"Steele! W-Where are the others!" Doc exclaimed as the malamute gnawed ravenously on a bone. Steele just barreled in from the freezing storm outside. He looked like he was about to drop dead from exhaustion any minute, but when one of the other dogs offered him a bone, he couldn't help but try to consume nutrients from the bone that was originally just for chewing, but now it was his first meal in days.
Steele took a breather from his eating to stand by the boiler to try and melt some of the snow and ice hanging in patches from his thick, black and white fur. He groaned, "Well...one by one they...fell...frozen...barely alive."
*flashback*
In a matter of minutes of traveling through the storm, all of the dogs collapsed from exhaustion. Their master was still unconscious from their fall from earlier. When Steele commanded everyone get a grip and leave, they did, pulling him onto the sled. First Bunky, Hesper, and Rune collapsed from exhaustion. The stress from the extreme cold and pulling the sled and being lost had been too much for them. Nikki, Kaltag, Star, and Steele pulled those three onto the sled over their master, still hoping it wasn't too late to save them.
But not long after, Kaltag fell. Then Nikki. And finally Star. Steele's loyal friends had tried their best to help him save the children of Nome. At first this whole trip had been nothing to Steele. It was just another run. Just another delivery. He even planned on becoming a hero after this, eventually. But now that he was losing all of those dearest to him, Steele finally realized how serious this was. He just couldn't believe that it took the lives of his three best friends to realize. How selfish he had been, he knew this. But right now, he needed to try to get everyone back. It wasn't right leaving them out here. Trying to put them on the sled was becoming so exhausting and energy-taxing, so Steele did what he could to carry them. He wedged his head under Nikki's body and propped him onto his back. Then Kaltag, and finally Star, who thankfully weighed next to nothing compared to the other two.
*end flashback*
"I...I pulled four onto the sled." Steele continued telling as he shook the access ice from his fur. "Three more...on my back." His voice cracked, remembering how it was carrying his friends. Nonetheless, he continued. "And I-I walked...and I walked." he strained. "It was-it was just too late! They were..."
*flashback*
Steele amazingly was able to pull everyone, sled and all, by himself. But unfortunately, it was only a few feet, that seemed like miles to him. This was taking too much time. And there was no hope left for them. All of them had stopped breathing. Even the master, who Steele thought was going to be the one to make it, had passed on. He had thought and wished terrible things on this man and now...
*end flashback*
"W-what about the medicine?" The Saint Bernard continued asking.
Steele stood up from a sitting position and looked away from everyone. "I-I went on. Dragging the medicine alone...all alone." Then his mood swung from sad to angry and bitter. "And...and then suddenly...! That wolf dog appeared! Balto!"
*flashback*
The malamute carried on, dragging the box of medicine by the ropes with his teeth. The box wasn't very heavy at first, but dragging it for miles and miles was taking a toll on his strength, especially the condition of his mouth. His gums were beginning to bleed from the wear and tear of the hefty load. His paws were numb. Snow was piling on his body and almost appeared pure white. He relied on his instincts to tell him where to go because if he opened his eyes, the snow would easily sting them.
Just then, a familiar sickening smell entered Steele's dry nose. He growled, thinking that he was halucinating, but when he opened his eyes, he really did see the wolf dog he despised.
"Is this some kind of joke!?" Steele thought to himself.
"Steele! Are you okay! Where is everyone?" Balto asked.
"They're dead!" Steele exclaimed angrily. As if he didn't already have enough trouble.
Balto winced, shocked that they were really gone, if deep down he didn't suspect Steele got rid of them himself. "Come on," Balto urged. "I can help you. Let me take the medicine for a while." Steele was too tired to outwardly object. He sat in the snow, trying to catch his breath, as he watched the wolf dog try his best to drag the medicine with his own teeth. He was smaller and did manage to move it quite a ways, but as soon as it got lodged too far within the snow, he needed help, so Steele helped push the crate from behind.
"Why...are you helping me?" Steele grunted, as he tried to loosen the wedged crate.
"...To help Rosie." Balto said through his teeth. "She's dying."
Steele gave him a peculiar look. As if that girl was the only reason he was out here. The malamute didn't believe that for a second. Dogs have died out here and this mutt was out here like it was a walk on the beach. He knew Balto had a thing for Jenna, so she at least had to be part of it.
"She's just a girl to you. There's gotta be more to it." Steele egged on, finally lodging the crate from its spot. As he went to take the rope from Balto's mouth to drag it a ways himself, Balto jerked away and tried pulling it further.
"It's nothing. I just want...to save Rosie." the struggling hybrid insisted. He wasn't getting anywhere and it was really frustrating to watch. Steele growled and snatched the rope from Balto's jaws and started pulling the box himself. This mutt was annoying, but at least Steele could carry on some kind of conversation with something instead of going insane from the isolation. He dragged it for a few minutes before he finally admitted more than Rosie being the reason he was out here. (Naturally something else would have to convince him.)Steele kind of already knew the reason, seeing a familiar vermilion bandanna around the mutt's neck.
Balto sighed. "And...it would make Jenna happy too..."
"I figured." Steele grumbled through his teeth. The mutt's little "crush" on Jenna was plain as day to everyone. "Trying to be the town hero to get the girl of your dreams."
"And those aren't your intentions at all, are they?" Balto glared.
"I didn't say that." the malamute rolled his eyes. At the beginning it was true, at least. He didn't feel like explaining his true take onto what was happening. He didn't care what this animal thought of him, no matter how much he glared at him.
"You were willing to risk innocent lives for your sake."
"Yeah. I WAS." Steele growled, letting go of the rope. "What I'm doing NOW is trying to get the medicine BACK. So, shut up and stop being so damn annoying or I'll take you out right here and now." Balto didn't want to fight, besides, they were rushing against the clock. They needed to hurry. Balto showed Steele his markings he made on the trees to find his way around and they followed those to get back to Nome. Neither of them talked much, until they came to a gorge that was flat on their side, but was no less than a 45 degree angle on the side opposite them. There were ledges of ice sticking out from the sides of the edge of the cliff, making it look like a monster waiting for lunch.
Balto looked and saw one ledge of ice that was so big it made a bridge leading to the other side. It was quite a distance away, and by the time they reached the bridge, the opposite side was almost completely straight up. Balto used that bridge to get across on the way to Steele's location. It held him just fine, but then again, he was alone.
"Alright," Steele said, leadership instincts kicking in. "I'll cross first with the medicine. I can drag it alot quicker than you can."
"No." Balto disagreed. "I'll cross with the medicine. Your weight and the medicine's weight might break the bridge." Without hesitating, Balto took the crate's ropes in his teeth, but was stopped by Steele's weight of his paw on the rope.
"I'll go first. I'm not going to risk the medicine falling." he turned to set foot on the ice bridge and turned back to smirk at Balto. "You on the other hand..." he added, referring that he wouldn't mind if Balto fell. Normally, he would've been serious, but it was a joke. A dark joke, but a joke nonetheless. A joke that Balto couldn't tell if it was or wasn't one.
Steele almost reached the middle and was getting spooked. It was a little creepy to stare down into an icy gorge that resembled the hungry jaws of a monster, but something didn't seem right. Ice was falling out from the bottom and he could tell. It might still hold the medicine, but...he couldn't chance it. He started shakily pounding on the bridge with his front paw. It cracked and he quickly backed up from the middle onto the safe ground.
"That's not safe." he said, sounding rather humorous with the fright in his voice. Balto looked around and saw a fallen log not far from them.
"Think we could use that to cross?" he asked. The log wasn't laying across the gorge, but it looked like it would reach it with plenty of slack. Their problem now was to get it across. Steele was going to object and just find another way around, but Balto insisted they try the log first. Even tho Steele could probably make it back
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