I don’t think…. I know you didn’t mean to hurt him, but…. you did.”

Dash looked at the ground.

“I… I know. I shouldn’t have yelled at him, but…. I don’t know.”

He laid back down.

June laid down beside him.

“Dash, I do know what you’re going through, but… but you’ve got to let go sometime, this… this isn’t good for you.”

“It was my fault.” Dash said.

“What?” June asked.

He turned his head away from her and sighed again.

“It’s this thought that I’ve been having lately.”

He paused.

“It’s my fault, I… I made her stay here, in the cave. She wanted to leave, to go on the hunt, with Shadow, and the kids. If I’d let her…. she’d still be here.”

“Dash…” June said, “….you don’t know that.” June said softly.

She laid her head on top of his.

“What if she was Steele’s target, and he’d followed her? You may have saved Shadow, and your kids.”

Dash sighed.

“You really ought to go talk to Timbre.” She said. “He’s your friend, and he was only trying to help.”

“I know,” Dash said.

“Dash,” June said again, “you were there for me, when… when I lost….”

Her eyes clouded with tears.

“… when I lost Dalchei, so I’m here for you, okay?”

Dash looked away again.

She rubbed her nose against the fur in between his ears.

“I don’t know what I would have done, if …. If you hadn’t been there. I don’t really have any other friends.”

She smiled.

“I never was very popular in the pack.”

She paused.

“You ever need someone to talk to, no matter what time it is, I’m here, okay?”

Dash looked up at her.

He smiled.

“Thank you June.” He said.

He stood up, sliding her head off of him.

“Where are you off to?” She asked.

“I’m gonna go talk to Timbre.” He said.

Then he walked out of the chamber.

It didn’t take Dash long to walk to his friend’s chambers.

He walked in, and saw Timbre playing with his daughter.

Dash smiled.

He didn’t want to interrupt them, for he’d only just realized how precious times like that were.

He just stood there and watched them.

Finally, Timbre saw him standing in the doorway.

He stood up.

“Dash how long have you been standing there?”

His daughter ran off, rushing to her siblings, and started to play again.

“Not too long,” Dash said.

Timbre smiled and walked over to him.

“Could I speak to you alone for a minute?” Dash asked.

Timbre nodded, and turned his head.

“Melody!” he yelled, “I’m going to step outside, and talk to Dash.”

Dash heard his sister’s reply.

“Okay.”

Timbre turned back around.

He smiled.

“Let’s go.”

The two walked out of the chamber. It was still fairly early, and the cave wasn’t busy yet, Dash had been somewhat surprised that Timbre was even awake.

He turned to his friend.

“Timbre… I…. I’m sorry,” he said, “for the way I treated you last night.”

Timbre smiled at him.

“Hey, it’s fine,” he said. “I understand what you’re going through.”

“I know you do,” Dash said, “I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Well,” Timbre responded, “it’s all over now.”

Dash nodded.

“Are you okay?” Timbre asked.

Dash looked at the floor.

“No,” he said.

He paused.

“But.. but I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again.”

Timbre shook his head.

“Dash… buddy, you’ve got to get past this.”

“I can’t help it.” Dash said. “everything I do, everyday, reminds me of her, of her…. absence. I wake up in the morning, and… and there are the kids, and… and no one’s sleeping beside me. I.. I can’t wake her up, see her smiling face…. heck, I can barely take care of the kids without her.”

He sighed.

“I… I miss her…. so much.”

Timbre nodded.

Dash sighed.

“Well,” he said, “I… I guess I’ll let you get back to your morning, I just wanted to apologize.”

“Well, thank you Dash,” Timbre said.

Dash started to walk away.

“Hey Dash,” Timbre said, “you… you wanna go for a walk later, we can talk, and scout out the new sentry positions.”

Dash smiled.

“Thanks Timbre, but I have something else I need to do.”

Timbre shrugged.

“Alright.” He said, then he walked inside.

Dash headed down the shelves.

June was still in Dash’s Chambers, playing with his daughter, Kalia.

She stopped when she saw Dash walk in.

She smiled.

He nodded at her.

“Hey,” Dash said to his daughter, “you want to go for a walk?”

Kalia smiled at him.

“Sure dad!”

“Go get your siblings, and we’ll go.”

Kalia disappeared.

“June,” Dash said. “I… I wanted to thank you, I really needed that.”

She smiled.

“I told you I was here for you.”

“Yeah, look, about that…. do you want to come with us?”

“Sure.” June said.

“Great,” Dash said.

The kids all came in, and together, they all walked out of the chamber.

Chapter 3

Balto walked into the barn.

It was really early in the morning, and none of the dogs were awake.

Balto saw Angel, and walked over to her.

He tapped her on the head with his paw and she opened her eyes.

“Balto?” She asked.

Angel yawned.

“Why… why are you here so early?”

Balto smiled at her.

“We’re getting ready to leave.”

“Already?” Angel said, yawning again. “But… but the sun’s not even up yet.”

“That’s the idea,” Balto said.

She stood up.

“Well let’s go then.”

The two of them walked out of the barn.

Balto and Angel walked up to the airplane, where Luke was busy prepping his bird for flight.

He looked down when he heard Balto behind him.

“Hey boy,” he said, “that your new girlfriend.”

Balto whined.

Luke laughed.

“Oh, just a friend is it? Where’s the other one, that uh… Jenna?”

He laughed again.

“Boy, you just got girls crawling all over you huh?”

He knelt down and patted Balto on the head, and Angel jumped into the plane.

“Looks like she wants to go with us boy.” Luke said.

Balto hopped up on the wing, and set down beside Angel.

“Okay boy,” Luke said, “I get the picture.”

He laughed.

Luke walked over to the front of the Jenner, and pulled the propeller down, starting the engine.

Then he jumped up into the pilot’s seat.

He lowered his goggles, and turned back to Balto.

“Unless she can fly, I suggest you keep your friend from jumping out of here.” He said.

Then he released the brake.

Angel jumped as they started rolling.

“We’re moving!”

“Well yeah,” Balto said, smiling.

“And…” Angel started, as the plane started to lift ever so slightly into the air.

“… we’re off the…”

She ducked down into the seating compartment, as the plane left the ground with a slight lurch.

“..ground!” She finished.

Balto laughed.

“Look up Angel,” he said, “you’re going to miss it.”

“Miss what?” Angel asked.

She peeked out the compartment.

“Oh my gosh!” she said, as she saw how high they already were. “I think I’m gonna get sick.”

Balto laughed again.

“Come on Angel, you’ll get used to it, it’s really very beautiful.”

Angel slowly peeked her head out of the compartment again, just as the plane entered the clouds.

“She looked around, she couldn’t see Balto, couldn’t see the plane… she couldn’t see anything.

She began to get scared, she felt so alone.

Then the plane burst through the ceiling of the clouds.

The view took Angel’s breath away.

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

Balto smiled.

“I told you it was.”

The sun was just peeking its glowing head over the tops of the mountains, and it cast an orange glow over everything.

Balto was looking down on a flock of geese flying through the air.

“Looking down on them.” Balto thought.

Angel put her paws up on the edge of the cockpit.

Balto pushed her back in the compartment.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Unless you can fly,” Balto said, “you really don’t want to fall out.”

“But it’s so even right now, I wouldn’t fall.”

Balto