some more property."

"Of course; if there are caribou out there, you could expand your territory and have enough to meet the needs of your pack," Anya put in.

"But I don't know if there are caribou out there in the first place," Tikani said.

"Then we'll have to take a look; how else will you know what's out there," Balto suggested, and he and Anya followed Kari through the woods, with Tikani close behind. This was it, Balto could almost feel his victory here. "This must be what it feels like during the last few yards of a race," he thought. "To be so close, able to see the finish right ahead of you. It's a real rush; I wonder if this is how my father felt when he ran races… when he became a champion like my mother said. I may not be running a race here, but I guess there are other ways to a be a hero."

---

Kisa stretched before lying back down on the blankets. Other than the quick chat with Kaltag, she had resolved to avoid talking to her captors. She didn't care how nice they claimed they could be; they were still dogs, and in her eyes that made them her enemy. While she didn't like the Chinook that seemed to be in charge, he had done one good thing for her; he sent that belligerent husky away. Spitz's constant cries of 'where's my sister' made him seem like a whiny pup, but she couldn't ignore his devotion. "His desire to help his sister sure is strong. I couldn't help but feel like he doesn't exactly enjoy the authority placed on him," she thought. "Then again, I wouldn't enjoy having a half-breed in charge either… hm, maybe I could use that to my advantage." No sooner had she finished that thought than she heard footsteps crunching through the snow outside. The room she was in was on the outside wall of the old mill, and some small holes in the wall allowed her to see an alley outside. The footsteps were approaching slowly, and she could hear whomever it was sniffing; they were obviously looking for something.

Finally, the footsteps stopped on the opposite side of the wall and she heard a voice call out, "Hey, you still in there wolf?"

She groaned; it was Spitz again. "You again; I guess you're here for round two?" she asked. "Remember, you can use him. You just have to work him up properly."

"You guessed right," he replied. He'd lost little if any of his ill temper. "I suppose we can forego the usual pleasantries because you already know what I want."

"Ah yes, your darling sister," she taunted. "You care a lot for her don't you? It makes you want to rush to the rescue, doesn't it?"

"I do… but the powers that be have decided to keep me out of this," he grumbled.

"Just as I thought; he doesn't like the half-breed," she thought. "Oh? That doesn't sound fair, considering how it's your sister on the line," she said.

"I know. Her fate is in the hands of a half-breed I wouldn't even trust a bone to and his friends who seem to follow his every word without question," he growled.

"That's right Spitz… you're playing right into my paws," Kisa thought. She knew she was starting to hit a soft spot with him... she just need to apply more pressure. "It's crazy, isn't it? Besides, why would you want to trust dogs that let her be taken away in the first place? If they couldn't protect her once, then who knows how they'll bungle her rescue?" she suggested. "It'd be a shame if you never got to see her again, all because of the failure of some half-breed."

This caught Spitz's attention. "What if she's right, what if Balto can't get my sister back? What would the wolves do with her? Would they force her to become one of their own... or would they see her as baggage to be disposed of?" he wondered. "That half-breed is so sure of his plan, but he never bothered to talk about any alternatives. I don't like how he's suddenly taken the show here… besides this is my sister who's on the line." He started to pace around. "You're right, I don't know if Balto can get it done… but I don't know what I can do either. I don't know where Kari is in the first place."

"I might be able to help you there," she volunteered. "In fact, I may just know exactly where she's being held."

"How would you know that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm one of the alphas of my pack remember? I know everything about our plans… including where we take prisoners," she replied.

"Then tell me! Tell me where I'd have to go to find her!" he demanded.

"I suppose I could tell you… but you'd be only one dog against my entire pack," she pointed out. "You wouldn't get far before they found you and I don't think that they'd be happy to see you again. No, you're better off here than out there."

"But I can't leave her like that!" he exclaimed.

"You really care about her, don't you? Your sister I mean," Kisa asked, knowing that she was almost there. "You're willing to risk facing down an entire pack of wolves, just to save her?"

There was a long pause, until Spitz softly said, "Yes," causing her to smile. "But I can't do it alone."

"Fortunately, I can help you with that too," she replied. It was time to deliver the coup de grace, and she had to play it out just right if she hoped to succeed. "I can take you in and get you past the guards. You'd get your sister back, and I'd be back with my pack... but it would require you to help me get out of here first. Can you do that?"

This caught Spitz a little off guard. It would mean trusting this wolf enough to let her go and lead him to her pack, but it would be a chance to get Kari back. "I don't know… you're not exactly trustworthy," he said.

"Fine then. I'll stay here and so will you," she replied apathetically. "Meanwhile, your sister will be waiting in fear, wondering why her brother isn't doing anything to save her." This pulled at Spitz the most; the idea of simply leaving his sister there was unbearable. It would mean having to put his trust in a wolf, but right now, his desire to see his sister safe and sound far outweighed his distrust for wolves. Examining the wall, he found that some of the panels had come loose due to age and weathering. He could get her out, but it would be risky.

"… Alright, I'll help you, but no funny business or else," Spitz warned.

"Fair enough," she replied and Spitz set to work. Finding that some of the nails could slide right out, he grabbed them with his teeth and pulled them out, loosening the board further. Repeating this a few more times, he managed to loosen two boards enough that they could be tilted out the way, providing an opening for her to squeeze through. The two were careful to not make too much noise lest they alert the dogs in the mill, but soon Kisa was free. Without another word, Spitz started to walk through the alleys with Kisa close behind, both of them taking care to avoid being seen.

"This is risky, but it's my best shot," he thought, "I have to protect my own team. That wolfdog had his chance, now it's my turn."

---

While exploring the unclaimed land to the north, the group of four would come across some good fortune when the forest opened up into a wide field. In the distance was the unmistakable form of what they were looking for: caribou. The herd appeared large, as their numbers had not been depressed by the predation of hungry wolves. A quick headcount by Tikani confirmed that there were enough to support his pack, with a few extra just in case. It had taken most of the day, but Balto was relieved that he had finally done it. He had made peace with Tikani's pack, and in doing so not only protected the lives of the dogs in town, but the lives of the wolves as well. It wasn't long before Tikani gathered his pack together in the riverbed where he and Balto had first met to share the deal he had made with them.

At the urging of a few of his scouts, some other conditions were added to the deal. No other dogs except for Spitz's team would be allowed to hunt in their territory to prevent over-hunting. They would limit themselves to the southern valley, going no farther north to prevent them from entering the core of their territory. Also, they would always have to enter from the southwest corner so that their entry and exit could be watched. In return, the wolves would allow them safe passage and stay out of their way to avoid any more skirmishes. To accommodate them, Tikani's pack would expand northward towards the herd of caribou that they had just found to the north. Everyone present agreed to these terms, and to Balto, it felt as though he had performed another great victory. "See, I told you that we could work something out if we talked," he said.

"Alright, you got me there," Tikani replied. "And now to seal the deal, it's time to get everyone home."

"Does that mean I'm free to go?" Kari asked.

"Soon, but Balto, can I ask one more thing of you? Could you bring my mate here first? I simply want to see that she's okay, and I'm sure that by now your dogs are sick of playing host with her," Tikani requested.

"Of course," Balto agreed, and turned to Anya. "Could you go find Kaltag in town? He should still be in