“You’re ready to go?”

“Fully!” answered Kirdo, “Now I know that I’m making progress, the sooner I settle the problem with my pack, the sooner we can discuss and maybe search for our family.”

As they were ready, they started out for the forest, just like the day Balto found Kirdo. The air was a bit warmer than before, and the sky is clearer, which means they can have a good search without being cut off by bad weather.  

As they entered the woods, Balto asked “So how are we going to search for them? The forest is wide; do you have any idea where they might be?”

Kirdo stopped and think for a while, and replied “Base on their preference, I can think of several kinds of places they might want to stay, but several for each of them makes a lot. Or, we can go after the easier, yet the hardest to find.”

“Who is this hardest one to find? And why would finding him be easier when he is the hardest to find?” asked Balto curiously.

“Ah, you need to know him before you can understand the answer you seek,” Kirdo said with a smile, as if he knew a lot that Balto don’t. “His name’s Kamsa, but everyone, except me, called him by his nickname, Shadowfang; this nickname fit him too well. His fur is black and dark grey at the belly, which give him a great camouflage in the shadows. Better still, he knows it and trained himself to stay in the shadow and tread lighter than any living wolf around here. Due to his damaged voice box, he can make voice no louder than a whisper. While he can still speak with the normal volume of us, the voice that comes out is hoarse and sometimes inaudible, so he seldom talks, except for absolute emergency. And as if these can’t make him stealthy enough, he found a way, one of the many secret he most prized, to cover up his scent.”

“So that means we can’t see him or smell him, so finding him is hard. But you haven’t answer why it’s easier to find him instead of the other three.” Said Balto.

“Because Kamsa is also a great tracker, his complete silence movement with his smell covered make it too easy for him to track someone without being noticed. He likes to keep track of those around him, near or far, so he must have known all the location of the other already.”

“I see. So how are we going to find him?”

Kirdo thought for a while, and answered “Well, bring us to one of the places where the shadow is thick enough to cover a black wolf presence. That’s the place he most probably would be in daytime. At night, however, there’s no telling where he can be. So lead on, brother!”

Balto led him into one part of the forest where the branches are thick enough to provide a reasonable shade in the leafless forest of winter. “This is the closest one I can think of; there are lots of places like this one here and there in the forest.”  

Kirdo didn’t reply, his ears were perked up, and he looked alarmed. Balto looked around and when he saw nothing but snow and trunks, he sniffed the air, and one scent caught his nose, one that he almost lost his life because of it, a grizzly bear!

Before they can make preparations, the grizzly came into view, crushing its way through the woods and headed unmistakably on the two wolf-dogs. “Ever fought a grizzly?” asked Kirdo, never took his eyes off the bear while growling.

“Once, but resulted in we both fell into a frozen lake, and I have to be rescue by a pair of polar bear cubs, which you saw back in my boat.” Balto answer, they were starting to retreat back as the grizzly came even closer.

“Is there any way we can get out of here?”

“There’s only one way, but the grizzly had blocked it, all other directions will end up at a cliff!”

“Well, then,” said Kirdo with a sign of sarcasm, “Guess we’re doomed. We cannot fight a bear in such an enclosed area. And you are not experienced.”

However, just as Balto going to suggest a not-so-reliable plan of his, he spotted something, creeping in the shadows below the trees. Before he can see what it was, it lunged towards the bear with great speed, tackled and bit the back of the bear, then jumped off and hid in the shadow again. Now Balto saw what it truly was, a black wolf. At the same time, he heard Kirdo shouted “Now we have the chance! Come brother, let’s show this old bear how wrong he had chosen his prey!”

The grizzly was shocked by the impact and the pain that the mysterious black wolf dealt on him, and two more charging wolf was not a good sight, so he retreated, and Balto and Kirdo stopped pursuing.

Kirdo looked around for the sign of the black wolf, but seeing none. “Come on, Kamsa! It’s time to walk out of the shadow! This is my brother, he proves no harm!” he said aloud.

From the left of Balto, under the shade of some trees, a piece of the shadow moved, Shadowfang silently walked towards them, his eyes glowing. He stopped in front of the two of them, and whispered something to Kirdo unmistaken as if the two brothers were very much different.

Kirdo gave Shadowfang a strange look, and he said to Balto hesitantly “This is indeed strange, even Kamsa haven’t found all our pack members, one’s missing. I’ll have to meet with my pack mates, we’ll discuss the matter; do you wish to come along?”

 Balto was going to answer but was cut off by a growl from Shadowfang. “Looks like you have yet gain Kamsa’s trust, brother. There’s no way I can help you to gain that. You should go back to your boat now; I’ll bring news to you tonight or tomorrow.” Said Kirdo, although he looked absolutely against the idea.

Balto looked at Shadowfang, who was still eyeing him with unfriendly grace, and nodded before leaving. It had been a long day, it was already after sunset and he needed some rest after the encounter with the bear.

Chapter 8: A wolf’s Call to Aid

Upon returning to his old boat, Balto was surprised to found Star waiting for him there. “Uh… Balto! I came to… came to ask if you have found out the reason the wolves came. Kaltag should be in my place here, but… you see, he was buried by questions after questions about your brother, he decided to not visit you… so here I am!” said Star in his usual nervous tone.

 “I only know that the lone wolves presence here was because their whole pack was killed and they are the survivors, my brother amongst them. As for the whole pack of wolves I haven’t got the chance to ask.” Balto replied, and then he added with a laugh, “Kaltag being overrun by questions, eh? I’ll bet half of the questions came from Sylvie! Anyway, I think I’ll be going to the boiler room tomorrow and cure some of their curiosity.”

After Star left the boat, Balto decided that he was not going to sleep yet, although he was tired. He followed Star into the town, only to turn right when he reached the outskirt, towards Jenna’s house; he had much to discuss with his mate of what changes his brother might bring to his life.

Jenna welcomed Balto into the side house, where she stayed, warmly. As soon as Balto settled himself beside her, Jenna asked “How’s your day, Balto? You’ve been kind of occupied by issues concerning the wolf that look like you lately. Who is he, I wonder?”

Balto gave Jenna a weird look, and answered “I knew I have forgotten a lot about my past, but I never thought I would forget my brother.” Seeing the startled look on Jenna’s face, he added “Yes, his name’s Kirdo, my brother. Don’t take him as me if you ever see him on the street. His eyes are green, but otherwise he looks just like me.”

“I’ll remember that,” giggled Jenna, “What have you been doing in the woods all day?”

“Kirdo was eager to find his lost pack mates, so I help him. We found one, who claimed to know the locations of several others. But he doesn’t trust me and don’t allowed me to follow. So here I’m back.

“Still, I wonder what he bring along that can change my life? I’m starting to worry about him, fear that he might encounter hunters or something that sort.”

“All will be well,” said Jenna, nuzzled Balto by the cheek, “All will be well.” Even as Balto starting to fall asleep a smile appeared on his face.

The next day, the couple went to the boiler room. Some were already there to hear the news of Balto, thanks to Star. Once Balto got inside, they tried to exhaust Balto the same way they did to Kaltag, and Balto had no other choice then to tell them the whole story, which seemed to be the only way to fill their needs of information.

After he had finally finished his story, Doc said “If the lone wolves in the forest are not to be hurt, then I have something to tell you. The news had spread and many hunters are interested in the large pack of wolves. This undoubtedly proves impending danger to the lone wolves.”

“Then I must warn Kirdo!” exclaimed Balto, panicked. At the same time he heard someone entered the boiler room and his audience gasped. “Speak of the devil.” Said Kaltag. Balto turned and saw Kirdo standing by the door, smiling.

“What in the blaze are you doing here? It’s dangerous!” asked Balto.

“I’m as safe as you are here, I should make use of the advantage of having your face in this town.” Said Kirdo slyly, and he suddenly turned serious “I do not found