and all the other dogs were asleep.

After shaking his head and laying it down on his paws, he thought long and hard about his dream. What did it mean?

 

 

Akiak was lonely. He could feel the cold getting to his leg. He felt frozen inside. Above him, he could hear the howls of the storm, and could feel the snow blowing down on him, freezing onto his rough fur. Outside, there was a raging blizzard. Akiak was worried, but not about himself. He was worried about his sister and the team. Had they got back? Were they lost in a blizzard? What was happening to them? He shut his eyes and tried to sleep, but it didn’t work. He could hear something outside, it sounded like a sled. Akiak howled and barked. He could see something, a head…    appearing above him. Akiak starred at it then sighed with a tear in his eye, as it blew away in the storm. He placed his head back down on the ice and looked down at it. What hope did he have left? He rolled up and hid his face behind his tale and shut his eyes tight. There was no hope.

 

Balto ran outside the kennel too the sound of barking. Aleska and the team had made it back to base safely. They were all exhausted and freezing. Balto ran up to Roan, who was covered with snow and ice. Roan’s face lit up when she saw Balto and nuzzled his chin as he came to do the same thing.

“Oh, dad!” She said, happy but also extremely sad. What came next? How could she possibly tell him about Akiak? But before she had time to think, Balto said it, “Where’s Akiak?”

Roan looked down to her paws and then nuzzled Balto again. Balto was now worried. “Roan. What’s going on?”

Aleska came up to him with a tragic face and said,

 “I’m so sorry, Balto,”  

Balto didn’t want to hear what came next. He already knew. Balto’s thrilled face changed to a heartbroken face. There was silence and Roan couldn’t bare it. She ran away in tears. Balto didn’t say anything.

“He fell through ice into a frozen cave. He was all right, only a broken leg. But we had to leave him. We didn’t have enough time and he was slowing us down. He told us to leave him. Akiak was so brave, you should be proud of what he did. He will be remembered with honour. I’m so, so sorry Balto,”

Aleska said slowly with a grim face, then walked away into the tent.

Balto stood there, in silence. How could this happen?

Suddenly, Balto’s faced raised up to the horizon, disappearing in snow.

“He still out there,” He said.

Silver heard him and stared at his face, “What do you mean?”

“He is still alive out there,”

“Oh no. No! Balto you can’t!”

“I’m not going to leave him!”

Balto was now shouting. Nothing could stop him. He was going to find his son and bring him home. Know one could stop him.

 

“Please dad! Don’t do it!” Roan pleaded in tears,

 “I’m not going to lose you as well!”

“I’m sorry Roan,” Balto nuzzled her, “I have to find him,”

“Balto this is far to dangerous,” Aleska said,

 “Your not used to Antarctica. There is nothing but snow and ice here! You would never be able to find your way back!”

“Well I have to try!” Balto said walking slowly through the snow getting further and further out of the base.

Roan ran straight in front of Balto and shouted, “I’m not letting you go alone! I’m going to come with you!”

“No Roan! I don’t want to lose you!”

“And I don’t want to lose you !”

Balto couldn’t argue with her anymore. Roan was coming with him, and he promised himself that she wouldn’t be harmed. Aleska ran up to them and joined in the walk. “What are you doing?!” Balto shouted so he was heard, the wind seemed to be becoming louder and louder.

“I’m coming with you. I won’t let you go alone either,”

So the three of them faced the storm. Soon, the whole team joined Balto. Scoot, Max, Silver and Moss all joined in the journey to save Akiak. 

 

The wind was blowing harder and the snow was getting deeper. Aleska was in front with her eyes half closed so the snow didn’t blind her. She heard a crack and stopped, padded the snow with her paw in different places the pointed to the way that was safe. Aleska was an experienced sled dog and new the dangers, that’s why so was in front. The team followed her lifting their legs out of the cavernous snow. Balto sniffed the snow around him and caught a sent. It was Akiak! Balto, with excitement, ran straight towards the smell and, like Akiak did, slipped and rolled down the hill into the cave.

 

Akiak suddenly heard rushing from above him. He ignored it, thinking it was his imagination. Suddenly, something fell right next to him with a loud thud! Akiak swung his head round and saw…   Balto!

“Dad!” Akiak shouted with astonishment, “Dad, are you alright?!”

Balto turned his head to Akiak and said, “I was about to ask you the same question,” Akiak laughed with joy and moved his body over to him with his front legs, dragging his back ones.

“Thanks dad,” He said, “For coming to rescue me,”

 

“Balto!” Aleska shouted, “Where are you?!”

Suddenly, the team heard a wolf howl.

“That’s him!” Roan shouted, “This way, come on!”

Balto was howling in the cave. It echoed around them sounding like there was a whole pack of wolves surrounding them. Akiak smiled and laughed. He loved it when his dad howled like a wolf. Akiak joined in. He wasn’t as wolf-like, but you could tell he was Balto’s son.

“Balto!”

Aleska was above them with the team, “Are you hurt?!”

“I’m fine!” Balto called back.

Balto got to his feet and called up to Aleska,

“Quick! You have the rope don’t you?”

Aleska grabbed the long rope in her mouth and showed it to Balto. Silver had brought the rope, thinking it was going to be needed to pull Akiak out.

“Alright! Throw one end down to me!” Balto shouted.

Aleska did. Balto thought for a while how he was going to attach it. The rope was long and strong, and that gave him the idea. Balto put the rope under Akiak’s chest and threw the remaining rope in his jaws up to Aleska. She grabbed it and gave it to Roan. The six dogs split into three for each end of the rope and pulled on it hard with their jaws.

“Careful Akiak!” Balto called as Akiak was lifted, quite wobbly, up to the team.

Balto smiled as he got up safely, and they threw the rope back down to him.

He gripped it in his teeth. It was going to be tricky getting him up.

“Pull,” Balto shouted to the team. The team pulled on the rope as hard as they could. Akiak watched anxious. They pulled and pulled. All Balto had to hold on to the rope was his teeth. He banged against the ice at the side of the cave. He dug his claws into it and scratched and clawed his way to the top, still holding onto the rope. With one last haul from the team, Balto was lifted onto the top. He collapsed into the snow panting along with most of the team. “Well done you guys!” Akiak shouted, “Thanks, so much!”

“It…   was…   nothing!” Aleska panted. Akiak couldn’t have been happier.

 

The team walked back with Roan and Balto carrying Akiak on their backs. Aleska looked around her nervously, trying to figure out which way was which. She sniffed about the snow. They carried on walking through the storm. Akiak was feeling quite drowsy, so Roan and Balto had to nudge him so he wouldn’t fall asleep. Aleska walked up to the side of a huge sea lake.

“We’re going to have to cross!” She yelled back to the team,

“Be careful and make sure you keep together!”

They continued to walk, now over the ice. It was icy and the dogs found it hard not to slip. Scoot did slip slightly and slid around the ice.

“Stay together!” Aleska reminded them. Balto slid slightly under the weight of Akiak. All of a sudden he heard a crack. Aleska heard it to and immediately swung her head round. Balto looked to his feet and saw the ice cracking like glass into tiny shatters at the speed of light.

“Quick! Get of off there!” Aleska yelled to them. Balto and Roan slid and slipped as they hurried off the ice. Balto had taken Akiak himself so they could get to safety quickly. Balto made it first with Akiak. Roan wasn’t very fast, she fell over again and again slowing her down.

“Roan, hurry!” Balto shouted to her, “ROAN !”

Suddenly the ice gave way and it smashed and Roan plunged into the freezing water. “Roan!” Aleska yelled. She dug her claws into the ice and Aleska helped to pull her out of the water. Roan clambered out shivering.

“Are you alright Roan?” Aleska asked.

“Yea, I think so,” Roan shuddered.

“Good. Come on, we must keep moving,”

Roan nodded and carried on walking. She shivered and water splashed onto Akiak. “Hey!” Akiak laughed, “Cut it out!”

Aleska and the rest of the team were all ahead now. She called back to them, “Hurry up you three! We must keep moving!”

 

Balto was getting exhausted. But he was the strongest there. He was part wolf. “Are you alright up there?” He yelled to Akiak. Akiak was half asleep but answered quietly, “Yea. Yea, I’m alright,”

Aleska stared straight a head of her and so something dim in the distance, a light! Aleska gasped and a grin came across her face.

“We’re back!” She shouted, “We’re home everyone! We’re safe!”

There was an explosion of cries and barks. The whole team burst into a run to get back to base. Balto shouted to Akiak, “Did you hear that son! We’re home! We made it back!” Balto laughed and started to run as well slowly. Many dogs tripped over in excitement in the bottomless snow and bared and howled. There were many dogs outside the base barking to them. The team ran into base, triumphant! They had saved Akiak as well as making it home safely. Roan cried with joy and barked. The whole team jumped around camp and laughed. Balto stopped in the action to catch his breath. Him and Aleska (and of course Akiak) were the only ones that weren’t jumping with joy. To tired, far too tired. Balto panted then said to Akiak,

 “We’re home Akiak! We made it. Tired?”

But he didn’t answer. Akiak was

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