He let out a sigh. “You saw what happened, didn’t you?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Boris nodded his head, just when Muk and Luk had arrived at the scene. “She found out, didn’t she?” 

A deeper sigh came from the hybrid’s lips. “Yeah, and not the way I would have wanted her to learn about it . . . if I actually wanted her to know about it.”

A moaning noise came out of the larger polar bear’s mouth, causing the wolf-dog and the gander to look back at the two ursine brothers. “He says that maybe you should go find her, Uncle Balto,” Muk translated for them. “We both will miss Aleu if she doesn’t come back.” The small bear looked at the goose with worry. “She does belongs here, doesn’t she, Uncle Boris?” 

The gander placed a wing on the top of Muk’s head. “Of course she does, boichick.” Although she looks more wolfish than tame, he thought in his head. She may find her real place soon enough after a while in the wild. He looked back at the moping father; his ears returned back to their fallen position against his neck while his head dropped down, nearly allowing his nose to kiss the ground that edged the wilderness that he had once given up for the love of his life.

“I told myself I would never return to the wild again,” Balto muttered under his breath; Boris noticed the wolf-dog’s voice and turned to him as he continued. “After saving the town over a year ago, I promised Jen that I wouldn’t risk my life in the forest. After nearly dying out there, that scared her to death enough . . . and then once she told me that we were to be parents, that was the turning point. I knew I had to remain alive to take care of my family, but . . . I had no idea that she was going to be taken away from me once our pups were born.”

“But now Aleu’s out there,” Boris reminded him. “She’s your daughter, and you know as well as I that Jenna would want you to bring her home.” 

He’s right, Balto spoke to himself, realizing the truth. Jenna said to make our family full of love . . . and for me to always remain her hero . . . “I have to be brave and face my fears, for my daughter’s sake,” He finally said aloud. “If I leave now, maybe I’ll be able to get back before Rosy gets too worried about us being gone for too long.” He stood up and faced his closest friends with an encouraging yet small grin.

“Good luck, Balto,” Boris returned the gesture. “We’ll watch over Rosy from afar until you return.” 

“Thanks, Boris,” The hybrid nodded.

Luk let out an excited muffle of noises then leaned up to give Balto a large lick on the cheek. “Luk says to tell Aleu that we can’t wait to play once she returns. She promised another game of hide-and-seek before the sun goes down.” The smaller bear groaned softly, lowering his head. “I wish we could go with you, Uncle Balto.” 

Balto placed a paw on the bears’ shoulders – first the large Luk’s, then the smaller Muk’s – before giving them an answer. “Sorry, but it’s much faster if I go alone. Besides, Aleu will be back with me before you even know it.” Balto smiled. “I’m sure she’d love it when you welcome her back home!”

“Mmm!” Luk nodded in a quick motion, suddenly grabbing his brother and licking him happily. Just seeing this made the half-wolf laugh for the first time in many months, which made the gander join in. 

Once Balto finished laughing, he cleared his throat and bid his friends farewell. “Well, I’m off. I’ve gotten a trace of Aleu’s scent, so it’s better if I leave while it’s still fresh. Take care of yourselves, okay?”

“Same to you, Balto,” The gander waved as he and the two polar bears watched the gray-brown half-wolf step into the woods that he never thought he would go into ever again. Once he disappeared into the evergreen tints of the wilderness, Boris whispered into the wind. “Please, Jenna; watch over him while he’s out there. Make sure he and your daughter stay safe.” He let out a sigh as the three of them continued to look out at the forest in front of them, hoping that their friends would return sooner than they thought. 

(Part II – completed 9/15/07)