face.

“Hop onto my back. You have to trust me, because I’m sure you want to live like we do.”

Star was hesitant. Could he really believe these dogs? After all, they had always treated him like dirt before. But he couldn’t really think about this now. He was fearful of what would happen if they really were telling the truth. Then it wouldn’t matter because he wouldn’t live another day.

“Alright,” he whispered, but his voice sounded croaky from its under use.

Burt smiled as he knelt down into the snow and Star climbed on. He nodded at Lilith, and she looked at him nervously. She walked up to the edge of the roof and then backed away slowly before suddenly sailing over the gap and clearing it easily. Hal went next and made it as well. Burt backed up farther than the other two had and got the best running start that he could before lowering himself and springing into the air. He landed just short of the edge, only his front half landing. He dug his claws through the snow and into the shingles below him. He hissed quietly as Star had tried to grab his collar and had also bitten the scruff of his neck quite hard. Hal and Lilith quickly came to the rescue. Both stood on either side and hoisted Star off of Burt first, which was the most difficult part as they almost lost him the first time. Finally they dragged Burt onto the roof. He was panting heavily from their near exposure and injury. They waited a few minutes to calm down and repeated the same process three more times, except without nearly falling.

“Well, now what?” Hal whispered.

They had finally reached the telegraph office’s roof. Burt looked at the chimney and smiled. There wasn’t smoke coming out presently, and he knew what to do. He sat Star near the chimney.

“Do you trust me Star?”

Star didn’t make any real movement for he was already worn out from there roof jumping.

“Close enough. Listen, I’m going to push you down this chimney, but I promise that you shouldn’t get hurt.”

He lifted Star by the scruff and set him on the edge. Star looked down into the black pit and then back at Burt, really questioning him now. But before Star could speak against it, he found himself falling down, and before he knew it, he landed. But not on ground. He felt his claws slipping through tiny holes.

“I take it you’ve landed already,” called down Burt, “you’re on a grating, just take a few steps around until you can find an opening, that way you’re not in my way when I come down. Just tell me when.”

Star started to walk and bumped into a wall, and sneezed when soot entered his nose. After some trial and error, he finally felt an opening and called back up to Burt, who then fell down shortly after. Soon Hal and Lilith dropped in behind him. It was pitch black in this small area, and no one could see, but Burt took the lead, speaking to help guide them.

“Yeah, my owner built that grating to keep falling snow from smothering our fire, and he built a small stairway up here so he could clean it when needed. It goes down from the attic through both floors. We’ll be able to reach the back yard from here.”

They followed him silently as the ceiling slanted down with them as they descended. When they reached the bottom, Burt pushed the door open and walked into the room where the telegraph was. He guided them through another door and then another before the moon was able to look upon them once more. They looked at him quizzically as he walked over to an object that had a tarp spread across it. He yanked it off quickly revealing a small sled.

“There are enough rations to last us a few days. I thought we’d need it in case something like this happened. Guess I was right to do so… Now, help me get Star onto the sled.”

Hal and Lilith gently hoisted him to the sled, no one seeing the look of utter disgust plastered across Hal’s face. There were three slots for the dogs. Burt took the front, leaving Lilith and Hal in back.

“This is convenient, no?” asked Hal as he studied the sled.

“When you’re lucky, you’re lucky,” Burt replied.

He pushed a few vertical boards away from the fence that surrounded this plot of land and revealed a large hole. He nodded to them, and within a few strides, they were already running out of town, their breaths coming out in misty puffs and the wind nipping at their heels.

Chapter Eight:

“We just caught saw a set of paw prints heading way out, along with the treads of a sled. I’m sorry. I wish we could have found out sooner…”

“Darn it!” Kodi shouted in frustration, “They got away!”

“Kodi, it’s no use getting worked up over this. Losing our heads won’t get us anywhere..” Balto said to his son as he laid a paw on his shoulder, “But now is not the time to give up. If we want any chance of getting Star back, we have to catch up to them. We have to get Mr. Simpson up, and fast… Move!”

Within an instant, all of the sled dogs were running down the street, barking like mad. They found the postmaster’s home and began clawing, howling, barking, and making any noise they could before they heard the noises of a human getting out of bed. In a few more moments the saw a very tired looking Mr. Simpson stumble out of the door way, a thick coat hastily thrown on. He yawned loudly as he spoke.

“What is it team? It‘s after midnight so I hope it‘s important,” he looked down at them, “Have you found Star?”

Many of the dogs lowered their heads, bent their ears back and whimpered. Mr. Simpson scratched his head.

“Well, what am I up for then?”

He felt a sudden tugging on his coat sleeve. It was Kodi. Mr. Simpson tried to pull his arm away when Kaltag and Balto joined in by grabbing his other sleeve.

“What’s gotten into you guys!?”

He couldn’t yank his arms free from his dogs, so what on earth could they want? He thought for a moment, stopped trying to get away and, feeling foolish, tried to talk with them.

“Alright.. What do you guys want?”

Mr. Simpson watched his dogs move towards their sled that he had set near the house. They began pawing at it and whimpering. He looked at them in bewilderment before rubbing his head.

“You want to go somewhere, or something?”

They just continued what they were doing, and Mr. Simpson sighed in confusion.

“Er… Alright then,” he walked along and started to hook up the dogs and then ran inside quickly, grabbing the mail bag. He yelled a command and the dogs took off, and after they reached the outskirts of the town, he realized that they were heading back to Nome. “Well this is good,” he said, “I was thinking of getting myself checked out when we get home… Whoa guys, easy now.”

He called as he felt his dogs surge on with a determination he hadn’t seen. Every dog from Balto to Kaltag was racing as fast as they could to make up for lost time.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“Jenna! Jenna where are you!?” Rosie called.

She had woken up this morning and had scoured the house to find no trace of her husky. She held a small ball in her left hand, and a hat and coat in her other. She walked into the living room and sat on the window seat, pressing her face against the glass and looking out. Nancy looked out from the kitchen.

“Rosie, c’mon, it’s time to eat Dear!”

The nine-year old sighed as she dropped the objects and rushed through the kitchen and into a dining room. She sat at the table, her knife and fork at the ready as her mom laid a plate right in front of her. She started to nibble on the food before she stopped. Her mom shot a concerned look at her husband, and in turn, he looked at their daughter.

“Is anything wrong Rosie?” he asked.

She pushed a pea around with her fork. “Nothing, I just can’t find Jenna.”

“Oh don’t worry Honey, she’ll be back. You know that she goes out sometimes by herself.”

“But this is different, normally she’s always here for Lunch.”

Nancy rubbed her shoulder, “Well, maybe she just lost track of time?”

“Maybe..”

“Now, let’s just try to eat. You’re wasting away to nothing.”

The family picked up their utensils once more just in time to hear a loud knocking on the door.

“I wonder who on earth that could be?” Nancy said, standing from the table.

She walked to the front door and opened it, revealing a woman with a red face who was doubled over breathing hard.

“Susan! What’s wrong?”

Susan grabbed Nancy by the shoulders. “They’re gone!” she cried.

“Wait? Who’s gone?” Nancy asked, obviously stumped by her sister’s reaction.

“My dogs! They left two nights ago, but I thought they’d be back yesterday, or at the latest last night, but nothing!”

Nancy saw her sister beginning to sob for the first time in a long time. Those two had meant the world to her since her husband’s passing. She embraced her and whispered words of comfort.

“We’ll send out a poster, and maybe someone can find them. But the most important thing for you to do right now is hold yourself together.”

Susan looked at Nancy, her face stained with tears and running mascara as she nodded gently. Just then Rosie wobbled into the parlor.

“Hey mom, our little puppy’s missing too!” she said and then saw