latest news.”
“Anyway back to the story,
I went to the old mill to see if anyone had heard anything about Balto.
They hadn’t.
Then Steele came in.
The team wasn’t with him and he was covered in ice. He told all of us that one by one they’d frozen to death. That it was all he could do to make it back here, himself. Then he told them that Balto had shown up and tried to take the medicine from him, trying to be a hero. He looked at me and told me that was all Balto had wanted, for me to look at him like that. Then he said that Balto had fallen off a cliff, with the medicine. I didn’t buy it. I told everyone that he was lying… then he gave me my bandanna.
She stopped here and looked at Jadze.
“That’s when I realized how much I cared for him. When I thought he was dead, it surprised me how I felt, I knew that he was a friend… but I’d never considered that he might be something more…
So I thought maybe he was telling the truth I didn’t know how else he would’ve gotten it, and I started to believe him for a second. Then Steele told me that Balto had told him to take care of me. I knew then that Steele was lying, or I hoped sincerely that he was. I took my bandanna and left. As I walked by the post office, I saw the postman take down the lamp that he’d hung up to guide the team home. I went and got it and took it up on a hill. Then just as Balto showed me, I made the northern lights, using some broken bottles. Then I heard a howl. It was Balto.
He’d found the team, the musher was hurt and the crate the medicine was in was a little damaged, but it was here.
The doctor started administering the medicine immediately. Within the hour all of the sick people, including Rosy, were looking much better. It came out then, from his team, that Steele had tried to kill Balto when he showed up and wanted to help. Then when Steele ran away, he noticed that Balto had been marking his trail, and he messed it up, trying to get him lost. Everyone was mad at him, he’d not only endangered Balto and the team’s lives, but his actions could have destroyed the entire town. We decided as a group that he was to be banished, never to step foot in Nome again. And well… Balto and I… we hit it off really well.”
“Did Steele stay away?” Blaze asked.
Jenna shivered, remembering the awful events of the previous year.
“That’s another story, for another time,” Jenna said.
“So dad really did all of that?” Jadze asked.
Jenna nodded.
“And everyone liked him after that, right?” Blaize added.
“Well not everyone,” Jenna said, “sometimes people are stubborn to give up their prejudices. Like I told you, you may encounter them as well, just remember what I told you.”
Jadze yawned.
“Ok kids,” Jenna said, “it’s past your bed-time.”
“But mom,” Blaize asked, “what happened after that?”
Jenna smiled.
“I’ll tell you some day, right now you need to go to sleep.”
“Mom?” Jadze asked slowly.
“What is it Jadze?” Jenna asked.
“Dad’s gone right?”
Jenna nodded,
“Right now he is, yes.”
“What about the storm?” She asked.
“Your…”
Jenna paused and took a deep breath.
“Your father will be fine,” she said, smiling, “he’s been in worse than this before.”
“You’d better be okay,” Jenna thought, “you’ve got kids who need to meet their father, not to mention me, I don’t know what I’ll do without you Balto, you’d better be okay.”
Chapter XV
Balto struggled through the storm.
“I really should have made Tim stay back,” Balto thought, “I’m awful proud of him though, he doesn’t complain, he’d make a great sled dog.”
The young dog was in front of him. The wind was blowing so hard the two of them had to work very hard to walk through it. The snow stung his face, and ice had formed on his muzzle.
Suddenly Tim fell over in the snow.
Balto ran up to him.
“Tim!” he yelled.
Tim didn’t respond.
Balto knew that Tim would freeze to death, unless he did something fast.
“Heck, I’ll freeze if I don’t do something fairly quick.”
He got Tim up on his shoulders and continued on through the snow.
Balto couldn’t go any farther. He fell to the snow. Tim slid off of his back and landed beside him.
“Can’t.. give.. up,” Balto thought.
He tried to stand, but he was so tired, and so cold…
He closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry kid,” he thought.
It was at least another hour to Anchorage.
“I’ll never make it,” he thought.
“Jenna, I tried, but I can’t…
Then he remembered something she’d told him once.
“Never say can’t, if you do, then you’ve already given up.”
“But Jenna,” he thought, “It’s so cold…”
He opened his eyes, and through the blowing snow, he saw a cave.
Balto opened his eyes to see a familiar brown furred face staring at him.
“Tim, you’re okay!” Balto said.
Tim nodded.
“Yeah, thanks to you.”
“Hey,” Balto began, “don’t make a big deal out of it, I was…”
Tim interrupted him.
“Just doing what had to be done, I know. But I’m still awfully grateful to you; I thought I was a gonner for sure!”
He hung his head.
“I guess maybe I wouldn’t make such a great sled dog after all.”
Balto laughed.
“Tim, sled dogs get scared too.”
“Really?” Tim said, “but not you, right?”
“Of course me,” Balto continued. “I’ve never been more scared than I was when I went after that team.”
“You were scared?” Tim said, disbelievingly.
“Everybody gets scared Tim,” Balto said, “what makes one, different from another is what you do when you’re faced with fear.”
Tim nodded,
“Oh Balto,” Tim said, “you’ve got to come see the entrance to the cave.”
“Why?” Balto asked.
“Just come here,” Tim replied.
Balto stood up and followed Tim to the entrance.
“We’d better start digging,” Balto said.
The snow had completely blocked the entrance.
Tim and Balto began to dig themselves out.
About two hours later, Balto and Tim walked into Anchorage, Alaska. Balto had never seen a city like this before.
Cars ran up and down the streets. There were so many buildings, and dogs of all sizes and breeds populated the streets.
Balto walked up to one of them, a mastiff that was sitting outside a small house.
“Hey buddy,” Balto said.
“Do I know you?” The mastiff said.
“No,” Balto said, “we’re new here, just passin through.”
“Then I ain’t your buddy pal,” the mastiff said.
“Oookay,” Balto said, “see ya then.”
Balto and Tim walked away from the mastiff.
“Hey.”
They heard a voice behind them, and Balto turned around.
There was a small, red, furred female running toward them.
She ran across the street, right in front of a vehicle.
Balto ran at her, and slammed into her side, knocking her out of the way of the speeding car.
The two of them rolled onto the sidewalk.
Balto stood up.
“You know,” he said, “you should be more careful.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t look, thanks for saving me though.”
“Whatever,” Balto replied.
Tim ran over then.
“Balto, that was so cool!”
“Who are you?” The female said slowly.
“My name’s….”
He stopped as their eyes met.
“Your name’s what?” The female said.
Balto smiled.
“Uh.. Tim,” Tim said.
“Hello Tim,” the female said, “my name is Tycha.”
“Tycha…” Tim said.
“Yes?” She said.
Tim shook his head.
“Oh I’m sorry,” he said.
Tycha giggled and Tim looked at the ground.
Tycha turned to talk to Balto.
“So I saw you trying to talk to Mac.”
“The Mastiff?” Balto asked.
Tycha nodded.
“He’s not the most friendly dog here in Anchorage.”
“So I gather,” Balto replied.
Tycha giggled again.
“So what brings you to Anchorage?”
“We’re looking for a dog,” Tim said, anxious to get back into the conversation.
“Yes,” Balto said, “an orange one, name of Jack, you haven’t seen him have you?”
“Well,” Tycha said, “I haven’t, but I know someone who probably has.”
“Lead the way,” Balto said.
He three of them walked down the streets of Anchorage.
Tycha led Balto and Tim to a big building.
"Hang on out here for a second," she said as she walked into the building.
"You like her, don't you?" Balto said smiling
"What?" Tim said, embarrassed. "No.. I uh... she's.. she's nice and all, but..."
Balto smiled.
"Tim, you're staring at the door."
Tim shook his head.
Balto laughed.
"You were staring at her all the way here."
"Really?" Tim asked, "do you think she noticed?"
"I can almost guarantee it." Balto responded.
Tim hung his head.
"Oh no."
"So," Balto
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