were beginning to recover, thanks to the golden elixir that was safely retrieved, and hopefully it wouldn’t be too long before daily routines returned to normal around the tiny town of Nome.

To think I saved them with my quick thinking and actions . . . Balto sighed at the sight. He still was in disbelief by what he had done . . . And now everyone, even the humans that would throw snow towards me, treat me like I’m a regular dog . . . no, a real hero . . . I just can’t seem to wrap my head around it, even after a couple of days! He smiled, looking at a mother happily cuddling her child in her arms. Balto could feel the warmth that emanated from that tender moment, making his heart feel as if it were about to leap out of his chest. I helped to make this happen . . . and thanks to Jenna, I have been able to feel that love too.

"Ah, there she is, Balto!" Jenna barked happily at the sight of her girl in the window once the two of them visited every pane. The two slender parents continued to stand by the large bed where Rosy continued to recover. The young girl’s eyes were still weakly open, but the antitoxin continued to strengthen her body until the doctor felt her well enough to return home.

"She’s really a tough girl, Jen," Balto smiled, remembering how strong he last saw her. "I betcha Rosy’ll be home before you know it, so don’t worry so much."

"I hope so," the burgundy female sighed. Rosy let out a yawn, preparing to get some more rest; the medicine had weakened her so much that she slept most of the time. "I can’t help but worry – she’s my human, my girl . . ."

Seeing the sadness in Jenna’s amber-hazel eyes made Balto nudge against her neck with his own, comforting her with his thick, wolf-like fur. "I promise, everything will be all right . . . I’ll make sure of it."

I know that already, Jenna managed to smile, rubbing her nose in return. Everything will be wonderful as long as I am with you, Balto . . .

Meanwhile, two sledding dogs sat by the telegraph office. The brown-colored male with white marks donned his black-leather collar, showing that he was a racing dog, but it was strange that the husky was not in his harness today. The slender female, a bright red and white husky, whined with worry, turning to her mate with sad eyes.

"Do you think he learned of the agreement?" The female queried, doing a double take at the white stretch of fresh powder-snow that lay in between the mountains and the borders of Nome. "He wouldn’t have forgotten something like that, would he?"

"Don’t worry so much about it, my love," The brown husky looked ahead as well. "I trust that a dog of his age would remember anything about his own son. So, I’m sure he told him by now – well, at least over a week ago."

"But what if he didn’t make it through that storm?" She asked. "You know how difficult it was for even Balto to make it through the same blizzard!"

"Yes, but he’s a sled dog too, Tasha," The male responded bravely. "Remember when we first met his parents? They have the same pure blood in them as we do, so he should be able to survive the trek." He gave her a confident grin. "It’s a long way from Teller to here, but only the mountains and the wolves that inhabit those places should be more difficult than a blinding snowstorm."

"But he’s late, Tundra!" Tasha shuddered at the thought. "If he left on the appointed date, he should have arrived . . . yesterday!"

"I’m sure it’s just the storm setting him back," the sled dog reassured her. "He’s must have learned that safety is always best in natural disasters such as this."

Tasha nodded. Being a racer before retiring to be a mother, she knew the dangers of running with nature far too well. "It’s best to find shelter than to keep going in a storm when you’re alone out there. Wouldn’t want to freeze to death, you know."

"Perhaps . . ." Tundra sighed. "But we made a promise to them, saying that we’d wait here for their son. We can’t just assume that something has happened to him."

Without warning, a dark brown husky with gray legs let out a howl. It was weak, but the two mates were surprised by the sound nonetheless. The dog carefully approached them in a run from the direction of the Outskirts of Nome, but weakened by its current strength, the husky collapsed to the ground in front of their paws.

"Streak . . . my father . . . sent me to . . . to you . . ." The brown dog slipped out of consciousness, leaving the two sled dogs completely speechless by the youngster’s appearance.