Blacktail Deer Plateau breathe deep

When all the ice that he could reach was gone, the male stood and shook out his silvery pelage one last time. He turned back to Pema, bestowing a grateful lick on her muzzle.

"Good," he replied, pleased that Pema had taken to caring for the children without him even asking. It seemed that she had an instinct for it that Khoe had lacked. Pema was quickly becoming an integral part of the male's family, and he appreciated that her skill and worth was on par with Valette and Krypton. The pack needed strong women like her and Dawn.

He laughed at her sentiment. "I am warm," he assured her. "The cold can't touch me through this fur - and it'll get even thicker by wintertime. Besides - Dawn and I can curl up together if it gets much colder."

Easy and Dauntless might even be able to join them before too much longer, but it would be better for the three to sleep together, unless one of them developed Grayday's preference for sleeping under the stars. Easy was already showing signs of it.