body, knowing now that nothing would stop her from reaching her love. “I’m coming…” she said, more quietly this time, beginning to repeat it as she went along. “I’m coming…I’m coming…” She didn’t know if she had enough time left, and her heart ached more than ever for Balto; indeed, tears still flowed from her eyes. But now, they were not tears of despair; as long as the full moon had not passed, she would still believe there to be hope.

Through all of this, Jenna had failed to notice that the trees were thinning, and the ground was sloping upward. She had made it to the mountain.

Up in the vicinity of the peaks, where the clouds rolled and surged like tumultuous waters, something sat in a tree, listening acutely to a sound coming from the narrow dip between the two mountains. “I’m coming…I’m coming…” The something left its perch, making its way speedily downward to see whose voice it was hearing.

Jenna was glad she had found the will to go on; her body was definitely not up to the task. The slope had been worsening for some time, and she was wondering how bad it would get when it finally leveled out gently. The trees were now scarce, and she could finally get a look around. It was only now that she noticed the two massive peaks rising into the black cloud cover on either side of her. She had thought she was merely climbing a steep hill, but now she knew she had been on the right track; this was exactly where Avantar had told her to go. From here, she could even see the end of the forest, which spread out for a comparatively short distance beyond the mountains and ended at the edge of a dark plain. For a few moments, she was overcome with happiness, forced to sit down and take in the idea that the ordeal might be drawing to an end. She did wonder, however, if she were set on another journey by this new creature she was traveling to see, how long it would be; the sun had gone down and the moon was beginning to rise. Besides, she was becoming utterly sick from lack of food; she would have vomited long ago if there had been anything in her stomach. “It doesn’t matter,” she thought. “Nothing matters except Balto.” She was mustering strength to continue walking when a flash on the corner of her vision caught her eye. It had come from the left mountain peak, and she looked up in that direction. At first, she could see nothing, other than a tiny distortion in the clouds near the flash, but as she looked on, something eventually came into view. It was a small flying creature, coming down rapidly in tight circles, finally folding its wings as it reached the treetops and spreading them wide right before it hit the ground, making a soft landing in front of Jenna. She studied it, astonished at its appearance. It was a bird, no larger than a bat, somewhat in the form of a bird of prey, but with a shorter beak and very small claws that didn’t look like talons at all. Its thin, well-defined feathers were a streaked, blended mix of black and gray patches, mostly gray, but also with bright traces of white lancing through some parts, making for a camouflage that fit the sky perfectly. Its eyes shone brightly, luminous and white, almost appearing phosphorescent in nature, and Jenna wondered if the creature had night vision.

“Hello,” said the bird, with a bright, clear voice. Jenna smiled and nodded. “Hello. My name’s Jenna. Um…what are you?” “I’m a cloud falcon. I fly among the tops of the clouds, near the peaks.” Jenna was grateful to have someone to talk to. “So you live all the way up there?” “Yes, but I fly great distances. I love exploring. I’ve seen dogs before, and wolves, but not in this place.” “I live…man, I don’t even know how far away it is from here.” “Are you going to see him?” “Who?” “The Night Walker.” Jenna almost shivered at the name. “I…I was sent to find a dark creature that could give me some advice.” “Yes, that is he.” The bird looked somewhat afraid. “He rests just beyond the end of this forest.” Jenna groaned as a pang of nausea wracked her stomach again. “Um…do you know where I can get something to eat?” “Oh, yes; there’s not a thing to eat in that forest. But don’t worry; life returns at the peaks. I’ll be right back.” Minutes later, the falcon returned, bearing two plum-sized aquamarine fruits with long, limp stems that were firmly clasped in the bird’s beak. It took all the willpower in the world, but Jenna managed to make herself carefully chew the fruits instead of swallowing them whole, which she knew would make her sick. She couldn’t help asking the cloud falcon to bring more, but it was happy to oblige. Jenna ate half a dozen fruits before deciding that would be enough to keep her going. “They are very nourishing,” said the falcon. “They will easily keep you going until you reach him.” That was the main reason Jenna had stopped eating; she knew it was urgent that she continue. “Thank you so much for the food,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay around; I need to reach this creature as quickly as possible tonight.” “Well then, I shall lead you through the rest of the forest. At night, navigating from the ground is nearly impossible.” “You’re willing to do that for me?” “Certainly; it’s no trouble. Besides, if you want to reach him tonight, it’s best if I help you get through faster.” Jenna smiled gratefully. “I can’t tell you what this means to me.” “Think nothing of it. Let’s be off; it’s not as far as it looks.”

With a guide, the forest was far less intimidating, and this part of the journey was much shorter and easier than the previous one. The ground sloped steeply downward for a short period before leveling out, staying relatively flat until a line of short hills, where the forest finally ended. It was just before they set foot on these hills that the cloud falcon stopped. “I can’t go any farther. I won’t lie; this creature frightens me a great deal. Now let me tell you what you must do. Just over these hills, right after you pass the last tree, you will see a circle of stone. Step up to it and ask for help, and the Night Walker will appear.” Jenna nodded, talking a slow breath to calm herself. “I wish you luck,” said the cloud falcon. “Thank you,” Jenna said, smiling, “and thanks again for helping me out.” “You’re welcome. I must leave now.” The bird took off for the peaks, and Jenna wished that she could have gotten to know him better, to say nothing of the other animals that had aided her on her journey. “Maybe someday,” she thought, looking at the sky. The moon was approaching its peak in the sky, and this prompted Jenna to run. She guessed she had less than an hour, maybe even half. “Please hold on, Balto,” she pleaded silently.

It was only minutes before the trees gave way to open fields again, although the “fields” were still just rock and soil. At least now, there was snow, adding a touch of beauty to the unfeeling landscape. Just as the cloud falcon had said, there was a circle of stone located right at the line where the transition between a forest and a barren plain with sparse vegetation occurred. It was a solid ring of stone, less than a foot high, with a break at the end facing the forest. Around the inside of the ring, there were five oblong stones standing upright, spaced fairly evenly. Jenna thought they looked somewhat like headstones. “Strange…” She approached the circle, nervously noting how quiet it was. Stopping just before her front paws entered the opening in the ring, she spoke out. “I need your help. Wherever you are, please come and speak with me.” Following this were several moments of silence. Jenna found herself wondering if this were a situation like the one with Avantar; the creature she was seeking might not be there at that time. Fear came over her as she realized that she had no time left to wait, but she stood still, remembering that the cloud falcon hadn’t said anything about the creature being gone.

A noise came, a small vibration that seemed to emanate from within the ring. Jenna looked at the dark soil, wondering if she were just imagining things. But then, the noise came again, followed by several more just like it. Now, it was clear that the noises were coming from several spots inside the ring at once. Jenna almost recoiled with shock as a small burst of dirt flew up from the base of one of the five stones. When she looked closer, she saw something rising from it, something that looked like…a bone. As it emerged fully, Jenna could see that it was a bone, and she was nearly gaping as she watched it hover slowly into the air. Several other bones were rising from beneath the other stones as well, and when a small number of them were floating, they moved together, joining in the center of the ring. More and more bones rose from the ground, being forcefully yanked into the developing collection by an invisible power. Finally, they all came together in a single structure: a wolf skeleton. Some of the soil rose up and fell on the bones, turning to sparse shreds of tattered flesh that hung limply off the white cage, forming no facial features except ears. Now, the skeleton moved, raising its previously lowered head to look into Jenna’s face…even though it had no eyes. Jenna was so frightened she was sure the creature would see her shaking, but she stood firm, knowing this was her only choice. The creature finally spoke, with a voice that sounded like it was echoing out of an abyss. “My name is Erebus. Who is this that calls to me?” “M-my…” Jenna took a deep breath to stop her trembling. “My name is Jenna. I’m a dog from a town called Nome. I came here to ask you for help in rescuing my husband, Balto. He was kidnapped by the Sheruna wolf pack; I think they want to use him to break their curse. He’s a wolf-dog.” “Yes, that makes sense.” “Um…” Jenna tried to think of what she wanted to say next, but she couldn’t; fear was making it impossible to think. “Um…” “Do not be frightened,” said Erebus. “I may look frightening, but I have no intention whatsoever of harming