since before Ranger’s death. Before the wolves killed him.

Jenna smiled pleadingly. “I’ll just stay out here for 5 more minutes. Alright?”

Jewel sighed, but smiled nonetheless at seeing Jenna so happy. “Alright, five more minutes. But then you are coming right back inside, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Mother,” Jenna said, rolling her eyes, and Jewel dipped back inside the house through the doggy door. Jenna smiled triumphantly and turned back to the spectacular light show of the North. Her mother couldn’t boss her around anymore.

After a few minutes, the lights disappeared, and Jenna figured she still had some time. She’d explore Nome. She’d never been out at night before. A sudden memory of her father, Ranger, telling her not to go out at night knifed through her memory. One tear came to her eye, but she swallowed it back down and squared her shoulders. Her dad was gone. She had to accept that…and she didn’t have to listen to her parents, alive or dead.

Trotting her way through back streets, she inspected several alleyways and nosed her way through bits of trashy odds and ends. The eerie darkness and stillness transformed simple Nome into an abandoned ghost town. Jenna was careful to stay on her guard. Her muscles were stretched and tense, ready to spring away at any given moment.

A clattering noise behind her caught her attention. She spun around and stared at an animal she’d never seen before. A fluffy, full tail protruded from its hind end, and its pointed face and ears looked strangely cat-like. It was slightly smaller than Jenna, and it had its spring coat of light brown. Although Jenna had never seen one before, her mind pointed out the evidence to her: fox.

The fox’s hungry brown eyes bored into Jenna’s own eyes, and for the first time she noticed the drool fizzing around its clenched lips. It dropped the tin can it was holding in its glistening yellowish teeth, and slowly inched its way towards Jenna. The husky backed away, frightened by the wild, crazed expression on the fox’s face. Suddenly, with an unearthly scream the fox leapt at her, and Jenna screamed too and bolted away. The fox missed, but turned to snarl and run after Jenna, cackling all the while.

Jenna pumped herself as hard as she could, but could hear the fox’s sloppy breathing behind her. Jenna knew she had to get away, but already she was tiring, and the odds were against her.

The chase wove from street to street, with the fox cackling and frothing behind Jenna all the time. Jenna heaved in breaths, and her throat burned with every choking breath she took. She ran on and on, soon forgetting where she was, what she was running from, and why she was out there. She just had to run and run and run.

Finally, when she thought the fox would jump on her and bite her the next second, she shrieked, “Help! Help! Heeeeeelp!”

A man was woken by Jenna’s barking, and stumbled groggily over to the window, leaned out, and yelled, “Shut up, ya stupid dog!” He grumpily threw something out the window to scare the dog away, then retreated to his bed. The something clonked the fox on its head and knocked it unconscious, but Jenna didn’t see this and kept on running. She felt her heart beating like a trapped butterfly, and her head felt like a whirlpool of darkness and light. Jenna ran straight out of town, still certain the rabid fox was behind her, and frantically sped across the tundra even though her thin legs cried out for rest. Finally she collapsed at the base of a snow-covered hill, her throat burning and tears in her eyes from wind and fear. She was too tired to even lift her tail, and hopelessly closed her eyes and fell forward into a sea of blackness.

The wind howled like the hunting wolf, and snow began to fall.

A fierce shriek woke Balto from his sleep. He turned and saw Nanuq cowering in a corner, frozen with fear. Towering above him on her hind legs was Snow Paws. She was boxing the air with her front paws and yelling bloody murder. “Seminole! Seminole! They killed Seminole! You all killed Seminole! Bring him back! Bring him back!” Snow Paws whirled down on Nanuq, who quivered and trembled beneath her. She stared down at him with a killing gaze like cold fire.

“Mom?” Nanuq whispered pitifully, too petrified to even think of running away. It cost him.

Snow Paws lunged and bit her son’s ear, then tried to scratch his face, yelling, “Seminole! Seminole!” Nanuq yelped and barreled his way through his mother’s legs to gain safety behind the now-awake Aniu. Aniu snarled at the rabid wolf and she and several other pack members surrounded Snow Paws. The crazed wolf howled and scratched at the air, and her words were garbled and drool spilled like a waterfall from her mouth. Balto watched the whole thing with wide eyes, and when he turned to Nanuq he saw his friend was shaking. Balto tried to comfort him by standing near and rubbing against his fur, but Nanuq was beyond comforting.

Balto listened almost mindlessly as he heard the young wolf whisper, “She’s not my mom. She’s gone, gone to rabies. I should’ve told her not to eat that rabbit meat. She must’ve made a mistake when she sniffed it for rabies. Man, I should’ve knocked it out of her paws. I should’ve eaten it myself. If only…” Nanuq couldn’t finish.

Both teenagers watched as Snow Paws circled on her hind legs. Suddenly, her face changed to a death mask, and she fell to the ground. Nanuq turned away as white drool bubbled up from her throat and fizzed onto the ground, and the other pack members stopped their snarling and turned to sorrow like a duty to fulfill. Snow Paws was slowly dragged out of the cave, and Balto ran over to Aniu and buried his face in her fur. Nanuq just stood where he was, staring into space. “Mom…” Balto said uncertainly. Aniu licked his face and paws to try and reassure him.

“Balto, the danger has passed, and Snow Paws is at peace. It’s alright.” She turned to Nanuq and tried to call him over. “Nanuq. Come here.” The young wolf remained motionless. Aniu sighed and Balto cuddled up to her chest. Aniu smiled down at him, and though he wouldn’t have admitted it, Balto felt a little better. “There’s no need to be scared, little one. No need.” Balto snorted at being called little, but his silky ears perked up as Aniu’s singing voice spread like warm gold throughout the cave.

‘I’m down on my knees tonight,

I’m hoping this prayer will turn out right,

See, there is a wolf-dog who needs your help,

I’ve done all that I can do myself.

His mother is tired,

I’m sure you saw,

Each night as he sleeps,

She goes in to hold his paw,

And tries not to cry as the tears fill her eyes.

Can you hear me?

Am I getting through tonight?

Can you see him?

Can you make him feel alright?

If you can hear me, let me take his place somehow,

See, he’s not just anyone,

He’s my son.

Sometimes late at night I watch him sleep,

I dream of the wolf he’d like to be,

I try to be strong and see him through,

But, who he needs right now is you.

Let him grow old, live life without this fear,

What would I be, living without him here?

He’s so tired, and he’s scared,

Let him know you’re there.

Can you hear me?

Am I getting through tonight?

Can you see him?

Can you make him feel alright?

If you can hear me, let me take his place somehow,

See, he’s not just anyone,

He’s my son.

Can you hear me?

Can you see him?

He’s not just anyone,

He’s my son.’

Balto listened quietly as his mother sang to him in her strong, clear voice, and he wondered who she was talking to. A sudden idea struck him like a hot iron rod.

The spirits.

Perhaps she was talking to the spirits she was always telling him about, the spirits of the North that took on the forms of animals like bears and birds and even wolves, and they helped shape the destiny of all animals. Normally he would’ve shaken his head at such fantasies, but it gave him a sort of comforted feeling that his mother was talking to the spirits, pleading to them to keep him safe. Balto settled down next to Aniu and fell asleep breathing in her familiar scent.

Jenna woke to a wrenching pain in her neck as she moved it to see where she was. She was tired, so blessedly tired, but a ripping pain in her stomach kept her awake. Wolves were out here. Her father had been killed by wolves. Was she next? The pain in her stomach, Jenna realized, was fear. She could almost feel the wolves sneaking up on her from behind, surrounding her, almost see their dripping fangs, their wild, yellow eyes alive with greed for her flesh, her bones. And yet, she couldn’t move. Fear and cold paralyzed her, and all she could think of was Ranger and how he must have felt as wolf teeth sank into his skin and chunks of his flesh were torn from his bones as he watched. Ooh!

Jenna felt her eyelids ready to snap shut, and she groaned aloud. “Dad, help…me,” she whimpered weakly, then slumped into a frozen slumber.

In the morning Nanuq was nowhere to be found.

“He’s run away,” Balto stated bitterly to himself as he stood outside the pack cave. “He’s run away and he’s probably never coming back. Great, just great…some friend he is.” The frosty air transformed Balto’s words into puffs of silver mist, and Balto suddenly felt very alone in the world.

As the pale sun weakly waved its yellow rays above the green pine tops, a young grey female wolf sauntered up to his side. “Hey, half breed, whatcha looking at?” the wolf sneered. Balto moved a little to the side and