in something wet.

He looked down at his paws, unsure of what he’d find.

It was a clear liquid, and it smelled awful.

Balto looked at the side of the plane, and saw that the liquid was leaking out of a large hole in the side of the plane.

“That’s probably not a good thing.” Balto thought.

Then he saw Kodi, he was laying inside the cargo hold.

Balto ran toward him, splashing through a good amount of the foul smelling liquid.

He crawled up into the plane beside his son.

“Kodi?” He said.

Kodi stirred slightly, and opened his eyes.

“Dad?” Kodi said groggily. “What are you doing out here?”

Balto started to answer, but heard a loud crack.

Balto turned around to see the flames start following the trail of liquid.

“If that stuff is flammable then…”

“Uh oh.” Balto said.

“Kodi let’s go, now!”

“But dad,” Kodi said, “it’s warm here.”

“No, Kodi now, no time to explain, just get away from here, now!”

Balto leapt out of the cargo hold, Kodi followed him.

When they had gotten on top of the hill, they stopped.

Kodi yawned.

“Dad, what was that about? It was warm and…”

Kodi was suddenly cut off by the loudest explosion either of the two dogs had ever heard.

The concussion threw both of them to the ground.

Kodi recovered first, and looked at the plane, to see what was left of it burning and scattered all over the base of the hill.

“Whoa!” Kodi thought, “If dad hadn’t woken me up, I’d’ve still been sleeping when….”

He watched as a burning hunk of the metal fell out of the sky and smashed to the ground.

He shivered.

Then he walked over to his dad, who hadn’t moved yet.

“Dad, are you alright?”

Balto didn’t move.

“Dad?” Kodi asked.

“Oh no!” What if he doesn’t get up? What did I call him… a traitor!”

“Dad, you’ve got to get up, I’ve got to tell you…”

Kodi stopped as he saw his father’s eyes flutter open.

“Got to tell me what?” Balto said slowly.

“Dad!” Kodi said.

“I’ve got to tell you that I love you, and that… I understand what you were trying to say.”

Balto stood up shakily.

“I’m glad to hear that son,” he said.

He smiled, then he fell to the snow again.

“Dad?” Kodi asked.

Balto opened his eyes again, “What happened Kodi?” he asked. “I have a headache like you wouldn’t believe.”

“I know,” Kodi said, “I do too.”

Balto’s memory came rushing back to him then, and he remembered running up the hill.”

“The plane.” Balto said, as he stood back up. Balto looked down the hill, and saw the plane, which had exploded.

Burning pieces of wood and metal were strewn all over the base of the hill.

“It must’ve exploded.” Kodi said.

Balto shivered.

Kodi walked up next to him and looked at the burning wreckage.

“Thank you for coming after me dad,” Kodi said, “otherwise, I’d’ve been sleeping in there when it…”

Balto turned to his son.

“Didn’t you know that I’d come for you?”

“Well I thought you might, but after our last words, I… I didn’t know.” Kodi said.

“Son,” said Balto, “no matter how good a terms we are on, no matter if you hate me, I’m still your father, and I’d give my life for yours.”

Tears came to Kodi’s eyes.

“Oh, I don’t hate you dad, I was just…”

“Upset?” Balto asked.

Kodi nodded.

“I guess, I don’t know what was wrong with me.”

He looked up at his father.

“I guess I just forgot what was important to me.”

He smiled.

Balto looked back at his son.

“You know, there’s someone else who needs to hear that.”

“Dusty?” Kodi said.

“Yeah,” Balto said, “you really hurt her when you left, she really cares for you, more than a friend should.”

Kodi looked at his father a little strangely.

“And how do you know that?”

Balto smiled.

“While you were gone, she and I talked, and she told me that she really likes you, as in likes, likes.”

“I know,” Kodi said, “I do too.”

“You’ve got some strange ways of showing it Kodi,” Balto said.

“I know,” Kodi said, “I was stupid, I guess I hurt everyone, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Balto said.

Kodi hung his head.

“Well… I didn’t mean too, not really, I just…”

He stopped.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s alright Kodi,” Balto said, “you realize that you made a mistake, and as long as you’re willing to correct it, you’ll come out alright, and a little smarter.”

“I suppose so,” Kodi said.

“We should get going.” Balto said, turning towards the distant mountains.

“Home?” Kodi asked, walking after his father.

“We haven’t finished our work out here yet.” Balto said.

“But the pilot wasn’t in the plane…” Kodi started.

Balto took one last glance at the burning remains of the plane.

“And it’s a good thing too, but that just means that we have to look elsewhere, he’s out here somewhere.”

Kodi nodded.

“Let’s get going then.”

The two of them ran into the tree line.

Chapter 11

Dusty was standing by the dog shed, staring off into the snow.

Dingo walked up behind her.

“What ya doing?” He asked.

“Thinking.” She said quietly.

Dingo walked around to her side and sat down.

“About what?” He asked.

Dusty sighed.

“Kodi.” She said softly.

“Oh, I see,” Dingo said.

And.. and Balto.” She added somewhat embarrassed/

“Uh huh, I’m sure.”

“Well I am.” Dusty said/

She sighed.

“Alright, so I care about him, I care about him a lot.”

“Oh Dingo, I do hope he’s alright.”

“I’m sure he is,” Dingo said, “Balto went after him, and I’m sure they’re both fine. They’re probably on their way here now.”

“I don’t know… I don’t know that he cares for me anymore,” Dusty said.

She looked at the snow.

“I don’t think that that’s possible.” Dingo said.

“Really, I mean, he said.. he said he never wanted to see me again.”

He was just mad about something,” Dingo said. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

Do you think so?” Dusty said, She coughed again.

Dingo smiled.

“Dusty, I know so.”

“I’m going to go after him.”

“What?” Dingo said, “you’re out of your…”

But it was too late, Dusty was already gone.

Dingo walked quickly towards his mother’s.

“And then she just ran off.” Dingo finished.

“Great,” Jenna said. “in her condition, she won’t make it very far.”

She sighed.

“I’ve got to go after her.”

Jenna started out of the house.

Dingo stepped in front of her.

“No,” he said, “she’s already gone, I won’t let you go out there and endanger yourself. Dad’d never forgive me.”

“Oh all right,” Jenna said.

“I don’t know much about the wilderness anyway, I’d probably just get myself hurt.”

“Uh huh,” Dingo said. “That’s what I’m here for.”

“Thank you Dingo.” She said, “let’s go back to bed.”

She sighed.

“I hope she’ll be alright.”

Then the two of them laid down.

Balto and Kodi stumbled over the next hill.

Kodi fell and rolled to the bottom.

Balto ran down the hill to his son’s side.

Kodi stood up.

“Are you alright Kodi?” Balto asked.

Kodi nodded.

“Yeah dad, I’m fine. I must’ve tripped over something.”

He shook the snow out of his fur.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Balto asked. “You’re not getting too cold or anything?”

Kodi laughed.

“Yes dad, I’m sure. Let’s go.” Kodi said, starting forward. “The sooner we find that pilot the sooner we get to go home.”

“Wait Kodi,” Balto said, “don’t you smell that?”

Kodi stopped and looked back at his dad.

There was a concerned look on Balto’s face.

Kodi pointed his head upward and sniffed.

He looked back at his dad.

“What is it dad? I can’t smell anything.”

“Exactly,” Balto said as he walked up behind his son. “The pilot’s scent ends right here.”

“Oh no,” Kodi said, “do you think he’s…”

Kodi looked at the snow under him.

“Maybe…” Balto said as he looked around.

Kodi looked at the ground and sighed.

“No, Kodi,” Balto said. “Do you see what