Balto, A lost dream

Balto had saved basiclly every kid in Nome, Alue, and Cody. But this time he was faced with his most dangerous journey yet....

*Yawn * As balto hopped off his wrecked boat he saw an older looking Jenna waiting outside for him. "Jenna, how long have you been here?" "Long enough, look there is trouble in the forest. A hunter took aim at Dexter. And he certainly didn't miss.... Balto, my baby is DEAD!"

Chapter 2: Sorrow skies

Balto walked into the rather univiting looking forest. He was cold and damp. He tilted his head to the side and creeped down the sulky shrubs. *CawCawCaw* He heard a raven. Balto thought back to when he rescued Alue. He thought deeper into the story. "My son, you need to know the animal totems to help guide you now. A fox, the cunning trickster, a wolverine, your fear, a bear, innerknowing, a cariboo, life." The he saw the wolf. The eyes, the paws, the heart. He felt himself growing dizzy. The forest was spinning! He felt his feet fall from under him. He was knocked down to the ground.

Chapter 3: A lonely night without you

Balto seized his grip and stood up with full-on strength. He saw a winter-wonderland in front of him. Winter was at his doorstep. Balto remebered he was here to save the wolf pack from the hunters and go to his son's burial. He was shaking from icy bitter-sweet snow. He missed Jenna and could have really used her scarf now. He walked farther and the farther he got, the more he heard the solom cries of wolves. Balto started to question why every year his kids needed his help. He shook snow from his head and carried on. Voices and whispers started to follow him. More and more and the closer he came the louder they were. "Go! Turn back! You are not needed!" Balto started to get panicky and started to sprint. He jumped over logs and shrubs and anything else that could slow him down. He stopped when he saw a sign "Hunter's grounds". Hmmm.... that wasn't there earlier. He crept down under a fallen tree. He saw a wolf run fast. "Hey! Wait up!" Balto traced his pawprints to where the wolf had stepped. Chasing someone in the forest isn't easy, especially if it is as fast as a wolf! He finnaly caught up to the mysterious black colored wolf. He was breathing heavily, as though he didn't usually run that fast. Although Balto didn't even brake a sweat. "Tell me why you ran from me!" "I...*panting* was trying to chase a hunter off." "Wait! A hunter? Are you from around these parts?!" "Why yes I am, I am the proud Alpha-male of the Rocky wolf pack. Our den is not far from here. You look wolf, why don't you join me for a quick tour? Maybe my mate will accept you to be an Omega." "No, no, thanks but I have my own family to take care of. Tell me, did you know any wolf by the name of Dexter?" "Know him?! I was his best friend... Unfortunatly a hunter took aim at him 4 moons ago and did not miss. He died. *sigh*" "I know that because he...(balto hesitated)....well he was my son, my blood, my flesh." "Oh master I am terribly sorry" "Master?" Balto chuckled "What did I do to recieve such a fine name?" "Well you raised a strong young man, that boy could run for hours and never get tired! He was certainly a card too! He could make any grumpy old wolf smile. And what intellegence! He could chase down a buck in less than a few minutes! Extrodinary, I must say!" "Oh I didn't relize he was so strong!" "My goodness master, it is a tragedy he is no longer with us..."Both hesitated to speak anymore until Balto questioned the Alpha-male, asking him if there was any other wolves who had been attacked since Dexter. "Oh oh my goodness no! But there has been hunters, many of them." "Oh I see, well you must be busy so I better go..." "Um... I have a favor to ask. Balto I have heard many epic tales about you. You are the son of Aniu the great, therefor you have greatness in you... nope no doubt there. And before I ramble on to much, I would just like to know if you could possibly protect my pack. Fight the bad guys and join the good."

Chapter 4: Desicions, Desicions

It was snowing again. Balto breathed in the air and tasted sorrow. Sorrow for his son, sorrow for never knowing his mother, sorrow for the Rocky wolf pack, and sorrow for every animal that has ever lost it's life from a hunter. Balto sighed again and tasted sorrow. He had made the desicion to join the Rocky wolf pack, well... not to join but to protect. He could not turn them down. He had made rather good friends with the black wolf which he called "top dog".

Balto still had not learned his name but was alright with that. He had asked a pack member to tell Jenna he would be longer.

Chapter 5: Letting Go

A wolf bounded up to Balto and stopped immediatly and sat. She wagged her tail and panted. "Remeber me?!" "Uh...." "DADDY! It's me ALUE!" "Oh well I knew that! Sorry, it's been a long night, what with protecting this pack and all." "I can imagine that! I am an expert now" She paced back and fourth like a model and Balto chuckled. "Dad you see that's why I came, I am here to help you." "No. You will not help. This job is to dangerous." "No, I will stay and I will protect this pack!" "Alue....You listen to your father!" "No you old bat! You never let me do anything. It's always to dangerous or to hard. You act like I am a foolish idiot!" "Alue! Don't you ever talk that way to me again!" "I WILL DO AS I PLEASE!" "Leave now! GET OUT! You were never a respectful child! I wish for once you would do as I ask!" Alue snarled and lept for his face. She pawed him in the muzzle and he started to bleed. "Alue I do NOT want to fight with my own daughter." But she only took another hit at him. She swiftly lept from the ground and bit him on the back and bit hard. "Arggggghhhh! GET OFF ME!" Balto shook her off and pinned her on the ground. "Alue you leave and don't you ever come back. Count to 30 and don't look back. I have never been this disapointed. You are no longer a family member, you are a disgrace. Just wait until your pack hears about this" Balto pressed his paws harder on her throat, she was gasping by now. He let her go and she dashed into the woods.

Chapter 6: Getting used to what used to be

2 children gone. That was the only thought in Balto's dreams. He dreamed of gunshots and bangs. He heard a man howl and a forest fire start. A vision of a totem-pole flashed through his head. Shivering and shaking Balto groned in his sleep. Something was pushing him. He woke up with a start. "What?!" Top-dog was hovering over him. "Master! There is trouble in the pack!" Balto jumped onto his paws and sprinted toward the pack. One wolf lay injured. She was an Omega, but a member none-the-less. She had a arrow lodged in her stomach. She laid there and shook. It was as though she was in a coma. No air, no movement. Just short gasps that barely kept her alive. Another doing of a hunter. Balto was stunned and he didn't know what to do. "Balto, what do we do?!" So many questions were being shot at him and he had nothing to say. "I...I...d..d..d..don't k..k...know." He fell over and began to cry. The wolves had never seen this emotion shown before, puzzled Top-dog nudged his shoulder. Balto sat up and sniffed the air. "I...uh...I got a scent! The natives, they are to the...North!" Balto took off with a jolt. "Balto where are you going?!" The wolf pack murmerd and chatterd.

Chapter 7: An old rythym

"Ooh ooh the cold winds blow Ooh ooh ooh, soft and still the boy lie ill ooh ooh ooh." The natives were preforming some kind of healing chant. Balto listened as the drums beat heavilly. He saw the men dance around. These were not like like the men in the East, their skin tone was darker, half naked, and black hair. Of course not all men dressed like the kind Balto knew, and then again Balto was old, yet he had alot to learn. Balto sniffed around a little more and sneaked behind the ritual. A warm fire was burning and it lighted the pitch-black sky. Balto was halfway across the path, just when he got passed the natives he stepped on a weary fallen branch. It made a large crack and the men froze. They turned and saw the big-eyed wolf. One grabbed an axe, the other a rifle. Balto had no where to go. He was the men's prey and the men seemed hungry. He dodged a swift throw of an axe and missed a bullet narrowlly. He fled and ran and ran. But at least now he had some sense as to what these men would look like. He knew know who to trust and when to trust them. He got back to the pack the next sunrise and found the Omega female asleep but alive. She was laying on a large leaf pile. Her stomach seemed to be getting better.

Chapter 8: What's wrong, what's right?

Balto woke up from the same dream he had had 2 moons ago. He walked outside to experince a rainy day, he could not find Top-dog nor any other wolf. They had fled. Arrows and bullets were on the ground. There was a fire. Traps had been set and the whole forest had been abandon. He knew the wolves must have had to leave. He understood how a pack works and he knew it was his time to go. He had done his duty's. He headed for home.