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This story is the result of a special request from Ninetalesuk. I give him credit for most of the ideas within.
I do apologize for taking so long, and also if this seems short and useless, but I believe I've finished it.
Enjoy!
Those We Trust
Lone Wolf_fanwriter
*This story is the result of a request by Ninetalesuk, and I give him full credit for most of the ideas within.
*Kale, Carla, Lyle, and Jake are the property of Lone Wolf_fanwriter.
*All other characters are the intellectual property of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.
Chapter One
He had been watching Dusty long before ‘Bloody Jade’ had mauled that pathetic mate of hers. In fact, Jade was the reason he had come to Nome. She was, after all, his sister. He found it very odd that she had simply vanished the day that Dusty’s mate, what was his name, Kodi had ended up in the hospital. He had pondered on the matter for a few days before the answer suddenly hit him: Kodi had killed Jade. At first he had dismissed the very idea, but as the days turned to weeks, he believed it more and more.
Now, as he stood on a hill over looking Nome with his back to the rising sun, he grinned. Ever since he had accepted his sister’s death, he had planned his revenge, and after days of contemplation he had finally devised a foolproof plan.
This way, he thought as he ran toward Nome, I’ll be able to release all of my…emotion.
As he neared the first row of buildings, he forced himself to slow to a trot, and then to a walk. Look normal, he thought, you’re not here for any particular reason. Then his eyes fell upon a red and cream female accompanied by three pups; two were identical to her, but the third one was black.
“Good morning,” he said. Jenna looked up and fixed her eyes on the newcomer. He was light brown except for the tips of his front two paws, which were tan. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet she had an odd feeling about him. His green eyes surprised her, though, as they were filled with energy. A little early for that, she thought.
“Hello,” she replied.
“I’m new in town. Could you tell me your name?”
“Jenna.”
Jenna, he thought, where have I heard that name before?
“Hello Jenna, I’m looking for someone named Dusty. Does she live here?”
“Yes, she lives in Nome. Her mate will be out for a day or so on a sled run with his father. Is there…any reason you’re here?”
“It’s any urgent family matter, I’m afraid. It’s imperative that I see her.”
“Why? What happened?” Seth turned and looked at her and for a long moment, silence reigned in Nome, but it was only a moment.
“Ma’am, today we found a sled team frozen to death more than a mile off the trail. Your son, Dusty’s mate, has left this world.” Jenna gasped and stepped backward as though she’d been struck.
“Oh my God, no! Kodi!” she cried, bursting into tears. Any other canine would feel terrible wrongly bringing such suffering on another, but Seth felt nothing. He did allow Jenna to rest her head on his shoulder and sob, but only to keep up his ruse. His heart was like the two central orbs of his eyes: black and empty.
“I’m terribly sorry, Ma’am,” he continued, “But could you tell me where she lives?”
“She should be in her shed back...” Jenna turned her head and nodded down the street. “…that way. Would you like me to come with you? She won’t take it very well.”
“Thank you, Miss Jenna, but I think it would be best if you didn’t come along,” he replied, turning and walking in the direction she’d indicated. After a few paces, he turned and said, with mock sincerity, “I’m so sorry.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid, Seth thought as he neared Dusty’s shed, why did I use my real name? He sighed. Oh well, if everything goes right, it won’t matter.
After stopping in front of the small shed to collect himself, Seth tapped on the door.
“Just a minute,” came a female voice from inside. A moment later, the door opened a crack and Dusty looked out. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m new in town and I was hoping that maybe you could show me around?” Seeing the puzzled look on her face, he added, “I asked around and everyone said you were the one to go to.”
“Oh, well I suppose I could. I’ll just need a minute.” Seth nodded and sat down in the snow while Dusty disappeared inside. To his mild surprise, he heard her talking to someone. After a moment, curiosity got the better of him and he peeked through the still open door. Dusty stood next to a small basket, where three pups lay sleeping. There were two red and cream pups, one with a red muzzle and white paw tips, the other with a white muzzle and white legs. The third could have been mistaken for Dusty if she were not so young. Dusty kissed them each on the forehead and smiled as they curled up together. Just then, her pup-likeness raised her head, looked right at Seth and said sleepily,
“Momma, who’s he?”
“He’s a new member in town and I’m going to show him around for a little while. You tell your brother and sister when they wake up, alright Cyne?”
“Okay.”
“Good, now get some sleep.”
“Yes momma.” The little tan brown pup lowered her head again and quickly fell asleep. Dusty smiled and closed the door gently behind her.
“Alright, now let’s see if I can show you around,” she said, starting down the street, “What did you say your name was?”
“Forgive me, but I didn’t,” he replied, walking beside her, “My name is Seth.” He paused and added, after some hesitation, and in a depressed tone, “And I don’t really need a tour of the town.” Dusty stopped and looked at him in confusion. He stopped beside her and met her gaze.
“Then why do you want to see me?”
Seth heaved his chest and sighed.
“Could we talk in here for a moment?” Seth muttered, nodding toward the boiler room
“I suppose so…” Dusty replied hesitantly, following him in. They both sat down in front of the furnace that kept the adjacent hospital constantly warm and comfortable for its patients.
“Dusty, I’m afraid I have some very bad news,” Seth began. At this, Dusty held her breath, certain there had been a sled accident with Kodi, but Seth failed to notice. “You see, your mate’s sled team was supposed to arrive yesterday…” He hesitated. Dusty swallowed hard and said almost in a whisper,
“Well?”
“Today, we found a sled team almost a mile off the trail. The musher was barely alive, and the entire team had frozen to death.” There he paused, eyeing Dusty in hopes of a reaction. Her front paws were shaking, and her eyes had begun to fill with tears. “Kodi was among the bodies.” he said finally. Dusty twitched, and then began to cry uncontrollably. As her tears flowed in small rivers down her cheeks and fell to the floor, Dusty collapsed upon them. She uttered a long, low whimper and murmured something between sobs. What Seth heard amounted to:
“I always told him, always…. Wouldn’t listen…”
“I’m terribly sorry,” Seth said, “If there’s anything I can do…?”
“No,” she whispered sadly, “I need time alone.” Seth nodded and walked to the door. Once outside, he looked to the sky and saw dark storm clouds gathering overhead. Perfect, he thought, just what I need.
Later that day, Dusty lay in her shed watching her pups sleep. I can’t let them know, she thought, but it won’t be long before they start asking. She sighed in despair.
“What am I going to do?”
Just then, there came a soft tap on the door, and Dusty rose to answer it. Outside stood Seth. Dusty quickly wiped away her tears and tried half-heartedly to smile.
“Are you alright?” Seth asked, but a moment later, he sheepishly corrected himself, “Sorry. Dumb question. Can- Can I help in any way?”
“No, thanks,” she sighed, “I just need time to figure out what I’m going to do with myself now.” She sniffled and looked down as she tried to wipe away the new tears filling her eyes.
“Would a walk on the beach cheer you up?”
“Not really, but thanks for offering,” she said, turning back toward her pups and starting to close the door. Seth, however, held the door with one paw and stepped closer.
“Oh come on,” he pleaded, “Isn’t there something I can do to make you feel better?” Dusty still looked away
“I don’t-”
“Please, I hate to leave you like this,” Seth continued, lifting his paw from the door and resting it just behind Dusty’s left ear. A chill shot up Dusty’s spine.
Kodi used to do that, she thought in disbelief, No one else knew. She drew a shallow breath. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.
But it was no coincidence. Seth smiled when she shuddered at his touch. It had been just what he’d expected.
“Please don’t do that,” Dusty whispered, her eyes staring straight ahead. Seth reluctantly removed his paw, instantly missing the warm softness of her fur.
“Sorry,” he said, forcedly averting his eyes from hers.
“I think you should leave now,” Dusty continued, determined not to look at him, afraid of what she would feel.
Seth nodded hesitantly and turned to go, but as he did, he cast a glance over his shoulder and grinned.
Perfect.
As day turned to night, Dusty lay beside her pups as they drifted off to sleep again. Since they’d woken a few hours ago, Dusty had walked them through the town. As they walked slowly through the maze of streets and alleyways, Nome’s many dog citizens had given her a solemn nod that conveyed their empathy silently, much to the relief of Dusty, who was not yet certain of just how to tell her children that their father would never be coming home.
Finally, they had grown tired and followed her home, where they were quickly put to sleep. In their minds, another day was over, but for Dusty, it was much more than that.
It seemed as though she had turned a corner on her road of life, much too soon for her liking. She would have to find someone else. No, she couldn’t even bear the thought. She would simply have to get along as best she could. Dusty sighed and looked sadly at her pups as they slept peacefully, curled against each other.
God, Kodi, I miss you.
That night, as Dusty sobbed over her dead mate, Jenna grieved at the loss of her son. Curled up in her bed side by side, she and Balto hardly moved all evening.
“Balto,” Jenna said finally, “what are…we going to tell the pups?”
“I’ll think of something that’ll make it easier on them. After all, they’ve never lost a brother.”
“I meant about us,” Jenna sighed, “You’re not their father. How long are we going to lie to them?”
Balto was silent for a long time.
“They have the right to know the truth.”
Chapter Two
Nome
Sled team held back because of weather. Stop. Should arrive early tomorrow. Stop. Sorry for inconvenience. Stop.
Anchorage. Stop.
The telegraph operator in Nome reread the first message to arrive that morning before he tore it off and set it in a small box off to the side of the machine. The shopkeepers were beginning to worry. This should calm them down, he thought, Seems like all they care about is their goods, not the sled teams that risk their lives to deliver them…
Outside, a pair of green eyes peered in through an open window.
Hmm, this took less time than I expected. The situation is changing, and must be remedied.
A few hours later, the kindly old man took the small stack of telegraphs and, after stretching quickly, left to deliver them. The first on his list was the sled team notice.
When he walked into general, its owner, a short young man, gave him a smile as he approached the counter.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?” the store keep asked.
“Nothing right now, Kevin,” the old man answered, presenting the first telegram, “Just see that this gets around to all of the other business men and women, if you would?”
“It’d be my pleasure, sir.”
“Thank you, Kevin.”
“Anytime, Mr. Jones. Have a nice day.” Kevin set the telegram on the far side of the counter near the edge and was about to continue with his morning routine when his wife called him from the storeroom in the back. He turned quickly and left, but in doing so, he inadvertently knocked the telegram off the counter. It floated in midair momentarily, and then came to rest on the head of Kevin’s Labrador, Max, who was, as always, sleeping behind the counter. Being a very light sleeper, Max awoke instantly when he felt the lightest tap on his head. He stood up, which caused the telegram to slip to the floor, at which point Max noticed two words that sent up a warning flag: sled team.
Now, dogs are not as light in the head as some think them to be, and Max was no exception. He peered closely at the telegram and his eyes opened wide once he had finished reading. So shocked was he that in his haste to leave he tripped over his own feet twice before even reaching the doggy flap in the front door, and only then to find it locked. Just then, Kevin returned from the storeroom and noticed the fallen telegram.
“Oh, I guess I dropped that.” As he bent to pick up the paper, his eyes came to rest on the front door, where his dog stood staring outside. “Hey, what’s the matter, Max? You want to go out?” Max barked excitedly. Kevin set the telegram on the counter again and then unlocked the doggy door. Max bounded eagerly outside. “What’s gotten into him? He’s never been that lively before…”
“Are you absolutely sure that’s what it said?” Dingo said anxiously.
“Positive,” Max replied.
“Then we’ve got to tell Dusty!”
“Wait, shouldn’t we tell your mum first?”
“Yes, we should. Come on!”
“You go ahead,” Max said, “I’m going to spread the word. There are a lot of families who’ll be very happy to hear about this.”
“Alright Max, I’ll see you soon.”
Max watched Dingo take off at a run toward Jenna’s house and turned to go the other way. The next person he intended to tell was Doc, who was sure to be in the boiler room. He had hardly gotten halfway down the street when someone beckoned to him from an alley.
“Max,” the voice called.
“What? Who’s there?”
“Come here, I need to talk to you.”
Max hesitated briefly, but the voice sounded oddly familiar, so he advanced into the dimly lit alley. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, Max called out,
“Where are you?”
“Right here,” replied a voice from further in the darkness.
“I can’t see you, show yourself.”
“Normally I don’t take orders from anyone, but in your case I’ll make an exception.” A shape stepped from the darkness. Max could see the outline of a dog, but nothing more.
“What is it you want from me?” he repeated, “I haven’t got much time to spare right now.”
“Everyone’s the same,” the dog sighed, stepping into the light, “they can’t even take time to see an old friend.” At that moment, a beam of sunlight caught the stranger full in the face, and the black husky flashed a toothy grin at Max. Max, though slightly unnerved by the grin, slowly shook his head.
“I’ve never seen you before in my life.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken, my friend,” the black husky said coolly, “You were among the jury on the day of my trial here in Nome. Surely you can’t forget that fast?” Max peered closer at the stranger, and his eyes widened in recognition and shock.
“I know you!” he gasped, backing away, “Y-you’re not supposed to be here! You’ll be killed!” He was not prepared for the answer that came from behind him.
“Wrong again.”
Before Max could react, he was forced to the ground and quickly dragged behind a dumpster, where his assailant glared down at him. The brown fur and tan-tipped paws reminded him of Balto, but the green eyes told him this could not be.
“Now then,” the brown husky said calmly, “There was a telegram delivered to the general store, and you saw it. Have you told anyone else?” Max shook his head frantically. The brown husky nodded, but when he spoke again, his voice took on that of a demon,
“Let’s keep it that way.”
Suddenly, the brown husky sank his teeth deep into Max’s throat, and he tasted blood. Max struggled in desperation, but the brown husky lifted his head off the ground and with a quick jerk of his head broke the Labrador’s neck.
“That was quick,” said the black husky with a grin.
“Make sure he’s out of sight, and avoid getting blood on your paws. We don’t want to look bad for our presentation.”
Jenna and Balto lay sleeping in their bed basket when there was a knock on the door. At this, Balto’s ears perked up, and he slowly got to his feet and stretched. Jenna stirred slightly, and he nuzzled her.
“You stay here. I’ll see who it is.” Jenna sighed and curled up tighter. Balto smiled and walked to the kitchen door just as a head poked through the small dog door. “Dingo? What are you doing here so early?”
“You’re not going to believe me. Can I come in?”
“Of course, of course.”
Dingo stepped inside just as Jenna walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning Dingo. What are you here so early for?”
“Well, like I was saying, you won’t believe me…”
Meanwhile, Dusty lay curled up beside her pups, grieving over her ‘dead’ mate, when there was a knock at the door of her shed. She was not too surprised when she saw Seth waiting for her. What caught her attention was the sense of urgency in his tone.
“Dusty, something’s just happened,” he said, “I need you to come with me.”
“Alright,” she said, glancing at her still sleeping pups, “but what about my-”
“We won’t be gone long, I promise,” Seth insisted, “You’ll be back before they wake up.”
“Oh… Alright.”
Jenna was ecstatic.
“You mean,” she gasped, eyes brimming with tears, “he-he’s alive?”
“I’m almost certain,” Dingo replied.
“I knew it!” Balto exclaimed, also fighting back tears of joy, “He wouldn’t just leave us like that. I knew it!”
He and Jenna nuzzled each other happily.
“Wait, have you told Dusty yet?” Jenna said.
“I was just on my way there.”
“Here, we’ll come with you,” Balto interjected, stepping through the kitchen door. Jenna and Dingo followed suit.
“Oh, she’ll be so happy to hear-”
Just then, the sound of barking dogs reached the ears of the three, and their eyes lit up.
“Come on, it’s them!” Dingo cried, bursting into a run.
Rounding the corner, they saw the sled team stopping at the telegraph office, but were more than happy to run the extra distance. As they neared the team, they saw, standing at the front, a familiar red and cream husky.
“Kodi!” Jenna cried, unable to withhold her emotions any longer.
Kodi turned quickly at the call of his name, and flashed a smile when he saw the three approaching.
“Hey guys,” he said, a moment before Jenna reached him. She nearly knocked him over, wrapping her front paws quickly around his neck and nuzzling him.
“Kodi,” she said, “I’m so happy to see you.”
“So I gathered,” he replied, a bit taken aback at this sudden outburst of affection, “I didn’t think I’d be this missed.” Jenna dropped back to her paws and stood before him, eyes still brimming with tears.
“You don’t understand,” Balto replied, skidding to a halt in front of him, “We all thought you were dead!”
Kodi’s eyes widened in shock.
“Wh-What?”
“I’ll tell you more later, Kodi,” Dingo insisted, “You have to see Dusty. She thinks you’re dead, too.”
Just then, the musher walked up and without a word unhitched Kodi and the rest of the sled team.
“Come on,” Kodi said, “I can’t bear the thought of Dusty like that. I’ve got to set this right.”
A few moments later, Kodi, Dingo, Balto, and Jenna arrived at Dusty’s shed to find the door ajar. Kodi looked in and was stunned to find, not Dusty, but Saba, laying on the floor and playing with the pups.
“Saba?”
Saba’s ears shot up and she looked up at him in shock.
“Kodi? Oh my God, Kodi!”
She leapt to her paws and nuzzled her brother lovingly. When she stepped back, Kodi saw tears in her eyes.
“We all thought you were dead,” she sobbed happily.
“So I’ve heard,” Kodi replied, bending down to nuzzle each of his pups, “Just who put that in your heads?”
Everyone else looked at one another, all undoubtedly thinking the same thing: Who did tell us that? Suddenly, Jenna spoke up.
“I know who it was. Yesterday, this new dog came to town; I think his name was Seth…”
“Never mind that now,” Kodi said, “Sorry, mother, but I have to find Dusty.”
“Why not wait here?” Saba suggested, “She’s sure to come back. She’d never leave her pups for more that a minute or two, even while they’re sleeping.”
“Speaking of which, why were you here?” Kodi inquired.
“Well, I was passing by when I noticed the door was open,” explained Saba, “So I went in, and sure enough, she wasn’t here. Then these three woke up, so I decided to stay and watch them.”
“Alright, thanks for doing that,” Kodi said, lying down near his children, “I’ll take over from here.”
In the forest north of Nome, Seth looked down at the grey-brown husky who lay slumped at his feet. Dusty had never seen the blow coming from behind. He shook his paw to rid himself of the numbness that had come over it temporarily. Beside him, the same black husky followed his gaze.
“Dog almighty she’s hot,” he said chuckling, “You hit her pretty hard.” He paused, and his eyes flashed with a spark of sick intelligence. “Do you think she’d remember us if we…”
“Don’t even worry your sick little head about it,” Seth replied, “You’re not getting any closer to her.”
“What?” the black husky replied innocently, “I was just saying that… Look, she’s coming out of it.”
Dusty moaned and opened her eyes the slightest bit. The first thing she saw was Seth.
“Who are you?” she murmured groggily.
Seth and the black husky looked at each other in astonishment.
“Dusty, my name is Seth, do you remember me?”
Dusty opened her eyes a little wider and studied his face. She slowly shook her head.
“I don’t remember seeing you before in my life.”
“Well, you ought to,” Seth said in a mock concerned tone, “I’m your mate.”
Chapter Three
Kodi looked up and smiled when he saw Dusty at the door, but as she approached him, his smile faded.
"Dusty," he said, "What's the matter? You look..." Before he could finish his sentence, he was sent to the floor by the force of her blow. Dusty shook her paw for a moment to renew the blood flow.
"Angry? Do I look angry to you? 'Cause you haven't seen me angry!" Kodi ignored the taste of blood in his mouth and looked up at her.
"What are you doing, Dusty? It's me, Kodi."
"I know it's you, you back-stabbing traitor!" Kodi felt as though he'd been shot.
"What?" he said, his confusion evident in his tone, "Dusty, what are you talking about?" She just glared at him. “What’s going on here?"
“You’re going to regret what you did to me,” Dusty growled, “You’re lucky I didn’t get pregnant, or I’d have to kill you.”
“Dusty, what are you talking about?” Kodi demanded padding toward her, “What’s gotten into you? It’s like you don’t know me!” Just then, he noticed a bruise on the back of her head. “What happened to you? You’ve got a bruise here.”
He reached out to examine the bruise, but Dusty swatted his paw away and snapped at him.
“You would know, you traitor, you’re the one who hit me!”
Kodi stepped back and thought long and hard. Suddenly, the answer hit him: Dusty’s strange behavior and the bump on her head were connected.
“Dusty, you’ve lost your memory, you must have,” he insisted.
"I haven’t, I guarantee you."
"Then who are my parents?"
"Balto and Jenna."
"What did I say when I ran into you for the first time?"
"That you loved me."
Kodi grinned.
"Wrong. I was too embarassed to speak." Dusty stopped glaring, and he could hear her muttering,
"Wait, no...That’s...that's not right...wait..." Just then, she fell against the door frame as every one of her implanted memories fell out of place. Nothing made sense to her, so her conscious erased the fragments. She cried out, covering her eyes with her paws. Alarmed, Kodi ran up to her.
"Dusty, are you alright?" She looked back at him in stark terror.
"Who are you?' she said, "Get away from me!" Kodi jumped back in surprise as she got to her paws. He took a hesitant step forward, but she quickly stepped back into the street.
"Dusty, it's me, Kodi."
"I don't know you, get away. Get away from me." Kodi could only watch in disbelief. He had never seen Dusty like this. She looked completely terrified of him and everything around her.
"Dusty..."
"Stay back!" she screamed, turning and running flat out down the street, "Get away from me!"
Kodi stood in shock of what had just happened for a moment, but it was only a moment. A moment after that, he sprinted after her.
As they ran through Nome, Kodi did his best to ignore the stares of passing dog citizens. Turning his attention back toward Dusty’s fleeing form and found to his dismay that, little by little, she was pulling away from him.
This is what happens when you run flat out coming into town, you lummox, Kodi reprimanded himself, Put those flimsy legs of yours to work! You did it before; do it again! Kodi’s legs pumped harder than ever as he struggled to close the distance between Dusty and himself. Slowly, his efforts began to pay off. Up ahead, Dusty’s paws began to slow, kicking up smaller and smaller puffs of snow. Just like always, Kodi thought with a smile, she’ll beat me in a short sprint, but after a minute or so, her legs give out.
Dusty looked back toward him, and her eyes widened as he drew ever closer. In desperation, she tried to coax her legs into full sprint again, but the attempt only sapped away more of her energy, and she slowed further. By now, her tail was within Kodi’s reach.
“Dusty!” he huffed, “You have…to listen to me!”
“Get away from me!” she panted, her breaths becoming quick short gasps.
Just then, she spotted an old trawler beached long ago on a hill overlooking the ocean. She saw a place of refuge inside, and turned toward it. As she bounded up the creaky plank, she heard and felt the rotting planks creak and finally snap just as she stepped onto the deck. Kodi skidded to a halt below, looked up at her, and began circling the boat, looking for another way up. Finding none, he returned to where the ramp had been and sprang up onto the deck, as if lifted by angels. Dusty backed hurriedly away from him, finally stopping when her tail pressed against the bow railing.
Kodi approached slowly, eyeing Dusty with every wary step he took toward him. The closer he came, the more Dusty seemed to withdraw into herself. By the time Kodi stopped a few feet away from her, she was crouched and backed all the way against the bow railing. Kodi raised his brow in confusion and took another step. Dusty, in response, stepped to the right, away from him. As he tried to close the distance between them, she kept inching around him. Finally, Kodi stopped, and sat on his haunches.
“Listen Dusty,” he said, “I know you don’t recognize me, but-”
Before he could finish, Dusty rushed into him, sending him crashing through the rotted railing to the snowy hill below. She looked away before he hit the earth, but after a moment, she heard him laughing, and looked down again.
Kodi lay on his back in the snow, chuckling softly to himself.
“Well,” he coughed, getting to his feet, “I didn’t see that coming.”
Dusty inched away from the railing, half-expecting him to jump up again, but he didn’t. Instead, he just sat in the snow, looking longingly up at her.
“Dusty,” he said, “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but something is very wrong. You don’t remember me?”
Dusty shook her head timidly. Kodi sighed.
“Well, if you’re not going to let me explain to your face, will you at least listen to me from up there?” Seeing the questioning expression on her face, he added, “This is as close as I’ll come to you, I promise.” Dusty lay down next to the broken railing.
“Al…alright,” she said softly.
Kodi lay down in the snow and looked up at her.
“Well, I guess I better start at the beginning…”
Kodi felt as though his heart would burst. Never in his life had he seen such a beautiful female. Every inch of her seemed perfect, absolutely flawless. From her ears to her two-toned tale, her fur was a mix of brown and light purple, and from her nose down the length of her underbelly was a white-tan color. But what struck him the most were her eyes. Every time she so much as glanced in his direction, he felt as though an angel were gazing upon him.
The sled team had just pulled into Nome, and was resting outside the post office while the musher handed over the mail to the clerk. The lead dog, a large gray husky, seemed to be complaining about a sliver in his paw. Some way for a leader to act, Kodi thought, just pull it out and stop whining. And yet, the leader persisted. Finally, Kodi had had enough. He padded up to the leader, held his paw down, and yanked the wooden splinter out with his teeth.
“Ow!” the gray leader yelped, “What’d you do that for?”
“I couldn’t take your whining any more,” Kodi replied, spitting the sliver from his mouth.
“That makes two of us,” a slightly smaller brown husky replied, “Thanks.”
“Well, don’t do it again,” warned the grey leader, “That hurt.”
“Ralph, you’re such a softie,” came a female voice from behind him.
Kodi suddenly found himself face to face with the object of his secret admiration, and though he couldn’t help but gaze at her, all speech was stolen from his lips.
“I’m Dusty, by the way,” she said, “Nice to meet you.”
Finally, Kodi managed to retrieve some of his voice.
“N-nice to meet you, too,” he stammered, “It must be g-gratifying to be on the sled team?”
“Yeah, but only if getting up at the crack of dawn is gratifying,” interrupted Ralph. Dusty shot him a ‘who asked you?’ glance.
“It really is nice to be part of something so important to this little town,” she said to Kodi, glancing around at the surrounding buildings.
“I was thinking of joining the team,” Kodi said, hope rising in his chest.
“Really?” Dusty asked, a bit surprised. Kodi nodded.
“Are you joking?” the brown dog laughed, “You look like a pup to me!”
“I’m thin because I’ve been practicing,” Kodi replied, growing embarrassed.
“Alright then, if you’ve been practicing so much, let’s see you pull this,” Ralph said, stepping out of his harness.
Kodi looked at the sled and gulped. He had practiced pulling sleds loaded up to half-full, but this one was still almost fully-loaded. But I can’t back down now, he thought, I’ll make a fool of myself if I do. So he stepped into the harness.
“You don’t have to pull it very far,” the large brown husky said, “Just get it moving.”
“Kirby, not even we can do that!” Dusty gasped, turning to Kodi, “Hey, you don’t have to-”
Too late.
Kodi lunged forward, but was yanked roughly backward when the lines went taunt. The sled hadn’t budged an inch. No one spoke. Kodi got to his paws and put all of his weight into the lines. Suddenly, there was the sound of crackling, and everyone gasped. The sled runners, which were nearly frozen to the ground, had begun to quiver. Kodi didn’t even notice. He just kept putting one paw in front of the other. The sled moved an inch, then another. Kodi finally glanced backward and saw that he was making progress. I might actually do this, he thought.
Just then, his straining paws uncovered a patch of ice, and he slipped, falling face-first into the snow. Kirby and Ralph burst into laughter, collapsing to the ground and rolling in the snow. Kodi shook the snow from his face and suddenly realized that Dusty was also laughing. He felt his heart wrench in embarrassment and sorrow. Quickly shrugging out of the harness, he turned and took off down the street. As he neared then boiler room, he was vaguely aware of the team calling after him, but he didn’t care. Bursting into the empty boiler room, he found a cushion in the corner and curled up tight. The team’s laughter echoed mercilessly in his ears. It would be a long time before he would finally fall asleep.
Suddenly, he woke to the cooing of an angelic voice.
“Kodi, I’m sorry, please wake up,” the voice whimpered.
His eyes opened to see Dusty lying with her front paws crossed in front of him.
“Kodi, I’m so sorry about earlier,” she said, “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Can you please forgive me?”
“It’s alright, Dusty,” Kodi replied, uncurling himself, “It really wasn’t that big of a deal. I just felt so stupid. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of you.”
“Me? Why me?”
Now you’ve done it, you idiot! he thought, What’re you going to say now?
“I, uh…” he mumbled, “That is I, well, I…”
Dusty leaned closer, clearly curious. Kodi gulped.
“Do you promise not to laugh?” he said softly.
“Of course.”
“I love you,” he said, “I think you’re the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth.”
Dusty gasped, and then began to laugh softly.
“Hey, you said you wouldn’t laugh,” Kodi whimpered, clearly hurt at Dusty’s outburst.
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dusty replied quickly, composing herself, “It’s just… You’re pretty good looking yourself.”
“Really?” Kodi said, “I, I mean thank you. That is, uh…”
“You’re not usually like this, are you?” Dusty said, smiling.
“No,” Kodi stammered, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
“I see,” she replied, standing up.
Kodi stood up next to her.
“Hey, I was wondering,” he said, “Would like to go for a walk on the beach?”
“Well, I should be going home,” Dusty sighed, glancing out the door and down the street.
“You’re saying that like you might change your mind,” Kodi persisted, taking a step closer.
“Oh, why not,” she conceded.
Kodi looked up again and noticed Dusty lying at the edge of the broken railing, looking down at him with a sense of awe.
“Did we really say all that?” she asked.
“Every word is true, cross my heart,” Kodi replied.
“I wish I could remember,” Dusty sighed.
Kodi thought for a long moment and suddenly an idea hit him.
“I think I know what will help,” he said, “Follow me.”
Dusty, who was beginning to trust Kodi more, decided to follow him, though at a short distance.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To a very special place you and I went to once, not too long ago,” Kodi replied, “You’ll understand when we get there.”
“Is there more memory to go with this one?” Dusty inquired, “Another story, perhaps?”
“Well, now that you mention it…”
Chapter Four
Kodi felt his heart pounding hard in his chest as he neared Dusty’s house. The sun was just setting, and the dispersing clouds promised a clear sky for that night. Kodi couldn’t have asked for better weather. He came upon Dusty’s home and made his way to the small shed out back. As he stood before the door, his nerves began to get the better of him.
What are you doing? It’s only been two months! Slow down tiger. Kodi backed away, and began to pace back and forth.
What am I doing here? What will I say? He glanced at Dusty’s shed. I can’t do this. He started toward the fence, and stopped. No, I’ve come too far to turn back now. With his mind made up, Kodi padded up to the door of the shed and tapped twice with his paw. A moment later, Dusty appeared.
“Kodi?” she paused and yawned, “What brings you here so late?”
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry,” Kodi replied, turning to leave.
“No, it’s fine, really,” Dusty insisted, “What’s the matter?”
“I was wondering if…” he hesitated.
“Yes?”
“…if you would like to go for a walk in the woods?”
“Sure,” Dusty replied.
Kodi noticed an odd sparkle in her eyes. Could it be that she feels the same as I do, he wondered as they set off together.
Before long, they entered the forest on the outskirts of Nome. As pine needles crackled under paw, the rising moon shone brilliantly through the cracks in the tree tops, casting radiant beams of silver among the branches. Finally, they arrived at a grassy hill overlooking a shimmering waterfall. Dusty gasped and laid down, her eyes aglow with amazement. Kodi lay down beside her.
“Oh Kodi, it’s so wonderful,” she whispered, “Have you ever seen something so beautiful?”
“Yeah, once,” he replied softly.
“What was it?” she asked, still transfixed by the sparkling waterfall.
Unseen to her, Kodi leaned closer and whispered into her ear, “You.”
Dusty turned in surprise. Kodi smiled sheepishly, slightly embarrassed.
“Kodi, do you love me?” Dusty said, looking him right in the eye.
“Yes, Dusty, I love you,” he replied, meeting her gaze, “I’ve love you since the day I met you, and I’ll love you until I die.”
“Thank you,” Dusty whispered, leaning closer and kissing him.
Just one week later, Kodi padded through the falling snow on his way to Dusty's shed. His team had just arrived after a four day run, and the darkened sky only compounded how exhausted he was. The white flurries melted quickly on his fur, but he didn't care. His mind was set on one thing, or rather one person.
He nudged the door open, glanced inside, and smiled. Dusty lay sleeping on her cushion, so he slipped inside and shut the door gently behind himself. Crossing the room, he lay down beside her, but barely had his eyes closed when he was suddenly pushed over on his back and pinned to the floor. He almost didn't open his eyes, because he knew who it was, but he did anyway and smiled. It was Dusty.
"I still haven't gotten used to that," he said. Before she could blink, he had twisted her beneath him and pinned her to the floor. Smiling up at him, Dusty replied,
"Me neither." She kissed him on the cheek and he climbed off of her so they could lay side by side. "Kodi..." she said, "While you were on that last run...something wonderful happened."
"What's that?" he said, moving his face closer to hers.
"I'm pregnant."
The two were silent for a moment before Kodi said,
"Dusty, that's...that's beautiful." He nuzzled her. "Just like you." She smiled and nuzzled him back, but her smile faded when she looked back into his eyes.
"Kodi what's wrong?"
"I-I feel a little...light...headed..." With that, he rolled over and sprawled on the floor, not moving. Dusty, on the other paw, wasn't sure if she should scream... or laugh.
Dusty took a shallow breath and ran her paw across the grass, as she looked out onto a sparkling waterfall.
“So this is the place…where we started our family?” she said softly, glancing back at Kodi. He nodded. “I wish I could remember. I’ve tried, but I just can’t!” she sobbed, sinking to the ground in despair. Kodi sighed.
“It’s alright Dusty. At least we tried.” He padded up beside her. “C’mon, I’ll walk you home.”
Dusty half-turned toward him, eyes full of tears, and opened her muzzle to speak. But suddenly, all speech was stolen from her tongue as a brown blur slammed into Kodi from the side. He and his attacker tumbled head over heels until finally the stranger pinned Kodi at the base of the hill, glaring down with fiery green eyes. Before Kodi could speak, he put his paws over his throat and pressed down hard.
“Surprised?” the stranger snickered, “That black husky was wrong about you. It shouldn’t have come out this way, but you’ve forced me to use fatal measures.”
“Seth, get away from him!” cried Dusty, running down the slope.
The stranger cocked his head and struck her with the back of his front paw, sending her skidding across the snow and into a bush.
“Now then,” Seth growled, “where were we? Oh yes, I remember, I was about to end you.”
He put all his weight on his front paws, and his claws dug deep into Kodi’s neck. Kodi struggled and gasped beneath him, but Seth paid no mind. His victim began to shake and thrash from lack of oxygen, and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before Kodi suffocated.
Just then, he was knocked violently off Kodi and into a tree. Quickly regaining his footing, he was shocked to see Dusty growling at him.
“If you ever touch him again, I will kill you,” she warned, advancing slowly toward him.
“What? What’s going on?” Seth demanded, “You remember me?”
“Of course I remember you, you piece of filth,” Dusty said, belting him across the face, “You gained my trust, lied to me, and took advantage of me!”
She took another swing at Seth’s face, but he quickly blocked her paw and landed a hit of his own across her face. Dusty recoiled and swung at him again, but he dodged it and hit her again. Slowly but surely, he was backing her toward the hill.
“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Dusty,” he growled, “Even after all I did for you. If you hadn’t regained your senses, we would have made such a nice couple.”
Dusty shuddered at the thought.
“My place is with Kodi,” she snapped, “I’d rather die than be with you.”
“That can be arranged,” Seth snickered, swiping at Dusty’s face again. She managed to dodge the blow by stepping back beyond his reach, but in doing so she found herself at the edge of the hill with the river far below. Seth laughed. “You’d rather die than be with me, eh? Well then, die!” He barreled into Dusty, knocking her onto her back paws. Suddenly unbalanced, Dusty could not compensate quick enough and without so much as a gasp she fell.
Seth chuckled and padded casually up to the ledge and looked down, expecting to see Dusty floundering in the river. What he saw made him jump in surprise. Dusty lay sprawled on a small ledge less than ten feet below, shaking her head in disbelief. Just then, she looked up at him.
“What’s the matter, Seth,” she laughed, “Afraid of heights?”
Seth lay down at the edge and began to inch his way down the cliff side.
“Unfortunately for you, no, I’m not!” he replied.
“Then let’s see if you can fly!” cried a voice from behind him.
Without warning, Seth was bashed roughly over the edge. As he fell, he reached out in desperation toward the ledge, but in vain. He plunged into the river below and sank quickly out of view. Jade’s unfortunate brother couldn’t swim. Dusty watched him fall in astonishment and then looked up at her savior. Kodi smiled and reached down with one paw.
“C’mon, Dusty, let’s get you out of there.”
A few minutes later, both huskies sat side by side, laughing at their own luck.
“I can’t believe I ever doubted you, Kodi,” Dusty said, “Will you forgive me?”
“You couldn’t have known,” Kodi replied, “That blow to your head must have temporarily erased your memory.”
The two stood up and nuzzled each other.
“Wait, Seth mentioned a black husky,” Kodi gasped, “He might have a partner! We have to get back to Nome!”
As Kodi and Dusty took off running toward Nome, across the lake a black husky hidden among the bushes shook his head and snorted. Far beneath the sparkling surface of the lake, he could see the lifeless body of Seth.
“Well, Seth my boy, I must say I’m very disappointed in you,” he sighed, “Oh well, I guess it’s time for me to have my fun.”
Late that night, he made his way into Nome. The streets were dimly lit, and he only saw two huskies out and about, but they made their way to the boiler room and didn’t reemerge. Satisfied that no one would see him, he slipped through the alleys and among the houses until he came upon a small shed. The scent of Kodi and Dusty still lingered in the air. I’ll give you something to come home, Kodi, just you wait and see… he thought.
Suddenly, another scent reached his nose, and he turned with a smile. But why waste my time on your little ones when I can drop by my own children, and more specifically the female who made them! Laughing softly, he made his way further down the street until he came to a warm little shack against a house on the edge of town. He quietly snuck inside and grinned.
There in front of him Jenna lay curled up with her back to him. It would be so easy to kill her right now, he thought, but I’ll play with her first. He put a paw on her shoulder and she sighed, slowly lifting her head.
“Balto, it’s late, what-” She stopped when she recognized who stood before her. “Kale…”
“Hi, Jenna,” he said with a wicked smile, “Miss me?”
“What are you doing here, Kale!” she demanded.
“I came back to see you… and our pups.”
“Isn’t that a coincidence?” growled a voice from behind him. Kale turned in surprise.
Balto stood in the doorway, accompanied by three young huskies; two were red and white like Jenna, and the other was black like Kale.
“Who are they?” Kale inquired arrogantly, indicating the young huskies.
“Some father you are, Kale,” Balto said dryly, walking around Kale to stand beside Jenna, “You can’t even recognize your own children. May I introduce Jake, Carla, and Lyle.” He gestured to the two red and white huskies before putting his paw on the shoulder of the black one.
Kale stared in disbelief for a moment, but quickly regained his witty attitude.
“Well haven’t you all grown up quickly,” he said softly, turning to face Balto and Jenna, “I suppose they don’t even know who I am?”
“Wrong, Kale,” Jenna replied, “We’ve told them all about you.”
“And since they were both Jenna’s pups and yours,” Balto continued, “We’re going to let them choose who they want to accept as their guardian or guardians.” He stepped away and gestured to the three young huskies. “Children…”
For a long moment, no one moved. Then, the three aged pups looked at Balto and Jenna, and then slowly padded toward Kale, who smiled triumphantly.
“That’s right, kids, come to daddy,” he said.
To his surprise, Jake belted him across the muzzle and walked over to Balto and Jenna. Carla slapped him hard across his face, her claws digging into his fur and drawing blood. As he stumbled backward, Lyle padded up to him and stopped.
“Well,” Kale coughed, “at least someone here has a brain in their head.”
Lyle turned and rear on his front legs, catching Kale in the face with both his back legs. Kale flew out the door and into a pair of trashcans, which collapsed on him in a terrific clamor. Lyle padded out and spat on him before rejoining his family. Just then, Kodi and Doc came rushing around the corner.
“Mom, Dad, are…you alright?” Kodi asked, panting hard.
“We’re fine,” Balto assured him, “but I wouldn’t say the same for him.” He gestured to Kale, who lay mostly buried beneath a pile of refuse. Doc padded up to him and listened for breathing, but detected nothing. Clearing away the debris, he found the cause.
“Kale’s dead,” Doc declared, “Some one broke his neck!”
Carla and Jake looked at Lyle, who stepped forward with bowed head.
“That was my fault,” he admitted, “but I just couldn’t forgive him for what he did to our mother!”
“Well I can’t say I blame you,” Doc replied, “I’ll forgive you just this once, seeing how Kale would have faced the same fate had he been caught and tried. He was banished, after all.”
“Thank you, Doc.”
The next morning, Jenna woke beside Balto. Now that Kale’s gone, she thought, maybe we’ll have some peace in Nome...
The End
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My five latest videos. Enjoy!
The Change - Balto
Two Worlds - Balto and Jenna
Wake Up America - Balto
Long Black Train - Balto
Balto - Go the Distance
Last edited by Lone Wolf_fanwriter on Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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(for my word can trust when I say good I mean it...someone's doesn't)