was one of numerous of Tala's packmates. While it didn't relieve her at first, what that packmate spoke did: "Oh, I was about to tell you… Saku returned and he's here in cave, but please don't go to him. I think he's still too upset about what happened earlier this day." It was a relief that Saku was back, but being far from them wasn't that much.

Tala found a comfortable place to lie down and Hunter joined her by laying down pretty close to her. Seeing how other wolves were already asleep, Hunter and Tala knew it was for better not to talk now, but to discuss what next in the morning so Hunter let her know: "The best outcome possible that can happen is, Tala, that we get to talk to Saku before he leaves."

Even if it had its odds for becoming true, Tala couldn't disagree. She felt the cool of the stone she was laying on, thanks to a sharp and bitter winter. She whispered to him: "I hope it goes that way, Hunter. Now rest… you have had a long journey." He did, resting on his side and before the sleep had taken him over, he whispered: "You too, Tala. Good night."

The next morning…

As the sun had risen out there, the sunshine broke into the den where the wolves were sleeping. Most of the sleeping wolves were awake and when the sun ray hit Hunter in his face, he stirred and opened his emerald green eyes. As soon as he did, he noticed Saku was leaving the cave. They must have overslept!

"Tala! Tala! Get up! Wake up! It's Saku!" Hunter moved closer to Tala and whispered loudly to her, which made her open her eyes and ask: "S… Saku?! Where?!" But as soon as they glanced at the entrance of the cave, he was no longer present. Tala's ears were lowered down as soon as he was gone. Hunter tried to compensate with her.

But then… an idea occurred to Hunter! It might have been a risky shot to make it happen, but he said it in front of her: "Tala, I think I know what to do. I will go talk to Saku myself!" Tala gasped in a surprise when she heard him say that as she was getting on all of her fours, asking him: "But why you? It's me who should go talk to him!"

"No, this is not your fault, Tala. It's my fault. If I hadn't showed up yesterday, Saku wouldn't go this hysterical and storm off!" Hunter revealed, wanting to make sure that he was the one who could fix this. Still, Tala tried to take some responsibility on herself: "Hunter, you don't have to blame yourself. It was not your fault this had happened!"

It was none of their fault indeed and Hunter's efforts to take the responsibility would have turned fruitless. So when he and Tala exited the den, Hunter let her know: "Alright, but know that I am doing this for you and your friendship with Saku. I may have met him yesterday, but I want to make sure that I'm not going to be the sore thumb in your friendship!"

Tala was proud how her little brother was saying all this and so she leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed it. She whispered to him: "Hunter, thank you for doing this to me. There is something you should know about Saku - he is nothing like what you've seen yesterday!"

And as it could have been seen on Hunter's face, he nodded to her as if he knew that. Tala raised her muzzle and after sniffing the air, she did catch Saku's scent leading to the river. She revealed: "His scent is leading to the south! He must be by the river now." Hunter nodded, knowing where to go. Before Tala headed there, he spoke: "Let me go first there. I'll let you know when to come, alright?" Judging by the look on Tala's face, it was a deal.

The two had headed to the south and after going across the snowy forest, they had managed to reach the river and much to Tala's hopes, Saku was there. He was sitting at the bank of the river and was looking down in the crystal clear water with his ears pinned on his back. Even if they couldn't see his face, they could have known by now how he was feeling.

Hunter silently nodded to Tala so they'd not attract Saku's attention yet. Getting to the clearer part so avoid stirring the snowy bushes, Hunter approached Saku slowly from behind and then spoke: "Saku? Saku, can I talk to you for a minute?" Saku heard him and when he noticed who was talking to him, he huffed.

"Leave me alone." Saku replied to him as he turned his face towards the water, but he didn't count on Hunter's persistence: "Saku, please. Talk to me. There's something I have to say!" Then again, Saku just rudely interrupted him: "I've told you to leave me alone! Why aren't you with Tala anyways, you two are good for each other! I have seen, alright?!"

While it did seem like Hunter was going to back down, as he turned around and Saku noticed that, as if he was going to listen to him. But then, quite unexpectedly, Hunter towards him and with even more persistence and stubbornness, he ranted:

"Listen, Saku, I don't care what you're going to tell about leaving you alone, but know that for days I have been travelling across the lands after being forced to leave the pack I lived in for some reasons! How do you think I felt like when I stumbled across this pack and I genuinely did not expect that Tala, my older sister, was a member of this pack?!"

As soon as Hunter was done, he did notice that Saku's look from mad shifted to genuinely shocked. It wasn't that because Hunter ranted in his face, but because what he said at the end that made him repeat, while stuttering: "D-d-did you say that, T-Tala… is your older sister?!" Hunter noticed the shock on his face and muttered bluntly: "Yes."

The revelation that had come to Saku was truly shocking… he ended up venting his anger on his good friend just because he falsely accused her of being Hunter's lover, but in reality, if that was true, they were brother and sister! Saku stuttered in disbelief: "I-is it t-true that she's your older s-sister?"

Hunter looked behind him, at one bush and knowing she was there, he spoke: "Come on, Tala. Now it's the time to tell him." Tala emerged from that bush, with the snow falling as she stirred it and as soon as she moved next to Hunter, she gazed in Saku's amber eyes and let him know: "It's true, Saku. Hunter and I are siblings, not lovers."

"The truth is, we've been living months apart from each other and we really missed one another. When I had come across Tala yesterday, I couldn't believe I'd reunite with my dear sister soon!" With that being said, Tala leaned her head on his neck to show how much it meant to her to be with someone she grew up along.

All while Saku was looking at them, with the shock and disbelief. This was neither Tala nor Hunter's fault. This was entirely his fault! To think that he had turned their reunion into a drama and possibly led to the erosion of his friendship with Tala… this was just too much for him. He felt the pressure crushing him hardly for this.

"What… what have I done?!" Saku muttered in disbelief, realizing his mistakes. He could feel that he was trembling from the guilt. Tala, however, compensated his upcoming emotional breakdown: "Saku, look at me. We understand how you're feeling. Just look at…"

"No, I can't do this!" Saku looked away as he was ashamed for his act the day before and now he felt the tears coming to his eyes again and then he started backing up, all while Hunter told him: "Saku, wait up! It's alright, we for…" but he couldn't finish what he said as Saku bolted straight back into the forest.

"No! It's not alright! I shouldn't have done this to you!" Saku yelled as his voice was trembling and before either Tala or Hunter could catch up with him, he was already gone behind the trees and bushes. His cries were silenced by the snapping of the twigs he was stepping on. Tala and Hunter watched helplessly from the river.

Tala looked at the place he was last seen and then sighed deeply, looking down in the snowy ground. She wasn't going to cry thankfully, but if only Saku didn't run away now. Hunter looked at her and he knew what to say: "Tala, give him some time to let these thoughts come to him. After all, he learned one new thing."

"That you and I are siblings, yes. But I really wish he remained in here." She spoke out of disappointment. She was not disappointed because her friend ran away again, but because how this entire thing could have been avoided easily if Tala had mentioned to Saku Hunter was her brother. She thought about this, through and through.

"Hunter, thank you for doing this for me, but I will take the rest from here. I'll end this misunderstanding myself." Tala confidently took in mind what she had to do. Hunter appreciated how she was going to do it by herself as he had his part done. But of course, he let her know: "One more thing, tell him that I forgive him, no matter his outburst."

"I will. That was the first thing that crossed my mind." Tala spoke as the weak smile stretched on her face amidst the disappointment. As they remained by themselves for a while, Tala spoke: "Let's go, Hunter. We're going back to the clearing and I'll search Saku by myself and talk to him." He agreed and both of them left the wild river flow behind them.

With the two siblings returning to the main clearing, where the most of the wolves were when they were not hunting, as they still had some resources left. Tala rose her muzzle to catch up the scent Saku had left behind and this time she spoke: "Wait, I think I know where he had headed! Hunter, you take a rest and I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Got it! Good luck with you and Saku!" Hunter wished her luck and before Tala left, she licked him by his cheek to show the gratitude for his understanding before she headed where she had expected him to be. She followed the trail to the sight of the sunrise from the day before. Indeed, his scent was getting thicker as she was heading there.

Much to her relief, after climbing up the sight, she noticed Saku, sitting under the leafless tree as he looked in the horizon. The guilt and remorse were seen in his eyes after everything he'd done ever since yesterday. His gaze towards the east was broken when a voice familiar to him spoke: "Saku, I need to have a word with you."

Saku looked around and saw his friend, asking her: "Tala, what are you doing here? After what I have done, I don't think I deserve to be your friend…" Still, he was interrupted when she moved closer and sat next to him and she spoke: "Please don't run away from me this time. I want to tell you that I understand how you are feeling."

When he heard that, Saku gazed at the east again, then at her and asked her timidly: "You… do? I mean, how would you understand me? You and your brother have been reunited after a long while and I destroy your precious reunion with my outburst? I have brought the shame to you, myself and the pack with it."

The guilt was clinging on him, as if it had no intention to leave. With his ears pinned behind because of so, he heard her speaking: "Saku, I know that what you've done is nothing like you. I may have known you for a few months, but this outburst is something you'd never genuinely do! I have seen in you who you really are! That is why I understand how you are feeling!"

If she was telling him the truth, he gazed at her, a bit more securely and asked her: "So you're going to forgive me for this all? I never really wanted to ruin someone's reunion just because of my overreacting. I don't think I'll ever forget something like this…" Even if he wasn't going to forget that, he wasn't forget the other thing that was about to happen.

He was taken off the guard when he noticed Tala leaning her head on his shoulder and out of comfort she deeply nuzzled him here. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his body temperature rising! He clearly did not see this one coming. Tala whispered softly to him: "Yes, Saku, I am going to forgive you. It's all in past now."

True, there was no point to reliving the bad past when you were in present. Sighing while still feeling Tala rubbing her head against his shoulder, he finally spoke: "I am very sorry for what I've said and done yesterday, Tala. I hope that the two of us… I mean, the three of us will remain friends."

She rose her head and looked him in the eyes and smiled warmly to him. With the breeze stirring her fur, which was the honey to Saku's eyes, she said softly: "It's forgiven on behalf of me and Hunter, Saku. Do not worry about our friendship, as the three of us can start together anew!" This sounded like a great idea to Saku for sure!

The two gazed at each other, now that their friendship was reformed from the start and as they were smiling, Tala couldn't help herself but to ask him: "Saku, know that I am not mad at you at all, but I have to know, what made you overreact when you saw me with Hunter yesterday?" It was inevitable and Saku couldn't fight his demons anymore.

He sighed, feeling the cold piercing his body and heart, and gazed in the distance as the wind blew, with the wind carrying the leaves in the sky as Saku's voice was heard: "Well, if you have to know, this all begins when I was a little puppy… it was not a pretty moment in my life…"

Saku's flashback, as his voice is heard in the background, occasionally mixed with Tala's…

"My puppyhood was anything but good. It was a truly miserable part of my life and it was because I was a runt in the litter…" As he narrated, there was a female wolf nursing her litter of wolf puppies, of which one of brown puppies, who was puppy Saku for sure, was trying to get his spot while whining: "Come on! Please let me through, I'm hungry!"

The poor puppy's pleads did not affect his siblings as no one had intention to let him through, not even his parents bothered to scold them. Tala's voice was heard: "I… I didn't see that one coming… I've never thought that you'd be the one who'd fall back behind!" The scene moved, indicating that Saku was a bit older in here.

He was seen running in the forest and was learning how to hunt for himself, just like how Tala used to when she was at that age. His parents already led the successful hunt and allowed Saku's siblings to catch their prey. Saku was behind them, as the weakest and the slowest of the litter. He begged: "Wait up! Wait for me!"

His pleads were once more ignored as his parents and siblings were deep in the forest now and he had to catch his prey before sunset. Once again, Tala's voice echoed: "Oh, Saku… I'm sorry for what you've had to go through!" The scene flashed one last time, but Saku did not narrate this one.

Instead, Saku lingered in this memory as he was now in the new pack, leaving the one he was born in behind. He saw her… Sami was her name. Only that he hesitated for too long to have courage to ask her out. By the time he mustered it, she was already with another male and his name was Faro… this was the blade in the back Saku painfully received and so that was the time he had to leave this pack behind…

Back to Saku and Tala…

"Saku, I'm sorry to hear all that. It must have been too much for you to hold the past inside you…" Tala compensated with these words and Saku knew that she was right. He could have damaged their friendship because of his past getting better of him. He let her know: "I never wanted any of his, Tala. I never wanted to destroy your reunion with your brother. If only I had known better…"

Tala compassionately looked at him and leaned her head to nuzzle him by his throat, whispering softly as a breeze: "But it is all in the past. Let your past behind and live in the present! May this pack be your new family or better yet, may Hunter and I be your closer family. You will never have to think of that sad past anymore, right?"

Saku, who was still off the guard from Tala's nuzzle, which felt heavenly to him like this, nodded slowly and whispered: "Thank you, Tala… I do hope that you and I, and Hunter too, will be better friends… or like a new family." This was an idyllic scenario for Saku and she did not want to break his hopes and dreams here.

Thus after parting with him, she looked him in his amber eyes and suggested: "When you're ready, we can go to Hunter and do something together. You know, to start things over! Does that sound good?" Saku's face showed a wider smile as he answered: "Pretty much it does! Let's get going then!"

The two friends had left their place from where they had a beautiful view on the sunrise the morning before. As soon as they descended to the main clearing, they had headed to the place where Hunter was awaiting for them. The smile on his face stretched as soon as he had seen Tala and Saku coming, both of them being friendly to each other.

"Saku! Tala! Is everything fine between you two now?!" Hunter asked them when they were close enough and Tala simply answered: "It is!" But it was better when Saku came up to Hunter, quite relieved and cheerful and let him know: "Hunter, forgive me for my outburst and a bad start between our friendship. Would you like to start all over?"

Looking at the wolf that was just few centimeters taller than him, Hunter amicably smiled to Saku and with the grin on his face, spoke: "It's forgiven, Saku. I'd like you to be my friend, like how you are to Tala. Maybe we get to be better friends in the future?" Saku smiled when he heard these words so he swiftly answered: "Alright!"

Now that all three of them were officially friends, it meant that there was something all three of them could do together and so she gave them a suggestion: "Say, maybe we can start off with us hunting together by the lake nearby? How's that for the start?" It seemed like Hunter and Saku were both eager about that idea.

"Alright… I'll race you both there!" Saku spoke and his answer was louder as he bolted towards the direction where the lake was, on the northwest. Tala mischievously yelled: "HEY!" Hunter didn't waste time as he was catching up with them both, yelling: "Not on our watch, Saku! We'll catch you before you reach the lake!"

The rest of their day was getting to know each other better, with Saku providing his sad past to Hunter and Hunter revealing to both Tala and Saku how he ended up in a pack that didn't last for long so he had to abandon it for the better tomorrow. Amidst the bad things, the good things came when the three friends shared two rabbits they managed to hunt down.

With the sun setting on the west, Saku, Tala and Hunter managed to return to the den of Maska's clan as the dark was falling. Most of the wolves were asleep, save for the nocturnal hunters that had just left to find some small prey. The three new friends headed to the cave they shared with their pack mates.

Entering the great, but chilly cave, Saku looked around where to sleep as he turned to his friends and let them know: "Tala, Hunter, thank you for a wonderful day. I feel much better than ever actually! Have a good night, I'll find my place where to sleep." But before he could…

"Saku, wait." Tala told him, making him stop in his tracks. Even if it was a pretty long day for them, Saku was wondering what she wanted right now. His answer came when she whispered: "Come sleep here with us!" That words made his amber eyes widen and jaw fall down only slightly as he looked at his friends.

"R… really?" He muttered as he was being politely asked by her. She and Hunter had already settled down on the comfortable ground below them and Hunter let him know: "Remember, you're always welcome when it concerns both of us." He was right and Saku had a great urge to go there and in fact… "Alright, I'm coming then…!"

He moved closer to them and as soon as he lied down next to Tala, she moved only closer to nuzzle her friend by his chest and whispered: "Good night, Saku. Tomorrow the three of us can go hunting together with the rest of the clan!" He loved that idea and as Tala moved back to lean against Hunter's side, Saku whispered to her: "I'm up for it!"

Hunter enjoyed his sister nuzzling him by his side as she yawned and closed her sleepy emerald green eyes, whispering to her: "Tala, sweet dreams. Saku, have a good night." He looked at his new friend and Saku replied: "Good night to you too, Hunter and Tala." With Tala already having her eyes shut, Hunter laid his head on Tala's.

Saku gazed at two siblings who had their eyes closed for a minute or two as the sleep was embracing him and as soon as his eyelids were too heavy, he closed his amber eyes, thinking one last time how he managed to fix the damage today and ended up finding a new friend...