Tragedy of Alaska

Please read before you proceed 

Dear reader

   Please take a sec to read through this note.

   Firstly, please be aware it contains the following themes: the deaths of the children from diphtheria, major character death, a funeral scene, fights scenes similar to those in the original film and the affects of grief on characters. All character deaths are depicted similarly to those of Musfasa & Bambi’s mother.

   This fic is not intended to offend or upset anyone and if it does I apologise. I have tried to deal with the above themes in a realistic, sensitive and respectful way.

This fic has been rated PG in accordance with British and American film classification guidelines and is unsuitable for children under 10 years old. To illustrate this point Lion King/Bambi have U ratings but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is rated PG.  

   As a Balto fan I had often wondered how events would have played out if the medicine hadn’t arrived in time, which is the reason why I wrote this fic. It is a standalone piece of work that offers an alternate version of events. I hope you will respect this.

   Sorry for the long howl but I believe it’s better to make my audience aware of certain themes so they can make an informed choice, especially children, and it is at them and their parents this note is predominantly aimed. I hope you all enjoy this fic.

    Laura the wolf girl

 PART 1

Undefeatable Adversary

  Balto and Steel stood facing each other on the cliff top surrounded by the sled team who watched with baited breath. The outcome of the fight would decide the fate of the sled team and Balto’s position in society. Kaltag and Star the situation was made worse by the fact that their young owners lay in a hospital beds. Balto’s arrival had given the huskies hope of saving their friend’s lives.

“This is pointless, Balto wants to do is help us save the children, why does Steel want to fight him?” Star whispered to Kaltag.

“His pride and the fact Balto and Jenna are friends. Steel wants to be the hero to get Jenna and he sees Balto as a threat,” Kaltag sighted in reply.

“We don’t have time for this, the children need the medicine,” Star hissed in anger.

      Looking at Balto standing in front of him, Steel felt utter rage running through his veins, how dare a filthy hybrid try to take his rightful place as hero? Springing at Balto, Steel’s teeth cut across his left shoulder causing him to call out in agony. Dodging a second attack Balto lost his footing on a patch of ice, sending him crashing to the floor, the cut in his shoulder stinging. A ripple of shock ran through the dogs as Balto had landed only a meter from the cliff edge. Panting heavily Balto staggered to his feet unaware of the danger he was in as pain scorched through the back leg that Steel had bitten. Steel sprung again, the sheer force of lung sending Balto humbling over the cliff edge.  

      Sliding down to the bottom Balto lay motionless, his head and left shoulder throbbing with pain, blood running down onto the snow from the head and shoulder wounds. In the snow Balto lay, barely moving and barely awake. Above him Steel called the team to order, pushing the musher Gunner Kaasen onto the sled and ordering everyone take their places. So consumed by his pride that he failed the see the resentment burning in Kaltag’s eyes, nor hear the whispering among the dogs about the route they would take. Proudly slipping on his harness Steel took a look back at the cliff edge.

“So long wolf dog you’ll never lead this team. I win outcast the glory and Jenna will be mine, you will be the fool who nearly cost the children their lives.”

      Hours passed, still Balto laid in the snow, slipping in and out of consciousness utter spent of energy. Jenna and Rosie’s face’s floating in and out of his vision. The cold numbed his pain seeping into his body as the falling snow covered him. Through the night the stars watched as Balto lay there, twisting in turning as dreams haunted his mind. Dawn first rays broke through the sky banishing the snow clouds. Slowly Balto opened his eyes, almost blinded by the reflection of the sunlight on the snow, steadily Balto climbed to his paws, his vision swimming for a moment.

“I feel like I’ve been hit on the head by a train…Morning! I must have been out cold all night. The team……..I have to find them! Steel doesn’t have a clue which way to go home and he won’t follow my marks home. If I don’t find him………Focus Balto there is only a small amount of time left for the children. Rosie I have to think of Rosie.”

     With renewed hope Balto set off through the forest, running slower than normal due to his shoulder injury and the sprain to his paw. As he ran memories of Rosie ran through his head and his fear for her life growing with every passing mile. After a few miles he came to the tracks of the team, he had been right, Steel had utterly ignored his marks instead he had followed a different route. Sniffing the tracks a wave of relief rushed through Balto at the fact the tracks were fairly fresh, no more than an hour old. Increasing his speed Balto winced as pain scorched through his left shoulder causing his vision to blur.

              Overcome by dizziness he fell to the floor, landing with a soft thud in the snow. Lay in the snow he gasped for breath, his strength fading with each passing second. Rosie’s smiling face burst into his mind strengthening his resolve. Struggling to his paws he staggered to a small pool of water, taking long gulps in an effort to cool to heat he felt in his body. To his surprise two sets of wolf tracks were in the snow next to the pool. Not only were they tracks but they were fresh no more than a day old, tracks that looked rather familiar.

“No it couldn’t be…”Balto thought, catching the owner’s scents on the wind.  

          Ignoring his own pain and injuries Balto carried on through the falling snow, looking left and right in hope of finding the team. Rounding a bend Balto found he was now running next to a river, one covered in ice, ice that appeared rather thin in parts. The tress thinned, the river widened following into a lake. On the lake was the team. Skidding to a halt on the lakes edge Balto looked in horror, the ice was thin barely thick enough to support the teams weight. Already deep cracks were appearing in the ice, soon it would shatter completely.

“GET OFF THE ICE ALL OF YOU,” Balto cried running around the lake’s edge.

“Stay away wolf dog I don’t need help from an outcast,” Steel snarled in reply, looking over to where Balto stood, angered that wolf dog’s arrival.

“Steel listen to me the ice is going to break any second now.”

“Steel we should listen to him, I don’t like the look of the ice either,” Kaltag called looking down at the ice. “I said from the start this wasn’t right.”

“Be quiet Kaltag! I’m lead dog I say what we do. I lead this team I will lead us home,” Steel replied turning his head to face the blonde husky.

“Steel this isn’t the time for arguing,” Balto snapped, a faint note of panic in his voice. “Right now you need to run to safety.”

“I know what I’m doing! All you want is the glory for yourself. You think that being a hero will make you a dog. You think that you will win Jenna.”

“You’re a fool Steel I don’t care about that! All I want is for Rosie and the other children to get better. You have to follow me off the ice before it breaks,” Balto replied, his eyes burning with anger that the dog’s self centred attitude.

“Liar wolf dog you want all the glory which you believe will win you Jenna,” Steel snarled in reply turning away from Balto.

     Suddenly a crack echoed through the air, the ice beneath the team and Balto’s paws broke without warning. Panic swept through Steel and the team but it was already too late. Steel, Star and Kaltag vanished through the ice before they could react. Time seemed to stand still. Balto leapt at the sled, grabbing the ropes attached to the crate in his teeth. For a moment he pulled the medicine from the sled. Then the ice beneath his paws shattered, sending him, the medicine and the remainder of the team into the frozen water. Water consumed him and he lost hold of the crate as he slipped into unconsciousness. On the river banks downstream two wolves and male and female stood together silently as if waiting for something or someone.

              Hope Fails

           Jenna lay on Rosie’s bed watching her desperately ill mistress sleep, around her nurse Emily Morgan tended to patients.  Looking down at them Nurse Morgan shook her head in sadness at their plight. As she took the temperature of a boy, the ward door was flung open to reveal a lanky teenage boy, leaning against the doorframe he gasped for breath.

“Jonny what are you doing here?” Nurse Morgan asked looking at the boy.

“Steel, Star and Kaltag have been found on the banks of the