Balto :

Balto yawned and stretched. He was back living at the boat. Although he was better, he couldn’t move about as easily. He sighed. His life wouldn’t be the same. As much as Balto hated to admit it, he truly was getting older and his wounds wouldn’t heal as fast as they used to.

‘Balto?’ Jenna called. She smiled when she was him. ‘Are you just up?’

Balto smiled, ‘Yeah.’

‘Sleepy head.’ Jenna teased. Balto slowly rose to his feet. And winced. ‘Are you still sore?’ Jenna asked.

‘Guess I’m not as young as I used to be.’ Balto said, quietly.

‘You’ll always be the same young Balto to me.’ Jenna said, and nuzzled him.

Aleu ran through the forest gaining speed, a grey wolf stood in the distance and smiled when she finally caught up and stood at his side.

‘Slow down, Thuni. Are we there yet?’ Aleu asked.

‘Almost. Where’s the pack?’

‘Their close by.’ Aleu said, ‘we’d better wait for them though, their covering up our tracks. We saw bear tracks a while back.’ Aleu explained when Thuni looked puzzled.

‘That’s all we need.’ Thuni muttered, ‘Bears.’

‘I said it was a while back, it was heading north too, and so we had to head west for a little bit.’ Aleu said. Thuni sighed.

‘This running around can’t do that well for you. Not in your condition.’ Thuni shook his head. They had suspected that Aleu was having pups a while ago as she had gotten quite fat. Aleu smiled but there was a secret in her eye, mixed with shame.

Three weeks later.

Jenna was concerned. Balto, instead of getting better, now seemed to be getting worse. He rarely moved about, and when he did he often winced with pain. Jenna was with him a lot. Kodi, Saba and Dingo visited Balto a lot too. Although Balto was pleased to see them, he wanted to see Aleu; she hadn’t visited them in three weeks.

Aleu had gone to visit Saba. She had gone a few hours before dawn because she didn’t want anyone else knowing she was having pups. She found Saba heading back towards her house.

‘Saba.’ Aleu whispered. ‘Saba!’

‘Aleu? What are you’-

‘Not here, follow me.’ Aleu said and turned and ran away.

‘Wait for me!’ Saba said.

‘Ok, what’s going?’ Saba said, panting for breath.

‘I’ve finally found a mate named Thuni and’-

‘You dragged me up here to tell me that? Saba said but when Aleu frowned she said, ‘Oh, go on.’

‘And now I’m having pups’-

‘That’s great, Aleu!’ Saba interrupted once more.

‘Their not Thuni’s.’ Aleu whispered.

‘What?’ Saba blinked.

‘Their Lycans.’ Aleu looked at her feet, ashamed.

‘Aleu.’ Saba said, quietly, ‘what he done…isn’t your fault.’

‘How can I look Thuni in the eyes when I tell him?’ Aleu said.

‘You might not have to.’

‘What?’ Aleu looked up, hope stirring in her eyes.

‘Well, when they’re born, you’ll know if they truly are Lycans – or Thuni’s.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, they’ll look like a malamute if their Lycan’s wont they?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And if they look wolf, then we’ll know for sure that their Thuni’s.’

Aleu smiled and said quietly, ‘Thanks, Saba.’

‘Now come on, we have to tell mum and dad. They’ll kill me if they knew that I didn’t tell them.’ Saba said.

‘Oh, and what are you doing up at this time?’ Aleu asked.

‘Dad hasn’t been well lately.’ Saba said quietly. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’

Balto shivered. He was lying in the boat, under his blanket. It was almost dawn; Balto hadn’t been able to sleep, not with pain still going through his body. Jenna came to visit him everyday but Balto hadn’t moved from where he was, the second he moved it was agony.

After what had seemed like years, dawn came. Balto sighed.

‘Balto.’ A voice called. Jenna came in. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Not as sore as I was yesterday anyway.’ Balto said, looking up. ‘Jenna, stop worrying.’

‘I’m not worried.’ Jenna said, turning away her head.

‘Yes you are. Do you honestly think that I don’t know when you’re upset?’

Jenna smiled and walked over to Balto and lay down reside him.

‘Ok, so I am a bit.’ She said, quietly.

‘Jenna, I’ll be fine soon…my wounds are just taking a little bit longer to heal than we suspected.’ Balto licked her muzzle.

‘Dad!’ They heard a voice call. Balto looked up.

‘Saba’s here.’ Jenna said, getting up. ‘Aleu’s with her.’

‘What?’ Balto, forgetting that it hurt whenever he moved, sat up but winced.

‘Take it easy Balto.’ Jenna said, as Saba and Aleu came in.

‘Papa!’ Aleu ran over and hugged him.

‘Aleu, what are you doing here?’ Balto asked. Aleu smiled.

‘I’ve got good news.’ Aleu sat down beside Balto. ‘I finally found a mate, Thuni. And, you two.’ Aleu looked at Balto and Jenna, ‘Are going to be grandparents again.’

Three Months Later

‘Aleu?’ Thuni called. The pack had gone out hunting but Aleu had stayed behind.

‘Come in, Thuni.’ Aleu said. Thuni entered the cave to see Aleu lying down in an arch shape with a small pup lying at her side.

‘Aleu.’ Thuni breathed.

‘There was three of them...two of them were stillborn.’ Aleu blinked back tears. Thuni walked over and nuzzled her.

‘At least we have one.’ Thuni said, gently.

Aleu nodded. ‘It’s a girl…what will we call her?’

Thuni didn’t speak for a minute.

‘Kiya.’ He smiled, and looked down at the pup. Kiya’s coat was reddish brown. Thuni and Aleu looked at each other and smiled. Aleu was happier than ever. Kiya wasn’t half malamute. She looked like a wolf.

Balto yawned. He and Jenna were going to visit Aleu. Balto was getting a lot better and could walk around, for one thing. He couldn’t walk for too long though, but he was gradually getting better.

‘That’s the fifth time you’ve yawned.’ Jenna noted, smiling.

‘I can’t help it if I’m tired can I?’ Balto said, yawning yet again.

‘I guess not.’ Jenna nuzzled him. Balto licked her muzzle.

Aleu yawned as she awoke. She smiled when she saw Kiya lying by her side. Thuni entered the cave.

‘Sleep well?’ He grinned, it was midday. Aleu, after giving birth, had went back to sleep.

‘Very funny.’ Aleu said as Thuni walked over to her and nuzzled her.

‘Aleu?’ A voice called.

‘Papa!’ Aleu looked up. Balto and Jenna were at the entrance of the cave. They came in and gasped when they saw Kiya.

‘Aleu. When?’

‘A couple of hours ago.’ Aleu smiled as Jenna hugged her. Balto just stood speechless. ‘It’s a girl. We named her Kiya.’

‘She’ beautiful.’ Jenna smiled.

Balto nodded. ‘She has the same eyes as you, Aleu. And the same color of coat as Thuni.’ He said, smiling.

Six months later later.

By now Kiya was six months old. She was a lot bigger now.

‘Kiya!’ Thuni ran after his daughter. ‘Stop!’ He shouted, desperately.

Kiya turned and smiled.

‘Kiya…stay still.’ He said.

‘But dad’-

‘No buts, come on, your mother will be worried sick.’ Thuni said.

‘Ok.’ Kiya submissively walked back to the cave. Thuni sighed with relief that he wouldn’t have to chase Kiya like he had had to do a few weeks ago.

‘Kiya! Where have you been?’ Aleu said.

‘Sorry mum.’ Kiya put her ears back.

‘Don’t run off again.’

‘I wasn’t running off!’ Kiya said ‘I was still in the pack boundaries’-

‘I don’t care. Your not going anywhere without an adult.’ Thuni said, ‘You’re too young to be going off on your own. Anything could happen.’

Back in Nome, Balto was sleeping. He was a huge amount better. Although he spent most of the day sleeping.

‘Balto.’ Jenna called and smiled when she saw Balto curled up under his blanket. She didn’t have the heart to wake him. Instead she laughed quietly and left.

Kiya sighed. She was the only pup in the pack. She hated it, she had no siblings to play with or even talk to. Instead she was stuck inside the cave, wondering why her parents were so protective.

It was on a warm day, Kiya was finally allowed out by herself. She smiled to herself and sprinted to the stream to drink. She then wandered off, although she’d been outside before, this was her first time outside without an adult, and, to Kiya, everything seemed ten times better. She had been chasing a butterfly when she heard a roar. She didn’t know what it was. Although she knew that things that made loud noises, were normally bad. And from what her parents had told her, it was probably a bear. Startled, she ran in the opposite direction. She was heading back to Aleu’s pack when she stopped. If she ran back to the pack the bear would follow her scent. Courage struck through her as instead of running north, she ran west.

She