by now.

“NO! DON’T LEAVE ME AGAIN!”

“You look so much like your papa now….”

“Mother!”

She vanished completely, and Balto ran to find her but all he saw was fog. Suddenly, the ground under him started to crack, and he broke through, falling into freezing water again. The rough current pushed him along until he smashed his head on something solid.

His eyes snapped open and he saw that he had crashed into the floor of his boat. His face was soaked, but it was because someone had turned a bucket of water over his head.

“Heh, glad to see you’re finally awake. You don’t know how hard it was to drag your keaster up here,” said a gruff voice. Balto was awake, but he felt like he had run hundreds of miles. His whole body ached, and his joints were stiff. Someone had put his blanket over him to warm him up, and it was the same someone who was talking to him. Balto turned his head and saw that the voice belonged to a white bird - the same bird he had been chasing before he fell in the water.

“So, are you still going to eat me now?” the bird asked sarcastically. “Or will you let old Boris take care of you?”

“Who… are you?” Balto weakly asked. “How did I get up here?”

“My name’s Boris, and you’re here because it was the only way to get you out of the wind and warmed up."

Balto was shocked - this bird had actually saved him. “Why? I was trying to kill you. You could have left me.”

“I could have, but I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. A little pup like you needs a chance at life,” he said. “Even though you are a hunting wolf.”

“I’m not a wolf,” he replied.

“If you’re not a wolf, then you’re the smallest bear I’ve ever seen,” Boris chuckled. “I know what wolves look like kiddo and you look like one.”

“I’m only half wolf,” Balto snapped. “My dad was a husky.”

“A wolfdog you say. And would the wolfdog pup have a name?” Boris asked.

“Balto.”

“Balto, that’s a good strong name. It fits you.”

“Are you sure? I couldn’t even catch you.”

“Oh, don’t feel bad about it boitshick. You aren’t the first wolf - or dog - that old Boris has escaped from. But the canines I’ve encountered always travel in groups. And pups like you are always with their folks. Where are your mom and pop?”

“I… don’t know. I never knew my dad and my mom disappeared a while ago.”

“Well that won’t do. No pup should be alone.”

“But who’s going to take care of me? You?”

“Why not? You need a friend in the world, and it may as well be me.”

Balto wasn’t sure about it. He had only known this goose for a few minutes, and most of those were from him chasing the goose. But something told Balto to trust the goose. He had offered to look after him… just like Rosy. He missed having someone to talk to and play with. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Alright,” Balto said.

“Great. Just one thing, you promise not to chomp on old Boris okay? That would be a bad way to thank me.”

“I promise,” Balto meant it. He wanted Boris to be his new friend, and decided let the old goose stay with him. It turned out that Boris was alone too, and needed a friend just as much as Balto. It was sheer luck that these two lonely creatures would meet and decide to stick together, despite them being two different species. If not luck, then someone or something else was looking out for him.

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Chapter 4: First Glance

Present Day

“By the way Balto, where did you disappear off to last night? Muk and Luk were whining right through the night about how they missed you,” Boris asked.

“Oh, sorry about that. I got… caught up.”

“Balto, you’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

“Okay, I stayed the night… with Jenna,” Balto replied.

“Ohhhhhhhh, I see,” Boris said. “So did you finally get to tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That you really like her.”

“I… uh… well-”

“Oh you didn’t tell her didn’t you.”

“No.”

Boris hit his head into his wing, “Oh Balto, if you don’t tell her, then she’ll think you don’t love her.”

“I know, and it’s not that I don’t know what to say, it’s just I don’t know how to say it,” Balto replied. “I have no idea what to do next.”

“The first thing you should do is find some time alone with her. You can tell her when it’s just the two of you.”

“The two of us… alone… hang on I think I know what you mean. Of course! Boris, you’re a genius!”

“Me - a genius?” Boris replied before Balto jumped off the boat. “Hey, just where are you going!?” he shouted.

“I’ll be back later!” Balto replied as he ran towards town.

“Typical… always runs off before I can finish a thought,” Boris grumbled. “I wonder how his momma dealt with this.”

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Balto dashed into the town and made his way to the hospital. Boris had given him a very simple idea. It would be best if he told Jenna how he felt about her if it was just the two of them, and the best way to do so would be on a nice, moonlit stroll. Simply put, he would ask her out for a date. As one of the nurses opened the door to leave, he took this chance to sneak in. The second he was in, he darted right behind Rosy’s bed, which was the closest to the door. He didn’t want to attract much attention to himself.

He saw Jenna perched on top of the bed. “Psst. Jenna, it’s me.”

“Balto?” she looked over at him. “There you are. I’ve been waiting for you.” She got off the bed so that she could face him directly.

“Sorry, I wanted to say hi to an old friend, but there’s something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Well, here goes nothing,” he thought. “Jenna, you know how before we found out Rosy was sick, I asked you if you wanted to… chase a few sticks by moonlight… with me?”

“Yes…”

“Well, um… Are you still up for that? For tonight I mean?” he asked nervously. “This is it - make it or break it.”

“I - I’d love to Balto,” she replied smiling, and nuzzled him under his chin.

Balto felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “I asked her out and she said yes!” “That’s great. We can go at sunset.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she replied. “This will be great. I don’t think Balto has ever tried to ask me out before,” she thought. “The poor guy was probably too nervous, what with how everyone used to treat him.”

“Balto?” a small voice called from above. Balto and Jenna looked up and saw that it was Rosy, peeking over the side of the bed. “Balto, it is you!” Balto propped himself on the side of the bed so that she could give him a hug. “Hehe, you can’t stay away from Jenna for long can’t you, you little charmer?”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

“Hey, it’s Balto!” another kid cried. “Come here boy!” His calls were soon joined by the calls from all the other children who wanted to see their savior. Balto hesitated, but Jenna gave him a small nudge.

“Balto, they want to thank you, you should go to them,” Jenna suggested. Balto padded over to the nearest kid, who had sandy brown hair and freckles, and let him pat his head.

“Thank you Balto. You saved my life boy,” One by one, Balto went around the room, receiving the thanks from all the grateful children and their families. At first, Balto was nervous about letting so many strangers pat and hug him, but after a few minutes, he became more and more comfortable around them.

Balto had always assumed that after his quest that he would just go back to his old life of being the town outcast. It was the only life he had known, and so it never occurred to him that because of his good deed he would be rewarded.

“Just don’t let the fame go to your head Balto,” he thought. “That’s what Steele did, and look what happened to him,” Balto finally had enough attention and tried to get back to Jenna, but she was no longer there. Only Rosy was there and she had fallen asleep again. “She must have been taken home by her owners. No matter, I can find her later,” He trotted across the room towards the door, passing one of the grates in the floor. As he did, something caught his eye from under the grate. Whatever it was, it seemed metallic and was reflecting the light. Balto tried to get a closer look, but whatever it was had vanished. “Must have been a trick of the light.” Thinking no more of it, he was let out of the hospital by one of the nurses.

“If I’m going out, I should clean myself up a bit,” he thought as he left the town, back towards his boat.

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It was not a trick of the light. Balto did see something under the floor - Steele’s collar. The gold studs in the large collar