Jenna was at home with Rosy. Kodi was out in the wilderness, delivering the mail with his sled team. Boris was out with Stella. So that left Balto, all alone.

He sat on the frosty beach, looking out towards the sea. The other side of the bay seemed evermore distant in the mist. Winter had set in, and the snow fell lightly and daintily on the icy ground. The sky was dark and the air was cold with fog. Somewhere, out in the distance, was the lonely song of a bowhead whale. Balto listened to the beautiful singing and thought of how such beauty came from such a mighty creature. The whale swam further out to sea, and its singing soon stopped. But Balto still heard it sing inside his head.

He was wrenched from his thoughts when he heard a growl from behind. He swerved around. What could it be? a bear? A wolf?

But there was nothing there.

He turned around again, and continued to stare out to sea.

Another growl. But again, nothing!

Balto tried to think back to the whale. But try as he might, he could not get back the serenity he'd lost.

Another growl. This time, it was getting louder, and closer...

"Hello..!" Balto called out. "Anyone there!"

The growl was getting even more louder. In fact, it was not one growl, but two. Could it be a couple of wolves?

The growls were getting closer. They were not wolf growls - they were too deep.

More growling, getting much closer. They were bear growls. Balto saw two shapes coming towards him, lumbering through the fog.

Balto's fur stood on end. He was no longer looking out to sea or thinking of the whale. He turned around, lowered himself into attack position, and started to bark, in an attempt to scare them away. But what could one wolfdog against not one but two bears? He'd have no chance, that's what.

The shapes were very close now. Balto barked louder, and started to growl viciously.

Closer and closer came the bear shapes.

Balto was now no longer barking or growling. He started to whimper in terror. He had nowhere to run. He couldn't swim to escape - bears could swim, and besides, he'd freeze to death within minutes. His whining was louder now. His end was near. And a bear leapt out of the fog...!

"Balto! Balto!" cried Muk as he pounced at the poor wolfdog. Luk appeared out of the fog. He started to lick Balto in the face.

"How are you Balto?!" Muk yelled happily. "We can't find Uncle Boris, so we've come to play with you! Luk and I were having a Growling Competition. We were both very good, but you won with all that growling and barking you were doing! So Balto, you get the Grand Prize! What would you like from us! We'll do anything for you!"

Luk nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Balto said. "I know what you two can do."

"What, what is it?" Muk asked impatiently. Luk wriggled with excitement.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO!!!" Balto yelled.

Poor polar bears.