How cold the night! Yet, the snow glistened. In her mind's eye, in a state of semi-consciousness, Stella saw a dreamcatcher, quivering on the wind.

Far, far away, in a place known as Alaska, darkness was beginning to fall. A man was walking across the vast wilderness. He made slow progress. His dog pulled on the leash as if she knew they were almost there. They were headed for Anchorage. The dog, a fur ball of energy, kept her nose to the ground. She moved fast as if something was driving her forward, some kind of reward or prize.

Nigel half-smiled. How Stella's eyes sparkled in the firelight!"I heard you play the violin very well.""I play a few tunes."Stella Chapman's voice tailed off, her red hair fell forward, screening her face."And you?" Billy said, diverting attention to the sandy-haired questioner. "What do you plan to do with the rest of your life?"Nigel went quiet."Anything, I guess." He threw out his arms, his palms facing upward. How would they understand? Only he had lived his life.

Each evening the night swallowed the sun and gave the raven the sun's energy. He stored this power in his wings, tinged with the blue of Alaskan skies.