to start talking, so I've made at least one step in the right direction."

Kari broke into a grin. "Wow, I didn't know you had a flair for diplomacy. Another dog might've scoffed at the idea of dealing with wolves, but here you are, making it happen."

"Well, being part wolf kinda helps here," Balto said. He couldn't help marveling at how well she was holding up through this ordeal. "It's great to see that you're okay."

"I'm sorry to cut this reunion short, but Balto and I should get to work," Tikani interrupted. "You've seen that your dog is okay, and she will stay that way until our deal is finished." The wolves started to urge Kari back into the cave, but Anya got an idea.

"Wait, if we're making a deal for the sled team, then wouldn't it be fair to also have a dog from the team take part in it. Shouldn't Kari have a say in this as well?" she asked, causing all to stop.

Tikani became suspicious. "I said that I'd let her go after we finish our deal."

"Except you wouldn't have to let her go," Balto replied. "She could stay with us, being watched over like you're watching over us now."

"Please, I would be able to help. I know the routes that our team takes and I can help plan alternates," Kari continued. "I promise I won't be any trouble, and if a deal is reached, I can help ensure that we stick to it. After all, I have a bit of influence over our lead dog," she said, knowing that she was sometimes the only one her brother listened to.

Tikani thought for a moment before relenting. "Very well, but you stay in my sight at all times, understood?"

Kari nodded and Balto let out a sigh of relief as she was permitted to join them. The first move had been made, but it would be many more before their goal would be reached.

---

It had been a couple of hours since Balto had left, but Kaltag knew it would be some time before they would get any word. He didn't want to show it, but he felt that this plan was very risky. "I know I should be supporting Balto one hundred percent, but I can't shake the feeling that this will get much worse. Wolves and dogs have always been fighting, and there's no guarantee that he will be able to do anything about it," the Chinook thought. "Plus, he doesn't seem to have a plan B, or at least one that he shared. What happens if this goes wrong? Maybe he's in over his head… or maybe he's actually using that hope to ensure that plan A works. After all, he didn't back down for us on the serum run and he isn't showing any signs of giving up on this." He considered that last thought, and decided that while there was still some doubt as to whether it would work, all he could do for now was wait and hope for it to succeed.

Meanwhile, there was the task that he had been entrusted to, and that was looking after Kisa. Jenna started the day with them, but she was eventually called away by her owners and had to leave. The she-wolf had been very quiet, refusing to even look at the dogs, while lying down in the room they had put her up in. The silence started to get under the skin of the normally chatty Chinook, who tried to start some small talk with her, but she didn't share the sentiment. He told her about the plan to trade her in for Kari after Balto made a deal with Tikani, but she simply scoffed at it, saying that her mate was too proud to concede to any dogs. After a while, he stepped out to get something that might break the ice, while Nikki and Star kept watch.

Soon enough, he was trotting back with a moderately sized steak in his jaw for her, hoping to win her over with a show of hospitality. He was only feet away when he heard raised voices coming from the mill. Picking up his pace, he jogged inside and found Spitz, barely held back by Nikki and Star, yelling at Kisa. "I don't care how you justify it, you had no right to take my sister!" he barked.

"We had every right to defend our lands from you," Kisa shot back. "We tried many times to push you away, but you never took the hint!"

"Both of you, cool it!" Kaltag barked, dropping the meat on the floor. "Spitz, we told you to not bother Kisa."

"You should listen to him doggie. After all, if something happens to me, then you might never see your sister again," she taunted.

"And you," Kaltag added, turning to Kisa. "You don't have to provoke him. He's under enough stress as it is."

"That's putting it lightly," Spitz mumbled.

"Look, I know you're worried, but Balto's out there right now, doing everything he can to get her back," Kaltag reassured him. "Now could you take off and leave her be?"

Spitz glared at him for a moment before turning to leave. As he did, he could hear him mutter, "Would you be acting the same way if it was your family on the line?"

Kaltag turned to Kisa apologetically. "I'm sorry about that. Spitz can be a little impulsive, and the fact that he doesn't exactly see Balto as the lead dog doesn't help much."

Kisa took this in. "So not everyone loves the half-breed… interesting," she thought to herself, before looking at the meat. "What's that?" she asked.

"Lunch; it's starting to get on in the day, so I thought that you'd like a little food," he replied. "I know it's not exactly what you're used to, but it's the best I could come up with on short notice. Besides, it's what sled dogs eat so it should be okay for you."

Despite his kind offer, she turned away. "Thanks, but it's unnecessary. Wolves can go days without food so I don't need your offering."

"That may be, but you'd have to admit that you'd be pretty uncomfortable after a while without any food," he urged. "C'mon, it's my treat."

Kisa moved closer and gave the meat a sniff, but was still hesitant to take it. "It does seem good… but how do I know you haven't done anything to it?"

"What? Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because I'm not stupid; I know of the ways your kind has killed countless wolves. You shoot us and trap us, but sometimes you make us suffer by putting poisoned food as bait. It seems like a free gift, but it's really another way to kill us without leaving any marks or wounds," she said. "For all I know, this is going to kill me as well."

"No, it won't. Balto doesn't want you harmed and neither do I. That's why I was put in charge of looking after you," he explained. "I want Kari back safe and sound, and that's not going to happen if we hurt you."

Kisa contemplated it for a moment. As reluctant as she was to take the meat, she hadn't eaten in a few days and was starting to feel the effects of hunger… not to mention that the steak looked very good in front of her. "I don't know… " she said.

"Fine then, I'll prove it's okay," he said and leaned down to take a bite out of the steak. Kisa watched him chew and swallow, and he showed no signs of harm after a few minutes. Finally, she gave in and came over to eat the meat, which helped fill her empty stomach. Kaltag watched, hoping it would get her to be a little more open with him. "How was it?" he asked as she licked her paws clean.

"It was fine. I may not have had the joy of hunting it, but it'll do," she replied, "However, I must ask if you truly gave it to me out of good faith, or if there's something else you wanted from me," she said.

"What, you mean like a bribe?" Kaltag asked, "No, it's nothing like that."

"Then why give it to me?' she asked.

"Because it's the nice thing to do," he replied. "You'd share food with your guests, right?"

"Yes, but none of my guests have been dogs," Kisa said. "And whenever dogs did come, they sure didn't come for a lunchtime visit."

Kaltag wanted to say something to rebuff her, but nothing came to him. He too knew that whenever dogs and wolves crossed paths, the results were rarely pleasant. "You've got me there," he admitted. "I guess we haven't been the nicest to each other."

"That's right, you haven't," she answered triumphantly. "If you don't want anything, then you can leave me alone. That's all my pack wants; to be left to live our own lives without having some dogs nose around."

Seeing that Kisa didn't want anything more to do with him, Kaltag left, feeling disappointed that he didn't make any progress with her. "She's a piece of work," he thought. "I hope that Balto does something about this soon, because I don't think either side will be able to handle this much longer."

---

Balto was doing his best to handle things, but the discussion was coming along painfully slowly.

"Tell me Kari; out of all the places you could have gone, why did your team choose to come here?" Tikani asked as they walked. "Surely, there must be somewhere else."

"We did try looking around, but where we looked was either empty of caribou, or they didn't stay long enough to make it a reliable place to hunt," Kari replied. "This was the only place for miles where caribou were plentiful. I'm sorry we had to go into your territory, but we had no where else to go."

"That may be, but perhaps there is a way