the leader died seven days after the death of his mate.

a week later, beneath a golden sun and a smiling blue sky, the snow was melting, cleansing the earth for the breath of spring. streamlets became abundant, twining like shining ribbons of molten light through the fields and valleys, the river grew swollen and turbid, becoming a fierce impassable flood, and the little fir trees grew still more feathery and verdant.

the young wolf, like the old one before him, now became leader and took a mate; she was the daughter of the old leader, and she went into the cover to breed.