words. “I . . . I don’t understand, Mother . . .”

However, the wolf spirit only faded into the mist, causing it to disappear. “Learn to listen to your heart’s song . . . Hear what it tells you, and you will understand . . .” Only Aniu’s low voice could be heard around the half-wolf as Balto’s ears pricked up in confusion. 

“Mother? . . . Mother, where are you?” Balto barked, sniffing the totem pole for some sort of a sign that the white wolf’s presence was still lingering around him, but it was no use. The spirit’s scent had disappeared along with her form as the mist cleared from sight.

Again, it’s like no one else was here, the wolf-dog muttered to himself with a sigh. He was all alone again He began to walk away from the pole and back towards his home where he knew Boris would be waiting for him. Boris wouldn’t understand this even if I told him, but I doubt anyone would . . . Balto began to speed up to a jog as he made his way from the dirt and slush to the sand of the shoreline and finally up to the wooden plank that led up to the main deck of his boat. 

The gander, just like he had hoped, was indeed waiting for him, running up to him with open wings. “Oh, Balto!” Boris wrapped his feathery arms around the wolf-dog’s neck in a hug. “I was so worried that you were going to leave me after what I told you earlier this morning. You seemed so upset . . . I’m so sorry to hurt your feelings!”

Balto was taken by surprise by the gesture of friendship, but he found himself able to smile, giving Boris a lick on the cheek to forgive him. “It’s okay, Boris. I could never leave you.” 

“Whew! Thank goodness,” The goose breathed a sigh of relief. “Where’d you run off to so suddenly?” He curiously asked.

“Just in town for a while . . . to talk to other dogs, that’s all,” Boris gave Balto a strange glance, as if to suspect that Balto was out cheating or something. The wolf-dog blushed at the sight of the curious gander’s thought and brushed it away with a bark. “No, it’s nothing like that, Boris! I would never break the loyal vow that Jen and I share . . . and you know that for a fact!” 

“So, why is it so hard for you to find a gift to show how much you love her, huh?” Boris snapped back, causing the wolf-dog’s ears to droop down his neck.

“I . . . I don’t wanna sing, that’s all,” Balto explained. “I mean, I’ve talked to Yukon and Denali, a couple of Jenna’s friends, and even you . . .” And my Mother too, it seems, Balto added in his personal thoughts. “and all I hear is ‘Sing to Jenna! Sing to Jenna!’ I just don’t want to, okay!” He let out a deep huff, signaling his obvious frustration. “There has to be some other thing I can do to show my love.” His angered rage had exhausted him, making him collapse onto the ground like an old mutt that had worked nonstop for several hours. 

His eyes began to droop, almost to the point of falling asleep, but a small white paw with small black fingered claws awoke him with a gasp. It was Muk, the smaller of the two polar bear brothers, and he only smiled with his much larger sibling behind him as a pillow cushion for his back.

“Uncle Balto,” the tiny bear cub began to mutter. “sorry to overhear you, but if you’re looking for a present for Jenna, why not give her these?” He had had his other paw behind his back, hiding something, but once he said ‘these’, he revealed a small bouquet of wildflowers colored in many beautiful hues. 

Balto gasped at the plants with awe. “Oh, how wonderful . . .” The wolf-dog’s ears and body perked up, causing him to stand to his feet; this time, his voice was louder and more positive than ever. “How wonderful! This is perfect!” He pushed his nose against Muk’s, pressing him back into Luk’s large lap. “Where did you find these?”

“I didn’t find them; Luk did,” Muk answered. “They were up the hills past town.” Luk let out a couple of mumbles and snickers; the smaller bear paused to catch and translate his brother’s words. “Luk says that the humans don’t go up there and neither do the other dogs, so it should have plenty more left for you to make a gift for Jenna.” 

“That’s great!” Balto, energized with this newfound energy of hope, leapt over the wooden rail, landing at the foot of the boat’s buried bow. “Take me there!"

The two bears looked at each other with large grins before scampering down the wooden plank to guide their adoptive uncle to the mysterious flower field they had discovered. Boris remained on the boat once again; he didn’t want to impose on their fun and merriment. The gander just sighed and flew himself up to the top of the boat’s only room, looking out at the shadows of the ones he called his own, despite their different species and looks.

“Good luck, boy,” He muttered underneath his breath, speaking only to himself. “I hope this will do it . . . but I only hope you give Jenna something from the heart . . . your heart, not someone else’s.” Boris sighed again as he shut his eyes for an afternoon snooze, awaiting the hour when Balto and the bears would return. 

(Part II – completed 2/18/08)