He'd

A follow up to When Love Goes Sour

Written by: PFC Anthony E. Rotramel, USMC

Started: 04/29/05/

Finished: 05/07/05

Pages: 134

Words: 19,034

Note: This story was inspired by Balto, (copyright 1995), Balto II: Wolf Quest (copyright 2000) and Balto III: Wings of Changes by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. The character’s Shadow, Dash, Melody, Shasta, Max, Flash, Timbre, Sheik, Lima, Thunder, Shade, Blaize, Tiru, Jadze, ,Luke, Lightning, Juli, Dalchei, June, Talkeet, Gia, Arial, Alai and the events of this story are copyright 2005 by Anthony Rotramel. The other characters are copyright by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Prologue

Aleu was walking outside the cave, checking on the sentries she had posted, when the first shot sounded.

The wolf she was next to dropped; a round hole in her head.

“Dang!” Aleu thought.

She took off running for the entrance, which was not very far away, as three more shots went off, striking the rock walls behind her.

The hunter set the crosshairs of his scope ahead of the running wolf, and knew this time, he wouldn’t miss.

As the shot went off, a brown wolf leaped in front of Aleu, the member of her security force that had come out with her.

She’d sent him to check on the other sentries, so she could make this quick.

He’d just caught up with her.

He took the bullet in the neck, and rolled away from Aleu,

She could tell from the fountain of red liquid, some of it splattering on her, that he wouldn’t make it, at least not long.

She shut her eyes against tears, as she thought of yet another wolf that had died to save her life.

All of the wolves on Shadow’s team knew that they might be called upon at any time to do exactly that.

They were living on borrowed time, and considered it an honor to defend their leader, but she didn’t want them to die.

She dove into the cave.

Shadow was on the other side of the cave, checking on the sentries over there.

She hoped he was okay.

“When will they just leave us alone?” She thought.

When Aleu walked into the cave, everyone stared at her, wanting to ask… but not doing it.

They’d all heard the shots.

Lightning finally got up the courage to ask her.

He walked up.

“Uh… Aleu, we all heard the…. Well, what happened out there?”

Aleu hung her head, and thought of the two wolves she’d seen that had died, and the ones she knew had, but didn’t see.

“Lightning,” she said, “keep everyone in the cave for now, pull out all of the sentries, everyone.”

Lightning nodded, and hurried off to do as she had asked.

The climb up to her chambers was the longest Aleu had ever made.

She had yet to see Shadow.

“Oh well,” she thought, “there’re hundreds of wolves here. I probably just missed him in the crowd.”

Her efforts to console herself were not working however.

When she finally did make it to the top shelf, where she and her family lived, she smiled.

Sheik, Lima and Thunder were asleep, cuddling up next to one another.

It still surprised her that her children had accepted their adopted brother so willingly.

You almost couldn’t tell he hadn’t been born with them, he even looked a little like Shadow.

“Fate has a strange way with things, but then I guess the spirits act in strange ways.”

She heard someone behind her, and turned.

Lightning stood there, his face showed worry, and… grief.

It was replaced for a moment with concern.

“Aleu are you alright, there’s blood all over your face.”

“That,” Aleu said, “is not mine, and yes I’m… I’m fine”

“Aleu…” He said.

Aleu felt a deep pain in her stomach, and tears started to come to her eyes, for she thought she knew what he was going to say.

“What Lightning, what is it?” Aleu asked.

Lightning sighed.

“Shadow…”

“Oh God…” Aleu said, tears starting to roll down her face. “Was it quick?”

“What?” Lightning asked.

Aleu didn’t know if she could say it again.

Lightning understood then that she’d misunderstood him.

“No,” he said, “no… he’s fine, it’s just…. the attack was a lot worse on the other side…. Jadze was killed.”

“Oh no.” Aleu said.

She hung her head, happy and sad at the same time.

Jadze was Melody’s child, and Aleu would have to tell her, it’s the kind of leader she was, and plus… Melody was family.

But Shadow was alive, that she was happy about.

“Well, where is he?” Aleu asked.

“He’ll be up shortly,” Lightning said, “besides…”

He hung his head.

Melody was his friend, and Jadze had been his friend.

“… besides Jadze, we lost seven others.”

“Seven!” Aleu asked.

Lightning nodded.

“How did Jadze…”

Aleu paused.

Lightning hung his head again.

“He didn’t have time to tell me much, but I know that she was hit in the chest.”

Aleu nodded, tears blurring her eyes again

“She was so young, had so much left to live…” Aleu thought.

She looked back up at Lightning.

“Thank you Lightning.” Aleu said.

“Aleu…” Lightning said, “Do you want me to… to tell Melody and Timbre?”

Aleu shook her head.

“No,” she said, “I’ll do it, thanks again Lightning.”

Lightning nodded, turned and walked out of the chamber.

Aleu turned back around, waiting for Shadow.

She began to watch her own kids, thinking about how precious life was, and what a dangerous world her children were growing up in.

She sighed and began to lick the blood off of her face.

Chapter 1

Aleu was staring at her children.

Just last night Sheik had been one of the sentries outside.

She shivered.

“What if it had happened last night, what if instead of Jadze it was…”

She couldn’t even think about it anymore.

Aleu heard someone behind her and turned.

Shadow stood in the doorway, his face streaked with tears and dirt, his expression one of great sadness

Aleu half smiled and walked over to him.

She nuzzled him.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, the tears starting to form in her eyes again.

Shadow nodded, his own cheeks still wet.

“Aleu…”

“I know,” Aleu said, “how?”

Shadow looked at the floor of the cave.

“She… well I was talking to her, when she got hit, she was the first…. I stayed with her for about five minutes, I think, I… I might have lost track of time.”

He looked back up at her.

“She grew a lot in those last minutes. She told me to tell her family that she loved them, and not to worry about her… and then she just talked, about the trees and the night and the snow…. then she… she died.”

Aleu nuzzled Shadow.

“Well again,” she said, “I’m glad that you’re alright.”

Shadow grinned slightly.

“So am I.”

Aleu started to walk from the room.

“Aleu.” Shadow said.

She stopped and turned.

“Do you want me to tell Melody?”

Aleu shook her head.

“I‘ll do it,” she said.

Shadow nodded, and walked back outside their quarters.

The wolves would have a lot of questions, and Shadow would have to try to provide the answers.

That and he too had to be the bearer of grave news to his friends.

He sighed and walked out.

Aleu scratched on the wall of the room her sister lived in.

“How can I tell her this?” Aleu thought.

You can come in!” Melody yelled.

Aleu stepped into the room.

“Aleu!” Melody said, smiling, “what brings you here?”

She saw the look on Aleu’s face, and decided that she probably didn’t want to know.

“Aleu, what is it?” Melody asked, walking over to her older sister.

All of the things Aleu wanted to say left her, when she saw the now worried look on Melody’s face.

“Melody…”

“What?” Melody asked.

“….there was an attack…”

Melody’s heart almost stopped, for she knew that her mate was on Shadow’s security force.

“Is it Timbre?” She asked.

Melody was very much relieved when Aleu shook her head.

“No, I haven’t heard anything… about him… yet.” Aleu said.

“Then what Aleu,” Melody asked.

Tears started to form in the young wolf’s eyes, because she knew that whatever Aleu had to say, it wouldn’t be good.

“Jadze was killed.” Aleu said quietly.

Melody took a step back, as if someone had pushed her, in reality someone had shoved a knife deep in her heart.

“What?” Melody asked.

When Aleu looked back up at Melody, her face was streaked with tears.

“Some humans attacked,” Aleu said, “I wasn’t on that side of the cave, but Shadow was, and… and he saw her go down.”

Melody sat down, rather hard.

“Are you sure?” She asked, praying that Aleu would shake her head, and tell her that they were still looking for her.

Melody’s eyes filled with tears when Aleu nodded her