Balto: The Journey

By: Aljan

This story was inspired by Balto, (copyright 1995), Balto II: Wolf Quest (copyright 2000) and Balto III: Wings of Change(2005) by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.  The following: Black, Laren, Baltheis, Lahania, Kellan, Marcus, Denifence, the elven language (in my story), Larkan, Jerec, Prince Roan, Veavles, Renodain, Jenika, When, June, Lyon, Decem, Illion, Curn, Sahen, Ruen, Rob, and the titles and ranks(Dragon captain ex.) and the events that take place in this story are copyright 2005 by Sam Dochoda (Aljan). The characters: Shadow, Dash, Melody, Shasta, Max, Flash, Timbre, Sheik, Lima, Thunder, Shade, Blaize, Lightning, June, Talkeet, Angel, Snow, Kalia, Rayne, James, Daie, Kitok Gareth, Hiruam are characters Copyright by 2005 by Anthony Rotramel who has given me permission to use some of his characters.  He has my thanks.  The original characters remain copyright property of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.

Disappearance

Nome, Alaska 1926 after the events of Balto III: Wings of Change…

A new dawn rose above a small peaceful town of Nome that was once a town of despair a year past when a deadly diphtheria swept through the town, killing many and spreading swiftly throughout the town.  Nome’s only hope was a crate of antitoxins that lay thousands of miles away from the isolated town.  Many attempts were made.  First by air, but the plane was grounded until a blizzard cleared.  Then by sea but the ice flows made it impossible to reach land.  Seeing no other way the authorities turned their faith and hope to a single dog sled led by Steele, a famous husky who had won many races in the area.  Confident that the husky would pull the medicine to Nome, the authorities were relieved of most of their stress.  However unknown to them, Steele failed to bring the antitoxins to Nome.  He became over confident and led his sled team over a mountainside where the musher was knocked out cold.  A day and a half passed, until the most unlikely creature found the lost team.  He was brown and had the size of a husky.  But his eyes and paws revealed his other heritage. 

It was Balto, the hybrid outcast, whom, ever since setting foot in Nome, been shunned by all, except for a couple of close friends.

Balto ensured the team that he had come to rescue them and lead them back to Nome.  But Steele would have nothing to do with the hybrid, even he if was trying to help.  He attacked Balto in hopes in either sending him home or killing him but his attempts turned out to be in vain and he fell over a cliff.  Having to have failed in stopping Balto once Steele tried once more by leading the sled team astray.  Though, the sled team did get lost and Balto went over a cliff, little did Steel know that Balto had something that he did not have: a wolf heritage.  Balto rejoined the sled team and they did things that none had ever done:  barely out ran an avalanche, walked through a crystal cave only to run for their lives as the cave itself fell into itself, and made it back home to Nome with the Northern Lights as their beacon. 

            Many memories swept through Balto’s mind as he stretched out his legs after a good night’s rest.  Many mostly about his daughter, Alue, who led a wolf pack not far from Nome, and his son, Kodi, who was the leader of the U.S. mail dog sled team. 

            I do wander how they are faring thought the hybrid as he walked onto the deck of the boat he lived in.  The deck glimmered in the morning sun.

            Boris has been doing a good job washing the deck thought Balto with amusement.  The old goose raised Balto since he was a pup.  He cared for Balto, played with him, and did many things with Balto until the hybrid grew out of adult hood and started to explore his world. 

            Balto laughed out loud.  Where was the old goose now?  He had expected Boris to be on the deck complaining that he slept in too early or too late or something that Balto hadn’t heard of.  Despite his grouchy, comical, and bossy nature, the goose was a good friend and a good goose to have around. 

            Seeing that the sun high in the sky, Balto leaped from the bow of his boat and began to run towards town.  Jenna wouldn’t want him to miss a free breakfast.

            Balto reached Rosie’s house in time to see the girl herself waving good-bye to Jenna who was barking her farewells as well.  Seeing the hybrid, Rosie waved to him and shouted, “Bye Balto!  See you after school!”

            Balto howled a reply, startling Rosie’s parents who were in the doorway of their house.  Jenna ran over to Balto and nuzzled him.

            “How are you today?” she asked. 

            Balto inhaled, bringing the sweet scent of her fur into his nose.  “The same as always, Jenna.” He replied. 

            Jenna barked happily and broke free of Balto.  Laughing she put her paws onto Balto’s back and put all her weight into him.  The hybrid barked in surprise as he fell, unbalanced to the soft summer warmed ground.  Jenna was immediately on top of him wrestling to remain on the top.  However, Balto’s wolf heritage prevailed over Jenna’s husky heritage.  Laughing still, Jenna licked her mate on the cheek. 

            “I give,” she said.  “Let me to my feet.”

            Balto backed off and as Jenna got to her feet two white fur balls ran right over him from behind. 

            “Muck! Luck!” he heard Jenna cry.  Whatever she said after that was overrun by the Muck’s cries of despair and Luck’s noisy imitations.

            “It was terrible, terrifying, never thought it could happen but it did, I shouldn’t have let him go in there but I did, oh what to do what to do?!” cried Muck holding his head.  Luck shrieked and coward behind his smaller brother.  Jenna could do nothing except blink and watch the two polar bears run about, cowering, groaning with aguish, and scare each other even more. 

            Balto got painfully back on to his feet and noticed that the spot where he laid had an imprint of his body when Luck ran him over.  Enough is enough  he thought. 

            “Muck! Luck! Relax!”  he shouted.  But the two polar bear’s screeches even overran his shout.  Finally, he really had enough.

            “Muck! Luck!” he half snarled and half yelled.  “Shut up!”

            All chaos ended right then and there, mainly because neither the polar bears or Jenna ever heard Balto shout that way before.

            The hybrid inhaled deeply and sighed.  “Now let’s go over this slowly.  What happened.”

            “Oh it was terrible,” cried Muck.  Luck was about to imitate his term of “terrible” but Balto stopped him with a glance.  “We told him not to go into the cave but he did.  We came running back here and told everyone we knew that he had gone.  We don’t if they went to investigate but all we know is that none has shown up yet!”  The small polar bear collapsed as he fainted from lack of air.  Balto and Jenna looked up at each other then looked back at Muck who was lying on the ground.  Luck opened his brother’s mouth and blew into it.  The small polar bear’s eyes almost popped from their sockets and he seemed to inflate then landed back on the ground gasping.  “---glowing with crystals---(cough)—shining with different—(cough) colors.”

            Jenna strode forward and pushed Muck to the ground with a gentle paw.  “Settle down, Muck,” She said.  “Who went into the cave?”

            Muck looked at them as if they knew.  “Why, Uncle Boris of course, that’s who!” 

            Balto looked back at his boat.  “No wonder he wasn’t washing the deck of the boat this morn.” 

            Jenna realized at that moment that they had to find the cave and the people the polar bears sent to help Boris.  “Where is the cave?” she asked. 

            Muck pointed to the mountains with a trembling paw.  “Out there somewhere.  Luck and I’ve been there before.  Not that Muck and I want to!”  Luck nodded his head up and down then