Yes, it has been a while since I last posted on this forum, but I have been busy working away on my stories, taking my Balto series in new directions. Today I will tell you about not one, but three stories that I've written and released over the past few months. The first two are smaller than my usual stories and have actually been available for some time now, but I may as well tell you about them here. The third is my most recent, freshly added to Balto Source in the past week, and is the next big step in my main series.
As has become my custom, I will also give you some sneek peeks here so you can get a taste of what the stories are all about. If you're interested, you can follow the links in
blue to read the rest of that particular story. I hope you enjoy reading them, and I will be back once I have another story ready for you.
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An Average DayAfter the events of A Second Chance Steele has started to adjust to his new life in White Mountain. He's no longer a champion with the world at his feet - now he's just another sled dog under the leadership of someone whom he has a rocky past with. This story offers a little glimpse of a typical day for the team, and how Steele is coping with his new situation.
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"Don't be like this, I need everyone up. C'mon," she said, coming back to him and pulling on the scruff of his neck with her teeth. Steele didn't have to do much to resist, as his hefty bulk made him too heavy for her to pick up herself. Since their deal prevented him from being outright hostile towards her, he found other ways to get under her skin. Passive resistance had become his favored method over the past two months. He wasn't the top dog anymore, so he didn't have the luxury of power or friends to aid him in his pursuits. So, he resorted to more subtle civil disobedience and small pranks to cause trouble. She grunted in annoyance and he smiled lightly. He knew he was annoying her and that alone allowed him to enjoy the situation. After a few moments, he finally relented and stood up. He'd had his fun for the morning, but he coudln't push her too far or else he wouldn't be able to get away with it. "Ugh, the more I try to change things with you, the more you stay the same troublesome dog," she said.
"Oh, but I would never try to cause trouble for you Sonya," Steele said, putting on his best faux innocence voice. "See, I got up; I'm a good doggie."
Some of the teammates that observed this exchange started to snicker at this, but she quickly turned to them, muttering, "Don't encourage him, he thrives on it."
"That's right, I thrive on it. I may have lost my friends and status, but I'll never loose my spirit," he thought. "Alright, I'm up, but I don't see why I have to be. Marcus may be getting his cast off today, but what makes you so sure that he'll jump on a sled so quickly?" he asked.
"I'm sure because I know that he hates sitting idle. He started sledding when he was younger because he didn't want to sit idle. He went out with you on his own because he didn't want to sit idle and he won't stay idle the second he gets that cast off," she replied. "I just hope that this time nothing goes wrong."
"It won't, not with me on duty today," he boasted, holding his head high. "I'll get your kid to where he's going before you can even say goodbye."
"Correction, we'll get him there and back," she put in. "We're on the same team this time, and don't forget that I'm still the lead dog."
"What ever you say wol - I mean, Sonya," he replied, catching himself before he said the 'w' word that would get him in much trouble with her. As much as he didn't enjoy being under the command of a half-wolf, it was much better than being sent back out into the cold, and his resistance allowed him to make up for any distaste he had about the situation.
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His Brother's JealousyA complete step sideways with my work, I decided to do something to develop the story behind Mayak (from Like His Father). He would trust his brother Mias with anything, but when that trust is tested, a darker side of Mayak starts to emerge. What he doesn't know is that his actions will affect not only his brother, but his entire pack and countless others for years to come.
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Mayak was determined to find out a reason for Sami's rejection, but she refused to say more than a few sentences to him. When asked, she would either avoid the question, or repeat, "I'm just not interested." That never seemed to satisfy Mayak, so he persisted, with both of them becoming increasingly irritable with each other. Finally, Sami had enough of him, and started to turn her back to him, refusing to answer him. Had it been any other wolf, he would have been within his rights to strike out for such disrespect, but Sami was an alpha as well - she had as much authority as him.
"Mayak, I seriously think you should drop this," Mias urged him. By now Mayak was borderline frantic. "She's already upset with you and dragging it around won't help you at all."
"How could you say that?" Mayak shot back. "I thought you were on my side here!"
"I am on your side!"
"Oh really, because I don't know anymore. I thought you'd be eager to help Sami and I, and yet here you are telling me to give her up," he said venomously. "I thought you'd be with me all the way to the end, but all you do is tell your stories to the dazzled masses."
At this, Mias gave him a stare cold enough to chill a glowing ember. "So that's what it is. You're going to blame me for this?" he growled. His expression was flat and neutral, but Mayak could sense the anger building in his brother. "You're going to pin this on me just because I don't agree with you on everything… no wonder she rejected you." Mias turned right around and started to walk away, but he paused after walking a few feet. "I'm just the storyteller; I can't control whether or not my audience likes it. I may not agree with it, but it's ultimately the choice of the listener to decide whether or not they like it." With that, he dashed away without another word.
Mayak was soon alone in the clearing, but the image of his brother's expression remained. He had never seen him look so angry with him, but there was something in his voice that told another emotion. It was sadness… sadness about how Mayak had accused him blindly.
'Why did I say that? Of course Mias would never betray me,' he thought, regretting what he had said.
'He tried his best to help me with Sami, which is more than I could have asked from him. He's right, he can't control who likes his stories… he just tells them. And through all that, he's stuck with me, trying to help.'
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The Road Home *New Release*Things have been quiet in Nome after the fiasco with Tikani's pack (Seen in Protecting Thier Own) but it's been a very tense peace. Tikani vowed to never forget how his mate Kisa was killed and placed the blame solely on Balto. When the broken wolf does make his move against him, it becomes obvious that our favorite wolfdog isn't the only one who's in danger. It soon becomes a race against a pack out for blood, not only for him but Jenna as well... and this is a race that neither of them can afford to lose.
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Entering the mill, she found a commotion inside that was quite unusual for this time of day. Normally empty early in the morning, the mill was as full as an evening gathering. That commotion ended the second she entered, and soon the room was quiet enough that you could have heard a pin drop. Many dogs bore worried or sympathetic expressions and that only increased her fear. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good. Scanning the crowd, she was very surprised to see Maska there. Many dogs were wary of wolves and the last time they let one into the mill was during an emergency…
'Please let him be okay.' Maska was talking quietly with an old St. Bernard named Doc, but he too became silent when he saw her enter. With a neutral face, he approached. Right away, she could tell he was not here for a social call.
"Jenna, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but there's no other way to say it. Balto's been… taken," he explained. "It seems to be the work of Tikani and his pack."
This may not have been one of the possibilities that Jenna was thinking of, but it was no less horrifying. Tikani had sworn revenge on Balto, and if Maska was right, then he was about to carry it out. He believed in justice by reciprocating the actions of others, and since his mate had been killed... "No, not him… please tell me you're wrong," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please… it has to be some sort of mistake."
"It's no mistake Jenna. I have a witness to it all," he replied before looking to his left. She saw two more wolves - Anya and another one she didn't know. The new wolf's fur was mussed up and there were some bites on his shoulders - he looked like someone who'd been in a nasty fight.
"It's true," the new wolf affirmed. "I was told to escort Balto home, but just as we left our borders we were beset by four wolves from the east. They knocked Balto out on their first hit and overpowered me soon after. They left me behind while they dragged him away towards their territory," he explained. "Their scent was unmistakably from Tikani's pack. I'm sorry, but I failed in my duty to you," he finished, bowing his head in shame.
"Hey, it's okay," Kaltag reassured him. "I'm sure you gave them a good fight anyways."
"No, it's not okay - he's going to kill Balto!" she cried out before collapsing in grief. She had never thought about losing Balto before, mostly because she thought it could never happen. They were young and had all their years to look forward to together. Tears started to form in her eyes while Maska came over to comfort her.
"I know it sounds bad, but the fact that they took him alive should be a cause for hope," he urged. "As far as we know he's alive and can still be saved!"
"But we can't waste any time here," Kaltag added. "We have to act fast if we're going to get him back from that psycho."
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These should keep you entertained for a good amount of time, and as always, I'm open to comments and feedback about them. I will keep on working away on my next story, titled "With Good Intentions", which I hope to release either in late April or early May. Until next time, take care and have fun reading.
