he got what he deserved.”

Kodi began to walk away again.

Dusty ran in front of him.

“Kodi, what do we do every week, every day, we serve the humans, we bring them what they need to survive, not just the mail, we deliver supplies, and... and medicines, like your father did.”

“See,” Kodi said, “I knew you were siding with him. I thought we were friends?”

“We are Kodi.” Dusty said.

“Well friends don’t side with the enemy.” Said Kodi.

“Your father is not the enemy,” Dusty said, “I... I can’t believe you’d even say something like that. I thought you looked up to him?”

“Yeah, well I wrong. Looks like I’m wrong about a lot right now, I thought you were my friend too.”

He began to walk away again.

“Kodi?” Dusty asked.

“Just stay away from me Dusty.” Kodi said, not even turning around to look at her.

Dusty looked at the snow.

“Kodi.” She said, softly.

He stopped.

“I thought that….”

She stopped.

“You thought what Dusty?” Kodi asked.

“Just forget it.” Dusty said.

Kodi walked over to her.

“What is it Dusty?” He said, somewhat angrily.

Dusty looked back up at him, there were tears in her eyes.

“I guess I thought that what you were going to tell me back there, in the shed, after you got back, I guess I thought that what you were going to tell me was that you liked.. that you loved me.”

Kodi sighed.

“Fine!” He yelled. “Dusty you want me to go after him, I’m gone, but I mean that, I’m gone…”

He took a few steps back.

“I… I don’t even want to see you when I get back!”

Then he took off running, disappearing into the falling snow.

Dusty was stunned.

“What?” She thought.

She watched for him to come back, she stood there for at least ten minutes, but he didn’t come back.

“Not like this,” She thought, “not like this.”

Tears blurred her vision as she turned and ran towards Jenna’s home, where she hoped that she’d find Balto.

Chapter 9

“Balto, please listen to me,” Jenna pleaded.

Balto stood up from where he’d been sitting by the fireplace.

“Jenna,” he said, walking over to her.

“I know that you’re worried, but I can’t just leave him out there, I can’t.”

“Well then why don’t you take someone with you, that way at least you wouldn’t be alone.”

Balto sighed.

“I tried to take Kodi, but…”

“What?” Jenna asked. “What’s wrong Balto?”

“Jenna, he… he called me a traitor, and well… things just went downhill from there, I… I don’t even know if I know him anymore. No, I’m going alone this time.”

“What do you mean this time?” Jenna asked. “You’re always alone.”

Balto smiled.

“So at least it won’t be the first time, right?”

“Don’t give me any of that fake bravado,” Jenna said, “and that excuse is pretty tired too.”

“Jen, I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“I know you will be, but that doesn’t keep me from worrying.”

She nuzzled him.

“Be careful Balto.”

Suddenly, they both heard a crash in the next room.

“What was that?” Jenna asked.

“I don’t know,” Balto said, “but I’m going to find out.”

He moved carefully to the door, Jenna hung back a little.

Balto peeked inside the room, and saw Dusty laying on the ground, where she’s tripped over the coffee table that Roger had just put inside the door today.

“Oww,” she said, “who put that there?”

Balto smiled and walked into the room.

“Dusty, what are you doing here so late?” Balto asked.

A concerned look crossed his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

He noticed that she had been crying.

She stood up.

“Oh Balto, I didn’t mean for him to do it, I just wanted to help…”

“What happened Dusty?” Balto asked. “Is it Kodi?”

Dusty nodded.

“What did he do?” Balto asked.

“He… he’s gone.”

“Gone?” Jenna asked.

Balto thought about this statement for a minute.

“After the pilot?” he asked.

Dusty nodded and coughed.

“By HIMSELF!” Jenna yelled.

Dusty coughed and nodded again.

“I… I didn’t mean for him to go then, I wanted… I wanted him to come with you.”

“He…”

Dusty started crying again.

“What did he do?” Balto asked, afraid of the answer.

“Well I confronted him after you left, I… I saw the whole thing, and I knew that you were right, so I decided to see if he would listen to me.”

“Well, I caught up to him, and he got really mad, and then…”

“Then what Dusty, tell us already,” Balto said, somewhat impatiently.

“He said he’d go after the pilot, but that he didn’t want to see me when he got back.”

Balto sighed

“I’m sorry Dusty,” Balto said, “I don’t know what’s with him now.”

“Well come in here,” Jenna said, “you must be freezing, and you’re already sick.

“Thanks,” Dusty said through her tears

Balto walked to the door and looked out into the snow.

“What’s gotten into you Kodi.”

Balto woke up and stretched.

He walked out on the porch.

He’d stayed at Jenna’s for the past few days, waiting for Kodi to turn up.

He hadn’t yet.

The storm was still blowing full tilt, and Balto was growing worried about his son.

He walked back inside.

Jenna was sleeping in her bed by the wall, and he walked over and gently shook her awake.

“Balto?” She asked groggily. “Why are you waking me up, it must be around three in the morning.”

“Today is the day.” Balto said.

“What day?” Jenna said, she yawned.

“The day that I can’t sit here any longer.” Balto said, “I’m going out to look for him.”

Balto turned around and started towards the door.

Jenna yawned again and stood up.

“Wait, Balto, come here.”

He turned around and trotted up to her.

“What is it Jen?”

She took off the bandanna that she always wore around her neck, and slipped it over his head.

“Take that, it won’t keep you very warm, but…”

Balto laughed.

“What?” Jenna asked.

“This seems a bit familiar, doesn’t it?” He said.

He smiled at her.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

“Oh Balto, be careful, please.”

“I will be,” Balto said.

Jena lifted her head and looked at him.

“I’m serious, don’t take any stupid chances.”

“Don’t worry,” Balto said “it’s me right?”

‘That’s what worries me.” Jenna said.

“Come on Jen, I’ll be fine.”

He stated to walk towards the door.

“I’ll see you when I get back.” He said, then he ducked through the doggy door.

Jenna walked over to the window and watched as he disappeared into the falling snow.

Dusty walked up behind Jenna.

“Where’s Balto?” She asked.

She coughed and yawned.

Jenna sighed.

“He’s gone after Kodi.” Jenna said.

“Well I want to go with him.” Dusty said.

She headed towards the door, but Jenna stepped in her way.

“You aren’t going anywhere, but back to bed.” Jenna said.

“Come on Jenna; move out of the way, I can still catch up to him.”

“Go back to sleep.” Jenna said.

“But…” Dust started.

“No buts,” Jenna said, “you’re sick, not to mention injured, now come on, we’ll both go back to bed.”

Dusty sighed.

“Yeah, guess you’re right.”

Dusty and Jenna walked back to their beds and went back to sleep.

Chapter 10

Balto stumbled over the hill in front of him.

Down below in the valley, he thought he could see the outline of the plane.

“About time,” Balto thought.

He’d been walking through the storm for the last two days.

He more or less fell down the hill, rolling, until he reached the bottom.

He stood up.

“Not exactly the way that I planned to do that,” he thought.

He got up and walked toward what he could now tell was the plane.

“It must’ve come down hard.” Balto thought.

The plane’s wings were broken off, and it was all bent up.

There was also a peculiar smell in the air.

Balto stumbled over to the plane and leaned against it, then he jumped back.

The outside of the plane was hot!

He walked along the plane until he got to the rear cargo compartment.

Once there Balto could see why the side of the plane had been hot, there was a fire going right beside it.

“Must’ve started when it crashed.” Balto thought.

He took another step forward, and stepped in something