She's trying to tell us something...

You, sir, rock. I don't think I can adequately describe how wonderful
your story was. Such a pleasure to read. I especially enjoyed Aniu's
conversation with Dakarai and Nightfall. Very believable.
While
the "Lassie" bit with Rosie and her father talking to Balto was a bit
comical, it was not unbearable. I didn't mind Jenna's "pet name" for
Balto much, either. Like Juchann said, if you love someone, why not
tell them?
This has been a remarkable series so far! Keep up
the fantastic work!

I appreciate the comments. I'll see if I can try to explain why I
wrote it the way I did. The bloody/meat sharing thing is actually
pretty tame. I didn't really go into detail at all with that stuff,
and that was intentional. It wasn't the focus of the scene(s), but
we're talking about wolves in the wild here. It was going to have to
come up one way or another.

And yes, Jenna's pet name
for Balto. Actually it's not so much a pet name as it is an expression
of how she feels for him. It may seem excessive, but I'm actually
using it very deliberately. She didn't use it a lot in Hero, because
their relationship was just beginning. She uses it a lot in the other
stories because they're been together for a year or two. I'm just of
the opinion that she is in love with him, not just his mate, and she
addresses him accordingly.

I realize not everybody enjoys
that, but I do. As far as the "Timmy fell down a well" thing, I
know. I thought that too when I was writing it. But here's the
problem: How does Balto communicate to humans what he wants to do? He
can't talk to them, and humans aren't going to assume he understands
them.

I couldn't really think of any other way to allow
Balto to communicate what he wanted to do. He couldn't write a note,
or pantomime, or send smoke signals, or use semaphore. It came
down to making the humans guess what he was trying to say.

*shrug*. I admit I'm an inexperienced writer. I don't really take
offense to criticism like this, I just don't really know how I could
have written it differently within that scenario.

Oh, to
address the direction this story went - From the start this was
intended to be a series that reflects four sides of Balto, so a story
about Suka wasn't part of the plan. So consequently, the stories
reflect their titles from Balto's perspective. Balto's experiences as
a son, as a father, as a hero, as a mate. I do like Suka though and I
may write more about him later. I also really like Nightfall and
Dakarai. This is the problem with Balto fanfics and sticking to canon
though, isn't it? You run out of canon pretty quickly and have to
branch out. But I still prefer sticking to canon and I'll do that for
as long as I can.

Was that a late spring snowstorm that Balto was caught in en route to
White Mountain? Because unless I'm mistaken, Wolf Quest has a late
spring/early summer setting, in which case such a storm would be
nearly an impossibility. Other than that, I think it was really
great.

Oh, and before I forget, congrats on your other
two fanfics taking the top two spots on the most popular fanfics list
and thanks for the comment you made about my
"currently-under-construction" fanfic Balto: Le Mans.

Thanks. I admit, I like the mushy stuff, that's why there's
always some of that in my stories. I can't help it, I'm very
sentimental, and love is a powerful emotion. I'm glad you liked
it, thanks for reading.

I am very pleased to be the first to comment on this fanfic.
Excellent job! As usual, your grammar and spelling are right-on, and
the plot was...beautiful! I especially liked how you managed to
incorporate Aniu into the story again (I never got over how well she
was protrayed in Balto: Son), and Darkarai was a very interesting and
multi-dimensional character.

The one thing I was a
little disappointed at was Jenna almost constantly using Balto's "pet
name" and telling him "I love you" every other sentence. However, I
do like that Balto and Jenna have a strong bond. There was just a
little too much "mushy stuff" in it for my taste.

That
being said, Everything else was fantastic! This definitely lives up
to the rest of the series, and I am eagerly awaiting the next
installment! Keep up the wonderful work!

-Iditarod

This by far is one of the most creative story about Balto's parentage
that I have ever read!

Yeah, I didn't explain it in the story but it was a freak spring
snowstorm. Thanks for the compliments.

Very well done. Magnificent perhaps. This was a very well written and
thoughtful piece of work. I felt everything that they felt, and
everything seemed so powerful yet so simple. I would kick myself for
not favoriting your gallary, just from reading this one fanfic.
Wonderful job and I'm looking forward to more of your work in the
future. =D

~Walto

Holy cow, that was awesome! Your a much more better writer than I
am myself! I hope you write more and send it soon! I'll be waiting!
*faves*

Thank you very much. I'm so happy to hear you all liked it. I'm very
grateful for your comments, and I'm working hard on Balto: Father.

. . . . There are no words.

Seriously, I just can't find
the right words to say about this or describe how great it is, because
I feel I may slight the actual awesomeness of the job you've done on
this piece. Bravo. *applauds and favorites your gallery*

- Juuchan17

Xaqtly, you are now my favorite writer of all time. Every emotion that
was mentioned in the fics, I felt them inside my heart too. While I
was reading your Balto; Hero one, it felt like I was right there! You,
my friend, are one terrific author!

, you are an amazing author.... , yeah it brought those
out of my eyes. Wonderful job my friend.

Out of all the fanfics I've read pertaining to Balto's past and Aniu's
part in it, this is undoubtedly the best of them all. Every emotion
the characters felt, I felt, too. That's the mark of a great writer,
and I don't say these things lightly. Keep writing!

Thanks very much for the comments. I'm really happy you guys liked it.
Working hard on the next one, I'll keep my presentation
updated with my progress.

I may not remember the last time I read any fanfic pertaining to
Balto's past & Aniu's role in it, but this has gotta be, hands down,
the best of them in my opinion.

What words can be described to such a lovely story. Empowering,
wonderful, well though out, blah... Simply wonderful I guess. I wish
I could give some "constructive criticism" to aid, but I simply can't
find any. Anyway I hope you continue and I'll be reading eargely my
friend. plus you're in my favs!

Excellent! Aniu was true to her original character, Balto's feelings
and emotions were deep and almost "tangible," and you kept Balto and
Jenna's love at the same level as in Balto: Hero. Great job, and I
can't wait for the next part!

-Iditarod

Out of all the fics I've read that talk of Balto's past and Aniu's
part in it, this is undoubtedly the best. Well-thought out and
well-written. Every emotion the characters felt, I could feel, too.
That's the mark of a great writer.
Keep up the fantastic work!
I'm looking forward to those next two parts!

This just might be your best work yet. You definitely outdid yourself
this time. This is one story that will be hard to surpass.

it made me cry it is so sweet and romantic

Aww, that was sweet, romantic, and a nice follow-up to the ending of
the first film. I loved and enjoyed the "to-the-point" dialogue, as
well as Boris's little liners too.

I can't wait to read
more fics from you! Good luck and if you need any assistance, just
give me a PM!

- Juuchan17

Thanks Juuchan. As always, your comments are much appreciated. I'm sincerely happy that you liked it. Thanks to Lupa also, I appreciate it.

i is speechless. wow. you rock!!!!

not bad loved them*favs*

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments, I'm glad you liked the story.

This is a beautiful piece, Xaqtly - a great finale for the series.

Seeing how you created your version of how Balto first fell in love with Jenna and how the two of them first met, it was quite beautiful. Even the emotions and actions you gave to Balto were rather extraordinary, since this is HIS story, after all. Then the hardships they had to face . . . oh, it was heartbreaking to read, but it really did the job. The whole setting of having them look back from the prime of their lives was amazing. You know, I was especially surprised by the ending, which really allowed the whole saga to become complete.

*standing ovation* Bravo. You've begun to inspire me, I have to admit it! Great job - this is one of the best I've read in a while!

- Juuchan17

WOAH - all three of your fics in the Top Ten Fanfics already? Man, you
need a break! (And enjoy it - seriously, you deserve one long
overdue!)

Anyway, this third installment was very
interesting - the world of Balto, Jenna and their new children
colliding with that of the Falling Leaf Tribe of wolves . . . that was
a great idea (I was wondering how they would come together . . . well
done!), especially with the subject matter of Fathers and Sons
(because we all know the Father/Daughter stories are rather overdone .
. . right?). I enjoyed the (obviously DUH) happy ending, but I cried a
bit early on (mainly in the Falling Leaf parts), I'll admit it.

However, I will have to agree with JC (JerseyCaptain)'s
gripe on Jenna's excessive use of "My Love" for Balto . . . but I
understand why you did it after you explained. That seems like a good
reason to do it - they're both young and in love with one another
forever . . . why not tell the one you love that he is your love
always, right?

Other than that, great job! I await the
finale of this Quartet of Balto Goodness.

- Juuchan17

Balto: Mate
It was very good. I finished it, and it was a good read. Iliked how you did the flash backs, and the happy ending. it would make a wonderful Balto 4!