consequences that could result from him returning.

If he was angry at anyone, blamed anyone for Everest’s death it wasn’t Drake, it was Everest himself. His son had made the decision to return, and in so doing had brought all this heartache on his family.

As Balto was thinking this, he saw a familiar shape flit from behind a group of trashcans in the alley.

“Was that who I thought it was?” Balto thought, turning to walk toward the alley. “Surely not… it’s dangerous for him to be here. Why would he come back home?”

Balto stepped into the alley. “Hello?”

He heard a trashcan tip over, as someone darted out from behind it.

Balto ran into the adjacent shed.

“Hello?” He asked again, walking slowly into the shed.

Balto saw a dark shape in the corner.

“Is someone there?” He asked.

“Dad?” the shape said.

“Dash? What are you doing here?” Balto asked.

Dash’s familiar form stepped out of the shadows. “We had to come here.”

“Why?” Balto asked.

“Aleu got hurt.” Timbre said, stepping from behind an oil drum behind Balto.

“Yeah and Shadow too.” Dash added. He sighed. “It was real bad dad.”

“Well are they alright?” Balto asked. “What happened to them?”

“They were shot.” Timbre said.

“We don’t know how it happened.” Dash added. “I just went up to talk to her, and they were both in the center of their chambers in a pool of blood. I thought they were dead ‘till I saw them breathing.”

Balto sighed. “So you brought them here? They’re wolves. The humans will kill them.”

Dash sighed. “It’s a chance we had to take… they’d’ve died without Doc’s help.”

“How are they now?” Balto asked.

Dash sighed. “Stable, last time I checked. Neither of them has woken up yet. Of course, we’re going to have to get them both out of there as soon as we can, otherwise someone other than Doc might get wind of the situation, and then we might get him in trouble. He saved both their lives, so I wouldn’t want to do that.”

“No,” Balto said. “Doc’s a pretty good guy, for a human anyway.”

Dash nodded.

“Well as soon as you get some word you let me know.” Balto said. “Timbre I suggest you stay hidden. People will recognize you as a wolf. Dash… I don’t know, you’ve gotten a little rougher looking living with them, but you could probably pass as one of the strays from the outskirts. You should be okay to move around town. I’ll let Drake know you’re here.”

Dash nodded. “Thanks dad.”

Balto smiled. “Sure thing son, just remember, any word at all, let me know.”

Dash nodded again. “I will.”

“It’s good to see you son,” Balto said. “I’d like to stay and talk, but I’m supposed to be meeting your mother.”

Dash nodded. “Alright, good-bye dad.”

Balto smiled. “Bye son.”

Balto then walked out of the shed, as both the wolves melted back into the shadows.

Chapter 3:

Aleu opened her eyes.

The world was kind of fuzzy for a moment, then it sharpened, and she became aware of a painful burning in her chest.

She blinked a few times, as bright light flooded into the room.

Aleu looked around, and noticed Shadow in a cage across the room. She then noticed that she too was in some kind of plastic box.

“What happened to me?” Aleu thought. “Where am I?”

The last thing Aleu remembered was being on the ledge and then hearing the loud bang…

“That was a gun-shot.” Aleu thought. “I must’ve gotten shot… but how did Shadow get hurt?”

She thought for a moment.

“He must have come after me.” Aleu thought. “He must have gotten hurt trying to save me.”

Aleu looked around, but didn’t see anyone else in the room… dog or human.

“Shadow.” She said quietly. “Shadow?”

He didn’t move.

“Oh no…” Aleu thought. “What if he didn’t make it?”

She looked around again, but still saw nothing.

“Shadow please answer me!” Aleu cried.

Shadow groaned and rolled over.

“He’s alive!” Aleu said to herself. “You’re alive!” She yelled.

Shadow groaned again, and tried to stand, but hit his head on the top of the plastic box.

“Aleu?” He said.

Aleu smiled and nodded. “Yeah, it’s me… I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“Aleu, you’re alive!” Shadow yelled.

Aleu smiled and nodded again.

“I thought I’d lost you!” Shadow said. He looked around. “Where are we?”

Aleu shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Well… how did we get here?” Shadow asked.

“I don’t know that either.” Aleu said.

“We should try to leave.” Shadow said. “Can you make it?”

Aleu nodded. “Yeah.”

Aleu looked around and walked to the front of the box. She stuck her paw through the wire door and tried to release the catch, but to no avail… it was locked.

Aleu tried to push the door open, but that didn’t work either.

She struck the door in frustration.

The plastic box rocked a little, then settled back on the shelf.

She looked around. “Shadow, hang on just a minute, I’ve got an idea.”

Aleu backed up a few steps, to the back of the plastic box, and ran at the door.

She hit it with her shoulder, and the box tipped forward. Her weight was enough to do the rest, and the box tumbled off the shelf, exploding on the ground below.

Aleu climbed out from under the broken plastic and ran over to the opposite shelf, then she jumped up to the level that Shadow’s box was on.

Now free of the confines of her own cage, Aleu quickly dismantled the makeshift lock with her sharp teeth, and the door to Shadow’s cage swung open.

She smiled at him, as he stepped out of the plastic cage. “Where would you be without me?”

Shadow chuckled. “There’s no telling Aleu, no telling.”

“Come on.” Aleu said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Shadow stopped. “Aleu, are you alright?”

Aleu winced. “My chest hurts a bit, but other than that I’m fine.”

“You’re covered in a white bandage.” Shadow said. “Are you sure?”

Aleu looked down, noticing for the first time the white cloth that was wrapped around her.

“I must’ve been hurt pretty bad.” Aleu said.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Shadow said. “There was so much blood…”

Aleu cut him off. “Shadow… they’ll be time for this later. We’ve got to get out of here, wherever here is.”

Shadow nodded. “I’ll follow you.”

Aleu smiled. “As always.”

Dash was running back to the shed where Timbre and he had taken refuge. He’d decided to go check on Aleu and Shadow, but when he’d arrived there, he found a gathering of people.

At first he was scared, thinking that they had been discovered, but it wasn’t that at all…

…Aleu and Shadow had escaped.

Obviously they were doing pretty good to get away, and Dash figured they’d probably headed back home.

He had to let Timbre know. The sooner the two wolves could get out of Nome the better.

Dash looked around to make sure that no one was following him, and then ducked into the shed. “Timbre?”

The brown wolf stepped out of the shadows. “Dash, what’s the news? Anything good?”

Dash smiled. “I’ll say. They escaped.”

“What?” Timbre asked.

“I overheard Doc talking to some of the other humans. Apparently they made quite a mess on their exit.”

Timbre smiled. “So they’re alright?”

Dash nodded. “Sounds like it to me.”

“They’ll probably head home.” Timbre said. “We should get back there.”

Dash nodded. “You go on ahead… I need to talk to someone.”

“Who’s that?” Timbre asked.

Dash sighed. “I need to tell my father about… about Saba.”

Timbre sighed and nodded.

“You get on out of here though.” Dash said. “It’s too dangerous for you to remain here.”

Timbre nodded. “Yeah, I don’t blend in as well as you do. I’ll head back; be careful.”

Dash smiled and nodded. “…of course.”

Timbre stood and walked quickly out of the shed.

Dash waited until he was alone, then he hung his head and sighed. He didn’t want to have to relay the news of Saba’s death to his father, but… Saba was his daughter… he deserved to know.

Dash shook his head and walked out of the shed.

Dash was walking down the sidewalk in Nome, when he saw his father across the street. He looked to insure that no cars were coming, remembering what it had been like to live in town, and ran across the