The night's tension was thick. The bone chilling air Longed to be disturbed by our howls, it wanted to hear our cries of joy for the Great Mother and remorse that she was not with us.
Which made my life a heck of a lot harder. They saw me as her interpreter, because she lives in me. But I think she lives in them too.
Luckily the snow had ended, leaving us with a blanket of ice. It lay under the dark, starless sky, a sign that Dolphus wanted Luna to shine with her greatest glory. And she did. Her light shone so brightly that the snow glowed, Winter glowed, and even I glowed. Balto said my eyes apperently were more noticble, but he probably just didn't notice them until now. So far it was just the two of us, sitting in the frost, his golden eyes beautiful in the darkness as he looked up thoughtfully.
Soon the rest of the pack slipped into the square, all of them, like us, unadorned by feather or painted mark. Then my parents came in, my father in his strong glory, my mother in her breathtaking beauty. They nod at me and I flick an ear in recognition and Balto says, "You'll be fine." I smile and walk slowly, lightly, not wanting to crush the snow I approach the Howling Rock and climb it alone and sit on top as we wait for the other packs.