“Balto! Where are you, boy?” Just then, he heard a whimper off to his right and looked for the source. There, hidden beneath scattered hay, lay Balto. One of his back legs was in quite an awkward position and there were several puncture wounds on his throat. The hay around him was stained a crimson red. “Good God, what’s happened to you, boy?” Russell bent down and lifted him gingerly off the ground and into his arms. He felt something wet spreading on his wool coat and cringed at the sight. “You’re still bleeding!” He quickly got to his feet and dashed out into town. Dodging odd stares, he made his way back to the hospital and knocked twice on the front door. A moment later, the doctor appeared.

Now, the town physician knew the good doctor in Nome very well, and applauded his helping sick or hurt animals. In fact, he was planning to become a veterinarian as well as a doctor, but he was not quite prepared for his first patient…

“Yes, what is- Good Lord!!”

“Please, you’ve got to help him.”

“Are you crazy? I’m a doctor not a vet!” He started to close the door, but Russell put his foot in the way.

“You don’t understand! This is Balto!”

“I don’t care if…!” The doctor paused and looked back in surprise. “Did you say Balto?”

“Yes, and he’s hurt pretty bad. Look, he’s still bleeding.” The doctor bent down and inspected Balto, cradled in Russell’s arms. “Please doc, you must be able to help him somehow.”

“Alright. Take him in and put him on the table in the far room.” He stepped aside and let Russell pass, followed him in, and shut the door after himself. A few minutes later, he strode into the operating room carrying a small black bag and wearing white gloves. He set the bag down on a stool and looked once more at Balto. “My, what a mess you are.” As he opened his bag, he spoke to Russell. “I was going to become a vet anyway. Why not start now?” 

Dingo padded down main street with one person in mind, Jade. Every time he thought about her, he blushed. God is she beautiful, he thought, How many guys would count themselves blessed to have a girl like her beside them? He stopped himself abruptly. Slow down, lover-boy. She may have followed you around town, but she might not have the same feelings. Doing his best to keep his composure, he padded up to the boiler room and went inside. There, in the same corner, was Jade. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he strolled up to her.

“Jade? Are you awake?” She turned and looked at him.

“Oh, hi Dingo.”

“Why do you always lay in this corner?” Jade looked away and grimaced as a painful image flashed across her mind. “Jade, what is it?”

“Nothing. Just a memory.”

“Oh. Well, are you…doing anything today?”

“Not at the moment, no,” she replied, “Why?”

“Well, I was wondering if…we could go some where tonight. That is if you want to.”

“I’ll, ah, have to think about it, but it sounds good.” Suddenly, she began to shake, but spoke as though she didn’t even notice herself quivering violently. “I’m sorry; I think my humans are calling.”

“Wha- I don’t hear any-” Before Dingo could finish his sentence, Jade was gone. Glancing out the door, he considered following her, but thought better of it. He looked out after her and shouted, “Where are they?”

“I ran ahead of them,” she replied, “If it’s not them, they should be here any day.” Dingo nodded and turned back down the street to visit his mother.

Meanwhile, Jade ran flat out away from Nome, stopping just out of sight in a small valley between two hills. Panting, she collapsed in the snow and sobbed.

“What am I going to do?” Suddenly, her eyes flared, and her voice rose in anger. “No. He’s just like that wolf-dog. Asking me what I was doing. Offering to walk me home. I saw through him right away, and I took care of him.” She laughed. “He never got two steps away from the…barn. Pete…” She put her paws on her head and wailed, “Oh, who am I kidding? I killed him because he was too close to the bodies! Oh God, he had a family and everything!” She sobbed harder. “What am I going to do? I can’t go out with his son! I can’t!” She took a few deep, raged breaths and her eyes flared again. “No. I will. I’ll do what I have to do.” She got to her feet and screamed. “I won’t…be hurt…again!” She panted for breath as her exclamation echoed once in the evening mist. Smiling, she turned and padded back toward Nome. As she left the outskirts, though, the mist behind her took the form of a female wolf. Her eyes glowed yellow and she concentrated on Jade. After a moment, her eyes turned back to their mist likenesses and she shook her head sadly, lifting her muzzle to the sky. As she howled, the mists around her swirled, and a moment later there was no one there.

“Alright, now let’s see if you can still walk.” The doctor in Fairbanks gently set Balto down on the floor and then stepped back. Balto took a step forward, then another, testing his weight on each paw. As soon as he had, he trotted back and forth a few times and found that beside the awkward cast, he was fine. The doctor smiled. “Okay, now what about that throat of yours? Bark for me, would you?” Balto did.

“Thanks a lot doc,” Russell said, pulling a few bills out of his coat pocket, “I think this should cover the operation.” The doctor held up his hand.

“Think nothing of it,” he said, “A vet’s got to start somewhere, and you gave me one well behaved patient.” He patted Balto on the head. “Now go on. I believe you were due in Nome exactly…” He looked at his pocket watch. “Seven hours ago.” Russell nodded and called for Balto to follow him.

“Come on, boy,” he said, looking out the window, “It looks like we’re going to have to stay for another night.” Balto sighed and followed him down the street to a fairly large house. Russell knocked on the door and a moment later a short woman carrying a broom opened it.

“Russell,” she said in a kind voice, “so nice to see you again. I thought you were leaving this morning.”

“Well, we were delayed. Is my room open for one extra night?”

“Of course, Russell, come in, come in.” She smiled at Balto. “And this must be the hero of Nome. Oh, aren’t you the sweetest dog I’ve ever seen.” She patted him on the head. “Go on upstairs, Russell, your room is just as you left it.”

“Thanks, Miss Verna.” Russell started up the stairs, but Balto looked hesitantly after him, and then at Miss Verna, who looked at him and said,

“It’s alright, boy. You can go with him…as long as you don’t chew up my good furniture.” She added with a smile. Balto bounded up the stairs after Russell and followed him into his room. Miss Verna watched him go and shook her head. “I swear, sometimes I think he can understand me.”

A while later, Balto lay sleeping on a seat cushion on the floor when a canine voice woke him up.

“Balto,” it whispered, “Wake up, Balto.” Balto lifted his head slowly and blinked to clear his vision. His eyes rested on a familiar face outside the window.

“Jared? What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain when we get there. Come on!” Balto crept past his sleeping human and slipped out the window onto the roof. Jared leapt silently down onto a pile of boxes and then to the ground. Balto followed him in the same manner. Jared motioned for Balto to follow him and set off down the main street in Nome. “So,” he said, “I see you healed well. What happened?”

“I was attacked.”

“What!” Jared exclaimed, “Where?” Balto pointed to a familiar alleyway.

“Just in there.” Jared looked at him in surprise. Balto didn’t understand. “What is it?”

“Balto, I’m going to need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

“Alright, sure.” Both canines sat down and Balto began his explanation.

Balto wasn’t sure what had woken him up, but his eyes were open and his ears were lifted. Out the window, he saw the Northern Lights dancing in the midnight sky. Just then, his ears twitched. Not many would have heard the sound, but Balto, having exceptionally keen ears, picked up a whispered conversation between two canines a few houses down, interrupted every once in a while by joyful laughter. So, he thought sarcastically, thanks to these ears, I woke up to two lovers having a little fun. Perfect. He was just about to go back to sleep when he heard another voice.

One of the original voices answered, anger creeping into his tone. The new voice replied, a little louder, and much angrier. The more Balto listened, the more he became concerned. Midnight arguments could turn into something much worse in the blink of an eye. Just then, all talking ceased, and silence swept over the town of Fairbanks. At first, Balto thought that the conflict, what ever it was, had been resolved. As the silence continued, though, he became unnerved. After a few moments, his curiosity overwhelmed him and