Ankyra Sound At The Next Stop

If she sought to replace her family, Kelina had chosen the wrong border to howl at.

It wasn't as though Vlad didn't try, but the wolves of Saltwinter had banded together out of necessity - they weren't related, and whether they would stay together when the thaw came was still very much up in the air. The pack attracted survivors and outcasts, none more strange than the salt queen herself - and most members were an acquired taste; even Rosalyn and certainly Vlad.

"Vat dees lump being?" A loud, brash voice asked. The approaching wolf was a scrappy-looking fellow, with big yellow eyes and a frightening grin. "Wulf meck sleeps on Salty Veenter peck lend," he enunciated slowly, assuming a wide-legged stance some few feet away from Kelina. "Vanting meck fight? OK! You stending now." It was difficult to tell whether or not he was joking.