which you excelled in until now. I have reveiwed the causes surrounding your death and heard your defense, of which there was none. You are hereby found guilty of insubordination to your Lord and Master for which there is no way for me to pardon you. I am deeply disapointed in you Aniu. Aniu of the Talbourne…” the beings voice faded and a shimering red portal appeared in front of her. “…step forward and accept your eternal punishment for the sins which you have commited.”
Aniu sighed and hung her head in defeat. “…yes Lord.” She said.
Then she stepped into the glaring red portal… and vanished.
Aleu stumbled rather than walked through the streets of Nome near the eastern edge of town. Her father had tried to persuade her to keep to the alley’s, but Aleu insisted on walking in plain veiw. Thankfully no one had seen her yet.
Aleu, Shadow and Balto had went to Jenna’s home, but she wasn’t there. Balto thought that she might be out talking with Alyse and told Aleu that as soon as he saw her he would let her know. For now it had been decided that it was too dangerous for Aleu and Shadow to stay in Nome, so they were heading toward a small wood just outside of town where Aleu and Shadow would wait for word from Balto.
As Aleu stumbled along she thought of what Aniu had said to her when she tried to move to save her. The sweet voice echoed through her mind again. “…be still my child… the time will come, but not yet. What is happening must happen.”
Aleu sighed. “…what other time Aniu?” She thought. “When will there be another time?”
…but there was no answer. “…and,” Aleu thought. “…there never will be.”
“We need to cross here Aleu.” Balto said.
Aleu nodded and Shadow stepped out of the alley to her left.
Aleu looked up and saw something approaching. She turned to Shadow. “I’m sorry.” She said. “…I can’t fail you.”
Then she stepped out in the street.
“Aleu no!” Shadow yelled. He leapt forward, but Balto dragged him down.
Aleu was never really aware of what hit her. The car screeched on it’s brakes, but on the icy roads, now slick with rain it wasn’t enough. The bumper of the car hit Aleu in the side of the head and she went down under it, the car bumped over her and swerved to the left, running up on the sidewalk. The driver stopped and looked, then seeing that no one was around he drove on.
Balto and Shadow stood in shock.
Shadow looked at the still from of Aleu laying in the middle of the road and started to walk over to her. Balto just stood there, not even able to process what had just happened.
Shadow made it over to her and fell down besdie her. A large pool of blood had spread out beneath her. He buried his face in her fur. “ALEU!” He yelled. “ALEU NO! NOooo! ” He started sobbing and clung to her. “Aleu no… why!” he yelled. “Whyyyy….”
Balto’s mind finally caught up to him and tears sprung to his eyes as he walked dumbstruck out to where Shadow lay.
As he neared her he couldn’t even look at her. The pressure from the car had burst her belly, and it was not a pretty sight.
Though grief consumed Balto he retained enough sense to know that having a wolf laying in the middle of the road, even on the edges of town wasn’t a good idea.
He ran over to Shadow.
Shadow picked his head up and looked at her face. “Aleu… Aleu speak to me.” He said. “…please Aleu…”
Balto made it over to him then. He tried to pull Shadow up, but it was hard. Finally he got Shadow to stand up.
Already Balto could hear people opening the doors to their homes, stepping out to see what the noise had been.
“Balto, come on, we’ve got to get her to a hospital.” Shadow said, his face streaked with tears.
“Shadow, she’s dead,” Balto said. “…she’s dead Shadow, come on, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Shadow looked down at her again. “N-n-no-o… she… she can’t be dead… she can’t be…”
“She is Shadow, now come on, we’ve got to get you out of here before someone notices you.”
“N-n-no-o I I can’t… I can’t leave her like this… Balto… I can’t…”
Tears covered Balto’s face, but he tried to push the emotions down inside himself, tried to keep himself from falling apart. “Shadow, you have to.” Balto said. “You have a family to take care of… you’re the only one they’ve got now.”
Shadow shook his head and cried. “N-no-ooo I… I can’t… I can’t… She… she’s… she’s dead…. Oh god Aleu’s dead… Nooooo….”
Balto hated to be rough with the poor guy, but people were starting to come out of their homes and walk toward the mess on the street.
“Shadow come on!” He said. Balto pushed him and Shadow fell to the road. He laid there and stared up at Balto.
“We’ve got to get out of here Shadow!” Balto said.
Shadow nodded, unable to speak and got to his feet. Balto threw up on the road, unable to hold it in any longer.
“…now… now come on Shadow…” Balto said. His emotions started to get the best of him then and Balto felt like laying down beside her himself, but he knew he couldn’t. He was crying so hard now that it was hard to talk. “…come on Shadow, let’s… let’s get out of here… follow… follow me.”
Balto took off running for the woods at the edge of town and Shadow followed running hard trying to outrun the fact that his mate, his partner in life was gone… Shadow lost himself in the run.
…to be continued.
Watch for Part II of this heart-rending story, Balto: Children of Aniu coming soon from RTW!
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