White guardian  

    Night had fallen in the Alaskan town of Nome, however many residents were far from asleep and those that did slept fitfully. Diphtheria and the plight of the children plagued the minds of each and every one of the town’s residents. Everyone knew whose children were ill with parents fearing that their child would be next. Despite the fact that a sled team was bringing medicine, many believed it would not reach the town in time. In this climate of fear it is not surprising that a wolf would go unnoticed at night, even one was brilliantly white as Aurora. Standing on a hill above the town Aurora looked down at the buildings and dogs within.

“What I feared has come to pass, damn these white humans and their illnesses. Oh they are fools in more ways than one they are blind in how to protect themselves from these things. I hoped I would not have to do this for many years but if I do not….No that is not an option.”

     Leaving the hill Aurora crept silently into the town, her paws print the only trace of her presence. As she passed a battered fishing boat Aurora saw a wolfish shape slip down the gangplank, a small cloth bag handing in his mouth. Into the light of a crescent moon stepped Balto, her half brother, utterly unaware she was there. Aurora watched him for a moment before following him, his paw prints identical to her own. Together brother and sister walked to the town hospital, both staying in the shadows to avoid unwelcome eyes. Reaching the hospital Balto jumped onto a barrel, his eyes filling with pain as he looked through the window.

   “Rosie” Balto whispered looking at his friend as she laid there, her eyes staring at the ceiling. “Every day she keeps growing weaker. I’ve failed you Rosie….”

    Trailing off Balto stared in shock as he watched Rosie, her eyes fixed on him, a small smile appearing on her face. Looking around quickly Rosie climbed out of bed, staggering a little as she walked over to the window.

“Hello Balto” Rosie whispered coughing as she spoke. “I am happy to see you.”

    Allowing a smile to appear on his face Balto let out a bark wagging his tail from side to side. Smiling at him Rosie put her hand on the glass, seconds later Balto did the same, his large paw dwarfing her small hand. With a grin Balto broke contact jumping down from the window he walked towards the boiler house. Slipping inside he walked underneath the floor of the hospital. Reaching Rosie’s room saw her sat on her bed, letting out a short bark he put his paws on the grate. Seconds later Rosie’s eyes locked onto his, a look a surprise on her face as she knelt down on the floor.

“You are clever” Rosie whispered putting her hand through the grate to stroke his head. “Jenna can come in here I am glad you can to.”

      Wagging his tail Balto softly licked her hand before picking up the cloth bag he had been carrying, pressing it into Rosie’s hand.

“For me?”

    At this Balto nodded smiling as Rosie opened the bag, seconds later a large piece of white quartz roughly shaped like a point fell into her hand.

“Balto thank you it is pretty I will put it under my pillow” Rosie whispered as the sound of footsteps drifted through the hospital. “Go now.”

   As Rosie climbed into bed and placed the stone under her pillow Balto slipped out of the hospital. Walking back to the window he watched as a nurse checked on Rosie and gave her a drink.

“I’m glad my present made Rosie feel a little better it was only small but it brought a smile to her face” Balto whispered as he walked home.

    Unknown to Balto Aurora had been watching him the entire time, a smile on her face as she watched him leave.

“Oh Balto your gift did help her it may have been small but it did help lift her spirits” Aurora though.

   Seconds later she appeared in Rosie’s bedroom. In her bed Rosie dozed half awake half asleep. Walking up Aurora put her front paws onto the blankets gazing at Rosie.

“Oh Rosie what has happened to you? You have to live you have to live no matter what. I wish there was more I could do for you” Aurora whispered as Rosie opened her eyes.

“Who are you?” Rosie whispered gazing at the beautiful she wolf.

“I am Aurora. So you can see me, your gifts have come to the fore. I guess that is to be expected.”

“You are pretty.”

“Thank you. Rosie you must not fear me I am here to help you. Trust me Rosanna I will do what I can to help you.”

“I trust you.”

      Smiling Aurora placed a paw on Rosie’s head, calling her spirit powers to relieve Rosie’s pain and fever. Laying there Rosie felt as if a bucket of cooling water had been poured over her. As wolf and girl looked at each other Rosie began to stroke Aurora, her hand sinking into the wolf’s thick soft fur.

“Thank you wolfie I feel better.”

“It was my pleasure, sleep Rosanna sleep a deep dream filled sleep away from pain. Sleep now sleep” Aurora said gently using her powers to send Rosie to sleep.

      Leaving the hospital Aurora made her way through the eerily quiet streets of Nome, the normally bustling Joe’s Bar was unusually quiet as its visitor’s spoke on low voices or drank to ease their pain. Coming to one of the main residential areas Aurora walked down the street where Rosie lived. Walking up to Rosie’s house Aurora stepped in through the front door utterly invisible to the occupants. Sitting at the kitchen table were Rosie’s Granddad Wilfred and Grandma Hilda, the parents of Rosie’s father Arthur. Upstairs Arthur and Rosie’s mother Violet slept both exhausted with worrying.

“Asleep at last, I pray to God Rosie gets better soon, I am not sure how much longer Art and Violet can cope” Hilda said as she poured a cup of tea.

“They have reached their limits mind you we are both suffering” Wilfred replied sadly.

“Yes but we can cope better, heavens when Art hurt himself as a boy.”

“He had a broken arm, a fractured ankle and was in a wheel chair for two months. I nearly murdered his cousin for that.”

“I remember” Hilda replied as Aurora wondered upstairs to Rosie’s bedroom.

     Looking around her Aurora looked at the pictures one showed Rosie standing next to Balto and Jenna as pups all surrounded by snow. A second was one of the family sitting at Christmas and another was of Jenna and Balto playing in the snow. The final picture showed Violet and Arthur holding Rosie as a baby all three were stood on a hill above Nome, in the background the Northern Lights shimmered brightly. Looking around the room Aurora’s eyes fell on a picture of a wolf and husky drawn by Rosie. Aurora recognized the pair instantly as the wolf and dog in the picture was Balto’s father and their mother Aniu. Turning to Rosie’s bed Aurora smiled as her eyes fell on the large cuddly wolf that was sitting on it next to a pink unicorn, a white seal and a mermaid with a blue/green tail and blonde hair. Leaving the room Aurora slipped out of the house proceeding down the street. At each house she stopped to listen to the conversation within, much of which was dominated by the epidemic as worried parents spoke to each other. Coming to one house she found an Afghan hound laying outside under the porch with her head on her paws and sorrow in her eyes. Sylvia’s owner Annabelle as one of the children affected by the epidemic, Sylvia had been hit hard as Annabelle was Rosie’s best friend and she was fearful for both girls.

“I wish this never happened why did it have to be Anna and Rosie? Steel and the team have to get back soon that is the only way they will recover. Steel will make it back he so experienced, lucky for him his owner isn’t sick, but Kaltag’s owner is and Star’s. They will make him understand. This is not about him, for once he as to put himself last, the lives of the children depend on him” whispered Sylvia looking out into the night.

    Leaving the street Aurora walked back to the hill above Nome, the wind blowing through her fur as she stared once more at the town.

“I have to stay here now I have no choice. I understand my place here now. Rosanna and I are tied, I have to save her one way or another” Aurora whispered. 

   Light of Hope

The days slowly passed, Aurora watched Balto leave Nome in search of the team then Jenna to find Balto. On the night of the bear’s attack on Balto and Jenna, Aurora once again visited Rosie as she had done every night.

“Hi wolfie” Rosie whispered as Aurora gracefully jumped onto her bed.

“Hello Rosie” Aurora replied lying down and licking her cheek.

     After a short time Rosie fell asleep under the watchful gaze of Aurora, her small hand buried in the white wolfs warm fur. As a spirit Aurora could go months without sleeping which allowed her to watch Rosie continually. During the night Doctor Welch, Head Nurse Emily Morgan and the other nurses check on Rosie and the other children. It was clear to Aurora how worried the humans were for all the children. Just after midnight Aurora’s head shot up as into the room walked a grey and white wolf with pale yellow eyes.

“I might have known you would put in an