she’s okay, and I guess I’ll have to get this taken care of.”

He held up his broken leg.

“Well, anytime you want to come back, you’re definitely welcome.”

“Thank you Aleu,” Balto said.

“Bye Sis,” Blaize said, leading Balto away.

“Now come on dad, we’ve got to get you home, and first things first, we’re going to get that leg taken care of.”

“But Blaize,” Balto said, “I need to go check on your mother, and..”

Blaize interrupted him.

“Dad, don’t argue with me, I’m you’re son…”

The two got too far away for Aleu to hear anymore.

She smiled, then walked into the cave.

Balto walked up the steps to the old mill.

He was moving kind of awkwardly, having to drag his rear right leg, due to the white cast that was wrapped around it.

He limped up to the door, and scratched on it.

It was Gemini who answered.

“Oh Balto hey! You’re back!”

Then she saw the cast.

“Balto what did you do?”

“I got in a fight that I shouldn’t have, hey, is Jenna here?”

“Yeah Gemini said, she’s here.”

Blaize walked in beside his father.

“Hey you made it too, that’s great!” Drake said, as he walked over.

Blaize nodded.

“He handled himself like a dog,” Balto said, he turned to Blaize, “you’re puppy days are over.”

Blaize smiled.

Balto looked back at Gemini.

“Hey, I’m gonna go see Jenna.”

“Okay,” Gemini said, “oh, there’s someone else up there that wants to see you.”

“Really,” Balto stopped walking up the stairs, “who?”

Gemini smiled.

“You’ll see.”

Balto walked up the stairs.

He got to the second floor, and peeked in the first room that he came to.

No Jenna.

He walked up to the next one and looked in.

The room actually held four dogs.

Jenna, Jamie, and…

“Junior!”

Balto ran into the room.

“Hey, you’re okay.”

“Yeah, still a little sore, but I’ll be fine.”

Balto smiled and turned to the female beside him.

“You must be Jill.” She nodded and nuzzled Junior. “I owe this guy my life.”

Junior smiled.

“Well, hey, how about we get out of here, and let you and Jenna talk eh?”

“Sounds good,” Jill said.

Jamie, Jill and Junior walked out of the room.

Jenna saw Blaize then, and jumped up.

“Blaize!”

She ran to him.

“Oh honey, I’ve been so worried about you!”

“Are you okay?”

Yeah,” Blaize said, I’m fine. Look, I want to talk about a whole lot of things in a minute, but for now, I’m going to just leave you and dad alone.”

Balto smiled, as his son walked out of the room to join the others.

“Balto, what did you do?” Jenna asked.

“I uh.. broke it.. actually.”

Balto, how did you do that, you wound up more hurt than I did?”

“I don’t know, happens when you fight wolves.”

“Wolves?” Jenna asked, “so you saw them too, the black ones.”

“One of them broke my leg,” Balto said.

“Jen, I have so many things I want to tell you about, but I have to tell you one thing first, and you may think I’m crazy okay, but.. but it happened.”

Jenna nodded her head.

“Okay Balto, what was it.”

“I saw Jadze.”

Jenna’s mouth fell open, then she shut it, and looked at the ground.

“Balto…”

“I know, I know it sounds crazy, but… I did Jenna, she told me how to solve one of the biggest problems I have ever faced, I’ll get to that in a minute, but she… she also told me not to worry about her, that.. that she was safe, and you know what?”

Jenna shook her head.

Balto smiled

“I’m not anymore.”

“It.. it feels like… like a thousand pounds just got lifted off of my shoulders.”

A tear came to Jenna’s eye, as she realized that it was true, he was Balto again.

“I mean,” Balto said, hanging his head, “I still miss her, but the lingering pain, the.. guilt… it’s gone.”

Jenna stepped forward and nuzzled his neck.

“I’m glad.”

She stepped back, and motioned for him to follow her.

Jenna walked over to the couch, and laid down, then she tapped the empty spot next to her, and smiled.

Balto walked over and hopped up on the couch, dragging his cast over the side.

Jenna snuggled up next to him.

“So, what was this story you were going to tell me?”

Balto smiled.

“Well, it all started with this little bitty pup, named Raye….”

Balto and his son walked up on top of the hill over looking Nome, that was right outside their yard.

They reached the top, and stared at the northern lights for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything.

Balto was the one who finally spoke.

“I was extremely proud of the way you handled yourself out there son, you turned out all right.”

Blaize smiled at him.

“Well I had the best dad a dog could ask for.”

Balto smiled too.

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

All was quiet once more.

“Son,” Balto said, “Blaize, I.. I wanted you to know that I’m… I’m thinking of getting back on the team.”

“That’d be great dad,” Blaize said, “we’d love to have you.”

“Yeah,” Balto said, “well, it’s… it’s just time for me to move on.”

“I understand dad,” Blaize responded, “it helped me get through it, it’ll help you too.”

Balto nodded slowly, still staring at the lights.

Suddenly the wind picked up, kicking snow up around the two of them. They couldn’t see anything but themselves and swirling snow.

“Where did this come from?” Blaize asked.

Out of the snow in front of them, Jadze stepped out.

Blaize stared at his sister, in disbelief.

Balto just smiled.

Jadze did as well.

“See, I told you everything would be alright, all you have to do is believe in yourself, and you can do anything.”

She winked at Balto, then looked at Blaize.

“Good bye brother,” she said.

Then the snow enveloped her once more, and the wind stopped blowing, the snow drifting to the ground.

Balto and Blaize turned to each other.

They spoke at the same time.

“Did you…”

“So you saw….”

They both grinned.

“Come on son,” Balto said let’s go home.”

Chapter XXI

Melody lay in the corner of the chamber that she and Timbre shared.

She was incredibly tired, and laying beside her, cuddling to keep warm, was the source of her tiredness.

Six little pups.

She laid her head on the floor, and sighed.

It had happened not too long ago, Timbre had been out on a hunt, and hadn’t returned yet.

Aleu had sent someone to go find him, and bring him back.

Melody was just walking and talking with Aleu, when she stumbled, and fell into the wall.

Aleu had realized immediately what was happening, and drug Melody, who couldn’t stand again, into a nearby chamber, there it had happened. Then Aleu had helped Melody down to her chambers, and then moved the pups in with her. Now all that Melody wanted to do was sleep.

Timbre stepped through the entrance then.

“What’s the idea of starting all of this without me?”

Melody smiled and motioned for him to come in.

He walked over, and laid down beside her.

He stared at the newborn pups.

“They’re so small.” He said.

Melody nodded.

“They didn’t feel small.”

Timbre smiled at her, and she smiled back.

“Well, what are we going to call them?”

“I don’t know, I’ve been thinking of names,” Timbre said, “and I just can’t… I don’t know. Well, I’m sure we’ll come up with something.

“I’m sure we will,” she said.

“Hey,” Timbre said, “How about Tango, for the orange one?”

“Sounds good to me,” Melody said, “and I’ve always liked the name Shairry.”

“The gray female is Shairry then,” Timbre said with a smile.

“Timbre, let’s name one of them Tiru.” Melody said.

“Okay,” Timbre said, somewhat somberly remembering their friend, “that white one is Tiru.”

“How about Raize?”

“Raize?” Melody asked.

“Yeah,” Timbre said.

Melody smiled.

“Okay, the red one is Raize.”

“Only two left,” Timbre said.

Melody nodded.

“You pick one, I’ll pick one.

“Well, how about the male be…. Yukon.

“Sounds good,” Melody said, and the female can be Jadze.”

Timbre smiled.

“It’s done then, Tango, Shairry, Tiru, Raize, Jadze and, Yukon.”

Melody smiled back at him.

“I…”

She yawned, and so cut her sentence in two.

“..love you.” She said.

“I love you too Melody,” Timbre