miss out on the chance to go on an adventure with Balto? Not on your life, I'm coming with you!"

"No," Balto said, "I don't know if I'll make it back, I don't even know if I'll make it there. I know the way as far as Anchorage, but from there, I'm lost. Plus I'm going to be running pretty fast."

"I live for danger," the pup said, slashing at the air with his paw, "and I can keep up. I told you I wanted to be a sled dog, just like you."

Balto smiled.

"Alright kid," he said, "you convinced me."

He started to walk away, then he turned.

"Hey pup, you got a name?" He asked.

"My name's Timothy," the pup said, "but my friends call me Tim."

"Well Tim we'd better get going, maybe we can catch that sled team, before they get home."

With that he began to run, Tim followed him.

It was later in the day, and Balto was being watched.

He and Tim were walking through the woods, on their way to Applegate, their first stop on the way to Anchorage.

"I've got you now," she thought.

"So Balto," Tim said, "what's it like, being a hero?"

"I don't really consider myself a hero," Balto said. "I just did what needed to be done."

"But you are a hero," Tim said.

Balto looked back at Tim and smiled.

"Come on, drop it, I don't like being called a hero, I told you, I just did what had to be done."

"Look out!" Tim screamed.

"What?" Balto said.

He turned around.

All he saw was a gray blur and then something slammed into him, growling. The two of them tumbled to the ground and rolled.

"Not good," Balto thought, as he struggled with the attacker.

Tim ran over to him and started growling and barking at the wolf.

"Hey dad," Aleu said, "who's the pup?"

Tim was still growling and barking.

"Aleu," Balto said as she climbed up off of him. "you've got to stop doing that, sometime you're going to make me have a heart attack."

"Yeah," Aleu said hitting her dad playfully on the shoulder. "I guess dad's gettin too old for my playing, huh?"

Balto smiled.

"So?" Aleu said.

"What?" Balto asked.

"Who's he?" she asked, gesturing to Tim, who was still growling.

"Oh," Balto said, "Aleu this is Tim, Tim this is my daughter Aleu."

Tim stopped growling.

"Your Daughter?" He asked.

"What," Aleu said, "you don't see the resemblance?"

Tim smiled.

"Yeah," he said, "I do."

"So dad," Aleu asked, "what brings you all the way out here?"

"Your mother and I had a bit of a falling out, and I'm trying to right the situation." Balto said.

"You and mom?" Aleu asked, confused.

"Yeah," Balto said, looking at the ground, "it's kind of a long story."

Aleu looked at the sky as the northern lights spread across it.

"Well," she said, "why don't you guys come back to the cave and stay the night, then you can tell me all about it."

"I appreciate the offer Aleu," Balto said. "But I've got a team to catch. They're already a day ahead of us."

"Dad," Aleu said, "it's gonna get really cold tonight, and it's already dark, come on, you won’t do mom or yourself any good as a frozen statue, will you?"

Balto smiled.

"I guess you're right Aleu," Balto said.

"Come on," Aleu said, "I'll walk you to the entrance, Shadow is going to be expecting me anyway."

The three of them walked together.

Chapter IX

“So that’s’ about how it happened,” Balto said, as he finished telling Aleu about the events of the last few days.

“I can’t believe mom would believe something like that, she should know you better,” Aleu said.

“Well the evidence is pretty compelling,” Balto said.

“Well what does this Jake look like?” Aleu asked. “I’ll ask around the pack and see if anyone has seen him.”

“That’d be great Aleu,” Balto said. “He was an older looking orange dog, looked to be mostly husky, oh and he was wearing a yellow harness, I thought that a little odd.”

“I’ll ask around,” Aleu said.

She walked off.

“So that’s your daughter?” Tim asked.

Balto nodded.

“What’s she doing here?” Tim asked.

“Well you may have noticed that her husky side isn’t exactly apparent. When she was born there were five that looked exactly like Jenna, and then there was Aleu. When it came time for the pups to be adopted, all of them found homes.. except Aleu.”

“What happened to her?” Tim asked.

“Well,” Balto said, “she lived with us for about a year, waiting to be adopted, like all of her brothers and sisters, she didn’t understand yet that it was never going to happen, that no human would want a dog that looked like she did. One day we were out playing and she saw a hunter, she didn’t know anything about the world, it was one big playground to her. She ran at the man, thinking he might want her. He almost shot her, if I hadn’t been paying attention…”

Balto looked at the ground.

“Anyway,” he said, looking back up at Tim, “I knew the time had come to tell her.”

“What she do?” Tim asked.

“Well she ran away,” Balto said, “and I went after her.”

“Well to make a long story short, when I caught up with her, this pack was in need of a leader, and she fit the bill.”

“She leads this huge pack?” Tim said, looking around him.

Balto smiled, proud of what his daughter had become.

“Yes,” he said, “it wasn’t nearly this big when she took over, but word of her leadership spread and other packs joined hers to make one huge pack. There’s safety in number’s after all.”

“Wow,” Tim said as he looked around the cave.

Both my last kids ended up here too,” Balto said.

They live in the pack?” Tim said.

Balto nodded.

“Hey dad.”

“Melody, hi,” Balto said, “how’re you?”

“Good dad,” Melody said.

She was smiling.

“She looks like she’s going to burst,” Balto thought.

“Hey dad,” got a question,” Melody said.

“What’s that?”

“Well…” Melody said, “what do you think about being a grandpa again?”

“You?” Balto asked.

Melody bit her bottom lip, to keep from laughing, and nodded her head.

“That’s great Melody,” Balto said.

“Yeah,” Melody said, “Timbre and I are awful excited.

“How long?” Balto asked.

“Probably about 9 months.”

“Well I’m happy for you,” Balto said.

“Hi dad”

Balto turned around.

“Dash,” he said, you doing good?”

“Yeah,” he said, “those pups grow more and more every day, hey did Melody tell you the news?”

“Yes she did,” Balto said.

“Who’s the little one there?” Dash asked.

“Oh guys this is Tim, I met him when I went to go stay in the trawler again. Tim this is Dash and Melody, the kids I was telling you about.”

“You guys live here?” Tim asked.

“Yeah,” Dash said.

“It’s a rough but rewarding life,” Melody chimed in.

So I heard about you and mom,” Dash said. “I can’t believe she’d think something like that.”

“Yeah,” Melody said.

“Well it’s going to be alright, as soon as find this Jack,” Balto said.

“Hey dad,” Dash said, “Aleu told me about you looking for someone, and I think I know someone who may be able to help. If you’ll follow me..”

Balto turned and followed him as he walked away.

“Tima,” Dash said this is my father.

“Hello sir,” she said.

Balto laughed.

“Drop the sir, it’s Balto.

“Okay Balto,” she said.

“Hey Tima ,” Dash said, “you said you met a sled dog team the other day, right?”

The young female nodded.

“Did they have yellow harnesses?” Balto asked.

“Actually you know, I think they did, they were headed to Anchorage. I got to go talk to one of the dogs, I think his name was Jake.”

“Kind of an older orange dog?” Balto asked.

“Yeah,” she said.

“Tima,” Dash said, “did you say you went and talked to him?”

Tima cringed a little.

“Yeah,” she said.

“Tima how many times do I have tell you not to go near those humans, someday you’re not going to come back.”

“He was asleep,” se said defensively.

“Tima,” Dash said, “don’t do it again, or I’ll have no choice but to report it, okay?”

“Yeah,” Tima said.

Dash and the rest of the group walked back out into the bustling cave. Aleu was standing there.

“So did you find what you were looking for?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Balto said, ”it was a good thing we came here after all.”

“I shouldn’t have had to come get you,” Aleu said, “anytime you’re in the area, drop by, I like getting to see you once and a while.”

“So how are the kids doing?” Balto asked.

“Grandpa!” They yelled.

Suddenly Balto was knocked form his feet by the three pups.

“We got