all the unloading was done. Those crew members who had the night off had gone to explore the city leaving only a skeleton staff. Passengers relaxed in their cabins or had gone ashore to take in the nightlife. Out on deck to get some air, Jenna heard a familiar bark drifting towards here. A smile broke onto her face as a red and white husky ran onto the ship.

“EMBER!” Jenna cried as the husky licked her cheek. “How did you know I was here?”

“It’s good to see you Jen. I have many friends at the port as soon you arrived they got word to me,” Ember replied with a confident grin.

“I never thought I get to see you,” Jenna replied nuzzling him. “Tell me everything! I want all the details of what you have been up to.”

“Fair enough, so long as you tell me about your relationship with Balto, I want to make sure that wolf dog is good enough for my little sister.”

“Ember! Please you know everything Balto has done, we have pups together, one of which lives on this boat!” Jenna snapped in annoyance.

“It’s my job to watch out for you, besides I just want to make sure you are happy.”

“I am happy Ember, Balto is the one for me, he never saw me a trophy to be won.”

“So what began as friendship has become something more, I’m happy for you Jen.”

“Would you like to meet Balto?” Jenna asked as her eyes fell on a cut on her brother’s leg.

“Thanks but no I have to head home, I’m glad I got to see you Jen.”

“Ember are you alright?” Jenna asked looking at her brother with concern.

“I’m fine, Jen you know me I’m good at looking after myself,” Ember replied as Balto and Seward walked onto the deck. “So you are the famous Balto.”

“I am and you must be Ember, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Balto replied smiling.

“In the fur, so Balto have you been taking care of my little sister?”

“I have been taking perfect care of her I swear to you,” Balto replied looking at Ember.

“I’m glad, you are a good dog Balto,” Ember replied grinning. “So then Seward it is good to see you again.”

“It is Uncle Ember,” Seward replied seeing the shocked looks on the faces of his parents.

“YOU PLANNED THIS!” Jenna stammered.

“Down to the last detail, your son is a bright pup,” Ember grinned as Balto and Seward chuckled.

“Well this has been fun but I have to be going, take care of her wolfie, goodbye Jen.”

       In a swift bound Ember left the boat as Jenna watched him go with sadness on her eyes. Seeing the pain Balto and Seward nuzzled her as they watched the red husky slip into the night.

“That’s Ember for you, a law onto himself, I’m glad you and he got chance to meet,” Jenna said smiling.

“He is just as you described him, a good brother,” Balto chucked.

“Uncle Ember is great, he has taught me loads,” Seward replied grinning.

“I imagine he has, come on time we were all in bed,” Jenna replied rolling her eyes.

     The following day the boat left Juneau behind sailing through the Gulf of Alaska. Down through Canadian waters they stopped for a couple of days in Vancouver t unload and take on both cargo and passengers. 

       It was on a bright morning that S S Victoria pulled into Seattle to be greeted by a cheering crowd. The eyes of the dogs and humans widened as they had never seen so many people.

“If this is the reception here what is going to be like in New York?” Balto whispered to Star.

“Like this but bigger, much bigger,” Star replied looking at the crowd.”

    Hero’s Welcome

       Star’s words about the teams reception in New York proved correct when they arrived in the city, thought not even Star could have imagined the crowd that greeted them when they arrived on Manhattan Island. The city mayor John Francis Hyland welcomed the group off the boat and gave a speech detailing the group’s activities in the week leading up to the unveiling of the statue.

  “Well now I am sure our guests are tired and in need of their rest, they have had a long trip,” Mayor Hyland said shaking the paws of Balto, Star, Kaltag and Nikki.

      An hour later the team arrived at their hotel, a five star establishment that looked out over Central Park. Exploring their rooms the dog gasped at the luxury art deco style. The hotel often hosted canine guests, as its owner, a slight eccentric film producer, viewed animals as people in fur coats that deserved the same level of luxury as humans. Baskets of the finest materials, food served in silver bowls, a large garden and even a rooftop pool just for dogs. Eccentric and over the top but the hotel did a roaring trade, especially among the rich and famous.

 “Blimey,” Nikki said looking around the richly decorated room selected for the sled team.

“No kidding, don’t know why a dog closet jewelled collars,” Star replied nosing open a small closet.

“I have no idea,” Nikki replied rolling his eyes. “Owner of this place must be barking.”

    Elsewhere Balto and Jenna stood in Rosie’s room that included beds for the pair and on suit bathroom.

“This is like a princess room,” Rosie said looking out of the window.

“It is and you are the perfect princess,” Balto replied putting his paws on the windowsill.

“We are going to have so much fun!”

      That evening while the dogs relaxed in their rooms, Gunner, Arthur, Violet and Rosie attend a welcome party in the hotel’s ballroom. In their best clothes they made a very smart party, easily engaging with fellow guest who were eager to hear tales from Alaska. With her sweet smile Rosie charmed each guest, telling them about her experiences during the epidemic and her friendship with Balto.

“Art your daughter is such a sweet child, she will be a heart breaker in a few years,” said Harold Jocelyn handing Arthur a drink.

“Don’t I know it Harold, if it wasn’t for the team she wouldn’t be here,” Arthur replied taking a drink.

   Harold Jocelyn an old friend of Arthur’s elder brother Alfred from collage. A New Yorker born and bred, he was a major player in the gold and diamond industry.   

“She has been telling me about her experience, amazing how she became friends with Balto, most children would run at the sight of a wolf, dog blood or not.”

“I wish I knew the answer myself, they have been friends since he was a pup. The number of times I would find them playing it together caused me no end of worry.”

“I can sympathise Art, I have two children as you know and I worry about them constantly. My son sent a baseball through the open window of my study last week, hit me on the back of the head, I still have the lump.”

“Heck that’s big,” Arthur chuckled looking at the lump. “Bad luck, the chances of that happening must be slim, at least he didn’t break a window.”

“It rounded off a very bad week. Pranged the car on a builder’s skip on Monday, my secretary has been down with food poisoning and discovered the FBI are investigating several colleagues with suspected links to gangsters.”

“Cripes that is a bad week Harry!” Arthur replied as Rosie and Violet walked over.

“What are gangsters Mr Jocelyn?” Rosie asked.

“Bad men who make my job harder,” Harold groaned. “Call me Harry by the way, none of this Mr Jocelyn business you are a friend.”

“I will remember,” Rosie yawned.

“Time you went to bed Rosie,” Art said picking her up.

“I’m tired.”

“You get some rest you will need your energy,” Harold replied as Arthur took Rosie to bed.

    Entering Rosie’s room Arthur found a pair of glowing amber eyes watching him, smiling as his eyes fell on Balto and a sleeping Jenna lying in their beds. Helping Rosie into bed Arthur pulled the covers around her smiling as she fell into a deep sleep.

     Closing the door Arthur went back down to the party where he found Violet dancing with Harold. Seconds later Harold’s wife took Arthur’s wife and the pair took to the floor. With a lively jazz band playing the latest hits the party turned up a notch, the hotel staff determined to the showing the visitors how New Yorkers partied. By the time the party ended the following morning Arthur and Violet’s feet were hurting and both felt utterly exhausted.  

Opening the door of Rosie’s room a fraction, Arthur saw a brilliant white light near her bed, stepping into the room he saw a white wolf laid there. Unable to believe his eyes he shook his head, the wolf remained, gazing calmly at him with amber eyes.

“Bed Art, the travelling must be catching up with you,” he muttered closing the door.

    The following day was quiet for all as the team and humans took the day to rest from their journey. Relaxing in the garden the dogs played with Rosie while the adults chatted over coffee, reading the sun with the day’s newspapers. The each paper had a different headline about Balto, with all giving details of the