chance," Mias continued, his expression becoming more neutral. "I warned him to change or else he wouldn't get another chance. I hoped the near-death experience would shake him towards change… but even my brother was more stubborn than I thought."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say his own obsessions led to his demise," Mias said. "It was sad… but even the best of us know that things can't always go according to plan. In the end it was up him to change or not and he decided to stay the same. In doing so he would impact many more lives, some for worse," he said, before looking straight at Balto. "And for others it set the stage for things to turn for the better."

"So what about you? If you couldn't change your brother, does that mean you're stuck here forever?" Balto asked.

"I certainly hope not," Mias replied. "Hopefully, I can change someone else's way of thinking to make up for being unable to change my brother. Only when I am at peace with myself can I move on."

There was a solemn pause as Balto finally realized who he was talking to. He was talking to someone who thought they had failed in their duty. Mias was literally trapped between life and death, unable to go back, but unable to move forward. He wanted to bring him some comfort, but nothing he thought of sounded like it would be of any use.

There was a cry from above, and both of them looked upwards to see the jet-black raven had returned, circling over their heads. Mias regarded it with curiosity. "Hm, this one seems to have a particular attachment to you," he observed.

"I know. I've been seeing it these dreams of mine, but I don't know what it's trying to tell me," Balto replied.

"Have you tried listening to it?"

"But all I hear is its cawing-"

"No, listen very carefully to what it is really saying," Mias cut in. "This one has a deep bond with you, so listen with your heart as much as with your ears."

Balto strained his ears, at first hearing nothing else, but then something started to come through the harsh calls, 'When the time comes… don't forget… who you are.' The voice was very soothing, almost motherly. It instantly put him at ease, as though it could protect him from any harm.

"Don't forget who I am… what could that mean? I already know who I am. I'm, well, me," Balto replied, turning to Mias, but the wolf just shook his head.

"I heard only what you did, so your guess is as good as mine," Mias replied. "It might be the message of your dreams but if it is, now might not be the time to take action on it. If it wants you to act when the time is right, then you'll have to wait for that time to come."

"But how will I know?"

"Trust me, I think you'll know. As for now, you probably should be getting home," Mias suggested, and it was now that Balto noticed the fading light from the setting sun. "Just remember to make sure your pups know the truth at the right time. Sometimes the difference of a day can decide whether it affects their lives - and the lives of those around them - for better or for worse," he finished, and Balto nodded. With that, he turned and retraced his steps through the cave, finding his way back towards Maska's territory. Mias meanwhile remained behind, while the raven swooped down to land in front of him.

"Do I know you?" Mias asked.

"I think you might," the raven spoke in its soothing voice. A sudden gale blew through, and Mias braced himself against it, his eyes stinging from the wind. He shut his eyes until it passed, and when he opened them, he gasped when he saw the raven was no longer there. Standing in its place was a pure white she-wolf with black tipped ears. She smiled at him while his mouth hung open in shock.

"You… you were the one with Mayak before he-" She nodded, confirming his wonder.

"Yes, I was with his pack… but my heart lay with someone else," she replied, briefly remembering a kind husky with bright blue eyes whom she had loved long ago.

"Amak… Mayak killed him too… and you as well," he continued, his faced pained with regret. "Aniu, I'm so sorry. If I'd known what he would do to you and Amak, I never would've saved him. I'm so-" she cut him off once again by shaking her head, still smiling.

"Leaving him like that would've made you no better than him. By saving him, you showed that compassion can always trump anger," she replied. "In doing so, you set in motion the events that would become the greatest moments of my life. I wouldn't trade what happened for anything in the world."

"But… you died because of it."

"Yes, but in doing so, it set the stage for my son to rise up and prove himself, becoming stronger than he was, and saving so many in the process."

"Your son… you mean Balto's your-"

"Yes, he's my little baby boy."

"Heh, he's not exactly a baby anymore. He's got kids of his own too."

"I know… but I'll always remember that first day when he was curled up against me," she said, closing her eyes. "He was so small… but even then he had great strength in him, from myself and his father," she reminisced, before opening her eyes. "Thank you for helping him today. I think your story has helped ease his concerns."

"Yeah… do you think Aleu will be okay?"

"I think so. These things have a habit of falling into order at the right time, even if the road gets a few bumps," she replied.

"Still, with what happened to you… it feels like I failed with my brother," Mias said, brushing his one paw back and forth nervously.

"You haven't failed," she assured him. "You just succeeded in a way you didn't expect. Your actions led to many more lives changing for the better… including my own. For that, you will always have my gratitude."

After Mias thought her words over, he realized she was speaking the truth. His actions all those years ago changed things enough so that many dogs, wolves, and even humans had their lives improved. This realization brought a warming peace to him, something he hadn't felt for years. "Thank you Aniu," he said as he felt all of the regret slip away. He let himself fade from this world, finally at peace, soon leaving Aniu alone in the clearing.

"You're welcome Mias," she replied. "And as for you my son, there are still others who will need your help. When that time comes, you must not forget who you are… and you must learn to let go and let her choose her own fate." With that, she faded away into the wind again, soaring across the air as a raven, waiting for the right time to remind her son of what made him a hero.

----------

Four weeks later

Days passed and the pups grew, learning about the world and everything in it. The dogs in town were very outgoing, with sled dogs sharing their stories of adventure or town dogs keeping them updated on the various happenings of the town. Everything went smoothly, but Balto still kept the truth of their breeding from them, waiting for the right moment to tell them. Despite Aleu's sporadic habit of howling with her tiny puppy voice, no one mentioned the 'w' word, something that gave him much relief.

As the day came closer, the stakes for their adoption were raised when Rosy's parents decided that they wouldn't be able to take in any of the pups on adoption day. They'd caused enough ruckus and they weren't willing to let it continue. For Balto, this meant that the adoption would be a make or break situation. They would have to find a home or risk going homeless, just as he had to when he was a pup.

After spending one last day playing with their poppa on the beach, the time came. That morning, the pups were placed in a wooden box with a sign reading 'Free Puppies to Good Home'. The pups were more excited than anything, as they were eager to be adopted by a human who could be their new playmate. Their parents were the ones who were more anxious; Jenna was sad to see her babies go so soon, and both hoped that all of them would find good homes.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Jenna asked him while the pups played in the box.

"I hope so. Many of the kids in town seemed to adore them when they saw them around town, so there's a good chance they'll find homes."

"And then we'll tell them, right? We'll tell them when they're all safe?" she asked.

"Of course, because then it won't matter - they will be safe no matter who they are."

That was the plan he and Jenna had agreed on, with her not knowing the actual inspiration behind it. All she knew was that he'd spent the last few weeks confident with what to say to the pups. They treated them like dogs and taught them how to act like dogs, all in the hopes that they would be easily accepted into human homes as dogs. Once they were safe in loving homes, they would tell them the truth of their heritage, hoping that their adoption would show that a part wolf can be just as accepted as a regular dog. That way, they would know the truth, but still be somewhere they were comfortable and accepted.

'Now we see if this all pays off,' he thought. 'My biggest worry is for Aleu. She looks so much like a wolf - I'm just hoping that doesn't matter for