Prologue: A Hero’s Welcome

All it took was a few moments for a small town on the edge of Alaska to erupt in celebration. It was the early hours of the morning, and yet the people were wide-awake. All around there was hugging, cheering and crying. Each had their own separate way of showing their joy, for their salvation had arrived. For days, parents had watched while their children slowly and painfully succumbed to diphtheria. They had called for crucial medicine to be delivered, but in the storms, the team had gotten lost. Their only hope had disappeared, and so all they could do was watch as their children slowly suffocated under the grip of the disease.

Then, out of the dark, came a long howl. But this was not a howl from a wild wolf. It was the howl from the leader of the dog team. The medicine was not lost. The people gathered in the streets, and got the biggest surprise of their lives. The team was not being led by the dog they had sent it out with. Their champion, Steele, was nowhere to be found. Instead, the team was being led by another creature the residents knew. It was a wolfdog they had come to call Balto.

Balto was a scruffy, brown hybrid that to most people was a nuisance, nothing more than a stray dog. He belonged to no one for no one would have him. They feared and hated his wolf side. It didn’t matter that he also had husky breeding in him; all they saw was a wolf, and that was enough for them to deem him a threat to their safety. But now, this wolf was in sled traces, and had saved many children from a slow death.

“Balto, I’d be lost without you.”

For Balto, all this attention was overwhelming. Up until now, people would have yelled at him and chased him off, or tried to avoid him altogether, but now they all wanted to pet him and hug him for his deed. One grown man even broke down and sobbed his thanks to him for saving his two sons. The rest of the dogs on the team were getting their share of attention too. So much, that some of them tried to run away to escape the mob.

The team’s musher, who had been knocked unconscious, was carefully lifted out of the sled and taken into the hospital for care, leaving the dogs alone outside. The dogs Balto knew on the team were a tan Chinook named Kaltag, a red-brown Chow named Nikki, and a small, grey husky known as Star. With them were the other dogs on the team that Balto had not been introduced to, along with half of the town’s resident dogs. But out of all the dogs in the town, there was one who stood out to him. A red and white husky named Jenna.

She had always had a special place in Balto’s heart. She was the only dog in the town that was willing to talk to him. She had even followed him on his journey to find the team, helping him fend off an angry grizzly. For the longest time, they only considered each other friends, due to Balto’s outcast status. But recently, they had shown signs that they felt more towards each other. While the rest of the dogs were congratulating each other, Jenna had collapsed into Balto’s shoulder, crying out of sheer joy. Her human girl, Rosy, was one of the children who had fallen ill. She meant the whole world to Jenna, and she came very close to losing her, but Balto had come through and saved her, along with all the other children. While she cried, Balto tried to soothe her.

“Shhhhh, shhhh Jenna. Don’t cry, it’s over. It’s all over. Rosy’s safe now, she’s going to be okay.”

“It’s not just that Balto. I thought I had lost you as well. I thought I had lost my best friend.”

Balto put his paw under her chin and tilted her head so that she was looking into his golden eyes. “Hey, I promised I would come back didn’t I?”

“But Steele said you were dead. He said you were all dead!” The rest of the team overheard this and they all stopped in shock.

“He… What?” Kaltag said.

“When he came back to the town, he said that you had all died… one by one,” a smaller dog named Dixie replied.

“You mean… he’s here?” Balto asked. Soon, all the dogs on the team started growling in anger.

“Yes, he’s at the old mill, but why are you all so upset? He made it back too - safe and sound,” replied an old St. Bernard known as Doc.

“He won’t be for long!” Kaltag shouted. He ran towards the old mill, with the other dogs on the team in tow. Jenna and the others were shocked at their sudden departure, and decided to follow as well. They ran after them with Jenna running side by side with Balto.

“Hey, what’s gotten you guys so upset?” Dixie asked

“Yeah Balto, what’s going on?” Jenna asked him.

“I’ll tell youse what’s going on,” Nikki cut in. “Where going to that two-timing backstabber and tearings him a new ones.”

“Steele tried to prevent Balto from helping us by attacking him, but he ended up going over the edge of the cliff,” Star continued.

“And if that wasn’t bad enough, he sabotaged the marks I had left to guide us home, causing us to go off course,” Balto said.

“He never cared about those kids. He was in it just for the glory, and that almost cost us and those kids their lives!” Kaltag finished. “Oh I can’t wait to get my paws on him. And to think we called him a champion.”

This was a lot for the dogs to take in. Steele getting separated from the team they would have understood, but if what they were saying was true, then he purposely tried to stop Balto from helping them get home. He may as well have tried to kill those kids himself.

“So, Balto, what do you want to do to him first?” Kaltag asked.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“Well since Steele had made your life a living hell, I was thinking you’d want to take the first crack at him. You know, get back at him for all he did to you?” Kaltag said.

“You would think that, but no.”

“No? Even after everything he did to you, after he made your life a living hell and even after trying to kill you, you’re gonna let him go?”

“I don’t want him set free, but I won’t do anything to him. You can do what you wish, but I won’t take any part in harming Steele.” Balto looked over at Jenna. “ I promised someone a long time ago that revenge would not be my way.” She smiled at him, happy that he was not a vengeful dog.

“If that’s what you want,” Kaltag replied. The pack of dogs rounded the final corner, and stopped in front of the closed door to the old mill.

“So he’s in here?” Star asked

“Yep. We left him when we realized he was a fraud,” Sylvie replied. Kaltag and Nikki went up to the door and burst it open. All of the dogs streamed in, ready to take down their former leader, but Balto hung back. He didn’t want to take part in the messy business that would ensue. At any moment he expected to hear the sounds of fighting start, but it never did.

“Where is he?!” Kaltag screamed. Balto stuck his head in and saw all the dogs had spread around the large room. He walked in and joined the search for Steele.

“Sniff around, he’s probably hiding from us,” Balto suggested.

“Yeah, he knows he’s in big trouble now,” Star replied.

“Star, trouble is what you get when you track mud in the house. What Steele did is not trouble. It’s treason,” Kaltag said.

“Gah, this is useless,” Nikki said. “Steele’s scent is too mixed up with everyones else’s, I can’t find wheres he went.”

“And he’s not in the building,” Doc said. “He’s run off.”

“Coward,” Balto growled. “He’s not dog enough to take responsibility for what he did.” The other dogs nodded in agreement.

On the other side of town, a black and white husky ducked underneath a porch, his large bulk making it a tight fit. He had just made a quick escape, and was gasping for breath after his dash. This was the first time he had felt genuine fear, and he hated it. He hated that he was afraid of the same dogs who, just last week, worshiped him like a god. Now, those same dogs were out for his head, and it was all because of one meddling half-breed.

“You won’t get away with this wolfdog. No one makes a fool out of Steele and gets away with it.”

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Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

The team told them everything. How Steele had gotten them lost and refused to admit it. How Balto had tried to help them, but Steele responded by attacking him. How Steele had gone over the cliff, leaving Balto to take charge. How they got lost themselves because Steele had sabotaged the marks Balto had left on the trees.

“Fortunately, Balto was able to sniff his way back to the town, and we got home. I’d like to see Steele do something like that,” Kaltag finished.

The dogs were amazed. They had mistreated Balto so much, and yet he risked his life for them. Such a thing was almost unheard of to the huskies of Nome. While most of the dogs were giving cheers for him, there were a few that remained silent and glared at Balto with mistrust. Finally, one of them, a smoke grey husky, stood up to speak his mind.

“I can’t believe you guys. You're cheering for this mongrel!” Everyone stopped at this outburst and glared at the husky.

“Hey, what did he ever do you Spitz?” Star shot back.

“It’s not a question of what he has done, it’s what he is. He may be only half, but he’s still a wolf,” Spitz snarled.

“Yeah, well that wolf just saved several kids, not to mention our championship team,” Dixie replied.

“Yeah, Balto doesn’t deserve this. At least a thank-you would be good,” Kaltag said.

“Fine, thank you wolf, for helping us. You can get out now,” Spitz replied, albeit sarcastically.

“I don’t believe it. He comes to us in our time of need, and despite that, you still can’t see beyond your prejudice,” Jenna exclaimed. “If you stopped for a moment, you’d see that he is a kind-hearted soul who only wanted to help.”

“Oh, a kind-hearted soul eh? I had a feeling you’d say something like that Jenna,” he replied coldly.

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Jenna shot back.

“Oh, I’ve heard the stories about you. I’ve heard how you run with this wolf, sneaking off to be with him. Or maybe it’s more than just running hmm? Maybe you like to get a little cozy with him too eh?” This was more than enough for Balto to handle. He would not stand by while Jenna was accused like that. He snarled at the husky, baring his teeth. The rest of the team followed suit - they wouldn’t stand for those insults either. “Oh, did I hit a nerve wolfie? Well come get me,” However, Jenna would be the first to act, as she raised her paw and smacked him across his face, knocking him to the ground.

Kaltag jumped at Spitz, and held him down. “Look pal, Balto is with us now. If you don’t like it, then you can take off!” Kaltag let him up, and he glared at the chinook.

“Fine. I don’t want to be in a town that’s infested with wolves anyways.” The husky got up and was followed by about half a dozen other dogs. They all shot nasty glances at the team as they left. One female Samoyed even whispered ‘lobo lover’ to Jenna, causing her to growl.

“I have a feeling that I’m the cause of all this,” Balto said.

“No, it’s not your fault Balto,” Jenna replied.

“Yeah, it’s their own fault that they can’t get their heads out of the snowdrift,” Kaltag continued.

“But I almost caused a standoff by just being here. Maybe I should go.” The others dogs all called out ‘no’. They wanted him to stay, but Balto didn’t listen, and walked out the door.

“Hey, Balto come back!” Kaltag called out, “Balto!”

“I’ll get him,” Jenna said, and ran out the door after Balto. The other dogs felt badly; they knew that they also had a hand in making Balto who he was now. They had all made him feel like he didn’t belong before, and they would have to take responsibility for that.

----------

“Balto, wait!” Jenna cried out as she ran to catch up to the brown wolfdog whose head hung low as he walked along. “Balto, please. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. Please.”

“It’s never going to end is it? The hate towards me for what I am?” he asked in a low voice.

“I - I don’t know, but you shouldn’t let those dogs get to you,” Jenna replied.

“I know I shouldn’t, but they still do. Even worse, you got dragged into it too. All because you’re my friend,” Balto stopped and sat down, while Jenna sat beside him. “It’s not fair,” he said. “Nothing’s changed.”

“That’s where you’re wrong Balto. A week ago, the dogs on the team would have joined in with the bullying, but now they’re sticking up for you,” Jenna replied. “If that’s not a change then I don’t know what is.”

“I guess…”

“Balto, you have to give them a chance. Not everyone will like you immediately, but if you give them time, they’ll come around,” she said and rubbed into his shoulder to reassure him.

Balto rubbed her head with his cheek, and for a while, they were both silent. Jenna had always been there when he needed a friend, and for the longest time, she was the only dog that talked to him without insulting him. He had known her since they were small pups. In fact, she was his first friend after his mother disappeared. If it wasn’t for her and her human girl, Balto might not have gone out to find the medicine at all.

Jenna knew that it would take time for Balto to adjust to his new status and she resolved to stand by him through it all. She rubbed into his thick fur and took in his scent. From the start, she had a bit of a soft spot for the lonely wolfdog. Her belief was that everyone should have at least one friend, and when she first heard that he was on his own, she resolved to be his friend when no one else would. Even when everyone else had given up on him and the team, she remained vigilant, setting up a signal light on a hill to guide them home.

Balto looked up and saw the aurora, still shining against the hillside outside of town. “Thanks Jenna. I guess I’d be lost without you,” he said.

“Oh don’t you start too,” Jenna replied. Her owner had sad the same thing to Balto when he had returned with the medicine.

“No, really, I mean it. Without that light there, I might have missed the town entirely.”

“Well, I did use your trick,” she sheepishly replied. “Want to take a closer look?”

“Of course,” he replied. The two dogs walked together out the town and towards the hill were Jenna had set up her beacon. The lamp had been tilted by the fierce winds, but it still shone brightly through the glass, projecting the northern lights on the hillside. Balto and Jenna took a moment to admire the dancing lights. Balto in particular seemed captivated by the display.

“I remember a story my mum once told me about the northern lights,” Balto started. “She said that the lights in the sky were the spirits of those who had passed from this world. They would dance around in the sky and watch over us, protecting us in times of need, and guiding us when we had lost our way.”

“I guess she was right,” Jenna replied.

“Yeah. She was also the one who showed me how to create the lights with glass. She said that she had learned it from someone special to her, and that when I was older, I should show it to someone who was special to me.” Balto said and looked over at Jenna. “And I’m glad I did.”

Underneath her fur, Jenna was blushing, but it wasn’t entirely a surprise to her. She knew that Balto had a bit of a crush on her, but he had never said anything openly. Until now, at least. “Balto, how long have we known each other?’ she asked.

"Two, maybe two and a half years, I think. Why?” he replied.

“Do you remember back then, when we first met?” she asked.

“How could I forget…”

----------

Two and a half years earlier - Summer 1922

Balto had been alone on the boat for three days. His mother, a snow-white wolf named Aniu had left to go hunting, but she had not returned. For three days, the two-month old pup waited for her, and for three days, she did not return. He whimpered and howled in his tiny puppy voice, but there was no reply. The only sound he heard was the water splashing against the shore and birds chirping in the sky. Finally, desperation drove him out of the boat and towards the town. He had been there once before with his mother, but this time he was alone.

He entered the town and cautiously looked around. The buildings looked so big to him and there were so many humans and dogs walking around. It was frightening to the small pup, but his need for food was stronger than his fear, and he pressed on. He may have been a small pup, but his nose worked just as fine as any adult dog's, picking up every scent that came his way. The strongest was the smell of the dogs and humans but underneath those, Balto could smell traces of meat. It took him a while to sort it out from the rest of the town’s residents, but soon, he was able to find his way to the back of the butcher shop.

When he got there, he found what he was looking for - several scrap pieces had been left outside the shop. Three days without food had made the small pup ravenous and he dove in, gulping down piece after piece of the meat. However, his feast would be cut short by the arrival of a large, black and white husky.

“Hey kid! The meat is for the town’s dogs, not mangy little strays!”

Balto turned around and came face to face with the larger dog. He towered over Balto, his ice-blue eyes locked on the pup.

“Please,” he whimpered. “I was really hungry and-“

“I don’t care. It was supposed to be mine, and you took it!” he bellowed. Balto was terrified of this dog. He could easily tear the small pup apart if he wanted to. “You’re gonna pay you scrawny ball of fur!” The dog grabbed a hold of the pup and tossed him down the alley. Balto barked out in terror as he hit the ground five feet away. He looked around and saw the dog rushing towards him, so Balto ducked in between two nearby crates. He was small enough to fit in the gap, but the other dog couldn’t. He snapped at him and tried to get at him with his paw, so Balto tucked himself deeper into the gap. Finally, the larger dog gave up and trotted away fuming.

Balto was still terrified from his ordeal. Barely five minutes in the town and he had already gotten on the bad side of one of the dogs. He stayed there shaking in fear and heard another set of feet approaching. He stayed in his hideout, terrified that whoever was coming would hurt him as well. He saw a small human pass by, followed by a small husky pup. The girl didn’t notice him, but the husky did. She had red fur with a white underside, and looked at Balto with a pair of dark brown eyes. She gave out a small bark and alerted the human to Balto’s presence.

“What is it girl? Did you find something?” the small human asked. She came over and looked in the gap Balto was hiding in. Like her dog, the human had red hair, but had green eyes instead of brown. She tried to reach in to grab Balto, but he shrank away from her hands. “I can’t reach him. Jenna, why don’t you go in and get him?”

The husky pup squeezed into the gap towards Balto. “Hi there. Who are you?” she asked. Unlike the bigger dog, her voice was kind and she wagged her tail in a friendly manner. Despite her friendly gesture, Balto was still scared of this strange dog.

“P-please don’t hurt me. I-I just wanted some food,” he stammered.

“I won’t hurt you, and neither will Rosy. She’s my girl and she’s very nice,” Balto was still shaking. “Why are you so scared?” the red pup asked.

“I just came in for some food. My mom didn’t come back and I was really hungry. I found some food, but this big dog came and said it was his. He got really mad and tried to beat me up.”

“Well, he’s gone now, so you don't have to worry. My name's Jenna. What’s yours?”

“I - I don’t have a name,” he stammered.

“Don’t have a name? But what do your owners call you?”

“I don’t have an owner. I used to live with my mom, but she vanished. I’m on my own.”

“Well that won’t do," she replied. "Rosy and I will be your friends. You just have to come out.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please. You can trust me. I just want to be your friend.” The husky pup smiled at him warmly, and Balto could feel that she didn’t want to harm him.

“O-okay,” Balto said and he slowly came out of his hiding spot. Rosy reached out a hand to pet him, but Balto scampered away from it.

“No, it’s okay,” Rosy said. “I just wanted to pet you, like this.” She scratched behind Jenna’s ears, and the small pup wagged her tail. “See, Jenna likes it.” Balto came closer and let her do the same to him. It actually felt good to the small pup. Rosy was seeming less and less scary to him. “Hmm, no collar. Are you on your own?” she asked. Balto whimpered a little in response.

“Well, why don’t I give you a name first? Every dog needs a name, even the strays,” she started. “Let’s see, what would be a good name? Bill? Maybe, but it’s a pretty common name. Felix? No, you don’t look like much of a Felix. Kevin? No, that’s more of a people name. Bill? Tom? Another maybe. Bill… tom… Bilto… no, no, that sounds a little weird. Bilto… Balto!” She picked the brown pup up and looked at him. “Jenna, do you think Balto’s a good name for him?” Jenna barked happily, which Rosy took as a yes. “Alright then, I’ll call you Balto.” Balto liked his name; it made him feel like he belonged to this girl. He sniffed her face and licked her with his tiny puppy tongue.

“Hehe, that tickles Balto,” she giggled.

“Rosy! Where are you! It’s time to go home!” a voice called out from the street.

“I’m coming dad!” Rosy replied. “Sorry boy but I’ve got to go,” she said as she put him down on the ground. “I’ll try to find you again okay?”

“Bye Balto,” Jenna said, and she followed her girl out of the alley. After they left, Balto went back to his boat, all the while thinking about that nice girl who had given him a proper name. Maybe Jenna was right, maybe they could be friends……

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Present Day

Balto remembered how Jenna’s kind face had convinced him to come out and meet Rosy. That smile would be the first of many that she would give him that would always make him feel better. Even though she had grown from a small pup into an adult husky, her smile remained the same, and Balto loved it.

Jenna too remembered how Balto was as a pup. She had been separated from her parents when she was young too, but she had always had Rosy to take care of her. Balto, however was on his own, something that she thought would mean certain death, but somehow, he had made it through.

“It’s been so long, but I still remember everything. It’s hard to imagine that at one point, we were barely higher than your kid’s boot,” Balto said. “And she gave me my name.”

“Yes, and since then, I’ve always thought it suited you,” Jenna replied. “But what I’ve always wondered is what your mother would call you when you were little.”

“Oh, she would say ‘my son’ or something like that. At least, that’s all I remember of her. I was so young when she vanished, I barely got to know her,” Balto said. “Why did she have to leave me? She was all I had.”

“Maybe it wasn’t her choice. Maybe she had an accident?” Jenna suggested.

“Maybe….”

Jenna could tell that the separation was still heartbreaking for Balto, as he looked like he was fighting back tears. She nuzzled the side of his neck to try to cheer him up and he returned it, putting his front leg around her in an embrace.

“Thanks Jenna,” he said while holding her. “I may not have my mom, but at least I have you.”

They heard the snow crunching behind them, and turned to see Kaltag leading a small group of dogs towards them. “Uh, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” he sheepishly asked.

Balto let Jenna go. “No, it’s okay,” he replied, a little embarrassed.

“Good, ‘cause we want you back Balto.”

“Yeah Balto, come back with us,” Star continued.

“I - I don’t know,” Balto replied.

“Who cares what those other dogs think. We know you’re a good guy, and you have been all along,” Kaltag said. “This was all because of how we treated you before and I feel terrible about it. I’m sorry Balto, for everything we did to you. And I’m sorry too Jenna. You didn’t deserve what you got back there either. I may not be able to undo what we did, but I’m willing to make a fresh start - wipe the slate clean. What do you say?” he asked.

“Well, when you put it that way… I want a fresh start too. If you can put your mistrust away, then so can I,” The other dogs cheered in celebration, and some even started howling. Balto and Jenna joined in with them, with Balto letting out the loudest howl of all. Finally, after all these years, he felt like he truly belonged.

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Chapter 2: So Close and So Far

Two and a half years earlier - Summer 1922

Balto was eager to see his new friends as soon as possible, and the next day, he woke up at the crack of dawn to find them. He entered the town and found the alley where he met them before and waited. And waited. And waited. He had started to pass the time by counting the hairs around his nose and was up to two hundred and thirty-one before he heard footsteps approaching. Thinking it was Rosy, he bolted towards the sound, but instead crashed into a set of dog legs. He looked up and when he saw whose legs they were his heart skipped a beat. It was the black and white husky from yesterday.

“Watch where you’re going you little furball! Hey wait, I remember you,” he growled. Two other dogs, one who was grey and white, and another who had brown fur accompanied the husky. Balto tried to scamper away, but the husky he crashed into stomped down on his tail with his paw, preventing his escape, “Hey, what’s the rush little guy? I’d love to continue where we left off yesterday.”

“Hey Steele, you’d better be careful. That pup looks like a wolf, he might get ya,” said the brown husky, causing him and the grey husky to laugh.

“Wolf eh?” Steele snarled, as he bared his teeth. “I don’t like wolves in my town!”

“I’m not all wolf. I’m half-wolf, half-husky,” Balto replied as he tried to break free from Steele’s grip.

“Ohhhh, so you’re a half and half eh?” the grey husky taunted. “Where’s your mommy kid? Is she a dog out sledding, or a wolf out howling at the moon?”

“I -I don’t know where my mom is. She went out one day and didn’t come back,” Balto cried. “I don’t know what happened to her.”

“Hang on kid,” Steele said. “I think I might know what happened to her.”

“Really, what? Is she okay? Is she coming back soon?” Balto asked.

“Oh she’s fine. But she’s not coming back. You see, she left you because she doesn’t want you anymore.” The three dogs laughed cruelly at him.

“What?” Balto cried.

“Yeah, who would want a half-breed mutt anyways?” the brown husky replied. “You’re not a dog, but you’re not a wolf either. You’re nothing, and your precious mommy knew that!”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE! MY MOM LOVED ME! LET ME GO!” Balto screamed.

“Face it kid, she gone, and it’s all because she didn’t want to have to deal with a whiny mongrel like you,” Steele finished.

“NO! YOU’RE LYING! MY MOM LOVED ME!”

The other two huskies started to get nervous that Balto’s screaming would bring unwanted attention to them. They didn’t want to have to deal with witnesses. “Gah, this kid is starting to make a scene. Hey kid, shut up!” the brown husky shouted.

“YOU SHUT UP!” Balto screamed back before sinking his little puppy fangs into Steele’s paw. The sharp pain made Steele jump back and Balto broke free, dashing down the street to escape.

“That little mutt bit me!” Steele growled, and he darted after the escaping pup. The other two followed, but only to try to stop Steele before he did anything rash. All his barking was making people and other dogs stare as he chased the small pup through the town.

“Steele, stop! People can see you!” the grey husky yelled.

“Yeah, the pup’s not worth it!” the brown one continued, but Steele was oblivious to them. He wanted to get back at the pup that hurt him.

Balto was running as fast as his little legs could carry him, but Steele was still gaining on him. He rounded a corner, running right under a pair of human of legs. Steele rounded the corner too, but his larger bulk crashed right into the person Balto had run under. Balto heard the impact and stopped to see that Steele had crashed into Rosy, knocking them both down. The other two huskies rounded the corner and saw the scene.

“Uh oh, not good,” the grey husky said.

“Hurting one of the little humans - we’re in big trouble now,” the brown husky continued. Along with Rosy was her pup Jenna, barking her head off in anger over Steele’s actions.

“Oh shut up you!” Steele growled at Jenna, snapping his teeth at her. However, that resulted in Steele receiving one of Rosy’s boots into his jaw.

“NO! Bad dog Steele! You don’t dare try to hurt Jenna!” Rosy yelled. Steele was knocked back by the blow, and decided to retreat with his two comrades.

“See, I told you it wasn’t worth it,” the brown husky said.

After the dogs had run away, Rosy picked herself up and looked at Balto who was still scared out of his wits, “Don’t worry, they’re gone now,” she said as she bent down to pet the small pup. “Those big mean dogs pick on you because you’re alone right?” Balto whimpered in reply. “Well that won’t do. I won’t let a cute little guy like you get chased around like that again. You’re coming home with me,” she picked Balto up and started carrying him through the town.

“Jenna, where are we going?” Balto asked

“To our home; every dog should live in a home with a human,” she replied.

“What do they do with us?” he asked. He had never been near a human home, so he had no idea what to expect.

“Well, they feed you, pet you, play with you and keep you safe.”

“Like my mother did?”

“Yes. You said earlier that she vanished, but I didn’t get a chance to hear why. What happened to her?”

“I don’t know what happened. She went out one day and didn’t come back. That’s it,” Balto said sadly. “I miss her.”

“What was she like?”

“Well, she was a snow-white wolf that had big yellow eyes and soft, warm fur. She also had a very kind voice that always made me feel safe.”

“A wolf? Are you a wolf too?”

“Now exactly. She said that my dad was a husky, so I’m kind of both.”

“You’re a hybrid? Wow, I’ve never met a hybrid before. You’re nothing like what everyone else says.”

“What do they say?”

“They say that hybrids have nasty tempers and don’t quite fit in anywhere.”

“Is that why that big dog attacked me?”

“Who, Steele? Probably, but he’s just a big bully. You’re not like what everyone says though. You’re a very sweet dog - or wolf.”

“Thanks Jenna. At least you don’t pick on me.”

“That’s right, I won’t and neither will Rosy. She just thinks you’re another dog. And if the other people think you’re a dog too, you’ll fit in with them just fine,” she gave him another warm smile, and Balto instantly felt a little better. Soon, they had reached Rosy’s house and Rosy opened up a small shed on the side of the house. Inside were the usual gardening tools, along with a small bike.

“Wait here,” Rosy said, and she left the shed to find her parents. Meanwhile, Balto looked around the shed.

“Where are we?” Balto asked.

“This is where I live Balto,” Jenna replied. “And I guess it’s where you will too.”

“We have to stay in here?” Balto said, looking around the small shed.

“Well, not all the time. I just sleep here at night. I can go with Rosy in the house and out in the yard, so maybe you will too,” she said hopefully. Soon, they heard footsteps approaching.

“Alright Rosy, what is it you want to show me?” Balto recognized the voice as Rosy’s father from the day before.

“Look, look dad. Look what I found,” Rosy replied. The two entered the shed, and when Rosy’s father saw Balto, he got a rather cross look on his face.

“Rosy, where did you find him?”

“He was all alone in the alleys and these dogs were chasing him. I don’t think he has anyone to look after him.”

“Rosy, we can’t just take in a stray, he’s not ours. Besides, you already have a puppy.”

“But he was all alone, and the other dogs will hurt him. I promise he won’t cause any trouble,” she said. “I’ve already given him a name: Balto. Please, can he stay with us?” For extra effect, she put on her best puppy-dog eyes while her father thought it over. Finally, he relented.

“Alright, we’ll look after him, but he can’t come in the house. He has to stay here in the shed. We’ll give him a few weeks, and if he behaves himself, maybe we’ll adopt him.”

Rosy was ecstatic. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you daddy,” she said as she hugged him.

“But if Balto causes any trouble at all, he’s out of here, you understand?”

“Okay dad.”

And so Balto started his life with Rosy. She brought in a basket and blankets for him to sleep in. Every day, she would come and bring in some food, and Balto would join her and Jenna for walks during the day. When they weren’t out on a walk around the town, Rosy would play with them in the backyard, throwing a tennis ball for them, or playing tug of war with an old sock. As each day passed, Balto felt safer and safer with his new owner. Even her parents, who at first were skeptical of the stray pup, started to warm up to the young Balto, even allowing him inside the house from time to time.

Her parents had decided that before adopting him, Balto would have to be looked at by the local vet. The visit went smoothly, as Balto was given a clean bill of health and was given his shots. Afterwards, Rosy’s father sent them home while he had a final chat with the veterinarian. Balto and Jenna were running around the yard while Rosy watched. Any minute her father would come back and they were sure that he would allow Balto into the family now.

“Don’t worry Balto, I’m sure that you’ll be able to live with us,” Jenna yipped. “You didn’t misbehave and the vet said you were healthy too.

“I know, but what were those things he poked me with?” he asked. The vet had to give him multiple needles to get him caught up with a normal pup his age, something Balto did not enjoy.

“They’re just your shots. The humans give them to us to help keep us from getting sick,” she replied.

“Well I don’t like them. They hurt.”

“I don’t like them either, put they only last for a second,” she replied.

“If you say so… ” he replied. Soon, he heard footsteps coming around the house and he grew even more excited. Soon, Rosy’s father would enter and give them the good news. But as he entered the back yard, Balto’s heart sank. He had a very grave look on his face, which was never a good sign.

“Rosy, there’s something the vet told me that’s very important. It’s about Balto.”

Rosy saw his face and grew worried. “What is it? Is something wrong with him? Is he sick?”

“Rosy, he may be dangerous.”

“Dangerous? I don’t understand.”

“Come here, take a look at this,” he said and they both came up to Balto. He pulled apart his hackles to show her his teeth. “You see these teeth? The vet told me that these are much bigger than a normal dog’s.” He let Balto’s mouth go and then picked up one of his paws. “And these are much bigger paws than any puppy he’s seen.”

“So? Maybe he’s just big for his age,” she shot back.

“He’s not big for his age Rosy. Listen to me very carefully. Those are the teeth and paws - of a wolf.”

“No. It can’t be. He looks like a husky puppy,” she whined.

“I know, but the vet is very good at telling animals apart, and he determined that Balto is at least part wolf.”

“So? He’s not dangerous! He hasn’t hurt anyone!”

“He hasn’t hurt anyone - yet. If he’s part wolf, then he could seriously hurt someone. You know how dangerous wolves can be.”

“But he can’t hurt anyone, he’s just a puppy,” Rosy said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“Rosy, he may be a puppy now, but puppies grow up. He may not hurt anyone now, but he may when he’s bigger.”

Finally, Rosy burst into tears. “NO! NO! IT CAN’T BE!”

“Rosy, listen to me. We can’t keep a wolf in our house. I’m sorry, but he has to go,” This was more than Rosy could take, and she ran into the house crying. Her father approached Balto, who tried to scamper away, but he caught him anyways. As he picked him up, Jenna whined and tried to follow him. “No girl, you must stay here,” he said and left the yard, leaving Jenna standing there alone. As he was being carried away, Balto could see that she too was starting to cry.

He had been so close to living with them, so close to being loved and cared for. He had spent three weeks getting his hopes up, only to have them dashed in three minutes. All because he was part wolf. Once they had reached the edge of town, he was put down and left there. Balto tried to follow him in a desperate attempt to get back to Rosy, but every time he would be pushed back. Finally, he gave up and walked back to his first home, the old boat on the shore. Once again, he was alone in the world, with no one to take care of him. That night, if you listened carefully, you would hear the cries of a lonely puppy that had been abandoned for the second time in his short life.

----------

Present Day

All night, the memories came back to Balto in his dreams. The joy of being loved by Rosy. The fun of playing with her and Jenna as a pup. The shock of being kicked out by her father. Being alone - again.

The celebrations had lasted until the sun started to peek over the horizon, and that was when the team dogs finally decided to hit the hay. Balto had started in the direction of his boat, but Jenna had insisted that he stay with her instead. After much persuasion, he finally relented and fell asleep in her shed with her snuggled up to his side.

When he did wake up, the first thing he felt was her body rising and falling against his. He looked over at her, and couldn’t help but admire her. Her rust colored fur smoothly transitioned to a white underside and was topped off with a bright orange bandanna around her neck. For Balto, she was the most beautiful dog he had ever met, and she had a kind heart to top it all off.

“She’s perfect - the girl of my dreams. Someone or something up there must really like me,” he thought to himself. Her head was resting on his paws, so he had to take extra care when pulling them out so as to not jostle her. After freeing his paws, he got up and gave out a big yawn while stretching himself before padding up to the door to take a peek outside.

The sun was high in the sky and had already started to travel towards the west. Balto had slept clear through the morning, but for good reason. He had traveled non-stop for several days and was exhausted. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he had slept clear through the entire day.

It didn’t take long for Jenna to notice that she wasn’t pressed up against a warm wolfdog anymore. She woke up and saw him staring out the door. Even though she was a purebred husky, she had always been interested in the scruffy half-breed. She knew it was because she had spent time with him as a pup. She had gotten to know who Balto really was during that time, something the other dogs had never given him a chance to.

He turned back into the shed and he smiled when he saw she was awake. His face had many of the features of a wolf: yellow-gold eyes, large floppy ears and a long, narrow muzzle. It was these features that had made many people fear and hate him, but Jenna saw past that. She saw past the wolf features and saw that there was also a dog in that wolf. A dog that wanted nothing more than to be accepted and loved.

“Well good morning Jenna,” he said. “Sleep well?”

“Yes,” she replied. “You’re not thinking of taking off and leaving me alone here are you?” she teased.

Balto walked back to her. “Now what kind of dog would I be if I did?” he replied and gave her a nuzzle before she got up and stretched herself.

“Oh, what time is it?” she asked.

“Sometime in the afternoon,” he replied.

“It’s that late already? Maybe Rosy’s awake now,” she said and walked out of the shed, followed by Balto. As they walked out in the open streets, Balto seemed like he was on edge. He was constantly glancing from side to side, even though the streets were mostly empty. “Balto what is it? You seem tense,” she asked.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I’m half-expecting someone to come at me. Before, I would always have to be on alert in case Steele or one of his cronies decided to come at me,” he replied. “I know that most of the dogs won’t want to hurt me now, but I still can’t shake the feeling.”

“I guess old habits die hard,” Jenna said. “It must be hard living with very few friends.”

“Well, I did have an old goose and two polar bear cubs to watch out for me. Actually, now that I think about it, they’re probably wondering where I am now,” he said. “Jenna, I’ve got to go. I’ll meet up with you at the hospital later okay?”

“Of course,” she replied. While she turned down the street the hospital was on, he went the other direction out of the town, towards his old friends.

----------

Chapter 3: A New Friend

There had been one dog that did not share the festivities with the rest of the town. He had spent the previous day trying desperately not to be seen and had taken refuge under the hospital to accomplish this. This dog was Steele, the former champion of Nome. He knew that if he were to be seen, he would be in big trouble. The others had found out he was a liar and his own team had turned against him. It was all because of one wolfdog.

“The wolf managed to get home, I’ll give him that. But I won’t let him take my town, my team, and my girl away from me!” he thought to himself. He could hear the sounds of the children slowly waking up above him. One voice in particular caught his ear.

“Mom… dad?”

“We’re here Rosy sweetie. Don’t get up too quickly, you still need your rest,” her mother said.

“But I’ve been resting for days. I want to get up,” she replied.

“I know, but it’s what the doctor says you need. You’ve been through quite a lot kiddo,” her father put in.

“But I want to go see Balto.”

The mere mention of Balto’s name sent rage coursing through Steele’s body. He knew who that kid was; it was Rosy, Jenna’s owner and the only kid who favored Balto over him.

“If I can’t go to Balto, can’t he come here?” Rosy asked.

“Yeah, I want to see Balto too,” a small boy said.

“Me too.”

Soon, most the kids were asking their parents if they could see Balto again and this became too much for Steele, whose ego was already bruised.

“It should have been me. Those kids should be asking to see me, not him,” Steele thought and he trotted away from the kids to another part of the crawlspace where it was quieter. “That wolf has ruined my career! I won’t let him get away with this. This is my town, and it will always be my town!”

----------

Balto crossed the snow-covered field towards a beached fishing boat that had been his home for as long as he could remember. He dashed up the plank and onto the deck.

“Ah, so the conquering hero returns eh?” a thickly accented voice said from inside the wheelhouse. It belonged to an old snow goose that waddled out of the wheelhouse. “And what has made you so happy and smiling?”

“Everything Boris. Everything has me smiling,” he replied.

“”You’re going to have to be a little clearer than that boitshick. Old Boris isn’t good at guessing games,” Boris was a Russian snow goose who had befriended Balto when he was a pup. On the outside, he seemed to be just a crotchety old bird, but Balto knew that deep down, he had heart of gold.

“I don’t know how else to put it Boris. Today was the first day I could go in to town without being kicked at or picked on,” Balto said. “But I spent most of it with Jenna.”

“Ohhhhh. So, are you thinking of moving in with her and her family?” he asked.

Balto smile faded. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know if I should.”

“And why not? Is it the wolf thing again?” he replied, slightly annoyed.

“No. Well, not entirely. I mean I like her and all, but don’t you think it would be a little sudden to ask now?”

“True, but what about later, when it won’t be as sudden?”

“I don’t know. You know how much of a rough time I’ve had with people.”

“You still don’t trust humans,” Boris said flatly. Balto didn’t reply, but his expression spoke volumes to Boris. “I see. Well, you are a big dog who can make his own decisions. If you’re not ready to live with them, I understand. Old Boris isn’t exactly rushing to find other geese either. There’s no reason we still can’t stick together,” he said, putting his wing around the wolfdog’s neck.

From the beginning, Boris had promised that he would look after Balto until he could look after himself, but Balto could probably look after himself now. He was a full-grown wolfdog who knew how to hunt or grab scraps from town, and after today, he wouldn’t be short on friends. So why would Boris want to stay? Maybe it was because he and Boris went far back, almost as far as Balto and Jenna. Boris had tried his best to be a father for him, and despite being a goose, he had done a pretty good job.

----------

Two years earlier. Late winter, 1923.

For months, Balto had lived a solitary life. All thanks to what had happened that summer…

“We can’t keep a wolf in our house. I’m sorry, he has to go.”

He was alone, all because he was part wolf. He tried to approach other humans, but word of his breeding had spread, and no one wanted anything to do with him. At first, he didn’t know what their shouting meant and kept trying. But they hated and feared him, all because he was half-wolf. They would throw snow at him and kick at him if he got too close. Once, the butcher had almost taken his head off with a meat cleaver. Luckily, all that the cleaver hit was air while Balto dashed out of town.

After that Balto stayed away from the humans, using the back alleys and rooftops to cross the town. He had come to use the alleys so frequently that he knew every hiding place and secret path through the town. If anyone saw him, he could disappear within seconds. There were many times when he would need to make a stunning escape. The dogs also knew he was part wolf now, and would try to chase him out of town. Worst of all was Steele. The husky never forgot how the young pup had bitten him and would take every opportunity to harass him. Usually he would be able to scamper off and find a hiding place, but one time, he was not so lucky.

He had been scrounging for food when none other than Steele came around the corner, accompanied by three other dogs. It was Nikki, Kaltag and Star; fresh new recruits on Steele’s team. A sick grin came over the husky’s face and Balto dashed in the opposite direction. He scampered into an abandoned building and up the rotting stairs to find shelter above. The dogs stayed on the lower floor while Balto crept around the rafters. There were ropes and other debris strewn about the place, meaning Balto had to watch his step.

Unfortunately, one the boards he stepped on creaked, and the noise alerted the other dogs to his presence. Panicking, he tried to dash across a beam to an open window, but in his rush, his legs became tangled in the loose rope. He got caught up in it and fell off the narrow beam. He braced himself for the hard impact, but instead felt the rope yank on his leg while he hung in mid-air. The other end of the rope had been tied off, making Balto dangle six feet above the ground.

For Steele, this was even more fun. He jumped up and tried to snap at the dangling pup, but would never get closer than a few inches to him. The others tried snapping at the pup too, all the while chanting “Piñata! Piñata!”. Even though Balto was out of reach of all of them, he was absolutely terrified. Every time their jaws came close to him, he screamed out, only making them laugh harder.

It was only when a man heard the commotion coming from the empty building that Balto was saved. He called the dogs away and cut Balto out of the rope with a pocketknife. He put the shaking pup down and nudged him with his boot. “C’mon, get outta here you little mutt.” Balto didn’t need to be told twice. He darted out of the town towards his boat and crawled under his blanket. The shock of the whole ordeal made him cry for hours. Never before had he been so terrified in his life.

Despite the risks, Balto still needed to visit the town because it was the only steady place to find food. The butcher would leave scraps for the local dogs to find rather than throw them out, and one of those dogs was Balto.

But as Balto grew, he needed more and more to satisfy his growing body. When the scraps weren’t enough, he would try his paw at hunting. Despite not having any formal lessons, Balto still had the instinct to hunt in him, but his young, inexperienced body was rarely successful. He had the best luck with fishing in a small stream, but as winter came, the streams and ponds froze over, making fishing impossible. So, he tried catching rabbits and squirrels, but his first attempts would always end in failure. It took many, many tries before he could actually catch anything, but he was still rarely successful and often went back into the town to find more scraps.

Balto was now almost a year old and had an appearance similar to many adolescents in the animal world. He was almost the same height and length of a full-grown dog, but he was still quite skinny. He had grown up, but he still had months to go before he would thicken out and reach full adult size.

Today he had spotted something that looked like a good prize. He waited behind a log while a large white bird washed itself in a thawed out puddle. The temperature had been slowly rising and the snow had been melting, forming large puddles on the ground. The bird was singing something incomprehensible to him, but that didn’t matter. Even though he had never tried catching large birds before, Balto’s growling stomach drove him to stalk the plump goose. Balto thought that it would make a good meal - if he could catch it. He crept closer, ducking back behind the log when the goose would look back, then continuing on when it wasn’t looking.

Balto crouched behind the end of the log, and when he looked around the other side one more time, he saw that the bird had already started to waddle away. Balto knew that this would be his last chance. The young hybrid dashed out of his hiding place and towards his prey. But no sooner had he started running did the bird turn around and see him barreling towards him. The bird screamed and started running as fast as it could away from Balto. The bird could move quickly, but Balto was quicker and was gaining on it.

“Heh, he’s probably too scared to fly away. This is going to be too easy,” Balto thought to himself. He tried to snap at the bird, but all he got was the air behind the bird’s rear end. The bird was now zig-zagging, preventing Balto from getting a clear shot at it from behind. They both eventually strayed onto the sea ice, making moving difficult for both hunter and hunted. Balto could hear the thinning ice creak and crack under his weight, but it still held.

Finally, Balto came up alongside the bird, and was inches from snapping his jaws around its skinny neck. But as fate would have it, the bird tripped and fell flat on its face while Balto kept going. He slid on the slick ice, stopping several feet away. He turned around to charge at the bird again, but the ice started to snap under his weight. Balto tried to scramble away, but it was too late. He plunged through the melting ice into the freezing water.

It may have been warming up, but the water was still ice cold. The shock of it knocked the air out of Balto’s lungs as the current pushed him away from the opening he had made. He desperately banged against the ice above him to try to break through, but to no avail. The sheer cold of the water stabbed at him from all sides and it became harder and harder to move. He was running out of air, energy and time.

But fate would strike again, this time for the better. The current was pushing him towards another opening in the ice, this one near the shallows. Balto kicked with all his might towards it, feeling like his lungs would burst without any air. He broke through the surface gasping and scrambled out the hole before collapsing on the shore. He was out of the water, but not out of trouble.

He had been in the water for less than a minute, but that was more than enough time for the frigid arctic waters to take effect. It clung to his coat and he was too numb to shake it out. As he lay there, he saw that he was near his boat, but he was too weak to walk onto it; the icy waters had completely sapped his strength. He shivered uncontrollably, and as his vision started to blur, he thought he saw a small figure walking towards him, but he couldn’t identify it before he passed out from the shock.

----------

Balto was sure he had died. All around him was fog, but in the distance, he could see his mother, her snow-white fur shining through the haze.

“Mother! I found you!”

“Oh my son, you have grown so much since I last saw you,” her voice was still the same kind voice it had always been, “But you must go back.”

“But why? I want to be with you! I’m all alone with out you. Why can’t you come back to me?”

“I wish I could my son, but something happened to me. I can’t come back to you.”

“Then let me go with you!”

“No, you must not follow me. It is not your time my son.”

“But why not? Don’t you want to be with me? Don’t you care about me!?”

“I do care about you, but fate has forced me away from you. In time, I will be able to tell you everything, but not now,” his mother started to fade away. “We will meet again my son. That I promise you.”

“No! Come back!”

“No matter what, know that I always have, and always will love you.” She was almost gone by now.

“NO! DON’T LEAVE ME AGAIN!”

“You look so much like your papa now….”

“Mother!”

She vanished completely, and Balto ran to find her but all he saw was fog. Suddenly, the ground under him started to crack, and he broke through, falling into freezing water again. The rough current pushed him along until he smashed his head on something solid.

His eyes snapped open and he saw that he had crashed into the floor of his boat. His face was soaked, but it was because someone had turned a bucket of water over his head.

“Heh, glad to see you’re finally awake. You don’t know how hard it was to drag your keaster up here,” said a gruff voice. Balto was awake, but he felt like he had run hundreds of miles. His whole body ached, and his joints were stiff. Someone had put his blanket over him to warm him up, and it was the same someone who was talking to him. Balto turned his head and saw that the voice belonged to a white bird - the same bird he had been chasing before he fell in the water.

“So, are you still going to eat me now?” the bird asked sarcastically. “Or will you let old Boris take care of you?”

“Who… are you?” Balto weakly asked. “How did I get up here?”

“My name’s Boris, and you’re here because it was the only way to get you out of the wind and warmed up."

Balto was shocked - this bird had actually saved him. “Why? I was trying to kill you. You could have left me.”

“I could have, but I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. A little pup like you needs a chance at life,” he said. “Even though you are a hunting wolf.”

“I’m not a wolf,” he replied.

“If you’re not a wolf, then you’re the smallest bear I’ve ever seen,” Boris chuckled. “I know what wolves look like kiddo and you look like one.”

“I’m only half wolf,” Balto snapped. “My dad was a husky.”

“A wolfdog you say. And would the wolfdog pup have a name?” Boris asked.

“Balto.”

“Balto, that’s a good strong name. It fits you.”

“Are you sure? I couldn’t even catch you.”

“Oh, don’t feel bad about it boitshick. You aren’t the first wolf - or dog - that old Boris has escaped from. But the canines I’ve encountered always travel in groups. And pups like you are always with their folks. Where are your mom and pop?”

“I… don’t know. I never knew my dad and my mom disappeared a while ago.”

“Well that won’t do. No pup should be alone.”

“But who’s going to take care of me? You?”

“Why not? You need a friend in the world, and it may as well be me.”

Balto wasn’t sure about it. He had only known this goose for a few minutes, and most of those were from him chasing the goose. But something told Balto to trust the goose. He had offered to look after him… just like Rosy. He missed having someone to talk to and play with. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Alright,” Balto said.

“Great. Just one thing, you promise not to chomp on old Boris okay? That would be a bad way to thank me.”

“I promise,” Balto meant it. He wanted Boris to be his new friend, and decided let the old goose stay with him. It turned out that Boris was alone too, and needed a friend just as much as Balto. It was sheer luck that these two lonely creatures would meet and decide to stick together, despite them being two different species. If not luck, then someone or something else was looking out for him.

----------

Chapter 4: First Glance

Present Day

“By the way Balto, where did you disappear off to last night? Muk and Luk were whining right through the night about how they missed you,” Boris asked.

“Oh, sorry about that. I got… caught up.”

“Balto, you’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

“Okay, I stayed the night… with Jenna,” Balto replied.

“Ohhhhhhhh, I see,” Boris said. “So did you finally get to tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That you really like her.”

“I… uh… well-”

“Oh you didn’t tell her didn’t you.”

“No.”

Boris hit his head into his wing, “Oh Balto, if you don’t tell her, then she’ll think you don’t love her.”

“I know, and it’s not that I don’t know what to say, it’s just I don’t know how to say it,” Balto replied. “I have no idea what to do next.”

“The first thing you should do is find some time alone with her. You can tell her when it’s just the two of you.”

“The two of us… alone… hang on I think I know what you mean. Of course! Boris, you’re a genius!”

“Me - a genius?” Boris replied before Balto jumped off the boat. “Hey, just where are you going!?” he shouted.

“I’ll be back later!” Balto replied as he ran towards town.

“Typical… always runs off before I can finish a thought,” Boris grumbled. “I wonder how his momma dealt with this.”

----------

Balto dashed into the town and made his way to the hospital. Boris had given him a very simple idea. It would be best if he told Jenna how he felt about her if it was just the two of them, and the best way to do so would be on a nice, moonlit stroll. Simply put, he would ask her out for a date. As one of the nurses opened the door to leave, he took this chance to sneak in. The second he was in, he darted right behind Rosy’s bed, which was the closest to the door. He didn’t want to attract much attention to himself.

He saw Jenna perched on top of the bed. “Psst. Jenna, it’s me.”

“Balto?” she looked over at him. “There you are. I’ve been waiting for you.” She got off the bed so that she could face him directly.

“Sorry, I wanted to say hi to an old friend, but there’s something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Well, here goes nothing,” he thought. “Jenna, you know how before we found out Rosy was sick, I asked you if you wanted to… chase a few sticks by moonlight… with me?”

“Yes…”

“Well, um… Are you still up for that? For tonight I mean?” he asked nervously. “This is it - make it or break it.”

“I - I’d love to Balto,” she replied smiling, and nuzzled him under his chin.

Balto felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “I asked her out and she said yes!” “That’s great. We can go at sunset.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she replied. “This will be great. I don’t think Balto has ever tried to ask me out before,” she thought. “The poor guy was probably too nervous, what with how everyone used to treat him.”

“Balto?” a small voice called from above. Balto and Jenna looked up and saw that it was Rosy, peeking over the side of the bed. “Balto, it is you!” Balto propped himself on the side of the bed so that she could give him a hug. “Hehe, you can’t stay away from Jenna for long can’t you, you little charmer?”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

“Hey, it’s Balto!” another kid cried. “Come here boy!” His calls were soon joined by the calls from all the other children who wanted to see their savior. Balto hesitated, but Jenna gave him a small nudge.

“Balto, they want to thank you, you should go to them,” Jenna suggested. Balto padded over to the nearest kid, who had sandy brown hair and freckles, and let him pat his head.

“Thank you Balto. You saved my life boy,” One by one, Balto went around the room, receiving the thanks from all the grateful children and their families. At first, Balto was nervous about letting so many strangers pat and hug him, but after a few minutes, he became more and more comfortable around them.

Balto had always assumed that after his quest that he would just go back to his old life of being the town outcast. It was the only life he had known, and so it never occurred to him that because of his good deed he would be rewarded.

“Just don’t let the fame go to your head Balto,” he thought. “That’s what Steele did, and look what happened to him,” Balto finally had enough attention and tried to get back to Jenna, but she was no longer there. Only Rosy was there and she had fallen asleep again. “She must have been taken home by her owners. No matter, I can find her later,” He trotted across the room towards the door, passing one of the grates in the floor. As he did, something caught his eye from under the grate. Whatever it was, it seemed metallic and was reflecting the light. Balto tried to get a closer look, but whatever it was had vanished. “Must have been a trick of the light.” Thinking no more of it, he was let out of the hospital by one of the nurses.

“If I’m going out, I should clean myself up a bit,” he thought as he left the town, back towards his boat.

----------

It was not a trick of the light. Balto did see something under the floor - Steele’s collar. The gold studs in the large collar were polished to perfection and reflected the slightest light.

“That was too close. That wolf is a little too sharp for my liking,” the large husky thought. All this time he had been watching Balto’s every move from under the floor. He saw and heard every bit of praise that the kids gave him, how Rosy had called him a ‘little charmer’. It took him all his self-control to avoid barging in there and attacking Balto.

But the praise from the children wasn’t the worst part. He had overheard Balto ask Jenna out. The idea of him with her sent rage coursing through his body. It stabbed at him even worse than his fall over the cliff, and he wanted to find a way to stab Balto back. “Her, with him? This is so humiliating! Oh he’s going to get it now. He’s always been sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong. Jenna was supposed to be mine, not that mongrel’s!”

----------

Eighteen months earlier. Summer, 1923

Boris had been looking after Balto for several months now, and the two were as close as any regular father and son. Balto had learned that Boris was originally from Russia, but had decided to travel and see more of the world. Even though he was far from home, Boris had pledged to take care of Balto and would stay in Alaska as long as needed.

Balto enjoyed the company, but whenever he wanted to go into town, Boris would always resist. The old goose was afraid of towns, but Balto couldn’t blame him. To the humans and dogs, he was a walking meal.

That meant that Balto was on his own most of the time, but he didn’t mind. Most of the trips were to the butcher’s anyways and today was one of those trips. He was almost there, but he saw something that made him duck back behind a corner. It was Steele and his trio. They were already there, and had made quick work of most of the days scraps. However, Steele seemed to be saving a chunk of beef for something else.

“Hey boss, can I have dat last piece?” Nikki asked.

“No, I’m going to give it to Jenna. You know, as a present,” the large husky replied. Balto’s ears perked up at the mention of Jenna’s name. He had not seen her since they were small pups.

“Are you sure it will work?” Star asked, “She didn’t seem to enjoy the bone you left her.”

“Or the collar you stole from Fred,” Kaltag continued.

“Or the old blanket-”

“Alright, I get it,” Steele snapped, “Maybe my earlier attempts didn’t work out, but she’ll come around. They all do,” He picked up the last chunk and carried it off, while his friends followed him behind.

“Two bones she slaps him again,” Balto heard Nikki whisper.

“You’re on,” Kaltag replied.

Balto crept around the corner and started to follow them. He couldn’t explain it, but the mention of Jenna made him want to know what Steele was up to. Maybe there was a chance he could see her again. He followed the tracks of the dogs, ducking behind barrels and boxes to hide his approach. He repeated this halfway across the town and it was after ducking under a porch that he saw her.

Balto’s jaw dropped. Jenna had grown from a small pup and was almost an adult dog. Her legs weren’t stubby puppy legs anymore, now they were long and slender. Her tail had filled out and was now bushy with red fur and curled towards her back. But the thing that stood out most of all was an orange bandanna, slung around her neck, perfectly complimenting her coat. Balto’s heart skipped a beat as he saw how his old friend had changed. To him, she was gorgeous.

Steele was with Jenna while his three cronies stayed back near the porch with their backs to Balto. He stayed hidden to avoid attracting their attention, while straining his ears to listen in on Steele and Jenna’s conversation.

“I got fis for you Jenna,” he said, with the piece of meat still in his jaws. He dropped it in front of Jenna but she didn’t look very pleased. Then again, you would grimace too if someone dropped a piece of meat covered in drool in front of you.

“Uh, thanks Steele, but I just had my lunch,” she said, trying to push the partially chewed meat back towards him. To Balto, her voice was so sweet and melodic; it still carried the same kindness it always had.

“Oh but Jenna, I insist,” Steele said, pushing the meat back.

“No, I insist Steele,” she replied, pushing it towards him. “I think you’d enjoy it more.”

“Oh you’re too kind to me Jenna,” he said.

“Whatever you say,” she said flatly while Steele gobbled down the meat. He was too thick to notice, but Jenna definitely did not enjoy being around him.

“Actually Jenna, there was something else I wanted to ask you. I was hoping you could join me tonight for a stroll. I hear the town is very… romantic at night,” he said as he got in closer to her.

“I not sure Steele,” she replied, trying to back away from him.

“Oh come on, we could get to know each other so well. Besides, one date won’t hurt you.”

“Steele, I’m really not interested,” she replied. She tried to walk away from him, but Steele would always move to block her path.

“I won’t take no for an answer,” Steele said.

“... If I go with you, do you promise to leave me alone for the next little while?” she asked.

“Whatever you want,” Steele replied.

“Alright, I’ll go with you,” she said, albeit reluctantly. Satisfied, Steele let Jenna dash away.

“Oh darn, I guess we won’t get any slapping today,” Nikki muttered.

“I HEARD THAT!” Steele shouted as he turned to face his trio. As he did, he could also see under the porch. “Hey wait a minute,” he growled. Balto knew he had been caught. He darted out from under the porch and took off, trying to put as much distance between him and Steele as possible. “It’s that wolfdog! Get him!” Steele shouted.

Balto ran as fast as he could, but Steele and his team weren’t far behind him. He twisted and turned through the alleys and streets of the town to try to lose them, but no matter what they were able to stay with him. Balto eventually made his way to the edge of town. All he had to do was find the main road and he would have a clear path home.

He turned the last corner and saw the street at the end of the alley. He had put some more distance between Steele and himself and he hoped that the husky would give up soon. With only feet to go, Balto thought he was home free, but another dog walked in front of the opening, unaware of what was barreling towards them. Balto tried desperately to stop, but he was too close and skidded right into the dog. He tumbled head over heels from the impact, landing on his back.

After the stars cleared from his eyes, he gasped when he saw whom he crashed into. It was Jenna. “Ow, watch where you’re going!” she snapped.

“I - I’m sorry,” he stammered as he got up. “I tried t-to stop-“

“Wait, you look familiar. I’ve seen you before,” she said. “Have we met?”

“Yeah, we used to-“

“HEY! You stay away from her wolfdog!” Steele and his gang had finally caught up with him and Steele jumped between Balto and Jenna, while snarling at Balto. “How DARE you hurt her like that!”

“Steele, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Jenna don’t you know who this mutt is? It’s that wolfdog, Balto,” Steele growled.

“Balto?” she replied. She looked at Balto, surprised.

“He’s a dangerous wolf and he could have hurt you.”

“No, I-I bumped into her. It was an accident, honest,” Balto protested.

“Shut up wolfdog!” Steele snarled as he reared up and knocked Balto back down with his front paws. He reared up for another strike, but Jenna stopped him.

“Steele, that’s enough!” she shouted. “It was an accident, and he said he was sorry. The least you could do is help him up.”

Steele glared at Balto and then at her. “Alright.” He went over and roughly picked Balto up by the scruff of his neck, taking the opportunity to whisper something in Balto’s ear. “If I ever see you near my girl again, I swear I will tear you apart.” He released Balto, who promptly scampered out of town. “Yeah that’s right wolfdog. Run along home! Run to your pack!”

Jenna had finally had enough and smacked Steele across the face with her paw. “Why do always have to be such a bully all the time?”

“But he deserves it!”

“No he doesn’t. No one ever deserves to be treated like garbage,” Jenna replied and stormed away from the husky.

“Looks like we got our slapping anyway,” Kaltag whispered.

----------

Balto padded up the gangplank onto his boat, his mind buzzing with what had happened today. He had seen Jenna again and her image had burned itself into his mind. In the year since he had seen her she had grown into a beautiful husky.

“So Balto, what happened today?” Boris asked as he passed by. Balto barely heard him; his thoughts were still on Jenna as he stared off into space. “Hello, earth to Balto,” Boris waved his wing in front of his face, which finally got his attention.

“Hm, oh sorry Boris. You were saying?”

“So what happened to you that has you so distracted today boitshick?” he asked.

“I saw her again. I saw Jenna again.”

“Jenna? Jenna who?” he replied. Balto told him how he used to live with Jenna and Rosy as a pup, and how Jenna became his best friend.

“And she had the warmest smile - it always made me feel… better,” Balto trailed off as the memories came back to him. “And her voice was the way it’s always been; so soft and kind.”

“Hehe, you sound quite taken by her. Was she a pretty girl?”

“… Yes. She was more beautiful than anything I’ve seen,” Balto replied.

“Ahhhhhhh, I think I know what’s going on. I’ve seen this before with those who are - in love.”

“Love… me… and her… but we… and she… it can’t be.”

“Oh it can boitshick. Trust me.”

----------

Chapter 5: Friends Reunited

Summer 1923

That night, Balto tossed and turned in his sleep. Every time he shut his eyes, her image filled his mind. Could what Boris said be true? Could he have fallen in love with Jenna that quickly? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Jenna out of his mind. She seemed to be calling out to him, wanting him to be with her.

Balto snapped his eyes open. The moon hung high above him, bathing the area in its pale light. It seemed like Jenna’s face was on the moon as well….

Balto got up and left his boat for the town, figuring a walk would help clear his head. All the residents had long fallen asleep, leaving the town deathly silent. Balto actually enjoyed the peace - no one was there who would pick on him.

“Maybe I should come out at night more often,” he thought as he trotted down the street. As he did, he heard another set of footprints crunching in the dirt. Automatically, he ducked behind a barrel to hide. As the steps came closer, he peeked out and saw that the footsteps belonged to Jenna. She walked past his hiding spot and he could hear her muttering to herself.

“I can’t believe him! That pompous glory hound, thinking he can treat me like that. Why did I even think of going out with him in the first place? I don’t think he even knows the meaning of ‘no’. No means no Steele! God, he is so thick! I should’ve just bitten him in the rear and be done with it. He’s too much of a defective lunatic to realize what a defective lunatic he is!” Jenna’s voice was no longer its usual sweet tone; it was bitter and angry. Balto peeked around the barrel and could see tears running down her face. She was feeling a mixture of anger and sadness - wanting to scream out and cry at the same time.

As she walked farther away, Balto leaned out more to continue watching her, but in doing so, he accidentally stepped on a twig. He saw Jenna’s ears perk up at the noise and ducked back behind the barrel but it was too late; Jenna knew someone was there.

“Who’s there? Whoever you are, I know you’re here. Show yourself.” Jenna started walking back towards the barrel Balto was hiding behind. Balto thought that maybe he should give himself up, but what if she thought he was spying on her. That would only make her angrier. “Steele, if that’s you, I told you I’m not interested so go away!” She came in closer to the barrel. “Alright, if you don’t come out in three seconds, I’m going to wake the whole town up!” That was the last thing Balto needed, to be surrounded at night. “One! Two!”

“No, Jenna wait!” Balto cried as he came out. “It’s just me.”

“Balto? You scared me!”

“I’m sorry Jenna,” Balto said holding his head low.

"It's okay Balto," she replied and both of them were silent, unsure of what to say to each other. Balto couldn't understand why he felt so nervous around her now. He had always been okay with her as a pup, so why was it so hard for him to talk to her now? "Could it be because of what Boris said? No, it can't be. I can't be in love with her already."

Finally, Jenna broke the silence. "Well, I've got to get home Balto."

"No, don't go. Not yet," he thought as she turned away. He had just found her after almost a year apart from her and didn't want her to leave after only a couple minutes. "Jenna wait!" he called out. "Can-can I walk with you?" he nervously asked.

"Well... " she hesitated. "Okay."

Balto padded up beside her and they started walking together down the dark street. At first they were quiet, but Balto wanted to say something - anything to her. "So, what happened that was causing you to rant like that?" he asked. It may have been a very personal question, but it was the only thing that came to his mind.

“I take it you overheard me there huh?” she said.

“Yeah, I kind of did. But if you don't want to tell me-”

“No it's fine Balto," she cut in. "It all started when I agreed to go on a date with Steele tonight. Biggest mistake I’ve ever made. All he did was show off how buff he was and brag about his various trips. But when I tried to tell him my own story, he said it was boring. I sat through his moronic stories so the least he could do is pretend to enjoy mine. He was so rude!”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Balto replied.

“Thanks, but you don’t need to say that Balto. Besides the stories weren’t the worst part. Soon after, we went to the beach and then he said ‘Jenna I’ve had my eye on you for a long time. I was wondering if you’d like to get a little… cozier with me, if you get my drift.’ I just about lost it then! All this time he just wanted to… ugh, I can’t stand the idea of doing that with that… that-”

“Defective lunatic?” Balto quipped in.

“Yeah! He’s a defective lunatic for thinking he can trick me into sleeping with him! I don’t care how much he claims to like me; I don’t like him at all!” she growled. “After I found out what he was really up to, I stormed off.”

After she finished her story, there was an awkward silence. Balto wanted to keep talking, but his brain didn't seem to be working properly. All he could do was look over at Jenna; he couldn't resist admiring her. Finally, she noticed this. "What? What are you looking at?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

“Um, your... bandanna,” he replied. He didn't want her to think he was ogling her. "Uh, where did you get it?

“Rosy gave it to me this Christmas," she replied

“I think it looks good on you,” Balto said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it seems to suit you,” Balto replied, and that made Jenna smile. Even though her body had grown and matured, her smile remained unchanged. It still provoked the same warm feelings that it always had. Soon enough, they had reached Jenna’s house.

“Well, goodnight Balto. Thanks for keeping me company.”

“You’re welcome Jenna,” he replied and she walked towards her shed, pausing at the doorway to say one last thing.

“Oh, and Balto… it was great to see you again.”

“Thanks Jenna,” he replied and she turned in for the night while Balto made his way back to his boat.

He barely felt the ground beneath his feet as he walked home, all the while thinking of what had just happened. "I talked to her. After all this time, I finally got to talk to her again, but why was I so nervous this time? I was never like that as a pup." Once he climbed onto his boat, he curled under his blanket. “I hope I get to see her again. I loved being around her. Wait, love? What are you thinking Balto?” As he started to doze, she began to fill his mind again, but instead of resisting Jenna’s image, he surrendered himself to it. Before long, he was fast asleep, dreaming of her.

"Could I be in love with her? Maybe, but would she feel the same if I told her?"

----------

Present Day

After Balto dunked his head into the freezing water, he slowly lowered his body into it. He had found a patch of thinner ice near the shore and broke through by slamming it with his full weight. He stayed in the water only for a few seconds - not enough time to let the cold get to him, but enough to let the water soak in and wash out any dirt. After that, he stood out of the water and shook himself off.

“Balto, what are you doing? That water is freezing!” Boris cried out from the boat.

“I’m just taking a quick bath,” Balto replied as the goose came down to the ground.

“I’ve never known you to take a bath in the winter. Can’t you wait until the water is less freezing?”

“Not really. I want to be a little neater for tonight,” he replied.

“And what’s so important about tonight eh? You’re acting like you have an important date.” Balto didn’t say anything. He only looked over at Boris, grinning. “Wait, you do have a date?”

“Yep,” Balto replied. “Jenna and I are going to have a little evening stroll.”

“That’s great boitshick! My little pup is going out on his first date. Oh, they grow up so fast,” Boris said jokingly.

“Oh come off it. I’ve been grown up for a while now,” Balto replied. He turned back towards the water and examined his face. He tried to push down a stray patch of fur on his head, but despite his fur being wet, the patch simply refused to stay down.

“Well, at least you’re grown up. I’m still waiting for the bears to do the same,” Boris muttered. On cue, two round polar bear cubs dashed right through the unsuspecting goose towards Balto.

“Balto! Your back! We’ve been looking all over for you!” the smaller one cried, while the larger one picked Balto up in a big bear hug. The smaller bear was Muk, and his brother Luk was the larger one.

“Haha, hey there boys. Luk, ease up will ya. I’ve only got one ribcage and it needs to last me a while,” Balto said. Luk let him go and Balto went back to the puddle.

“Mmm mfm ffm mmm mf?” Luk mumbled, pointing at Balto as he continued to clean himself.

“What is it?” Boris asked.

“Luk wants to know what Balto’s doing,” Muk translated. He seemed to be the only one who understood his younger brother’s mumbling.

“Oh, Balto is just sprucing himself up for his date with Jenna tonight.”

“Date? What’s a date uncle Boris?” Muk asked.

“Well, Balto and Jenna are two dogs who love each other. And when you love someone, you go on dates to spend time with them, and show them how much you love them.”

“So, you have dates with those you love?”

“Exactly.”

“Mff, mm, mff ff, mmmm,” Luk mumbled.

“You’re right Luk. We love uncle Boris, so we should take him out on a date!” Muk exclaimed. A few feet away, Balto sniggered.

“It doesn’t exactly work that way,” Boris replied.

“Sure it does, you said so,” Muk said. “You said when you love someone, you go on dates. We love you because you’re our favorite uncle, and so we should go out on a date.” Luk clapped his paws in agreement and picked Boris up.

“Ack, Balto, help me out here.”

“Aw, but Boris, they just want to show you how much they love you,” Balto teased. “Besides, it’s getting late. I’ve got to run,” Balto said as he dashed back towards the town.

“Balto, get back here! Help me!” Boris shouted, following with numerous Russian curses.

“Yay! We’re going to have so much fun. We’ll show you this fun hill we can slide down,” Muk said, as the two bears carried off Boris for their ‘date’.

----------

Eighteen months earlier, Summer 1923.

Boris found Balto perched on the prow of the boat, gazing out at the town. Occasionally he heard him mutter ‘Jenna’ with a forlorn look on his face. He had been doing this almost every night for the past week and Boris decided to intervene.

“Balto, if you are interested in this girl, you should tell her,” he suggested.

“I want to tell Jenna how I feel, but I can’t,” Balto replied.

“Balto, you shouldn’t have to hide how you feel. I’m sure Jenna cares about you too.”

“But I can’t. I just can’t tell her Boris."

“And why not? What’s stopping you?” Balto couldn’t bring himself to tell him, but he was not the only dog who had eyes for Jenna...

Steele had been spending a lot of time trying to court Jenna, and was almost always around her. If Balto tried to come up to talk to her, he would snarl and chase him off, nipping at Balto’s hindquarters as a warning.

"That's right wolfdog, run away! Besides, why would she even like a stray mutt like you anyways?" he would shout out while Balto ran. Steele saw Jenna as his, and wouldn’t let anyone else near her. Going near Jenna was impossible and every time he would have to turn away, it tore him up inside. As time went on, he began to wonder if Steele might be right. What if Jenna wouldn't like him at all?

“She and I… shouldn’t be like that,” he replied.

“Why not? What's wrong with liking her?”

“I’m a half wolf stray and she’s a purebred husky. She’s way out of my league.”

“Balto, love doesn’t care what you are, it cares who you are and how you act.”

“But still, what if I say it, but she doesn’t feel the same? It might put her off.”

“It might, but it might not. You’ll never know unless you take that chance.”

“I don’t want to take that chance! I don’t want to lose her!”

“So your plan is just to admire her from far away and hide how you feel?”

“It’s all I can do,” Balto replied solemnly. It really was all he could do. Steele had made sure of that.

Steele may have seen Jenna as his, but she did not feel the same. She made every attempt to get away from him, but he was persistent. They had almost nothing in common, yet Steele insisted that they be together. She grew to dislike him more and more each day, especially because of how he treated Balto. She hated seeing him chase Balto away and would tell him off every time he did it, but he would just shrug it off and go back to flirting with her.

The next time Steele left to chase Balto away, she decided to just ditch him. By the time he had come back, she was long gone. She hoped to find Balto somewhere in the town. After their last meeting, she had found herself preoccupied with thinking about him. He always seemed so lonely, and she wanted to help him by talking to him and being his friend. She trotted around the twisting alleys until she found something. There were pawprints everywhere in the dirt. One set was identical to a husky’s, while the other had the same shape, only much larger. “They almost look like a wolf’s… or a wolfdog’s! Balto I’ve found you!” She followed the larger set in behind the buildings, but as she did, she noticed little red dots along the trail. “It almost looks like… blood. Oh Balto, I hope you’re okay.”

She followed the trail until she was near the butcher's and found him, licking a small bite wound on his shoulder. When he heard her crunching through the snow, he looked up in surprise, expecting someone else to try to attack him, but was relieved when he saw it was only her.

"Oh Jenna, it's just you."

“Hi Balto, are you okay?” she asked.

“Well other than the fact that Steele keeps using me as a punching bag, yeah, I'm fine,” he growled. Jenna noticed the deep anger in his voice and was a little surprised by it.

“What exactly happened?” she asked him.

“Well, Steele went after me like he always does, shouting things at me. Finally, he said something that crossed the line and I… I lost it. I turned right around and charged at him. We fought a bit and I got this,” he said, indicating his shoulder. “But I managed to get a few hits on him too.”

“Wait, you attacked him first? Why?”

“He said something really awful… about my folks. Something that wasn’t true. I couldn’t let him get away with it. Not again,” he growled.

“But attacking him won’t make it right. If anything it will just prove what he says about you.”

“Well what else am I supposed to do!? I’m tired of running away! I’m tired of looking weak! If I can’t defend myself then what can I do?! Roll over and play dead?! Is that what you want me to do?!” he snapped.

“No,” Jenna replied, shocked at his outburst.

Balto saw he had upset her and pulled himself together. “I’m sorry I snapped at you Jenna, you don’t deserve that. I’m just sick of being treated like dirt by Steele. I want be allowed to live my life in peace. I just want him to stop.”

“I want him to stop too Balto,” she replied. That small sentence made all the difference to Balto. It meant that there was at least one dog that felt the same way as him.

“Thanks Jenna. You don’t know how much that means to me. It makes me feel a lot less…” he paused, trying to find the right word.

“Alone?” Jenna suggested.

“Yes. A lot less alone,” he replied. Jenna smiled at him and it made his pent up anger melt away. She was on his side, and that made a world of difference for him. "Balto, why don't you say it now? You have her alone with you so you can tell her you like her." However he was still unsure of himself, and hesitated. "Would she even like me back? I'm just a half-breed outcast. Then again, being the outcast means I don't have much to lose..." "Uh, Jenna... I-" he started, but he saw her ears perk up suddenly, reacting to another noise. "What is it?" he asked. "Please don't be Steele."

"There's something else here. Listen... " she replied. He strained his ears, and could faintly hear a small whimpering, coming from around the corner. "C'mon, let's check it out," she said and they both walked around the corner. Along the side of the building, Balto could see two wooden cages, filled with round balls of white fluff.

"What are they?" he asked.

"Polar bear cubs," she replied. As they got closer, they could hear that the two cubs were sobbing. “Shhhhh shhhh, it’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you,” she comforted and the cubs quieted down. “Can you tell us your names?” she asked.

“I’m Muk,” the smaller bear replied. “And he’s Luk,” he said while pointing to the larger bear.

“How did you two get here?” Balto asked.

“We were with our mum and then we saw the big people come,” Muk replied. “She told us to run, but we heard this loud boom and she fell down. We tried to help her up, but she wouldn’t move and then the big people caught us. They took our mum away, and put us in here,” he finished and then started to cry again.

“You’ve lost your mother… ” Balto replied. The ‘loud boom’ they described was probably a gun and if what they said was true, then their mother was gone. The cubs were just like him a year ago; scared, alone and orphaned. “Jenna, we’ve got to get them out of here now!”

“What?”

“They can’t stay here like this. They have no one to look after them,” he said and lowered his voice so the cubs wouldn’t hear the next part. “And if the humans already killed their mother for meat, they’re probably next.” Jenna nodded in agreement; staying here would be death for the cubs. But before they could think up a plan, the owner of the butcher shop came out and saw Balto.

“Hey you wolfdog! Get out of here. Go on, get!” he said as he brandished a broom, swinging it at Balto. Balto backed off, but he wasn’t willing to leave the cubs.

“Jenna, I need just a few minutes to figure these locks out. Can you buy me that time?” he asked, and dodged another swing of the broom.

“I’ll do my best,” Jenna replied. She grabbed the broom in her jaw and yanked it out of the butcher’s hand. “Good luck,” she said before running off with it.

“Hey give that back!” he shouted while he ran after Jenna. With him occupied, Balto was clear to do his work. He looked over the cages, and saw that the doors were only held closed with metal pins. Balto tapped it with his paw and found that the pins were quite loose. Getting an idea, he wedged his claw underneath the head of the pin and pulled it up. The pin slid out and the door swung open, releasing the smaller bear. He repeated that with the second cage and by the time the butcher returned, Balto and the bears were long gone.

“Pulling pins out of doors; I’ll have to remember that trick,” he thought as the cubs followed him back to his boat. Boris was more than surprised when Balto returned with two polar bear cubs, and at first wanted them out, but Balto begged and pleaded to let them stay. Only after Balto told him that they had been orphaned like him did the old goose relent. The bears warmed up to Boris in no time flat, and were soon calling him ‘Uncle Boris’. They still missed their mother, but Balto and Boris made sure the bears never felt alone.

----------

Chapter 6: Pushed Too Far

When Balto reached Jenna’s house the sun had already started to set. The citizens of the town were heading home for the night and soon the town would be empty. “Perfect, we’ll have the town to ourselves tonight,” he thought as he approached Jenna’s house. The door to her shed was slightly ajar. “Jenna, are you in here?” he asked as he poked his head in. Sure enough, she was there, having a quick nap.

“Mm, Balto? I was wondering when you’d get here,” she replied as she got up and stretched herself. Balto held the door open for her as she walked out of the shed, and soon they were off on their first real date.

“So, is there anywhere you want to go tonight?” he asked her.

“I don’t know. I just wanted a walk around the town. Maybe we’ll think of something on the way,” she replied. And so they went all around the town, not caring which direction they went. They had each other and that was more than enough. They walked through the town, telling each other stories and laughing at each other's jokes. Soon, the sun had completely disappeared, and only the moon illuminated the town.

“I’ve always liked the town at night,” Balto started. “I enjoyed the peaceful nights.”

“Well now you have someone to enjoy them with you,” Jenna replied and nuzzled him. He returned it with his own nuzzle, and they continued their stroll through the town.

----------

Balto and Jenna weren’t the only dogs out that night. Steele had decided to leave his hiding place and get some fresh air. He had hoped to spend the day being the hero, but instead he had been cooped up in hiding. Balto had made sure of that.

“This is all Balto’s fault. If it weren’t for him, I’d be the hero of the day. If it weren’t for him, those kids would have been petting me and giving me treats. If it weren’t for him, I’d have Jenna as my own.” Suddenly, a pair of voices approaching interrupted his thoughts. He instantly recognized them as Balto and Jenna’s. A cold wind had started to pick up, blowing through his thick fur.

“It’s getting a little nippy,” he heard Jenna say.

“Do you want to call it a night?” Balto asked.

“I’m not sure. I’ve had such a great time with you, I don’t want it to end,” she replied.

“You could’ve had a great time with me if you had given me a chance," he thought as he gave out a low growl.

“How about this; the old mill’s just a block away,” he suggested. “We can stay the entire night if you want.” They were just around the corner from him. All Steele needed them to do was walk a few more feet ahead and he could hit Balto with a sneak attack. Another gust of wind blew, this one much stronger than the first.

“Brrrrr. Okay, the mill it is,” Jenna replied. “Balto, did you always have to sleep in cold weather like this?”

“Sometimes, but I had a boat to shelter me and a blanket to keep me warm,” Balto replied. “There were a few chilly nights, but it was never as bad as when I went out to find…” Suddenly his head shot up. “… Steele.”

“I can’t imagine what that would be like at all... Balto what is it?”

“It’s Steele. He’s here, I can smell him on the wind,” Steele realized that he was upwind of Balto and his scent had been blowing into the street for a while. Any second Balto would round the corner and he would be caught, but Steele did not try to run. This was what he wanted - a chance to face Balto one on one. He waited for him to come around the corner, but he never did. Seconds passed, then minutes, but he still didn’t appear. Cautiously, he poked his head out of the alley and saw that the street was empty.

“Where did you go wolfdog?” he said out loud.

“I’m right here Steele,” Steele had barely turned around when Balto tackled him from above. While he had been waiting, Balto had snuck around and climbed up onto the roof above. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and Balto held him down with his paws.

“Well, well we meet again wolfdog. Enjoying your little date?” Steele taunted. However, Jenna was not there. “Probably ran off.”

“Didn’t your parents tell you to not spy on others?”

“Maybe, but do you think I would’ve gotten anywhere if I listened to them?” Balto may have surprised him, but Steele was bigger and stronger than him, not to mention the fact that he played dirty. He snapped up, not intending to hit him, just surprise him. His tactic worked, with Balto jumping back to avoid the blow, allowing Steele to get up to face his adversary. He lunged at Balto again and again, but Balto had learned from his past fight with Steele and backed off to avoid the attacks. He was avoiding the attacks, but Steele was pushing him deeper and deeper into the alley and farther away from any help.

Suddenly, Steele switched tactics and moved from a direct frontal attack to coming in from the side. He managed to knock Balto off his feet and bit down on his shoulder. He could feel his teeth scraping against the shoulder bone and enjoyed hearing Balto scream out in pain. Balto was down, but not out. He grabbed a hold of Steele’s front leg in his jaws, and yanked it out from under him. Steele was pulled down and the two canines rolled around, locked onto each other with their jaws until they went through a doorway and into an old, abandoned building.

Finally, Balto managed to free himself from Steele’s grip and rolled back to put some distance between them. Steele stood up with no trouble, and smirked when he saw Balto struggling to get himself up. Balto’s shoulder was in bad shape, as a narrow gash had been torn open by Steele’s bite. Blood ran down the shaking leg as it struggled to support his weight. The building they had rolled into was a remnant of Nome's gold rush days. When the gold ran out, the owners left with their treasure, leaving behind only a rusting oven and a few loose nails while the building rotted. Steele remembered this place; he and Balto had been here before.

“Well well, this looks familiar. Haven’t we been here before?” Steele asked, but Balto didn’t reply. He had always regretted what had happened here.

----------

One year earlier, Winter 1924

After their last tussle, Steele decided to get back at Balto in the meanest way possible. He lied and told all the dogs that Balto had attacked him unprovoked. That increased their hate for the wolfdog, and they stepped up their harassment. Before, they would either chase him away or avoid him entirely, but now, they would surround him and taunt him for being part wolf. They would say all sorts of horrible to things and push him around, kicking snow in his face, or nipping at his tail as he ran away.

But what the other dogs did to him was never as bad as what Steele would do. While the other dogs were content with simply shouting things at him, Steele would actively find Balto and physically attack him with his trio of friends in order to get back at him for their last fight. Balto may have been able to fight off one or two of them, he could never hold his own against four.

However, there remained one dog that refused to pick on him - Jenna. More than once she tried to make the others leave him alone, but she would rarely succeed. Worse still, the dogs would sometimes make fun of her too, calling her names such as 'wolf lover'. Unfortunately, she couldn't be there all the time, and most times Balto had no one to stick up for him. He did appreciate what little help she could give, but it would never fully reverse the damage done by the other dog's hurtful actions.

If he could have, he would have avoided the town altogether, but it was winter and the butcher shop scraps were the only reliable source of food, meaning Balto had to make almost daily trips into town. As hard as he tried to avoid it, someone would always see him and any dog in the area would rush to him in order to pick on him. The stress of being constantly bullied was taking its toll on Balto. “It’s all Steele’s fault! If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t pick on me all the time. I hate him! I want to see him to pay for what he’s done to me.” Despite Jenna's help, the constant harassment was making Balto bitter and more aggressive every day.

At first, when the dogs bullied him, he would simply walk away from their taunting, but the more times it happened, the more defensive Balto would get. He was getting sick of what they were saying, so he would crouch low and snarl at the dogs to try to scare them off. Sometimes they backed off, but most of the time, they would keep taunting him. Finally, it got to a point where Balto couldn't take what they were saying and he would lash out, once slashing open a dog's muzzle. It would always make them retreat, but after a few minutes they would come back and the whole thing would start over again.

Balto didn't see anything wrong with snapping back at the dogs, but Boris thought otherwise. “Balto, growling and fighting back won’t help you. It’s what they want you to do. They want to provoke you,” he said.

“Well what else can I do? I try to run, but they keep coming after me! Why can’t I fight back?” Balto replied.

“Because that would only prove what they are saying. They think that you are a dangerous wolf that will hurt them. Fighting back only confirms that.”

“But they started it!”

“That’s no excuse to finish it. Fighting them will make you no better than them.”

“But they still pick on me even when I don’t attack them! I want to show them that I won't take it lying down. I just want them to stop it.”

“I know you want it to stop, but this is not the way. If you keep fighting back at them, then they'll keep fighting back at you. You two will keep going around and around in a violent cycle with both of you only getting angrier and angrier at each other. The only way for it to stop is for you break that cycle.” Balto paced around the boat deck, still unconvinced. “Balto, this isn’t like you. You are a kind soul, and I don’t know why they can’t see that. You saved those two polar bears and until recently you were never aggressive with any dogs.”

“That’s because they were never like this with me before. The only reason they’re doing it is because Steele told those lies about me.”

“Okay, but if you keep fighting them, then you will only be confirming those lies. If you don’t act the way Steele says you do, then they’ll eventually figure out that he is a liar and stop.”

Balto thought it over. “Even if that happens, which it probably won’t, it wouldn’t change anything. They’ll still hate me for being part wolf.”

Boris tried to think of a counter point, but nothing came to mind after that. “Balto, I really don’t know what else to say that will make you feel better.”

“That’s because there isn’t anything you can say,” Balto replied. “I’m stuck being the outcast.” Boris could see that he wasn’t helping much, so he left Balto alone to sulk.

“I hate Steele! This is all because of him. I wish that something really bad would happen to him. I wish that he would go away forever and leave me alone.”

----------

A few days later, Balto was doing what he been doing almost all his life: running through the town to get away from Steele and his gang. Like all the other times before, it wasn’t because he had done anything to them, it was simply because he was there, and Steele felt like using him as a punching bag. Balto quickly turned down an alley, hoping to lose them in the side streets, but the alley was a dead end. He turned and saw the four dogs approaching him.

“Alright guys, lets do what we do best with wolves,” Steele growled as he sent his trio in front to gang up on Balto. This was what Balto hated most; Steele would rarely face him directly, he would always have his friends gang up on him and rough him up. Balto was sick of it and wanted Steele to face him directly.

“Hey Steele, why don’t you fight like a real dog and face me yourself, without your friends?” Balto growled. Nikki, Kaltag and Star just laughed at this, but Steele decided to take him up on his offer.

“Alright wolf, you want me, here I am. You three hang back, I’ll be finished with him soon.” They backed away and left the alley while Steele started to circle Balto. “You know, I never thought you’d have the guts to challenge me like that Balto. I guess you’re made of sterner stuff than I thought.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Balto replied. At this point, Balto didn’t care how much Steele could hurt him; he just wanted to hurt him back.

“I wonder where you get your bravery from,” Steele grinned evilly. “Although, I know it can’t come from your parents.”

“What?”

“Did you ever know your dad Balto? I didn’t think so. I bet he left you first. Probably couldn’t stand up to the fact that he had mated with a wild wolf and was going to have a half-breed kid. I know I wouldn’t stick around if that happened.”

Balto growled at Steele’s remark. “How dare you! My father did not leave me like that! You shut up or else!”

“And then there’s your mom,” Steele continued. “Oh she was probably so ashamed of what had happened too. She probably left you, hoping to forget about you.”

“You didn’t even know my mother, how could you say something like that?!”

“Would she be glad to see that you’re a survivor? Maybe, maybe not. You’d probably remind her of her mistake.”

“I’m not a mistake…” Balto growled through his teeth. “Any more, and he is going to get it. I’ll make him regret every word.”

“Oh yes you are Balto. You and all wolfdogs are mistakes. You’re not all dog, but you’re not all wolf. You’re nothing, and I’ll make sure every dog knows that. Even Jenna will know it,” he hissed.

“No… ” Jenna was the only dog who still didn't pick on him. He couldn't stand to lose her. “Not her. You leave her alone Steele!”

“Oh yes Balto. It’s a shame though; she seems to really like you. But at some point, she’s going to realize what you are. She won’t want to even look at you, you lowly, dirty wolf.”

That was the last straw; Balto would not let Steele turn Jenna against him. He snarled and launched himself at Steele, forgetting everything except his blinding rage. He wanted to make Steele pay for everything he had said and done to him. Steele was taken completely by surprise as Balto bit down into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Balto snarled ad he swung his paws wildly and bit him repeatedly, trying to do as much damage as possible. Shoulders, face, back, anything Balto could reach he attacked.

Steele tried to shake him off, but Balto was simply attacking too fast and he couldn’t get a clear shot. Finally, he kicked out with his rear leg and managed to kick Balto in the chest, knocking him off. He turned around to call his trio, but they were gone. Balto got back up, still growling and for the first time, Steele felt fear. He was alone and Balto seemed intent on killing him.

Steele tried to run out to the main street, but Balto jumped on him, latching onto the back of his neck. Steele tried to shake him off, but Balto’s hold on him was too strong. In desperation, he ran, dragging Balto with him. He ran right through a door into an abandoned building and smashed Balto into a wall, finally dislodging him. They were in what used to be someone’s home, but the owners had moved away, leaving the building to rot.

----------

Present Day

One year later, Balto and Steele were in the same abandoned building, facing off each other once again.

“Well doesn’t this bring back memories Balto?” Steele asked. “We were here a year ago, and here we are again. Funny how history repeats itself, isn’t it?”

“Are you sure you want that to happen Steele? I remember that day didn’t turn out very well for you,” Balto replied.

----------

One year earlier

The two canines faced off in the old building, their hate burning in their eyes. Steele was covered in cuts from Balto’s first attack, but he was built to take a lot of punishment. Balto had a few bruises from impacting the wall, but the adrenaline surging through him dulled any pain. Steele had tormented him all his life and Balto had finally broke under the strain. Nothing else mattered to him except hurting Steele as much as possible.

“I’ve got to get out of here!” Steele thought. “Wait, what am I thinking? I’ve never run away from anyone, and not going to start with this mutt,” Both charged at each other, colliding head-on. They exchanged blow after blow, with neither side ceasing their attack. All of the rage pent up in Balto had exploded out, taking over him and turning him into a rampaging wolf. Balto had already inflicted several injuries on Steele, and they were starting to weaken the husky. Balto made one last charge at Steele, pushing him back and smashing his head into the iron stove.

Anger still coursed through Balto's body, even though his enemy lay there defeated. Steele had hurt him since he was a small pup. No matter how many times he ran and escaped, Steele would always come back to torment him. Steele coughed as he started to stir. Once he would get up, it would be right back to the same old routine. No matter what, Balto would never escape from him. In his enraged state, Balto could only think of one way to ensure Steele would never come back to hurt him again.

You see, Balto was now under the influence of an emotion more powerful than anger: fear. Balto was afraid of Steele. He was afraid that he would keep hurting him, afraid that he might even kill him. This fear surrounded Balto, and he hated it. He hated living in fear. He wanted the abuse to stop, and his tormented mind could only think of one way to accomplish that. He thought he was doing the right thing, when in fact; he was going to do something far worse than anything Steele had ever done to him.

Before the husky could get to his feet, Balto grabbed his neck in his jaws and started to squeeze. Steele swung his paws to try to knock him loose, but Balto barely felt the scratches in his adrenaline-fueled rage. Balto pressed harder with his jaws, biting into his flesh and constricting the windpipe. As he gasped for air, Balto could feel his enemy growing weaker. Soon, Steele wouldn’t be able to hurt him anymore.

"Balto no! Stop!" he heard a voice cry. Balto let go in shock and looked up to see Jenna standing in the doorway with a look of pure horror on her face, "Balto, how... how could you?"

“Jenna?" Balto said, starting to break from his rage. She had started crying and it crushed his heart. She started backing away from him. “No, Jenna wait!” he called out, but she dashed away from him.

Balto forgot everything about Steele as he ran after her. “Jenna, wait! Come back!” he shouted, but she kept running from him. “Jenna, please stop!” She was his oldest friend, and he couldn’t bear to lose her. He wouldn’t let Steele be right.

“Jenna!”

----------

Chapter 7: A Promise

Present Day

Steele bitterly remembered that day; it was the first time Balto had utterly beaten him. "Alright, you did beat me that day wolfdog, but you didn't have the sense to finish what you started."

"Steele, if I had any sense that day I wouldn't have started in the first place," Balto replied.

"Heh, you still cling to your good-boy ideals do you?"

"And you still cling to your selfish ego," a voice shot out. Steele looked back and saw that his own team, along with most of the town’s dogs were gathered around the doorway to the cabin. "It's over Steele," Jenna called out. "We've got you now."

“No. It won’t end like this,” Steele growled. He was not about to lose to Balto. Snarling, he grabbed Balto by the scruff of his neck and tossed him across the room, slamming his injured shoulder into the hard iron stove. Balto collapsed from the pain and Nikki, Kaltag and Star stepped in to help him. "You three back off! He's mine!" Steele growled.

"No Steele, we've backed off for too long now," Kaltag replied, standing to face him directly. "We're going to help him out and if you want him, you'll have to go through me first!" Steele couldn't believe it. After all this time of being on his side, why was he suddenly standing up for the wolfdog?

"And me!" Star cried, "If you want him, you're gonna have go through me too!"

"Yeah!" Nikki replied, also putting himself between Steele and Balto.

"Me too!"

"And me!"

Encouraged by Nikki, Kaltag and Star, other dogs also stood up for Balto, putting themselves between him and Steele. He may have been able to fight through one or two of them, but not all of them. He was vastly outnumbered, but he still refused to admit defeat. "No!" he growled as he tried to launch himself through them, but the second he jumped, every dog was on top him. Soon, he was trapped in the massive dog pile.

He could feel the others biting and grabbing a hold of him, dragging him away. No matter how hard he struggled, the mob was much stronger than him and he soon found himself being dumped onto the wooden floor of the old mill. He got to his feet as the dogs surrounded him in a circle. Over their heads, he could see Jenna and Kaltag help Balto limp into the mill. He tried to charge at him, but every time he would be pushed back by the crowd.

Finally, Steele gave up and sat down in the middle of the room. Every single eye was trained on him. "Well, well Steele. You sure do have a lot of explaining to do,” Doc said to him. "Let's start with why you refused Balto's help." Steele didn't respond and only spat at the old dog. "Steele, it's either this or face the crowd." Steele looked around and was reminded how hopelessly outnumbered he was.

"Fine. I wasn't about to let any wild wolf take my team,” Steele growled.

“Even though you were lost and time was running out for the children?” Doc asked.

“It was my team. Besides, they were the ones that abandoned me out there!” He turned towards his old team. “Why did you leave me back there?!”

“Well, you weren’t exactly willing be on the same team as Balto,” Kaltag replied.

“And if we waited for you to smarten up, it may have been too late for the kids,” Star continued.

“Next question - and this is the most serious one: why did you sabotage the trail?” Doc asked.

“Yeah Steele, why did you try to send us the wrong way. You almost got us and those kids killed!” Balto shouted.

“You’re right, I almost did get you killed wolfdog. Too bad I didn’t succeed.” The room fell deathly still after he said that. Steele could tell by their faces that he was in for it now.

“So it was all to get rid of one hybrid wasn’t it?” a female Samoyed spoke. Balto recognized her from the previous night as the one who had called Jenna a ‘lobo lover’. “The medicine and the mission didn’t matter to you at all did it? It didn’t occur to you that those kids were dying?”

“It was my race and I should have been the one to win it!” Steele shot back. “I’m not going to lose to some mutt!”

“A race? That’s all you thought it was?” It was Spitz, another dog who had given Balto a hard time the night before. “Good lord Steele, this wasn’t a race for glory or trophies. This was a race for people’s lives. The stakes were much higher.”

“My little Danny almost died last night!” the female Samoyed screamed. “Didn’t you care?”

“I… uh… ” Steele stammered. His mind drew a complete blank as he struggled for an answer.

“My kid’s my best friend,” another husky put in. “I trusted you to bring the medicine and save him. I trusted you to help him but you didn’t!”

“I… don’t believe you guys. I can’t believe you’re siding with this wolfdog,” Steele growled. “Spitz, I know you don’t like Balto, so why are you siding with him?”

“You’re right, I don’t like him, and I don’t think I ever will,” Spitz replied. “But he didn’t try to send the medicine the wrong way.”

Everywhere Steele turned, he got a similar response. No one wanted to help him out and some purposely looked away from him. Finally, he reached Nikki, Kaltag and Star. “Guys, you’ve always helped me out. You’ve got to give me something.”

“Sorry boss. This time, you’ve gone too far,” Kaltag replied.

“But I’m your lead dog!”

“Not anymore. A true leader would have gotten us home. A true leader would have been willing to admit they were wrong!” Kaltag shouted. “A true leader wouldn’t have lied about what happened! You’re no leader! You’re nothing but a fraud!”

“How dare you…”

“In case you haven’t noticed Steele, I’m not afraid of you anymore, and neither are they,” Kaltag finished before starting to walk towards Steele.

“What are you doing?” Steele said.

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” he replied, before headbutting him full force, knocking him to the ground. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that to you.”

Nikki and Star came over as well to look at their disgraced leader. “Steele, you’re no champion of ours. You don’t even deserve that fancy collar,” Star said, and in one motion, grabbed the collar in his jaws and yanked it off Steele’s thick neck before tossing it off to the side.

Finally, all the collective anger that had been building up boiled over as every dog started screaming their own thoughts.

“String him up!”

“Bite his head off!”

Doc tried to restore order, but everyone was shouting and barking at the same time, he could barely hear himself over the din. Finally, Balto let out a piercing howl that grabbed everyone’s attention.

“Alright, I know everyone’s angry - I know I am too, but we need to decide what to do next.”

“I know what we should do next. We should tear Steele up for trying to kill those kids!” a large malamute shot in. Most of the room clamored in agreement. Balto looked over at Steele, who was now lying on his belly with his tail tucked underneath him. Balto thought of letting the dogs have their way with him - it would serve him right for what he had done. But there was something else too; Steele was whimpering.

In all the time he had known him, he never seen Steele whimper in fear. Seeing his enemy broken and humbled like this affected Balto. It reminded him of that day one year ago when he wanted to get revenge on him. Since then, he had regretted that day, and swore he would never let anything like that happen again. He would not allow any more pain to occur because of their feud.

“The only way for it to stop is for you break that cycle.”

“Lets get him!” Kaltag started, but Balto stepped in between him and Steele.

“No. This has to stop.”

“No? Why not Balto? He deserves it.”

“Maybe, but would hurting him change what he did? Would it make us any better than him? At one time I may have agreed with you, but not today. Today, I’m stopping the violence.”

“Balto… I-” Steele started, but Balto cut him off. He may be willing to save his life, but after what he had done, he was not going to let him off easy.

“Steele, I want you to walk away,” Balto growled. “Walk away from this town. Walk away and never return.”

Steele couldn’t believe it. Balto was actually evicting him from his own town. “And if I don’t?”

“Then let’s just say that I don’t think I can stop all of them if they want to take a chunk out of you,” Balto replied, indicating the other dogs. “Just be grateful I gave you this mercy.”

Steele realized that he was truly trapped. Fighting would mean death, staying would mean death. They didn’t want him anymore and so he was being tossed out in the cold. Without a word, he stood up and left the room, breaking into a run when he got outside. He didn’t care which way he went, just that he got as far away as possible from the wolfdog that had ruined his life.

----------

After Steele had left the town, one by one, the dogs left the mill until two remained: Balto and Jenna. Balto’s shoulder was still wounded, but the bleeding had stopped and it was already starting to heal over. He had lain down in front of the boiler and Jenna snuggled herself into his side.

“I guess the mill was a good call after all,” Jenna said, giving him another nuzzle and Balto hummed in agreement. His eyes were closed as he let the radiant heat wash over him. “Balto, why did you let Steele go?”

He looked over at her. “Someone had to stop the fighting, the constant cycle of revenge. No one else would, so I took charge,”

“Well I’m proud of you Balto. Most dogs wouldn't have been so forgiving.”

“Hey, I did make a promise to you didn’t I?”

----------

One year earlier

Balto ran through the streets following Jenna, trying to get her stop and listen to his side of the story. She tried to lose him in an alley, but it was a dead end. She turned and saw Balto approaching her.

“Jenna wait-”

“You stay away from me!” she screamed. He tried to explain himself, but she was still hysterical. “How could you?! How could you do such a thing?” she shouted.

“He deserved it,” he replied, but that only made her angrier. In one motion, she raised her paw and slapped Balto across his face.

“That’s not good enough! You almost killed him!” she screamed at him, and he stood there, shocked by her strike. That one slap knocked him back to his senses and the full gravity of what he had done hit him head on. She was right; he had tried to murder Steele. Balto could still taste the blood in his mouth and it made him sick. "Oh... I... almost... Oh my god, what have I done?!" he cried out and started to panic.

"You almost became a killer, that’s what," Jenna replied. “Why… why would you do something like this?”

"I-I don’t know. They-they were chasing me. Always chasing me,” he stammered. “We started arguing, and then I-I snapped. I-I couldn’t take it anymore. No matter what he would always come back. I would always run, but I could never escape. I-I just wanted it all to stop," Balto finished before collapsing into a sobbing heap. “I just wanted him to stop!”

As she watched him sob, Jenna finally understood what he meant. Steele had been tormenting him since day one, never ceasing with his brutal treatment. Balto would always run, but he could never escape Steele’s torment. This made him feel trapped, and like any trapped animal, Balto lashed out in an attempt to protect himself. Unfortunately, Balto felt so threatened, that he thought he needed to kill Steele to protect himself. Steele had always called him a dangerous wolf, and he had become just that.

"Oh Jenna, I... I almost..." he stammered.

"I know Balto, but you stopped. You stopped before you could do anything truly horrible,” he didn’t respond, and covered his face with his paw. “Balto?”

“It’s okay Jenna, you can say it,” he replied. “I’d understand why you wouldn’t want to be around me anymore. I’m nothing but a dangerous wolf.”

“No you’re not Balto. You are not dangerous.”

He removed his paw and looked up at her. “How can you say that? You saw what I did, so why would you still care about me?“

“Because I know you. You may have gotten into fights with the other dogs, but it was only because you were provoked. You never attacked for no reason.”

“I guess… but Steele is never going to forgive this. He’ll come back and keep hurting me. It will never end.”

“Maybe, but Balto, no matter what I’ll always be on your side,” she replied.

“Really?” he asked.

“Of course. I’ll always stick up for you, as long as you promise me one thing.”

“Promise you what?"

“Promise me you’ll never do anything like that again. Promise me you’ll never hurt anyone like that again. Please, just promise me.”

“Alright, I promise you Jenna,” he replied, and she gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen.

“I promise you Jenna…”

----------

Present Day

“I promised you that I would never do anything to harm another dog and that's what I did,” Balto said. “They did push me around more because of what I did to Steele, but no matter what, I just walked away from them. Even if they had me cornered, I would never lash out. When Steele knocked me down when I offered to take the medicine, I just got up without fighting back. And today, I didn’t fight him, even after he had beaten me up. I kept my promise.”

“And I kept mine,” Jenna continued. “I have always put in a good word for you. Even though it sometimes got me some funny looks, I still vouched for you.”

Jenna laid her head down and Balto rested his on top of hers. Both rested in silence, finally together in peace. After all they had been through together, there was only one thing left for him to say.

“I love you Jenna.”

“I love you too Balto.”

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Epilogue

Steele stumbled through the dark streets, weak from constantly traveling. He had been wandering for days, unable to find food or warm shelter. He had no idea where he was, only that he was in another town. Finally he collapsed from exhaustion, unable to go any farther. As his vision blurred, he thought it was the end of him, but fate would be on his side that night.

As he came to, he could feel warmth all around him. He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying near a boiler in a small room. Against one of the walls were several sled dogs of various breeds. Some were sleeping, while others were talking with each other. When one of them saw that he was awake, he came over to Steele.

“Where… where am I?” Steele weakly asked.

“You’re in the town of White Mountain. Can you tell us who you are?” the husky responded. Soon, more dogs came surrounded him, curious about the newcomer.

“I’m… Steele.”

One they had heard his name, the other huskies murmured in surprise. “Uh-oh, Sonya’s going to want to know about this,” he heard one say.

“I already do,” another voice called out. This one was from a female. She had dark grey fur running around her back and face, transitioning to a lighter grey, then white at her paws, muzzle and underside. She looked like any husky, except her tail hung down instead of curled up and her eyes were golden-yellow. She came through the crowd and faced Steele directly.

“Hello there Steele… ” she said coldly.

“How does she know me?”

“You may not remember me, but I remember you. I remember everything you did to me. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

“Wait, I think I do know her. She’s… oh no.”