An Icy Night

By Ahura Werewolf

Balto, Jenna, Kodi Kirby, Ralph, Dusty Star, Kaltag, Nikki Mr. Simpson Boris, Muk and Luk are copyrighted to Universal Studios

All other characters mentioned in this story are mine.

Balto felt pain surge through his spine. He looked up at the cliff that he and his team had fallen over. He remembered what had happened “he and his mail team were delivering a load of mail to the town of White Mountain when a blizzard set in. The trail became very difficult the blizzard turned into a white out, he couldn’t even see his nose. All of a sudden he felt something shudder beneath his paws and the next thing he knows he is falling. When he wakes up his head feels like it has been spilt open. He looks around and sees nothing but the lamp on the sled glaring in the snow.”

Balto shivers and thinks “something is wrong with me” he tries to stand and as he tries he hears a crack. He looks back at his hind legs, his right leg is twisted while the other has a bone sticking out of the skin. His eyes widen, he whines as the pain rushes through his body racking his frame. He lays back into the snow. His head spinning he looks at the other dogs in his team, Lyon one of Kodi's friends is laying unconscious while their musher lays dead his eyes open and blank.

Miles away in Nome Jenna looked out a window at Rosie’s house wondering when Balto and the sled team would return. She heard Rosie banging around in the kitchen looking for food, Jenna lays her head back on her paws and just as she starts to fall asleep Kodi appears in the window. She walks over to the window Kodi nods towards the doggy door in the front door of the house.

Jenna pads over to the front door as she watches Kodi’s form slip through the doggy door. Kodi says “mom dads team has not returned” Jenna looks at her son saying “he will be back soon” Kodi looks down at the floor tears appear in his eyes. Jenna looks at her son worried saying “why what has happened to your fathers team” Kodi looks up at his mother saying “I heard from one of the local dogs he says that they never showed up with their mail delivery in White Mountain” Jenna backs up and starts to shake her head no saying “he must have” Kodi says “oh mom” he nuzzles his mother trying to comfort her. She says “where could he be” Kodi replies “he could have gotten lost off of the trail there was white out conditions. It is very difficult to see the trail” She looks from her son then out the window saying “oh Balto.”

Balto lays in a pile of snow his strength fading away he looks over at Lyon. He drags himself over to him and says weakly “Lyon you awake” He nudges him Lyon, Lyon opens his eyes blearily he says “yeah I awake if I fall asleep I will die” Lyon looks around saying “is anyone else ok’ Balto says “I dunno, no one so far has moved. Our musher is dead” Lyon whimpers Balto snuggles next to him trying to share his body heat.

Kodi stands on a pile of crates and says to a crowd of dogs. He says “my father and his team have gone off the trail. And now he could be dying or worse I suggest we go out there and find him” whispers among the crowd start Dusty pipes up saying “I will go after all Balto helped us keep our jobs it is the least we can do to repay him” Kirby and Ralph nod. Kodi looks around saying “anyone else” they all look at him he says disappointed “fine” Kodi gets off the crates and walks out of the alleyway.

Balto drags himself from Lyon to where Star is laying in the snow. Balto notices he is already dead, Balto then crawls to Kaltags side and sees he is unconscious as well is Nikki. Balto then crawls back on his stomach to Lyon who is shaking like mad saying “I knew this is the way it would end me dying here in a snow drift” Balto says “were not going to die I guarantee someone is looking for us” Lyon looks at him his red eyes now fading into a pinkish color. He says “Balto I can feel myself slipping sometimes it is really hard to resist going to sleep and letting it end” Balto hears Kaltag stirring, he looks over at him saying “are you ok Kaltag” Kaltag stands and shakes off his fur saying “yeah I guess so where’s Star” I doesn’t take long for him to see Star laying in the snow. Kaltag nudges Star saying “get up buddy” but Star doesn’t move, Kaltag laughs saying “ok enough with the tricks Star get up” Star doesn’t stir. Tears start to roll down Kaltags fur and freeze to it he says weakly “Star” Balto looks at him saying “he is gone Kaltag” Kaltag hears this and says “no he isn’t” he nudges Star’s body angrily saying “move Star” Balto says ‘Kaltag that isn’t going to do any good where he is he is beyond help” Kaltag looks from Star to Nikki who is still unconscious saying “Nikki are you ok” Nikki gives no response. Kaltag gently bites Nikki’s scruff and drags him over to Balto and Lyon saying “are we the only ones alive” Balto nods while Lyons says “I am more half dead than alive” Balto looks at him saying “I won’t let you die” Lyon nods. They all lay together in the snow listening to the wind howl.

Kodi and the other dogs listen to the humans talk one of them says “they have been gone for along time” they all nod another says “I have gotten information that Mr. Hughes team never arrived in White Mountain” one of the humans says “I will take my team and try to find them” Kodi recognizes the voice of his musher Mr. Simpson. The humans look at him saying “are you sure you could get lost the same as they are now” Mr. Simpson nods saying “I will take my best dogs to find Mr. Hughes team” one of the humans says “ok Mr. Simpson you will go and find our lost mail team.”

Balto’s eyes start to droop lazily he looks over at Kaltag and Nikki who are huddled together. Nikki hasn’t stirred since Kaltag drag him over to where they lay and Balto had the feeling he might be dead. He looks from Kaltag and Nikki to Lyon who is sleeping lightly with one eye open. Surprisingly to Balto his broken bones and the wounds caused by them no longer bothered him and they never even bleed.

He wondered if anyone would find them, he had lost count of how many days they had been laying there. He figured he and Lyon along with Kaltag were the only ones who had survived the crash. Kaltag looked at Balto saying “how are you holding up” Balto says “I am fine but I don’t know if Lyon will make it” he then says “how are you” Kaltag shakes the snow off of his head saying “I am fine” Balto then replies “how’s Nikki” Kaltag replies “he is gone I knew he was I felt him slump against me in the night. I felt his heart stop” Balto looks sadly at Nikki he says “I don’t want to end up like that” Kaltag replies “me neither” Kaltag lays back down Balto thinks “is anyone trying to find us.”

Kodi looks around as Mr. Simpson harnesses the team up, he then walks back to the runners and says “hike” the team surges forwards at a brisk pace. Kodi can feel the snow crunch beneath his paws he thinks “I am coming dad” he looks at the mountains in front of him hoping he will find his father alive.

Balto lay on his side, his breathing had become shallow. Kaltag had stopped moving and Balto knew he was dead. Lyon however was barely alive, Balto could hear his heart beating softly to the point where it almost seemed it didn’t beat at all. Balto began to have hallucinations like Boris standing over him saying “come bird chick time to see Jenna" other times he would see Muk and Luk playing together in the snow. He missed Jenna saying in his head “I will not die here I want to see her again” He looks at Lyon and nudges him awake saying “don’t fall asleep on me” Lyon to weak to talk nods yes.

Kodi and his team had been running no stop except to only to have something to eat. They had looked everywhere but did not find any traces of the team. Kodi hoped he would find his father soon so he could bring him home to his worried mother. Kodi one day was finally able to pick up a weak scent of his father and lead the team in it’s direction.

Balto’s eyes closed when he opened them again he say his mother standing over him saying “come my son it is time” He looked at Lyon saying “I can’t leave him here” she looked at Lyon saying “his time is coming fast” she then looked at her son saying “get up” he stood up and says “I can stand” she smiles saying “of course you can” He got a weird feeling and looks back. Balto saw himself, his head had slumped on his paws his eyes closed his body was covered in snow. He looked back at his mother saying “what happened to me” she looked at her son saying “to put it blankly your dead my son” he says “mom I can’t go” she looks at him saying “why” he utters one word “Jenna” all of a sudden he hears some cry “Dad” he wakes up and looks around saying “who said that” from the cliff above appears a red and cream color blur he thinks “Jenna has come to find me” as the blur takes shape he recognizes the voice as Kodi’s. He feels a hard thump in his chest and realizes he is alive he thinks “that was a weird dream but how do I know I am alive” He moves his right paw and says “yep I am still here” He tries to call to Kodi but can only howl.

Kodi hears the howl from below him and sees his father smiling up and him. Kodi’s heart fills with emotion he leads the team down a smooth trail away from the cliff. The sled stops in front of Balto, Mr. Simpson walks over to his friend Mr. Hughes and feels for a pulse and finds none. He starts to cry he then looks from his friends body to Balto and the almost dead Lyon laying in the snow. Kodi looks down at his father tears start to role down his cheeks, he nuzzles his father and says “I knew I would find you” Balto replies softly “I am glad you did” Kodi tries to help his father stand he looks at his hind legs and sees they are broken and bent at odd angles. He then looks at Lyon laying next to him saying “hey you ok Lyon” Lyon wakes up and says “I have been better” Kodi looks sadly down at Kaltag