you too, Papa. Thanks. 

 

            Balto went back into his room. Steven walked up to Aleu to tell her good night. He kneeled down and patted her on the head.

 

Steven: Good night, baby girl. See you in the morning.

 

            He reached over and gave her a kiss on the nose and a little rub against her face. 

 

Steven: I love you, girl. Wake me up in the morning so we can go for a walk, ok.

 

            Aleu reached up and licked him on the face. 

 

Steven: (With a little laugh) Ok. Good night.

 

            Aleu watched him as he walked away to tell her father good night. Balto stepped out as he came near him and pet him on the head.

 

Steven: Good night, Balto.

 

            Steven looked at her and smiled at her.

 

Steven: You take good care of your daughter for me, ok. She’s a real good girl. 

 

            Balto looked over at her as Steven walked away and winked at her. Aleu winked back and Balto went back inside.  

 

Chapter 12

 

 

 

            It was in the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep, including Aleu. All the lights in the city were put out. No one put out the lights where Balto and everyone else was, they were just too beautiful not to be seen. But while they were sleeping, the sky opened up to a bright, white light, and a small little piece of it flew off and down to the boat. Once it broke off, it turned into a little spark of light with wings. It was only this small far away, but closer up; it was just about the size of a wolf.

The light was shining bright and Aleu caught a little gleam of it and woke her up. She lifted her head with tired eyes and looked around to see if everyone else was asleep, and they were, safe and sound. She turned her head back around to go back to sleep, but then she spotted a little white light, peeking through the crack in one of the loose floor boards. Curious, she got up and walked slowly towards it. She tried to peek through the crack, but couldn’t see enough. The light was coming from one of the rooms under the deck. Aleu knew where the room was so she jumped off the side of the boat and squeezed through the hole in the lower side.

The light was getting brighter as she kept moving. She moved swiftly around all the pipes and went through another hole into the ship’s kitchen. Once she got there, the light was gone. She was confused. She started looking for what caused the light. But behind the oven was a wolf, a full sized male, with white and grey fur. He was wearing a silver cross around his neck. When Aleu saw him she started to growl. The wolf heard her and looked at her, not in fear, not in anger, but with a peaceful and calm expression on his face.

 

Aleu: (Growling) Hey! 

 

Seph: Relax. I mean you no harm. 

 

Aleu: Who are you?! Why are you here?! 

 

Seph: Please, calm down. I’m not here to hurt anyone.

 

            Aleu lowered her growl to a minimum and got a little closer.

 

Seph: My name is Sephra, but my friends call me Seph for short. 

 

            Seph stepped forward and Aleu backed up.

 

Seph: Please, don’t be afraid. 

 

Aleu: I’m not afraid!

 

Seph: Well you sure do look it.

 

            Aleu lowered her growl a little bit until eventually she had stopped growling. She did think it was pretty useless to say she wasn’t afraid when she was growling at someone, even though she didn’t look it.

 

Seph: (In a very soft soothing voice) what is your name?  

 

            Aleu looked up at him. She was silent for a while, but then spoke. 

 

Aleu: Aleu.

 

Seph: Aleu… that’s a very nice name.   

 

Aleu: … thank you.   

 

            Aleu accepted the complement but she was very confused. She had never seen this wolf before, she was sure of it.

 

Aleu: (Stepping foreword) have we met before?  

 

Seph: No. But I am not a stranger. 

 

            Aleu still didn’t get it. She now knew that they haven’t met, but she still didn’t understand why he was there. 

 

Aleu: So where are you from?  

 

            Seph looked at her like he wasn’t going to tell her exactly. He noticed that she recognized him as an acquaintance by the tone in her voice, so he decided to be a little friendly.

 

Seph: (Smiling) Around.

 

Aleu: Around town?

 

Seph: Maybe.

 

Aleu: The forest? 

 

Seph: Maybe.

 

Aleu: (Impatient) well then where are you from?  

 

 Seph: You’ll find out.

 

            Aleu was still confused. But what caught her attention was the cross necklace hanging around his neck. She started to step closer towards him to look at it closer.  

 

Aleu: That cross around your neck. Is it yours?  

 

            Seph looked down at it proudly.

 

Seph: It is.

 

            Aleu got a little closer and got a good look at it.

 

Aleu: (Smiling) It’s beautiful. 

 

Seph: Thank you.  

 

            Seph picked the cross up with his paw, still having it around his neck. 

 

Seph: It was my mother’s, she had a master who was a holy man and he gave it to her. Then she passed it on to me. 

 

Aleu: Oh, that’s sweet of her. 

 

Seph: Yeah… But that was before she died, not long after.

 

            Aleu was shocked to hear that. She didn’t know this wolf very much but she still felt a hint of sorrow for him.

 

Aleu: Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. 

 

Seph: Oh that’s all right. She was old, and it was her time. She gave it to me right before she went, and I took it and thanked her and gave her all the love I could. It meant so much to me, and it still does. Now I never take it off. I wear it as a symbol of my love, my respect, and my faith. 

 

Aleu: Your faith? 

 

Seph: Yeah, that especially.   

 

            It was quiet for a second. Aleu then tried to change the subject so she wouldn’t make him sad. 

 

Aleu: So, Seph. That iswhat your friends call you, right.  

 

Seph: Right.

 

Aleu: Do you have any brothers or sisters?   

 

Seph: Oh, I’m sure I do. 

 

            At first, Seph was a little glad to admit the statement, but the look didn’t last that long.

 

Seph: But I have never met any of them. 

 

            Aleu was truly saddened by this. That must be so hard for him. She thought.

 

Aleu: Oh. I’m sorry.   

 

            Seph walked to the back of the room facing away from her.

 

Seph: No, it’s alright.

 

Aleu: Well do you have any friends? 

 

            Seph then smiled, still turned around. 

 

Seph: (Turning around) I do now. 

 

            Aleu’s eyes widened.

 

Aleu: Oh. 

 

            She thought he thought of her as his only friend. She couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Aleu realized that she wasn’t making the situation any better. 

 

Aleu: Oh, Seph I’m so sorry. Listen I didn’t mean to upset you. 

 

Seph: What are you sorry for?

 

            Seph thought about it a second and tried to find out what she was sorry for. She must have thought that he meant that she was his only friend. He felt silly.

 

 Seph: (with a chuckle) You’re not the only friend I have.

 

Aleu: (Embarrassed) Oh.

 

            Seph stepped towards her.

 

Seph: Hey don’t be embarrassed.  

 

Aleu: I’m sorry I just… By the way you sounded; it didn’t seem you had any friends. 

 

Seph: Had?  

 

            Aleu did not know if what she had said was helping or making it worse.

 

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