away from Scotts house. And Cher was lying on her bedding and thinking intensively. Longing after lost sister was strong but not as strong as pity over herself.

“So, it’s done.” She thought. “Aleu went to the forest to live on her own. Kodi became a permanent member of mail-team and Yuk will race with master Tanter in nearest January-race. Thank God that Saba and Dinga haven’t done anything heroic yet!” she silent murmured with bitter irony. “I’m nothing but a daughter of famous Balto. Aleu, Saba, Yuk and Kodi will never match the dad’s achievements but they can try. And I can’t! I hate it!” And for short and dreadful moment she felt like she was loathing of her own family, too great to escape from its shade. “No, wait! Wham I’m thinking of?” asked herself. “Am I so selfish that I envy a happiness o my siblings and father? God, probably I am!” She wanted to stand up and go to miss Clara bed. Her owner surely would pet her and cuddle to sleep. Maybe it was very puppyish behaviour but Cher maintained her puppyish charm and still was to turning Clara round her paw. So she made a first step into house, but then she heard a dog’s steps outside. After a quick sniff she knew who it was.

“Jack?” asked with quiet voice and sighed with irritation when muffled bark answered her. “Wait there. I will go outside.” She added and went before veranda. Jack was waiting in garden, sitting with in elegant and official pose, probably to cover his excitation. With Cher he was acting like a tiny pup, although he was almost four years old.

“Good evening, Jack.” She said, trying to sound polite.

“Hi, Cher.” Replied husky. “I’ve just heard about Aleu.”

“Nice you are worried about her.” Said cherry-furred with slight irony.

“I thought... I thought that it could be a bit hard for you...” started dog, but soon he lost his self-confidence and fell silent.

“Thanks, Jack. But I will be all right...” she said. “Aleu chose her own way and we can’t change it.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Agreed husky and silence fell in Scott garden.

Cher felt that she had a unpleasant task to send Jack home, but it was hard – husky was clearly infatuated with her, watching every her move with heavy beating heart. “Ow, Jack.” She thought. “Even now you are consider me as angel, but I envy you anyway. You have your race-sled, runner-carrier in sight, fame before you. And I?”

“Right, let go for a walk.” She said with little bored voice.

They went to the forest on east slope of Pine Hill. For most of time Jack was speaking about his trainings with owner, desperately trying to impress bitch, but what he didn’t know that every story about his success was annoying for Cher. She clenched her jaws and tried to calm down her breath but when husky started to tell Balto story (he was young pup in epidemic times), she lost her temper.

“Cease that, Jack.” She gasped. “I heard that tale thousand times and I know every word of it.” Before he fell silent and turned his stare to the ground, she stood before him and nudged him with paw. He had to look in her face. “Also I know I will never match my father. But fact that I reconciled to this, it doesn’t mean that I like to be reminded about I’m ONLY BALTO’S CHILD!”

“No, Cher, I didn’t mean to...” started dog. “I admire you the way you are...”

“Look at me!” ordered bitch, although he had been looking on her for some time. “I can’t even help that my sister went away.”

“E...” said quite confused Jack. “Do you think that she is in danger?”

“Maybe she is stronger than me... but not immortal for sure!” she gasped with irony. “Just... Do you think that she left because her wolfish appearance? Kodi and Yuk dealt with every single brute that made fun of her. That is not the point. She left, because she couldn’t stand being in our father’s shade. And I... I even can’t escape it, because I’m too weak to live at own and...”

“Do you want me to find her?” asked Jack suddenly.

A lighting struck in Cher’s mind. “Yes!” she thought. “That is! I will find Aleu with his help and guidance. Maybe that is not too much, but something for a start.” In her heart she felt mixed various feelings. It was partially truly concern about sister but mainly that was desire to experience something new... and to show Balto she was no longer his helpless pup. “I have no skills nor strength to survive that expedition. But he has!” She smiled in inside but her muzzle remained still tensed.

“That is not your concern.” She replied, faking surprise. “I... I don’t know what to say.. You flatter me with that offer, but I can’t demand it for you. It’s rather hard and long journey...” Yes, she was merciless, indeed. She hit Jack’s pride with new challenge. If he had been eager to help her earlier, then he had no choice that to agree on every her demand. Female’s intuition told her she was the mistress of that dog. “He even could swim across the Bering Strait if I require for that.” She thought. Unfortunately she didn’t know that it WAS REQUIRED if she really wanted to find her sister. Balto said her nothing about details of Aleu’s departure.

“Cher, I can assure you: I won’t let you go alone!” exclaimed Jack with excitement.

“And I can assure you: I wouldn’t go alone!” thought bitch. Then she added louder. “Wait, reconsider it. It is my duty to take care about her. Not yours.”

“Indeed.” He said. “My duty is to take care about you!”

And in that moment Cher felt a bolt of unexpected delight. She understood she had power over that dog. At last she found what she had been missing all her life: power! Her silent and gentle feminine might had prevailed a strong muscles, hard spirit and quite smart mind. But in that moment Jack turned out all his reason and gave it into Cher’s paws. Suddenly Aleu became a secondary aim of whole expedition. The point of it was to reign over small kingdom she just had created in Jack’s heart.

“No, no, no...” said cherry-furred. “You have lost your mind.” She said honestly. “We will talk about it tomorrow, when you reconsider it. But now, promise me, you won’t tell it anybody.”

“I won’t!” whispered husky, pointing his muzzle to the ground to hide his smile.

They started to walk in Nome direction in complete silence. But Cher was boiling within, enflamed by new perspective that her first subject had shown to her.

II. Call of the wild

To bear fruits, the apple-tree has to seek the sun. It has to make sure that no other plant would shade it and disrupt  her growing. It might seems cruel that it is rivalling parent like the worst enemy, but this is the natural way of life. That how trees are designed for – get up its leaves and grab as many of sunny energy as it is possible. Looking down means the weakness. And after a short period of early sprouting, no plant could show weakness, because it means death. Are we, animals, are different? I don’t think so. To reach for the light and touch the sky... whatever it takes!

Cher met Jack next morning, when she was walking next to the kennel. He was standing among mixed group of few sled teams (in summer the traditional rivalry between teams weakens significantly and dogs becomes more one community than jumble of fighting groups) and chatting about common pullers matters. Of course, when he saw Cher, he instantly left his pack and went to bitch. Cherry-furred in first impulse thought that Jack’s would draw attention of whole pack on theirs little secret. But then she realised that if he didn’t go to her that would be suspicious.

“Good day, Cher.” Greeted her husky, sounding... like he always sounds. But in his eyes glimmered a silent message: I won’t tell anyone! So she smiled and replied.

“Good indeed. For now I’m looking for Kodi, but I hope we meet on evening. Right?”

“Sure, Cher.” Said satisfied dog, understanding what his mistress had on mind. “I will come to your garden.”

She nodded her head and Jack turned to own team and went to friends. He was greeted by silent and discrete - but anyway audible - sights of envy and disbelief. Cher was a dream of most pullers in Nome kennel, so Jack was treated like very lucky chap. But cherry-furred completely ignored dreamy stares of other dogs and entered the kennel-building. Inside Kodi’s team was just waking up after hard training previous day. Dark-furred husky noticed his sister and said with sleepy voice.

“Ow, hi Cher.”

“Hi. We need to talk.” She replied quickly and led him via backdoor on kennel’s yard.

“Ralph! Where is my water?” gasped Dusty, seeing that her team mate stopped and was gazing on going out bitch.

“A... yes.” Replied Ralph with surprise like he was awoken from short, pleasant dream. He grabbed Dusty’s bowl with jaws and stated to water-container. And siblings went out from building and stopped on small yard behind kennel. Cher sat on grass and pointed a serious stare in Kodi.

“Have you heard about Aleu?” she asked and noticed that husky’s muzzle tensed.

“Yes... She left us.” Said Kodi with grave voice. “We weren’t family good enough for her. We haven’t noticed her problems...”

“Ow, cease it.” Interrupted Cher. “Talking like that would change nothing. Better tell me what you exactly heard about her journey. Where she could went and when she...” Kodi’s eyes narrowed when he understood what his sister had on mind.

“You are going to find her?” he said, adding a question mark only due to good manners.

“Maybe.” She replied. “But if you tell it parents, I’ll...”

“Yes, I know.” Said Kodi with sad voice. “I would go too, but you know... I have duties here.”

“And I have not.” Thought Cher. “Bro, you don’t have to remind me so often that I’m useless here. I know it well!” and she added louder. “Sure. Just tell me, where I have to go... if I go...”

“Dad told me nothing.” Said Kodi. “But I saw as he was returning from Northern Route. If I have to guess, I would say: the Bears