Confession – Remix
(started
11/10/06 -)
Summary: A retelling of my Confession Saga series, but with a twist. After the
events from the original “Confession” story, an accident causes one of the two
young love-struck pups to lose something precious to them – all of their
memories since birth. As time passes and Dingo and
Rating: PG-13 for slight incest between a brother and sister, some inappropriate
language, a bit of blood, loads of drama, and NO SEX. Yes, there is no actual sexual content in this story – only
a slight mention of it and some scenes of kissing. (wow, can you believe it?)
Disclaimer: Balto, Balto: Wolf Quest, and any Balto characters from the Balto
series are not mine; they are the property of Universal Studios Inc.
The characters of Dingo and Saba are
not mine either – their personalities are based on my fan-fictions, since the
films have not focused on them, but their names are Universal’s (darn it.);
however, the characters of the other pups (mainly Yukon and Denali, my fan
names for the unnamed pups of the WQ6) are also based on either my fan-fictions
and/or their appropriate focused sequel (Aleu for WQ, and Kodi for WoC).
Furthermore, the original story of
which “Confession – Remix” is based on (the five stories of “The Confession
Saga”) and is altered for purposes of this twisted retelling are the property
of Juuchan17 and should not be used or copied for any other reason without the
author’s consent (that means: Ask me for permission, plz. Got it?). Thank you!
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Author’s Note:
Can you
believe that it’s been over a year since I wrote the beginning of my famous
series, “Confession”?
Yep, it’s
true. Many Balto fans consider the five stories of “The Confession Saga” as
some of their favorite stories that I’ve written, calling it a series with
emotion and drama that clearly paved the way for an evolution in Balto
fan-fictions, especially since I began to develop the named-only characters of
two of Balto and Jenna’s pups from Wolf Quest: Dingo and Saba.
In case you
are new to the series, here’s a quick walk-through of the original saga that
changed Balto fan-fictions forever (and if you are a fan of the series, good
for you! You can skip ahead to the next part, but it’s up to you! *wink*):
In the
original tale, Saba, the runt of the litter, only wants to show her siblings
that she can do things on her own by catching a fish in the lake. She slips on
the ice and falls through, becoming immersed in the icy water; in the nick of
time, her brother, Dingo, pulls her out of the water and uses his own body to
warm her back to health. Surprised by his act of courage, Saba kisses him on
the nose, not realizing that this was the spark that causes them to innocently
fall for each other. In the next story, “Longing,” a year passes before they
finally commit to each other that their love, although it is incest, is true. The
next tale, “Truth Be Told,” takes place during the next year, bringing with it
a major announcement: Saba is expecting Dingo’s first litter of puppies! The
brave brother and sister reveal their intimate incest love to their parents and
siblings when
So why
would I want to retell the story again in this new version?
Well, I
thought it was time for a bit of dramatic take of the tale, in which fate
causes the incestuous lovers to be separated forever . . . In another author’s
story (which was inspired by my original tale and its follow-ups of the forbidden
lovers), he actually added that drama that my story lacked – while in the
original saga, Dingo and Saba’s relationship was strangely accepted by Balto,
Jenna and their other siblings, his story had them literally seen as criminals
that had defied the natural laws of the town by not only falling in love, but
also creating new life together in their incestuous affair. His dramatically
dark tone and emotionally-driven storytelling inspired me to remix the story a
bit to allow more life and family drama to the tale.
So I began
to think: What could be so dramatic that these young dogs could have their love
for each other shattered forever?
When I
discovered the answer to that, the rest of the story began to develop from
there. I hope that Balto fans, both new and old fans of the original story,
will enjoy my new twist for our favorite forbidden lovers.
- Juuchan17
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Prologue: After the Confession . . .
It's been
a couple of days since my little sister told me how she felt about me. At the
time, I felt like we were close, but not "that" close. I was
surprised that I returned her kiss. I had never been kissed before. It just
felt so . . . natural when it happened.
And I
liked it. That kiss . . . her kiss .
. . it sparked a fuse inside me that gave me a strange urge. I . . . I wanted
her to be mine. And I knew that I had that feeling . . . that desire . . . that
I had been longing for her as well.
It was
the night after the kiss. The moon was high in the cold, navy sky, sparkling
with glittering stars.
"
"Hmm?"
she groaned, still lying on the pile of hay that I placed under her body
earlier that night. She turned her sleepy face towards mine.
"Let's
make a promise, okay?" Please kiss me again . . . . please?
"O-ookay.
Is this about the--" She paused to clear her throat and whispered the
word: "kiss?"
I began
to blush as she did the same. "Yeah." Ohhh yeah. Do it again for
me.
"I
guess we'll just keep this between us. Mainly because . . . I'm not sure how
everyone will react to us being--" She again cleared her throat before
continuing. "together."
"I'm
not sure either, but . . . ." This time, I paused. I began to nervously
shake. I didn't know how to say how I really felt about her. However, my inner
self had other plans.
She's
your sister! You'll be banished from town if anyone discovers your secret lust
for
I let out
a scream, then immediately covered my mouth. Damn. Now you've done it,
Dingo.
I heard
barking in the distance and the pattering of feet galloping towards our current
position.
"Dingo!
"Sorry,
Mom," My secret lover spoke in my behalf. "Dingo was just so . . .
happy that I was getting better after that icy plunge I took some days
ago!" She giggled nervously.
I joined
in the act when Mom gave us a weird look and Dad finally showed up. "Yeah.
I was really glad and relieved that she's feeling much better. I couldn't help
myself. Sorry to wake you, Mom . . . . and you too, Dad." I gave my dad a
big grin.
His
grayish-brown grizzly face smiled back at me. "We forgive you, Dingo.
Thanks for taking such good care of your sister." He patted me on the head
with his big paw.
"Yes,
your father's right, Dingo." Mom then turned to her spitting image of
herself and whispered in her ear. "You're lucky to have a big brother like
him,
"Shouldn't
you be asleep by now, Dingo?" Dad said. "Tomorrow's another day and
you've been in here for a while."
I knew
what Dad meant. He wanted me to not worry about
"Alright,
Dad. But . . ." I paused before leaving the barn room. "can I say
good night to
He
thought about it and then replied, "Okay, son. Just be quick."
"Good
night, Dingo. And tell
As soon
as they left, I went back to
"Did
you say good night too, Dingo?" She gave me a rather . . . . strange look.
Her eyes seemed to pierce my heart like a poisoned arrow full of love. Those
slitted, bright blue eyes . . . . I couldn't control myself. I had to do it . .
. now.
I kissed
her.
I could
feel her emotions through the kiss. First, shock. Who would blame her? I
thought one of us would back out after a second.
But we
didn't.
After a
few seconds, I felt comfort and relaxation. I felt her head get in a comfortable
position. Then, . . what next? I wanted to just finish it off and go to the
next level, but . . . I couldn't. Not yet. It ended there.
Our noses
parted and our eyes opened in unison. Ironically, we both smiled and blushed as
our eyes met then looked away. I knew it: she had enjoyed it as much as I had!
I knew I had to go then, before Dad started to wonder what was keeping me.
"Bye!
I'll check on you in the morning!" I said from the doorway and then ran
off to follow Dad.
During
the night while I was in my doggie bed at home, all of my dreams were about
I knew it
was wrong. I knew it was forbidden. But I wanted her. I longed for her. I
couldn't understand it all. What was this feeling inside? All of these
different emotions, feelings, urges . . . . they made me seem so strange. Was I
growing up? Is this what it is feels like when you love someone with all of
your heart?
Was this
the start of a budding romance or was it just a small case of puppy love?
I know, I
know. Everything sounds so girly, but it's how I felt. I guess this is how Mom
and Dad were when they first met. Maybe . . . .
But I
wanted her . . . right now. I wanted her to be mine and only mine. She's been
there from the beginning and I never realized it until that night a couple of
days ago. It was that kiss. The reel of that kiss played on repeat in my head.
Over and over, I saw it. And it made me want to come for seconds. And then
some.
- - - - - -
- - -
I thought
things were only going to get better for the two of us after that kiss, but
little did I know, everything that we had was about to change . . . in a way I
wasn’t prepared for.
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Part I: Tragic Separation
Has it been so long? I miss you, my
love . . .
The red and
white figure of a young male pup exited the doorway of his owner’s home with a
wide grin of joy on his face. The dog’s brown eyes lit up in eagerness,
brightening up his mostly white-painted facial features. He leaped over the
stairs with the greatest of ease, quickly moving his large paws against the
late April snow that dusted over the ground of his hometown of Nome, Alaska.
Did you think of me everyday that I
was gone? I know I thought only of you . . .
He galloped
quickly and cautiously to his lover’s house, hoping to catch a glimpse – and
maybe even steal a sweet kiss too – of his beloved before seeing anyone else,
especially before his parents passed by his house to check up on him. He had
just returned last night from a training mission with a sled team that had
begun to work with him and other young sled dogs-to-be, and his exhaustion
allowed him to easily reach sleep as soon as he reached the safety of his master’s
cozy house.
What about starting a family? We’ll
have a litter together . . . one day . . .
But nothing
would prepare him for what awaited him that next morning as he felt a chill
suddenly went up the spine of his almost yearling back.
He stopped
after a few steps at the sight of his parents, a grayish-brown and tan male
wolf-dog and his burgundy and white husky mate, leaning against each other as
if to comfort each other of memories of some sort of tragic event that had
happened. Just the sight of his mother’s tears dripping down her face onto the
snowy dirt made him run towards them with a worry in his heart. He let out a
quick bark, getting their attention and telling them he was home.
“Dingo?”
His mother’s ears pricked up at the familiar sound of her son’s bark. She
jerked her head towards the noise, confirming the identity of the canine. “Oh,
Dingo!” She ran to her son still with tears staining her white face markings,
stopping once she nuzzled him against his neck, burying her wet face in his
fur. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe . . .” Her tears continued again.
“Mom, . .
.” Dingo murmured as he returned the nuzzle to his grieving dam. He didn’t know
why she was crying, but it didn’t seem like tears of joy. “I’m fine, Mom. The
training was long and hard, but I . . .” The husky’s sniffling and tears
interrupted him, so he slowly stopped talking as he noticed his father walking
towards him. “Um, Dad . . . did something happen that I should know about?”
The
wolf-dog’s ears were lowered, as was his head when he reached his son’s
presence. He pointed his muzzle away from the other two dogs as he spoke with a
small voice. “Dingo, . . . i-i-it’s about your sister . . .”
Dingo
groaned. He had five other siblings; two older brothers and three sisters that
each were paving their own paths to maturity in their own ways. Of course, he
had a hunch on which sister his father was mentioning. “What did Aleu do this
time? You know she’s always getting herself into some sort of trouble . . .”
“No, no. It
wasn’t Aleu,” The father shook his head to his son – although he himself was
surprised that his wolf-like daughter wasn’t causing such trouble lately either.
Since she was the oldest, the most headstrong of the siblings and the only pup
that looked more like her father, Aleu was clearly the most likely candidate
for the Family Wild Child. “She’s just fine.”
“Is Yukon
okay?” Dingo queried about his second sister. “Did she finally find someone to
beat her in a race?” His middle sister was one of the most competitive canines
in town. At a young age, she had been so competitive of herself, she challenged
any male husky that was interested in her to a foot race; if the challenger
defeated her, Yukon would give the lucky guy a chance to go on a date with her.
Again, the
wolf-dog shook his head, causing his son’s eyes to grow large in shock. Just by
looking at his husky-looking child’s face, he knew he had figured it out.
“No . . .”
the burgundy and white male gasped. “What happened . . .” Dingo began to
shutter as he spoke, terror and fear filled his tone as he hoped nothing was
wrong at all with his third sister. “What happened to Saba?”
At the
sound of hearing her daughter’s name, the she-husky wept again, this time
leaning onto her mate’s neck and shoulders for comfort. “Oh, Saba . . .” she
whined loudly. “Oh, my little princess . . .” The hybrid male only stroked her
head and cheeks softly, catching her salty tears with his tongue and nose.
“Well?”
Dingo asked again, his voice reflecting his intensified worry and confusion.
“Where’s my little sister? Where’s Saba?”
The couple
parted their heads, looking eye-to-eye to each other but silently speaking
volumes of emotional words. At last, the wolf-dog nodded and parted from her
with a nuzzle.
“Come with
me, Dingo,” His father motioned him from the stairway of their daughter’s house
and towards Main Street. “I’ll take you to see her.” Father and Mother walked
side-by-side – the wolf-dog maintaining his strong, solemn mood by keeping back
his tears, while his mate continued to sob as she leaned her head against her
loving husband – but as the young son walked slowly behind them, he was feeling
so many different emotions at the time, he couldn’t even figure out how to
react.
Shock . . . that something would actually
happen to his little sister while he was away on training. He never expected
anything would hurt his kind, gentle Saba. As the youngest, she was too shy and
such a pure-hearted soul, and her other sisters were more troublesome than she
was – he knew that for a fact.
Regret . . . for not being there by her sister’s
side. He promised to see her before anyone else as soon as he returned home,
but he fell asleep instead. Oh, why wasn’t he there for her when she needed it?
When they were very young, they shared a special bond that couldn’t be broken.
Why couldn’t he feel his sister’s pain as he traveled back home or while he
slept last night?
Hope . . . that wish of his sister’s safety. Saba
was strong deep down, although she looked weak with her outward appearance. If
he knew she was okay, he would feel relieved, but all he could do right now was
hope.
Sadness . . . the most ultimate sentiment that
was clearly in his heart. He wanted to cry, especially seeing his parents
sobbing so easily over hearing her name spoken aloud, but Dingo did his best to
maintain his silence and internal feelings. He could hold back his tears . . .
for the time being.
After about
a couple of minutes of walking, the three canines had arrived at the Doctor’s
and stood by the steps that led inside the main waiting room for patients and
their families.
The
wolf-dog turned his attention to his mate, still in tears. “You don’t have to
go in with us, you know. You’ve been in tears most of the time, and I don’t
want you to feel sad anymore, Jenna.”
Jenna felt
the gentle touch of her mate as he stroked his wet nose against her red-orange
bandanna around her neck. “It’s okay, Balto,” she sniffled, drying her weeping
with Balto’s neck again. “I’m doing it for our children, for Dingo and Saba.”
The hybrid
nodded bravely. “For Saba’s sake at least. We’re her parents after all, and she
depends on us all to be strong for her.”
Dingo let
out a soft cough, causing the couple to look at their son, embarrassed by their
sudden focus on their youngest child instead of the one trailing behind them.
The parents bravely lifted their heads up, trying to keep a strong-willed
attitude as the trio of dogs began quietly stepping on the wooden stairs and
through the dog door on the lower part of the main entrance.
The waiting
room was half-empty, filled with a couple of parent-child groups awaiting their
chance to see the doctor or one of his assistant nurses for their regular
check-ups. However, one small group of people caught the wolf-dog and the
she-husky’s eyes. A young couple in their early-thirties and their little girl of
about seven years of age were sitting at the closest bench to the doctor’s main
operating room, quietly weeping and holding each other close as they tried to
comfort each other.
That’s . . . that must be Saba’s
human family, Dingo
thought. He was the first to be adopted all those months ago, so he had no idea
what her owners looked like; but by observing the actions of the little girl in
the mother’s arms, he knew that she had to be Saba’s human.
“Why,
Mama?” the girl sniffled and looked up to her mother who was holding her
daughter on her knees. She moved her short raven hair away from her eyes as she
dried her dark eyes with a long piece of a baby pink scarf that she had in her
pocket. “Why did someone shoot my doggie?”
Dingo’s
heart seemed to break when he heard the words. No . . . Saba was shot? It . . . it’s impossible! Not Saba . . . Why
would someone do such a thing to her?
“It can’t
be . . .” he murmured under his breath. His ears lowered in sadness as his
parents watched his reaction. Jenna again resumed her crying as she and Balto
approached their son to comfort him.
“I don’t
know, sweetie,” the girl’s mother answered her, placing the girl’s head near
her chest and stroking the back of her head to try and calm the daughter’s
tears. “I just don’t know.” Now she and her husband were in tears with the
daughter. “The doctor should be finished soon, and then we will see if Sara makes
it through.”
Sara . . . ? Dingo thought again; the sound of
his sister’s given name reverberated through his mind’s ear. So that’s what her new name is. It sounds
like ‘Saba’ and is just as beautiful to the ears . . . He shut his eyes
tightly, praying for his sister to be okay. Please,
Saba . . . Please pull through . . . I don’t know what I can do without you . .
.
After a
moment of silence, he began to whine in his parents’ direction. “How did she
get shot, Dad?” He was on the verge of tears, but he refused to cry in front of
his parents or Saba’s humans. “Why would someone shoot a normal-looking husky,
especially a harmless one like Saba? She wouldn’t hurt anyone!”
Balto’s
ears pricked up and began to fall back to his neck in shame. “I saw what happened,
Dingo.” He turned to his mate, silently requesting her to give them a moment
alone to discuss what happened to Saba. As soon as the emotional she-husky was
a safe distance away, the wolf-dog continued to speak of the incident.
“It was
yesterday when it happened, about early afternoon to be precise. I was happily watching
her from the boat; she was chasing a rabbit into the woods from outside of
town, playfully attempting to pounce on it. I sniffed the air carefully,
recognizing her scent in the air, but hers wasn’t the only one I smelt. A wolf
was in the nearby area, and Saba probably didn’t realize how deep into the
wolf’s territory she was. I leaped from the boat and ran quickly into the
forest, hoping that I could warn her in time, but it was too late.”
“She was
already shot?” Dingo asked, his brown eyes growing large in shock of his
father’s words.
“No, she
was still okay at the time, but the wolf had discovered her once I arrived,”
Balto reassured him, then he continued the story. “He was a large dark-gray wolf,
about twice the size of me, and he towered over the shrinking form of Saba. The
lupine asked her why she was there, and she honestly told him she was chasing a
rabbit and would leave his territory right away after apologizing. However, the
wolf refused to believe a tame husky like her and yanked off the pink cloth
scarf from her neck. I was about to move in to protect her from the wolf’s
fury, but I stayed back.”
“Why, Dad?”
Dingo asked, his ears pressed against his neck in anger. “You could have
protected her! She’s your daughter too!”
Balto let
out a sigh. “I could see the fire burning in her eyes, just like the ones in
your eyes right now, and that glare that Saba gave him was enough for me to
trust her judgment; she was furious as she leapt to her feet and defended
herself without my help.” He paused for a second, letting out a light chuckle
as his daughter’s actions replayed in his mind, but then he continued speaking
in his serious tone. “Surprisingly, she was a much stronger fighter than what I
would have thought; I suppose that scarf that her human had given her was
something so precious to her that Saba considered the wolf’s actions as a
severe threat to her family and everyone that she loved. They growled and
snarled at each other, sometimes swiping their clawed paws at each other and
baring their teeth as they fought. Suddenly, it happened.
“A hunter
was nearby, unknown to all three of us. He was carefully watching the husky and
wolf duke it out as he aimed his rifle for the wolf, but by the time he pulled
the trigger and the shot rang out, it was Saba that took the hit.” Dingo
gasped, his mouth opened in shock. “She collapsed onto the ground as the wolf
quickly fled the scene. The hunter also left the scene, but I guess he went to
get help for her because he was ashamed by his misjudgment. I approached her
body, praying that she wasn’t dead by the hunter’s bullet; thankfully, her
heart was slowly beating, but her breathing was beginning to weaken. Blood was
trickling down from her head, staining her white face crimson. Moments later, I
could sense that other humans were coming, so I fled the scene before anyone
thought I had committed the crime and ran straight to Jenna’s to take her to
the doctor’s.” He paused to catch his breath, then concluded. “She’s been in
surgery ever since to try and remove the bullet from her head, but they . . .”
The hybrid couldn’t stop his tears from escaping, sniffling and sobbing
whenever he paused for a moment. “the doctor says that . . . it’s possible . .
. she may not make it through . . .”
Dingo was
taken aback, stunned by the news. “No . . .” He shook his head slowly as a thin
stream of tears fell from his eyes down the sides of his face. “No . . . I
can’t lose Saba! She’s my friend, my sister, my –” He quickly caught himself
and only drooped his head between his forelegs. His tears turned from a trickle
to a wider stream of salty water. “Oh, she can’t die, Dad! She’s just can’t!”
“Oh,
Dingo,” His mother trotted up to her son, joining his crying with her own.
“Shh-shh, it’s all right, love. There, there . . .” Jenna stroked the weeping
child, calming him with her muzzle, but the tears continued to pour from both
Mother and Son.
“There’s
gotta be something we can do for Saba . . .” The nearly year old husky wept
tears of sorrow that drenched his paws and the floor underneath him. “There has
to be something, Dad . . .”
“It’s out
of our hands, Dingo,” The wolf-dog spoke with a heavy heart. “I’m sorry . . .
If only there were something else we could do –” Balto’s ears suddenly pricked
up to the sound of the clicking of an opening wooden door of the doctor’s
operating room. The three humans and the other two dogs turned their attention
to the white-haired physician as he emerged from the room, but stood at the
entrance.
“Ma’am,
Sir,” the doctor turned his attention to the black-haired girl’s parents. “May
I speak with you two for a moment in private?” The two adults placed their
daughter on her two feet, allowing her to walk towards the nearby canines and hug
her dog’s parents and brother for comfort. “It’ll only be for a moment.”
The three
adults walked inside the operating room with the doctor closing the door behind
them. Dingo walked quietly towards the door to try and eavesdrop on the humans’
conversation, placing his ear against the wooden door.
“ . . .
surgery was long and strenuous, but it was a success.” He recognized the gruff
voice of the doctor. “She’s still unconscious, but she’ll awaken within an hour
or so.”
“Oh, thank
goodness,” The girl’s mother. “Marilyn will be glad to know that Sara’s okay.”
“You just
don’t know how happy we are for your help, Doctor.” The girl’s father. “Thank
you so much!”
“But
there’s something that may affect her future that you should know about,” The
doctor spoke again, this time with a hint of seriousness in his tone. “While
operating, I noticed that the bullet that struck her in an area of her brain
that controls her memory.” He paused for a second, allowing a sigh to escape
his lips. “I’m sorry, but as a doctor, as well as a surgeon, I only did what I
had to do in order to keep her alive. I mean, if it hit had her somewhere else,
we may have lost her altogether . . . or perhaps her memory would have been
spared . . .”
Dingo
gasped as he ran from the door, his sadness spilling from his eyes with the
tears that he had held back for so long.
She’s alive . . . but it’s not worth
it if she can’t remember me . . . He passed by his parents and Saba’s human without even
stopping to acknowledge them. No . . .
NO! She can’t be gone . . . she can’t be . . . She can’t be!
Once he got
outside, he collapsed onto the porch of the office, feeling like he should
drown himself in his tears.
Saba . . . Saba, no . . . You can’t
be gone . . .
If it’s true . . . that you really
have lost your memories, then . . . then it’s almost like you’re really dead .
. .
He covered
his tear-stained face with one of his paws as he sensed the presence of his
father coming outside to join him a few minutes later. “Go away, Dad,” Dingo stunned
his wolf-dog father with his tail, causing Balto to step backwards to avoid the
bushy two-toned tail. “I don’t feel like talking . . .”
“Dingo,”
Balto approached his husky-looking son with a hopeful tone in his voice. “She’s
still alive. She’s going to be okay, Son. Doc told Marilyn and us that she made
it through the operation.”
“But . . .
but . . .” The almost yearling was afraid to admit what he had heard the doctor
tell Marilyn’s parents, but his father nudged him, interrupting his sentence.
“Come on
now. The doctor’s allowing Saba to have visitors, and Marilyn and her parents
are letting us come with them to wish her well as she recovers.” The wolf-dog
pushed Dingo up to his feet and nudged him to follow him back inside. Dingo
sighed, still drying tears from his eyes, and gave into following his father’s
words.
I’m scared . . . I’m scared to see
her now . . . The
thoughts circled through Dingo’s mind as he walked to his parents and joined
the three caring humans and the physician inside the operating room where his
sister was waiting. What if he’s right?
What if Saba really doesn’t remember me . . . or her own family?
I pray to God that it’s not true . .
. She has to remember the bond, that connection that we had . . . she’s got to
. . .
I gotta have some faith in her . . .
and I hope Saba isn’t gone forever . . .
“Here,
boy,” Marilyn called the younger husky to her side. “I want you here with me to
see Sara.” She rubbed the pup’s shoulder and neck, reading the name engraved on
Dingo’s leather collar. “Rory . . . Is that your name, boy?” She let out a soft
giggle. “You’re her big brother, aren’t you?”
Dingo let
out a soft bark, licking the young girl’s face and ebony bangs. Although he
loathed hearing humans call him by his new name, something about this girl made
him feel safe and happy to be by her side. No
wonder Saba was so happy with her, Dingo thought with a very slight grin. Marilyn made a good choice by choosing my
sister as her pet. Oh how I wish she had chosen me too . . . He sighed as
the seven-year old placed a tiny hand on his furry burgundy shoulder and led
him inside the room as Balto and Jenna followed closely behind them.
“Now, don’t
exhaust her, Marilyn,” The doctor warned her. “She’s just come to, and I don’t
want her to overdo it since she’s so weak after her operation.”
“Okay, we
won’t be long,” The girl nodded, understanding his instructions. “Is it okay
for Balto, Jenna, and their son to come in with me? I’m sure they won’t be a
bother for her.”
The doctor
hesitated for a moment, but sighed. “All right, but be sure to keep them under
control. Sara’s been through a rough experience and has been very close to
death. She doesn’t need anything that could possibly make her condition worse.”
After
nodding once more, the small black-haired girl clicked her tongue and commanded
Dingo and his family forward into the open door where their beloved friend lay.
The room
was dimly lit by a nearly-melted candle inside a lantern that stood on a wooden
nightstand. A wide timber table covered with a couple of layers of white sheets
were topped by another white sheet stained with splotches and tiny drips of
blood underneath the slightly-moving form of the once beautiful red and white
husky pup laying on her side. As Balto had described in his recollection,
Saba’s face and neck was stained with dried crimson against her white markings.
The blood was now in other places of her body, like her chest and legs, and a
couple of claw marks left her scarred from her epic battle with the wolf on her
shoulder and flanks. Her blue eyes were still alert as her lids were halfway
open, slowly following the movements of the figures that entered the room, but
Saba’s body was temporarily immobilized on the sheet, the top of her head
covered in bandages around her ears.
“Oh, Sara .
. .” Marilyn carefully stroked her hand against her shoulder and neck, tears
swelling up in her eyes. She tried her hardest to stay positive, so she had a
sweet hopeful smile on her face, amidst her tears. “You’re gonna be okay . . .
Just rest up and get better now, okay?” Emotionally, she leaned up towards the
she-husky’s head and planted a soft kiss on her nose. Saba reacted in the best
way that she could: she let out a soft whine, returning the gesture with a
light lick on her cheek. Marilyn let out a giggle in reply. “Oh, I love you,
girl. Please get well.”
Turning
towards Saba’s brother and parents, the dark-haired girl patted them before
allowing them some time alone with her. “Now, make it quick, you guys. I trust
that you won’t get me in trouble by tiring her out.” She still had a grin when
she exited the room, shutting the door behind her.
The mutt
and the purebred placed their front legs on the table top, sadly gazing at the
sight of their wounded daughter in front of them. They couldn’t believe that
their precious little Saba was so close to being a goner and now at almost a
year old, she had gone through more terror than any other dog in town . . . and
survived. Clearly, she was a very brave and even luckier dog.
“Oh, Saba .
. . Saba,” Jenna licked her daughter’s muzzle, trying to remove a spot of dried
blood from her fur.
The
recovering pup began to stir, moaning slightly as her eyes focused on her
mother’s face. “Um . . . Mama . . .?” She spoke in a light whisper, but it was
loud enough for her parents to yelp with joy in their hearts. The husky then
turned her gaze to Balto. “D-daddy?”
The
wolf-dog smiled at his child, giving her a loving look. “Yes, Saba. We’re here.
Your mom and dad are here.”
Saba could
barely smile, but from the shining and innocent look on her face, she was glad
to see them, although she had very little memory of them. “I am . . . Saba?”
She asked, her memory still in need of recovering what she had lost due to the
damage of the bullet in her head. “Is that what I am called?”
“Yes,
dear,” Jenna reassured her, nuzzling her nose-to-nose. “This is what we dogs
call you, Saba. It’s the name we gave you when you were born. Do you remember
now?”
Saba nodded
slightly, much to the delight of her parents. However, her brother sat waiting
by the door, observing his sister’s reactions to her parents’ questions and
words and seeing if the doctor’s analysis of Saba was true. Plus, he wanted
time alone with her to talk . . . and see if she remembered him the way he
remembered her.
“You have a
wonderful human named Marilyn,” Dingo heard his mother remind the
memory-stricken husky. “but she doesn’t call you Saba; her name for you is
Sara.”
“You . . .
call me Saba,” the wounded she-husky attempted to memorize her different names
for her thankful parents. “and my human, Marilyn, calls me . . . Sara . . .?”
Her father
nodded in acceptance. “Good job. You remember that now, okay? Once you get
better, you’ll remember more than you know now.” He and his mate leaned up to
her head and gently nuzzled her goodbye. “We’re going to let you get your rest,
Saba. Stay strong, my girl.”
“I will
try,” She responded back with a tone of quiet hope, then she let out a yawn,
opening her mouth as she noticed her parents switching places with the other
red and white pup.
“Take care,
Saba,” Jenna bid farewell to her daughter, allowing her son to spend some time
alone with her. “Now don’t do anything that would exhaust her, Dingo,” the
purebred warned her son before leaving the room with Balto. “Saba still has to
recover, and,” she lowered her voice so as not to let her daughter hear. “if
you ask me, she may have suffered some major memory loss due to her accident.”
She gulped and shed another tear from her amber-hazel eyes. “She could barely
remember us, so she may not have any memory of you.”
Dingo’s
ears pricked up in the fear of his mother’s words. “No . . .” he muttered
quietly, his head shaking side to side in denial. “Saba has to know who I am,
Mom. She’s my sister . . . and I will make sure she will remember me!” He
growled at her, causing her to run out the door in tears.
After Jenna
left the room, Dingo used one of his paws to close the door, not knowing that
he had left a thin crack in the doorway. With a deep breath and a sigh, the
young male walked up to the table where his sister lay slightly awake but only
moments away from returning to sleep. Lifting the front of his body upon the
edge of the blood-painted sheets that covered the wooden counter, he smiled at
he gazed upon Saba’s face, his eyes shining with hope.
She may not seem like herself right
now, he thought as
he examined her head to toe. But Saba still
looks like she did before . . . still the most beautiful husky on the planet.
I’m sure she remembers me . . . I know deep down she does!
“Saba?”
Dingo managed to speak hesitatively. “Saba, I . . . oh, I’m so glad you’re
okay!” He rubbed his nose against her cheek happily. “I-I-I was so worried you
wouldn’t remember me . . .”
“Um, who
are you?” Saba moved her face away from her brother’s, asking him the query in
a curious manner. “I’m sorry, but you’re not anyone I know of.”
Dingo’s
face was taken aback. “Wha . . .?” He couldn’t believe it . . . no, he wasn’t
going to believe it! “Saba . . . I love you!” He moved his nose closer to hers,
almost to the point of kissing her. “You don’t remember me, your best friend
since the beginning?”
“I . . . I
have a best friend?” she asked, still confused why this strange dog was so
persistent on her knowing who he was.
“Yes . . .
well, actually, you have two other brothers and two sisters who are your
friends too, just like I am,” Dingo clarified for her, correcting himself in
the process. “We all came from the same Mom and Dad, and we all love you very
much . . . but,” He paused, staring into the frightened husky’s dazzling azure
eyes with his own brown ones. “but ever since we were younger, I’ve always
thought of you as more than just a friend, Saba . . . I just never had the
chance to confess it to you for real. I . . . oh, I love you, Saba.”
He suddenly
took the plunge, forcefully touching his nose to her own with no thoughts of
backing away. His eyes closed, melting into the deep passion he felt emanating
from the kiss as he began to place his lips on hers as well, hoping that
perhaps this was just the spark Saba needed to remember their special bond.
Although she obviously felt uncomfortable about this stranger suddenly bursting
in with such a kiss, the blue-eyed beauty began to close her eyes too, not sure
how to feel about it. To her new knowledge and the memory that she now had
left, it was her first kiss.
A loud gasp
broke the intimate moment as two sets of jaws dropped in the doorway’s space.
Dingo and Saba parted and turned to the shocked form of their husky mother and
the growling, disappointed figure of their stunned father.
“Dingo!”
Balto barked, his shoulder fur standing up on end in disgust. “What in the hell
are you doing to your sister?”
“Sister . .
.?” Saba murmured, confused by the words. She turned to Dingo, her eyes wide,
hoping to understand the situation. “You’re . . . Is it true? Are you really my
brother?”
Dingo was shocked
silent with his ears lowered against his neck in humiliation, but he couldn’t
bear to reveal the truth to this new Saba; instead, he tried to find some way
to defend himself to his father – “I-I . . . er . . . It’s-it’s not what it
seems, Dad.” – and he blew it big time.
The
wolf-dog leapt to the table and quickly tugged on his son’s fur and collar,
separating him from the sister he just kissed. As Balto angrily rushed Dingo
out of the room, Jenna rushed to Saba’s side to offer some sort of calming comfort
to her daughter, especially after seeing her own son take advantage of his
recovering sister.
Once Father
and Son arrived outside of the doctor’s office and back onto the wet, mushy
dirt and snow ground of Main Street, Nome, the wolf-dog sat his son down,
paused to take a deep breath and gave him a forceful paw swipe to the face. The
sting of the blow caused Dingo to shrink down to the ground in pain, but Balto’s
wolfish red and yellow eyes burned, showing no remorse for his son’s anguish.
“What were
you thinking, Dingo?” Balto spoke a few moments after giving his son that slap.
“Saba’s your sister! Why were you kissing her like she was –” He gasped, his
ears lowered against his neck once he realized what his son was doing. The wolf
side of his father clearly had dominion over his body at the time as the
grayish-brown hybrid snarled in frustration and astonishment. “You know that’s
forbidden, Dingo! Have you no shame for yourself or for Saba?” His loud tone
and anger caused him to hit Dingo’s other cheek, again making him collapse to
the ground.
“I . . . I
. . .” The blow took his breath and his current thoughts away from him, but he
weakly gazed up helplessly at the towering figure of his wolf-hybrid above his
sight. “I can’t help it, Dad . . .” His head surrendered to his own sigh. “I
love her and protect her in the way a brother should . . .”
“But
brothers don’t lust after their own blood!” Balto retorted with a growl. “You
know better than that . . .” His grizzly-furred head lowered closer to his
son’s, his tone began to reflect his personal disappointment. “Oh, I thought
I’d taught you so much as a pup, and you have so much talent to become a
sled-dog like I was . . . but I suppose I might have made a mistake.” His voice
began to calm down as he licked each of his son’s sore cheeks, then began to
lift him up to his feet. He let out a sigh. “Son, please, you have to renounce
your lust for Saba.”
Dingo
gasped, but he was expecting it to happen eventually. Still, hearing the words
themselves penetrated his heart as if an iron stake was hammered straight
through his white chest. “What? Are you serious about this?”
The
wolf-dog nodded slowly; his visage was still impassive, but clearly he felt
distraught and upset about his son’s actions. “I know you don’t want to, but
you have no other choice but to forget about your sister,” Balto trying to
convince him, sitting him down for a dog-to-dog talk. “Look, Son, I only want
what’s best for you, and repentance is the only way for our family to become
shamed by your actions. If this comes out that one of my own children has a
lust for his own sister, we could be ruined forever in this town!” Clearly,
Balto had become quite passionate about his new claim to fame. Ever since he
became a hometown hero over a year ago, his social status had gone from being
an outcast, the lowest of the low, to becoming the most well-known dog in town
or even the whole world by saving the almost twenty sick towns-children from
near death and eventually asking Jenna’s paw in becoming his eternal mate. Now
with six children to continue his legacy, he wanted what he believed was best
for them and hoped that none of them would cause him and his now-larger family to
descend down the social chain. “You have sinned and must repent for thinking
such unnatural things about a pure soul like Saba. It’s for your own good,
Son.”
“Why do you
care so much, Dad?” Dingo queried, enraged by his controlling attitude. “You
wouldn’t understand why I love her anyway . . .”
Balto just
let out a sigh. “I don’t want your feelings to get hurt so badly, Dingo, but
you leave me no choice.” He paused for a moment, then he continued, knowing that
his son would be crushed once he spoke what he had heard. “When we went back
into the waiting lounge to rejoin Saba’s human, Jenna and I overheard Marilyn’s
parents saying that they were planning to move their family to a safer town.”
“No . . .”
Dingo muttered under his breath, a look of complete disbelief on his face. He
couldn’t believe that they would dare take his sister away from him.
“Her
parents said that after this incident with Saba, they can’t trust themselves to
allow Saba to run freely anymore.” The wolf-dog continued. “So for Saba’s
health and their own daughter’s happiness, they decided to leave Nome for their
previous hometown of St. Michael once Saba is discharged from the hospital.”
“But-but .
. . but that’s many miles away!” Dingo replied, still in shock of the
announcement. He had heard of that Alaskan town from the mouth of a random
human when he and his training team were on their mission in the town of White
Mountain; he learned that the journey to St. Michael from White Mountain was a
bit over the distance from that snowy harbor town to Nome. “Not even a sled
team would travel there!”
“That is
true, unfortunately; it would be impossible to even run there straight from
here, Dingo,” Balto clarified to him sadly. “The family is taking a steamer in
order to get there, and it’s about a couple of days trip by boat from here.” He
paused, allowing himself to watch his son’s reaction but the father repeated
his request once more. “Dingo, there’s nothing any of us can do to change their
minds, so you must find it in your heart to forget about your infatuation with Saba.”
He spoke. “She’s clearly forgotten about you and her other siblings due to the
accident, and it’s for the best if she has no memories of you and your
incestuous lust for her.” Dingo had a stream of tears fall down his face as his
father continued to make his point very clear to the clueless pup. “Couldn’t
you see the fear in her eyes, Son?” Balto asked. “Couldn’t you notice how she
felt, that sudden shock that she had once you . . .” The wolf-dog shook his
head, disgusted by the image that he witnessed when he saw two of his own
children doing such an act.
Although he
wanted to mention how upset he was knowing that his parents had caught him
admitting his love for Saba, he couldn’t bear to get upset with his father and
possibly get another blow to the cheek. “I . . . I had only hoped . . . I
thought it would help her remember who she was, Dad,” Dingo explained. “I
wanted her to get her memories back. I was naïve and foolish, believing that
the Doc was wrong about Saba losing her memory in the process of the operation
. . .” He sniffled and suddenly leaned against his father’s neck, bawling
loudly like a weeks-old pup that was crying out for its mother. “Oh, Dad, she
can’t be gone forever . . .”
“Well, she
is, Dingo,” His mother finally arrived outside to check on her son and mate’s
conversation. Her tone was filled with rage and shame for seeing what she saw.
“and there’s nothing we can do to change that.” She sighed disappointedly.
“Goodness, did you realize that you scared your sister sick! What in God’s name
–”
“Jen,” The
wolf-dog interrupted her, silencing her words by lifting his paw towards her;
Balto knew that Dingo had suffered enough harsh words from him already, and he
could already sense that Jenna’s criticism wasn’t going to make things better
for the situation.
“I’m . . .
I’m sorry if you guys are so upset with me,” Dingo began to apologize to the
husky and the wolf-dog, still whimpering with a thin flood in his eyes from
crying. “and I know that in a few days, Saba’s family is taking her away from
us all, but . . . but I still love her more than I should . . .” He paused as
Jenna gasped, still in denial of her son’s confession. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I
just can’t let her out of my life. She may have forgotten me and you may tell
me again to forget that I ever loved her,” Dingo lifted one of his forepaws to
his chest, the vibration of his thundering heartbeat pulsed against the pads of
his paw. “but in my heart, she will always be the one that I love. Even though
she’s clearly forgotten everything that we had together, Saba’s name is
permanently etched in my soul as a part of me, and I can never forget how much
she means to me . . . as a sister, as a friend, . . . and as my forbidden
lover.” His mother was in tears once more, while Balto let out another growl,
upset about his son’s passion for his own little sister.
“Dingo,” Being
the proud patriarch that he was, Balto clearly spoke to his son with a bold
voice. “I can’t allow this to go on.”
Jenna let
out a cough, adding in an important word to her mate’s sentence as she sniffled
slightly. “We . . . we can’t allow this to go on.”
The
wolf-dog nodded at his mate, continuing his plea. “Yes, both your mother and I
forbid your relationship with Saba to continue. Your sister’s never coming back
once she leaves, and you’ll have no choice but to move on. You have a bright
future ahead of you with your training to become a sled dog; I just don’t want
you to make such a big mistake by moping about losing Saba’s love.” Balto
leaned up to his son, whispering into his red ear. “It’s the best thing to do
right now, Dingo. We really care about you and want you to experience the best that
life has to offer.”
“Please,
Son,” Jenna had calmed down by now, but she begged Dingo with a worried voice.
“Please, please do it for Saba’s sake.”
I can’t believe that they’d ask me
to do this when I clearly told them how I felt about Saba . . . The young pup thought to himself as
his head collapsed towards the ground. I
mean, I know it’s not right for me to want her, but deep down, I can’t help it.
I love Saba . . . If I could make it so that we weren’t siblings in order for
our relationship to have been able to be acceptable, then by God, I would! I’d
do anything to have her back . . . the Saba that I fell in love with . . . .
Oh God, why did you take her away
from me? Tears
dripped onto the snowy dirt ground that was underneath his clawed paws. Was it because I lusted after her when I
knew our love would always be seen as taboo . . . or was it because she fell in
love with me? He let out a sigh.
But . . . I guess they’re right – I really
can’t do anything about this, and I just have to accept it . . . for them . . .
for Saba . . . for myself. Oh forgive me, my beating heart; this is difficult
for me to say, A
tear sparkled as it tricked down his white nose and dripped onto the ground. I must remember the Saba whom I loved,
knowing that she has passed away . . . The Saba I knew from birth is gone, but
her figure remains the way it was before, only knowing who her parents and
owners are . . . Perhaps I shall never love another girl as much as I had loved
Saba ever again. That is my promise . . .
He gave in,
speaking in a quiet, melancholy tone. “All right. Saba is gone, and she will
never be the same ever again.” His sigh was deep, a show of how painful this
moment was for him, but he knew that if it made his parents happier for him to
admit his sin of incestuous lust for his baby sister, this was the right thing
to do. “I can’t live life without knowing that she is still my sister, but at
least I’ll know that she’s safe with a human like Marilyn.”
For once,
Mother and Father were pleased to hear this, smiling slightly over their son’s
admission of his wrong-doing.
“Please
forgive me for what I’ve done to you, Mom, Dad,” the young husky concluded. “It
won’t happen again.”
“Good,”
Balto lifted his head up proudly, accepting his son’s words. Jenna now had now
calmed down as well, standing by her mate’s side with pride in her heart for
her son. “I’m proud of you, Dingo.”
“Now, you
should head back home now to your human,” Jenna added. “He’s probably worried
about you, especially since you just got back from training last night.” She
leaned over to her son, nuzzling and licking his nose.
“Thanks,
you two,” Dingo faked a grin to his parents. “I’ll be fine now.” He sighed. “At
least I know Saba will be happy now and that her humans are there to protect
her from harm.” He ran away quickly, heading back to his house without looking
back at his relieved parents; little did his parents know, his faux grin
returned to a frown as tears returned to staining his white cheeks.
“I think
that went well,” Jenna turned to her mate after taking a deep sigh.
“I don’t
know, Jen,” Balto looked back at her worriedly. “As much as I still can’t
believe that Dingo was once in love with Saba, I . . . oh, I’m not sure if I
can truly believe his apology.”
“He’s our
son, Balto; we heard what he said and we just have to believe that he
understands the situation.” The purebred husky’s nose grazed the side and
bottom of the wolf-dog’s head. “It’ll be hard on him at first once Saba first
leaves, but I’m sure he’ll grow out of it within a year or so.” She felt Balto
return the nuzzle as they both closed their eyes lovingly, sharing a romantic
moment together. “He’s almost old enough to be grown-up by now, and we are only
his parents. Sometimes pups have to learn things the hard way, and although it
may be difficult for us, we have to let them live their lives on their own.”
Balto let
out a loud breath; he knew his mate was right, but he and Jenna hadn’t
experienced having a child move so far away from the land of their birth
before. “You’re right, . . . oh, you’re right.” He huffed again. “but I think I
realize that Saba’s departure is going to be hard for all of us.”
“Most
especially for Dingo,” Jenna included in a quiet murmur that was inaudible to
her mate, as she and Balto went back up the stairway into the small town
hospital to see if they could get more information on Saba’s condition and
details of her human family’s exodus from Nome.
About a
week had passed when a loud TOOT of an iron steamer blared out at the Nome
harbor by the western border of town. The Freighter “Marina Star” was parked at
the long pier with a long ramp keeping it steady between the sea and the town
nearby, and the captain of the ship was preparing to move cargo onto the boat’s
storage floor. The three humans were all dressed in their traveling outfits with
long-coats and hats to keep them warm from the chilly late Spring winds as they
stood by several medium-sized chests of red, brown and black. A red and white
she-husky was by the side of the smallest human, almost full grown with a thin
pink scarf tied around her thick two-toned neck. The child was hugging the
husky, as if she were glad to see her own dog once more.
Balto and
Jenna made their way to the dock with their four children behind them. The
mother clearly had streams of tears in her eyes, for she was saddened to hear
that her youngest child, Saba, was leaving Nome forever, never to return for
her safety. Her brothers and sisters had learned of her run-in with a
threatening lupine, the accident with the hunter, and the permanent damage to
her brain and memory; each of them had their reasons to say their farewells to
Saba.
Once the
parents and children were reunited for their final goodbyes, they moved their
party to the beach beside the dock, where they would have lots of space to run
and play together once last time.
The eldest
child approached Saba first to offer her well wishes in her new home. She was
the different one of the litter, with her mousy brownish-gray fur, light beige
markings, and almond-shaped eyes that glowed like blue and gold glass. Her much
larger paws stomped towards her much more dainty sister, and the two sisters
nuzzled gently.
“Oh, Saba!”
the eldest broke down in tears, burying her nose underneath Saba’s chin. “It
just won’t be the same without you here.”
“It’s okay,
Aleu,” Saba replied. Over the past week, she was visited frequently by the
other siblings that Dingo had mentioned to her. She learned their names and
order of birth, making sure that she would remember them once she and her
humans began their new life in St. Michael. “It’s possible that we may visit in
a year or so. Marilyn is Rosy’s cousin, so it’s very likely that we’ll meet
here again.” She reassured her with a final nudge.
“I hope so,
Saba,” the wolfish child stepped away, allowing the next sibling to give some
words to their little sister. “Take care of yourself!” She quietly howled to
Saba as the next pup made his way forward.
The next
pup was mostly a dark shade of burgundy, only wearing a patch of white down his
chest, the bottom of his tail, and surrounding his muzzle. His knee-high white
paws moved forward, also nuzzling his little sister.
“You
remember me, your big brother, Denali?” The brother asked.
“Of course
I do,” she nuzzled back. “We all called you ‘Den-Den’ for fun whenever we played
on the beach.”
“Just
remember that when you come back,” Denali reminded her. “I’ll be waiting . . .”
He turned to the rest of his siblings. “We all will wait for you to return.”
“Okay, I
will remember,” Saba promised him as he began to move backwards; once he was
back in line, Denali nudged his little brother forward to meet his sister.
The next
pup was red and white, a perfect clone of Saba and Jenna with his markings and
colors. The only differences was that the little brother had a jagged dark mark
near where his muzzle touched his brown eyes and his paws were large, perfect
for covering long distances – both clear features of his wild heritage from his
father’s side of the family tree.
“Hey there,
Kodi, . . . or is it Kodiak?” Saba greeted her second brother with a smile,
except for the her confusion on what to call him.
“Kodi’s
fine with me, Saba,” the shy pup answered back in a quiet voice. “Hey! Maybe by
the time you get back, Yukon and I will challenge you to a race, huh?” His
voice clearly showed his excitement on the subject of running, even though he
was the smallest male of the litter.
The pup
named Yukon leapt forward at the sound of her name. The last female was red and
white like most of the others, except she had blue eyes like her other two sisters
and a well-groomed red blaze down her white face to the tip of her nose.
‘Yeah, you
both can challenge me, but I’ll still win no matter how much training you both
get!” She bragged with a giggle. “But I’ll still love ya both anyways.” First
Kodi, then Yukon happily nuzzled their sister before Balto and Jenna made their
way towards the young she-husky.
Jenna,
being the caring mother that she was, quickly nuzzled her daughter with her
nose. “Oh, Saba,” Tears flooded her eyes as usual. “I can’t believe you’re
leaving us.”
“It wasn’t
up to me unfortunately,” Saba replied. “If I had a choice, I’d want to stay
here with you guys.” She nuzzled her mother back. “Thank you so much, Mom, for
reminding me about everything.”
Almost everything, Jenna thought to herself. She had
not reminded Saba of anything that would cause her more pain and heartbreak . .
. especially about one certain thing that she and her mate had learned about
only a week ago.
Saba turned
to her grizzly-furred father with a kind smile. “And you, Dad,” she nuzzled him
on the neck as she whispered something into his ear. “Thank you for teaching me
about my heritage. I hope that you can tell Aleu about it when she’s ready.”
Balto only
separated himself from her and nodded proudly with a smile. He knew that he
could trust Saba with his secret of being half wolf and that all of them were
quarter-wolves by blood. Saba had noticed Aleu’s differences once she learned
of being part wolf, and asked her father why her eldest sister looked so much
like him; he had only responded: “I guess she’s special in her own way. You are
special because you’ll always be my little princess.”
A loud
whistle pricked Saba’s red velvet ears up. Turning towards the sound, she let
out a bark, acknowledging that she had heard the call. It was her young human,
the raven-haired Marilyn, that called her.
“Come on,
Sara!” She shouted, whistling once more. “It’s time to go on the boat now!”
Jenna let
out a sigh, hoping that this wasn’t about to happen. “I . . . I guess it’s time
for you to leave us.” Not a single pup or canine there had a dry eye, for they
knew that anything could happen once she got on that boat.
“Yes, it
is,” Saba took a deep breath and smiled, shining with all of the power of her
pure heart. “But this isn’t goodbye forever . . . I hope.”
“It won’t
be the last you see of us, Saba,” Balto assured her. “We’ll all be here
whenever you decide to return for a visit . . . and we’ll always be in your
heart and memory if you need to remember us.”
However,
one of their children was missing in action; the almost yearling was afraid to
even go with the others to the dock.
“Too bad my
other brother couldn’t be here to wish me bon voyage,” Saba sighed sadly. She
remembered that she was informed that she had another sibling, but her parents
had told Saba that he would be unable to attend due to another important
training mission for young sled dogs. “But I understand his passion . . . to be
so devoted to something like that . . .”
She sighed again as her mistress let out another whistle.
“Sara! What
are you waiting for! Mama says we have to board now!” Marilyn ran halfway up
the thin, wooden rampway onto the ship. “Hurry up, girl!”
“I have to
go,” Saba lowered her head as if she wanted to cry. “Goodbye, everyone!” Her
face was now in the bright smile that they all loved and would always remember.
“I love you and I’ll miss you!” She quickly galloped towards the wooden dock,
running up to the ramp and to Marilyn’s awaiting arms. The girl waved at her
dog’s family with her short arms flailing quickly in the air while Saba barked
to her family. The six dogs barked back, returning the farewell.
Dingo’s
ears pricked up at the noise coming from the pier as he sat on the top of his
father’s grounded boat at the other side of town, looking out at the large
barge that was only minutes away from leaving Nome. He let out a sigh; Dingo couldn’t
bear to tell the sister he loved goodbye forever . . . or even look at her for
the most part. That Saba was not the one he truly loved; because of her brain
damage, Saba couldn’t recall anything about Dingo or the fact that she once
loved him when they were much younger. Because of that, the young husky pup had
forced himself to stay away from the hospital, in order for him to not be tempted
by his sister again.
Although he
wanted to be there to take one last glimpse of Saba’s beautiful face, he knew
his father wouldn’t allow it.
I know he wouldn’t like it if I had showed
up, Dingo thought
to himself as he heard the departure whistle blow out, signaling that the ship
was setting sail. He might be afraid that
I would attempt to remind Saba of my love for her again, even though I know he
and Mom heard me take back everything. After what he did to me last week, I
don’t want to take any chances right now. He sighed as he began to watch
the freighter pull away from the dock, tooting its horn several times as the
quarter-wolf stood proudly on the top of the boat. Dingo let out a loud and
long howl, hoping that his sister would at least hear his voice one last time.
Goodbye, my lover, my little sister
. . . my precious Saba . . . Maybe our paths of fate will intertwine once more
one day . . .
(Part I –
completed 8/10/07)