Life
for Steele…
“Have you heard it? They say the
robbers are around here!”
“No, that cannot be! They can’t hide
themselves here. I don’t think they are even here!”
“They spotted them! No kidding!”
Well… it
was a really busy morning in
“Are they armed?”
“How many of them?”
“What should we do?”
People were
scared. This land had been peaceful and now… at least two armed men were roaming
around running away from the justice.
Balto sighed and he put his front
paws down form a window sill. “That’s not good, Boris…” He whispered.
“Well, I
think we should leave it to them. Anyway, do they care about other gooses,
eh?”
“But this is something big… I know
it!” Balto scowled. Boris looked at him and patted him. “I think you are just
overworked. Take a nap and it will be okay, no?”
“No, Boris… it won’t. Have you seen
Jenna around?”
----------
Steele didn’t run away… at least not
too far. He found an abandoned cabin… well, it was a ruin, but it was
relatively close to
He didn’t
spend all his time in his new shelter; he was waiting in a nearby forest for
his chance. For the chance of getting
the attention of
----------
Two men stopped and tried to catch
their breaths. Robbing a post office wasn’t the brightest idea but now they had
a really serious problem. They were lost in a land they didn’t know well. The
taller one looked at the sky.
“I told you
there would be another town… but noooo… you are the clever one here!”
“Shut up, for God’s sake! I didn’t
know that!”
“Yea yeah yeah, all you needed to do
was to look at the sky. Can’t you see the smoke? And where is the smoke there
are chimneys. Or something similar.”
“Shut up!” his companion fussed. He was an older man
with a short beard. Nothing unusual, maybe a trapper or a gold miner. He was
carrying a bag where he was probably hiding money they had stolen and few more
things. And there was a gun hanging over his shoulder. “I just need to think,
that’s all!”
“You better to be fast… I don’t feel
comfortable around here…”
----------
Steele smirked and waited. When
Jenna was near enough, he decided to show himself.
“Oh, hello,
Jenna. What a wonderful day, isn’t it?”
Jenna
backed in surprise. “Steele?” she said in a scared voice.
“Jenna, I
just wanted to tell you I want… I want to return there. I know I made a lot of
mistakes,” he made few steps so he was standing between Jenna and
----------
“Uhm… no, I don’t think so I saw her
near.” Balto got a lot of replies like this one. It seemed Jenna left
“She will
be okay…” Boris tried to comfort him.
“But not
now… there are possibly armed robbers around!”
“Okay. And now, calm down.
She-will-be-okay! Is it clear?”
And then a
gunshot interrupted the silence over
----------
“Great! And now they know we are
here!”
The smaller
man was lying on the ground and he looked at his friend and shouted. “YES! I
DID IT ON PURPOSE! I didn’t want to slip! It’s not my fault the gun is an old
crap! Now help me to stand up!” The other man stretched his hand towards him
and helped him. “So what now?” The smaller one loaded the gun. “They won’t find
us unless-“
----------
The gunshot was something like an
alarm clock. People ran from the pub, some of them were armed and headed in the
direction of the gunshot. Balto didn’t waste his time and followed them.
----------
That was too much for her. The
gunshot let her fear to overtake her mind. Jenna yelped and ran into the
forest. Steele followed her. “Jenna! Wait!” he shouted.
----------
“We are too close, we are to close!”
The taller one despaired. “Just be quiet and lay down… we are safe until they
have dogs which could trace us…”
----------
Balto split with the rest of the
townsfolk when he caught Jenna’s scent… and there was one more… Steele’s.
“Steele… dare you to touch her!” He growled and followed the scents. “Jenna?
Jenna? Where are you?” He barked.
----------
Steele caught her soon. She was
lying near a tree a she was shaking with fear. She looked at Steele and there
was nothing but fear and a silent praise in her eyes: ‘Please… if you want to
hurt me… do it quickly…’ Steele dropped his eyes. He had wanted her to be his…
but now, she was so vulnerable and defenseless. And something broke inside him.
“Jenna… I have never wanted to hurt you. Never… all I wanted was just your
love…” He whispered.
----------
Balto’s barking was closer and
closer. “They have them! We are in a deep shi-“
“Shut up already!” The one with the
gun hissed but then he spotted two dogs near… well… not so near, but they were
unpleasantly close. He knew they hadn’t barked but he aimed at the black and
white one. “Okay… so this will make them slower!”
-----------
“They must be somewhere near!”
“Get them!”
“Surrender now!”
The crow cried. It contained mainly
scared people but it was led by the mayor and few courageous men. Balto
realized Jenna and Steele were near… just few steps… finally!
“Jenna!
Steele!?” he shouted. Jenna began to quiver even more and Steele… he said:
“Balto… I know it’s not the best time to explain… but-“
“I will kill you if you hurt her!”
Balto bared his fangs.
“Balto, look… I am so sorry and-“
“Balto… he … he is right… at least I
suppose so… he didn’t touch me at all…” Jenna whispered and both dogs looked at
her. One in a state of a shock, one with grateful sigh.
“I think
Steele deserves one more-“ She gasped. She looked over Steele’s shoulder and
spotted someone aiming at them with something shinning. Balto caught her look,
glanced back and shouted: “Steele!” The husky turned around and-
----------
The
man pushed the trigger.
----------
“No!” That was Jenna.
Steele gasped when blood scattered
on his chest… Balto was standing in front of him… and he was smiling. “Steele…
I hope… I hope Jenna was right…” he whispered and collapsed to the ground. The
blood on Steele’s chest was his own.
----------
“Goddammit! They are closer than I
thought! Run!” The smaller shouted and jumped from his shelter. So did his
friend. They headed deeper into the forest.
----------
“Steele… Jenna…,” Balto coughed,
“please… I wish you, Steele, to be the dog you want to be… and you, Jenna…
please… tell them I forgave Steele. And please… look after him…” Jenna didn’t
say a word. She just cried and snuggled closer to her dying mate who had jumped
between Steele and the bullet… he saved Steele at the cost of his own life. Steele’s lower jaw was shaking… No… he didn’t
want THIS. He didn’t want Balto dead. He didn’t want anyone dead… “I… I am so
sorry, Balto….” He sobbed and bowed his head. Balto raised his own and licked
Steele’s nose. “I forgive you… and don’t make me regret this…” And finally, his
head fell down and the hero of
Soon, Boris and the rest of the dogs
appeared. It was clear… they saw Jenna crying on Steele’s shoulder and dead
Balto. But they could tell Steele hadn’t killed him. Jenna wouldn’t have acted
so if Steele had killed him. The dogs bowed their heads… the savior of
----------
Later that day, dog assembled in the
boiler room. They were looking at each other like they were searching the right
words. Nobody knew what to say. Jenna was sitting by Steele’s side. No… she
wasn’t her new mate… she promised Balto she would keep an eye on Steele…
She
suddenly raised her head and exclaimed: “Balto laid his life down for someone
else’s life… and you, Steele, make him sure your words were true!” Steele
sighed and looked at her. “I will…” Others looked at him. They didn’t know
Balto’s last words, but they thought Balto had sacrificed himself for Steele…
and it meant they had to give him the second chance as well. “I will…” Jenna
nuzzled him. “And we will be with you… Balto gave you his own life…”
“I promise… I promise I will be
better… I promise…”
The end…
Yeah… it was just a short and weird story… so
what…
All characters © to Universal.