Aleu's face lit up with joy.

"It can't be," Steele said as he squinted to try to see the figure sprinting towards them.

"Oh yes it can!" Aleu said as Steele tightened the rope harder around Aleu's neck. Steele then found an opening in the path and ran out of it. He dropped Aleu on the ground and closed it up with a huge rock so that Balto could not get past.

As Balto ran into the mountain pass with a determined look on his face, he saw the rocks and tried to push past them. He tried and tried again, but still could not get past. Steele kept on running.

Balto's muscles soon gave out and one of them gave way and sent a sharp pain throughout his back and his left forearm, causing him to collapse in the snow and cry out in pain. He laid there for awhile, limp and in excruciating pain.

Then a blizzard started blowing in from the south. "Great, something else to add to everything else that's going wrong," he said out loud. It wasn't as if anyone could hear him out here. He was alone. Or was he?

Balto's hope was almost lost when he remembered Boris' words very clearly.

"Let me tell you something, Balto. A dog cannot make this journey alone."

Balto sighed and started playing around with the snow.

"But maybe a wolf can."

Balto's eyes grew wide as Boris' words flooded back into his mind. Those words were the words that got him through his first journey. Those words were the words that helped him climb up that wretched cliff. Those words were the words that had saved half of Nome.

And those words were the words that would get him through this journey. And all the journeys to come.

Chapter 6

With every ounce of his strength, Balto struggled to his feet. He fell a few times, but he eventually got up and started a slow walk.

After about five minutes, he began to walk normally. With the images of all who loved him, something deep inside him told him to keep going. So now, he ran.

Meanwhile, Steele and Aleu were trying to find shelter.

"There are no dang-blasted caves around here? You have got to be kidding me!" Steele said angrily.

"Are we gonna freeze?" Aleu asked worriedly.

"Well, I won't. But YOU might if I find just enough shelter for me."

Aleu growled at him with a cold glare that made Steele turn away. He had to admit to himself that he was a little afraid of her.

Finally Steele found some shelter. Luckily, it was big enough to hold them both.

They settled in and then Steele said, "Well, looks like you lucked out, half-breed."

"Yeah, I... guess I did," she said as she looked down at the snow.

Steele looked at him with hurt in his eyes. But he shook it off soon after and he laid down on the very opposite corner of the cave. Aleu went to te other side.

Balto decided to find shelter for the night also, so he found a very small cave that was connected to Steele's and Aleu's. But none of the three knew this yet.

Balto was a bit afraid to be in the cave alone, but he braved it out and he laid down at the very back so he would be safe from any harm. He fell asleep within a matter of a minute.

"Steele, can I ask you a question?" Aleu asked.

"Depends," he replied, his eyes still closed.

Aleu just came out with her question. "What do you think you're gaining from this?"

Steele just looked at her a bit uncertainly.

"Why are you kidnapping me? Do you think this is any way for my mom to fall for you?"

Steele's eyes grew wide. It was as if she could read his thoughts.

Aleu just looked at him, awaiting her answer. He said nothing. She just looked at him with sad eyes, and he gazed back. She turned away and tried to go to sleep.

"Just something to think about, Steele."

They both said nothing more.

Chapter 7 - New Friends?

The next morning, the bright sun shined in Balto's eyes, waking him up.

"Ugh," he grunted. "Why must the sun wake me up during my FIRST dream-free sleep?"

He shook it off and got up. He stretched and then went to the mouth of the cave and sat down and looked out.

"Where are they?" he asked himself. "Did they find shelter somewhere overnight or did they keep going?"

And his most important thought... "Will I ever find them?"

He didn't know for sure. All he knew was that he had to try. So he stretched once more and ran off into the mountains.

Aleu yawned and her eyes opened slowly. She glanced over at Steele and noticed that he was still asleep. Now was her chance to escape.

She got up and ran out of the cave, careful not to wake Steele.

She wasn't sure where to go. Should she go back to the cabin, or should she head north?

She knew she didn't have time to sit and decide, so she followed her heart and ran north. Luckily, she was able to escape from Steele.

Meanwhile, Balto had stopped running for awhile because he was starting to get tired. And he had also realized something. He was colder than usual.

He looked down at his neck and all he saw was fur.

"Oh no," he said out loud. He looked around and saw nothing. "Where is it?" he exclaimed.

He frowned and put his head down. Once again, he had lost Jenna's bandana. Now she would have to buy another one.

"Great. She's gonna hate me now," he thought.

He laid down in the snow for a second to rest. It wasn't too long before he heard a somewhat familiar howl.

Balto's ears pricked up at the sound of the howl. He turned around and saw a dark figure coming up behind him. It wasn't Aleu, it wasn't Saint, it most certainly wasn't Jenna. He wasn't sure who it was, so he ran away from it.

The dark figure was gaining on him and it wouldn't stop. He feared that he might be crossing another wolf's territory, but he didn't care right now. All he cared about was finding Aleu and getting home safe with her.

He eventually gave up the running. He was just going to have to take his chances. The dark figure came closer, and Balto saw that it was Steele before he approached.

"Forget something?" Steele asked rather nicely. Balto glared at him and swiped the bandana from Steele's grasp.

"Steele, where did you take Aleu?" he asked angrily, slipping the bandana around his neck.

"That's why I'm here. I'm looking for her."

"What do you mean, YOU'RE looking for her? You were the one that took him in the first place!" he exclaimed, moving intimidatingly closer to Steele. He backed up slightly with every step that Balto took.

"No, you don't understand."

"Oh, yes I do, believe me. You want me to think that so that I'll team up with you to find her, and then when we do, you're gonna hurt me."

"That's not true! We found shelter last night, and when I woke up this morning she wasn't there. I was running out here to try to find her. I thought that you were her... you guys look so much alike, I was mistaken. That's why I wouldn't give up my chase."

Balto stared at him and said, "Oh. Well then... I guess we should get going."

Steele's eyes grew wide. Even though he WAS telling the truth, he couldn't believe that Balto believed him. He was afraid that if he asked if he believed him he would change his mind, so he said nothing.

"O... okay, let's go," Steele said, trying to hide his astonishment.

Balto and Steele locked eyes. For a moment it was as if they were best friends. Balto cracked a small grin at Steele and then they walked, side by side, into the mountains.

 

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