figure. 

   'Papa.' she whispered.

Jenna rushed to him,
   'Balto!'

Balto started up, and then toppled back the ground...lifeless.

   ' NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'

 

XXVI

Balto neather moved, nor spoke since the attack. He did not even open his eyes. The only response he gave was if someone offered food he would blindly sniff it. But in vain, he couldn't swallow the food. When Sulski offered water, it dripped out from his mouth.
   Sulski searched him over, trying to find the cause of the problem.

Having finished chopping the tree, he had returned late, to find the only Saba, Chilla and Athera in the camp. The rest were no where to be seen. After calling them for some time, he went to serch for them.

He found them later, standing over the shivering body of Balto. They had staryed by him, afraid to move him. Too scared to leave him. Sulski found a set of wolf tracks belonging to Thaze. With these signs and the marks on his team's injuries, Mr Sulski could guess what had happened and anger burned in him. But he put that aside. Some of the dogs were in terrible pain and Balto lay motionless.

He hurried back to the sled, dragged it to the place where Balto lay. The dogs went with him, wondering what had happened. He set their camp where they were and using all his mastery and wisdom, tried to cure the injured wolf.

 While the musher closely examined Balto, Jenna stood by his side, licking her mate's mattered fur. Her face a mask of concern.

From afar, the other dogs waited anxiously.

 

*

 

After a long wait, Sulski finally arose and walked away. His head was low and his face grim. As for Jenna, she was distraught. Hiding her face in Balto's gray fur she cried mournfully.
   The other dogs bowed their heads in dejection.

All except Aleu. For a few seconds she stood still as a stone, her eyes and jaw wide open.

She had been watching, worriedly as Sulski worked on her father. Each minute that passed felt like he was sinking away from them.

    Leaving Kodi's side, she slowly crept forwards towards her parents. She stared, solemnly into her father's face then turned to faced her mother.

   'Mom, get some rest. I'll look after Papa.' she said, quietly.

Jenna didn't reply, but as soon as her daughter spoke, she looked up hopefully.

   'Let me look first. Please, Mum.'
   

Jenna gazed at her, through shimmering eyes and Aleu understood. Nether one of them wanted to leave Balto.

 

   *

 

Sulski slumped down by the fire. He covered his eyes.

He's given up, thought Aleu, He's given up on everything

Looking about down at her father, she sat wondering. I brought this to you. I brought the danger. Why did the spirits want me here. I could of spared my family all of this!

She sighed and bent her head

Complete the journey.

She sighed. Maru and Hanler could not of forsaw this. Yet 

She gazed sorrowfully at her father. She loved him dearly. He had been overprotective in the past. But now, that tenderness he had give them. His love for his pups imense. Aleu wanted to repay that love.

Locating the place of the the wound, Aleu closed her eyes, lifting her paws she placed them on her father's neck.

Almost instantly, the weather changed.The cold snow, that had been floating softly down had suddenly grown swifter. More and more hit the ground.

But Balto made no movement. He couldn not even feel anything. His whole body was turning numb.

For a long time both he and Aleu remained still. The others watched, silently unable to understand what was happening.

   'What's she doing?' whispered Chilla. Nobody replied. They watched and waited, without much hope.

Suddenly a gust of wind came out of nowhere and settled around Aleu and Balto. It shook the blanket of snow they were situated on and carried around and around. It floated like a circle above their heads.

Tthe others gasped at this spectical. But Aleu's eyes remained tight shut.

Then Balto's musceles moved!

His eyes flickered open as he slowly stood upright, eyes burning.

   'BALTO!' Jenna spoke hoarsely. She ran up to him, just as Aleu backed away, warily.

Balto awoke from dreaming and gazed up at her.

   'Jenna!' he cried.

With a loud sob, Jenna sunk down onto his neck and cried. The others stared, speechlessly. They couldn't believe what they had witnessed.

   ' Aleu,' he said, drawing away from Jenna's neck.' Where..?'

   ' I'm here, Papa. You're going to be okay.'

 

*

  
Sulski's eyes grew wide, as Balto limped He felt around Balto's head. The wound had gone. Trace of it was nowhere to be found. Carefully, he scratched the area it had been. He's eyes grew wide.

   '... But how?' he said aloud.

It did not matter. Though Aleu knew it would puzzle poor Sulski for the rest of his life. As for their injuries, all  cuts, were washed and cleaned. Sulski had seen to that.

Incase Thaze might still be around, the musher dicided to leave the forest to avoid other confortation. 

As they got ready, he stooped to carry Balto. Balto's limp was not serious, but Sulski decided to let him rest on the sled for a bit.

When everyone was ready, he lent forwards on the sled.

   'Now...HIKE!'

Leaving the trees, they raced out the darkness into the moonlit night.

 

*

 

On a old leaning tree, overlooking the whole landscape, Thaze stood listening to the sharp sounds of the sled-dog team, as it departed the forest. 
He squinted, shivering uncontrolably. He was too tired to follow, too weak, too hungry, too bleak to care anymore.

He had lost. He knew it. The wolf knew he could not go after them. But the worse was, he could not go back.

Thaze had been the cause of Hanler's death

Thaze had threatend Aleu's life
 

Thaze nearly killed the wolf-dog who was her Father.

He was an outcast...

 

Alone and unwanted...

 

He was a rouge with no where to go.

XXVII  

 

   'This load heavier then EVER!' panted Dingo,' How does Lurth and his team do it?'

   'Take a look at the load on the sled, that will answer your question.' muttered Tam.

Balto glanced at the sled concerned. Under the sheet, the baggage looked fuller since they set off.' Sulski collected it from that fallen tree.' Tamille explained. ' He thought it was too good to throw away.'

Tamille was right. Sulski had indeed picked up some wood. NO! A dozen by the looks of it. Sulski must of given up too. No way could they catch up with Ted Maximous's team.    

Dingo groaned,

   ' OH, that does explains things.'
 
Chilla taunted them

   ' You should try a bit more.' she said,

 

   'Leave them alone.' Saba said, ' They're pulling as hard as they can.'

 

   'You should know, I suppose,' Chilla sighed. She had been feeling very cranky, recently. ' Maybe someone should relieve them.'

Lurth's head turned suddenly. He gleared at her, sternly.

   ' Maybe you should take the weight of the sled for once!' he said. Chilla scowled, but said nothing more.

 

Balto grinned at Lurth,

   'You sure have a way with pups.'

 

Lurth gave him a odd look,

   'Some of them.' he said, glancing back at Vallcon.'Not all of them.'

Balto gave him a long stare then turned away. Beside him, Jenna sighed, then asked brightly,

  ' Well, I never thought I'd say this to a lead-dog. But...are we there yet?'

  
  'Sooner then you think, ma'am.'Lurth replied. They were at the foot of a small hill and were running up it. Balto caught his breath by the time they reached the top. There he saw a clear late noon sky, coloured pink and gold. Below it lay a vast land covered with snow. In the centre of all this, a dark piked dot specked the pretty sceney.   

Lurth glanced back at the team.

   ' Welcome to Anochorage.'

 

*

It was the biggest town they had ever seen. Twice as big as Nome. The cabins, barns, factories, shops, worshops and church were visable withen their view. 

Balto could not believe they had made it. Finally, they had reached their last lap.

  'Dad,'said Kodi,' Look at the size of that crowd!'

Sure enough, as they drew nearer, Balto could see a long line of people, waving wildly. Blocking every ways into the town. Only one gap they could get through.  

Would Rig be there? thought Balto. He's in such bad condition. Ragnal, no doubt would be there. And so would Missy. Duke too. Ted Maximous would be there. With Nero and his team-mates and...Balto stopped.

   'Steele,' he mutterd

He had lost to Steele.

  'Well,' he whispered to himself.' You can't win them all.' 

 

  'What's that running behind us?'  asked Athera.

 

  'It's Nero's team.' Kodi cried in astonishment, 'THEY'RE WAY

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