Started: 07/11/06

Finished: 08/19/06

Pages: 79

Words: 10, 256

 

Note: The character’s Drake, Astarre, Trixie and Blaize are © 2006 by Anthony E. Rotramel. The events of this story are jointly © 2006 Anthony E. Rotramel, Universal Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment.

The other characters are © Universal Pictures and Ambin Entertainment.

 

 

Note from the Author: This story does not take place in my reguar timeline until way, way, way, way in the future, and the events of this story will not affect that timeline in anyway.

In other words, I’m still intending to write Balto stories. This is by NO MEANS my last one!

 

Dedicated to Balto, the savior of Nome, AK. “In the cold winter of 1925.”

 

© 2006 All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

Prologue:

 

Nome, AK

June 19th, 1941

 

Jenna made her way as quickly as she could down the sidewalk on mainstreet, Nome, AK.

She was panting from the effort, Jenna wasn’t as young as she used to be.

She’d just been informed that Balto had collapsed after getting out of Luke’s new plane… the prognosis didn’t look good.

Jenna came to the gate to Luke’s yard and ran through it, and up to the porch of the old cabin, where already, many dogs were gathered. Most were related to Balto, his children and grandchildren, but some of their friends still remained as well, though as the years had passed both he and Jenna watched friends dissapear, as one by one, time, the inevitable hunter, caught up with them.

Jenna climbed the porch and was stopped by Blaize.

“Hey mom.” He said.

Jenna sighed. “How is he?”

Blaize hung his head and sighed as well. “…not too good.”

Jenna felt a tear come to her eye and she continued forward, entering the cabin via the doggy door Like had installed almost ten years ago.

When she’d entered the house, Jenna walked forward to the living room and stopped.

Luke knelt beside Balto, who was lying by the fire.

Luke patted the old dog’s head and said something unintelligible to him.

Then Luke ran his hand through his now sandy gray hair, and stood, exiting the room.

Jenna walked into the living room and over to Balto.

“Blaize was right.” Jenna thought. “He doesn’t look very good…”

Balto looked up at her and a smile split his face. “Hey Jen.”

She smiled back and laid down beside him.

Balto raised his head and sat it on her paws.

“I… I think the time has come Jen.” He said.

Tears came to Jenna’s eyes.

“Balto… let’s not talk about that.” She said. “You’re going to outlive me by a hundred years.”

She smiled at him.

Balto smiled back and nuzzled her.

“It’s been an adventure Jen.” He said quietly.

Jenna took a moment to reflect upon what he’d said. How much time that one statement implied. Almost twenty years of events that had made up the two dogs lives, that had shaped them into what they were today.

“I’ll wait for you Jen.” He said quietly, his vioce seemed like a whisper in her ear.

Jenna sighed. “Balto…”

She stopped.

Everything was still for a few minutes.

Jenna couldn’t feel his breath against her neck anymore.

She opened her eyes and looked down Balto’s eyes were closed. He was leaning heavily on Jenna’s shoulder, a smile on his face.

His head slid from her shoulder to the rug he had been sleeping on.

Jenna’s eyes filled with tears.

She bent her head close to his and nuzzled him.

“Good-bye Balto.” She whispered softly.

At the age of seventeen, Balto, the savior of Nome, was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 18th, 1945

Nome, AK.

Trixie was standing outside the aging home that she’d been born inside only four years before.

She was thinking of the grandfather she never really knew, and the grandmother which she was afraid she’d soon lose.

Her grandmother had been a big part of her life. The loss of her mate had almost killed Jenna, but she found someone else to pour that love into, and that someone was Trixie, who was always by her side.

Indeed, the two looked as twins, Trixie was a mirror image of a much younger Jenna.

Now, Jenna’s age was starting to show.

A fine dusting of snow blew up on the porch of the small house, pushed upward by the howling winds which careened up and down the city streets like some incensed sprit.

Blaize stepped out onto the porch, and walked over to his daughter.

“Mother want’s to see you.” He said.

Trixie nodded and turned, walking inside the house, via the doggy door set into the front door.

Blaize walked over to his mate, Astarre, who turned to him.

Blaize nestled his head in her neck as tears started to come to his eyes.

Astarre sighed and put her paw on his head, comforting him as best she could.

 

Inside the small house, Trixie took a left and walked through the kitchen and into the living room, where she could see her grandmother lying by the couch in the corner.

Her once lustrious rust coloured coat had dulled in her later years, darkening to a deep scarlet.

Jenna’s eyes were sunken and she looked depressed. Her white markings were now an almost tan colour. Her father had told her that her grandmother used to wear a red bandanna all the time, that it was a symbol of love between she and her mate, but in four years, Trixie’d never seen her wear it, and when she asked questions, her father clammed up and quickly changed the subject.

“Grandma?” Trixie asked.

Jenna weakly raised her head, and smiled.

Trixie smiled back, and walked over beside her.

“Dad said you wanted to talk to me.” Trixie said.

Jenna nodded.

“My child, there is a story I want to tell you, about a time long long ago, when I was still young, and when this town was barely a spot on the map.”

She smiled, remembering.

“This story I’ve not told in a long time,” She sighed.

“I guess I’ve been hiding from it… but as one gets older you realize that you don’t have all the time you thought you did when you were young. You start to realize that there is an end to all things, and you want everything to be right when your time comes.”

She looked back at the young dog in front of

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