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Spring has sprung (in the Northern Hemisphere at least) and I'm still chugging along with my stories. The newest entry in my Balto series is titled "With Good Intentions", and it's one of the more unique entries in my series. It ties in with Balto II: Wolf Quest quite a bit, serving as the final link in the chain of stories that I've been using to bridge the gap between the first and second movies.

Spring is also coming to Nome, and with it comes new life. Balto's pups are on the way, which would make for a perfectly wonderful time if it weren't for the strange dreams that have been plaguing him for the past weeks. As if that wasn't enough, he also fears that his pups could face the same prejudices he did for being part wolf. His worries lead him to seek out guidance on this matter... but that guidance will come to him in a very unexpected way.

The completed story can be found for your viewing pleasure here

Of course, why stop there? Why don't I give you a sneek peek of the story to get you interested?

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Chapter 1: Ravens and Wolves

"Balto…"
The voice was faint, but familiar. The name was right on the tip of his tongue, but it refused to emerge. The only thing that came out of his mouth was his own breath, visible in the chilled air that was as cold as the ground beneath him. He was alone in a landscape of flat ice, and all was quiet until he heard a harsh call from the inky skies above. It was a call that he was all too familiar with by now. It was the raven, circling above his head as it always did.

"Balto… hello Balto."

At first he thought the raven was finally talking to him, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere instead of from above. The bird circled a few more times before descending, fading as a bank of fog started to roll in. The mist clouded his vision as the raven called him again. With nothing else to guide him, he followed the calls through the thick cloud.

"What do you want?" he asked. "How did I get here?"

"You came here last night, remember?"

He tried, but just as he couldn't link the voice to a name, he couldn't remember how he got here. He'd been standing in the desolate ice field right after… he'd walked somewhere last night… and then he was here… the voice was so familiar to him.

Suddenly, a burst of air rushed in and he had to bear down in order to stay on his feet. The gale roared in his ears and he gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes as the rushing air stung them.

"Balto, are you okay?"

"Augh… the wind…"

"Wind? Vhat wind? There's no wind… Balto… wake up!"

With those two words, everything rushed back to him. There was only one creature that slurred 'what's' as 'vhat's' like that; an old Russian snow goose named Boris. He'd seen Boris only last night in the beached boat he called home. They'd shared a quick chat before turning in for the night. He'd closed his eyes… that meant he was asleep now… and this was all a dream.

"Boris?" he asked, opening his eyes. He hoped to wake up and return to his boat, but he was still in the dream – and he wasn't alone anymore. Surrounding him were countless wolves, all staring at him with glowing gold eyes. Their stare probed deep into him, finding everything there was to know about him. His past, his present, his future… his hopes… his fears…

"C'mon, wake up boitshick!"

"They're everywhere!" he gasped as he wheeled around and saw wolves all around him, creeping closer and leaving no opening for escape. They howled out, calling for him. "No - I don't - I'm trapped - get me out of here!" he cried as the ground started to shake. The ice beneath his feet cracked and buckled, but the wolves surrounding him left little room to dash away. He was now faced with one of his worst fears – to be trapped with no escape.

"WAKE UP!"

He shut his eyes but the howl roared in his ears, broken only by the cracking beneath him. No matter how much he willed it, he couldn't snap out of the dream. The ice beneath him lurched as the slab he was standing on started to tip over. He tried to dart upwards to the higher side, but he couldn't get much traction on the slick surface. His paws skidded on the ice before losing all contact with the ground, sending him plunging backwards into the inky abyss.

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So there you have it - Balto might be in a little over his head in this one. If you're interested, you can follow the above link and read the rest of the story. In the meantime, I'm going to be working on my next story, titled "The Last Miles". It's looking to be my biggest story yet, and I hope to have it out by the end of the summer. Until then, I hope you enjoy this story, and as always, comments and input are welcome.

I read the preview and it is really well written. I'll have to view that story in the link when I have more time, but I can't wait to read more of it!

^Thank you. I always make sure to put the effort needed in all of my stories. I look forward to your comment/review when it comes.

Iwolf. I read that WHOLE thing. and i have to say I LOVE it.

Thanks - have you been able to read the rest of my stories as well?

Nope. i have no time. it took me a whole week to read that.