The sun, a glowing eye watching over the world, hung over an old shipwreck on a snow-covered shore on the edge of the small, Alaskan town of Nome. A beautiful husky leaped down from a low edge of it and called over her shoulder to someone unseen,"Come on!" A brown wolf-dog emerged from the top of the shipwreck and leaped down to follow her, and the two crossed the shore and headed through the town of Nome, on their way to the forest that reached for miles beyond. After sometime of walking the pair reached the snow-blanketed pines of the forest.

The husky turned to her companion and barked, excitment ringing in her voice,"Come on Balto, it's just a little farther." and bounded off into the snow. Balto walked after her and when she got out of sight he called to her,"Hey, slow down a bit!!" He was answered by snarling, followed by a yelp, low growling, and eerie silence. Balto cried out,"Jenna!!" but the forest remained quiet, other than wind rustling in the pine needles. Balto ran through the trees to where the noise had come from, and found paw-prints and a few drops of blood in the snow. Balto called out his mate's name again, but there still was no answer. Panic rising inside him, Balto raced along the trail of prints in the snow, cold gusts of wind whipping snow over it. Then, suddenly, the trail disappered completely, as if it had never been there.

The wind howled and pulled scents from all over the forest, and Balto realized he was lost. The wolf-dog stumbled blindly through the snow looking for shelter, knowing Jenna had been kidnapped, knowing a blizzard was coming fast. He soon found himself in a full strength blizzard. Then, a miracle, a sheet of ice in his path caused him slip, right into a hidden overhang surrounded by thick bushes. 

He lay, freezing cold, in the thin blanket of snow beneath the overhang, and murmured to himself," Oh Aniu, please help us get home safely." and fell asleep. He awoke in a warm, rocky den, a wolf den. He scrambled to his feet and thought,"Well, at least I'm still alive."He turned to the entrance of the den, covered by holly bushes, as it parted and a sleek, tan she-wolf entered, a rabbit in her jaws. "Oh, your up," she muttered as she dropped her package "I brought this for you." Balto cocked his head and quiered,"Who are you?" The she-wolf answered softly,"I'm Dusty. Who are you?" "I'm Balto," Balto replied "How did you find me?" "I was out hunting when the blizzard started, and I knew about the overhang, so I got there as fast as I could, and I found you inside." Dusty explained briefly. Balto asked,"Did you happen to see a husky named Jenna?" Dusty shook her head and said to Balto,"You should try to find her now, I doubt a husky would last long out here." She stepped aside and flicked her tail toward the entrance.

Balto grabbed the rabbit Dusty had brought and began to leave. As he walked out into the forest, determined to find his mate, Dusty called after him,"Wait! Let me come with you!" and ran up to Balto. Balto thought,"Well, I could use some help..." "Okay Dusty, you can come." He answered. Dusty and Balto headed off into the forest to find Jenna.

Then, Dusty froze, her gaze fixed on something in the trees. Then Balto saw it. It was nothing more than a shadow, sprinting along, then, wings, huge, feathered wings, spread out from the shadow's sides, and it flew up to a high branch in an ancient pine, where it lay. Balto gasped,"Dusty, what was that." Dusty said nothing, shaking in terror, and finally managed to choke out,"That's Ice....the winged wolf..." Ice rested it's gaze on Dusty and Balto, and it leaped from the branch and walked toward them. The feathers on her wings were black as night, and her fur was silver as dew on spider webs in the sunlight. Ice hissed to Balto,"Who are you?" She bared her fangs and lashed her tail as Balto answered,"I'm Balto..." Ice stared coldly at him and snarled,"Leave." Without a word, Balto and Dusty fled for the depths of the forest.

After several minutes of running, Dusty and Balto stopped in a grassy clearing at the edge of a cliff. Scents of prey flowed in the air and snow fell softly on them. The sky was red and the sun was fading behind the horizon. Dusty, still shaken from their encounter with Ice, turned to Balto and said softly,"We should settle here for the night."  Balto nodded and ran off to hunt. Dusty sniffed around the cliff face, and found a small, secure hollow, water dripping from a tiny crack in the wall, making a small pool. As she settled into the hollow, Balto returned with a rabbit and lay it by Dusty's side. He lay down by her side, and both slept. 

Balto woke in the middle of the night, a low, deep growling rumbling outside. He slipped out into the moonlit clearing, and  standing a few meters away was a huge brown and tan wolf, blood spattered on its muzzle and an elk calf at its feet. The huge wolf turned to look at Balto, its eyes glowing red, and roared. Dusty bloted awake and shot out of the hollow. The huge wolf said, its voice like claws scraping on rock,"Who are you and how dare you tresspass." Dusty simply gaped in terror, and Balto answered, his voice shaking,"I'm Balto, that's Dusty. We didn't know you lived here." The wolf snarled,"I am Blade. Get out now or your blood will stain the forest and run in the rivers." Dusty gasped, her voice barley more than a whisper,"Okay." Balto and Dusty left the clearing and fled in  terror and shock into the night.