then turned his head to the two petrified dogs behind him. .“You two okay?” he asked. Somehow, it seemed as if Haywire was speaking with a different voice. A voice more of his age. Deeper, more confident, and bolder. A voice no one on Earth knew he even had.

For a second, Blitz forgot he was being spoken to. He nervously cleared his throat. “Umm...yeah, we’re fine.” He struggled to hold Ambyr up on his shoulder. “...But Ambyr’s seriously injured. She needs to get back to town, and fas—“

Blitz’s last words were cut off by a monstrous CRRRRRRAACK!!!!! The dogs looked, horrified, at the chunk of ice containing Blitz and Ambyr start to snap off like a twig from a tree.

Blitz couldn’t get out in time. Even if he did, there was no way he’d be able to get Ambyr out as well. Haywire was in a similar situation. He could leap in and grab a hold of Blitz or Ambyr, but there was no way he’d be able to hold both of them up at the same time.

Blitz and Haywire’s thoughts zoomed in and out of their heads, screaming and yelling, as the chunk of ice began to slide off the ledge.

Instinctively, Haywire jumped forward, and latched his teeth onto the dog closest...that would be, Ambyr. She looked at him intently as he struggled to pull her back up.

Haywire watched painfully as Blitz slowly began to tumble down into the deep, dark, mouth that was swallowing up the waterfall.

Just as he thought he’d never see Blitz in his life again, a figure leapt out of the thicket, and snatched him right out of the air. Blitz yelped in surprise as he and Ambyr dangled over the ledge. Miraculously, the chunk of ice managed to stay intact, but any small and sudden movement would easily have it come crashing down to the abyss below. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Haywire peered to his side to see Drifter grunting and heaving to pull Blitz up. With similar determination, he growled to himself as he carefully raised his head, reeling in Ambyr to safety. Ambyr and Blitz then fell to the solid ground, panting.

Drifter looked over at Haywire.

Haywire looked over at Drifter.

With a silent nod to each other, they made peace.

...but not for long. Ambyr groaned in pain as the wounds on her body opened up again.

“We have to go...and NOW,” Blitz said.

Everyone nodded. But just as Haywire leaned over to take Ambyr on his shoulders, a black shadow rose from the trees, then tackled Drifter to the ground.

An irate Tonrar with a bleeding gash on the back of his head, pinned Drifter to the ground, and quickly lowered his head to bite down, on him, but Drifter reacted quickly, shoving him off, and jumping back to his feet. The two circled each other. Haywire gently lowered Ambyr to the ground, and looked over at Blitz to come to Drifter’s aid. Blitz nodded back to him, but Drifter held a paw in the air, stopping them.

“Wait,” he said.

“Drifter, it’s three against one!! We can take him!!” Blitz urged.

Drifter’s gaze was still locked on Tonrar as he spoke. “No...it’s time I tell the truth.” He lowered his head and growled. Haywire and Blitz looked at each other.

“...Tonrar and I are brothers.”

Ambyr blinked. Haywire cocked his head to the side. Blitz almost fell over. They stood, in utter astonishment at the two wolves, not saying anything either because they were still trying to soak it all in, or because they just couldn’t.

Tonrar chuckled. “...As much as it pains me to say it, he’s right.”

“...And that’s not all,” Drifter growled, circling his rival. “Our father’s name...was Nava.”

The statement didn’t have much meaning to Blitz and Ambyr, but Haywire suddenly perked his ears, trying to remember where he’d heard the familiar name before. “Hey...but isn’t Nava...BALTO’S father?”

Drifter nodded.

“...But then, that would also make you...”

Drifter nodded again. “Balto’s brother.”

This time, Blitz really did fall over. Ambyr’s breath was sucked out of her, and she gasped for air as she struggled to get up once more. Haywire put a paw on top of her, to stop moving. “But Balto said he never HAD any siblings.”

“That’s because he never knew,” Tonrar snapped at him. “It’s a wolf tradition. Never tell family members about dead brothers and sisters.” Tonrar glared back at Drifter. “Or, in this case...missing.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Drifter ran away from the pack,” Tonrar growled. “...To live a life among humans...HUMANS!! Those pesky creatures who think they own the world.”

“I was a pup back then,” Drifter cut in. “...But no human wanted to take me in. I spent a full year, living off what they threw out.”

“...And so he returned to the pack,” Tonrar continued. “To ask forgiveness, and try and regain his place among wolves. And guess what...NAVA AGREED!!!”

“FATHER AGREED,” Drifter yelled at him.

Tonrar didn’t seem to hear. “But I couldn’t let that happen. My own brother...running off to snivel after those filthy humans!! And so I did away with you, Drifter. On our first hunt together...you remember, don’t you? You should. We’re standing in the exact spot I killed you.”

Blitz looked back at the waterfall. Then, he remembered Drifter’s dream. Everything was starting to piece together.

“But that wasn’t enough for Tonrar,” Drifter said. “He had to get rid of Balto too.”

“BALTO WAS A WIMP,” Tonrar snarled. “He was as weak as you. I somehow knew he’d want to follow after you, living in those cozy little homes.”

“...And so you stole him in the middle of the night,” Drifter growled. “And dropped him off far away from the pack, leaving him for dead. And you told everyone he was snatched by a rival pack.”

“And nobody would’ve ever known the truth until word spread around all of Alaska that the Famous Balto brought back medicine to save those pathetic children!!”

“...And then, Drifter showed up,” Blitz said.

“Right. When I learned you and Balto were still alive, it gave me a hard time...so now, I’m back...to finish what I started all those years ago!!” The two stopped circling each other. “Goodbye, brother.”

And with that. Tonrar snarled again and leapt for Drifter. Drifter also jumped in the air, and the two collided together. Haywire and Blitz stood and watched as the two suddenly became a whirl of claws and teeth.

“Don’t just stand there, DO SOMETHING,” Ambyr said.

“...We can’t,” Haywire replied. He looked down at her. “...This is no longer our fight.” He then turned to Blitz. “One of us has to stay. I’ll take Ambyr, and get her back to town.”

Blitz nodded. “Okay.” He helped Ambyr lean on Haywire as he slowly started traversing among the trees.

There was no way of telling how long Haywire and Ambyr were walking, but the silence between them was even colder than the chilly night air.

“I, uh, want to apologize...about earlier,” Haywire said. “I thought it might be something that has to do with us...but it wasn’t.”

Ambyr shook her head. “I...was wrong too. Drifter told me a few things after you and Blitz left, but I thought that if I told you, you’d never approve of Drifter and I being together.”

“Oh, is that what you two were talking about?”

Ambyr was silent.

Haywire lowered his gaze. “Sorry...that’s none of my business.”

“No,” Ambyr said. “If you really want to know...Drifter and I were...We were breaking up.”

Haywire almost tripped, and Ambyr wobbled as she tried to keep her balance. “You were WHAT?!”

Ambyr looked at him. “Yes. Drifter and I both knew his little secret would mean trouble for all of us...he tried to end our relationship before it ended our lives. Frankly, I couldn’t blame him. How could I? He was only trying to protect me...and you guys.”

Haywire drew in a breath to reply, but Ambyr stopped. “What is it?”

“Haywire...” Ambyr pointed her muzzle at two shadows lurking in the trees. They slowly made their way closer to them.

When they were close enough, their features became undeniable. It was Iqniq and Yakone. Haywire lowered his head and growled at them. “I told you I never wanted to see you two AGAIN!!!”

He snarled loudly, and the two wolves stopped.

Suddenly, Ambyr groaned again. Her eyes closed, and she fell limp at Haywire’s side and landed on the snow.

“AMBYR!! AMBYR!!! WAKE UP!!”

She tried to open her eyes, but the weight of her eyelids was slowly forcing them shut.

Haywire was so preoccupied with Ambyr, he didn’t notice Yakone and Iqniq come dangerously close to his side. Haywire looked up at them, angrily.

...but something was different. No fire burned in their eyes like earlier. They weren’t growling back, they were merely sitting there...watching. Suddenly, Yakone tipped his head to the ground – a wolf’s bow. After a few seconds, Iqniq did the same.

“Haywire...true wolf leader,” Yakone said.

Haywire was confused. He didn’t want to trust them, but he didn’t know why he didn’t fight back when the two walked over to Ambyr’s limp body. The two wolves got on either side of her, and heaved her on their backs.

“Haywire lead...we follow,” Yakone