talking to Drake, and then Dingo left.

Steele followed him, until he ducked into an abandoned looking shed.

Steele walked in after him.

Dingo sensed someone in the room with him and turned.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Dingo asked.

“I want to know where your parents are Dingo.” Steele said.

“Why?” Dingo asked.

“I have some… unfinished business with them.”

Steele stepped out of the darkness, into a beam of moonlight that shown through the board wall.

Dingo gasped and stepped back.

“I thought you were dead!”

Steele laughed.

“I’ll never tell you.” Dingo said.

Steele shrugged.

“Have it your way.”

Dingo started to shake, as Steele walked forward.

All of the wolves were assembled at the riverside.

The bodies of almost thirty wolves, the ones that had been shot in the last few days, lay on the riverbank.

One of them was Jadze.

Balto didn’t know if Melody would be able to see this, see her daughter…. the way she was.

Melody still wasn’t talking to anyone, not even Balto anymore.

She didn’t even ask Timbre if he was okay, Balto was getting worried about her.

Timbre was going to be just fine, the bullet had hit him in the shoulder, but it had went straight through the muscle, missing the bone.

So while it hurt terribly, the lasting effects would be nil.

Melody walked over to her daughter’s body, and knelt down beside it.

If anyone thought it was odd that she sat there and licked and nuzzled her daughter, they didn’t say anything.

Balto was surprised to see Melody’s lips moving, she was talking to her.

Melody sat her head on her daughter’s shoulder, as Aleu stepped up to the riverbank.

“Friends..” she said, looking around “…and family, we are gathered here today to say goodbye to loved ones, friends, brothers, sisters…”

Aleu looked right at Melody and Timbre.

“….sons and daughters. They have died keeping us safe, they gave their lives so that ours could be spared.”

Aleu paused.

“Though we miss them greatly, we must also know, in our heart of hearts… that the Great Aniu is taking care of them now, and they are much safer, much happier than they were in this world. This world we live in is so cruel and cold… it is they that have departed that are the lucky ones, for they don’t have to put up with all that anymore. I am confident that we will see each of those before us again someday. If you would?” Aleu said.

All of the wolves knelt, Balto and Jenna followed suit.

“Oh Aniu,” Aleu began, “caretaker of all of us, we ask that you would safeguard and protect those that didn’t make it through our last attack. I ask personally that you would be with the families they left behind, that you would send your confidence and compassion down on them, that they might know that their loved ones are cared for, and suffering in this awful world no longer. I would also ask that you would guide me, help me to protect those under my charge that they might stay out of harms way. Aniu we thank you for each and every wolf in our great pack, and ask that you would continue to safeguard the Talbourne clan.”

Aleu stopped, and the names of each dead wolf were recited.

As each name was said, the corresponding body was pushed off of the bank and into the river, where it floated down stream.

Balto watched as Jadze’s name was called.

Melody stood up, and didn’t allow the wolves assigned the task, to push Jadze into the river, instead, Melody did it herself.

She watched the body float downstream, until it disappeared from view.

Melody then walked over, sat her head on Timbre’s shoulder, and cried.

Steele was headed out of Nome.

Dingo had talked, but then they always did.

Apparently Balto had been spooked by something he saw, what Dingo didn’t know, and Steele had been sure that he really didn’t know, not that he was hiding it from him. But Balto had run off into the woods, assumedly heading toward his daughter Aleu’s cave.

“What a coincidence,” Steele thought, I was going to have to pay her a visit anyway.”

He smiled.

Steele had a little present for Balto and he knew he’d just love it.

“After all,” Steele thought, “we haven’t seen each other in such a long time, I can’t just show up without a gift of some sort.”

He laughed as he continued running through the forest.

Chapter 8

Balto was woken up by a scream.

He lifted his head and perked his ears.

The scream sounded familiar.

“Jenna?” He said.

It sounded as if she was in pain.

Balto stood up and walked into the chamber adjacent to the one they were staying in.

“Jenn….”

Balto stopped.

Jenna stumbled out of the chamber, her eyes were wide and she was shaking, so much that she could barely stand.

“Jenna?!” Balto said, running over to her.

Jenna was really shaking now, and she looked inside the chamber.

Balto nuzzled her.

“Jen, stay here.” He said.

She said nothing, just continued shaking, tears starting to come to her eyes.

Balto stepped into the chamber.

He saw a dark shape in the middle of the room.

Balto walked slowly over to it, the fading light in the room giving it different shapes and colors as he got closer.

When Balto stopped beside it, he wrinkled his face in disgust.

It was a head…. without the body.

Blood covered the floor, and Balto realized

then that he was standing in it.

“What the…” Balto said.

He used his paw and turned the head over.

He gasped in shock and backpedaled away from the awful scene.

His mind screamed a hundred questions, and he didn’t have any answers.

Balto fell over in his haste to get away, but he couldn’t take his gaze off of the dead eyes.

The mouth was open, as if in a silent scream for all eternity.

“Who could have done this!” Balto thought.

He stumbled backwards out of the room.

Jenna was still shaking.

Balto walked weakly over to her.

“Balto….” She said, “who… who could…. could do something like that, and…. and why?”

“There’s only one dog I know that would be capable of such an…. atrocity.” Balto said.

“Who?” Jenna asked.

There was fire in his eyes as he said the next word.

“Steele.”

“But… but Balto, I… I killed him, remember?”

Balto shook his head.

“Jen… we… we never saw him, he just fell off that cliff… somehow he survived.”

“Oh Balto,” Jenna said. “What are we going to do?”

“I’m gonna kill him.” Balto said, growling.

He turned to Jenna.

Anger was plastered across his face.

“It doesn’t’ fit him,” Jenna thought, “he looks… evil.”

“I’ve got to go tell Aleu…” Balto said. “Will you be alright?”

Suddenly the memory of what was in there surfaced in Jenna’s shocked mind and she gagged, and threw up on the floor.

She looked up at Balto, and he could see in her eyes that she wasn’t alright, might never be alright again…

He led her into the chamber they were staying in, and had her lay down.

Then he headed up to Aleu’s.

“Dad?” Aleu said.

She stood up and yawned.

“Why’re you waking me up so early?”

She noticed the look on Balto’s face then.

“Dad? Are you okay?”

Her father’s jaw quivered, whether in anger or sadness she couldn’t tell.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Aleu said, almost to start crying herself now, for she’d never seen her pappa react like this to anything.

“I think Steele is back.” Balto said flatly.

“What? I thought he was…”

Balto cut her off.

“Dingo’s dead.”

Aleu stepped back in surprise at this news.

“What? How… how do you know?”

Balto started shaking, and Aleu feared he’d fall over.

She walked over to him.

“Dad, maybe you ought to lie down for a moment.”

“Head.” Balto said.

“What?” Aleu said, as she backed up.

“His… head.” Balto repeated.

“Whose?” Aleu said.

“Dingo’s… head.”

“Oh my God!: Aleu said, “here?”

Balto sat down, and Aleu could tell now that her father had lost control of himself, but he was shaking not in sadness or shock, though both of those were there… it was pure and untarnished rage.

It scared her, to see her dad like that.

“I’m gonna kill him Aleu.” Balto said.

“I think I’ll help you.” Aleu said. “God, Dingo….”

She shut her eyes against the tears she knew would come anyway, and thought of her brother.

“He never hurt anyone, why would Steele kill him?”

“I don’t care why.” Balto said.

“I’m going to stay with Jenna.” Balto said.

He turned and left, as Aleu started to sob, thinking of her fallen brother.

Usually her father would have stayed with her, comforted her, but now… he didn’t even notice.

He just walked slowly away, leaving Aleu to grieve in silence.

Steele thought that the head was a nice touch.

He knew that it would either infuriate Balto or break him, either one would be amusing to watch.

Jenna’s reaction he hadn’t expected.

He’d expected her to be angry as well, but she had collapsed into an almost comatose like