replied, “She left with your owners the morning after you…Talon pushed you in. She’s been gone three days.”

          Balto’s gaze trailed to the rising sun. “So she thinks I’m dead.” The heartache and the pain he knew would overcome her made him feel sick, and he lowered his eyes. “I wonder who broke the news to her.”

          “I did.”

          Balto and Lila both turned towards the entrance to see Talon pad in, his tail high and his demeanor aloof. Stopping before Balto, he glared at him with an angry gaze that almost made the air sizzle. “She thinks you fell in saving me. Good thing she doesn’t know the truth, eh, Balto? I spared her that much?”

          Balto stared back at him. “Look, Talon, I’m sorry. I know you think it’s your duty to protect the town dogs, but it was an accident! I didn’t mean to kill Sanctus. He was hurting Lila, so I got him to back off, and he backed right into a wall. An icicle fell and stabbed him through the back. I’m sorry.”

          Talon’s hazel eyes flickered. He fixed his gaze on Lila. “Funny, that’s not what you said.”

          Scarlet shot up her cheeks as she blushed furiously under Balto’s surprised stare. “Well, you would have killed me if I hadn’t named somebody!” she burst out, shame echoing in her voice, “You didn’t let me finish! All because of that Tumak–”

          Balto’s golden eyes widened. “Tumak?” He fell back a step in shock, and then his anger began to grow. “I should’ve known,” he growled under his breath, and his eyes whipped to Talon’s face. “Tumak told you to kill me because I was getting too involved with your dogs? Did you actually think I was trying to take over?”

          “Well, yeah,” Talon said, looking uncomfortable, “Oh, I don’t even know anymore. Yeah, Tumak – weird little mutt. He just came out of nowhere. I asked him what he was expecting to get out of it, but he wouldn’t say.”

          Balto felt his heart press hard against his chest in rage and fear, and his eyes flashed. “Jenna.” He threw off the blankets and raced to the entrance, stopping only to picture the route to Nome in his mind. “I’ve got to get back. If Tumak’s laid one paw on her–”

        “But Balto!” Lila cried, “You’ve barely recovered! You need to stay here and rest.”

          “I can’t rest,” he said, turning back to look on her earnest face, “Not while Jenna’s in danger. I have to leave now. She’s already been gone three days.” He paused to catch his breath, and his eyes fell on Lila’s face. He was breaking her heart as soon as he had fixed it. The wounds had just begun to heal, and he had ripped the scabs off and made them bleed again. It made him ache to leave her, but there was no other way.

          Lila softly padded up to him and looked at him with wide, tear-washed eyes. He looked back at her, and before he could react she threw herself onto his shoulder and rubbed her head against his chin. Her breaths were deep and shuddering, and he could feel the wetness of her tears on his fur. She whispered softly, “I love you.”

          Balto eased his chin off her head to look her in the eyes. “Oh, Lila,” he sighed, and pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes, and Balto looked towards the back of the cave where Talon stood watching them.

          Balto backed away and took his last glance at Lila. Then, turning his back, he looked over his shoulder and said, “Take care of her, Talon. Please.”

          Talon observed Balto’s sincere, measured gaze. He didn’t know what possessed him to do so, but he nodded assent.

          Balto snapped his head back around, and, with thoughts of Jenna blazing through his mind, galloped off towards Nome to reclaim his life and his bride.

         The thick pinks and purples on the horizon were fading now to a dull orange glow. Tumak and Jenna watched the sunset from her porch, sitting side by side and making a shadow that had nearly no light between them.

          Tumak stole a glance over at Jenna from the corner of his eye. He had been spending more and more time with her, inventing a tale of having found a way to escape the animal shelter from time to time without notice. In reality he wasn’t surprised his running off had gone unpursued, and a life on the streets was bearable when he had Jenna on his mind. Thoughts of her consumed him. She was just so beautiful, so sweet and kind even in her grief. It had only been two days since Jenna’s return, but he had decided that tonight he would make his move.

          One perspective on the situation would be that he was betraying Khara, but Khara was dead, and she would want him to move on, wouldn’t she? She would want him to be happy, wouldn’t she? And Balto was dead, right? Granted he had had a little help on his way, but Jenna was still sad, and needed to be comforted. Well, he would comfort her.

          Jenna sighed as the last rays of mellow sunlight began to vanish from the sky.

          “Did you like that, Jen?” Tumak asked. He knew she didn’t notice when he used her nickname now.

          Jenna mustered up a tired smile. “It was beautiful, Tumak. But I’m tired. I think I’m going to go to bed now. Good night.” She got up, touched her nose to his ear in farewell, and walked towards the front door.

          Tumak scrambled up, the spot where she had touched him tingling. “Jen, wait!”

          She turned slowly around, and in the dim evening light she couldn’t help seeing Balto where Tumak stood. They just looked so much alike, the fur color, the build, the earnest expression…It was only the green in Tumak’s green-gold eyes that stopped Jenna from running to him, screaming, “Balto!” She had to harden her heart to shake the image she so longed to see.

          Tumak watched her carefully, his heart racing already. This might be his only chance. “Jen, I know it hasn’t been long, but…” He padded over to her, and put a paw gently on top of hers. “I…I love you. I want to take care of you. You’re just so lovely. I know Balto’s gone, but…he wouldn’t want you to go through this alone.”

          Jenna was stunned. “I…” She stopped, flustered.

          And then there it was again, that trick of the light–or of her mind–that gave her Balto, resurrected.

          “I don’t know,” she whispered, seeing in him the true love that had died and rose again.

          Slowly Tumak brought his muzzle down to the space between Jenna’s jawline and her neck.

          “Get your dirty paws off my mate, you filthy cur.”

          Both Tumak and Jenna jumped back, and Tumak spun around.

          A black dog leaped up the porch steps in one bound and stood baring his teeth at Tumak.

          “…Balto?” Jenna said hesitantly, confused.

          The dog stopped snarling and looked at her lovingly. “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” He started vigorously shaking out his fur, and coal dust fell to the porch like black snow to reveal Balto. “I didn’t want to alarm the rest of the town,” he explained, grinning at Tumak’s openmouthed stare.

          Jenna’s face lit up like heaven itself. “Balto,” she said in awe, her eyes shining and her heart full to bursting. “Balto!” she catapulted herself across the porch and into his embrace.

          He caught her with a smile as big as the sky, and they nuzzled hard and long, tears streaming down Jenna’s face. Balto wiped them away with his nose, although his own muzzle was damp as well. They kissed for a long moment, and Balto could feel Tumak’s gaze on them like a ton of weights. Drawing Jenna close against him, Balto turned to face his greatest enemy. “Disappointed? I guess your little plan using Talon to kill me wasn’t as foolproof as you thought.”

        Jenna’s face changed to one of utter shock. “You what? Talon tried to–? And he–?”

          Jenna’s brown eyes suddenly narrowed into slits. She could feel the anger