was unprepared for this, and Balto tackled him, knocking him on his back for the second time that battle.

The bear growled, and Balto tore into it’s exposed throat.

The bear roared in pain, and it Balto one… two… three times in the head.

Balto hung on.

The bear drew his paw back, and hit Balto as hard as it could, right on top of the head.

Balto was torn loose, and fell, sliding to a stop in the snow.

Balto stood up, ready to jump into it again.

The bear stood up, and took a step, then it faltered.

The bear looked at Balto.

Balto could see a great hatred in those red eyes.

Then the bear fell to the ground…. dead.

Balto howled.

“ARR-ARAR-ARWOOOO!”

He stopped, and reality came rushing back to him, as the adrenaline flooded out of his system.

Balto almost fell over, but caught himself.

He waited until the world stopped spinning so much, and made his way to Jenna’s side.

“Jenna?!”

Jenna opened her eyes, and groaned.

“Balto?”

She sat up.

“You know that’s the second time you’ve attacked a bear that was about to kill me.” Balto said.

“Really?” Jenna said.

Balto nodded.

“It was when I went to find the lost sled team.

“I’m glad I don’t remember that,” Jenna said “one time was enough for me.”

She paused.

“Balto what were you doing? Why’d you leave me?
“I came to see if I could get a drink.” Balto responded. “I guess that bear was waiting for me.”

Jenna smiled.

“Was I always getting you out of situations like this before?”

Balto laughed.

“Pretty much.”

Jenna joined him, and the two laughed a bit longer.

“So, let’s get that drink,” Balto said, “then we need to be on the way.”

Jenna nodded.

“Okay.”

The two of them walked down to the creek’s edge.

Chapter 5

A few days and a lot of traveling later, Balto and Jenna stood before the ocean.

“Oh Balto…” Jenna said, “… it’s…it’s beautiful..”

Balto sighed, remembering times past.

“Yeah… beautiful…” Balto said, but he wasn’t looking at the ocean.

“So,” Jenna said, “how far out is this island?”

“A little ways,” Balto answered. “You’ll see in the morning.”

He nuzzled her and smiled.

“Now come on, let’s go to sleep. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Jenna nodded.

“Okay.”

The two dogs walked into a nearby cave, and soon, both were sound asleep.

The next morning Balto woke early, and walked up to the cliff that overlooked the ocean.

He stumbled up the rocks, still half asleep, swaying back and forth, almost slipping off the rocks twice.

He walked up and stopped at the end of the cliff.

Balto yawned, and closed his eyes.

Then he opened his eyes, and gasped.

Stretched out before him was a field of ice, as far as he could see.

“Thanks mom…” he said quietly.

Then Balto ran down the cliff, quite awake now, and down to where Jenna was still asleep.

He gently shook her awake, and Jenna stood up.

“Balto.... why are you waking me up? It’s so early…”

Balto smiled and nuzzled her.

“Jen, come with me, you’ve got to see this!”

“Alright…” Jenna said, yawning, “but after that, I’m going back to sleep. I’m tired.”

Balto smiled.

“Follow me.”

Balto led Jenna up the rocky cliff, stopping several times to let the waves crash across the rock in front of him.

When they reached the edge Jenna too gasped.

“Oh Balto…. It’s… it’s here…”

Balto nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Forget sleeping, let’s go!” Jenna said.

“Alright, Balto said, “follow me, and stick close.”

Then Balto jumped to the ice.

As his paws hit the ice, Balto felt a tingling in his paws.

“What?” He thought.

He looked up at Jenna, who was beginning to jump herself.

“Jenna this feels…”

The world snapped into redness, and Balto felt a burst of pain, then he slammed into the snow.

Balto stood up and shook off.

“… weird.” He finished.

Balto paused and looked up.

“Jenna?”

Then he heard a roar.

“Why do I have the feeling that I don’t want to know what that is?” Balto thought.

He turned around.

“What the…”

Balto stumbled backward.

“Oh my God.”

The thing was massive. It had at one time been a wolf, or something like one.

It had three heads, black fur, and was smoking.

Balto sniffed the air, and wrinkled his nose.

“Sulfur?” He thought. “Guess this is one of Shade’s…”

The thing roared again, and charged.

Balto jumped out of the way as the thing barreled past.

He landed hard on the ice, and slid into a snow bank.

Balto groaned, stood up slowly, and shook the snow out of his fur.

Balto shook his head to clear his vision, and when it did, the creature was there!

Balto felt, rather than saw it swing one of its massive paws into his chin.

He flew up in the air, over the creature, and crashed to the snow.

Balto stood up, and once again shook himself off.

“This isn’t good…” Balto thought.

His vision was spinning, and Balto staggered sideways a bit.

About that time Balto heard a snapping sound, and Jenna fell to the ground in front of him.

She stood up and groaned.

“Balto?” She said. “Are you okay, you don’t look so good…”

Jenna stepped toward him, as the wolf started walking toward them.

“Jenna…” Balto started, but she cut him off.

“Balto, you look hurt, what happened to you?”

The creature was about halfway to them now.

“Um… Jenna…” Balto tried again.

“No really Balto.” Jenna said, “I want to know how you keep getting into trouble all the…”

“JEN!” Balto yelled, as he leapt over her, and at the creature.

Jenna turned around.

“Balto why are you acting so…”

She saw the creature and screamed.

Balto growled, and the thing swatted him out of the air.

Balto crashed to the ground, rolled once, and bounced a few times, before crashing into a snow bank.

The creature growled, and advanced toward Jenna.

Balto shook the snow from around his body, groaned and closed his eyes.

He felt very lightheaded, and almost fell over.

Then he heard a scream, a familiar scream.

“Jenna?” He thought.

Balto opened his eyes to see the creature running away, carrying Jenna in his jaws.

“BALTO! HELP ME! PLEASE!” She yelled.

Balto tried to run forward, but he fell on his face the first step he took.

Balto picked his head out of the snow to see the creature disappear over the hill.

“JENNA!”

Balto dissolved into tears, and his vision became blurry, whether from the crying or his injuries, he couldn’t tell.

“NO!”

“No…”

Balto covered his face with his paws.

“I’m so sorry Jenna. I should have made you stay at home. Here less than ten minutes, and already lost you….”

“Well are you going to sit there crying about it, or are you going to go get her?”

“Who the…” Balto thought.

He looked up to see a gray dog beside him.

“Who are you?” Balto said.

“My name is Aazule.”

“Where are you from?” Balto asked.

“Let’s suffice it to say I’m on your side.” Aazule said.

“But where…” Balto started.

“Look,” Aazule said, “are we going to sit here and chat or go try to save your girl?”

“You’re right.” Balto said. “Let’s go.”

Balto started to walk forward.

Aazule tried to stop him.

“But I’d be…”

Balto felt the world spinning, and was only vaguely aware of himself falling to the snow.

“Great.” Aazule said. “This could take a while.”

Aazule sat down to wait.

Jenna was carried by the horrific creature for sometime, before it carried her into an ice cave that was rock inside.

It was warm, and there were torches on the walls.

The thing stuck her in a cell, behind metal bars, and then left, leaving Jenna alone, or so she thought.

“Hello.”

Jenna turned and saw…

“Me?” Jenna said.

The newcomer nodded.

“I don’t know how, but there appears to be two of us.”

“Balto told me the whole…”

“BALTO!” Jenna exclaimed. “Is he here?! Is he with you?!”

“Yeah,” Jenna said, “he’s with me, or he was anyway.”

Jenna sighed.

“What?” Jenna asked.

“That… that thing grabbed me as soon as we got here, we were looking for you.”

“Me?” Jenna asked. “How did you know?”

“Balto spoke with Aniu, I guess that’s…”

Jenna cut her off.

“…his mother, Aniu is his mother.”

Jenna noticed something she hadn’t before.

“Why is there a blue… light around you?”

Jenna sighed, and laid down.

“I… I think I’m