Written by: PFC Anthony E. Rotramel, USMC

Started: 06/03/05 Finished: 06/19/05 Pages: 88 Words: 12,493

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: This story was inspired by Balto, (copyright 1995), Balto II: Wolf Quest (copyright 2000) and Balto III: Wings of Change by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. The character’s Shadow, Dash, Melody, Shasta, Max, Flash, Timbre, Sheik, Lima, Thunder, Shade, Blaize, Lightning, June, Talkeet, Angel, Snow, Kalia, Rayne, James, Daie, and the events of this story are copyright 2005 by Anthony Rotramel. The other characters are copyright by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

Talkeet stood on the hill, overlooking the battle that was taking place.

He shook his head.

War was so pointless.

Wolves, his friends, were dying down there, and for what, peace?

There was no peace.

Talkeet had just realized this.

There was peace, only until the next war.

The Uniea Clan were proving to be tough, and resilient fighters.

Talkeet had seen much more death already, in the first week of this awful war, than he wanted to ever see.

The pack had suffered thirty casualties, and countless wounded, since declaring war on the Uniea clan just one week ago.

True, they had tried to kill Aleu, but… was it really worth all this?

Talkeet didn’t know.

His childhood friend, James, was standing beside him.

Talkeet turned to talk to him, to tell him to tell the group fighting below, to watch out for the flanking movement the Uniea were trying to bring about.

As he turned, he saw a wolf, an Uniea, fly through the air, and smash into James.

The two rolled down the hill, into the midst of the fighting wolves below.

Talkeet lost them in all the wolves.

Then he saw them.

James was hit, and knocked on his back, then the wolf jumped on top of him, and started tearing into him.

Talkeet ran down the hill, and right into the wolf’s side, throwing him off of his friend.

Talkeet stared down the wolf.

The wolf charged.

The fight was over in seconds.

Talkeet had gotten to be a very good fighter.

You had to be, to survive this chaos.

Talkeet spit the wolf’s blood out of his mouth, that was a very familiar taste now, blood.

It still sickened him though.

Talkeet ran back over to James, who hadn’t gotten up.

He was hurt, and he was hurt bad.

Talkeet knelt next to his friend, and fellow soldier.

Amidst all the fighting wolves around them, Talkeet faded away, there was but he and James, nothing else existed to him.

James’s eyes were open, and he tried to smile, but failed.

Blood coated his friend’s chest, and ran into a steaming puddle beneath him.

“T…Talkeet?” James asked.

Talkeet nodded.

“Yeah, Yeah James, I’m here.”

Talkeet already knew what was going to happen, recognized the look in his friend’s eyes, from countless other badly wounded wolves he’d seen.

Talkeet choked back tears.

“I… I… don…. don’t thin… think I’m… go.. going to make it….. buddy.” James said.

“You’ll be just fine James, just fine, just… just fight it.”

James smiled slightly.

“Y… You… don… don’t …l… lie very we…well… Talkeet. I… It’s.. okay… though….”

“James,” Talkeet said, “you’ve got to be quiet, save your strength.”

“T… Talkeet.. sir…. tel.. tell… my… my mother… what… what happened, tell.. her …. that… that I… died de… defending… her.”

Talkeet nodded.

“I will buddy, I will.”

James smiled again.

“Do… do … you… re… remember when… when we… used… used to play war… you and.. your siblings, and…. mine?”

Talkeet nodded, unable to stop the tears that ran down his face.

“The… the… real…. real… thing… thing… sucks… huh?”

Talkeet nodded.

“So… Sorry… bud…dy.”

James’s head fell back to the ground, and he was still.

Talkeet looked around him, wondering who, who in all the chaos that surrounded him, who had noticed what had taken place.

No one did.

Talkeet stood up, and finding the nearest Uniea to him, set to ripping him apart.

 

Talkeet stood outside the chamber.

He sighed and walked in.

A white wolf stood up as he entered.

“Oh, Talkeet, it’s you!” She said, as she walked over to him.

“Hello Ma’am,” Talkeet said.

She smiled.

“I was actually just waiting for James, do you know when he’ll be back?”

Talkeet sighed.

“Ma’am… he won’t.”

“Won’t what?” She asked.

“Be…. be coming back,” Talkeet answered.

“Oh! Is he….”

Talkeet nodded.

“It happened this morning.”

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

“That’s why you’re here?”

Talkeet nodded.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, it’s… it’s my fault, he was in my unit, and… and I just didn’t see the wolf that…”

Talkeet stopped, and looked at the ground.

“Talkeet,” the wolf said. “It… it wasn’t your fault, you two were such good friends, I… I know you took good care of him.”

Talkeet sighed.

“Was… was it quick?” She asked.

“Yes,” Talkeet said, “he… he had time enough to tell me, to come see you, then he… well, then he died.”

The wolf sighed.

“Well, he… he died defending our pack, I… I guess f he had to leave me, that s the best way.”

Talkeet didn’t know what to say.

James’s father had been killed when the war with Gia took place. Now, this wolf had lost both her mate, and her only son, to war.

Talkeet didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry Ma’am.”

She smiled, tears coming to her eyes.

“I remember… when Kyle was alive, when you two would play war out there together…. all he ever wanted to do was fight for the pack…. the real thing is different, huh?”

Talkeet nodded.

“Yes Ma’am, the real thing is horrible.”

The wolf nodded.

“Talkeet, I… I think I’d like to be alone for a while.”

Talkeet nodded.

He started to say something, but… but he had no words he thought would ease her pain.

He sighed, turned, and walked away.

“Talkeet….” The wolf said.

He stopped, and turned.

“Thank you for being there for him, as a friend, and a leader.”

Talkeet nodded.

“Thank you Ma’am.” He said. “James was… was a good friend.”

She nodded.

Talkeet continued walking from the room.

 

Dash saw Talkeet walking through the cave.

“Hey son!” he said, running over to him. “Heard the fighting was pretty fierce in your area today.”

Talkeet nodded.

Dash noticed his son’s downcast attitude then.

“Is something wrong?”

“James was killed.”

“Oh Talkeet,” Dash said, “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“It’s war, right?” Talkeet said.

Dash nodded.

“Dad, when is all this going to stop?”

Dash sighed.

“I… I don’t know son.”

“Because,” Talkeet continued, “I am growing to hate it.”

“That’s good,” Dash said, “no one should want war.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if….” Talkeet trailed off, deciding it was better if he kept that thought to himself.

“If what?” Dash asked.

“Oh, nothing.” Talkeet said.

“Son,” Dash said, “if you ever need to talk…”

Talkeet smiled.

“I know dad.”

“Good,” Dash said, “Talkeet, Shadow wants to see all of the lieutenants in his chambers.”

Talkeet nodded.

“Try to get there soon, there’s…”

Dash paused.

“… there’s still a war going on out there.”

Talkeet nodded again, and turned, walking towards Aleu and Shadow’s chambers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

 

Talkeet walked into Shadow’s chambers.

Lightning, Timbre, and his father, were already sitting there.

He walked over and sat down beside them, in front of Shadow.

“Sorry I’m late.” Talkeet said.

Shadow nodded.

“How are things out there guys?”

Lightning sighed.

The Uniea are proving to be quite skilled fighters.”

“Yes,” Dash added.

Shadow nodded again.

“Can you hold them?”

“We can.” Lightning said, “for now.”

Shadow sighed.

“I

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