thought he could just hear a new sound echoing on the wind.  Cocking his ear to listen, he caught the sounds of the voice he had heard the night before. 

“Togo…”

Perplexed by what was happening to him, Togo's brow furrowed in confusion.  “I’m sure I’m not asleep,” he said to himself.  Shaking his head, he tried to ignore what was occurring around him, and he continued to struggle up towards the summit, step-by-step.  After a short distance, the voice came to him again.

“Togo…”

Togo stopped to catch his breath.  Looking around, he shouted in frustration “Where are you?!”

He glanced upward; there, standing at the summit, on Anvil Rock itself, was the white wolf, looking down at him.

“The circle of life is nearly complete.”  Despite the fact that she was still some distance from him, he heard her voice as clearly as if she were standing beside him.

Togo grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.  Shaking his head, he paused for a moment.  When he relaxed, and opened his eyes, the wolf was gone, and everything was moving normally.  However, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion, he decided to lay down for a few minutes’ worth of rest.  Placing his head down on his forelegs, he nodded off into a light snooze.

CHAPTER 7
Togo was lost in the throes of another dream.  He slept lightly, but was still dreaming.  Now he found himself back on the beach of Norton Sound.  It was seven years ago, and he was standing next to Boris.  Running around and hopping at their feet was a small brown-gray puppy.

“Come on, Togo!  Let’s run!  I wanna run!”

Boris clapped his wings over his ears.  “Vill you take dis kid for a run, already?  He is driving me crazy!”

Togo was momentarily surprised to be immersed in this situation from his past, but he shook it off quickly.

Boris was staring at him.  “VELL?!  Vhat are you vaiting for?  Personal inwitation?”

Togo shook his head and laughed.  “Alright, Boris…alright!  We’re going!”

Boris crossed his wings in front of him out of frustration, and began grumbling in Russian.

Togo shot him a glance out of the corner of his eye, and then turned to the excitable puppy.  “Come on, Balto!  Today I’m going to show you how to use your stride to increase the distance you can travel!”  Togo started off running down the beach.

“Hey”, Balto called, “wait for me!”  He took off running, kicking up sand right into Boris’ beak.

It wasn’t long before the young puppy caught up with him.  Togo caught sight of Boris’ old fishing boat, and was about to begin explaining to Balto the details of breathing while running, when he heard the voice again. 

“Togo…”

Togo came to an abrupt, sliding halt, digging his paws into the sand.  Looking up at the deck of the boat, he saw the white wolf, staring down at him.  He stared back up at her.

From behind him came Balto’s youthful voice.  “Togo?  Why did you stop?”

Togo turned to look back, but found himself standing on the boat, looking down at the deck where he had just seconds before expected to see Balto standing.  He drew back, and then turned to find the white wolf standing next to him.  Turning his attention then down to the beach, he saw Balto looking up and calling to him…in slow motion.  But he could no longer hear the puppy.

“He loves you almost like a father, Togo”, said the white wolf solemnly.  “You have been good to him…a good teacher.”

“Togo!”  It was Balto, down on the beach.  He was jumping up and down, calling to Togo.

“Togo!”

Togo shook his head, and then looked down at the puppy.  He started to descend the plank, when he felt a sudden gust of cold air…and awoke, to find himself laying on a rock near the summit of Anvil Mountain.

“Uncle Togo!”

Togo groggily shook his head to clear it.  Was he still hearing Balto’s young voice?

“Uncle Togo!  Help me, please!”

But that wasn’t Balto’s voice.  It sounded like Belle!  He stood up as quickly as he could, and scanned the surrounding rocks.  “Belle?”

“Down here!  Help me!  I’m slipping!”

Togo looked down and there, below him some yards away, was Belle.  She was hanging onto an icy prominence, which was cracking and threatening to give way.  Around her, the ice and rock had already broken free and fallen, and she was slowly losing her grip.

Without wasting time, and ignoring the arthritis burning in his joints, Togo quickly descended to within a few feet of her, but was stopped by a precarious ledge of slippery ice between the two of them.  He could now hear the ice creaking and snapping, and his heart sunk.  Below her was a fall of many feet to a rocky embankment.  The fall would most certainly injure Belle severely, if not kill her.  He had to do something!

Belle screeched in fear, trying to scramble up onto the prominence, while it cracked in response.  Togo could see the panic in her eyes.  “Belle, try not to struggle!  I’m coming!”

Belle was in tears, and her voice broke on her response.  “But I’m afraid, uncle Togo!  I can’t hold on!”

Togo felt a surge of pity for her.  He loved Belle as much as he did his own sons and daughters, and it broke his heart to see her so fearful and in such desperate straights.  “I know, sweetheart, I know!  But if you keep struggling, the ice could break loose.  Try and stay calm, and trust me!  You know I’d never let you down, kiddo!”

“Y-yes, uncle To…” there was a loud crack, and Belle let out another screech.  Still, the ice did not break.

As Togo was assessing the situation, he saw Balto and Dingo running up from below.  But they, too, were separated from Belle, and would not be able to reach her.  They both saw what was happening, and reacted with shock.  Dingo, Belle’s father, even more so. 

“BELLE!  Hang on, baby!  We’re gonna get you out of there!”  Dingo was awash with anxiety and fear for his daughter.

Balto looked up and spotted Togo trying to work his way to Belle, and he called up to him.  “Togo!  Can you reach her?  I don’t think we can!”

“I’m not sure”, Togo replied.  “I’ve got some dangerous ice between her and I!”

Dingo pleaded with Togo.  “Please, uncle Togo!  Do something!”

That last plea tugged at Togo’s heartstrings.  He looked at the ledge between himself and Belle, and considered the distance.  Much like it was once before…back in 1925.  Only now, there was no water to catch him should he miss his mark.  Only hard, slippery ice, which would propel him right off the ledge onto the rocks below.

“I’ll have to jump it – it’s the only way!”

Balto and Dingo exchanged a worried glance.  Balto looked back up at Togo, and his voice became grim.  “And that’s the only option?”

“She doesn’t have much time, Balto” Togo replied.  “That ledge is about to give way.”

As Togo responded to Balto’s question, the white wolf appeared again, just behind them, in a swirl of snow and wind.  Balto and Dingo apparently could not see her…but he did.  And she looked up at him.

Balto shouted back to Togo.  “Well, alright then.  Jump!   But be careful!  Jump!”

Dingo also shouted up.  “You can do it, uncle Togo!  If anyone can, you can do it!”

Togo was suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of the incident on the ice floe in 1925.  Standing on the edge of the floe, and hearing Seppala encourage him on.  “Jump, Togo!  Jump boy!  You can make it!”  The two scenes meshed before his eyes.  Togo looked down at Belle, her eyes wide with fright.  He looked at Balto and Dingo, who gazed up with great concern and anxiety.  And then he looked once more into the mysterious eyes of the white wolf, and his thoughts cleared.  Nodding, he leapt.

Time seemed to come almost to a stand-still.  He sailed upwards, but age had stolen much of his former grace and agility from him.  He came down near the edge of the icy ledge, and began sliding towards Belle.  As he struggled to gain some traction with his paws, he slid fast towards her, and the open air beyond.  Panic began to take hold as he tried to gain some friction with his paws.

Then he hit the end of the ledge, and began to sail out into the open air and, gradually,