I, Balto, was staring up at the sky, at late night, and I could hear howls in the distance… I wasn’t so sure if I would howl back, or ignore them.   I was on my boat. I thought, “Balto, go to sleep, they’re just wolves.” So I went inside the boat, and put my blanket on me, and went to sleep.       Pretty soon, I was awoken by a soft, playful growl, and something nipping on my ear.   “What?” I said and looked around. It was my daughter Kiara, who was almost two years old. She wasn’t a pup anymore though, she was almost as big as me, and she was strong. “Dad! Come on! Get up!” She said.   “Hang on,” I muttered and closed my eyes. “I didn’t get any sleep.” Then she kicked me. “Ow!” I said. “You promised!” She said. “Ok, ok, I’m up.” I said and got up and yawned, showing my large fangs. I stretched, and then Kiara said, “Yeah! Ok, are we going?” She said hopping all around me. “Yes, we’re going.” I said and sighed. So me and Kiara went over to the butchers store to get some fresh bacon. That was Kiara’s favorite food ever. Mine was beef jerky, (Despite the reason the pilot was always giving it to me.)   Then I cocked my ears back when I heard a howl in the distance. I stopped. “Dad?” Kiara said. I turned around, and really couldn’t control myself. I looked up at the sky, and howled a huge howl back. I howled, and I woke up almost everyone. “Dad, what are you doing?” She said and looked at me weird. “Kiara, just go get the bacon without me. I’ll be there in a second.” I looked at her. “Ok,” She walked off.   Then I looked back up in the sky.   “Aleu…” I said. “I miss you.” She lived with a pack of wolves up north, and she was far away, and I missed her. Then I heard a big howl in the distance. I thought about how free a wolf pack might be, I’m just a wolf-dog in a small town, but I’m also their hero. What do I choose? I then jumped up on a barrel, and then looked back to Nome, and then the woods. “Far from here is where I want to be, away from Nome, loose and running. Nobody’s leash to hold me, nobody’s hugs to crush me, nobody’s soap and scratchy combs to bathe and brush me…a world without fences! Where I can be free…and be with real wolves and dog-wolves, real wolf out in me. No walls, and no boundaries, is where I want to be, a world without walls, and fences, that’s exactly where I want to be!” I thought. I smelled the air, and then the wolf took over me. “Wahoo! You can’t tell me what to do, Nome, because I’m a wild wolf, now!” I yelled, and got off the barrel and started running toward Aleu’s wolf pack.   Meanwhile, Kiara got some Bacon, and started walking back to the boat. She had the pack in her teeth. “Dad! I brought you some bacon!” Kiara said, as she walked in the boat. I wasn’t there. So she checked in the lower deck. Still no sign. So she jumped off the boat, saying, “Dad! Hey, Dad!” She thought he must be at Jenna’s. So she ran to the main street of Nome, and saw her mother’s house. She ran over there, and she looked in the window. Her mom was asleep. “Hey, mom. Wake up.” She said. She went in the window inside the room. “What…” Jenna said and looked at Kiara. “Oh, hi Kiara. What are you doing up so early?” She yawned. “I came to find my dad.” She said. “He’s nowhere. I thought he might be with you.” Jenna got up, and stretched. “Maybe he’s with Kodi.” She said. “That little Kodi is always in a hurry.” “Ok, but dad wouldn’t really leave me like that.” So Kiara jumped out the window, and started walking toward the mail office. Kodi was there, as usual, and Kiara ran to him.   “Hello, big brother.” Kiara said. “Hi, Kiara. What’s up?” He said. “Well, I can’t find dad. Have you seen him?” Kiara said and looked around. “Just a second ago, he was on a barrel talking about ‘a world without fences’.” Kodi said. Kiara walked over to the barrel, and smelled her father’s scent. She saw snow prints leading to the woods in the mountains. It was mine. She gasped. “Father.” She said in a worried tone.     Meanwhile, I, Balto, was walking and I was in a cool cave place with rocks, and was kind of cold. I decided to take a break, so I laid down, and rested. “Being a wolf is great,” I said. Then I smelled company. It didn’t smell friendly either. This must be another wolf territory. I heard a snarl from behind me. I gasped and turned around, and no one was there. So I began to get up, and walk off. But then I heard the snarl again. I started walking a little big faster. Then I heard a big snarl, and then something jumped on me, and pinning me down, growling. It was a wolf! “Who dares enter our pride lands?” The wolf said and snarled. “Balto.” I said. “I’m Balto. And I’ll be going now.” I shivered and I was cold. The wolf let me go and I started to walk away. “Wait, wait a second!” The wolf said in a nicer voice. “Do I know you?” She came out of the darkness. It…was…ALEU! “Aleu! It’s you!” I said. “Papa?” She said. She sniffed me, and gasped. “Papa! It is you!” We barked and played. Other wolves came out and looked over at me. “What are you doing here?” Aleu said. “I’m joining your pack.” I said. “I chose my fate, and I’m sticking with it.” “But don’t you belong home, with Mother?” She said. Then thoughts came to my head. “Jenna,” I said and looked back. “Oh, what have I done?” “So, you want to stay?” Aleu said. I then stopped thinking about Jenna, and started to think about being a wolf. “Let me think…Well yes!” I said. “Welcome, brother Balto!” Aleu said. I smiled, and then a red wolf came out of the den. “Permission to hunt, Alpha Aleu?” He said. “Yes, let’s hunt!” Aleu said and we all ran off to get some yummy caribou.             Meanwhile, Kiara and Kodi were telling Jenna how I had run off.   “Ok,” Jenna said. “You sure he was talking about no fences?” Kiara nodded.

“And you’re sure he left foot prints in the snow, and left to Aleu’s pack?” Jenna said and worried. “Yes, mom! We have to find him!” Kiara said. “If we don’t he could be in trouble!” Kodi said, and he sighed. “He once showed me how what the right thing to do and it lead me to save his and the pilot’s life.” “Well you’re right about one thing, Kodi. Dad could be in trouble.” Kiara said. “By the way, where’s your bacon?” Kodi said. Kiara gasped. “Did someone just say bacon?!” She barked and leaped around.  “We’re doomed.” Kodi suddenly said. “Ok,” Jenna said. “Are we all ready? Kodi, do you have your nose? You might need it.” “Yes, mom, I have my nose.” Kodi said and looked at her. “And Kiara, I want you to wear this.” Jenna slipped off her bandana. “Mom, your bandana.” She said. “I’m afraid it won’t keep you very warm…” Jenna said. “Does that sound familiar?” Kiara said. “It will keep me warm, mother.” Jenna put it on Kiara’s neck. “Ok, let’s go.” She said. They went out the window, and started toward the barrel, and toward the mountains, and Kodi said, “Bacon!” He looked behind him. “Where? Where’s bacon!?” Kiara said, and looked behind her, panting and barking. Kodi then laughed. “Brother!” Kiara said and kicked him. “Don’t do that if it’s only an emergency!” “Well, we’re missing our dad, so is that an emergency?” Kodi said. “Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can boss me around!” Kiara said and the two fought.   “Hey,” Jenna said. “Let’s play a game. Let’s see who can be quiet the most!” “Great, my dad loves that game!” Kiara said.     Meanwhile back at the wolf pack…   “Oh, I’m full!” I said after I ate the caribou. “So am I,” Aleu said. “Me too,” a wolf said. All the wolves agreed. “So, now what?” I said. “Are we going to do anything?” “We’ll rest. Then after that we can check for hunters in the woods.” Aleu said. “Really?” I looked at them. “Yeah,” Aleu said. “Ok,” I said.   Then the pack went in their den, and I stayed outside. “Gosh, being a wolf is hard.” I said. “You have to chase caribou, check for hunters, and its boring also.” I yawned and went back in the den, to sleep with the others.    Meanwhile back in the wilderness…   Kodi sighed. “Are we there yet? My legs are getting tired.” “No, not yet.” Jenna said and smelled around.   Kiara then got my scent. “Guys, I’ve got his scent!”

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