the hospital, she’s alive!”

Tim turned and ran.

“Well…” Drake said. He sighed and looked around. “Tim wait up!” He called, running down the street to catch up to Tim.

Drake walked out of the hospital.

He couldn’t believe that it was true.

Trina had been able to talk, and talk she did.

It was Tycha who had nearly killed her.

Tim saw Drake and walked over.

“What… what did she say?” He asked slowly.

Drake sighed. “I’m going to look for her.”

Drake turned and began to walk away.

Tim ran up and stepped in front of him.

“Her who?” He asked. “Who was it?”

Drake sighed. “It was Tycha. I’m sorry Tim.”

Tim stood in a daze as Drake walked past.

“If he finds her…”

Tim knew what would happen to Tycha then, and he didn’t want to see that.

A tear came to his eye.

“I… I never meant to hurt you Tycha… never.”

Tim walked into the hospital and over to Trina’s side.

“Hey…” She said weakly, managing a smile.

Tim smiled back at her. “You alright?”

“For now, I… I guess I’m as alright as I can be.”

Tim sighed. “I’m sorry Trina. This is my fault…”

Trina smiled. “It’s not your fault. I… I love you Tim.”

“I love you too Trina.” Tim said. “I really do.”

He sighed and stood up. “…but I have to go.”

The smile disappeared from Trina’s face.

“What… What do you mean… go?”

“I’ve got to go find Tycha.” Tim said.

“Tycha? Why… why does she matter? She tried to kill me.”

Tim sighed. “I… I know Trina… and I’ll be back, I promise… but… I have to go.”

Tim started to walk out.

“Tim, please don’t go.” Trina said. “Please… forget about her, stay with me.”

“I can’t right now.” Tim said. “I… I never meant to hurt her.” Tim said, looking back at her. “…or you.”

Tim sighed and walked out the door.

Chapter 11:

Back at Aleu’s cave the battle was still raging.

The humans had pushed the wolves back into the entrance of the cave, and were quickly slaughtering them there.

Shadow had told Aleu to stay away from the fight, and then he’d run off to join his team.

Aleu watched, horrified as another wolf fell, dead.

Aleu recognized the wolf as Nira, the wolf who watched the nursery.

She looked around, searching.

“Oh my God…” she said to herself.

The little ones were hiding behind a rock, and there were two humans with blades on the ends of their rifles, trying to stab them through the crack.

“Even the pups?” Aleu thought. “Aniu… what is this?”

“Hey!” Aleu called. “Someone help those kids!”

She looked around frantically, but there was no one around. No one to hear her call.

Aleu had made up her mind to go defend the children, no matter what Shadow had said, when she saw a black wolf run by her.

“I’ve got this one Aleu.” Saeidifar called.

Saeidifar ran full tilt at the rock the pups were behind. As he ran past, the two men jumped up and gave chase.

This was exactly what Saeidifar had wanted.

He ran up several of the ledges, where he was a lot more agile than the humans, and turned, leaping at the humans as they entered the main chamber, their muzzles at alert.

Saeidifar hit the left man in the chest, and he went down hard, hard enough that Saeidifar heard him bounce off the three shelves of rock between himself and the ground.

As soon as he landed on the shelf, Saeidifar leapt again, snapping his jaws over the man’s right arm.

Saeidifar heard the bone in the man’s arm snap.

The man cried out and dropped his rifle.

“He won’t be much of a problem now.”

Saeidifar ran back into the chamber to see thee pups still huddled under the rock.

“Get out of there!” He yelled.

The pups all scrambled from under

the rock, and across the platform.

Tim saw some of the wolves begin to stop defending and simply retreat. He saw them take tail and run.

`”No!” Saeidifar yelled. “Don’t retreat!”

He looked around, as wolves streamed past and sighed. “don’t retreat…”

Suddenly he saw June and Dash. They were both backed against a wall, a man with a rifle and an older man holding a pistol stood in front of them.

“Time to quit telling them and start showing them.”

Saeidifar ran at the men, who turned as he approached.

The man with the pistol tracked Saeidifar’s movements with his pistol as Saeidifar ran in between them and jumped.

The man fired his pistol, but the round went astray, and hit the man across from him in the chest.

Blood erupted from the man’s back as the .45 shell punched out of him.

The man who’d been shot dropped to the floor, dead.

Saeidifar jumped up on the wall and sprung back at the man with the pistol.

He hit the man, and knocked him over.

Hand to hand, the human had not a chance in the world.

The pistol clattered out of the man’s hands, as he fell to the ground.

Saeidifar wasted no time, and wrapped his jaws around the man’s neck and broke it, then he turned to Dash and June.

“You guys alright?” Saeidifar asked.

Dash looked at June. “You?”

She nodded.

“Yeah.” Dash said. “We’re fine.”

Saeidifar sighed . “You’re one of the Lieutenants right?”

Dash nodded.

“Well, we’d better convince these wolves to stay and fight, otherwise it doesn’t look like you’ll have much of a home to defend.”

Dash nodded. “I’ll get Shadow and the ones outside.”

“I’ll try to stop the ones that are in here from leaving.” Saeidifar said.

Dash turned, but then stopped.

“Thank you Saeidifar.” Dash said.

Saeidifar nodded, then ran off to stop the retreating wolves.

Dash sighed, then he ran outside, scanning the area for Shadow.

Balto stood on the porch outside Jenna’s home. It had been a long time since he’d felt this lost.

He looked out over the town of Nome. The only home he’d ever known.

A faint breeze blew through the air and he shivered. Small snowflakes had started to fall about an hour ago, and they still drifted through the cool evening air.

Soon the sun would fall, the moon would rise… and Balto would have only twenty four hours to spend with Jenna before she was gone.

He sighed.

A thought had entered his mind, but he couldn’t decide whether it was good or not.

He could leave with her. Balto could leave Nome. It would mean leaving the only home he’d ever known, or could recall anyway, his friends, family and Luke… all of it.

This in itself didn’t bother Balto too much, though it saddened him to think of leaving Luke, Jenna was worth that sacrifice… but Drake’s sentence had been explicitly clear.

Jenna was to leave Nome alone. He wasn’t supposed to be able to go with her.

Balto sighed again and looked up.

If he left with her, it would mean turning into a criminal himself, at least in Drake’s eyes.

Drake would try to stop him, and if Balto wanted to stay with Jenna… he’d have to do something about it.

Balto knew just to what lengths Drake would go to stop him. Drake had ordered Everest’s death, even though Everest was almost like a son to him… it wouldn’t matter much that Balto and Drake had once been friends… if he crossed that line… Drake would come for him.

A snowflake fluttered through the air and landed on his nose, sending a shiver down his spine.

He would kill for Jenna. If that’s what it took, he’d do it… but would he be wrong?

Jenna had committed the crimes she’d been tried for, though Balto didn’t understand why, she had.

Did the fact that Jenna, his best friend and eternal soul mate, was now a criminal change what was right and wrong?

Balto sighed.

He didn’t know.

“Aniu… mother, I could really use your help right now…” He thought. “I’ve never felt so lost. I… I don’t know what to do… I don’t want to have to hurt Drake… but I can’t live without Jenna.”

Balto felt the presence of someone behind him and turned.

Jenna smiled and walked up next to him. “What are you doing out here Balto?” She asked, sitting beside him.

Balto sighed. “Thinking.”

Jenna laid her head on his shoulder. “About what?”

“…going with you.” Balto said.

Jenna raised her head and looked at him. “Balto, you can’t, you heard what Drake said.”

Balto nodded. “I did, but I don’t care.”

Jenna smiled. “Balto, you can’t throw away everything you have here for me. I…” She sighed. “…I messed up, and I have to pay the consequences, not you.”

Balto turned to look at her. “Jenna, I know what Everest was talking