At last Pierre turned away and went back over the trail.
When he was out of sight and hearing, Kazan whined, and the crest along his spine flattened.

He looked wistfully toward the glow of the fire.
The man had not hurt him, and the three-quarters of him that was dog wanted to follow.
Gray Wolf came back, and stood with stiffly planted forefeet at his side.

She had never been this near to man before, except when the pack had overtaken the sledge out on the plain.

She could not understand.
Every instinct that was in her warned her that he was the most dangerous of all things, more to be feared than the strongest beasts, the storms, the floods, cold and starvation.

And yet this man had not harmed her mate.