roared and lashed out. But Max knew what Valdez was like by now, and spared the time to dodge him. While the two of them lashed out senselessly at each other, Dusty backed up from the fight, watching on in horror. Suddenly a paw wrapped around her and started tackling her.

Kodi was enjoying a refreshing drink outside the kennel, by himself. He had been spending a lot of time with his friends lately, so he decided he needed some time alone to think, but about nothing in particular. His ears shot up. For some reason, he was quickly alert, and faced his ears to the trees. He held his breath to hear clearly. In the distance, just before the limits of his hearing, there was a scream. Knocking over his bowl, he dashed into the forest.

"Dusty! No!" he cried. Akiak was wrapping his leg around her neck like a snake, destined to suffocate her. In his moment of weakness, Valdez kicked Maxwell forward. He landed in the snow face first. Recovering again quickly, he barely saw in time that the overgrown wolf was leaping out at him.

Maxwell dodged him again and tackled him to the floor. A claw swiped across Valdez's forehead. He violently kicked Maxwell in the face and threw him back. Max shook and recovered. Valdez felt his forehead and roared. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE??" The rest of the gang came up from behind Maxwell. He was surrounded, trapped. There was no way he could fight his way past all of them. "Kill him!" Valdez ordered. The gang closed in on him and cornered him. "Why do even do this for him?" Maxwell suddenly asked. The gang stopped and thought. "You take orders from him, but what do you get in return? What's he ever done for you? Why do you take orders from him?" Akiak released his grip from Dusty's neck.

Valdez sighed impatiently. "Kill him, now!" he commanded. "'Ey, boss, we're listening to what the mutt's got to say first." Xavier uttered rebelliously. Valdez's eyes narrowed. "He's not your friend, he's a dictator, and you're his slaves, can you see he's just using you? " Max continued. "I said KILL HIM!!!" Valdez bawled. "Sorry boss, but we're calling it quits." Akiak murmured. "WHA-" Valdez screamed. "This fighting ain't got us nowhere. We're off. See ya around!" Xavier called as they ran into the forest. "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!" he screamed as he chased them into the hills.    The couple's eyes followed them into the wilderness. Finally, they looked into each other's eyes. Max smiled, and she smiled back. "I love you, Dusty." he whispered. "I love you too Maxwell." the two of them cuddled."Dusty, will you be my mate?" he silently requested. Dusty remained silent. Max cringed, thinking that she probably hadn't heard him. "Yes." she replied suddenly in a similar tone. Max's eyes lit up in relief. The two of them embraced each other happily.    Valdez panted. He looked up at the hills. "Cowards." he uttered to himself. Coming to a small bush, he gently lifted aside a few leaves and peered through. He beheld Dusty and Max, enjoying a comforting cuddle. His blood boiled. Max looked over Dusty shoulder and gasped. Just as Valdez's hind legs lifted off the ground, he cast Dusty to the side. She fell to the ground weakly. But he didn't have time to prepare.

Valdez leapt out at him and knocked him over. He clawed, bit and tore with every chance he got. "DIE, WORTHLESS HALFCAST!!!" Max tried to hide his face with his paws, but Valdez kept on tugging at his flesh and pulling them away. Maxwell could only scream and helplessly defend himself against the blows. He gave up with struggling, either way he would die by now.

Kodi finally arrived on the scene. He looked around the environment. As soon as he looked to his right, at the bottom of the slope, his heart sank. "Oh no..." he murmured. Valdez turned to see him. "Too late, buddy." Valdez chuckled. An inner rage steamed inside him. He panted in anger sharply at the overgrown wolf. Valdez laughed and looked away. How could such a small and insignificant dog expect to win a fight against him? He quickly found himself forced to the ground and pinned to the floor by his face. But he quickly recovered and kicked the small dog off him. Kodi recovered quickly and landed upright. He bared his teeth at the wolf. The wolf replied with a similar face.

"I'll teach you to mind your business, mutt." he remarked. "Bring it." Kodi urged. Valdez did as he was told and charged for him. Kodi barely avoided another lunge for his chest. Valdez tried again, and succeeded, his huge and deadly jaws grabbing his front legs and throwing him onto his back, pinning the red and white dog down, just like he had with the less unfortunate black and white dog earlier. Kodi felt a paw at his throat. "I brought it." Valdez uttered confidently. He clenched his eyes and prepared for the worst. "Nighty night, doggy."

Dusty shook herself, got up and recovered from her own little world. Looking to her side, her heart froze. There, lying in a pool of blood, was Max. She rushed up to him and put a comforting and supporting paw under his head.

"GET OFF MY SON!!" a stranger yelled. Valdez sighed in confusion. On spur of moment, a brown wolfdog threw his body weight against Valdez. Kodi looked up in surprise. "Dad?" he asked himself. Balto wrestled the wolf to the ground, and safely away from Kodi, giving him time to get up. Balto quickly backed away from the wolf, which collapsed into the snow, and barely kept on it's paws. He panted in anger. Valdez brushed some snow off his face. His sharp eyes switched between Kodi and his father. "Two of you..." he said to himself. Valdez hurdled for the wolfdog. "BE GONE!!" he cursed. Balto grabbed his neck and pulled backwards. There was a silent cracking sound. The wolf suddenly stopped and fell to the floor in powerlessness.

They both panted. Balto helped his son up, and they shared a hug. "Don't scare me like that." Balto said softly. Kodi slowly nodded. "Why were you out here?" he asked suspiciously. He was answered by a faint and weak splutter.

"So...cold..." Maxwell uttered. "Maxwell, please don't die, you're all I have..." she whimpered. Tears escaped her eyes.  "Sorry, hun... these wounds have... taken their toll...I can't make it..." he stammered, gently lowering his head. His eyes became reasonably heavy. "Please, don't be like this, I can take you back to the town, I can fix you up, I've done it before..." she sobbed. "No, Dusty. Not this time... listen, you have to... find someone el-se..." he uttered. "No, I wont! I can't live without you, I can't let you go like this-" she rushed out. "Please, listen baby. A girl as beautiful as you deserves someone to love, please, just don't end up l-lonely without me". She looked at him in his fading eyes. "I'm not scared of death... I'm just scared for you..." "Maxwell, please don't die, please don't... I'll be lost without you..." she begged. He held out his paw. "I love you, Dusty, and I always will..." Maxwell whispered. "I love you too, Maxwell..." she cried. They clenched paws. Dusty was fighting to keep herself from sobbing. If she made even the slightest sound, she may miss his final words. "I'll... always... be... there...for... you..." he murmured. It was straight after that she felt his grip loosen. She gently lay down his paw in the snow. It was overwhelming, feeling the very moment the love of her life passes to the spirit in her paws. "Goodbye, Max..." she snivelled. Kodi swung a comforting paw onto her shoulder. Dusty sighed deeply, covered her head in her paws, and ran off sobbing. 

Balto sat next to his dead son's corpse, tears streaming down his face. "Aniu... please watch over my poor boy..." he prayed. A sudden gust of air spread around them, drying the two's tears and whipping their fur around. A mystic fog soon appeared. Balto looked at the fog, which was gathering into a single space, about his size. The fog started taking the shape of a wolf. He smiled in expectance. "My son, I hear your cry for my help. What do you need?" she asked. The fact that she was deceased did not affect her young and beautiful voice. "Mother, thank you for coming. My adopted son Maxwell has just passed, he has been murdered in cold blood. He was a very noble boy, and I am desperately worried for what will happen to him."

 

Aniu placed a paw on the boy's chest. She insinuated a prayer for him in an exotic language. Kodi sat in confusion, while Balto somehow understood every word she said. 

"Maxwell. You have been a very great and trustworthy soul. You were a good friend. You were always there when your loved ones were in need. You always volunteered to undertake deeds no-one else believed possible. And now, you have died this way, serving your family and protecting Dusty, in her most desperate hour. You were not afraid or ashamed to sacrifice your own life for her. For all this, I accept to lead you into the afterlife with me." A blanket of fog slowly engulfed the couple. The aurora slowly started to fade into it, and so did the body, which started to leave only a hole in the grass where it had once been. She looked at Balto with the same comforting eyes she had from he was a pup. "He will be fine. I promise, my son, I will take care of

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