Prologue
There was darkness at the beginning. Maybe it was because I did not know myself. Maybe it was because I was lost. All I know is that the result of my success was almost failure. Listen young pup and know that this was not the path I chose. I did not decide this future for myself, I did not want this life for you. Too much now has been lost in the shadow of the past. I didn't not realise it then but now it all seems so clear, your destiny is not mine, your future will be greater than the one I ever hoped for. This is your life my precious one, and only you can put your feet on the right path"
Many years before
The crowd gathered outside the boiler room awaiting news. Any news. Among those gathered was the hero Balto and his mate Jenna. They stood at the fore anxious. Weary with age but the fire still undimmed. They had to know that Faye was ok. Silas had yet to appear from the dark interior yet there was no noise. They were not sure if that was a good thing or not yet.
Jenna nuzzled into Baltos chest softly and his own grizzled muzzle returned the gesture, nuzzling her neck. Both were trying to quell the others anxiety.
It had been 3 years since Silas, Aleu and Alas's son had returned to Nome with news for his grandparents. Aleu and Alas both knew their son would not be returning. Though he was the oldest he had no desire to be alpha of the large pack. But the news he carried was mostly good. The pack we thriving and stable. There had been times of hardship, there always were but the pack was strong and united. Balto was especially gladdened to hear of his wild daughters success. And he now had his strong grandson as a reminder of all he himself had achieved. Not just being Nomes hero but the quieter success of his family and acceptance.
The whole crowd of dogs chorused when Silas emerged. The large red and grey part breed was the master of suspence and not usually give to saying more than he need to. He was sharply intelligent and did not like waste of words. But he could not hold the face for too long. His jaws broke into a wide smile as the crowd burst into uproar and celebration, but each dog was careful not to jostle the ageing pair that stood at the fore. The respect for Balto and Jenna ran deep. They were wise and kind, their largeness of peronality combined with instinct had earned them a place as the most respected pair in Nome.
Silas waited for the crowd to hush before speaking. His words simple, his voice powerful but no-one could doubt the love, pride and tears of joy shning brightly in his green eyes.
"My family, my friends. You have done Faye and myself a great honour here today" he paused to wrestle his emotions back into check "I am proud and humbled to annouce the birth of my son and daughter"
The crowd of dogs again let fly with joyous barks and howls. Silas scanned the faces seeing many friends as well as family there. The vet arrived and the large pack of dogs dispersed.
He came back out quickly, satisfied that both Faye and her puppies were all healthy. A few days rest and they would be just fine.
Silas walked up to his grandparents and gently nuzzled them both, licking their faces as Jenna gently licked back at the tears flowing frankly down his face as he whispered the word for them to follow him.
Silas pushed the door open and allowed the elderly pair to preceed him into the gloomy interior. He then went to lay beside his beautiful mate as she cleaned the two puppies. Faye looked up and smiled warmly at both Balto and Jenna. The white mix breed's brown eyes weary but shining.
Jenna was the first to speak "My child, I am very proud of you both, please rest, we will not stay long"
Faye smiled. She loved Balto and Jenna as much as her own parents. They were kind and strong and she was honoured to be part of their family. When she spoke is was with a voice that was a little weary but still beautiful and strong " Please won't you stay a while. It would honour us both if you were here while we named them"
Silas smiled at his mate as he gently nosed his son, beckoning Balto and Jenna closer. The male pup was large and strong, already making quite loud noises. His fur was almost the exact colour as Jenna's. Were it not for his grey paws he would be totaly flame coloured. Silas spoke again "He is my first born son, he is strong I think I know the perfect name for him. Trace".
Faye nudged the second pup, this one a female. She was white but her nose, chest, eyes, paws and tail-tip were silver grey that shimmered into her pure white fur. She would be beautiful and though she was small she was moving and squeaking well. "My daughter will be called Ji-Zeru".
Balto and Jenna smiled. The could see how exhausted the couple were. It had been a long day. Trace and Ji-Zeru. They liked that. Both pups were strong and seemed to have a lot of wolf about them but they were healthy. After a few more moments Balto and Jenna left the younger couple to get rest and slowly and stiffly they made their way back to the comfort of Jenna's home, where a fire and a soft blanket would be waiting.
Within a few weeks both Trace and Ji-Zeru had their eyes open and were beginning to stumble round the boiler room. Virtually all the other dogs had met the tiny pair now and they were beginning to find their feet. Trace had his mothers brown, soft eyes while Ji-Zeru's were a sparkling green. They stayed close to Faye at all times but despite her size Ji-zeru was the bolder of the two. She wandered further than Trace, and she explored new places with a fearlessness that even Trace could not match.
The pair grew rapidly both Faye and Silas found them hard work. Often play would spill over into sibling quarrels and it wasn't just the exasperated parents who sometimes felt at their wits end. The pups were now old enough to go outside and they tried to engage all the dogs to play, many of whom were simply too busy or tired. With all the enthusiasm of youth the bombarded their great grandparents with tales of their adventures and always seemed to manage to cajole one more story out of them. But as they grew they also settled down. Trace was always the more quiet one. Like his parents he was calm and laid back. He did had his fathers eloquence and economy with words. Ji was like his polar opposite. She was restless, reckless, brave and talked...lots. But she was charming as well. She had her mother almost musical voice that seemed to make other dogs encourage her to talk.
A year seemed to fly past. In the blink of an eye the pups were celebrating their first year and like their parents and great grand parents had found their place in Nome. Well liked and well though of their pair has calmed down a lot. But Ji-zeru was always the more wild. She seemed to feel the hot wolfish blood stirring inside her, making her yearn for something more. Trace was content to be tutored by Kodi and also Balto in sled pulling. He was going to be a good leader and though both siblings argued good-naturedly from time to time they were very close. But something was troubling Ji-Zeru. Like an embedded thorn the restlessness did not ease, it pricked and irritated her. Something beyond the borders of her town was calling her. She determined that maybe she should try and talk to great grampa Balto. Having remembered the tale of her grandmother Alue, maybe he would know what to do.
With a purposeful stride she took off, following her nose to where she knew Balto liked to spend a lot of his time. Back at his old boat, though he was getting a bit frail to be climbing over the smooth and worn timbers.
Soon the boat loomed into view and she raced towards it. She could see Balto led on the blankets on deck. She hesitated. She knew he was old, very old and if he was resting she was reluctant to disturb him. But he had the answers she sought so she cautiously approched the boat and with an agile leap she landed on the deck.
" Balto" she ventured cautiously "Are you awake?"
no reply.
She walked up to him but the smell stopped her cold. It was sickly and stale. She had never smelt it before. She rushed to great grampa's side and tried to nuzzle him and was shocked by the chill of his body.
She knew....she knew before she touched him but her heart denied it. Her great grand father was a hero, he was Balto. He could not be dead. Tears flowed down her face as she tried again to wake him and some small hope she didn't know existed died like a small flame inside her.
When the sound first reached the town it stopped. Every dog ceased movement, unable to comprehend what they were hearing. Trace recognized it at the same time Silas did. The haunting musical tone rang out across the town, so very sad that it brought tears to the eyes of some. As a mass pack the dogs grouped and ran in the direction of that howl, a howl that had not been heard in years.
They stopped at the boat as Ji-Zeru stood over Balto, howling her absolute sorrow and grief. She deeply loved her great grampa and his loss had created a void inside her. Jenna, with the aid of the youger dogs got onto the deck of the boat and stood with her face buried in Balto's fur. Weeping uncontrollably even though they both knew that this day would happen.
Silas, Trace and Faye came up to comfort Jenna.
Ji-Zeru, struck with grief stammered " I...I....Found him, I was going to ask him advice and he was there and he wouldn't wake up....I tried and tried and he just wouldn't wake up.....I didn't know what to do"
The family stood over the fallen Balto weeping as the rest of the dogs came one by one to pay their respects. But the boat deck was small and there was too many emotions flowing. Kodi's daughter, Faith, a popular creme husky came and coldly stared at the body. She didn't know what the big deal was about. Balto was ancient. Anyone could see that. But still she had to at least play they part. She pushed past Ji-Zeru with a low growl "Outta the way wolf" she said under her breath. Wolves were not fit to live here in this town anyway "He's my grampa as well, you've had you turn"
It was too much for Ji-Zeru. she was smaller and younger but that didn't matter. It enraged her to hear those muttered words, like he grief should have a time limit. She whirled round with teeth bared and slashed Faith across the muzzle, laying it open to the bone, blood poured from the wound.
She stood ready, her fur erect, her fangs bared, ears pinned back tightly as Faith stood with shock and horror.
" You dirty little wolf" she spat as she lunged tackling Ji-Zeru off the boat and into the snow below before anyone could react. An awe fell on the grieving group as the pair tumbled, snow flashing in a white cloud around them. Faith ended up below Ji-Zeru and clamped her jaws onto a front paw.
Ji screamed in pain and rage as Faith broke delicate bones and tore soft flesh. But before Ji-Zeru could think she lunged down and took Faith by the throat, shaking and ripping at the veins just below. Searching to blood.
Then a weight tackled her off. Her brother and father held her while the others tended the stricken husky. Ji-Zeru stood on 3 paws, blood dripping from her own wounds but also from her jaws and teeth. She made no other effort to get to Faith though.
The rest of the pack looked on horrifed by the devestation that had occurred and the blood that stained the perfect snow. Violence here was a thing of the past and this you Ji-Zeru had upset the perfect world. Someome would pay for the runiation of peace. And the crowd turned to Ji-zeru. The yearling, the victor, the wolf.
But Ji was not about to hang around to see a sentence hung over her. She turned and though fire and pain bit into her damaged foot she ran, fleeing the accusing eyes, Not once looking back to see the hurt and sadness she had caused.
She thought she heard her mother call but she wouldn't stop. How could she shame her family by behaving like...like..like a wolf. Faith was right. Wolves like her did not belong. Even with dog blood inside them. But she also knew her family or the other dogs may try to find her. She had to prevent that happening. It would be best if they never knew her again. So she limped on. there was a call sounding somewhere, in her head that was pulling her in one direction.
She was beyond the town borders and looking into a wood that seemed as dark and forbidding as her own thoughts but somewhere in there was what she had been looking for. So she carried on until she found a river. It was not too deep and she stood at the bank looking at the mess she had become in a few short hours. Her paw was still dripping blood and broken but the rest of the bite marks had dried and clumper her fur togther.
She took a long drink then studied herself some more, tears slipping from her green eyes. Then she waded into the water, some deep instinct telling her that she could be followed from here and with the currant doing the main work she swam away from Nome....away from her family....away from everything she had ever know before.
Meanwhile in the town the search party was organised. With Balto's body returned to the place he called home the dogs held council over what do do. There were cries that Ji-Zeru be found and punished. Others thought the blame should be shared equally. Faye, Silas and Trace weathered questions and accusations.
Finally decorum was found as Jenna asked for silence, her voice srtong though full of grief. She motioned Faye to say her part as Ji-Zeru's mother.
"I address you all as one of you" she said "but also as a mother. Please I know my daughter is not blameless and her crime was severe but not all the blame should be assigned to one dog alone...."
"That thing is no dog" spat Faith who had recovered enough to take part in the proceedings "It's a wolf and has not place here"
Faye waited for the vitriolic tirade to die before carrying on "Yes Faith and I am sure you made your feelings known didn't you. You provoked this and therefore as much to blame. My daughter bled as much as you today" she then turned her eyes back to the group of dogs.
"This incident was a product of grief and provocation. There is an equal blame to go round but we have lost a hero, a family member and a friend. I think that words need to be said and said firmly but now is not the time or place for accusations, cat calling or hatred. We have all suffered a loss. When Ji-Zeru returns we can deal with this calmly, like Balto would have.
There were murmers of assent though one or two did not agree. However Jenna's voice silenced them once again when she spoke.
"Faye, your words are wise but I think you must face the possibilty that Ji-Zeru will not be coming back"
Faye, Silas and Trace looked shocked. The pack gasped.
Jenna continued "I know the look in Ji-Zeru's eyes as she left but more than that. The blood trail she left has been followed to the river, her scent stops there and no trail comes out on either side, I fear that in trying to cross she was carried downstream" Jenna hung her head.
"I fear that the tracking group followed the river for many miles and no sign of you daughter has been found"
With that Jenna left. The shocked group stood. A double tragedy unfolded. To lose their hero was terrible, even though Balto was very old. But to also see a young one gone and possibly dead was too much. Faye and Silas had tears staining their fur as Trace tried his best to be of comfort. The group once again dispersed. Too shocked to come to terms with what the day had presented them.
Only one remained. Smiling cruelly to herself. Two wolves for the price of one. She owed them nothing even though her blood carried traces of the wolf strain. Denial was a powerful armour. And she was going to ensure that if that little wolf survived, she would never taint the town again.