Papa!.. Where are you!?”

Chapter Five:

            Just then Alue came running up to Balto. “Daddy, I didn’t want to stay at the boat alone. It’s scary.” she cried meekly.

            “It’s alright honey. Nothing would have hurt you.” comforted Balto. “I’m here.”

            “And who,” started Duchess with a raised brow, “is this?”

There was another long pause.

“I’m waiting.” Duchess huffed impatiently.

Jenna moved towards Balto and gave him a concerned look while Ritchie sidled up to Duchess and whispered something. Duchess gave a sigh and a nod and followed Ritchie a couple yards away from the four. Ritchie and Duchess started whispering back and forth so quietly that not even Balto and Jenna could hear them.

“Daddy,” asked Alue. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No you didn’t dear.” said Jenna. “They’re just going to talk.”

“About what?” Alue asked again.

“We don’t know. And you shouldn’t be so nosy all the time.” added in Boris.

Ritchie and Duchess finished there conversation and Duchess went inside but Ritchie came back to the four.

“Jenna, could you go help your mother with something? She needs some help.” Ritchie told her.

Jenna was just going to protest when Ritchie gave her a “Do-it-or-you’re-in-trouble-look.” So, she went inside anyways. Ritchie then turned his attention to Boris. “Bernard is it?”

“Boris” Boris corrected.

“Yeah, Bernard, can you take little… what’s her name back home. I’ve got to talk Balto.”

“Sure. Want me fetch your fuzzy slippers next?” grumbled Boris, as he led Alue back to the boat and mumbled on about how Ritchie had messed up his name.

“Now Balto, I’d like to speak to you in person. Ya know, almost like a father-son talk.”

“Uhh.” Balto hesitated.

“What? Haven’t you ever had one of them with your own father?”

“Not exactly. See, when I was young, I had no father to look up to. It was only my mother and me. But then, we were accidentally separated. Soon, Boris found me stumbling around the woods and decided to take me in. He’s the closest thing I have to a father.”

“Oh. I didn’t know. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, but-”

“As I was saying,” Ritchie interrupted, “I would like to have a talk with you. How about tomorrow, at the boiler room? And please come alone, I don’t want others to hear our conversation.”

“Okay. But what time of day?”

“Mmm, after sunset.”

“Sure thing. See you there.” Balto replied kindly. “But I better get back home. No telling how Boris handled Alue by himself.”

          Ritchie chuckled and said nothing more as he entered back through the doggie door.

Half-Past Midnight that same evening:

            The town had been asleep for hours. Not even the dogs were roaming around town. Every light was shut off and every curtain closed. The gently snow that had been falling earlier still kept up its slow pattern for a harsh winter was fast approaching. But inside Jenna’s house, all were not sleeping.

            “Duchess. Duchess. Wake up, it’s time.” whispered Ritchie.

            “Really? It seems too early.” Duchess whispered back with a silent yawn.

            Ritchie stood up slowly trying to make as least noise as possible. “Well, I checked, and we should get up.”

            He slowly tipped-toed past Jenna as she silently slept and headed towards the door. The floorboards creaked and groaned, as if saying to them to not go. Ritchie slipped out the doggie door and Duchess soon followed. The two crept around the house to a partially fenced in backyard. There they saw a larger figure which they recognized as the stranger, waiting for them.

            “I see you came. I was worried that you wouldn’t show.” he said.

            “Well, we did. And, I’m sorry, but I forgot your name.” Ritchie said back.

            He thought for a second, “It’s Gregory. But you can call me Greg.”

            “Why are we here again, er, Greg?” asked Duchess.

            “Because I didn’t get to finish what I told you earlier.” Greg replied, “Trust me, you need to hear this. But if you don’t want to-”

            “Oh but we do.” Duchess said swiftly. “But why so late at night?”

            “Because,” he started, “the dog I’m about to tell you about, has it in for me. I can’t really go out in public much because he’s waiting for the chance to get me.”

            “Well who is this dog?” asked Ritchie.

            “I’ll tell you right now. Okay, here goes.”

            Greg started his story, a long winded tale if you will. He took forty-five minutes just to get from the begging to the end. By this time more snow had fallen and covered up their coats.

            “I can’t believe it.” Duchess sighed in disbelief.

            “That’s just sickening. How could a dog do that? I mean, the whole fate of this town was on his shoulders and all he thinks about is fame?” Ritchie snorted, “Disgusting.”

            “And how could he have done that to the dog that was just trying to help? No way he could be called “man’s best friend… I’ve never like a canine like his type.”

            “And worst of all. He forced himself on Jenna like that!”

            “I’ll show him what happens when he does that to our daughter!”

            “Just wait Duchess. We don’t want to get carried away.”

            “Well,” said Greg, “I feel like I better get going. Want to get back before I’m found missing.”

            “I may need some help from you soon if you’d be willing.” said Ritchie.

            “Well, sure thing. Just try to find me in the back-alleys, can’t really go onto the main streets without him finding me. But I really need to go.”

“Okay, well, bye Greg. Thank you for telling us about all that. We appreciate it.” smiled Duchess.

            Greg smiled back and disappeared between two of the planks of the fence.

            When he was out of earshot he said quietly to himself, “Yes, it was really…. nice helping you two.”

            “Welp, time for bed.” said Ritchie after a couple of minutes.

            “I agree. This whole thing has made me…. very sleeping.” Duchess yawned.

            The two walked back inside and silently crept passed Jenna again. Soon Duchess was asleep but Ritchie had more trouble drifting off. He stayed awake for hours just thinking of what Greg had said.

Chapter Six:

            The sun had risen and the town was back to its normal hustle and bustle. Kaltag was on his way to Star’s house to see if he was going to come out.

            “He may be a pain. But he’s my pain.” he chuckled softly to himself.

            Kaltag stopped at the entrance of an alleyway.

            “Hmm. Which way to take today.” He looked down the lane and saw it was packed with people and animals. He then checked the alley to only see some huge crates stacked close to a house to his left.

            “Should I take the way where I have to maneuver around everyone, or the way with no obstacles…? Alley it is!”

            Kaltag trotted down the Alley and past the crates. He then heard a crunch of snow from behind him. He thought it was just from the street but then he saw some tracks by his. The tracks led to the crates but didn’t come back out.