sides.

Balto was gimp, but he finally was able to get a little spring in his step. He ran really slowly and awkwardly, keeping his back left leg completely stiff. He also had to hop every few steps to comfort the pain in his hip. He hobbled for a few feet and was tripped up by an inequality hidden under the snow. He hit the snow with a yelp and the bear turned its attention to him. It started to lumber ominously over to him like an impending storm cloud, all the while growling softly.

Kay’yak knew that there was no way he could fight and that there was no way he could live. He was as good as dead. He jumped in between the bear and the fallen Balto. Kay’yak charged in and was caught by the bear’s large paws and was pushed down into the snow having the life steadily crushed out of him. There were the quick snaps of ribs and vertebra and lastly, there was the sickening sound of skin ripping open. Balto had to turn away, there was no way he would be able to take seeing what he knew had just happened.

The bear moved in on Balto again. The twin clamped down onto the bear’s muzzle, buying enough time for Balto to struggle to his feet. With a flick of the bear’s neck, the twin was launched into the air, reaching an arc at five feet and coming down to meet the bear’s cruel teeth with the base of her stomach. She fell to the ground and would bleed to death a mere minute later. The bear got down on all fours and cried out from the pain of the axe head that still remained in its shoulder. There it stood regaining itself.

Only two remained now, Balto and Harv. Harv took his place by Balto’s side and they faced the bear. It was now but a dead standoff, both sides exhausted from battle. Balto looked down to Harv. He was battered and bloody, some of it from the claw wounds, but most of it not even being his own. He was too young for this, not even two years old yet. Balto looked back at the bear then at Harv one more time.

“Harv, I want you out of here, now,” Balto demanded.

Harv turned to his injured leader.

“No, I’m not leaving,” he replied firmly.

“Listen to me, too many have already died for me today,” Balto said drily, “I’m old and have had a good run, you on the other hand, your life has just begun.”

“Don’t say that, I’m a loner, I don’t have a real family. What about your mate and pups?”

Balto thought all the way back to Nome, back to his beautiful crème red mate, back to their pups yet unborn, to Rosy, to John and Lucile. Tears filled his eyes and he looked down directly into Harv’s innocent blue eyes.

“I know.”

The bear tensed up to charge again.

“Go on Harv, get out of here now!”

The bear charged in with a vengeance, aiming directly at Harv. Balto shoved Harv out of the way, wincing from the pain in his hip.

“Tell Jenna I love her.”

Harv bounced out of range and Balto was buried by the bear. Harv stood at a distance shocked at the sight of seeing Balto back down under the bear’s large forepaws. Balto struggled under the bear and turned to Harv.

“Get out of here!”

Harv stayed where he was.

“GO NOW!!!”

Tears dripped down from the tip of Harv’s muzzle and he turned making a quick dash for Nome.

The pressure on Balto’s chest was unbearable. He coughed and gasped desperately for air, but his lungs were nearly pressed shut. He took his teeth to the bear’s paw and the bear lifted it off of Balto, sending him with it. Balto released the paw in mid lift and landed painfully to the ground. The adrenaline rushing through his system kicked away any pain when he had to roll to his feet to avoid being stepped on. He began a dash for the bear, but was slowed by his hip. The bear lumbered swiftly forward and Balto met its paw with his side. There was a snap, a sharp yelp, and then Balto was sent sailing through the air. He danced and twisted in the air for a distance of fifteen feet and came down hard on the snow; he lay still. The bear turned to look out at the escaping dog, but decided to leave it. Besides it was too far away by now.

The bear lumbered triumphantly through the carnage to its kill and began to drag it off into the woods.

Chapter 4

Jenna lay asleep curled up into a comfy ball in front of the burning fire place, the heat radiating off of the dancing flames warming her coat pleasantly. She pitched over onto her stomach and began to come into waking, quite refreshed from her nap. She lifted her head and looked lazily about the room and found it empty except for her. Her humans must still be asleep; after all the trip to Nenena was a long one, especially with the cold wind sucking the life out of their bodies. She closed her eyes and laid her head back down on her paws, letting her ears fold flat onto her skull.

There was a small scratching sound and Jenna’s ears pricked up without any movement anywhere else. The scratch was made again and Jenna opened her eyes, lifting her head up once again.

“Balto?”

There was no answer, just a third scratch on the door. Jenna smiled slyly and rose to her feet in an awkward fashion. Doing her best to be as silent as possible, Jenna slinked her way to the back of the house. She squeezed through her ever tightening doggy door and began to sneak her way around to the front of the house. Balto was messing with her and he was going to pay for it. Jenna peeked her head around the corner of the house and gazed out to the dog on the front porch. Too small to be Balto, in fact, it almost looked like…

“Harv?” Jenna called coming around the corner of the house.

The dog jumped and turned hurriedly to face Jenna.

“Oh, hi Jenna,” Harv said halfheartedly, turning and moving down off of the porch.

He paused with a distance still between the two of them. What was he supposed to say? Jenna began to close the distance and Harv inconspicuously turned the beaten side of him away from her, closing his eyes at the same time.

“What’s going on here,” Jenna asked suspiciously.

“Harv sure is acting strange.”

There was a drip of red from Harv’s side and an alarm was sounded inside Jenna’s head.

“Harv, you’re bleeding! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Harv lied.

Truth be known the pain in his side was almost unbearable; and on top of that, his wounds had yet to properly seal. He was beginning to feel dizzy and it was hard for him to focus. He didn’t know just how much more blood he could lose. All he did know was that he had to keep a promise he made to a friend. There was another drip of blood and Jenna ran her eyes up to the porch. There was a blood trail the whole way up.

“Harv, what happened?” Jenna pressed more urgently.

Harv knew that he couldn’t keep this from her anymore. With a word he turned face and body so the wounds were clearly visible. Jenna gasped. There were similar wounds on Balto the day they fought that… oh no…

“Harv! Where’s Balto!” Jenna asked hysterically.

Harv took in a long breath and pinched his eyes tightly together trying to find the best way to break the terrible news. He opened his eyes and locked them with Jenna’s

“Balto… Is… no longer with us.”

"Harv… what… what are you saying? Is Balto…”

A thin film of tears began to form under Harv’s eyes.

“He… he valiantly gave his life to save mine.”

Jenna’s jaw dropped to the ground and she took a few steps backward until the weight of what she was just told made her collapse onto her haunches.

“Jenna I’m so sorry,” Harv began with tears streaming down his face.

“No, no Harv! You’re lying to me! You’re lying!”

She forcefully shoved her way past him and stormed off in the direction Harv came. Having fulfilled his duty, Harv collapsed in the thinning snow with a soggy crunch.

“Balto sends his love...”

-A large pack of wolves slid effortlessly along the forest in search for any game that could be found, but thus far there was none. This didn’t dwindle their good spirits however. No humans had been spotted in their territory since yesterday and each day on the meat trail always had promise of a fruitful outcome. The group moved along as one unit, the two leaders with their noses to the wind trying to pick up a fresh scent.

The gray leader running the left halted abruptly causing the wolves running behind her to nearly ram her in the back. The tan leader running the right halted his squad and padded over to the gray.

“You have something,” he asked hopefully.

“Oh it’s something alright,” she answered, “See what you can make of this. Point your nose due east and let the breeze bring it upon you.”

The tan leader wafted the wind and the strangest of scents mixed together in his nostrils: Black powder, humans, dogs, bears, rot, and a lot of blood.

“What say you, Ceuni,” the tan wolf asked the female leader.

Ceuni ran the options through her mind. The human, bear, and black powder sent off alarm bells, but at the same time the overwhelming scent of rot and blood suggested that there was much more to this