this will be difficult for you.”

“Fear us?” Rosa smirked lifting an eyebrow. “Well we are wolves after all I suppose a little fear would not hurt.”

“Certainly not,” Balto replied smirking.

    Walking down to the river Balto and Rosa’s expressions hardened, both determined to put fear into the hearts of the dogs. Reaching the dogs Balto howled to attract their attention, hearing the howl the sled dogs looked straight at the pair. The dog’s eyes filled with fear as their dogs landed on the pair, Kodi’s eyes full of shock on seeing Rosa. Stepping forward Star and Kaltag looked at the pair curiously, their eyes widening with realization.

“BALTO!” Kaltag whispered. “What in God’s name are you doing here?”

    Hearing the words Kodi gasped in wonder while the other dogs gazed in awe, as all had heard tales of Balto. All recognised Rosa and the resemblance between father and daughter was clear. Yet they felt fear, the Rosa in front of them was clearly not the Rosa they had known and both wolves displayed hostile body language.

“Rosa, Father. Rosa your here,” Kodi stammered gazing at his sister.

“Yes Kodi I am your father but know is not the time for that discussion,” Balto said firmly looking at his son. “Star, Kaltag it has been a long time.”

“Balto after all these years you appear,” Kaltag said shaking his head.

“Your team trespasses on land belonging to my pack. On the cliff watching you is said pack. Now then what brings you here and who is that?” Balto asked indicating to the human.

    Then the human, a girl looked straight at Balto, green eyes gazing at him, a child of nine or ten with eyes that showed fear. Time seemed to stop as Balto gazed into her eyes, eyes identical to those once possessed by Rosie.

“Who in Aniu’s name is that?” Balto hissed in anger.

 “She’s Rosie’s cousin Matilda,” Kaltag began.

    Slowly Kaltag and Star told Balto and Rosa their tale. Matilda’s families had lived in Fairbanks but had recently died from influenza during a small outbreak. Matilda was now an orphan and her only family were in Nome. Arthur and Violet were to be her guardians as her father had been Arthur’s older brother. Despite it being winter the decision had been made to bring Matilda to Nome as she nowhere else to go. There had been objections on grounds of the dangers involved but these had been utterly ignored. The team had been chosen to retrieve her as the musher was very experienced and often undertook long journeys. At first it done gone well, but a few days previously a blizzard had set in and the team had become lost. Then just a day before the team had unknowingly strayed onto thin ice, though Matilda had been saved their musher had fallen through the ice. Overcome by exhaustion, grief and fear they had collapsed next to the river. Kaltag had broken his right hind leg so he could only limp slowly.    

“We don’t have a clue where we are or how to get home,” Kaltag said finishing the tale.

“We have to get back though,” Star said looking at Matilda.

“Personally I think you are a group of fools for attempting this trip in winter,” Balto said in a dry tone.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Kodi said, speaking for the first time.

“No your stupid humans decided for you. Well we need to report this sorry mess to our pack leader Arden, who also happens to be my brother. Rosa stay here and make sure these dogs don’t do anything rash,” Balto replied turning to his daughter.

“Can I come with you Dad?” Kodi asked hopefully.

“Don’t be a fool, you’ll be killed the moment the pack see you, no questions asked.”

     Leaving the team Balto walked back to his waiting pack who had been watching the exchange from above. Seeing him and the look on his face they instantly knew there was a problem. Quickly and without being asked Balto related everything he had been told. The pack groaned, Mist and Eagle shaking their heads with annoyance, Pukiq and Mat uttering expletives.

“Wonderful, a team of lost dogs,” Arden groaned rolling his eyes.

“The last thing we need, stupid fools,” Mist scoffed.

“Does anyone have a suggestion on a solution?” Nada asked looking at the wolves.

“We go down and meet them first, let them know what we rule here,” Arden replied proudly.

“That would be a good first step, dogs are arrogant creatures they often think we are below them,” Mist replied smirking.

“I can attest to that,” Balto replied bitterly remember his past.

    Walking together the entire pack went down to the river, their faces hard and cold while their body language was openly hostile. Arriving at the river they found Rosa standing guard, the dogs nervous and Matilda utterly terrified. The tension rocketed as the pack arrived, Rosa smiling at them, a look of pride on her face.

I am Arden leader of this pack, which as you can see is large. My second in command you have already met and you know Rosa,” Arden said looking down at the dogs

“Two of you will remember me,” Eagle said stepping forward.

“Now we have heard your tale. This sorry mess needs to be solved quickly, that human complicates matters,” Arden said glaring at Matilda.

“She knows Balto, Rosie told her about him, she might trust him,” Kodi said speaking up.

“We cannot do anything until we eat something, we are too weak to think straight” Star said.

“Typical dogs,” Mist scoffed.

“Easy Mist we have to compromise. We will hunt for you today dogs, just to rebuild your strength,” Nada said in a harsh tone.

“We have limits, four days is all you have, then we will force you out,” Arden replied forcefully.

“Too soon we need more time,” Kaltag, Kodi and Star said at once.

“Arden is being more than fair, consider it lucky you have that long,” Rosa snapped angrily.

“ROSA!” Kodi stammered in shock at his sister’s reaction.

“We are wolves Kodiak you cannot expect us to care for you.”

“She’s right,” Balto replied as the pack left the team.

    As promised the pack hunted and a few hours later Mat led dogs and human to a kill, Matilda gritting her teeth and eating the raw meat. At first she was sick, her stomach churning at the food yet necessity telling her to eat. Watching the dogs eat the wolves discussed the situation, out of ear shot of the dogs yet near enough to watch them closely. Mist shot the dogs hateful looks, remembering all too well her last encounter with dogs and humans. Pukiq felt anger burning inside of him, he had once witnessed a member of his birth pack shot by a hunter. The pups looked at dogs with a mixture of curiosity, fear and scorn, the oldest pups most interested in Kodi who they had heard stories of from Rosa.

“What have we been drawn into?” Balto sighed.

“I’m not sure Balto. I hate to say it but we will need your help and experience with dogs. I know the past is the past,” Arden said, regret in his eyes.

“I understand. Seeing them brings back the past, Star and Kaltag were on that team. Not to mention Kodi and the fact that human is Rosie’s cousin, one she told me about,” Balto replied, pain flickering through his eyes.

“The sooner they leave the better for all of us,” Arden replied nuzzling his brother.

“We can handle this Dad, you are wolves after all. They will learn to accept us for who we are now,” Rosa said licking her father’s cheek.

“They will see I am not the dog they knew, I do believe you have terrified them,” Balto replied proudly.

“Well you told me they had to fear me,” Rosa laughed in reply.

    Saviours Call  

   The following day the pack once again went down to the sled team. While Arden and Nada spoke to Star and Kaltag, Rosa and Balto spoke to Kodi.

“What I said yesterday was perhaps a touch harsh,” Balto said smiling at his son. “Rosa tells me you are a racing champion.”

“We won last season and this season we are winning. We’ve beaten Steel’s team twice,” Kodi replied with pride.

“Now that is an achievement. I’m proud of you son.”

“Thanks Dad. Is it true you wanted to be a sled dog?”

“I did years ago when I was young and foolish.”

“So you left,” Kodi began nervously looking at Rosa. “Mum never told us the entire...….”

“That is a habit of your mother, do you want to know? Well I am happy to tell, Rosa knows so it is only fair.”

         As Eagle joined them Balto told Kodi of his past with Eagle chipping in. Kodi listened in utter shock. Like his sister Kodi understood his father, seeing the events from his point of view.  

“Mum misses you, when I tell her we’ve met. I mean do you?” Kodi asked hesitantly.

“Have feelings for Jenna? Honestly,” Balto asked cocking his head to one side.

“Honest truth.”

“No. I gave her up when I left, it took a while but I moved on.”

“Oh right,” Kodi replied, saddened at the

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Next page