he ate.

“Don’t get used to this wolf dog. If you come here again I’ll make sure Nome is the last town you ever visit.”

Balto nodded. “Sure." He finished up the steak. "I’ll be going then.”
Balto went to the gate. Two other pups were blocking it.

“I’d like you to meet my friends. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star.”

The smallest of the dogs frowned. “Why did you say my name last?”

The biggest of the dogs growled. “Would youse shut up?”

The middle dog smashed his paw down on the smaller dogs head.

Balto winced. “Well, great meeting you.”

Steele grinned. “We aren’t done with you. We need to make sure you never come here again.”

Balto nodded slowly, eyeing the farm fence. “Look guy’s, I don’t want any trouble.”

“That’s a shame. Cause you found it.”

Balto suddenly darted for the fence. He leaped over it. He landed badly, hurting his leg.

“Let’s get him!” Steele commanded.

The other dogs began chasing after him. Normally Balto would easily be able to outrun them, but his leg was hurting badly.

The dogs were catching up. Balto noticed a building. It had a ladder leading to the roof. Balto climbed up it.

The dogs followed. Balto looked for an exit. Nothing. He padded over to the building edge.

This building was at least twice as tall as the one from the night before. And no clotheslines.

The dogs padded up to him. “It’s over wolf dog.”

Balto trembled in fear. “W…What are you going to do? Kill me?”

Steele shook his head. “Just teach you a lesson.”

Steele leapt at Balto. Balto ducked. Steele had jumped over Balto, and off the side of the building. He let out a scream of terror. He managed to grab onto the building’s edge with one paw. He hung off the edge.

Balto saw him hanging there. He sighed. He extended his paw.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Saving your life. It’s quite a long fall.”

At that moment Steele lost his grip. Balto reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

Balto was nearly pulled down with him. He pulled Steele back up. Then he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

“Thank you.” Steele grumbled.

“N…no…problem.” Balto panted.

“Let me ask you something. Could a wolf survive that fall?” Steele grinned.

Balto shook his head. “NO!"

Steele picked Balto up. “Goodbye half breed.”

He held Balto over the edge. Balto closed his eyes, preparing for the end to come. Instead he heard laughter.

“You should have seen your face!” Steele laughed. “NO!” He laughed again. “Pathetic.”

Balto got up. “Well if that’s all…”
Steele shook his head. “No, that’s not all.”
He bit Balto’s tail and sent him flying into a roof ventilator. Balto crashed into it sending pain shooting through his body. Steele padded over, grinning.

“By the way, what’s your name?”
Balto groaned. “My name’s Balto.”
“Well Balto, welcome to Nome.” Steele sneered. He leapt at the wolf dog.

Balto staggered to the boat. He could barely see. One of his eyes was almost swollen shut. He was bruised all over. He could taste blood in his mouth.

He limped up the ramp onto the deck of the boat. Boris gasped when he saw him.

“Vhat happened to you?”

Balto grimaced as he lay down. “Long story.”

“You look like you vere hit by bus.” Boris said as he examined his wounds.

Balto sighed. “How am I gonna survive a life of this?”

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

Balto woke up to Boris’s ice water bucket. Two years had passed since he had met Steele. He was now fully grown. He shook the ice cold water of his fur.
“What was that for?”
“You have slept in.” Boris replied. Boris had changed over the years. Raising the stubborn pup had turned him into a cynical, grumpy old goose.

“Slept in for what?”

“You have been staying on boat for veek!”

Balto sighed. “We discussed this. If the town keeps shooting at me, I stay away from the town.”

“I see no bullet holes. Obviously zey’re missing.”

“So I’m staying on the boat until they stop shooting at me!” Balto snapped back.

Boris sighed. “Not dog. Not volf. You are vegetable.”

Balto got up. “Screw it. I’m not a vegetable. I’m going to look around.”

“If I get shot you’ll be sorry.” Balto muttered as he went down the ramp.

Balto padded stealthily into town, keeping to the alleyways. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle up. He groaned.

“What do you want now Steele?”

Steele padded up to him. “What do I want? The same thing I‘ve wanted since the moment you showed up here. I want you to leave town.”

“This isn’t your town. And just so you know I am probably going to leave soon.”

Steele grinned. “Really?” He turned to leave. “I want you out by the end of the day.”
Balto sighed. He really was considering leaving Nome. He had had enough of Steele. He had had enough of the humans. He had had enough of they’re disgusted glances, they’re guns, they’re fists.

“You’re leaving?”

Balto spun around to see who had spoken. It was Togo.
“Yeah, why?”

Togo shrugged. “I never saw you as a quitter.”
Balto chuckled humorlessly. “You want me out?”

Togo shook his head. “No. You’re a good kid. That’s more than I can say for Steele.”
Balto nodded. “Thanks.”
“My point is, I don’t think you should leave. Not just because of Steele.”

Balto sighed. “This isn’t just about Steele. It’s about…everything. I’m not staying in a town that can’t stand the sight of me. I almost got shot a week ago.”

Togo nodded. “Well it’s your call. If you want to leave that’s fine with me. But I’m sure if you looked around you’d find someone who appreciates you. I know I do.”

Balto turned to leave. “See you Togo. I have to think about it.”

Balto noticed an old building. He had been cornered here when he was chased by a bunch of dogs. Balto smiled. That had been his first day in Nome.
He climbed the ladder. He was not being chased this time so he had time to look over the city.

It was beautiful. Just as Balto had thought when he had arrived here. He looked across to the other building. When he was little he had feared the large gap between the buildings. But now that he was older, it seemed…manageable.

He suddenly ran at the buildings edge. He leapt gracefully in the air and landed cleanly on the opposite building. The adrenaline pumped through him. He noticed the other building was manageable.

He jumped onto the roof of the other building. Soon he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, through the town.

He failed to realize that the gap between one of the buildings was too wide. He jumped. Realizing his mistake he let out a whimper of terror, then smashed into the side of the opposite building and fell to the ground below.

He tried to get up but was pinned to the ground. He had fallen on a bunch of trashcans, and one of them had trapped his leg.

“Need help?” A sweet voice asked.

He looked up. “Huh?”

“You took quite a spill there.” The dog padded over. She was a white and red husky. “Need some help?”

Balto nodded. “Kind of…a bit…pinned down.”

The husky lifted the trashcan of his leg. Balto got up. His leg was hurting slightly but he wasn’t seriously hurt.

“What’s you’re name?” The husky asked.

“Uh…I’m…uh…” Balto was stunned by how beautiful the husky was.

“What was that?”

“Oh um…my names Balto.”

“Oh, nice to meet you Balto. My names Jenna. My family just moved here.”

Balto nodded. “Oh…uh well…Nome is quite a place.” He chuckled nervously.

“Well I guess I’ll see you around then Balto.” Jenna said.

“Uh yeah…bye.”

Jenna gave him one last smile, then turned and padded away.

Balto padded back to the boat. When he was talking to Jenna he had a feeling he had never had before. He padded up the ramp. Boris was waiting with his wings on his hips.

“Vhat is zis I hear about you leaving?”

Balto sighed. “I’m thinking about leaving Nome.”

“And vhy is zat?” Boris asked.

“There’s nothing for me in this town. I can’t live in a place where everyone hates me.”

“I do not hate you.”

Balto nodded. “Thanks. But I have to leave.”

“But vhere vill you go?”

“I don’t know…” Balto frowned. “Why do you give a crap? I’m not your family. You’re the one who brought me here!”

“If I hadn’t you vould have freezed to death!”

“And maybe we’d both be better off!” Balto snapped back. “And it’s frozen. Not freezed.”

Boris nodded. “Maybe you are right. Maybe I should have let you die. But I vould never have been able to live vith self after zat.”

Balto shook his head. “You won’t have to worry about me any more.”

He licked Boris on the head. “Goodbye Boris. You’ve been my best friend during these years. I’ll never forget

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