The first thing Claire noticed was that all the tables and chairs had been moved.

The second thing Claire noticed were all the dogs.

The town center was filled with dogs.

They were quite large and ranged from pure white to dusky gray to chocolate brown. They were hitched to harnesses which were in turn attached to several long sleds. If she had to guess there were at least four dozen dogs scattered throughout the area.

Standing by one of the sleds looking over its contents stood Tanaraq. She looked towards them as they approached and waved. Alek, fascinated by the sleds, hurried ahead to get a better look. Claire couldn't help but notice that while Alek was looking at the sled, Tanaraq was watching him.

For some reason, this annoyed Claire.

It was a feeling she tried to squash, as its presence was hardly what one would consider helpful. The task was difficult, and she found remnants of it lingering as she reached the sled.

"Is this how we're getting to... where are we going again?"

"Avala," Alek said distractedly. "Yes, this is how we're getting there. Marvelous isn't it? Doesn't even require magic."

"Yes, marvelous indeed," Claire muttered, her attention shifting to the dog sitting just a few feet away. "You're certain you want to do all this work?" Claire asked, reaching out to pet the animal behind the ears. The dog's fur was thick and felt silky smooth beneath her fingers.

"The dogs love it," Tanaraq assured her. "They can't wait for the chance to run. We're almost ready here, we'll be on our way in less than an hour."

True to her word, the supplies and those embarking on the journey were gathered in the town center within the hour. Claire was pleasantly surprised to see Yakone standing among those that had volunteered to join the convoy. She wasn't nearly as pleased to see Tanaraq there, which made her equally less pleased with herself for the unwarranted feelings of jealousy burning in the pit of her stomach.

Draz had returned from the hut, fully changed, and he carried with him the heavy, fur lined coats that would serve as protection against the biting wind and cold nights to come.

He joined her where she stood on the fringes watching the bustle of activity. The dogs were getting anxious, and a few of them had begun barking and snapping at one another. Glancing towards Draz she noticed his face looked pale and his mouth was set in a thin line. He also hadn't said a word since he'd arrived. Worried he was still upset, Claire reached out and touched his arm.

"Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" he asked, looking down at her. "Yeah, fine."

"I've never seen you this quiet," she said.

"I can be quiet," he snapped, pulling his arm free. "Is it a crime to be quiet?"

"No," Claire replied, confused by his unexpected outburst.

"What is it with girls and being so... so...?"

"Concerned?"

"Nosy," Draz finished before stomping off.

Alek joined her a moment later, filling the void that Draz left behind.

"What's his problem?" He asked. "Still smarting over the fight?"

"I have no idea," Claire replied, feeling both hurt and confused. "He was just standing here, staring. When I asked if he was okay he snapped at me and stormed off."

"It's the dogs," Alek said at last.

"What?"

"Draz, he doesn't like dogs," Alek explained. "When he was a kid, he got chased into an alley by a pack of stray dogs. The way he tells it, he barely escaped with his life. I always thought he was exaggerating, but who knows? For as long as I've known him he's never gone near the things."

"How long has that been?" Claire asked, curious now about the history these two shared with one another.

Before Alek had a chance to answer, Tanaraq called out to them.

"It's time to go," Alek said. "You're going to ride with me."

Claire was tempted to press the matter, but decided against it. Instead she nodded and followed him past the dogs and towards the sleds. The baskets were long and narrow, constructed from thin wooden poles lashed together with leather straps, and lined thick leather hides covered with soft fur. One of the sleds was filled with supplies they would need for the journey, the remaining three were for transporting riders. Eight of them were going in total, each sled could carry three people. Two road in the basket and one person, the musher, road the runners extending from the back. This allowed them to guide the sled, and the dogs, across the snowy terrain.

When they arrive at the sled they were assigned, Claire was pleasantly surprised to see Yakone waiting beside it. He grinned at her and she smiled back.

"I'll get in first, then you," Alek explained, hopping into the sled and settling against the smooth wooden back. He patted the space in front of him and Claire became acutely aware of how small the space actually was.

"I.."

"Come on, Claire," Alek said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I don't bite."

Claire felt heat rising to her cheeks and quickly scrambled into the basket. She settled herself against his chest, his long legs stretching to either side of her. She could feel his warm breath as he leaned forward slightly.

"Comfortable?" he asked quietly.

Claire felt her heart flutter and her cheeks grow warmer. Instead of speaking, she jab her elbow into his stomach. The air escaped his lungs with an 'oof' and he began to chuckle. Claire, trying to distract herself from the warm body behind her, shifted her gaze towards the other sleds. Draz didn't look at all pleased and kept eyeing the dogs as though one might suddenly break free and attack him.

Tanaraq was the musher for his sled, which also held additional supplies that they'd been unable to fit into the primary supply basket.

The rest of the men and women accompanying them were unfamiliar to Claire and she made a mental note to find out their names once they'd stopped to set up camp.

One final round was made to check the dogs and their harnesses. Once they were satisfied everything was in its place, the mushers returned to their places behind the sleds. Tanaraq let out a sharp whistle.

"Hike!" She shouted and the dogs leaped forward in unison, the sleds floating forward, gliding easily across the snow.

At first, Claire thought she would never get tired of the endless snow that stretched on for miles in every direction. After the first hour, however, she no longer clung to the side of the basket, trying to get a better look. By the end of the second hour, the novelty of traveling by dog sled had completely worn off and Claire found herself wishing for a Yellow Cab or even the subway over the cramped sleds and bitter cold.

They traveled for what felt like hours, the icy wind whipping around them and slipping into every tiny crevice it could find. Claire shivered despite the many warm layers of clothing she wore. How Alek knew she had no idea, but she felt his arms slip around her. He pulled her closer and Claire didn't protest, she was too cold to care.

If she was honest with herself, she rather enjoyed the nearness.

They stopped briefly for lunch, and before departing, Alek pulled a thick fur blanket from the supply sled. He solicited Draz to help him tuck it around her once they'd settled in again. It was enough to ward off the chill and Claire, while she had claimed to be fully recovered and capable of travel, found the journey to be more physically taxing than she had anticipated.

As a result, she found herself drifting in and out of sleep, jerking awake whenever the runners hit a rock which caused the sled to bounce without warning.

By the time they stopped to set up camp the sun was hanging low on the horizon and the temperature felt as though it were dropping by the minute. Claire wanted to help, but Alek insisted she stay in the sled until they had a fire started and the tents pitched.

"I don't want to be a burden," she insisted. "Let me help."

"If you overexert yourself and get sick again, you'll be far more of a burden than if you just rest," Alek replied. "Now don't argue with me and stay put."

He'd started to walk away and turned back. "I mean it," he added, a smile teasing his lips despite an obvious effort on his part to look stern.

Alek's demands that she stay put had been made in vain. As much as Claire wanted to climb out and help she could already feel a heaviness in her limbs and it made the thought of walking sound tedious, let alone pitching up a tent or unhitching the dogs.

For all of her concerns, it took the group only twenty minutes or so to get everything unpacked and their temporary refuge assembled. Once they were finished, Alek came to fetch her just as he had promised.

"Draz has a fire going," he said as he helped her out of the sled.

A fire sounded divine.

Claire followed Alek as he lead her towards the warm, orange glow of the fire. Draz was tending to the flames while Tanaraq hovered over his shoulder and watched in silent awe. A few others were engaged in a quiet conversation and a young boy was preparing what Claire assumed was the evening meal.

"What's your name?" she asked, pausing to watch as he carefully cut up what appeared to be meat of some sort to be added to the pot suspended over the fire.

"Aoni," the boy said, offering her a smile. He was missing his two front teeth and Claire couldn't help but grin in return, despite how tired she felt.

"Keep up the good work, Aoni," Claire said, patting him lightly on the head before Alek finally pulled her away. He guided her over to a makeshift chair and sat her down before draping the blanket over her shoulders. She offered him an appreciative smile as he settled beside her and took two cups offered to him by Yakone.

"Here," he handed one to Claire. "It'll warm you right up."

She took it and sniffed. It was the same spiced mead they'd had their first night.

The heady aroma brought back memories of that evening, memories of the harsh words she had shared with Alek, memories of the fire that felt like it was consuming her from the inside out. Claire brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. She let the warmth wash over her and allowed it to drive away the cold that seemed determined to set up permanent residence in her bones.

The memories lingered.

You know you have to go home, Claire.

Alek had been right, hadn't he? She needed to go home, right? Claire still struggled with the idea. Grandmother suggested that staying was just as viable an option, she could adapt, her aura could harmonize. Given time she could figure out how things worked here, find a way to be useful.

It was a strange reluctance. Realistically, she should want to go back. It wasn't like she had followed him to Albuquerque, she had followed him into another world. When she thought about it, really thought about it, the whole thing was ridiculous. Any sane person would have probably lost it the moment the train appeared out of thin air in the alley.

Not Claire, for some reason she had to be different, she had to choose that moment to be daring, or perhaps just stupidly impulsive. Since the first moment she had met Alek, Claire's life had been turned upside down. She had been almost been eaten by a shadow monster twice, jumped from a speeding train, and held at spear point by a group of natives.

Yet, watching Alek now as he talked animatedly with one of their Enuk companions, Claire felt no regrets. She'd seen too many wondrous, impossible things, made too many new friends, that it was incredibly easy to overlook the dangers.

Claire sighed softly, the air escaping her lips in a small puff of condensation.

Alek glanced towards her and smiled.

Claire felt a warmth spread through her that did not originate from the drink or the blanket wrapped around her shoulder.

She smiled back, once thought ringing through her mind in that instant.

I want to stay.