it?” Balto pressed.

Hunter hesitated, he thought for a while and answered, “The things, creatures I’m always tracking, they are stronger than me all the times. If, one day, my masters do not find me in time, only my bones will be left.

“Not only that,” he glanced at the dogs lying on the far end of the room, “We, the hunting dogs, got the same treatment with the sled dogs, yes there’s quite a few over there, all they need to do is run and run and got the same pay. That’s totally not fair.”

“Don’t you get anything extras?” Jenna asked.

“Well, maybe a few extra meal before or after a hunt. And those are completely not suffice!”

 Balto saw that it was not a good way to bring Hunter to the topic they desired, as it was bringing the topic further away from hunting wolves. “Do you hate wolves?” Balto asked hastily, “Or any other animals you are hunting?” he quickly added to prevent suspicion from Hunter, but it did not seem necessary.

“Wolves? Wolves! Oh I love hunting them! They are just the most cunning things to go after in all of this freezing cold land!” Hunter answered sarcastically, chuckling as if Balto just spoke of the most hilarious thing in the world.

“So in conclusion, you dislike hunting wolves,” Stated Kaltag.

“I think it is… inappropriate… to hunt them,” Hunter hesitated, for the first time Balto and the others saw doubt on his otherwise calm and calculative face. “They are our relatives, ya’ know that? We of the canine family. A veterinarian told me once when I wounded my left front paw, He said, dogs, wolves, foxes and some other creatures are one, big, unhappy family!”

“If you can avoid hunting more wolves, would you take the chance?” Balto pressed on, seeing that the success is near.

Hunter tensed, “What do ya’ mean, take the chance?” He asked in low voice with his reddish brown eyes narrowed. Both Jenna and Kaltag shivered a little, suddenly the air in the suddenly became colder than snow and wind of a blizzard… Balto, too, saw Hunter’s reaction, but he did not falter, it was too late to back down now, he thought.

“Would you spare the lives of five wolves, if you are given the chance?” Balto repeated, his eyes, as determined as the day he decided to look for Steele, looked right into the near crimson colored eyes of Hunter. For a moment, it seemed to Kaltag and Jenna that the wolf-dog and the hunter were having a mental struggle, seeking to read each others’ thoughts.

“Why are you telling me this, do you have any association with wolves?” Hunter demanded loudly, drawing the attention of several dogs of his team.

“Smell, Hunter, smell my scent and you will know.” Balto suggested, but even then he began to question his actions. He sneaked a peek at the awaken dogs; he was so sure than they were all on Hunter’s side.

Hunter leaned forward cautiously and took a deep sniff on Balto, a look of recognition appeared on his face as he tried to remember when and where he picked up this scent before. “I have smelled this scent before, just this day morning, but it has a slight difference with yours. Was that ya’? In the forest?”  

“Most dogs around here, especially us, the sled dogs, have entered the forest countless time.” Kaltag pointed out.

“Kaltag is right,” Balto said, “But the one you smelled wasn’t me, I haven’t been into the forest for a few days. But I do know whose scent that is.”

“Ya’ have a family member out there somewhere?” Hunter asked, but to Balto, it sounded more like he was being interrogated.

“I have a brother out there, with the wolves.”  Said Balto, his face showed neither fear nor worry, but plain determination, to get Hunter to help him.

Hunter focused, his face became unfathomable and his eyes seemed to pierce through Balto. “I have underestimated you, wolf-dog,” he said slowly, “You know more about the residents there than you let on.”

“Wrong,” Kaltag chipped in, “Most of the dogs in this little town know just as much as Balto, his brother had showed himself to us a couple of times.”

Hunter turned his attention to Kaltag, his face showed a little surprise, “The dogs here know? And they know about the wolves too? And they are not afraid of it?”

“I cannot speak for all of us,” Kaltag answered, “But at least half of the town’s dogs don’t care much about those wolves, since they trust Balto, who was willing to be the guarantor.”

“What can you guarantee from the wolves?” Hunter pressed, turning to Balto.

“I guarantee that the wolves of my brother’s side will not hurt a single dog, and evade human at all cost. I also guarantee that they won’t steal from the human.”

Hunter went silent, his had a frown upon his face as he tried to absorb all these surprising news, and perhaps decide what to do. The other hounds that were awaked by their leader’s speech stayed silent, and the three visitors waited anxiously, for him to make his decision.

 Finally, the thoughtful veteran spoke, “Ya’ said five wolves, but today in the forest, I swear I picked up more than seven different scents of wolves, what can ya’ make from this?”

“We are not sure about the motives of the much larger pack of wolves,” Balto admitted, “But one of my brother’s friend and pack mate had set out to investigate, he should be back at his own den by now.”

“Can we hunt them?” Hunter asked, “We cannot lead our master to nothing, that would cause them to suffer a great lost, and kick us out of service, maybe.”

“I do not know…” Balto hesitated, he did not wish for the loss of more lives, but he did not expect Hunter and his hunting hounds to have problems too, now he cursed himself for unable to see this truth.

Luckily, Hunter seemed to understand Balto’s dilemma, as he said, without much joy, “We will try our best, to prevent them from being killed, but I make no promise about it. You can’t blame me if our masters skin ‘em all.”

It was not the best deal Balto could get, he would prefer if no one would be harmed. He thought hard for other mean that may save all the killings. He thought about perhaps spread the news that the wolves had left, but humans would not understand them, it would be a futile way. What about convincing those wolves to actually leave this place? Yeah, that might work…

“I will do what I can to find out the motives of that pack of wolf and if possible, persuade them to leave.” Balto said, he stood up, ready to depart for the forest. But Jenna blocked his path before he even wheeled around.

“Balto don’t,” She said softly, “You don’t know what the wolves would do, they might not treat you the same way Kirdo’s friends did.”

“I have to,” Balto replied, “If this concerns their lives I believe they will listen to me.”

“No, Balto please, it’s too dangerous.” Jenna said again, this time close to pleading.

“There’s got be another way to find out.” Kaltag added.

Balto looked back, Hunter did nothing to stop him, although he heard the brief conversation, his plain face and lazy eyes suggested that he was thinking, ‘I don’t care what you do, it is not my business.’

“Okay…” He said slowly, having a change of mind, “But I still have to go into the forest, I am visiting my brother’s pack instead. They should’ve found something out by now.”

Before Jenna or Kaltag can say anything, Hunter spoke again, “If ya’ are going into the forest, avoid the route ya’ often take, my masters set multiple traps there, ya’ might not want to try them out.”

“Got it,” Balto said with a nod of his head. But as he wheeled around, he noticed Jenna was still in his way, but her face no longer showed objection, just plain caring that, as Balto thought, would melt any determination that was left in him. “Just… be on your guard, okay? I wish to see you back alive and unharmed.” Jenna told him and looked at him as if he is the most precious thing in her world. Which was true.

“I will.” Balto replied with an equally loving voice, he stepped forward towards the door, and this time, Jenna moved out of his way.

Just as he was about to place his paws onto the icy snow outside of the shed, Kaltag called, “Hey Balto, mind if I tag along? Jenna would want an extra pair of eyes to keep you out of hunters’ traps.”

Balto turned to Jenna, whose eyes was shining with approval. “Alright then,” he said over the chilling breeze, “Come along.”

 

Chapter Eight: Consumed By Vengeance

This is wrong, this is so completely wrong. This was the only thing Siria had in mind as she walked the path back to her previous scouting point, the words of her alpha still rang in her mind.

The snow fall brought by the blizzard stopped about two hours ago, and through the temporary harmonious woods, a massager came bearing an order from the alpha to recall every wolf of his back to their main gathering site.

Even before the last snowflake joined its fallen brothers and sisters, Siria knew there will be something big happening, as just not long ago, two of the three wolves sent by Karani for a ‘secret mission’ ran pass her

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