"Balto? Why Balto?" He cocked an eyebrow at Aniu.

   "Balto is a lovely name, for a hybrid. Besides, he barked, that means he's more husky than wolf."

   "And Seras howled, that means that she's more wolf than husky." They smiled at each other. He went out and invited the others in one at a time.

   Two months had passed from when the pups were born. They were old enough to meet their father's family. They headed out of the forest and down to the beach. They couldn't meet Jason and the team in town, it was for Aniu and the pup's safety. The team was already there. Their faces covered with smiles and their tails were wagging hard. They talked amoung themselves as Balto and Seras played with B.J., Star, and Wave. They stuck close to Aniu too. They had to because of Pearl, she would do anything to ruin their parent's relationship.

   "Good boy Tomohawk." Jason praised his dog as he held Seras and Balto in his arms. They fell asleep when it was time to go. Tomohawk carried Balto and Aniu carried Seras. They laid down in the cave to sleep. Tomohawk had dreams about his pups again. He dreampt of them having wonderful lives and living peacefully with no worries.

Chapter 9: Love Before Sorrow

   Tomohawk woke up in the middle of the night. He heard a loud rustling from outside.

   "What the?" He walked out of the den, trying not to wake everyone up.

   "Papa." Seras had woken up from the rustling.

   "Shhh, stay there honey. I'll be right back." Seras stayed put, but she watched her father walk out. Tomohawk looked around and didn't see anything, the rustling also seemed to stop. "That's odd." Suddenly a large puff of smoke clouded Tomohawk's lungs. He looked around and saw a wall of fire in front of him.

   "Mama!" Balto shouted from inside the cave. The smoke flooded the cave.

   "Aniu! Kids!" Tomohawk ran back inside and grabbed Seras in his mouth. Aniu ran toward him with Balto.

   "What's going on!?" Aniu asked Tomoahwk as they headed out of the cave. Her voice shaky and frightened.

   "I'm not sure, but we need to get the pack and leave! The forest is on fire!"

   "No!" She yelled as she peered over their lands that had been set a flame to burn away.

   "Aniu! Tomoahwk! Are you there!?" They looked in front of them to see a white wolf.

   "Crest?"

   "Yes, it's me! I got the pack to safety! Come on follow me!" They tried their best to keep up with her.

   "Do you know how this fire started?"

   "It was my mate's old pack. He left them for me and they couldn't hurt him, so they went after your pack since you're my sister." They reached a river on the edge of the woods. The pack was waiting for them on the other side.

   "Once we make it across the fire can't reach us. We'll be safe."

   "What about your mate's old pack? Won't they follow us?"

   "I'll make sure they don't." The five hopped across stones and fallen trees to get across it. Once they were reunited with the pack Crest saw the other wolves. They began to hop across the rocks too. Crest went to the edge of the river and looked up at the full moon. "Moon spirit within me, release your power. Allow this river to flow into the forest. Sweep these outsiders away from our lands and put out the fire invading our home. Please answer my request owe great moon spirit." A light shined on Crest and a moon shaped necklace appeared around her neck. Then the river began to rock back and forth, it over flowed and plowed the rival pack and fire down to nothing. Everyone yipped happily, all except for Tomoahwk who stood next to Aniu shocked at what he had just witniced.

   "Aniu what just happened?" He looked over to Aniu who looked over at him, shame was written all over her face.

   "I'm sorry Tomohawk, I never told you. Our familyhas the power of the gods. If you want to leave you can."

   "Do you have this powe too? Our children?"

   "I have the power to shape shift. Balto most likely doesn't have the power because he is more husky than wolf. But Seras probably does have the power to shape shift." She began to walk away, but Tomoahwk put balto down and rn in front of her.

   "I don't want to leave. I love our family, but you should have told me."

   "I know, but I thought you would reject us."

   "No I would never do that. I will always love you," He snuggled her tightly and went to pick up balto, but he wasn't there. "Balto? Balto! Where's Balto!?" He looked around franticly and then he heard barking from the river.

   "Tomhawk! Balto's in the river!" Streak screamed. He turned to see his son being swept down the raging river. He ran to the edge and almost fell in himself. Aniu put Seras down and grabbed Tomohawk's collar and threw him out of the way. Seras ran over to her father and saw her mother jump in the river after her brother.

   "Aniu!" Her sister screamed.

   "Leader!"

   "Mama!"  Seras was about to jump in too, but her father grabbed her by the tail and commanded her to stay put. By now Aniu had reached Balto and she grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

    "Breath deep Balto and hold it." He took a deep breath and they went under. She swam to the bottom and pushed off as hard as she could. The ice could water cut her air off and Balto couldn't hold on much longer. 'Hang on Balto, we're almost there.' Then they broke the water's surface. The others shouted as Aniu thrusted out above the water and tossed balto through the air. Tomohawk caught his son saftely and placed him with Streak and Seras. Aniu hit the water and was being swept away down the river. Tomohawk chased the river shouting Aniu's name. She tried her best to swim torward shore, but the current was too strong. They both looked ahead and saw a waterfall.

   "Aniu!" He shouted again and came closer.

   "Mama!" Seras jumped off the edge to her mother. She had slipped away from Streak. Aniu caught her daughter and held her tight. He was about to jump in, but it was too late. They went over the falls. Tomohawk stood on the edge, he was about to jump, but Crest stopped him and pointed him a way down.

   "She has to be alive."

   "Please let her be alive." He prayed as they rushed down the path.

   Aniu swam to the shore. She laid down on her side, she shrieked in pain. Then she remembered Seras jumped to her before they went down. She slowly got up and called out her name. Seras emerged from the water. She was soaked to the bone and her leg hurt badly. She whimpered as Anu struggled to get to her. Then a sound came from the woods. Aniu told her to stay behind a log until it was safe. Aniu stood up and tried to hold her position. Her side was screaming in pain and she could barely stand.

   "Well well, what do we have here. That white wolf from the meadow. How intresting. Seems you fell from the falls. Are you hurting? Well, I'll put you out of your misery. I couldn't before, but no one's protecting you know!" He was about to fire when Seras accidentlly stumbled out from behind the log.

   "Oww." She said as she noticed the hunter staring at her.

   "A pup? Yours I pressume. She'll be a pet. Don't you think?" He walked torward Seras, but Aniu jumped to her and grabbed her. She snarled and ran into the woods. "Come back her you bitch!" He cussed at her and fired. He continued to pursue them and fire his weapon. Aniu's side kept up the painful ache to keep her slow. Then everything seemed to go black. A shrieking pain shot through her heart and Seras went tumbling into the bushes.

   "Gotcha!" He ran up to Aniu's lifeless body. He kicked it once and looked around for Seras. She hid in a rabbit hole and didn't get spotted. He soon gave up and left, though he wasn't disappionted in killing a wolf. Seras creeped out slowly and went over to her mother.

   "Mama. Mama!" Seras shoved her mom and she lifted her head slowly.

   "Seras...I..want..you..to..go..out..of...our..territory...and..find...another... wolf...pack. They'll....take...good...care..of..you. Just..rub...up..against...me. and...go." Seras began to cry her eyes out.

   "I love you mama." She rubbed up against her mother and took one last look.

   "I...love..you..too...Seras." Then, her mother's body went limp. Seras ran as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care.

   "Aniu!" Tomohawk and Crest called at the top of their lungs. He sniffed around and found a blood trail, despite of what he might find, he followed it. Then he could have puked and cried at the sight before him. Aniu was lying in a blood pool with a bullet through her heart. He went to her side. She was slightly breathing.

"Tomohawk...I...let..Seras...go..with..a..wolf..pack..because...she..she"

  "She looks and is more wolf than Balto I know. Aniu don't leave me." He couldn't see through the tears in his eyes.

   "Yes...that's..right. I..want..you..and..Balto...to go   back...and...live...with..your..owner. Crest...you..take..care...of...the..pack..make..it..your..own. I..love..you..all." She took one last breath and her body seemed to fade away.

   "This is what happens to a god gifted animal when they die. Their spirit turns back into its normal self." He looked over his shoulder to see Crest standing behind him. Her eyes were red from crying earlier. As he looked back over to Aniu's fading body, a bright light shot out of it and sped to the sky. It exploded and the stars left in its place were shaped like Aniu. Then the northern lights suddenly flooded the sky and