"Nope. I'm afraid that you won't get any vacationers for a least a month... or maybe not until after the holidays. The snow is coming down too hard right now with that front hanging over our heads like it is. The weather forecast says that it isn't going to dissipate until the first of the year. Besides... you know as well as I do that with people being as stupid as they are, they'd make all of this noise and have one major, catastrophic avalanche careening down on their heads, yours included. Only a suicidal maniac would attempt to drive up there in this weather. The cleaning crews for the cabin won't be able to come and neither will the cooks and other faculty you requested for this season. You're all alone for the holidays, Ebony. Over." Announced the static-like voice of the mountain ranger -- Jason Rogers -- over Ebony Montana's CB-radio.

For a day and a night, the snow up in the Canadian Rockies closest to Fort Nelson had been falling without end. Ebony, until quite recently, it seemed to her anyway, had lived alone in a large, wooden cabin left to her by her aunt and uncle after they died over three years ago in a snow-mobile accident. Having been in a hermit-like state, sometimes the life of solitude left her feeling stir-crazy and very lonely. She'd pace around her home, listless, agitated, not knowing what to do with herself; so on Jason's suggestion, she decided to open a retreat, a kind of ski-lodge or vacation get-away from the world. Ebony normally opened her house to visitors towards the end of the summer and then she'd close her home again sometime after spring, normally before her birthday in August. In many recent experiences, she began to wonder if she'd lost her mind when she agreed to his suggestion. As a matter of fact, she even allowed an ex-boyfriend of hers to stay there with her for an entire season, and what a disaster that turned out to be. She remembered that particular Christmas/New year's Holiday as if it were only yesterday. Staring off into the distance for moment, she tried not to let the feelings or emotions suffocate her. Besides, it wouldn't do her any good to traipse down that particular memory lane. Though many psychiatrists had told her that she needed to work through her emotions, she found that she could never think about it without feeling as though her life meant nothing. Though it was probably healthier for her to dredge the whole thing up, she refused to think about it. As a matter of fact, that holiday fiasco was the reason why she only opened her home to the public during those short times of the year when winter began and then to the middle of March before spring.

The cabin was a very beautiful setting for a winter get-away in the mountainous regions of Canada. Built by her uncle's own two hands, and with the help of a small construction crew, the cabin was a masterpiece. Nestled snugly against the base of the Rocky Mountain Range, the cabin, set deep in the woods, but far enough away from the mountains to avoid any serious avalanche damage, was a beautiful redwood color. Tall, majestic pines served as protective sentries for the beautiful house, and wildlife of every shape, size and color sometimes passed it by. Picture perfect in any weather, Ebony was proud to have it in her family.

With four stories, including a spacious basement and attic with the main floor and the top floor in between, sometimes it seemed like a mansion, one in which Nature Herself would live in during the times of rest like fall and winter. The attic was mainly a storage facility in which old things and various other memorabilia were housed. The floor beneath it contained many bedrooms and each had a connecting bathroom. The main floor housed the spacious and modern kitchen, the equally spacious living room, a library -- which also acted as a study and an office for Ebony, and a dining room off the kitchen's alcove. Directly off of the kitchen was a breezeway leading to the connecting sauna, Jacuzzi, and pool room. The sauna was large enough to hold ten people at a time as did the Jacuzzi. These were enclosed together but separated by a delicious-smelling cedar wall. Next to both was the Olympic-sized, heated swimming pool. A tiny guest bathroom peeked from around the corner leading to the living room.

The basement defied all reasonable explanations. Ebony's uncle had thought of everything. In a small section of the basement was a large washer and dryer for the possibility of a high volume of clothes that needed to be washed. A rustic wood-stove rested not too far away from these two appliances. This section was separated by venetian blind doors which opened into a very modern-looking recreation room. The basic outlay of the room left people with any choice of workout equipment -- including items for resistance training, treadmills, and other such paraphenalia -- used to keep them in shape while they vacationed. A billiards table and a table tennis table rested in another corner.

Yes, opening the resort had been a very good idea. Having any other kind of social life outside of being the hostess to her fine establishment was one idea that would not be making its presence known to Ebony anytime soon. She was very sure of that! So having made the huge mistake before of inviting her ex-boyfriend to her home, she had vowed to make it a policy to stay in the cabin -- alone -- during the off-seasons. Thank goodness that she'd never had to worry about money. Her four years of undergraduate work in Biology and Fictional writing, another grueling four years of Graduate work in the same fields, plus the sizable inheritance willed to her by her aunt and uncle left her no means to become poor. She was well taken care of and could remain so for the rest of her life if she so pleased. Ebony could always fall back on her Masters of Science degree in Biology or her Masters of Arts in writing if she ever fell on hard times.

"That's really too bad, Jason. And I was so looking forward to doing this, too! Over," she responded, trying very hard to sound disappointed. It didn't work. Ebony always seemed to have this uncanny ability of not sounding sarcastic when she meant to be sarcastic, and only a very tiny handful of people knew the difference. Jason Rogers happened to be in that handful.

"You can't fool me, Ebony Marie Montana. I know you too well. I know that you were probably praying for something like this to happen so you wouldn't have to go through the whole rigmarole of seeing people again for yet another fun-filled season of screaming kids and people who are loud when they have sex. Now you'll be spending even more time alone. I hate seeing you alone up there. Over."

Ebony smirked to herself as she silently praised Jason's ability to read the hidden message behind a person's voice -- hers in particular. "I won't be alone. I have Fate and my huskies to keep me company. Over," she denied, rubbing the white mass of fur and muscles sitting next to her on her couch. He gazed up at her with wise, unusually blue eyes, and she smiled down at him.

"That damn wolf and those dogs are no companions for you!" he suddenly bellowed. "You need human interaction! You need to go on a date every now and again. What you are doing just isn't healthy! Over."

Ebony frowned. What right did he have to say whether or not she interacted with other people or not? "Fate and the others are the most human creatures I have ever met! In a way, they belong to me just as I belong to them!" Ebony answered with passion and fire causing her voice to sound strong, yet emotional at the same time. "Besides, so far, I've seen no human being ever act human towards me, except for my grandparents and my aunt and uncle, but they're dead. Over." Many awful memories threatened to overwhelm the petite woman, but she successfully swallowed them back down and secured them in the deepest and darkest part of herself. She swallowed hard before Jason started speaking again.

"What about friends? What about me? Over." Jason continued, sounding very stubborn about his opinion on how she handled her life. Why was that woman so stubborn when it came to interacting with other people? Could it have something to do with what happened to her those many years ago... or could it have been something more?

"You are nice to talk to, Jason, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about someone with whom to share my deepest, darkest secrets. So far in my life there has been only one person who fit that description, but that person stepped out of my life a very long time ago... never to return." Ebony paused in her ramblings to think about a time in her past when she had been very happy. Then she remembered that she was talking to Jason. Clearing her throat, she continued: "I'd rather not have to deal with people any more than is absolutely necessary, if that's all right with you. Over."

Jason sighed over the radio. "I'm sorry, Ebony, if I was out of line on my opinion on how you should conduct your social life," he admitted after a pause. "You've been alone too long and your loneliness makes me lonely sometimes... Me and the wife worry about you a lot sometimes." There was a lengthy pause before he stated, "Hold on. There's something coming through on frequency seven. Over."

Ebony changed frequencies to listen to what was coming over the wire:

...in the northern-most vicinity of the Rockies two hours ago. Be on the look-out. Repeat... It has been reported that there is a man traveling through the mountains. Since the area is so avalanche prone, it is advised that this man be found and brought to safety. Last reported ranger-sighting was in the northern-most vicinity of the Rockies two hours ago. Be on the look-out. Over and out!

Ebony switched back to Jason's frequency.

"Ebony, are you still there? Did you hear that? Over."

"Yeah, I heard, Jason. Over."

"That's right around near your place. If I were you, I'd get some kerosene lamps ready and stock up on firewood. This guy will probably set off a fall and knock out your power. Over." Jason suggested.

Ebony looked out of the windows that lined one whole wall of her living room. The flakes that were falling outside weren't as large as she knew they would be getting later on in the evening. The blizzard was still hanging over the part of Canada that she lived in. Only the good Lord knew when it would let up. "Don't worry about that. I have a couple of emergency generators out back," she assured him. "And if something happens, I have a few emergency supplies in the shed. Over."

"Good. If the idiotic man who's out there does end up knocking out your power before the generators kick in, it'll probably mean he's close to you and in trouble. Use your dog-team to search for him. I know you have some training in CPR and in being a ranger... I should know because I trained you myself." Jason paused to chuckle to himself proudly. "Anyway, you should be okay, if it's nothing serious ... as far as medical attention for this fool-hardy guy is concerned, I mean. Contact me on the radio if it's more serious than that. Over."

"Yes, sir, chief, sir," Ebony stated sarcastically. "Over."

"Oh, you are so funny, Montana. But on a more serious note, how many months do your food and other supplies last? If an avalanche occurs, the pass might not clear until there's a thaw, which may not happen until spring... early February, maybe not even until March or April... if your luck holds out the way that it always seems to. Over." The sarcasm was not lost on Ebony.

"I have enough food and supplies to last me, or anyone else that may come along, for about six months. Over." She smiled briefly at his paternalism.

"Just be careful, okay? Over and out!"

"I will, Jason. Over and out!" Ebony looked at her five huskies and her white wolf. "Well, guys, I guess it's just you and me for the season!" She sighed again as she looked at her family. She rubbed each of them on the head as they stared up at her from their various positions on the floor at her feet, then she turned towards her wolf -- Fate. Smiling to herself, she recalled how he came into her life.

Ebony had been on one of her outings, exploring the area around her cabin in the middle of a blizzard, which she was prone to do from time to time with out much regard for her own personal safety. Driving her sled-team through the blinding whiteness, she was like a madwoman yelling mush until her throat was raw. They had been traveling pretty well when they'd suddenly happened upon a small avalanche. Being trained as a ranger in some respects, she'd come prepared to check for any people or other living things beneath the heavy weight of the snow. She'd taken out a long stick and began to gently poke around. On a certain section, the stick would not penetrate. Taking out her shovel, she had begun to dig. Approximately four feet down, and many minutes later, she'd come upon an animal that was almost perfectly camouflaged against the whiteness of the snowy background. Feeling for and finding a faint pulse, she'd carefully secured the animal on her sled and trudged home at the same wild pace as before. Her hair, which had come loose with all the effort she had put into digging, fluttered behind her in the wind, giving her the appearance of a crazed person.

Upon uncovering the animal once inside the warmth of the cabin, she'd discovered it to be a white, half-grown wolf cub with arctic blue eyes. At first, she had been frightened of what a wild animal would do to a strange human, as were her young huskies frightened of what a wild animal would do to strange animals, but eventually, as the days and weeks passed, they had all grown to love and respect him just as he had come to love and respect them as well. Since the passing of those first years, he'd brought good fortune to Ebony in some way, shape, or form. Figuring that it had been Fate that had allowed her to stumble across the half-frozen cub, she'd named him Fate. It seemed to suit him, too, and he wore it proudly, like a merit badge at times.

Ebony stopped her musings and prepared to venture out into yet another blizzard to see what Fate had in store for her this time. Since Fate the wolf was still a wild animal with all the instincts of a wolf raised by a pack, but with the loyalty of a big dog, she never harnessed him or chained him, but allowed him to come and go as he pleased. Amazed by his tenacity and his unusual intelligence, Ebony was shocked to discover one day that he had a way of being able to open and close the double French doors in her living room, so most of the time she really did not bother to lock it... when she was home anyway. She really had no worries about anyone breaking in with Fate to guard her. Otherwise, she would always lock those doors. That day, he seemed particularly excited about going with her. Once her huskies were all harnessed to the sled, they left the cabin in search for whatever they could find.

The man who came out here must be absolutely insane... Imagine traveling through a blizzard, in unfamiliar territory, that could ultimately end his life... Sheesh! Ebony thought as she pushed the team onward through the ever-deepening snow. Fate remained close by her side. She gazed through her goggles at the blinding snow swirling around her. She could barely see ten feet in front of her let alone able to see the lead-dog of her team.