The wolf pack

On a rattling steam train that claws its way through the thawing Canadian Rockies, Luana tends to the tiny boy in her charge. The infant, bundled in a woolen suit, clutches the brass stanchion with a fierce curiosity, counting the passing hills while his nurse‑like caretaker weaves a mix of tender admonitions and playful promises of home. Their conversation is peppered with humor and a hint of the harsh world outside the cramped carriage.

Luana is a half‑breed raised in the untamed forest, more at ease among pine and river than in bustling towns where strangers stare. She dreams of returning to the lake mission, where the child’s mother works, and where the land still echoes with the howl of wolves she has always revered. As the train nears its destination, the contrast between the settled world and the wild that calls to her sets the stage for a journey that will test loyalty, identity, and the bonds that hold a makeshift family together.