at me,” Balto sighted turning to his sister. “Rosa brings with her the remnants of a past I have tried hard to forget. I feel guilty she grew up without me.”

“You did what you thought best at the time, Rosa will understand that, all she wants is to be accepted by you,” Eagle replied licking his cheek.

“I want to accept her yet when I look at Mist……. How can I explain to Rosa that I no longer love her mother? After all she has had to go through…………..how do I possibly……?”

“She will understand, part of her suspects already. Have you spoken to Mist about Rosa?”

“Mist understands and she is willing to accept Rosa, she knows I no longer love Jenna so she feels at ease with Rosa. I just don’t want Rosa to get hurt.”

“Then tell her everything, you are causing her more pain by hiding the truth,” Eagle replied nuzzling her brother. “Rosa has lived her entire life in the shadow of an event that happened before she was born. She at least deserves to hear your side of the story.”

“You’re right Eagle……..as painful as it will be for me I have to explain what happened to me and why I left,” Balto replied looking away.

        Later that day the pack sat together at near a kill, all full and lethargic as a result, the youngsters the only ones with energy. The adults lay back, some on their backs with their eyes half closed while others watched the pups play.  

“Rosa we need to talk,” Balto said walking over to her.

“Sure Father,” Rosa replied, a little surprised.

        Leaving the pack, Balto led Rosa through the vast forests of the pack’s territory, the foliage just beginning to turn colour, Fall was just around the corner. Neither spoke, an air of tension between them. At last the pair arrived at the ledges of a large and beautiful lake, the water sparking blue. Standing at the water’s edge Balto turned to face his daughter.

“It all began on a cliff edge with a fight but even then there was still a chance to save the children’s lives. The true beginnings of the tragedy took place on a lake. If you wish to understand the past, I will tell you all Rosa. You may not like what you will hear and I do not apologise for my actions,” Balto said heavily.

“I am ready to hear everything, please don’t leave anything out. I just want someone to be honest with me, I’ve had enough of lies,” Rosa replied with a trace of anger.

“It all began when I found Steel and the team on the edges of a cliff.”

     Slowly Balto told Rosa of the events of 1925, his cliff top fight with Steel, from the loss of the medicine at the lake, his rescue by Eagle and Arden and his return to Nome. His voice faltered and broke as he described the events that followed his return to town. Pain and grief ripped through him, tears fall from his eyes when he described Rosie’s funeral. Sitting next to him Rosa listened intently as at last she was hearing the full truth.

“In the end I realized I had to leave. When it became apparent my life and that of your mother would terrible. Our actions back then were clouded in grief, we didn’t act rationally and threw caution to the wind. It seemed right, that we deserved to be truly happy, hang the consequences. Your mother took Rosie’s death harder than I did, having Eagle and Arden helped me see things clearly. Leaving was the hardest choice I have ever made,” Balto said looking at Rosa with pain filled eyes. “I left to save your mother and I pain and suffering, I left to have a better life, I thought it best for both of us. I wanted her to be happy, I asked her to forget me….I never meant to hurt her.”

     Finishing his tale Balto looked his daughter, regret and pain in his heart at the pain his actions had caused. To his surprise Rosa nuzzled him and placed a paw over his. Tears flowed down her cheeks yet a small smile danced across her face.

“I don’t blame you for leaving Dad not after how I have been treated,” Rosa whispered.

“Makes you doubt your place in the world” Balto replied sadly.

“You wanted Mom to find love again, she didn’t even know about me when you left. I cannot blame you for something you did not know about.”

“I would have stayed had I know about all of you to swear. I was reluctant to accept you to save you pain.”

“It doesn’t matter, you accept me now.”

“I’m not who I used to be Rosa, the dog your mother told you about died with Rosie. I’m a wolf and I have Mist. I want to be father to you,” Balto replied looking out over the lake.

“I want to know you Father. I’m glad I came here, glad you told me the honest truth, no one has ever told me what you have,” Rosa replied smiling widely. I’m happy. At first I came here just to find you, all I didn’t plan beyond that but now………..”

“You feel something more, you feel at home.”

“I do………I’m not sure what to do now. I never expected to feel this way.”

“Then stay a while Rosa,” Balto replied nuzzling her. “Stay with the pack as long as you want to. All you’ve ever known is a dog life so stay here and live as a wolf for a while. Know what it is like to chase down an elk, to patrol the borders to sing in the night. You have persecuted for wolf blood yet you have never lived as one.”

“I’d like that a lot Dad, I can call you that?”

“Of course you can. You do fear anything Rosa, I will take care of you and you have been accepted by the pack. No matter what happens you are my daughter and I will love you regardless of any choice you make.”

    Standing up Balto threw his head back and howled a beautiful song of joy and family. Rosa lifted her head and howled for the first time, joy surging through her vines. Looking at each other father and daughter smiled as they sang. Their voices rose into the air, their song carrying for miles across the forest. 

     Running Free

    Summer changed to Fall, nature prepared for winter. With the pack Rosa lived as wolf, fully accepted by them she took part in all activities. A couple of days after her talk with Balto, Rosa and Mist spoke privately about the situation between them. Though at first a little hostile to Rosa, Most had come to accept her, realizing that Rosa posed no threat to her and she had taken a genuine liking to her. Mist took on the role as stepmother teaching Rosa all the things a she wolf needed to know. This had come as a relief to Balto, knowing his would have been complicated if the pair had hated each other.

       Winter arrived with heavy snow and ice, the first the wolves knew of this was went Mat went outside of the den and promptly slipped on the ice. Rushing the see what the noise was all laughed when they saw him sprawled on the ground. Seeing the snow the youngest pups looked at with curiosity as they had never seen it before. Placing a paw into it one pup jumped back as his paw went through.
     After a quick explanation of what snow was the pups were soon playing happily by the river under the watchful of eyes of their older siblings and Rosa. As the oldest of the group she was in charge, something which annoyed a couple of the oldest pups. The pups were fast on their paws, darting this way and that through the snow in an exuberant game of tag. Running up a small hill one of the pups sided and slid down on her back, landing in the snow. Shaking herself off the pup grinned happily as Rosa and her sister arrived on the scene, both relieved the pup was alright.

“That was fun,” said the pup climbing to her paws.

      Having seen his sister’s trick one of the other pups walked up the slope and deliberately slide down o his front. Getting up out of the snow he laughed and wagged his tail. Soon everyone was sliding down the hill, some on their front other on their back. It proved fun for all with only a few bumps and crashes, thankfully they crashed into a deep bank of snow so no hard done.

     Morning turned to afternoon the adults came and went to the den site on business of their own. Leaving the den site the pups and Rosa went for a walk along the river, the pups sniffing every nook and cranny, their senses taking in every smell and sight. At all times the yearling pups and Rosa were alert for danger. Though few humans came to the area there were plenty of dangers to young wolves. A scent drifted across the wind, the yearlings tensed instantly, a wolverine was nearby. Suddenly one of the pups put his nose into a hillside hole out of which a raging wolverine exploded, it’s teeth bared in fury. In utter fright the pups jumped back, cowering at the vicious creature. Blinded by rage the wolverine advanced on the pup, a streak of red flashed across his vision, seconds later the wolverine found himself bleeding badly from a deep shoulder wound. Turing around the wolverine saw Rosa and the yearlings surrounding him, Rosa’s eyes glowing with anger. Advancing Rosa snarled while her cousins circled the wolverine.

“Now then wolverine you just made a mistake that could cost you dear. Why did you attack my cousin?” Rosa asked her voice low with anger.

“That arrogant little wolf stepped into my