the street.

“Dad!”

Balto stopped and turned. “Dash?”

Dash smiled. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Have you heard anything more about Aleu?” Balto asked.

“Yeah, as a matter of fact I did.” Dash said. “They’re gone.”

“What?” Balto said, taking a step forward. “What do you mean gone?”

Dash smiled. “I mean they woke up, realized that they weren’t home, and decided to leave.”

“Where did they go?” Balto asked.

Dash shrugged. “Don’t know, home I assume.”

“Well… will Aleu be alright?” Balto asked. “I mean… you did say she was injured…”

“She’ll be fine dad.” Dash said, a smile coming to his face. “You know Aleu.”

“I guess so.” Balto said. “…but sometimes I wish she wasn’t so stubborn. I’m afraid it’s going to get her in a lot of trouble some day.”

Dash sighed, and his smile faded.

“Something wrong Dash?” Balto asked.

Dash sighed again. “Dad… I… I don’t know how to tell you this, but… dad, Saba… Saba’s dead.”

“What?” Balto asked, taking a step back. “How… how do you know?”

“She and Everest came to live with us after they were banished. They’re part of the clan.”

“Wait a minute.” Balto said. “You said she and Everest… right?”

Dash nodded.

“…but that’s impossible.” Balto continued. “Everest was killed here in Nome, for returning for his children with Saba.”

“What?” Dash asked. “I don’t know where you heard that, but Everest is back at the cave with his children.”

“Everest is alive!” Balto said.

Dash smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

“…but Saba’s dead.” Balto said.

Dash sighed. “Yeah… it happened while Shadow was training her… an ice bridge broke and… and she fell.”

Balto felt a tear come to his eye, a tear both of joy… and sadness.

He’d found his son was alive… but lost his daughter.

“At least Drake didn’t have anything to do with your sister’s death.” Balto said. “I’ve got to go tell your mother. She was taking Everest’s supposed death really hard.”

Dash nodded. “Alright dad. I’d better get going too; got to see how Aleu is doing.”

Balto nodded and smiled at him. “You make me proud Dash. Take care of yourself.”

Dash smiled back at his father. “You too dad.”

Then Dash turned and ran off towards the forest that bordered Nome.

Balto watched him for a few seconds, then turned and headed toward Jenna’s.

Chapter 4:

Jenna was trying very hard to persuade herself to go home… but wasn’t quite able to do it.

She’d been watching Drake’s son Jason for the past few days, and she knew that soon, the young dog would come running around the bend, right through the outskirts.

“No one will ever know it was me.” Jenna thought.

The outskirts was a dangerous place for a young dog such as Jason.

On some level of her mind Jenna knew what she was planning was wrong… but there had been a dark presence in her mind that seemed to cloud out all else recently.

“That’s right.” The voice said in her head, it’s deep dark tone filling her mind. “I’m here to give you confidence and courage when you can’t find it on your own. Now, do this, and I promise I will leave you alone, do this, and I will leave you…”

Jenna started to shake.

Could she really do this? It wasn’t in her nature to be violent, but… certain times called for certain, severe measures.

Jenna could hear him running now, it would be a matter of seconds before he rounded the bend.

The sound of the approaching dog got louder, until finally, Jenna saw him run around the curve and slow to a trot. “Hey Jenna!” He said.

Jenna smiled. “Hi Jason… would you… um… come here for a moment?”

“Sure.” Jason said.

He walked over to Jenna. “So what do you want?”

Jenna hit him, fast so that he wouldn’t dodge the unexpected attack. Though she knew little of fighting, certain events in her life had made it a necessity to at least know the basics.

Her paw connected with the side of Jason’s head and he fell to the snow.

Jenna looked at him. “He’s still breathing.” She thought.

Jenna looked around, and, satisfied that no one had seen her, drug Jason into a nearby shed.

Jenna didn’t notice a very shocked looking golden Samoyed that turned, running back towards Nome.

Balto was puzzled.

Jenna wasn’t at her house.

“She must be out with Rosie.” Balto thought. “Yeah, that’s it…”

Balto couldn’t explain why, but he felt very uneasy all of a sudden, as if he should feel in danger, or something awful was going to happen.

Once he’d found that Jenna wasn’t home, he’d decided to go tell Drake that he was not responsible for Everest’s alleged death.

“Probably help calm the poor guy’s thoughts.” Balto thought.

Drake was taking Everest’s alleged death fairly hard as well. Drake had been a friend of Balto and Jenna’s for a long time, and had developed a close bond with their children. They’d even taken to calling him uncle Drake.

Balto trotted up the steps to the old mill, where Drake lived, and scratched on the door.

Soon a brown colored dog peaked his head out of the doorway.

“Hey there Balto.” Drake said. “Good to see ya, wasn’t plannin’ on you dropping by.”

Balto smiled. “How are you doing Drake.”

Drake sighed. “Well… I’ve been better I guess… I mean… I really do feel sorry… about Everest I mean… I didn’t make the decision for him to come into town, he did…”

Balto cut his friend off. “About that, I have some wonderful news.”

“What’s that?” Drake asked.

“You aren’t responsible for Everest’s death. I just ran into Dash, he said that Everest and Saba are living with Aleu’s pack.”

“What?!” Drake asked, taking a step forward. “You mean… you mean he’s alive!”

Balto smiled. “Yeah.”

“That’s… that’s great!” Drake said. “I… I feel a load off my shoulders.”

“Well I’m glad Drake.” Balto said. “You’ve been a good friend to me.”

Drake was about to reply, but stopped, as a golden colored dog leapt up the steps to the old mill, sliding to a stop beside him. “Drake come quick!” Gemeni said. “You have to come with me, now!”

“What’s wrong Gemeni?” Drake asked. He noticed she’d been crying.

“It’s horrible.” Gemeni said. “I wouldn’t believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes.” “What happened?” Balto asked.

“Well, I was going after Jason, you know how he likes to run in the morning, and well… I’ve told him a thousand times not to run through the outskirts, but he did anyway… Jenna was there… she hit him.”

“What?!” Drake and Balto said simultaneously.

Gemeni nodded. “It’s true, I saw her hit him and then drag him into a shed that was nearby… what are we going to do?”

Drake looked at Balto.

“What are you looking at me for?” Balto asked. “I didn’t know about this.”

Drake sighed. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Gemeni said. “I’ll lead us there.”

Gemeni and Drake started running.

“Wait up guys!” Balto yelled. “I’m coming too!”

Jenna looked down at the unmoving form on the ground in front of her.

What she had done nearly made her sick.

Blood oozed out of several small holes in the young dog’s neck.

Jenna shivered. She could still taste it in her mouth.

Jason groaned and rolled over, his eyes fluttering open.

Jenna had been unable to kill him, though she had tried, though the dark voice in her head had screamed at her, had cursed her, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

It wasn’t in her to murder another in cold blood like this.

Jason woke up enough to realize he was hurt, and screamed.

Jenna stepped back, tears flooding her eyes as she heard this sound, this sound that she had caused.

Pain.

Suffering.

Agony.

Jason ran backwards away from her, still screaming, until he hit the wall at the side of the building, collapsing to the ground.

Just then, the door to the shed swung open.

Light flooded the darkened room, and there stood…

“Balto.” Jenna said.

“Jen?” Balto asked, stepping