Steele instead of having to sit there and tolerate him.

Balto wandered all over town, but didn’t see any dog in site. Balto frowned. This wasn’t normal, even for Nome. Finally, he decided he’d better turn back. Even if it did mean facing Boris and his bombardment of how dreams mean something. Balto gave a small chuckle, which quickly faded away. As he approached the boat, he saw a bobcat sniffing around.

Balto growled. His teeth bared and his ears back. All of his fur bristled at the site of the creature. The cat turned and sneered. He padded up to the wolf dog on his large paws and stopped a few feet away. He wasn’t that dumb. Balto raised his head high and stared at the bobcat.

“Who are you?” The cat asked.

“That’s exactly what I should be asking you.” Balto replied.

The cat sneered again, “Well, unlike you I will give you an answer. I am Timanchi. Now, I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

Balto continued to growl, “That’s my business. It was your choice to give me your name and it is my choice to not give you mine. Now what do you want?”

The cat sighed, “Very well, I came here because me and my traveling partner are hungry and we smelled goose. Unfortunately, we also smelled wolf, and knowing that we could not get the goose without the wolf, waited until we no longer smelled wolf. Confusing isn’t it.”

“No, but that goose your talking about raise me and I’m not about to let him become lunch to some whiskery fiends.”

“Well, then I must inform you that I am the only ‘whiskery fiend’ if you will. My partner is a wolf like yourself.”

“I am not a wolf!” Balto snapped.

“And neither is my partner. She is a wolf dog. Looks more dog though, but she prefers to be called a wolf.”

Balto stopped growling. Timanchi clearly meant no harm, so he had no reason to snarl and snap at everything he said. They wolf smell on him was familiar, but Balto couldn’t quite place it.

“Ah, I see you’ve stopped growling. Now maybe you’ll tell me your name.”

“Balto.”

“Pardon?”

“My name is Balto.”

“Are you sure?”

“What do you mean ‘Am I sure’? Of course I’m sure! Do you think I wouldn’t know my own name?”

“No, but a lot of other wolves we have run into claim to be descendents of you. Just the other day we met a wolf claiming to be your daughter. I think she called herself Alue.”

“Yes, that is my daughter.”

“So you are Balto then?”

“Yes! Of course I’m Balto! Just ask any other dog around here. They’ll tell you the same thing. And you might get a free wolf dog joke thrown in there along with it!” He snapped. He was tired of all these questions. He walked past the bobcat and towards his boat.

“Wait! I need you top met my companion! She says she knows you!”

Balto stopped. He turned and looked at the cat, “What is her name?”

“Tiye.”

“I do not know a Tiye.”

Balto turned and walked away from the bobcat and up the gangplank. He curled up on the blanket and rested his head. He sighed and fell asleep.

Balto was running through the forest. He looked around wildly. Wolfs howls rose all around him and thus made him run faster. He came to a cliff and fell tumbling down. He fell hard at the bottom. He stood up and looked around. Then he saw the bobcat, Timanchi. He stood up and walked over to him.

“What are you doing here?” He said

Timanchi didn’t answer. He just ran off. Balto ran after him, he was panting. Timanchi led him across a field and towards a wolf. Her copper fur rustled in the wind. She turned and smiled.

“You again!” He growled, “Why won’t you leave me alone!”

She kept smiling, “Do you think that you can get rid of me?” She said laughing, “Difera, I thought you were smart.”

Balto snarled and lunged, “I’m not Difera!!”

 

Balto awoke suddenly in a cold sweat. He panted and looked around. Timanchi was still around; he could smell him. He growled and got up.

Balto ran down the gangplank and jumped at the bobcat below. Timanchi let out a startled yowl. Balto tackled him and snarled, “Didn’t you get the hint to go away!!”

“Please…” Timanchi said, “She says she knows you!”

Balto let the bobcat up, “Fine.” He said, “I’ll humor you. Lead me to who ever it is.”

“Tiye.”

“Look pal. I’m tired, and you’re making me mad. Now hurry up so I can go back to sleep.”

Timanchi sprang to his feet and took off. Balto stood there for a second before realizing the cat had left. He turned and chased after him. They wound their way through the woods. Balto lost sight of the bobcat. Suddenly wolf howls rose around him. He sped up his pace and came to a skidding halt. He stood on top of a cliff. Timanchi was waiting at the bottom. Balto looked for another way down, but was suddenly pushed down.

Balto skidded down the cliff and landed, not so gracefully, at the bottom. He slowly stood up. He looked up the cliff and saw a female wolf standing on top. She looked down at him, a snarl on her face. He cocked his head. This was not the wolf from his dream. He turned back to Timanchi.

The bobcat took off with Balto right behind him. Timanchi led him across a field and towards a wolf. Her copper fur rustled in the wind. She turned and smiled.

Balto stopped and snarled, “You.” He said.

The wolf turned and looked at Timanchi, “See I told you He’d recognize me!”

“I don’t recognize you.” Balto said, “Only from my dreams.”

“Isn’t that sweet.” She said.

Balto snarled again, “Who are you?”

“You…you don’t remember me?”

“No! Why would why?”

“But, Difera…”

“My name is Balto! Not Difera!” Balto’s temper was growing short.

The wolf laughed. “So you took father’s name for you then. Well, I did not dishonor mother like that. I am Tiye. Your sister.”

 

Chapter 3

Gone to far

 

Tiye now followed Balto everywhere. When he went to visit Jenna, when he saw Kodi, she was always there. And it never helped with Timanchi always with her. They two were inseparable. Balto had just about had it. It wasn’t until a week after Tiye had come back with him, that everything started falling apart.

Balto was walking into town; he had managed to shake off Tiye and Timanchi, and decided to visit Jenna. Of course, he checked the boiler room first. It was a bad habit and he knew it. Steele and Rial had taken to hanging around there. Balto turned the corner and came face to face with the devil himself.

“Well, well, well.” The black and white husky said, “Look who it is, the wolf. Where’s your little friend?” He sneered.

Right on cue, Tiye came trotting around the corner, Timanchi at her heels.

“Well, speak of the devil!” Steele exclaimed, “There she is now.”

Tiye walked up next to Balto and looked at Steele, then Rial, and then Balto. Don’t say it. Balto thought. Please don’t say it.

“Difera, who are they.” She asked.

Balto groaned. And Steele laughed cruelly, “Difera? What are you? Some type of king?”

Tiye turned sharply at Steele, “He is my brother! Now I suggest you back off!”

Steele laughed again, “Oh look, the little wolfie is making threats. How cute. And sticking up for her brother,” He sneered at Balto, “I’ve seen Difera have Jenna stick up for him, but I never imagined, he was unable to do that for himself.”

Tiye snarled and launched herself at Steele. She knocked him over and was instantly upon him. Steele let out a blood-curling snarl, and Rial jumped on Tiye. She shook him off with no effort and lunged for Steele again. She grabbed his throat. There was a yelp of pain and his body went limp. Tiye backed away, her muzzled stained with blood.

Rial stood in shock. Then in a panic of rage and fear, he ran for Tiye. She jumped aside with lightning swift movements, and then jumped. Rial let out a yelp of surprise and was pinned below her. Quickly she opened her massive jaws and brought them down on him. A cry of pain rang through the air. Tiye jumped off and walked away. She looked back at Rial, his shoulder ripped open, staining dirt a deep red. He stared at her in shock.

“Your…. your not going to kill me?” He asked.

“No,” she said, “I don’t kill.”

 

 

 

 

 

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