Foreword

This is it - the wait is finally over. I've tided you over with a couple shorter stories such as "An Average Day" and "His Brother's Jealousy", but now it's time for the main event. The highly anticipated sequel to "Protecting Their Own" is finally here and I promise you it will bring as many, if not more twists and turns than any of my stories yet. It's been a long process not just for me, but for my beta reader Omnitrix12/Dragon Tamer as well, but it's all been worth it. All that's left is to release it to the masses and see how you, the readers, will enjoy it.

When we last left our band of heroes, they'd barely escaped from a total catastrophe. Balto attempted to broker a peace deal between the dogs of Nome and a wolf pack whose territory was being infringed. Despite a few bumps along the way Balto pushed on, determined to protect the town he cared about. It looked like victory would be at hand, but that victory would be cruelly snatched away when the alpha female of the pack was shot by humans before she could be returned safely to her home. Tikani, the alpha male of the pack held Balto responsible for her death and vowed to never forget it. By the time of this story, a month has passed and our favorite half-breed has been looking over his shoulder, wondering if - or how - Tikani would strike next. The answer to that will come soon... but it won't be the answer he thought it would be.

These events took place in my last big story - "Protecting Their Own" - so you can take a look at that one too if you wish. I'm sure by now you've seen enough of this blurb, so I'll take my leave and let you enjoy my latest story - "The Road Home".

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Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you? I can always go out another day."

"You don't have to put this off because of me. I'll be fine; you go have fun with your friends."

If anyone happened to be passing by a small shed that morning, they would have heard that exchange… if they were a dog that is. If they were curious enough to poke their head inside, they would find - along with a multitude of garden tools, a cushioned basket and other odds and ends - two canines. The first to speak was a scruffy, brown furred male with a concerned look in his amber eyes. His concern was directed at the red and cream female with him, who didn't see any need to worry.

"Balto, it's just going to be for the afternoon; I'll be fine. Besides, you said yourself that you promised to see Maska today. I'd hate to think that you wouldn't keep a promise to a fellow wolf," she replied. The reason she used the phrase 'fellow wolf' was because Balto wasn't all dog. While she was a purebred Siberian husky, Balto was a wolf hybrid, with the wild traits mingling with his husky side. Some saw that as a reason to ridicule him in the past, but she always saw more. He didn't have any reputation to start out with, so she let his actions do the talking for what kind of dog he was… but at the moment, his actions were making him look overly anxious.

"I know… but it's you and I'd hate to leave you alone like this Jenna," he replied, shuffling his large paws a bit.

She smirked. "I know you care about me, but if I could hold up for days while waiting for you return with the medicine, then I'm sure I can hold up for my day with the vet."

He smiled as his tail gave a slight wag; she was always able to put things in perspective. "Okay, you got me there," he replied. "But it's not just because I care about you – it's because I love you and I want you to be safe."

If one looked at their pasts, they would see that Balto and Jenna had feelings for each other from when they were very small. Those feelings grew as they did, but Balto was seen as an outcast for most of his life. This stigma prevented them from spending the time they wanted together, and it wouldn't be until a recent crisis that they would get the chance to grow closer. Diphtheria broke out among many of the town's children, including Jenna's girl, Rosy. Determined to help those he cared about, Balto set out and returned the medicine to the town. For his great deed, he was hailed a hero and most of the prejudice against him faded away. Thanks to this, they were able to finally admit their feelings, growing much closer to each other in the past two months than they could have in the at least two years they knew each other.

Despite his sentiment, she still thought he was making a mountain out a snowdrift. Rolling her brown eyes, she sighed a little. "Good grief, you're making it sound like I'm having an operation but it's just a check-up. I have them all the time; it's part of being a house dog."

"Yeah… and to be honest it's not exactly a part I envy," he said sheepishly while looking off to the side. That was the big difference between them: Jenna got to live the easy, accepted life of a house dog while Balto was still a stray, providing for his needs himself. He didn't get all the privileges she enjoyed, but recent months made him appreciate some of the extra freedoms that living 'off the leash' afforded. One of those was freedom from visits to the vet; the last time he'd been to a doctor was during his short stay with Jenna's family as a pup. The thing he remembered most vividly from that visit was the shots – the multiple shots – and from then on he hated the idea of those cold, sharp needles poking him. She chuckled at the irony of this. He had raced to deliver life-saving medicine to sick children, but when it came to seeing a doctor himself, he always turned skittish. That anxiety was what was making him antsy about her going as well.

"They're not my favorite thing in the world either, but it's always over before you know it," she assured him.

Their ears perked up when they heard the creaking of metal hinges and saw a small red-headed child opening door, with her mother standing nearby. This kid was Rosy and she beamed brightly when she saw her four-legged hero. "Balto! Jenna! Come here you two!" she called, and they happily obliged, bounding over with wagging tails to lick and nuzzle her face.

"I know you want to play with them but we have to get going Rosy. The vet is waiting," the older one said to her daughter. "Though, at the rate we're going we may have to start telling him we have two dogs to look after."

"Maybe we should. I'd love it if Balto could live with us, and I'd bet he would too, right boy?" Rosy asked, and he wagged his tail happily at the thought. Her mother chuckled because they'd been down this road before. Rosy had taken such a liking to Balto that she'd tried more than once to get her parents to take him in and make him part of their family. They were still a little hesitant to take in a wolfdog who had lived wild for most of his life, but even she was starting to warm up to the affectionate half-wolf. Above all, they just wanted to make sure that he would be safe in their home.

"Well, if we were to do that we'd have to make sure he's caught up on all his shots first," her mother replied, and the mention of shots made Balto's entire body stiffen and go on alert.

The needles… the sharp, piercing pins that sank into him and left a lingering sting. He was in no rush to be re-acquainted with them, so now would be the time for him to take his leave. "WellyouhaveagreatdayI'llseeyoulaterIloveyouJenna," he said swiftly while nuzzling her. Before Jenna could get a reply in, he had bolted away from them and any mention of the vet, leaving the slightly confused family behind.

"Or maybe later," Rosy's mother said as they watched him depart at lightning speed. He let himself slow down once he was a few blocks away and at a safe distance from any mention of getting shots. Besides, Jenna was right; one day away wouldn't hurt him. There were times in the past where he'd go weeks without seeing her... but that was back when he was still an outcast.

Back then, Balto rarely strayed out onto the streets. That would have only attracted attention from the dogs and humans that despised him, and encounters with them rarely went well. For most of his life he had been restricted to using alleys in order to travel safely. Delivering the medicine and ending the diphtheria outbreak, put him on the good side of those in town, allowing him to walk the streets freely. The town was bustling with it's usual daily activity. Adults went to and from the different shops and businesses as part of their daily errands, while children played in the streets, chasing each other or throwing snowballs as part of their games. With the human residents, there were also many dogs, some walking by their owner's side, with others just roaming of their own will, alone or chatting with their friends. Being a northern town, the majority of the dogs were working sled dogs, but there will also some unique breeds in the mix, kept by their owners as pets and companionship.

As he turned a corner, he heard a cheery voice call to him from across the street. "Balto! Hey there!" He turned and saw it was a grey-furred female husky who called for him. He stopped to let her catch up and they walked together side by side along the street.

"Kari, I haven't seen you around in a little while. How are you doing? Is your team still going out?" he asked.

"I'm okay, and so is the team," she replied. "And we did go out and even managed to find some game."

"That's good to hear. Maybe you'll soon find another good spot for your owner to hunt," he replied.

"Maybe… but the area seemed pretty empty when we looked. It's nothing like where we found that herd near… that pack," she said, hesitating with the last two words. Her ears fell flat against her head and her cheer immediately fell with the memories that started to surface.

About a month ago, Kari's team had started hunting game in a valley that was within the borders of a pack led by a wolf named Tikani. He reacted to what he perceived as an invasion by attacking the dogs, and later Nome itself. On one of their raids, they abducted Kari as a demonstration of what they were capable of. While that was a big blow to the dogs, they also had an instance of good fortune. Tikani's mate Kisa had been knocked out and left behind in the fight, and that led Balto to devise a very ambitious idea. He wanted there to be peace between them, and he now had something to bargain with. He went to Tikani and got his attention long enough to start brokering a deal with him. It went well, with them actually reaching an agreement and preparing to return everyone to their home. However, it was in this moment of glory that everything fell apart. Balto couldn't stop Kari's brother Spitz from breaking Kisa out to try to save Kari himself. Kisa was seen and shot by the humans, and when Tikani found out he went ballistic and blamed Balto. They were very close to losing their own lives but a quick intervention by Maska and his own pack saved them. They got home safely, but they weren't able to save the deal Balto put so much effort into.

After that, Kari's team never tried to enter the wolves' territory again, meaning they would have to go elsewhere to hunt food to support themselves and their owners. Try as they might, they couldn't find anywhere else that had the abundance of game that Tikani's pack held. They were barely getting by and it showed; Balto couldn't help but notice that Kari - along with everyone else on the team - were much leaner than a month ago. Despite the hardship, they were still grateful for Balto's efforts to help them.

There was a pause as Kari tried to push the memories of that incident out of her mind and return to he present. "So, where are you headed?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I'm off to see Maska today. You can come with me too if you're free," he offered.

"Um… I'm not sure," she replied, her expression giving away her apprehension. She wasn't admitting it, but he could see that the experience with Tikani's pack had shaken her up quite a bit. She stayed quiet after that, staring off into space as they walked. When they reached the edge of town she stopped, looking out at the forest attentively while shuffling her paws. She looked ready to bolt away from anything that might run out of the woods at her.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? I don't think Maska would mind," he suggested, but she only let out a small whimper.

"No, it's okay. I should be getting back home anyways. It was nice to see you again Balto." she replied quickly. She turned back into town, still taking nervous glances behind her shoulder.

Balto watched her depart before starting to trot across the open tundra towards the woods that lay beyond town. He couldn't help but feel for her because of what she went through. Not only was she taken away from her home by force, she was faced with certain death and then the closure of any deal that would have helped them. He wanted so badly to be able to help them, but so far nothing came up. Despite their gratitude, he still felt that it was his responsibility to help them - anything less would be failure.

It didn't take him long before he passed through the treeline and into the pine forest. As he let his thoughts mull, he took in the scenery around him and let a contented smile cross his muzzle. It was a clear day in early April, and the snow looked like it had run its course. Birds chirped in the trees, and in the distance he could hear the faint tricking of a stream starting to thaw. Very soon, the warm weather would come and free Alaska from winter's icy grip, bringing the freshness of spring. He soon found the path he used and trotted along it, venturing deeper into the woods. His destination was the territory of a pack led by a wolf Balto befriended named Maska. He offered Balto a place in his pack when he was having some trouble adjusting to the town, but he opted to stay near the town after Jenna tailed him and convinced him to come back. Despite living near the town, Maska still made Balto and Jenna honorary members of his pack, giving them the same friendship he gave to the wolves that followed him.

After a couple of hours trotting through the woods, Balto knew he was getting close. Coming up over a hill he knew to be their southern border, he saw a familiar red-brown she-wolf sitting in the snow. Usually, she was the type to sneak up on him, but this time he wanted to turn that around. Crouching behind the brush, he circled around her as quietly as he could. She didn't react as he crept up behind her, so he assumed she didn't know he was there. He'd gotten behind her and was only inches away from the back of her head when she suddenly said, without even turning towards him, "I know you're there Balto so don't bother trying."

He groaned when he realized that once again, she had the upper hand. "I don't know how you do it Anya. How long did you know I was here?"

"A few minutes before you started sneaking around," she replied, turning to face him with a cheeky grin. "If you don't want to be found, always tread softly on the snow well before you see someone."

"You should also approach from the downwind side. It'll prevent your scent from giving you away," another voice put in. Over the brush stepped a large, brown-furred wolf. This was Maska, and he was one who knew he what he was talking about. While Balto had found Anya, he had no idea that Maska was waiting for him as well.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I hope I'm not too late for today."

"Don't worry; we don't run on the sharp schedules the humans force on themselves, so there's no such thing as too late with us. As long as you're here, that's all that matters," Maska replied before the three of them set off deeper into the territory. The range Maska's territory lived on contained mostly tree cover, with low hills, a couple of streams and a ravine on the eastern border. It was a rather humble piece of land, but it was one that Maska and his pack were proud to call their own.

"So, how is Jenna doing back in town?" Anya asked.

"She's doing fine. She's got a little appointment with the doctor today and I made sure to say goodbye before she went," he replied.

"Doctor?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity. The term was unfamiliar to a wild wolf like her because they did not have doctors to care for them. If they got sick or injured, they had to hope for it to heal on its own… or they would perish.

"A doctor is a human whose job it is to help the sick and the hurt," Balto explained. "If you fall ill or hurt yourself, you can go to a doctor. They help you get better using medicines and other tools." At this, Maska and Anya wore very concerned looks, but Balto knew how to reassure them. "Don't worry, she's fine. Sometimes you also go to have yourself looked over. They check to see that everything's working fine, while looking for anything that might not be easily visible. She's just having her regular checkup."

"That seems odd; one would think you'd know if you were okay or not just by how you felt in the morning," Anya said.

"Maybe, but it's how the humans like to do things. There isn't any harm in double-checking," Balto finished. He knew that there would be a few culture gaps between dogs and wolves. Just as how Maska and Anya could explain things about wolves to him, he could explain things about the humans to them. That was part of why Balto was here; he wanted to learn more about the wolf side that he only recently embraced. It was quite an experience for him, but there was still that part of him that wanted to be comfortable in a human home, with a family.

"Other than that, how well is everything going in town?" Maska asked.

"It's been pretty quiet," he replied. "I saw Kari today. She and her team are doing okay… but they haven't been able to hunt as much as they would like. You wouldn't happen to have anything that could help them would you?"

"I'm sorry but we don't," Anya replied. "Anything we found was either too small for long-term hunting or too far away to be practical."

"Darn… there has to be some way I can help them. I have to find something…"

"I know you want to be the good guy here, but there are some cases where nothing can be done," Maska urged. "Yes, it's hard to take, especially when it's something beyond your control, but when it happens, all you can do is minimize the damage."

"Except I could have controlled this. Everything would be okay if it weren't for one small, stupid oversight on my part. I have to make this right."

"For the umpteenth time, stop beating yourself up for it," Anya retorted, glaring at him sharply. "You can't change the past. Sometimes you don't find the solution yourself… sometimes the solution finds you when you're not looking for it. At the very least, you should be glad that we've gone this long without seeing any sign of Tikani."

"That's true; I'm glad not just for the town's sake, but mine as well," he replied, his ears falling flat at the thought.

"I won't forget what you've done to me."

"You've known him longer than me; is he the type to hold a grudge?" Balto asked.

"I wish I had a better answer for you, but I don't know. Nothing like this has happened before… but I doubt that he'd drop this easily. The bond between mates is the strongest in the pack and if it's lost, it's never forgotten," Maska replied. "There's no doubt that he hates you now… but whether or not he will act on that hate is a different question. Here's what I do know: None of my scouts has seen anything out of the ordinary on their borders. If he's brooding, he's doing it privately… I prefer to think that no news is good news."

"Maybe it is," Balto mused while glancing to the side. They could see that he was still a little down and if there was one thing that Anya hated, it was moping, so she shifted gears to get his mind off what was troubling him.

"Going back to earlier, I think it would be good if we showed Balto some tricks to help him move a little stealthier," she suggested. "I'm sure that he's starting to get tired of me constantly one-upping him."

"Ah, I think I know what you're getting at," Maska continued, nodding as he caught on to her intent. "He does need to learn to move more like a wolf and less like a bear."

"I do not move like a bear!" he protested.

"Sure you don't," she teased, giggling a little.

With that, they spent the remainder of their day showing Balto various ways to make himself less obvious in the woods, from stepping quietly and tracking wind direction to minimizing his prints and keeping his stride down to a jog instead of a full run. The last one proved to be more difficult for Balto because he was part racing dog. His instinct was to stay ahead of whatever was chasing him, but Maska told him otherwise. "The main aim is to stay quiet and conserve your energy," he explained. "Only when you really need to should you break into a run… then you can unleash the full potential of your sled-dog side." Balto took it in quickly, and while he still needed much refinement, he quickly got the basics down over the course of the afternoon.

Before he knew it, the sun was descending towards the horizon. Jenna would probably be finished with her appointment by now, and Balto wanted to get home before it got dark. He knew better than to be out alone at night, and he also had the hope of spending the night with her. With his head full of everything he'd learned, he bid them goodbye and promised to see them again in a few days. He wanted to go alone, but Maska still saw it fit to assign one of his scouts to accompany him home. They may not have seen any sign of Tikani for a month, but it was still better to be safe than sorry. The trip home stared out well, but as they passed out of Maska's territory, neither Balto nor his escort noticed the forms moving in on them from the east…

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Everything was dark, blurry. His head was throbbing from… something. The last thing he remembered was walking home, but something came at him so quickly that he never saw it coming. There was noise behind him… voices? All his senses seemed to be stuck in a haze, but it passed as he woke. The blurred shapes became more visible and the voices became clearer to his ears. He was in a cave and there were two others having some sort of argument. He couldn't easily make out who it was because of the low light - this quickly told him that it was night by now. He didn't know how, but he'd been knocked out for a few hours.

"I'm not trying to go against you on this. I'm just saying that this carries a lot of risk. Once they realize he's missing, they will come for him in force," the first voice said.

"Then let them come. Go and put the pack on alert," the second voice replied.

"But we might not be-" Balto groaned as he started to stir, catching the first voice mid-sentence. "Look, he's starting to wake up."

"It's about time. As for you Atka, you have your orders," the second replied. There was the sound of snow crunching as the owner of the first voice dashed off while the second padded over to him. "Glad to see you're finally awake. Despite my beta's reservations, I'm glad you're here." Balto tried to focus on the voice; it was familiar, but he couldn't put a pin on it. "Oh come now, where's the hello? Don't you remember me?" the second voice taunted.

Finally Balto got the strength to raise his head enough to see who was talking, but when he saw who it was, he wished he hadn't. "No… you… anyone but you," he said to the dark-furred wolf before him.

"Oh yes, it's me," he taunted. "I told you I'd never forget what you did to me." This wolf was the absolute last creature that Balto wanted to see, even more so than his former enemy Steele. This wolf was far worse than any of the antagonistic dogs; he was actually malicious, and Balto was at his mercy.

"Tikani…"

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Chapter 2: A Call To Action

Sleep was of little comfort for Jenna that night, coming only in small snatches. She knew Balto would be out for most of the day, and she assured herself that he could just be running late. The day came and passed, but there was still no sign of him. She figured she would see him by morning, but his absence bothered her a little. Something didn't feel right, and that caused her to have a fitful sleep that night. Eventually, morning came, but when she opened her eyes her shed was still empty.

Now she was starting to get anxious. He was never this late and he would have told her if he would be. She got up and pushed the door open before setting off onto the street, hoping to find him on his boat. The daily crowds of people on their errands was only starting to warm up, with none of them thinking that anything was off. It was another day for everyone else, but as she started walking along the street, she heard the rapid patter of paws coming towards her. Her first hope was that it was Balto, but when she turned around, she was disappointed to find it was only a tan Chinook who looked like he was in a hurry.

"Jenna, there you are! C'mon, you gotta come with me right now," he said, panting.

"What? Why? What's going on Kaltag?" she asked. Kaltag was one of the dogs on the sled team that helped Balto during the serum run. Previously, he'd been one of Steele's lackeys who helped alienate Balto, but things changed when Steele tried to keep Balto from helping, and later tried to sabotage the rest of the team on their return. He switched sides and was now one of their best friends, along with being the new lead dog of Nome's championship team.

"It's about Balto; c'mon, you have to come to the mill with me," he replied, and they set off quickly, running past the clueless residents. The second he mentioned Balto, she started to get queasy; his serious expression didn't help her anxiety much either. Multiple nightmare scenarios started running through her head. He could have been attacked by another grizzly bear, or shot by a hunter who mistook him for a real wolf. He could be hurt, alone… or dying… "Please be okay Balto. Please be okay…" she whispered, hoping for the best, but trying to prepare for the worst. They may have been together for only a couple of months, but already it felt like he was a part of her; a part that she could not go without.

Entering the mill, she found a commotion inside that was quite unusual for this time of day. Normally empty early in the morning, the mill was as full as an evening gathering. That commotion ended the second she entered, and soon the room was quiet enough that you could have heard a pin drop. Many dogs bore worried or sympathetic expressions and that only increased her fear. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good. Scanning the crowd, she was very surprised to see Maska there. Many dogs were wary of wolves and the last time they let one into the mill was during an emergency… 'Please let him be okay.' Maska was talking quietly with an old St. Bernard named Doc, but he too became silent when he saw her enter. With a neutral face, he approached. Right away, she could tell he was not here for a social call.

"Jenna, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but there's no other way to say it. Balto's been… taken," he explained. "It seems to be the work of Tikani and his pack."

This may not have been one of the possibilities that Jenna was thinking of, but it was no less horrifying. Tikani had sworn revenge on Balto, and if Maska was right, then he was about to carry it out. He believed in justice by reciprocating the actions of others, and since his mate had been killed... "No, not him… please tell me you're wrong," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please… it has to be some sort of mistake."

"It's no mistake Jenna. I have a witness to it all," he replied before looking to his left. She saw two more wolves - Anya and another one she didn't know. The new wolf's fur was mussed up and there were some bites on his shoulders - he looked like someone who'd been in a nasty fight.

"It's true," the new wolf affirmed. "I was told to escort Balto home, but just as we left our borders we were beset by four wolves from the east. They knocked Balto out on their first hit and overpowered me soon after. They left me behind while they dragged him away towards their territory," he explained. "Their scent was unmistakably from Tikani's pack. I'm sorry, but I failed in my duty to you," he finished, bowing his head in shame.

"Hey, it's okay," Kaltag reassured him. "I'm sure you gave them a good fight anyways."

"No, it's not okay - he's going to kill Balto!" she cried out before collapsing in grief. She had never thought about losing Balto before, mostly because she thought it could never happen. They were young and had all their years to look forward to together. Tears started to form in her eyes while Maska came over to comfort her.

"I know it sounds bad, but the fact that they took him alive should be a cause for hope," he urged. "As far as we know he's alive and can still be saved!"

"But we can't waste any time here," Kaltag added. "We have to act fast if we're going to get him back from that psycho."

"If we're going to mount a rescue, we'll need greater numbers to help us," Maska continued. "In fact, that is part of why I'm here."

"Is your pack going to help us?" Jenna asked hopefully as she sat up.

Maska's face fell once more. "Unfortunately, I couldn't get the support I needed to launch a rescue from my end," he replied. "Things are already quite tense between our two packs. Many feared that any further action would push them over the edge, leading to open war. They are willing to do many things for friends, but a total fight like that is not our way. In a case as dangerous as this, I only risk bringing the wiling with me… but only Anya and I seemed to be willing. It was a hard thing to see, but at least I gave them the choice to fight of not. I may not agree with their decision, but I do respect that they made it honestly."

"Is that all you came to tell us? That we're on our own for this and that it might not be worth it at all?" a malamute snidely put in.

"Not at all, so don't put words in my mouth, dog," Maska growled, adding extra venom to the last word and causing the malamute to shrink back. "We are here of our own accord because we believe that Balto is alive. We are here because we want to save him, despite the odds. I'm sure all of you would know what that's like, considering what he did for you." Maska's words resonated with them and they knew he was speaking the truth. Turning to Kaltag, he added, "You're the lead dog that everyone looks up to right?" Kaltag gave him a nod, and Maska bowed his head slightly. "In that case, consider me at your service."

"Thanks Maska, but we're still going to need more bodies if we're going to pull this off," Kaltag replied. "Any volunteers?"

"Hey youse aren't going to leave without your best friends, right?" a stocky red chow put in while a smaller husky with him nodded.

"Of course not," Kaltag replied. "That'd be the dumbest, the stupidest, the most foolish-"

"We'd feel forgotten!" the smaller husky cut in. Kaltag chuckled as he bopped the husky gently on the head. The chow was named Nikki and the husky was Star – they were his two closest friends and would probably follow him to the ends of the earth.

"Alright, anyone else?" Kaltag's friends may have been willing to jump at the call, but the reception from the crowd was far less enthusiastic. Some whispered amongst themselves, while others tried to avert their gaze.

"Please, you have to help him… after all he did for us," Jenna pleaded, but her words were not enough to sway them. Scanning the crowd, she tried to find those she could make personal pleas to. Finally, she found two smoke-grey huskies she hoped would hear her out. "Spitz, Kari, you both know what Balto has done for you; don't you want to repay him?" she asked.

"I do, and it's not that I'm not grateful, but..." Spitz started, holding his head low. "I've tangled with these wolves one too many times with no victory over them. I'm sorry, but I can't… I don't want to lose anything to them again," he finished, looking over at Kari. She too shared his feelings about this, compounded by the anxiety that any mention of the wolves brought. Looking around, that seemed to be the prevailing thought among the dogs, with some holding their ears flat against their heads at the thought of facing them again. They all had been terrified by the sudden attacks from Tikani's pack a month ago and it was still fresh in their minds. Many of them had been unwilling to fight wolves then, preferring to stay in the safety of their owner's homes. The fact that Balto had failed to reach a deal with them didn't help their spirits either, nor was the fact that they were not the types to drop everything and march off to fight. Most of them had their own lives and families to be with, and they didn't want to lose them.

"Please, won't anyone else help," Jenna begged as her tears returned.

"I'll help," the female Samoyed sitting beside Spitz said. Jenna knew her as Carla, and was a little surprised to see her stepping forward. Previously, she had been quite antagonistic towards her and Balto because of their relationship, and yet here she was, stepping up to help him. "I know I haven't exactly been the nicest to you, but… he did try to help us before, and he did save my kid... I suppose I owe him for that."

After her, a few more dogs stepped forward: Dale and Trip, both from Kaltag's team, along with the burly malamute that snidely cut Maska off, hoping to make amends for what he said. Jenna knew she was going; there was no way she'd sit on the sidelines if Balto was in danger. The other wolf with Maska pleaded to be allowed to come too, but his alpha wouldn't have it.

"You've already done more than enough for us. You don't need to subject yourself to any more harm," Maska explained. "I don't often do this, but I must ask you to return home… or do I have to make it an order?" The subordinate knew the debate was over and obeyed, leaving a total of ten volunteers.

"Ten… that can't be enough," Jenna mused as she looked at their group.

"It's not for a full-out assault, but brute force attacks rarely work, especially on a pack as strong as Tikani's," Maska replied. "As for their unwillingness… I'm no expert on dogs, but I'm sure most of them have their own families to think of. You can't ask someone to march away if they put their family first. You live comfortable lives in your homes and don't know much about conflict," he explained, trying to help her come to grips with their reluctance to help. "Don't see it as cowardice if they have their own to protect and look after; just be glad that we got those we did."

"Besides, ten just might be enough for what I'm thinking of," Kaltag put in, a large grin forming on his muzzle. "It's quite clever actually, taken right out of Tikani's playbook. It's the most ingenious, the smartest, the sneakiest-"

"If it's so great then spit it out already," Anya cut him off. It didn't take Kaltag long to explain the whole thing, and once they knew what they were doing, they headed out, ready to bring Balto home.

'Don't worry Balto, we're coming for you.'

----------

Balto opened his eyes, but Tikani's presence earlier was not any nightmare or trick. He was still the wolf's captive, and had been so for most of the day. He passed out again shortly after seeing him, but now his body had recovered more, allowing him to remain conscious. Without getting up, he glanced around to take in his surroundings. He was definitely in a small cave with two wolves standing guard at the entrance. Daylight streamed in, and the fact that he'd survived to see another day gave him the most hope.

'I'm still alive. He's kept me alive for a whole day instead of quickly killing me,' he thought. 'I have to hang on because of that… Jenna and the others will notice I'm gone and find out what has happened. That just leaves the question of why - why did Tikani grab me like this?' He would get his answer soon when Tikani entered, wearing an arrogant smile on his muzzle.

"I trust you're comfortable?" he asked slyly.

"As comfortable as one who's been dog-napped can be," Balto replied flatly, glaring at his captor. "Why are you doing this Tikani? Why, after all this time?"

"Ah yes, I suppose I wasn't as punctual as before. Believe me, I wanted so badly to just march over there and kill you for what you did to me."

"If that's true, then why am I still alive? Why haven't you gotten it over and done with?"

"Because Balto, you caused me so much pain and grief that to simply kill you would not have been enough," Tikani replied. "No, the only way justice would be served is if you feel my pain."

"Of course… I should've known that even after what happened, you'd still be the same wolf that thinks an eye for an eye will solve everything."

"And you're still the same meddling half-breed who doesn't know when to not stick his nose in," Tikani shot back, baring his teeth. "You don't know what I've been through… do you have any idea what it's like to have someone you love ripped away from you while you're too far away to do anything about it?" he asked, his voice wavering with emotion. "Do you have any idea what it's like to love someone with all your being, to have someone be a part of you, then have that part destroyed by reckless negligence?"

Balto could see that Tikani was fighting hard to contain his grief. The wolf was in a very emotionally vulnerable state, but Balto knew that was an opening he could exploit. "I may not know what its like to lose a mate, but I do know what it's like to lose someone close to me," he started. "When I was just a pup, my mother… vanished. Without any warning I was left alone, with no one to support or love me." Tikani stopped for a moment and Balto went on, hoping to get through to him. "I do know what it's like to lose someone you love and it's something I wouldn't wish even on my worst enemy. There's been enough hurt to go around; you don't need to make it any worse," he finished, hoping his words would sway him.

"You lost her… but you never knew what happened," Tikani said softly. "Was it easier to not know?"

"A little. There's always the hope - however slim - that she's okay and that she's out there, waiting to find me," Balto replied.

There was a pause, but Tikani's neutral expression soon turned to anger. "Well aren't you so damned lucky! You have some hope but I have none! I know she's dead because I saw what happened to her! She still died after you swore that she would be safe!" Balto's optimism faded when he saw that Tikani had gone right back to being angry and unstable, lessening his chances of escape. "You may think we're the same but we're not. Kisa's death was preventable and someone has to pay for it. You have to pay for it."

"Fine; I tried to reason with you but it's obvious you've let your anger and grief consume you," Balto replied. "You know what, I pity you Tikani but it's not because of Kisa's death. It's because of what you've let yourself become."

"Don't you dare try to take the moral high ground on this!" Tikani shot back. "You're here because of what you did and you're going to face the consequences soon enough."

"Maybe… but you should know that this won't go unnoticed. Jenna and the others will notice I'm missing and figure out what happened. When that happens, they'll come for me with force," Balto said, playing his last trump card. "That won't end well for your pack. If you don't want anyone else to get hurt, I'd suggest you'd let me go before Maska or Jenna storms the place."

At this, Tikani started to smile. Balto thought that it was because he loved the idea of a fight, but he was in for a surprise. "You're sure that the husky you adore so much will come for you?"

Balto was a little surprised by the question, but he was sure of his answer. "I'm positive - in fact she'd probably be leading the way."

Balto knew that Tikani was not one to be easily rattled by threats, but he didn't expect him to grin so evilly, nor did he expect him to start laughing. "Jenna will come here… perfect, just as I hoped." Balto gave him a puzzled look, which only increased Tikani's sadistic joy. "Oh, I thought you were smart enough to figure out what I meant when I said I'd make you feel my pain," he started. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you or even harm you in any way. Far from it; in fact I want you to stay alive… while I kill Jenna."

This revelation made Balto feel as though he'd been kicked in the chest. Losing his own life was one thing, but he never thought he'd be able to cope if Jenna was killed. "No… you can't…" he gasped as his ears fell flat and his eyes grew wide in shock.

"I can and I will," Tikani replied. "You took away my mate… so I'm going to take away yours."

"NO!" Balto yelled while having his charge held back by the two guards. "I won't let you! You can't do this! We have to-"

"Find another way?" the wolf taunted, using the words Balto used so often a month ago against him. "Oh believe me, this is my other way. This is the fair way."

Balto growled as he struggled against those holding him. He had to get free, stop Tikani, stop the dogs, just do something to stop what was going to happen. His heart raced as he fought hard to get away and save his one and only love. Finally, Tikani tackled him and slammed him hard against the ground, knocking the wind out of him. The guards also attacked, quickly rendering him unable to fight. As Balto gasped in pain another wolf came in, panting.

"Our scouts have spotted a group of dogs and wolves approaching our borders," he reported. "The husky you want is with them."

"Perfect," Tikani cooed and started to leave, pausing at the entrance. "Oh, and I'll remember to bring her body over to you… after all, that's what your dogs did to me," he finished, laughing maniacally as he left the cave. As he lay there broken and facing a deranged lunatic, a curious change started to occur in Balto. Tikani was going to cross the line on this one and that smothered Balto's pragmatism, replacing it with raw, unfiltered rage. His beaten body couldn't do much now, so he focused on recovering himself. The faster he got up, the faster he could stop Tikani's mad plan.

A few feet away, the wolves guarding him started to chuckle. He strained his ears to listen while he started to collect himself. "It's too bad that we can't be there when it happens. Everyone else gets to have fun while we're stuck here."

"Yeah, but someone has to make sure the half-dog doesn't cause any more trouble than he already has," the second one replied. "I'll be glad when this is over."

"If you ask me, I'd rather catch the husky and have some fun with her," the first one added with a chuckle, not knowing that his words pushed Balto to rise to his feet, a growl forming in his throat.

"Even though she's one of those stupid, begging dogs?" the second one asked.

"Why not? I'd love to make the little bitch beg for me," the first one said, chuckling again.

"She wouldn't do a thing for you," Balto growled behind them. His guards turned to see him on his feet, fur bristling in anger.

"Oh yeah? Well what would you do stop me?" the first guard replied, walking over to be right in his face. "You don't know how to stop someone. You just know how to talk their ear off, but I ain't listening!"

"That's fine, because I don't have any words for you… only this," Balto spat, and in a flash, he lunged. He snapped his jaw around the wolf's leg, catching it at the joint. In one swift jerk, he twisted his head and the wolf shrieked as his leg snapped apart at the joint. He collapsed, unable to retaliate due to the pain. With one foe incapacitated Balto turned his focus to the second, who turned out to be nowhere near as bold as his comrade. He only stood there in shock at the swift brutality that had been unleashed. Balto looked from the first wolf to the second with a cold stare. "I may not have any words for him, but I have five for you," he growled, baring his fangs. "Get out of my way." It needed no further convincing and stepped aside, allowing Balto to dash out of the cave in pursuit of Tikani. He was a half-wolf with a mission, and that was to save Jenna… no matter what.

----------

After reaching the riverbed, Jenna knew they would have to act quickly. It wouldn't be long before Tikani's scouts would catch them and send reinforcements, but that was part of the plan too. They split off into groups of two or three, each taking a different direction. Once they were spotted, they would turn around and lead their pursuers away. It would mean having to run for their lives to prevent being caught, but Maska gave them directions towards his own territory, telling them to go there for safety afterwards. The hope was to divide the wolves attention and confuse them enough so that they wouldn't notice their final move.

Out of ten dogs, only two would make any attempt of a rescue: Jenna and Maska. Since the light of the day would make cover almost impossible, they would have to rely on the diversion from the other eight. Everyone else would draw the wolves away in order to clear a path for them. Once that path was open they would make a beeline into Tikani's territory, following the faint trail of Balto's scent. The hope was to get him quickly and then rush south to escape before anyone realized it. Any improvisation would have to be made on the fly if something went wrong. Right before entering they split up, each taking a different direction into Tikani's territory while Maska and Jenna waited for the coast to be clear. The alarm howls from Tikani's scouts was their signal, and when they heard it, they charged in without looking back.

Jenna had never run so hard in her life, but her drive to save Balto gave her strength and endurance she never knew she had. Her legs propelled her forward, and she sucked in the brisk winter air as she charged ahead. Just as he would do anything in his power to save her, she would do the same for him. 'No one takes my Balto and gets away with it,' she thought as she raced through the woods. On either side, the woods were empty and silent - at least that's how they seemed. Suddenly, another form burst from the bushes and collided with Maska, knocking him off his feet.

Jenna skidded to a stop, but he barked, "No, keep going!" as he grappled with his foe. "I'll be right behind you, just get to Balto!" Wasting no time, she complied, sprinting away. Maska was a strong wolf and would be able to handle himself. She ran alone, sometimes slowing down to get another fix on Balto's scent. She could still pick up a faint trail, and hoped to not lose her fix on it. However, after the third time she stopped to sniff the ground, she screamed in terror when she looked up.

Instead of dealing with the decoys, Tikani headed straight towards his objective. Now, she was faced with the vengeful wolf as he smiled evilly at her, completely unaware that she was his true prey. "There you are," he said. "I knew you'd come for your mutt… and now I have you right where I want you."

----------

Chapter 3: Desperate Escape

Jenna's gaze locked on the alpha wolf, but she was surprised to find that Tikani looked perfectly happy to see her. One would think that having their territory invaded would at least annoy a proud wolf like him, and his glee put her off quite a bit. "Well you don't seem too concerned about how we've rushed into your territory like this," she said, trying to hide her apprehension with confidence. He started to circle around her and she mimicked his action to keep her distance, waiting for his next move.

"I don't care what happens with the rest of them," he replied. "I only cared about finding you… so that I can seek justice for what happened to Kisa."

"What happened to her was an awful accident and we all feel terrible for it," she started. "You don't have to do this. Please, don't use her good name to justify revenge."

He only snorted at her plea. "You're no better than that half-dog. You think you can bargain and reason your way out of this, but there's no way you can make up for the loss of someone I loved with all my heart," he growled. "You can't buy me off because you were the ones who did wrong. You are the ones who have to own up for this."

They continued circling and she knew that if he attacked, she wouldn't last very long against him. The same would happen if she tried to strike first. No matter what, he would have the advantage in any one on one conflict. Her only hope was to stall him long enough for support to come to her. She had to keep him talking.

"It was only one dog acting on his own that broke her free… but in a way, you're right," she explained. "We were responsible because we could have done more. We could have kept a closer eye on her, but we didn't. We didn't do everything we could have and we know that. Each and every one of us is deeply sorry for your loss, but as much as we'd like to, we can't change the past."

"That's right, you can't change it," he said. "You can't change what you did… just like you can't change what I'm going to do now."

"And what is that?" she asked, desperate to keep him talking. As long as he was talking, he wasn't attacking.

"You may think guilt is enough of a punishment, but I don't," he explained. "I need closure, I need compensation. I need Balto… to know what I feel," he said. "I'm sorry it has to be you. You haven't done anything wrong… but Kisa didn't do anything wrong either," he finished. Something about what he said made her flight response kick in to high gear. She was out of time and the only thing she could do was to turn tail and run. She only got a few strides in before Tikani bolted at her, catching her bandanna. As he yanked her back and pulled her to the ground, every fibre of her body became devoted to getting away from him. She kicked, scratched, and bit at him to try to get away, but nothing had any effect on him.

He rolled her onto her back, holding her chest down with his large paws. His weight pressed painfully on her, preventing her from pushing him off. She knew that being belly up was the worst position to be in and repeatedly snapped at him, hoping to catch his muzzle or neck with her teeth. If not that, then it would at least block him from making his own strike. Not about to let any husky stop him from getting what he wanted, Tikani slammed one of his paws down on the underside of her muzzle. With one paw holding her body and the other holding her jaws back, he'd not only stopped her attack, he'd also fully exposed her neck. Nothing she could do would stop him from making the lethal strike and ending her life. She was trapped and completely at his mercy.

"One life for another… this is for you Kisa," he said, baring his fangs.

Jenna's eyes widened and her heart raced in terror when she saw the fangs that would sink into her and end her. No matter how much she squirmed, kicked and scratched, Tikani held firm. Things seemed to go into slow motion as his muzzle lowered, inching her closer to her demise. 'No, it can't end like this! Balto, anyone, help me!' she thought, unable to scream her pleas. 'Help, someone! Anyone! Help me! BALTO!'

"JENNA!"

Both of them heard the roar right before a raging brown blur plowed into Tikani, knocking the wolf clean off her with enough force to send him flying six feet away. She gasped and shakily got up to see the one creature she wanted to see above all. With enough strength and determination to make even the strongest warriors crumble, Balto stood stoically opposite Tikani. He stared down the wolf, fire blazing in his golden eyes as he crouched, ready to charge at him again. Both males were growling, their ears flat and their fur bristling in aggression. The normally calm and collected wolfdog had become something else entirely, the change brought on by the danger she was in. Her welfare and safety was above his own, and he was ready to do anything to keep her safe.

"I am willing to forgive many things, but this isn't one of them!" Balto bellowed. "You won't harm even a single hair on her as long as I stand."

Having Balto charge into him was one of the last things Tikani expected, but he stood proud and undaunted against his adversary. "I was hoping to make this quick and painless, but as always you have to make things difficult," the wolf sneered. "No matter, I can dispose of you before dealing with your husky."

Looking back at Jenna, Balto could see her courage return with his arrival. 'She's made of sterner stuff than I thought… but this trap was meant for her,' he thought. "Jenna, you've got to get out of here!" he pleaded.

"What? I put a lot of effort getting here to save you," she replied. "I'm seeing this through to the-"

"No, listen, this is what he wanted! He wanted you to come here!" Balto exclaimed. "I was just the bait. It's not me he wants, it's you! He wants-" He was cut off when Tikani jumped on him, trying to bite his neck and finish him off. Balto returned by biting the wolf's leg, making him lose his balance and topple over. Tikani switched his focus and instead sank his teeth into Balto's chest, not as a lethal strike, but enough to cause some damage. Balto cried out in pain and tried to pull himself free. "Augh, don't worry about me! Just get out of here! Run! Run as fast you can! Run!" His wound leaked blood, wearing him down before they flipped over again, with Tikani going back to being on top.

Despite his wishes, she was not about to let him be taken down if she could do anything about it. Ignoring Balto's yells for her to do otherwise, she growled and lunged at the wolf, sinking her fangs into his shoulder. The sharp sting from her teeth made him break his grip on Balto to focus on her. Even with all his strength and cunning, Tikani's one failing was that he had never mastered handling more than one opponent at once. With his focus on her, he left an opening for Balto to exploit. Jenna had a grip on his left shoulder and Balto sprang up and snapped his jaws onto his right, trapping the wolf in a two pronged vice. Tikani's head snapped back and forth, trying to loosen the grip of one of them, only to have the other tighten their hold. Without needing to say anything more, they both started to push him back. His paws slid on the ground and tried to resist, but they kept on pushing him. Finally, with one massive shove, they pushed up and flipped Tikani right over his backside, slamming his head into a tree. He cried out from the pain and crumpled in a heap, unable to fight any further.

Balto gasped from the exertion after letting go, before turning his focus to Jenna. His jaw dropped open a little in awe at how - despite all the risks - she still charged in to save him, helping turn the tide in their favor. "I knew you could do many things but I never thought facing down a wolf that wants to kill you would be one of them," he started.

"It shouldn't be such a surprise. I took on a bear that was at least twice as mean for you," she replied, and Balto couldn't help but chuckle a little. Not only could she handle these things quite well, she ended it with a smile when the day was won.

"Now that's the Jenna I fell in love with," he said, tapping his nose to hers and taking a moment to enjoy their reunion. It felt like they had won the day, but that joy vanished when they heard a loud howl ring out a few feet away.

Tikani was howling for his pack and they could hear more barks and howls in the distance, coming towards them. He was still shaky from the blow to his head, but he was able to get to his feet, chuckling softly. "You fools. You should have killed me when you had the chance," he said, his breath coming in gasps from the pain in his head. "Now my pack will come and end you, all because you had to be so forgiving."

As fear rushed into both of them, Balto knew he was right. Tactically, leaving an opponent able to call for help was always a bad decision... but it was one that Balto would have made anyways. "That may be, but that's because killing isn't my way."

"Weak fool…" Tikani spat, but Balto could see he was still too hurt to follow. With the pack closing in by the second, he took off with Jenna without a second thought. They didn't know which direction they were going, only wanting to get as far away from the pack as possible. The sounds seemed to come from all sides, echoing between the trees as they raced away from them. Jenna's legs burnt as she tried to keep up with Balto's sprints, even though he was holding back. He was capable of running faster than he currently was, but if he tried to, he would have left her behind. They had a head start on the pursuing mob, but they would have to keep moving to keep it up.

"What is going on here?" she asked. "What does he want with me? I thought you were the one he had the problem with."

"I am, but he wants to use you to hurt me," he replied. "He wants to make me feel what he felt with Kisa's death. He thinks the only way for justice to be served is if I go through what he did by killing my mate… by killing you," he finished.

"Me? But I've done nothing wrong and neither did you," she countered.

"That's not how he sees it. He doesn't care about what you did, only about hurting me. His grief has turned him into a mad wolf on a crusade."

They weaved around trees and rocks, trying to stay ahead of the howling mob, but the sounds were growing louder and closer. It wasn't long before it sounded like they were just past the last hill, their pursuit aided by Balto's chest wound. While it only let out little drops, it was enough for a good scent trail. Adrenaline surged through them, pushing them beyond their normal limits to keep them alive and running. It was a much-needed boost, but even that boost would run out eventually, leaving them at the mercy of their pursuers. Jenna remembered the plan to run to Maska's territory for safety, but she didn't know which way to turn – the rush to get away meant she didn't have her bearings in this unfamiliar territory.

"Balto, we have to get out of their territory," she cried. "We have to get to Maska or back to town."

"I know, but we can't go with either of those," he replied. "The sun is setting behind us and a bit to our left. That means we're heading northeast, while they're coming from the southwest. If we try to go south or west, we'll run right into them."

He heard her curse under her breath. "Just when I thought this plan would work, it falls apart around me," she said with annoyance. The hope was to draw the wolves away and scatter them to open a path to Balto, solving one problem, but causing another. Most of the distracted wolves would have been to the west and once called, they closed the gaps, blocking their escape.

"Hey, I know the feeling," he replied, giving some comfort to her. The collapse of his plan for peace a month ago was still fresh in his mind. Last time they had the backup from Maska's pack and their friends, but this time, there was a line of vengeful wolves between them and any support.

"If we can't go back then what can we do?" she asked.

"Just keep running and hope they stop when we leave their borders," Balto replied.

"And if they don't?"

"Then I don't know," he replied. "I know it's a dumb plan, but it's all I have right now. I don't know what else we can – WHOAH!" he cried, skidding to a stop when he saw the ground drop off sharply into a steep gorge. Jenna halted right beside him and stared across the abyss with wide eyes. The opposite side was at least fifteen feet away; much farther than either of them could jump. Looking back, he saw a few wolves start to come over a distant hill. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place; trying to jump would mean death, but surrender would mean death as well. Running was useless with the gorge blocking their escape, but fortune would still be on their side that day.

When he looked up and down the gorge, he saw a fallen tree spanning the gap. "Over there!" he called out, and they rushed towards it. A quick push test proved that it was stable enough to cross. In ideal conditions they would have only crossed one at a time, but these were hardly ideal conditions. Sending her over first while he followed, they walked gingerly along the trunk, trying to maintain their balance - along with resisting the urge to look down. The tree creaked and groaned under their weight, and a couple of times it slipped a little from its hold on the other side. The sudden jerks almost made them lose their footing, but she dug her claws into the wood to keep from sliding off while he grabbed a branch that stuck out to steady himself. The howls were almost on top of them when Jenna made it over to the other side, landing on solid ground. She turned and saw four wolves were already at the gorge, heading towards their bridge. Balto was a few feet behind her, but he was running out of time. The tree was wobbling and if the wolves tried to cross it, they would send it hurtling down the gorge, taking him with them.

"They're coming!" she cried. "Jump!"

Wasting no time, he complied, springing the last few feet onto the opposite ledge. He knew that there was nothing stopping the wolves from using the bridge to follow them… which meant that there should be no bridge to cross. Rearing up, he slammed his paws on the tree, using his weight knock the already unstable tree down. It shook and dropped a few inches on the first blow. By the time the wolves reached it, he slammed it a second time, sending it off its perch and crashing down to the bottom of the gorge below, leaving only open air between them and the wolves.

Their advance had been halted, and the wolves paused to stare at them, sending over a few angry barks before departing back into the woods. They knew they couldn't cross the gap so they went to regroup with the others and plan their next move. When they vanished, the surge that their fear and panic gave them wore off, and the exertion from their escape caught up to them. Balto's legs felt like they were on fire and he panted rapidly, but Jenna was worse off. Her chest heaved as she gasped in air and her legs collapsed from under her, completely spent. He saw her stumble and came over to help.

"I'm fine, I'm okay," she said as she tried to get up, but her limbs still shook under her.

"No you're not, you're exhausted," he replied, sitting close enough to allow her to lean into his chest for support. "You're not okay… neither of us is okay. Tikani wants to kill you and he probably wouldn't hesitate to do the same to me," he continued. "He was so close to it too… I almost lost you," he finished, his voice cracking slightly. Now that the immediate danger had passed, his bold bravado faded, replaced by his usual caring demeanor that hated to see those he cared about hurt. Raising his front legs slightly, he placed them around Jenna, pulling her closer to him. For a canine like him, it was the closest thing to a hug he could do and it let him hold Jenna securely, without feeling like anything would take her from him. "He almost-"

"But he didn't," she replied, nuzzling his chest and feeling his still-racing heart. "You came through for me, just like you always do. You came at the right time and that's all that matters." She started to break away, but his grip tightened.

"No, wait… just let me hold you... please," he pleaded. She'd almost slipped away from him once and he wasn't going to let that happen again so soon. "You came for me too… I had a feeling you would. It's like nothing scares you."

"Believe me, I was scared about this... but I was even more scared about losing you," she replied. "You and I, we're one now and I would do it all over again if I had to."

"I know you would," he said, smiling and softly rubbing her head with his cheek. "You were always there to lend a paw when I needed it most."

"That's why we're so good together… we never give up on each other, no matter what."

"Yeah, no matter what," he mused, still holding her close to him. He took a few more moments just to nuzzle her or give her a few licks on the cheek, which she gratefully returned. Finally, she felt his grip relax and he let her go from his embrace. With nowhere else to go, they started to walk deeper into the woods, leaving the gorge behind.

"Okay, what now?" she asked. "We have to find a way home."

"I know, but the sun's starting to set," he replied. "We need some shelter for the night, and I think those foothills would be a good shot," he explained, indicating towards some low mountains a short distance away. "We'll have to wait for tomorrow before we can try to go back home. However, we'd need to find a way to cross the gorge first, and that will take some time."

"How much time?"

"It… I don't know. It depends on how long it takes to find another crossing, and we'd also have to avoid Tikani's pack on the way there," he replied. "We've got a bit of a way to go on our road home, but we have to find that road first. It doesn't help that I don't know the area very well either… if only Maska was here, he'd know where to go."

"And I was just with him too," she continued. "Maska and I were leading the group that came to rescue you."

"I had a feeling you'd be leading the charge," he mused, grinning a little. "Where are they? Are they still back there?"

"I don't think so. Most of them came just as decoys to draw the pack away - you can thank Kaltag for that idea," she explained. "They're probably with Maska and the others, wondering where we are."

"Well, we may not be with them but their efforts weren't in vain," he said. "We got away safely and we can start to find a way home."

Jenna looked over at him, admiring his confidence under pressure. She was still troubled that an entire wolf pack was out to get them, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. Their first priority was shelter for the night. At first, their search didn't yield anything useful; not even a hollowed out tree. The light of the day quickly faded, causing the trees to give out long shadows. As he looked from side to side, Balto could have sworn that he saw some of the shadows moving…

Finally, they came across a fortunate find - an old cabin. It had been abandoned long ago and the elements had taken their toll on it. The door was knocked off its hinges and holes had been worn in the walls, but it was still standing and could offer some shelter. Stepping inside, they found very little except a thin, threadbare carpet and the remains of a cast-iron stove.

"Ugh, this makes my boat look like a luxury liner," he observed. "But, it's only for one night. After that, it's home; Rosy and the others are probably worried sick about us."

Rosy… in her rush to save Balto, Jenna had forgotten that Rosy wouldn't know where she was. The hope was to be gone less than a day so that her owners wouldn't notice, but now they were out in the middle of nowhere. Being a stray, Balto didn't have to worry about such things, as he wasn't tied down to any one owner. Rosy didn't mind, as she was used to him going off on his own every now and then, just like he did yesterday.

Yesterday… that had been a rather peaceful day, with the doctor's visit as the only highlight. However, it would turn out to be a rather big highlight thanks to what she, along with her owners learned. It was something that she had hoped to tell Balto when he got back yesterday, but his abduction pushed it out of her mind. Despite their current situation, she knew it would be best if she told him now. She'd missed one chance to do so and she wasn't about to miss another.

Pulling the thinning carpet over, Balto used it as a makeshift blanket and crawled under, motioning for her to join him. She lay down with him, rubbing into his side before resolving to tell him what she had learned. "Balto… you know how I had to visit the doctor yesterday, right?"

"Oh yeah, your checkup. I didn't get a chance to ask you how it went," he replied.

"It went quite well. In fact, the doctor found something wonderful. It's… he found… I'm…" she paused, trying to find the right way to say it.

"You're… don't leave me hanging, I'm not the best at guessing games," he said. "Just say it. The doctor found that…"

"I'm carrying pups," she finished, smiling at him before adding, "Our pups."

----------

Chapter 4: A Brief Respite

By the time the moon hung high in the dark sky, Jenna was fast asleep, pressed up against a still awake Balto. He stared off into a corner that was as empty as the rest of the cabin, the moonlight providing some illumination. It was completely silent, but he was still unable to sleep. His insomnia was because of the news he'd received, along with what it meant for them. They were going to be the parents of a litter of pups, and once the news broke, they did the typical happy dance and cheer that most expecting parents do. Others might consider their timing to be quite quick for a young couple, but for them it had been the right time. They were now mates in every way possible, but it wasn't long before the reality of their situation set in. This was wonderful news, but it still came at a time when they were in danger.

Balto held up his outward cheer long enough to get Jenna to settle down for the night. Once she was fast asleep, his smile fell into the worried stare he presently wore. They got away this time, but he knew Tikani wasn't going to let this go. Even after they returned to Nome he would still pursue them, with Jenna as his main target. If he got to her, he would not only take away his loving mate from him, but his future family as well. The mere thought of it scared Balto more than anything before in his life. If Tikani succeeded, he would never recover from the grief. He had to protect her first, but he had to be careful with himself too - she would need him for support when the pups came.

Despite his attempts to calm his thoughts, they still raced along in circles, keeping sleep away from him. Frustrated, he slowly got up, taking care to not jostle Jenna. Thinking that some fresh air would help him out, he stepped outside, his paws padding noiselessly along the cold floorboards. The moon bathed the land and reflected off the snow, giving the area a greyish hue. The only thing breaking the monotony was the cabin, but it was just as dark and quiet as the rest of the land. There was not even a breeze to rustle the branches, but despite the peace of the scene, his thoughts and fears still remained. "It's all on you again Balto," he said to himself. "Lives are at stake and you can't mess up."

"Mess what up?"

The sudden voice made Balto spring up and cry out in surprise. He whirled around and bared his fangs, snarling at the new arrival. His first thought was that it was another of Tikani's wolves, but instead he found an old husky dog that was just as surprised as he was. "Woah, don't bite my head off sonny! I was just askin' a question," the old dog exclaimed. Still on alert, Balto gave him a visual once-over. Most of his fur looked like it had been brown at one point, but it had dulled and greyed, with only the white sections on his chest and around his paws retaining their color. Some tufts of fur were missing as well, while new tufts grew out of his ears. When he spoke, Balto could also see that one or two of his teeth were missing. He looked quite raggedy, and if push came to shove, Balto knew he would have the upper hand. Overall, this dog seemed to mean no harm, so Balto calmed himself, returning to a more relaxed posture.

'Gee, I hope I never end up like him when I'm that old,' he thought. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked in a flat voice.

"Heh, I could ask the same thing of you," the old dog replied. "After all, you're not exactly supposed to be here."

"No argument about that," Balto mused. "Believe me, we wouldn't be in that creaky, broken old cabin if we didn't have to."

"Creaky? Broken? That's my home you're talkin' about," the old dog said indignantly. "Ugh, all you young dogs, never willin' to rough it out like their forefathers… wait, we? Who're you with, pup?" he asked. "And you still haven't told me why you're here, or who you are in the first place."

"My name's Balto and I'm with my mate Jenna… and at the moment we're kind of lost," he replied and brought him over to let him see her inside. "Can I ask you who are?"

"The name's Mackenzie, but I prefer just Mack… Oh, she quite the catch sonny, good job," Mack commented. "You said you're lost, eh? What happened, did you make on a wrong turn while out on a… romantic interlude?" he asked, giving Balto a very sly smile.

"I wish," Balto replied. "It's actually a long story."

"Well, if you plan on stayin', I'd suggest you start talkin'," Mack urged. "I make it a point to know why I would have unexpected guests in the night."

"Alright… the truth is we're kind of on the run," Balto started, and told Mack the entire story. He told him how he had tried to smooth things out between the dogs in Nome and Tikani's pack, only to have everything fall apart around him. He told him about Tikani's plan for revenge and how they barely escaped with their lives. "We managed to lose them, but I don't think they're going to give up. That's why we have to get back home as soon as possible."

"Oh my, you two really have been through a lot," Mack agreed. "It's a good thing you have friends in such high places. I don't think I've ever heard of a dog having such allies in a wolf pack as you have with Maska."

"Being part wolf helps with that part," Balto replied. "Unfortunately, it's also been a source of trouble over the years."

"Well, trouble or not, what matters is that you two got out okay," Mack replied. "You said you're from Nome right? I think I might be able to help you out here."

"You know a way back?" Balto asked, his tail giving a few anxious wags.

"Of course I do. It may surprise you, but I used to be a sled dog too. Nome's pretty familiar to me," Mack replied. "You remember that gorge you crossed right? From here, you'd have to go back there, hang a left and follow it south towards the ocean. Over time, the gorge shallows out and you'll be able to cross near the coast. Once you're at the coastline, turn right to head west and that should take you to Nome."

Balto grinned, his tail wags becoming more rapid. "You have no idea how much you have helped me out here. Thank you, how can I ever repay you?"

"I'd like it if you don't mention that I'm out here to anyone," Mack suggested. "I've enjoyed my peace in my later years and I'd appreciate not having anyone else disturb it."

"I can do that," Balto replied. "Although, I'm curious how you yourself ended up here. Normally a dog like you would be with a human owner."

"I had a feeling you'd ask that," Mack said, smiling a little. "Unlike you, I'm here by choice because this has been my home since I was born. I did have a human family at one time, and a mate and pups too," he started, seeming to enjoy the reflection. He took a breath in and closed his eyes while he recalled the memories. "However, when my owner and his wife wanted to have children of their own, they wanted to move away to White Mountain to raise their family. It would mean leaving the only home I've known. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I felt a bond with this place, and so did Marion," he continued, opening his eyes as his expression grew sombre.

"By then our pups were grown and wantin' to move on, but we wanted to stay. Most of them thought we were crazy and tried to make us come, but not my eldest…" he continued, his smile starting to return. "Amak always was the level-headed and responsible one of the group. He told them to leave us be, as we felt somethin' they didn't understand yet. Even then, he understood the power love can hold over you, whether it's towards a home," he explained, before turning towards Jenna. "Or towards someone that's special to you… you know, you kinda remind me of Amak," he mused, turning to look directly at Balto. "I can't put my paw on it, but there's somethin' about you that makes me think of my son…" he trailed off, before remembering to get back to the story at hand. "Anyways, the day came and while the rest of them moved on, we stayed together back here. It was hard at first, livin' as strays, but I managed to support us by hunting, and we got by. We grew old and lived out our lives together… but last year… Marion's time came."

"I'm so sorry," Balto said.

"There's no need to be," Mack said, shaking his head. "We lived a wonderful life together and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Granted, I never saw my pups again. They may even have families of their own - which would make me a grandfather - but we made our choice and never regretted it. Every dog has their time; hers was then and I know mine will be soon. What matters is that you enjoy the time you have with those you love. You still have many years ahead of you, and I'm sure you'll enjoy them with Jenna. Do you get my meanin'?"

On hearing Mack's story, Balto found that he could identify with him quite well. They may have had different circumstances in their lives, but Mack had done many things out of love, just as Balto had done many things for Jenna. Looking over at her, he knew that he wanted to have as much time with her as he could - and with their new family. "Yeah, I think I do," he replied. "I'm a stray too, but that hasn't stopped us from loving each other. I want to have as much time as I can with her… and with my pups too," he said, earning a quizzical look from Mack. "I found out I'm going to be a father today," he explained, his expression morose.

"That's wonderful! If you're half as clever as you sound, you'll make an excellent poppa for them," he exclaimed, and noticed Balto's expression. "Hey, why the long face? Aren't you happy about it?"

"I am, but as long as we're out here, they're in danger. It's not fair to them because they did nothing. I was the one who messed up on this one."

"They may be in danger, but you can't blame yourself for it," Mack urged. "You did everythin' you could for the wolves and the dogs in town, and you're doing everythin' you can to keep your love safe."

Balto thought about his words, trying to clear his gloom, but he still felt like this was his responsibility. 'I can't fail now… others look to me as a hero and I can't let them down,' he thought, remaining silent for a moment.

"You know what? You need to focus on something other than your doubts. I would think that after a long day, you two would be pretty hungry. How's about you and I go out and get somethin'. Having a young guy like you would be a great help."

"I would, but I can't leave her, especially now," Balto returned. "I have to look after her."

"Alright, that's fine," Mack said. "Though, I can't guarantee you anything much on my own. I'm not as spry as I used to be."

"That's fine… if it comes down to it, Jenna can have it first. She needs it most and I'm no stranger to going a couple of days without food."

"Okay, you just take care of yourself."

"I will, and thanks for everything," Balto replied.

"It's nothin'. Just one stray helpin' out another," Mack finished before turning to leave the area, quickly disappearing into the dark night.

The day had been a challenge for him and Jenna, but they survived it and managed to find a new friend as well. It was the first good sign after a really bad day, and Balto could already feel like things were turning around. He returned to the cabin, lying with Jenna and letting himself doze off. However, both he and Mack failed to notice the canine-shaped shadow depart from a short distance away. The shadow had been watching them, listening in to their conversation. It raced through the dark wood back the way it came, towards the gorge Balto had crossed earlier. The bridge may have been toppled, but this one had managed to find a narrow spot to cross over. Crossing back at the same point, he was eager to report what he had found…

----------

"Tikani, I have news!" the wolf eagerly called, rushing towards his alpha. He'd made the journey back to his own territory in record time. By now, Tikani had recovered from his altercation, but was unable to catch up with Balto and Jenna, leaving him in quite a huff. He sent out scouts to scour the area, vowing that none would rest until his quarry had been found. "I found the wolfdog and the husky!"

"What? Where are they?" he demanded, his eyes wild with anticipation. There was another wolf with him who watched anxiously for what the next move would be.

"They're to the northeast of the gorge, near an abandoned human den," the wolf reported. "I managed to find a crossing across the gorge a few minutes north from where we last saw them."

"Yes… now we can right the wrong that was done to our pack," Tikani said darkly before turning to the wolf with him. "Alright Atka, we move as soon as everyone's ready."

"How many will be coming?" Atka asked.

"Everyone; they won't have a chance of escaping us again if we have everyone in pursuit," he replied, causing Atka to stutter in response.

"E-Everyone? Surely you can't be serious. We can't send everyone on a chase and leave our own territory unprotected," Atka protested. "They have already escaped our borders; I don't think it's wise to drag this out any further."

"I am not giving up! The quicker we find them, the quicker we can return to our homeland, so don't worry about it," Tikani snapped, but his words did little to assure his companion. "You go off and find those friends of yours. I want to leave as soon as possible."

Atka opened his mouth in response, but Tikani shot him a scathing glare that made him shut it before he departed. He still thought that sending everyone out was overkill, but his alpha had already made his decision. Soon enough, he found the two wolves he'd been sent for.

"There you are Atka; the pup and I were starting to get anxious," one of them greeted.

"I haven't been pup for years Faro!" the other indignantly put in. "Heck, I'm probably older than this Balto guy we're chasing."

"Salin, you know he's just kidding right?" Atka said to the youngest of the three. "Anyways, we've been called out. Balto's been found and everyone is going to be part of the chase."

"Everyone? Wow, Tikani sure must have it in for this guy," Faro mused as they got up to leave and sprinted to join the pack. The chase would continue, and Atka, Faro and Salin would have front row seats for whatever would happen next.

----------

"So, have you figured out why I wanted to go out tonight, Balto?"

"I have a few guesses."

"Let's hear them."

"Well, it could be the wonderful scenery out here… it could be the peace and quiet of the night… or maybe you just wanted to hide from tonight's bath."

"Oh har-har, you're a class act."

Jenna was glad that Balto had taken the news quite well, especially considering the situation they were in. They were going to be the parents of a litter of puppies, and as she slept, her mind started to drift to a happier day: the day they started their new family. She had been hinting towards it for some time beforehand, so Balto wasn't entirely ignorant to her intent, but that didn't stop him from joking around about it.

"I think you know why I wanted you here."

"I think I know why you wanted me here too."

They were sitting on the peak of a small cliff on the shore. In front of them was the ocean, a vast expanse of ice illuminated by the moon hanging above their heads. Behind them was a grove of trees, which separated the clearing from the outside world, giving them some privacy. She'd suggested they go for a walk that night, and after wandering in the woods for a few minutes, they stumbled upon this small clearing on the coast. Amazed by the view, they decided to stop here.

"I just want to hear you say it first. After all, it's your idea."

"Okay… how would you feel if we became more than just two dogs in love… how would you feel if we became… mates, maybe with a family as well?"

He looked at her with a content smile on his face, giving away his answer well before he said it. His one ear dropped a little, as it usually did when he felt completely at ease. "I would feel… absolutely wonderful about that. And a family… that sounds amazing too… but it's a pretty big thing too."

"I know, but I wouldn't be asking if I didn't feel right about it. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think that you and I were up to it."

"I had no idea you had that much faith in me… a family… Heh, even after all those hints, this is still feeling a little surreal," he said, looking back out at the ocean.

"Why?" she asked, rubbing her cheek into his side while looking up at his face.

"I guess… I guess because for years, it was one of the farthest things from my mind. For years I was the unloved outcast, the half-wolf, so no girl would ever want to get near me, much less want to be my mate. I'd pushed the idea so far out of my mind that it's having a little trouble getting back in."

"It may have been pushed out of your mind, but you're wrong about one thing. You weren't unloved. I loved you."

"You did? And I thought I was the only one pining for the other."

"Believe me, you weren't. You may have been part wolf, but you were still you, and that's what really mattered to me."

"Yeah, you always were the one to see me for who I really am. It's just that… would our pups have the same benefit with everyone else? They'd have some wolf in them as well, and others might put them down because of that… just like how they put me down."

"I know they'd have some wolf in them, but they will be living in a town that knows a half-wolf came to them in their most desperate hour. Believe me, I don't want them to go through what you did either, but I'm sure everything will be okay. They will have friends who remember what you did for the town."

"That's true…"

"How about this: they'll have the benefit of something you didn't have when you were growing up. They'll have you and I to support them when they're down. You didn't have any parent to turn to for comfort when you were alone, but they can always come to us when they need to. You may not have had a complete family, but they will."

"You're right, they would have us to help them. I never had my mother or father to comfort me when I was growing up, and that might've made a world of difference… and you know what else our puppies will have going for them?" he asked, looking over at her as his smile returned.

"What?"

"I bet they'll be really cute too."

She giggled. "Of course they will be. All puppies are cute… but ours would be the cutest."

"Yeah, they would be."

"So, I take it your answer is a yes?"

"Yes…."

The dream started to fade, but the feelings about it remained same. They were going to have their family soon, and their pups would be born to parents who loved each other and would love them with all their hearts. She smiled at the thought of watching several adorable bundles bouncing around, playing with them and snuggling up to them. "Thank you Balto."

"You're welcome Jenna… whatever it's for." Hearing his reply brought her out of her doze, and she saw him lying down beside her, right where she had left him. "Sleep well?"

"I think so. You?"

"Not as much as I would've liked," he replied. "This whole thing with Tikani kept me up. I even tried going for a bit of a walk, but that didn't help much… though I did end up meeting the owner of this place."

"This thing has an owner? Who was it, some mouse?" she asked, looking around the empty cabin for any small creatures.

"No, an old stray named Mack," he replied. "Don't worry, he's a nice dog and he even told me a way home. He went out to find something for us to eat, and after that we can head right out."

"Really? Oh, thank you so much," she said, nuzzling him under his chin.

"Hey, I told you I'd get us home," he replied after she broke away, looking directly into her deep brown eyes. His ears then perked up as the telltale sound of paws on snow reached them. "I think that's our host right now." Sure enough, Mack bounded through the open door and slid to a stop in front of them. Both of them jumped a little at his sudden entrance. His panting told them that he had been running heavily - no small feat for a dog his age - and his eyes were wide in terror. "Woah, what happened? Did the rabbits spook you?" Balto asked.

"Wasn't the rabbits, it was them, it was the wolves!" he gasped. "They're coming!"

----------

Chapter 5: The Chase Continues

"You two have to get out of here! They're headed this way!" Mack exclaimed as panic rushed through them. It had only taken Tikani one night to find them, and they would have to act fast if they were going to escape.

"Oh no… no… how far?" Balto asked, his ears flat against his head in fear.

"They're still a few minutes out, but they're movin' in a wide line from the southwest," Mack replied. "They were goin' at a jog though, probably to keep quiet for a surprise attack."

"If they're moving slowly then we might be able to make a break for town," Jenna suggested.

"But we'd have to go south in order to get home," Balto groaned. "It'd bring us too close to them; all it takes is one wolf to see us for the alarm to be raised. They'd be on us in seconds."

"That just leaves north as your best option," Mack put in.

"Yes, but that gets us farther from home and any support… and we can't run forever," Balto retorted.

"Maybe, but you might not have to. To the north is an old trail that leads to a mountain pass. I've been in there years ago while sledding and I can tell you that it's like a maze in there. You could lose them, and when the coast is clear, you can double back and head home."

"It may help us lose them, but what's to stop us from getting lost ourselves?" she asked.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting who you're travelling with? I don't think I could get lost if I wanted to," Balto replied with confidence, earning a smile from her. "It's settled, the three of us are leaving now."

"Actually, it'll just be you two… I'm not comin'," Mack added, causing Balto and Jenna's jaws to drop.

"What? You can't stay here. If they find you, who knows what they'll do to you!" she cried.

"I know this is your home, but these wolves are dangerous. You have to get away, or at least try to hide from them."

"I could… but it'd just delay the inevitable. They'd probably find me anyways, and I don't plan on goin' out hiding in some hole," Mack said. "If I tried to run, I'd just slow you down. You're better off going by yourselves - I'll stay and buy you whatever time I can. You need every second you can get."

"Are you insane!" Balto exclaimed. "Trying to stand against them would be suicide!"

"Don't you think I don't know that," Mack barked. "I may be old, but my mind is still sound. I've lived my life and done everythin' I wanted to. If I'm goin' down, I may as well help give you a chance for the same life I had. I want you to live with your family, but the longer we sit here arguin' about it, the less time you will have."

"Are you sure?" Balto hated the idea of leaving someone behind, but Mack still nodded. Balto could tell he wasn't about to change the old dog's mind, and was grateful for the show of courage on their behalf. "And I thought I was brave."

Not wasting any more time they exited, taking one last look at the old dog. He had a small smile on his face, and urged them to get moving. He knew what was coming but accepted it. Not needing to share any more words, they turned away and broke into a run, finding the path to the mountains.

"He doesn't have to do this - he could try to save himself as well," Balto muttered.

"He could, but this is his choice. We may not agree with it, but we should respect it," she told him, echoing Maska's words from the previous day. He understood her meaning and as they disappeared into the dark wood, they both vowed to never forget the kindness and bravery of the old dog they'd only just met.

Mack took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he knew would come. He knew his time would come eventually, but he'd always thought he'd go out alone, peacefully in his sleep. In a way, this was a little more comforting. This way, he'd help someone else live their life like he had. 'Well, I guess I'll be seeing you soon Marion,' he thought as he heard the sound of paws heading towards him. He faced the door and sat down as a large, dark-furred wolf poked his head in. Without a word, he entered, followed by four other wolves. The first one led the way, so Mack surmised that this was Tikani, the one behind all of this. He simply stared at them, showing no emotion towards the intruders as they regarded him with curiosity.

"You aren't the one I'm looking for," Tikani stated.

"Maybe not, but I should tell you that you're trespassin' on my property… I thought wolves were supposed to be respectful of other's territories."

"Don't talk to me like that if you want to keep your mangy fur, you dog! You can make this easy and tell me where those two went."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about… and if I did, what makes you think I would tell you?"

"He's lying, they were here," another wolf added, sniffing at the rug Balto and Jenna used as a blanket. "Recently too - I'd say they left no more than a few minutes ago."

"Is that so?" Tikani said. "There's no point in lying old timer. They were here and I will find them. The question now becomes whether you want to help me, or if you just want to waste my time."

"I ain't goin' to help a sadistic bastard like you hunt them down. I won't let you slaughter two innocent dogs and their future family. If you had any decency left in you, you'd turn back and leave them be. If not… then let's just say that only a true monster would harm an expectin' mother."

Mack's reference to Jenna as expecting caught Tikani's ear, along with the ear of at least one other wolf, but none of them reacted on it. Inwardly, Tikani didn't care whether or not Jenna was pregnant, only that she and Balto were caught and brought to justice. "This is your last chance dog. What do you say?" he demanded, ignoring Mack's demand.

The old husky started coldly at him, without any fear as he uttered his response. "I say… You can go right to hell."

That was it. In one swift motion, Tikani grabbed Mack's neck in his jaws and swung his head, snapping his neck and throwing him at the old stove. He slammed into the cold metal before crumpling to the floor, but he never felt the impact. With a broken neck, he was dead before he hit the ground.

"Old fool," Tikani sneered as he left the cabin. He knew they wouldn't be far away, just leaving the question of where they went. Waiting outside was the rest of the pack, there to ensure that he had all the backup he would need. His party searched the area, and it wasn't long before one of them found a trail.

"Tikani, over here! There are footprints!" one of them barked, and sure enough, there were two sets of prints, one larger than the other. The prints led along a narrow, unused path. The prints were fresh as well, so they weren't far behind.

"Excellent - soon we will be able to finish this," he gloated, grinning widely.

"Wait, before we go, there's something that I want to talk with you about," a voice beside him requested.

Tikani turned to see it was Atka again, and he rolled his eyes. "What is it this time?" he grumbled before taking him a short distance away from the others.

"You heard everything that old dog said, right?" he asked. "If what he said about Jenna is true, that would mean she's with puppy."

"So what?"

"If she's carrying pups, then you must know what it means for this chase. I know you want justice for Kisa, but what about the laws of our kind when dealing with a case like this? They explicitly forbid-"

"I'm not stupid! I know what you're talking about, but I'm not going to abandon this chase either. We may be forbidden from harming pups or a mother with pups, but the way I see it, our laws don't apply to them. This isn't a fellow wolf pack - these are vicious dogs that we're dealing with!"

"But… what if-"

"If she has pups, that means there will be more of those dogs around!" Tikani continued, not stopping his tirade. "Is that what you want? Do you want more of those flea-bitten mongrels running around?" he growled. Atka opened his mouth to counter, but he was cut off again. "All I've heard from you are doubts and second-guesses and my patience is starting to run out! I had high hopes for you as my beta, but you're starting to disappoint me."

"I… I'm sorry. I only wanted to make sure you knew what we were getting into… but I see that you have everything covered," he said in defeat, looking towards the ground.

"Good. We've come too far to give up on this, and if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you keep your reservations to yourself. I'm going to need everyone focused on finding them, and not worrying about the husky's mongrel spawn. Can I hold you to that?"

"Of course," Atka replied, not bothering to lift his head back up.

"Good. You always were the loyal one Atka, and I appreciate it if you kept that up. The same goes for those two friends of yours. The three of you have proven to be invaluable to my pack, especially you as my beta," Tikani said, much calmer this time.

"Thank you," Atka replied, but his misgivings remained, hidden to maintain his show of loyalty. He remained quiet as they returned to the pack. Tikani called for everyone to move, and they started their journey up the mountain, while he said nothing. The morning sun was rising, but it soon became obscured by cloud cover and a new snowfall. Atka could sense a storm was starting to blow in, probably the last big burst for the winter. He may have owed much to Tikani for allowing his friends to join his pack three years ago, but that didn't stop him from doubting his alpha's actions. No matter what, he thought that the killing of a mother with pups was wrong, even if they were the pups of an enemy. His doubt was fuelled not only by his belief, but by his experience as well.

There was one thing about his past that no one except him, Faro and Salin knew. The three of them had been down this road before… and that road did not end well for a dear friend of theirs…

----------

The midday sun was high in the sky, but neither Balto nor Jenna would have known thanks to the driving snow they were fighting against. True to Mack's word, the path led to a mountain pass, but soon after they started their ascent, clouds obscured the morning sky. Snow started to fall, and the higher they went, the worse the snowfall became. Driven by fierce winds, the snow was a blowing white haze, obscuring anything more than a couple feet away. On either side, Balto could faintly see rocks rising up on either side, forming the walls of their path. He trudged forward through the thickening snow, his rugged build able to withstand the conditions and block out most of the cutting winds. He looked back at Jenna, but she wasn't faring as well. She was able to keep up, but was shivering from the biting gale, and the snow was hampering her progress. Despite the conditions, she was determined to keep moving. Her body would stay warmer while in motion, not to mention that it would keep them one step ahead of Tikani. If there was any silver lining to this storm, it was that it would help conceal them from their pursuers.

"Ugh, it just had to storm now," she grumbled, loud enough to be heard above the winds. "It always has to storm when you're out in the middle of nowhere."

"Heh, no argument here," he replied. He saw her stop and he backtracked to her, before pressing his body against hers in an effort to warm her a little. His body heat gave her some comfort, and she gave his chin a quick lick in thanks before they started moving again.

"So, any ideas on what we should do?"

"A couple… Mack said that this place could have some hiding spots, but we'd need to find one first," he replied.

"Ugh, at this rate we not might have to worry about hiding at all. The snowfall could completely bury us."

"Maybe, but I'd rather hide somewhere out of the way than on the road. C'mon, we should keep moving."

They walked further along the mountain path, trying to find a fork that would take them off the main path. So far, the narrow pass curved and twisted its way higher and higher up the mountain, but ultimately, that was not where Balto wanted to go. He wanted to turn around and start heading home, or at least to a lower elevation where the storm would be less intense. The pass was riddled with forks and they tried every possible option to try to find a way down. Their erratic travel, combined with the storm would probably be enough to throw their pursuers off, but it also opened up a new problem. They took so many twists and turns that he now had little grip of where they were. He didn't want to stay in this mountain pass for long; the longer he stayed, the greater the chance of Tikani finding them. But no matter what, he couldn't find a path that led down and out of the mountains. Instead, they all seemed to go deeper and deeper into this maze.

For the next few turns, he took nothing but lefts, hoping to swing south, but that didn't help much. It only led to more paths and more forks. The driving snow made visibility difficult, and even when he tried to climb a small hill to get his bearings, the storm gave him no luck. Had the weather been clear, they would probably be high enough to see everything below them, maybe even Nome itself. Today, all he saw was swirling white, above and below, left and right. He tried to hide his worried mood, but Jenna noticed his anxious movements as he tried to find another path. He was constantly looking from side to side with a small frown on his muzzle. She could tell he was getting frustrated with their situation very quickly.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's fine," he replied, but his voice was far too flat for someone who was fine.

"You don't sound like it's fine," she said. "Come on, tell me."

"We're… oh I guess there's no way to sugar coat this. We're lost and I have no idea how to get us out," he said as he sat down. "C'mon, why can't I do this? I never get lost! What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you," she replied sharply. "We've been pushed to keep ahead so much that we haven't taken the time to stop and think. Now would be as good a time as any, so what did you do last time to keep from getting lost?"

"I scratched marks on trees, but I can't try that now. One, there aren't any trees up here, and two, we've got avoid leaving an obvious trail that Tikani could use to find us," he replied, looking around at the rocky landscape. "There's got to be something, something else. What saved me last time?"

No sooner had he finished uttering those words, a sharp howl rang out. His gut jumped up into his throat for fear that they had been found, and both of them frantically looked around to find the source of the howl. It was very close, but none of the barks from a pack followed. When Jenna did find the source she froze, but not out of fear. No, it was out of wonder at what she saw before her.

"Balto… look," she whispered, and when he gazed in the same direction she was, a wave of relief washed over him.

The heavy snow and winds suddenly eased to a light flurry, as if commanded by the newcomer so that their presence could be revealed. Standing before them, proud and strong with its pure-white fur flowing in the breeze was a snow-white wolf, but it wasn't any white wolf. It was a wolf that Balto had encountered before.

During the serum run, at his most desperate hour, it appeared to him. A white wolf with black-tipped ears and piercing amber eyes. It howled to him, showing him the power of his wolf half and giving him the courage to get up and lead the team home safely. After sharing a brief howl together, he turned back complete his mission, while the wolf vanished without a trace. The encounter had been so moving, so powerful and so eerie, that Balto only shared it with Jenna. She was amazed by the effect the experience had on him, and now she would get a chance to see it herself.

"Balto… is that-"

"Yes, it is," he replied in awe, before howling back. The wolf howled again, with them sharing a brief duet. After the last note trailed off, he cautiously approached the wolf for a closer look, while it sat and let him come. The first thing he found was that this wolf was actually a female, and her scent was like that of fresh snow: crisp and clean. Her thick fur was almost free of flaws, and her amber eyes were bright enough that Balto thought they could glow. As they stared at each other, he noticed a small smile forming on her muzzle, as though she was happy to see him. Before he could ask her anything more, she quickly darted away and climbed on top of a nearby snowbank. She paused a moment to look back at him, her smile remaining, before disappearing behind the bank.

"Wait, hold up!" he called and dashed to follow her. He wanted to ask her so many questions, chiefly about who she was, and how she was able to follow him. He clambered up the snowbank, hoping to follow her and get the answers he wanted, but he would be in for a couple of surprises.

The first was that behind the snowbank was a completely new path, hidden behind the wall of snow. He would've missed it if he hadn't tried to follow the wolf, but this path wasn't just another path. It was one that led straight down the mountain, the exact type of path he had been looking for. The break in the storm allowed him to visually follow the path down the side of the mountain, before it disappeared near its base into the surrounding forest. The other surprise was that she had completely vanished. There were no pawprints in the fresh snow, and a quick sniff failed to find any trace of her clean scent. It was as if she'd never been there in the first place. 'Wow, for a really helpful wolf, she sure is a shy one,' he thought as Jenna trotted up to be with him, looking down the new path as well.

"Where'd she go? She was here just a moment ago." she asked, her mouth hanging open in awe.

"Yeah, she did that last time too, but look at this path. It seems to go down and off the mountain. It's hidden too, so if Tikani passed by, he wouldn't see it. It's perfect."

"It's a good thing that wolf found us. The next time we see her, we're going to have to thank her for showing us this." she said as they started down the new path. The break in the weather not only eased navigation, it also made walking much less of a chore.

"Sometimes you don't find the solution yourself… sometimes the solution finds you when you're not looking for it."

Anya's words echoed in Balto's head, and only now did he start to see the truth in them. The white wolf had found him and given him the solution without him looking for her, just as she had during the serum run. There was no mistaking it now; she was doing this on purpose. She wanted to help Balto out in any way possible. 'That just leaves the question of why. Why would she care about me? What interest would a wolf like her have in a dog like me?'

----------

Tikani had been so close to his objective that he could almost taste it, but once again it eluded him. Everything started so well - they'd found Balto and Jenna's fresh trail up the mountain, and followed it with every turn his quarry had taken. A storm had started to blow in, but while he'd initially brushed it off as nothing, it only seemed to grow worse as they went farther. The wind and snow degraded all the physical signs on the ground, and even their scent trail was soon scattered. The trail became fainter and fainter as they moved on, and so did the energy of those following him. They had been moving for almost two days straight now, and the climb up the mountain in the storm didn't help them much either. At the next fork, Tikani sniffed the ground, but he couldn't find any useful clues. He could pick up a scent here and there, but the wind had blown the snow so much that he had no way of knowing which path was true.

"So, are we getting any closer?" Atka asked.

"No. I can't get a fix on where they went from here. That wolfdog could be right under my nose for all I know."

"I know you want to find them, but even if we did, I don't think we'd be in any condition to chase them down," Atka continued, indicating towards the very tired pack behind them. The bitter winds and thick snow had taken their toll on the travel-weary pack. All were panting from exertion, and a few of them were even lying down to regain what energy they could. "At this rate, they'll lead us halfway around the world while our homeland remains unprotected."

"We are not turning back!" Tikani barked. "I told you before to keep your reservations to yourself!"

"Alright then, if we aren't going home, then what will we do?" Atka asked curtly.

Tikani paced back and forth around in front of the junction, but nothing came to him. "I… I don't know. I can't find them, and I will admit that I'm tired as well. Everyone! We're going to camp here tonight and resume our search tomorrow," he called out, and all present agreed, glad to finally have some rest. While others settled down, chatting idly, Tikani sat alone, glaring at the junction. It was obvious that he was still adamant about pursuing Jenna. Despite all of the justifications for justice for Kisa, Atka couldn't deny what he felt. This was wrong, this was crossing the line, but he was worried about revealing his feelings for fear of being ridiculed or attacked by Tikani. Finding Faro and Salin, he settled down beside them. It didn't take long for his two friends to notice his troubled expression.

"Hey Atka, you look like something's bothering you," Faro inquired.

"It's… it's nothing, I'm just tired from today that's all," he fibbed, still reluctant to talk about what was going on in his mind. 'Should I tell them? I don't want to cause trouble but this could be important. What if what we're doing out here is wrong? But Tikani might come after me for telling everyone… then again, if this isn't wrong, then why would Tikani want to keep this secret in the first place? Ugh, what should I do? Our pack needs closure, but what if we go too far?' His mind went back and forth as Faro and Salin talked beside him, and as his eyes wandered upwards, they widened when he saw it.

He gasped when he saw a pure-white figure perched on a high ledge overlooking them, gazing directly at him. When he saw her, a rush of memories came back to him. Memories from years ago, of a dear friend that he'd lost because of the madness of his last alpha. The last time he'd seen her, she was running for her life. He'd aided her escape, protecting not only her, but her unborn cub as well. And now, here she was, looking down on him, but not how someone would usually look at an old friend. No, she was glaring at him with an expression of shame and contempt.

"Aniu?" he muttered, unable to ignore the scathing look she was giving him. It was as if she knew exactly what was going on… and didn't like a thing about it.

"Huh, what'd you say?" Salin asked, but Atka didn't reply, his attention focused on the wolf above them.

'Don't forget what you did for me. Don't forget the wolf you are.' The voice echoed in his head, a voice he'd almost forgotten. It was her voice, and it was clear she was sending him a message. How she was doing it, he didn't know, but her appearance strengthened his resolve. He did remember what he did for her, and always thought of that as the bravest decision of his life. Now, he was faced with a similar situation, but this time he was on the wrong side. Making it right would mean going against his own alpha, and if he was going to do it, he couldn't do it alone. He would need help on this - he would need the friends that knew what it felt like before.

Faro and Salin noticed his gaze drift, but when they looked back, they saw nothing. She had vanished after delivering her message. "Watcha lookin' at Atka?" Faro asked, unsure of what his friend could be staring at.

"Actually guys, there is something bugging me," he started, wanting to come clean. "There's something about this whole chase that you need to know…"

----------

Chapter 6: A Hero's Hero

Balto and Jenna both sighed in relief when they reached the woods at the base of the mountain. The only sound was the chirping of birds in the snow-covered trees, and that was music to their ears after days of howls, barks and roaring winds. The natural peace boosted their spirits and the clouds above them started to break, allowing the afternoon sun to shine through and illuminate the serene landscape.

It didn't take them long to find a river that was just starting to thaw out for spring. All rivers led to the ocean, and they hoped that the coast would bring them one step closer to home. With this in mind, they started to follow the trickling stream through the woods. Eventually, the trees gave way to open tundra, and as they scanned along the flat expanse, their hearts jumped when they saw what looked like their salvation. In the distance was a group of unmistakable square shapes that could only be created by one thing - humans. Only humans created buildings in the arctic.

Balto and Jenna cheered at their good fortune. They dashed towards the town, ready to rush to the comfort of their homes. Both were wide-eyed in joy as they bounded across the tundra. Even Balto let his tongue hang out the side of his mouth like a puppy in a toy store. Any second, they expected to hear the calls of the dogs and humans who would see their approach, but nothing reached their ears. That was the first sign that something wasn't right.

His bounding slowed to a brisk run when he saw there were far fewer buildings than Nome had. The run became a trot when he couldn't see the coastline past the town, only more tundra surrounded it. Finally, his trot came to a halt at the edge of the town when he couldn't see of hear any sign of life. No residents walked the streets, and there were none of the sounds that he'd come to know in Nome. His mouth stayed open, but his brow furrowed as he looked up and down the empty, silent town. He let out a groan as his hopes deflated, and Jenna looked disappointed as well. Both felt like this was some sort of cruel joke - it was so close, yet so far from home at the same time.

For some gold rush towns this was the reality. A vein of gold would be discovered, and people flocked to the area to get their share. While some towns prospered from a healthy supply, others found themselves empty within months. When that happened there was little reason for the people to stay. They moved on, leaving a nameless ghost town behind. This was the case for the town Balto and Jenna had found, going through the years with barely anyone remembering its existence.

The sun started to dip below the horizon, which meant they would have to spend the night in this empty town. The dismal setting and the blow to their spirits darkened Balto's mood. He was used to having a clear path before him, but there was nothing in this dead town. Not even the wolf that revealed the hidden path was present, making him feel isolated and alone. He had no landmarks and no guide to show him the way. Looking over at Jenna, he noticed her exhausted appearance and felt terrible. She didn't deserve this and neither did his pups. This last disappointment only added to his worries, and the sheer weight on his conscience pressed on him.

They walked along the empty streets, the sound of their paws crunching through the snow echoing off the silent buildings around them. Most of the buildings were intact and standing, but many of the signs had worn off, leaving them to guess whether or not they were shops or something else. Down one street he could see a mill near the river, its wooden waterwheel rendered immobile from the ice and corrosion. There were a few homes as well, but many of their doors were locked. It was as though their owners expected to return and wanted to keep their home safe until then. Finally, he found a cabin where the lock had been damaged by exposure. It was simple matter of pushing hard enough with his shoulder to force it open. Inside was completely barren - all the furniture had been removed when the owner had left. With nothing else, Jenna simply lay down on the cold, dusty floorboards.

'She deserves so much better... what have I gotten us into?' he thought. He padded over and gave her a nuzzle, his ears low in regret.

"I'm fine, I just need some rest," she replied. "Thank you for everything today."

"You may want to hold your thanks - I don't think I deserve them," he replied, looking away from her.

"What? How can you say that? You've done so much good for us. We're still alive thanks to your quick thinking and we'll be safe soon. We will get home-"

"After how long? Days? Weeks?" he cut in. "Even if we do get home safely, Tikani won't let this go. He'll keep coming after us. He'll hurt our friends, our family… all because I had to get involved in this mess."

"You were doing what you thought was right. You were trying to help them, just like you helped during the serum run."

"Maybe that's the problem. I expected to be able to waltz in and be the good guy again… but this time I was careless. That led to Kisa's death, not to mention Kari's current situation." By now he was pacing. Everything he'd kept bottled up was starting to rush out, and it threatened to overwhelm him. "Have you seen them Jenna? They're starting to go hungry because of my mistake."

"That wasn't your fault. You weren't careless-"

"Maybe not directly, but I made the call to keep Kisa in town. I put her at risk when I could have just taken her home!"

"You had no way of knowing what would happen-"

"No, I just jumped in headfirst. I wanted to be the hero again, but that caused more harm than good."

"Are you sure? Kari's team hasn't been attacked and neither has the town. You may not have ended a war, but you at least brought a ceasefire," she retorted.

"At what cost? I may have saved them in the short run but doomed them down the road. The attacks may have stopped, but that was only because Tikani was biding his time. He's made his move and he won't stop until we are dead!" he continued, finally sitting down in defeat. His eyes were growing wider in panic, but they only stared off into space as he continued his fearful rant. "He'll storm the town and slaughter Kaltag, Spitz, Kari - anyone who gets in way. He won't stop until he finds us, and then he'll… oh no… what if he goes after Rosy too? No, not her. She has no idea what's going on. She's just a kid… she… like our pups… no way out… it's all over..."

By now, Jenna's patience with him was reaching its limit. Now was a time when she needed him most, but he was too caught up in his own fear. "I've had enough of this," she muttered as his speech became a rapid mess of doubts and what-ifs. She got up and in one motion, raised her paw and swiftly struck him across his muzzle. The sharp sting from the blow halted his rant, allowing her to speak her mind, "Alright you snap out of it right now mister! We can't change what happened. Second-guessing yourself won't help us and neither will worrying about what might or might not happen. I need you here, now, in the present!" she barked, before letting her tone soften. "It's not just me that needs you. Our pups need their father to be here for them, but you're not acting like him. What happened to the brave wolfdog I knew with the never say die attitude? What happened to the dog I fell in love with?" she finished, breaking her glare away from him as sadness replaced her frustration. Tears formed in her eyes and she took a few steps away before lying down, facing away from him.

Her strike finally set him right, allowing him to regain his composure and realize his foolishness. He heard a few sobs come from her, and that tore at him much deeper than his previous doubts. 'She's right - I need to focus on the present. We may be on the run, but what matters is that we're alive and together. I can't afford to break down - she needs me just as much as I need her. Ugh, how could I have been so foolish?' Clearing his throat, he approached her to make amends. "Jenna… you're right. I should be taking things one at a time instead of trying to handle everything at once. I thought I could be the hero all the time… but I guess I just proved myself wrong right now."

She didn't turn to him, but her crying quieted a little; he at least had her attention. "I hate seeing others in a bad spot and it makes me want to help them in any way I can. When I can't help and they continue to suffer, it... it makes me wonder if... I'm truly as good as I wanted to be."

"We're running for our lives and you're worried about proving yourself as a hero?" she said, a hint of venom in her voice.

He winced a little from how blunt she was being with him. "It's not like that. When you say it that way, you make it seem like I have some sort of ego."

"Then what it is really like?" she demanded, turning towards him, her expression a mix of sadness and anger. "Are you really worried about me, or how everyone thinks of you back home?"

"Don't say it like that; I care about you above everyone else," he replied, his voice cracking. He shut his eyes, trying to hold back his own emotional tears. "Above all, I put your safety and your happiness. It's just... even if I can keep you safe, something else might happen... and I'm worried that if it does... that you'd never forgive me. I'm scared that if I can't keep everyone safe… that you'd think less of me... that you'd think I'm a failure."

Something impacted him and knocked him onto his side, before pressing into the side of his muzzle. Opening his eyes, he saw Jenna rubbing him softly, her eyes shut tight to prevent a flood of tears from escaping. "That would never happen," she whispered. "You could never fail me and nothing would ever make me think less of you. You hear me, nothing. You're my hero just by being there when I need you."

"Thank you... I guess I just needed to be reminded that," he whispered back while returning her nuzzle. "You always were my inspiration, even in my darkest hours."

"Even heroes need heroes of their own," she returned, and he smiled in agreement. No further words were needed, as their actions spoke volumes about the trust and faith they had in each other. The warmth from having her so close calmed him, and he lifted one of his legs and placed it over her, holding her a little closer. Both drifted off to sleep that night, secure in their trust of each other. Being on the run had tested that trust, but it came out stronger in the end. They trusted that somehow, sometime, they would find a way out of this.

Little did they know that a way out was a lot closer than they thought… it was just in the last place they would think to look.

----------

"Are you sure it's true?" Salin demanded. "What if that old dog was just senile?"

"It's an awfully specific thing to mention, even if your mind wasn't sound."

"But why wouldn't Tikani want us to know that Jenna's-"

"Shhhh!" Atka cut in, not wanting his companion to speak too loudly. He'd waited until most of the pack was asleep before telling them everything he knew. He'd also moved them a short distance away and made it clear he didn't want wandering ears to hearing them. However, Salin was one who sometimes forgot how to act subtle. Atka's scathing glare towards his friend was a reminder of how discretion was vital. "I don't know why, but I have a few ideas."

"It's probably because he knows we'd question it," Faro put in. "Wolf or not, going after someone in her condition is wrong. I'm sure most of the folks here would agree with that too if they knew. As long as they don't, they'll just follow Tikani's orders as usual."

"Which is probably why he wanted me to keep it hush-hush," Atka continued. "He wants Balto and Jenna hunted down quickly and without any second thoughts."

"It's because of what happened to Kisa," Salin added. "I'll admit I want some closure too, but this… this would be going too far."

"Which is why we have to do everything in our power to help Balto and Jenna," Atka stated, but he was met with blank, wide-eyed stares from his friends.

"Help them? Are you nuts?" Salin exclaimed.

"We have to do something," Atka replied.

"But if Tikani finds out he'll have your head," Faro warned.

"What else am I supposed to do? Just sit on the sidelines and let Tikani have his way with them?" Atka countered. "C'mon, we've been down this road before and we didn't stand aside then."

"You mean with what happened to Mayak?" Salin asked, speaking the name with a hint of venom.

"I thought we agreed to never speak of him again," Faro cut in, before spitting in contempt of the wolf they used to know.

"We may have to start talking about it again because Tikani's trying to do what Mayak tried as well," Atka said.

"It's a good thing we ditched him," Salin continued. "It's too bad we never saw our other alpha either - she was really nice."

"Actually… I think I may have seen her," Atka said, making his companion's jaws drop. "It was only for a minute, but the way she looked at me… it was as though she knew what was going on and wanted me to stop it. I don't know how she would know, but she was there, and that's why I know what we have to do now."

"Wait, slow down. You actually saw Aniu?" Salin exclaimed.

"Keep it down," Atka hissed through clenched teeth. "Yes, but as I said, it was only for a minute."

"Hey, maybe when this is over we should find her?" Faro suggested.

"We can work that out later. Right now, we have to focus on what we can do," Atka countered. "Last time we had the advantage in numbers, but we don't have that luxury this time around. It's only us three against the rest of the pack and that's a fight we would never win."

"Maybe we should do what we did to trick Mayak last time?" Salin suggested. "We could lead everyone down a false path to give Balto and Jenna some breathing room."

"That may have worked last time, but I'm not sure we'd be able to pull it off again," Atka replied. "Tikani's a very sharp tracker so he'd know if we were leading him down a false path. Once he finds out, he'd go ballistic. He so desperately wants to find them... but his actions in spite of Jenna's condition show that he might not be stable enough to be our alpha."

"So what are you gonna do? Go up to his face and sock him?" Salin asked.

"As much as I'd like to, that wouldn't be enough," Atka replied. "If I tried to take any move against him, he'd call the rest of the pack against me. I'd get torn apart! No… I'm going to need something else."

"You'd be able to pull it off if you had the entire pack, or at least most of it on your side," Faro put in. "But you'd have to turn them against Tikani first."

"Hang on, aren't we forgetting that we know his secret?" Salin put in. "The fact that he's chasing after an expecting mother alone would be enough to discredit him, and purposely keeping that a secret wouldn't help his case at all."

"Oh… of course! Salin that's brilliant!" Atka exclaimed.

"Okay, but even if we somehow manage to oust him and stop the chase, there's nothing to stop Tikani from going after Balto and Jenna on his own," Faro added. "He'd probably blame them for being exiled as well, and he'd show no mercy if he found them."

"I know, and despite what Balto did, it wouldn't be fair if we didn't stop that from happening either," Atka replied. "They need to know what's really going on here. Maybe it'd give them some relief as well, knowing that not everyone is blindly against them."

"But how would we warn them? We can't even find them ourselves." Salin asked.

"I - I don't know, but they'd have to be found quickly if we're going to pull this off," Atka stated. "I'll go out while you two stay back here. You can spread the word of what we know and turn the pack towards our side. Just make sure you don't let Tikani know how much you know."

"Are you sure you want to do this? What if Balto doesn't believe you?" Faro asked. "There's so much at risk here."

"Yes, but there's even more at risk if we do nothing," Atka replied. "I'm going to try my best to convince him I don't want to fight. Hopefully the fact that I'm alone will help convince him, but if I'm going to do anything, I have to go now and get a head start. Hopefully I'll find them by the time you guys have done the work at your end." Faro and Salin knew that this plan was quite dangerous, but nothing they thought of was any better. They would have to act before it was too late.

"Well, if that's that, then good luck," Salin said.

"Same to you," Atka replied, before trotting away from them. After a few minutes of backtracking down the mountain, he sniffed at the ground. Unfortunately there was no sign of Balto at all. 'He's probably miles away by now… I've got to hand it to him, he's pretty clever. We probably lost him further down the mountain.' He continued back down the way the pack came, hoping to find the real trail. He rounded a corner, only to find something else entirely.

He froze and went on alert when he saw her, the same pure white she-wolf he had seen earlier. There was a pause as she stared at him expectantly, but she didn't move towards him. This struck Atka as a little odd and he tilted his head in curiosity. He couldn't put his paw on it, but something was different about her. She seemed a little more… distant than a normal wolf. Still, he knew he had to break the ice after so much time away from her. "I know I may not be the best at rocking the boat, but I do remember what I did for you. Seeing you again… it reminded me of who I really am. I'm ready be that wolf again... but I have no idea how I'm going to pull it off. I need to find Balto, but I have no idea where he is." He didn't expect her to know anything either, so he was quite surprised when she just smiled at him and turned in a different direction.

"Wait, you don't actually know how to find him, do you?" he asked, and she nodded. "You have no idea how much you've helped me out here. Thank you, thank you so much," he finished, tail wagging in joy. Her tail gave a few wags as well, and she let him approach and tap his nose to hers in a friendly manner. "Heh, yeah I missed you too Aniu… but catching up will have to wait. I've got a couple of dogs to help out first." She nodded in agreement and without a single word she dashed down the path, with him following close behind. Their greetings may have been cut short, but Atka was on a mission where time was of the essence.

----------

Jenna slept peacefully that night, thanks in part to the security she felt from having Balto by her side. She was vaguely aware of him getting up and going out early that morning, but she didn't react to it. She was still at least half asleep when she heard him return and drop something in front of her. He noticed her sleeping in and so he softly rubbed his nose against her cheek and neck, hoping to rouse her. It got some noises out of her, but she was still taking her time so he decided to use certain trick of his to get her up. Going to her ears, he gave them a quick sniff, letting the air moving in and out of his nose tickle her. By now he'd learned that her ears were one of her ticklish spots, and often used that when he wanted to be playful with her.

His sniffing got a few giggles out of her, and it was only when he gave her ears a quick lick that she squealed and opened her eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm up," she said. "Ugh, you can be really cheeky you know that?"

"Ah well, at least I know I can't fail you when it comes to getting you up," he replied with a wink. She smiled a little, pleased with his good humor after last night. As she thought about it, she realized that their ability to make up after an argument like that served as a testament to how strong their bond was. "As much as I'd like to let you lie in, we do have to get moving... but that can wait until after breakfast. That's why I got you this," he continued, breaking her from her thoughts. He pointed his muzzle towards what he had dropped near her - a rabbit. "I know it's not the same as the kibble you're used to, but you need whatever you can get out here. We've been running for two days and you need your strength. After all, you're eating for more than one now," he finished.

"What about yourself?" she asked, moving closer to the rabbit to give it a sniff.

"I already got myself something when I was out. That's all for you," he replied. "I've got to make sure that you're in good enough shape to get home in the first place."

"Thank you," she replied. Turning towards the rabbit, she was unsure where to start first, but he was more than eager to help her out. He showed her which parts were good to eat and which should be left behind. He was used to eating wild things from his life as a stray, but this was her first experience with hunted game. Fortunately, it proved quite delicious and it wasn't long before she'd filled her stomach, satisfying both her hunger and the hunger of those she was carrying. After the meal, they stepped out and took a brief walk around the deserted town, stopping at its edge to survey the untouched wilderness around them. The morning sun rose and bathed the land in its orange glow, painting the landscape for them to enjoy. For the fist time in almost three days, Balto actually felt at peace and wanted to enjoy it with her as long as he could.

'If you take away the whole Tikani chasing us part, being out here is actually quite nice,' he thought. 'It's not often that we get to go off together and spend time away from everything else in the world. It's too bad we can't do this more often under better circumstances… although I don't think she'd like the idea of running away from her family for days on end. She loves Rosy too much and if I suggest it, I might get slapped again. Still, I can dream, can't I?"

"So where now?" she asked, snapping him out of his imaginings.

"Huh? Oh, yes, that. Well, the river continues on past the town, and I still think we should try to head for the coast. It'll get us one step closer to home, and I'm sure that by now you're starting to miss your cozy shed."

"Alright then, the coast it is. Maybe we'll pass by our special spot on the way too," she suggested, earning the first wide smile from him in days. With that, they turned back into town, heading towards the mill they had seen when they arrived. They walked along the empty streets, with the town seeming less foreboding thanks to their higher spirits. He occasionally stopped to sniff the ground, mostly for retracing their own steps. At first there was nothing out of the ordinary, but near the center of town, something else caught his nose. He stopped and sniffed at it again to try to identify it. "What is it?" she asked, noticing his interest in the scent.

"I don't know… it seems familiar, but I can't put my paw on it. Someone's here, and they're… they're… oh no," he said as his ears a tail suddenly perked up at alert. "No, they've found us! It's one of Tikani's wolves!"

----------

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Friend

"Are you sure it's one of them?" Jenna asked after they ducked into a nearby alley. Balto had gotten a whiff of one of their pursuers, which made the next few minutes critical for their survival.

"I'm positive, their scent never lies," he replied.

"What do we do now? If we know it's here, then there's nothing stopping it from knowing we're here too."

"All the more reason for us to get out of here... maybe this way will work," he suggested, turning down the alley towards another street. Both held their breath, their gaze darting left, right and even behind them. So far the coast was clear, but once they reached the end of the alley, Balto immediately jumped back. "Great… guess where he is?" he muttered. Jenna peeked around the corner, and saw a lone wolf, sniffing around one particular cabin - the same cabin where they'd spent the night.

"Our scent's going to be all over that cabin," she said, and their concern only grew.

"Well, our peaceful morning was good while it lasted," he grumbled. They would have to get away quickly, so they doubled back along the alley to the street they'd been on earlier, hoping to go around him. They walked in silence, the only sound being the light breeze that drifted through town. Their ears swivelled left and right, up and down, hoping to catch the sound of paws rushing towards them, or the barks and howls of an approaching pack. Their hearts pounded in their chests and their muscles wound up, ready to spring into action at the slightest trigger. They even tried to keep their breathing as quiet as possible, lest it attract any attention to themselves. Left and right they turned, hoping to find some way out of the town, but all they would get was either a dead end, or a surge of panic from seeing the wolf around the corner. They doubled back or changed their path countless times, but nothing yielded any progress. While they got no closer to escape, their pursuer seemed to be inching closer to them.

"It's like he's toying with us," Balto whispered. "He knows we're here, so why doesn't he just call for the others and get it over with?"

"I don't know, but I'll take every second without Tikani that I can get… let's try this way," she suggested, before they turned down yet another alleyway. They hadn't seen the wolf for a few minutes, so they hoped that this would be their lucky break. They turned a corner in the alley, only to be disappointed again. The alley was a dead end, and they sighed before turning around to double back. Balto grit his teeth in frustration - even Nome wasn't as much of a labyrinth as this town. Just as they reached the exit of the alley, they froze when the last thing they wanted to see stepped right in front of them.

There was a brief pause before his head snapped to the side and focused on them, causing Jenna to gasp. Balto locked eyes with it, and he quickly knew there was only one way out of this. Snarling, he bore down and launched himself at the wolf. The stranger was quite startled by his sudden show of aggression, but couldn't turn around before Balto snapped his jaws onto his shoulder, slamming him to the ground. He was not about to let him hurt Jenna, nor would he let him escape and bring the rest of his pack. He reared up for another strike, but heard shouts of, "Stop! Wait!" from the wolf as he rolled him onto his back.

The wolf seemed terrified under Balto's gaze, a stark contrast to the arrogance he usually saw in Tikani's pack. Despite his pleas, Balto still held his chest down with his paws to prevent him from escaping. 'What is this one up to?' he thought.

"No, please stop - don't - I don't want to fight!" the wolf pleaded. While Balto wasn't sure of this wolf's intent, he could tell that his fear was genuine. His tail was tucked between his legs and his ears were flat against his head; he was even whimpering a little. "Please - don't," he begged, his voice cracking.

"You don't want to fight, eh? That's probably the first sensible thing I've heard from one of you types," Balto replied. "If you don't want to fight, then what do you want?"

"I only wanted to find you," the wolf replied, his voice straining from the pressure on his chest. "We need to talk-"

"Talk? TALK! I don't believe you! I gave you the chance to talk long ago, but you decided to try to kill us instead! Why would Tikani want to talk to me now! You're lying!" he yelled, baring his fangs and pressing his paw on the stranger's throat. The wolf gasped in pain, but Balto wasn't going to let up.

"This… doesn't come… from Tikani," he gasped.

"Then who does it come from?" he asked, easing the pressure on his windpipe a little.

"Me… it comes from me… I know this will sound crazy, but I want to help you."

"You're right, that does sound crazy," Balto said. "You expect me to believe that after trying to chase us down and kill us for the past few days, that you want to help us? How do I know this isn't some sort of trick? I may be half-dog, but I am not stupid! This could be a trap to make me drop my guard. You're going to have to do a lot more than just say that you want to help me," he demanded, pressing harder on the wolf's chest, causing him to wince.

"I know I do. After all, you've got to look after your safety as well as Jenna's," the wolf replied. "You have to be careful with who you trust, because it only takes one wrong move to bring about your end… and the end of your family as well."

"My family… what makes you say that?" Balto asked.

"I know that Jenna's carrying your pups, which means that more than two lives are at risk," the wolf continued. "I heard it from that old dog you stayed with. That's why I'm here - I'm here because Tikani doesn't care-"

"And you do?" Jenna cut in, giving him a scathing glare. "Why should we believe that?"

"There are a few things you still don't know about wolf packs. If we seek justice for a wrong committed against us or our pack, we are allowed to do mostly as we please to obtain it. However, there are a few… limits," the wolf explained. "One of them deals with expectant mothers; while a wolf is allowed to seek whatever punishment they see fit, they are forbidden from harming a female carrying pups. It's just… it's crossing the line, as I've heard you say sometimes."

"If there's a rule like that, then why isn't Tikani abiding by it?" Jenna asked.

"He thinks you don't deserve that protection because you're not a wolf," he replied. "He thinks that because you're just a dog, you're not subject to our laws."

"And you think differently?" Balto asked.

"To be honest, I don't know if dogs should be subject to our rules... considering how some of them don't think our rules apply to them anyways... " the wolf replied, earning a cross look from Balto. He was referring to the intrusions by the sled team that served as the catalyst for this whole crisis, and even though he didn't like how bad it made them sound, he didn't react to it. "However, rules or not, the idea of going after someone like Jenna… it just feels wrong."

"Well aren't you a saint," Balto stated, albeit with a hint of sarcasm. "That's a pretty nice story, but there's one thing: Why are you the only one out here? If your pack knows that Jenna is going to have pups - and it's against one of your rules - then why hasn't anyone tried to stop Tikani?"

"Because only a few of us heard the news and Tikani wants to keep it that way. He's keeping it a secret to ensure everyone follows his orders."

Balto thought the whole story over. In theory, it made sense. The news about Jenna would be kept secret to prevent any uprising that would stop Tikani from exacting the revenge he so desperately wanted. "It could be true… or it could be just some story you concocted to trick me," he said, still unwilling to trust the subdued wolf.

"I don't know what else I can say! I might be your best chance of getting through this! Please, you have to believe me!" the wolf exclaimed, becoming more anxious by the second. "If not for yourself then at least think about what's best for Jenna."

"I am her mate and I know the stakes, so don't you dare lecture me about what I should do!" Balto snapped, bringing his fangs closer to the wolf's muzzle. "I know I have to keep her safe, but how can I know that I can trust you?"

"I don't know! I've already told you why I'm doing this! What more do you want from me?" the wolf cried, his eyes becoming wide and focusing on the sharp fangs that were only an inch away from tearing into him.

"Surprise me," Balto said, giving him one last chance to prove himself.

'How else can I convince him? Should I… no, it's too risky if he still doesn't believe me… but he isn't believing me anyway, so I don't have much to lose… here goes.'

The wolf gulped, before slowly leaning his head as far back as he could, fully exposing his neck. This was the ultimate show of submission, as it exposed the most vulnerable part of his body. "If you won't believe my words, then believe this," he said to a stunned Balto. "I am telling the truth, but if you still don't believe me then you can kill me so I can't return to my pack. My life is in your paws and you can do whatever you wish with it. You can let me help you, or you can end me right now - it's your call. Either way, I won't take any further part in what I know is wrong."

Many had put their trust in Balto before, but never before had he been confronted by someone so willing to let him decide their fate. Balto had heard Maska mention something like this. There were varying ways for a wolf to show submission, but none was as drastic or extreme as the position this wolf was putting himself in. A wolf only exposed their throat as a last resort, either to beg for mercy… or to prove their loyalty. This case was the latter, and as the wolf closed his eyes, bracing for the worst, Balto made his decision. He pulled his head back and eased some of the pressure on the wolf's chest. He opened his eyes and graciously sucked in air as he realised he would get to live another day.

"Alright, you've proven your point… but if I ever get any hint or sign that this is some sort of trick… you will be the first one I come after," he warned, flexing the paws and allowing his claws to dig into his skin as reinforcement.

"Don't worry; if this fails then you'll be the least of my worries."

Balto released his hold on the wolf, allowing him to get up. "If we're going to be working together, I'd at least like to know who I'm dealing with."

"Atka - My name is Atka."

"Alright Atka, if you're sincere, then I'm grateful for your help," Balto said. "Not many would be willing to risk themselves for a complete stranger."

"I know, but I'm not the only one at risk. I've got a couple of my friends involved in this too."

"Where are they?" Jenna asked.

"They're back with my pack - I wanted to avoid attention by going out alone, so I'm counting on them to spread the word of what I've learned," he replied. "My hope is that if enough find out what Tikani's doing, we'll be able to stop him. They'll either depose him entirely, or if there isn't enough support, it'll at least cause enough infighting to distract them. It may mean the splitting of my pack, but if that happens then they'll be distracted long enough for you to get home safely."

"Wait, you're saying that you're planning some type of mutiny?" Balto asked.

"Pretty much. We wolves take our laws very seriously and we don't appreciate being lied to… especially by our alphas," he replied.

"I've gotta hand it to you, you've got guts," Balto complimented. "I know how hard it can be to try to stand up to a seemingly unmovable authority… especially when you feel alone against them."

"Thanks, but to be honest I had issues with this whole thing from the start," Atka replied. "Things have been really tense for the past month and it was obvious that Tikani was starting to take this really personally. He was almost obsessive about it, and he didn't seem to care when I tried to warn him about the risks. My biggest fear was that the dogs would join with Maska's pack and overwhelm us in a fight."

"If you thought he was a risk, then couldn't you have done something?" Jenna asked. "Surely others must have noticed this as well."

"You would think so, but when it comes to our pack… they trust Tikani too much. He's been a very good leader, and up until now, he was always able to make a fair decision. Add in what happened to Kisa, and you've got a pack who will follow their leader anywhere in the name of justice."

"Be honest with me; is that what you think as well?" Balto asked.

"I… I don't know what to think," he replied. "On one side, I'm still angry for Kisa. You were the one who decided to hold her in town, and she was killed even after you promised she would be safe… but on the other side… she died at the whim of a human's rifle, not the fangs of you or your dogs. Humans do have a tendency to shoot wolves on sight, regardless of what their dogs want."

"I did promise to keep her safe, but even I can't be in two places at once," Balto exlained. "I was also under pressure to bring Kari home, but her brother didn't share my patience for talking and acted on his own accord."

"Her brother caused this… it makes so much more sense…" Atka muttered to himself.

"Yeah, but now both of them are having a rough time because Tikani barred them from your territory," Balto continued. "They're finding barely enough to support themselves and soon they'll be nothing but skin and bones."

"I… I had no idea. We have game in great abundance… and if they were anyone else we'd be more than happy to share… but Tikani won't back down on this. There's a lot of animosity in wolves towards dogs. This actually isn't the first time I've had to deal with the fallout from the conflict between wolves and dogs."

"Not the first time? Care to tell us, or would that also be a long story?" Balto asked.

"It's a bit of a story, but I've got time to tell you. Is it okay if we walk while I tell you? I've been pretty tense for the past couple of days and walking helps me calm down," Atka requested. Blato nodded and the three of them started walking down the empty street while Atka collected himself. Telling the story would mean reliving one of the hardest days of his life.

"Alright, it starts out a little over three years ago. I was part of a small pack along with my two best friends and our alpha, a wolf by the name of Mayak," he started. "We were all that was left of a much larger pack after the humans came with their dogs and devastated us. We were the only ones to get away, and for a whole year, it was just the four of us."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Jenna put in.

"Thank you… there are still days that I think of the friends I lost there," he replied, holding his head low. They let him have a moment to reflect before getting back to the story. "It was the four of us until we came across a lone female, looking for a pack to join. We graciously let her in, partly because we were keen to boost our numbers, and partly because Mayak had an interest in her," he continued. "However, when he did ask her to be his mate, she seemed hesitant about it. At first, we thought she was just taking her time to decide. After all, she was new to our group and had only known Mayak for a few months. Eventually she turned him down completely, saying that she wasn't ready for something like that yet," Atka explained. "Mayak may not have liked the answer, but he was forced to let it go. What he didn't know was that there was more behind her rejection than she was letting on. You see, there were some nights where she would sneak away from us to visit a human town-"

"Let me guess - she was involved with someone in the town," Jenna cut in.

Atka smiled and nodded. "You got it spot on. Yep, it turns out that she'd fallen for one of the husky dogs from the town, a sled dog to be exact," Atka replied. "They met when she got separated from us during a storm. She was injured and he came to her aid. While she was getting her strength back they started to grow closer together, becoming friends and then lovers by the time she returned to us. She was so taken by him that she would sneak off to spend nights with him, despite the risks to herself."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Jenna said, smiling, while Balto just took this in. Already, he was putting the pieces of the story together, and was starting to get a feeling of where it was going.

"Her relationship with the husky not only explained her absences, but also her rejection of Mayak. She wasn't going to be unfaithful to the one she truly loved," Atka continued. "But, she also had to keep it a tight secret because Mayak absolutely hated dogs. He hated them with a passion and vowed to destroy any dog that crossed his path. His hatred stemmed from the events that led to our old pack's destruction, where he saw many of his friends - along with his own brother - fall victim to the humans. She managed to keep it going on for a while, but one night, her luck ran out."

Atka took in a deep breath, his expression neutral; here was the hardest part to tell. "She was with the husky one night, but Mayak saw them together and went ballistic. Not only had she been involved with a dog behind his back... she was carrying the husky's pups as well," Atka told. "On one side, you had a scared couple with pups, and on the other was an enraged wolf with a pathological hatred of dogs, ready to kill. Sound familiar?" Balto and Jenna nodded, now understanding what Atka was trying to tell them. In a few ways, their situation was similar.

"By the time we realized what was happening it was too late... one life had already been lost," Atka told. "Mayak had been knocked out, but not before he'd torn the husky's throat open. When we arrived, we found her sobbing over her love's body. It was really something, to see a wolf like her so moved by the death of a dog. Had Mayak been absent, we would have paid our respects as well, but we couldn't. He was recovering and we would have to act fast to save our friend and her pups. We told her to run and to never look back. Once she was away, we covered her trail and led Mayak in a different direction, hoping to put as much distance between them."

"It worked at first, but it was only a couple of days before Mayak found out the trail was a dud. That was the last straw - we told him that we would never hunt down one of our own, especially when they were carrying pups. He threatened to kill us, but there were three of us and one of him. Fortunately we didn't have to resort to violence to ditch him, as he was more concerned with finding her than attacking us. We never saw him again, but we didn't see her either," Atak told. "I have no idea what happened to either of them, but I hope that she made it out okay, along with her pups. After that, the three of us wandered for a few months before finding Tikani, who let us join his pack. That's where we've been ever since."

For Balto this quite a bit to take in, but it only reinforced Atka's perceived intent. He was no stranger to dealing with a hard situation, and when the chips were down, he was the type to make the right decision, even if it put him in danger. "Well, that's really something Atka," Balto said. "I may not know how hard the decision was, but I know that it's always the hard ones that show who we really are."

"No argument here; I'm not going to sit on the sidelines anymore. I want to stop history from repeating itself."

"Just out of curiosity, what was the name of this wolf you helped out?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, my mistake. I probably should have put that in as well. Her name was An-" Atka's response was cut off when they heard paws sprinting towards them. All of their ears immediately perked up at alert before two wolves dashed around a corner towards them. Balto instinctively placed himself between them and Jenna, but when Atka saw them he was more at ease. It was Faro and Salin and while he was happy to see them, their sudden appearance was certainly surprising.

The wolves slid to a stop in front of them, panting, but Balto was not taking any chances. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"No, it's okay. These are the friends I told you about: Faro and Salin," Atka explained before turning to the newcomers. "Guys, what are you doing here?"

"We've gotta get out of here right now!" Faro cried. "The plan's gone bust - we're out of time!"

----------

Chapter 8: A Final Stand

"What? What do you mean we're out of time? What happened?" Atka asked his two friends, who were still panting from their dash to the town. Balto and Jenna waited nearby, anxious to see if what they said was true.

"Tikani noticed that you snuck off," Salin replied. "He came after us this morning and demanded to know where you were."

"We tried to dodge the question but he said he heard us talking last night. He knows we're helping Balto!" Faro continued, wide eyed in panic. "When we refused to give you up, he exiled us and told us to never return if we wanted to keep our hides." At this, Balto's ears parked up, listening intently for any more incoming wolves.

"You were right; I should've been quieter," Salin said, holding his head low.

"You don't know that it was your fault. He could've been spying on me because of all the questions I raised earlier," Atka replied. "Look, we have to go back and tell them what we know. They have to know that Tikani's been lying to them."

"That won't do any good. Tikani's already labelled us traitors, saying that we were plotting to overthrow him by spreading a lie," Faro replied.

"Even though you technically were plotting to remove him in order to stop this chase," Balto put in.

"Yes, but he wasn't supposed to know that until after we'd revealed his lie," Faro countered. "The point is, if we try to go back it'd be unlikely that anyone would believe us. Tikani's got them wrapped around his little claw."

"We have to leave, they could come at any second!" Salin urged.

"Wait, how could Tikani know where we are?" Jenna asked.

"He may have lost your trail, but he found Atka's fresher scent. He's following it as we speak," Faro replied. "You're lucky we were able to run ahead and get to you first, but I don't know how much of a head start we still have." Atka groaned. In his rush to get away, he'd neglected to cover his own trail.

"Then let's not waste any time; let's move!" Balto barked, but before he could take a single step, they heard howls ring out from every direction. Left and right, ahead and behind was a chorus of cries. Jenna's ears fell flat against her head, while Atka, Faro and Salin looked in every direction, trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from.

"You weren't kidding when you said we were out of time!" Atka cried. "They've got us surrounded - there's nowhere to run!"

"No, but there are many places to hide," Balto put in. "A town like this has lots of buildings, alleys, crawlspaces and other ways to avoid getting caught."

"Are you sure it will work?" Faro asked.

"You're talking to someone who lived in a town that used to hate everything about him," Jenna put in. "If anyone knows how to avoid getting caught, it's him."

"Let's see what I can use here…" Balto looked around the alley until he found something useful right above their heads. It was a two story house with an open window overlooking the roof of an adjacent building. "Perfect," he said, grinning. "Alright, follow me," he called as he led them towards the entrance of the house. Fortunately, this one had an open front door that they could easily enter.

"What are you doing? Won't we be trapped up here?" Salin asked as they climbed the cold, weathered steps inside. Faro and Atka shared his concern as they looked around the empty, abandoned building. There were very few hiding spots, and the stairs were the only way in or out of the second floor they were climbing up to.

"We'd be sitting ducks if we stayed on the street. That's why we're headed to higher ground," Balto replied as he stepped into the room he wanted. The only remaining furnishings were a small table along with the open window. "Okay, you first Jenna," he said as he pushed the table in front of the window. She knew him well enough to know what he was getting on to, so she didn't hesitate to step up and climb out. The wolves gasped when they saw her disappear through the window, but it was only a moment before her face reappeared. She was standing on the adjacent rooftop, and on seeing that she was safely through, he turned to the others. He noticed the apprehensive looks on their faces and reminded himself that they wouldn't know all of his tricks for moving around a human town. "Don't worry, its okay. Just get out the window and watch your step on the roof. I've done this thousands of times," he assured them.

They hesitated at the idea of jumping out a window, but another round of howls from outside urged them into action. Salin decided to take the plunge first and climbed up the table before jumping out the window. His paws met the wooden shingles with a slight stumble, but he managed to steady himself before Atka followed him. Faro was next, but he almost slid off the roof on his landing. He dug his claws into the wood to keep himself from falling further and regained his balance. Balto came out last once he saw that everyone else was out safely.

"Okay, we're up here, so now what? Do we just wait and hope they don't find us?" Atka asked.

"No. We're going to use the rooftops to cross the town," Balto replied. "Most of the buildings are close enough that we can jump from one to the other-" he was cut off by more barks and cries of the pack, so he urged them forward towards a section of roof that was hidden behind the wall of an adjacent building. The wolves' first steps on the sloping roof were uneasy, but they managed to get by long enough to reach their hiding spot. Once concealed, Balto continued his lecture. "As I was saying, we can jump to other buildings in order to get away. Hopefully we can find a spot where the coast is clear, drop to the ground, and then make a run for it before they realize where we are."

"Never in my years would I have thought of this," Atka observed, looking up and down the clear rooftop. "We're so used to playing with only one level of ground… this changes everything."

"Which gives us the advantage," Balto continued. "If you'd never thought of it before, then chances are that they aren't thinking about it either. We could be right above them and they'd never know it." They looked down, and sure enough, there was a wolf walking along the street. Its head moved from side to side as it searched, oblivious to what was above it. It passed right by them, and their unnoticed presence boosted their morale. "Okay, let's go. Just watch your step and try to keep quiet. Jenna, you can lead the way," he urged.

She nodded and set off along the rooftop with everyone following close behind in single file. Carefully putting one paw in front of the other, the wolves stepped along the roofto, trying to maintain their footing on the snow-covered surface. For the most part the roofs were in good shape, but there were still spots where weather and age had taken their toll. Some of the shingles had come loose, and they wobbled under the pressure of their paws. Most only wobbled an inch or so, but it was a constant reminder of the need for sure footing. One wrong slip would lead to a very nasty tumble – along with the possibility of being faced with a bloodthirsty pack.

When Jenna reached the edge of the roof, she stopped them so she could set up her jump. It was only a few feet, so she trotted back for a running start. Dashing forward, she pushed off with her hind legs and bounded across the gap, sliding a little on her landing, but still able to get a hold on the wooden roof without falling off. Salin followed next, copying her jump flawlessly while Atka followed soon after. Faro was about to make the next jump, but Atka wheeled around, shaking his head and urging them to stop. Looking down, he and Balto saw another wolf walking along the street. They waited until it passed them before finishing their crossing. They continued along, while the wolf below remained oblivious that his target had only been a few feet above his head.

They jumped across three more gaps, going from roof to roof roughly towards the edge of town. Faro, Atka and Salin had started out with uneasy legs, but as they went along, they gradually developed their balance. Soon they were trotting comfortably on top of the buildings. Despite their relative safety, the tension surrounding them was still quite high. They knew that it wouldn't take much for them to be seen, and they jumped at the slightest bark from the streets below them. The barks were only random and not a sign of any alarm, but it still put them on edge. Step by step, they neared the edge of town. There was only one more jump and they would have a shot at making a break for it. The pack seemed to be focusing their attention within the town, so the hope was that they wouldn't notice them speed away. Everything was going well until a nearby bark startled Salin. It was another random bark, but it spooked him enough that he jolted his foot back, landing right on a very loose shingle.

It took only a second for the shingle to be knocked loose, causing him to trip and lose his footing entirely. He fell sideways and cried out as he started to slide off the roof, his claws unable to get a grip on the icy surface. Jenna was right ahead of him, and when she heard him go down, she wheeled around to intervene. She grabbed the scruff of his neck to steady him, but his weight started to drag her down as well. Atka was the next to act, but he was only able to catch her bandanna in his teeth. It was enough to stop their fall, but not before Salin's flailing legs knocked a large amount of snow off the roof… and right onto the head of an unsuspecting wolf below them.

"What the… IT'S THEM! IT'S THE HUSKY!" they heard him cry, causing many barks and howls to ring out across town, converging on their location.

"Move over, move over!" Balto barked, trying to go around Faro to reach Jenna and a panicking Salin. Atka's hold was weakening and just before Balto reached them, the bandanna snapped out of his jaw, sending the two of them sliding off the roof and crashing to the ground. The snow cushioned their fall a bit, but when Jenna shakily got up, her eyes widened in terror when she found herself staring at the bared fangs of the villainous wolf.

"Gotcha," he growled, licking his lips before getting slammed to the ground by something falling from the roof. That something was Balto, who decided to forgo any conventional method of incapacitating the wolf, opting instead to knock him out simply by landing on his head. Atka and Faro quickly jumped down to meet them, but they could hear the cries of the approaching pack.

"So much for that plan. Now what do we do?" Faro asked.

"We… it's… just run!" Balto barked, looking from side to side. The cries of the pack were coming in from all sides, so they charged forward. A group of five wolves rounded a corner ahead of them, but when they turned the other way, they saw at least half a dozen more coming in from the other side of the street. The hunters closed in on either side of them, with the surrounding walls limiting their options.

"Over there! A door!" Jenna cried, and she dashed towards a lone door across the street. The others were quick to follow, entering what was once a large workshop. There were the remains of a wooden bench in the corner and an old rusted sawblade hanging from a peg. Everything else was taken away when the owner moved out, leaving a large empty room. The only source of light was the open door they'd entered through, and a smaller square at the far end with light shining through it.

To them, that light was salvation. Balto desperately rushed towards it, failing to notice the metal grate in front of it until he ran headlong into it. The metal clanged from the impact, leaving him dazed for a moment before he examined it. He looked at it with determination, as he wasn't about to let a piece of metal prevent his escape. The barks and howls outside were getting closer, and the stress made his paw shake as he extended a claw and tried to pry out the pins holding the grate in place.

"C'mon… work damn you!" he growled as he managed to get it to wiggle, but the rusted pin was jammed firmly into the cold wood. Desperate, he grasped it with his teeth to yank it out, but it refused to budge. Jenna joined in with the second pin, but she had no more luck than he did. His jaws ached from the strain, and the cries outside reached a deafening climax until… all was quiet. They soon heard claws clicking on the wood floor behind them, along with the occasional growl.

He knew what he was going to see behind him, so he decided to let go of the pin and stare down the pack. The tension was thick as they crept towards them, as if ready to pounce at any moment. Faro, Atka and Salin quickly surrounded Jenna to protect her, but Balto knew it would only delay the inevitable. His eyes darted left and right, his body so worked up it felt like he would take off if he wanted to. This was it; this was gong to be his final stand, but he wouldn't back down from it. One wolf decided to make the first lunge at him, but he caught it by the shoulder and shoved it back. Two more tried to go for Jenna, but the three protecting her beat them back. They would knock one or two back, but more would take their place. They were against a never-ending sea of teeth and claws, and it was only a matter of time before one of them fell. After rearing up and slashing a wolf's muzzle, Balto was caught in the side by another and knocked to the ground. His attacker reared up, ready to strike his neck, and then-

"Hold it! Don't touch them!" a commanding voice bellowed. "They're mine."

The wolf quickly stepped back towards the crowd at the order. Another wolf that had gotten Atka's neck in his jaws also let go, giving them some breathing space. Balto shakily got up and saw the crowd part as Tikani entered. The alpha wolf wore a contented smile as he surveyed his exhausted enemy. Balto only glared at him with contempt; here was the wolf that had put him and his mate through hell for the past few days, and now that same wolf had him cornered.

"Well, well… you two led us on quite a chase," Tikani started, very calm in what he saw as his moment of victory. "You managed to slip through my paws many times, and you almost did again today… but now you've run out of places to run and hide. You and your husky won't escape this time."

"I won't ever let you have her," Balto growled. "If you want her, you're going to have to beat me down first."

"Ah, so the half-breed diplomat actually has claws. It's too bad you didn't show them sooner, you may actually have had a chance."

"I guess that's the difference between you and me. I prefer to actually give others a chance before I beat them senseless."

"And that is why you're weak! You cling to your ideals, and that's why when you had the chance to end me, you didn't take it. You let your enemy get up and continue to fight while you just ran away. You may have thought you could get away, but as long as I am in control here, I will never stop until I have what I want."

'He's right - through all this he's never given up on getting what he wants. As long as the pack is hanging on to every word, this will never end. They won't believe us if we try to explain things, they'll only believe what he says… so what if… he admitted it himself?'

Putting on a neutral expression, Balto started to play out the idea that was forming in his head. "You know what, you're right. You're not going to stop, so what's the point of running anymore? Why don't you and I settle this right now?"

"You want to challenge me one on one, eh? Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Balto, no-" Jenna put in, but he turned to her and silently mouthed the words, "Trust me," before turning back to Tikani. "I'm sure. A simple fight to settle this once and for all. The first one to make the other fall gets to walk home free. What do you say?" He knew it was a risk to take him on, but it was all part of his new plan. Balto would play on Tikani's ego, making the wolf think he was the one with the advantage, when he was actually walking right into Balto's paws.

A grin started to form on Tikani's muzzle, his eyes glinting with delight. The prospect of having a one on one contest with the perceived source of his misery was too sweet to ignore. "I accept."

With the challenge accepted, the pack arranged themselves so that everyone would get the best view of the spectacle. They formed a rough circle to box the competitors in and ensure they couldn't escape out the only door. They flanked Jenna and her three guards to prevent them from interfering, while Balto and Tikani circled each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. Jenna watched anxiously as they squared off, hoping that Balto wouldn't lose this fight.

"You do realize that by challenging me like this, you lose any chance of mercy from me," Tikani stated. "You may be only half, but you still have some wolf blood in you. It'd be a shame if that had to be spilled… enough of us have suffered because of this."

"How touching," Balto replied, making it evident that he didn't care about Tikani's false sentiment.

"You know, I don't get you Balto. I don't get what you see in that begging excuse of a canine over there," Tikani said, glancing at Jenna.

"What I see in her is someone who has their own strength and isn't afraid to use it to help those she cares about," Balto replied. "Remember, she was the one that led the way when she came to find me."

"Yes, but how well did that go? You two have been on the run from us!" Tikani taunted, before making the first charge. He snapped forward, but his fangs met empty air as Balto jumped back. Balto may not have been much of a fighter, but he was no stranger to them. He knew this was only the preliminaries. There were always the introductions, where they would snap at each other, saying what they wanted to say before launching into an all out brawl. He knew that he would have to get Tiknai to admit what he knew before the gloves came off, or his chances for survival would quickly fall to almost zero.

"Maybe, but we weren't the only ones who felt the need to run from you," Balto replied, hoping this direction would take things to where he wanted them. "I'm curious why those three felt the need to come to me. After all, I'm supposed to be their enemy."

"They were exiled because they were plotting against me. They were planning to spread lies and seize power for themselves while we were far from our home!" The barking from the rest of the pack showed that they agreed with their alpha.

"Oh really? What were they going to say that was so dangerous that you felt the need to exile them?"

"They were going to… it's none of your concern. It's just a lie!"

"Oh come on, why are you so afraid to say it?" Balto asked, before snapping at the wolf himself. Tikani jumped back, but he refused to show any weakness to his adversary. "If it's a lie, then what's the harm in letting it out? Who knows, it might explain why they decided to come to me."

"I don't care why they betrayed me; all that matters is that they did!" Tikani barked, snapping back at Balto. "They were trying to spread discord in my pack and I won't let you do the same."

"Alright, you don't want me to interfere with your pack, that's fine," Balto replied. He could tell that Tikani was desperate to keep his cover intact. He couldn't push too hard or he'd risk blowing his whole plan.

"That's right, and had you not interfered last time, Kisa wouldn't be dead and we wouldn't be out here. This is all because you had to come and ruin everything!" Tikani growled, baring his fangs.

"You're acting like I did this on purpose, but her death was due to the actions of a desperate dog and a scared human," he replied. "That dog was only trying to protect his own family, and so would-"

"I don't care about your families!" Tikani cut in. "I hate your dog families! All they end up doing is producing more of your stupid offspring. When there are more of you, there's less of us!" This prompted more angry barking from the pack.

Soon, everything clicked in Balto's head. If Tikani hated dog families so much, then it was just a matter of linking that to Jenna. "So, what would you do if you came across a lone husky pup?" he asked, but only got another snap from Tikani as a reply. "Or, even better… a mother husky who was expecting many pups?"

This caught the attention of not only Tikani, but the rest of the pack as well. "Just what are you trying to say?" the alpha wolf demanded.

"Think about it Tikani… it's a dog who can have pups, while you can't because you have no mate," Balto continued. "They get to have something you can't."

"It's not fair…"

"And who knows… maybe those little husky pups will grow up into big, strong dogs," Balto continued. The barking from the pack was starting to rise to a climax, but it was no longer because of what he was saying. They wanted to see some action soon.

"Dogs that would just come after us like all the rest. I can't let that that happen," Tikani continued. He was near his breaking point. With the egging on and cheers for action from the pack, Balto knew his time was running out.

"So what would you do?" he asked, knowing this might be his last chance. He was going for broke as the jeers from the crowd reached a fever pitch. "What would do to that husky, knowing that she could be the source of your undoing? Or of Kisa's…"

"I'd kill any husky in my way! I'd stop them before they had a chance to attack us!" Tikani bellowed. He was wide-eyed in rage with bristling fur, making him appear almost rabid. "I don't care how young or old they are! You took my Kisa away from me and you will pay for it, Balto! You will pay for it with your pup's lives!"

With that, the barking fell silent as what Tikani declared sank into everyone's ears. Balto could hear some of them muttering with each other, and that was when he knew he'd gotten his paw in the door. It was perfect - Tikani had specifically mentioned him, which meant it wouldn't take much for them to put two and two together.

----------

Chapter 9: The Dominoes Fall

"Would he really do it?"

"I thought it was wrong to attack a female with pups."

"Why did he say 'Balto's pups'?"

These were some of the things they heard the pack whisper amongst each other after Tikani's outburst. Balto just stood there calmly, looking at the wide-eyed alpha wolf with a small grin. His calm, along with the pack's muttering made Tikani very uneasy. He was not about to lose control due to some half-breed. "Don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you! It was just a hypothetical situation!"

"Hypothetical or not, going after a mother like that is just wrong," an older wolf put in.

"But she's just a dog! They aren't the same!"

"Dog or not, the rules still apply," another wolf near the back added. "As someone who values justice so much you should know that."

"It would be justice for what happened to Kisa!"

"Kisa wasn't carrying pups," the old wolf replied. "And any stranger wouldn't have done anything to harm us. At most, we should just chase them away from our land."

"We don't have time for this debate!" Tikani snapped, becoming more exasperated by the second. "Don't let him confuse you with made up stories!"

"Why did you say that you'd make Balto pay with his pup's lives? We didn't know Balto had any pups."

"What, Tikani didn't tell you the wonderful news?" Balto put in, grinning as he saw his plan fall into place. "Very soon, Jenna and I will-" his declaration was cut off when Tikani wheeled around and slammed into his side, knocking him down.

"I won't let you do this to me! You won't stop me and neither will anyone else! I will kill your husky and the little mongrels she's carrying, along with anyone who tries to stand in my way!" he bellowed frantically. By the time he'd realised what he'd said, it had already reverberated around the room.

"Jenna is carrying pups?" another wolf asked. "Since when?"

"I don't know… wait, no she's not… don't listen to him!"

"But he's not the one saying it - you are," Atka put in. "And I know more than anyone else that your word carries far more weight than mine or Balto's."

"Tikani, is this true?" the older wolf asked, glaring at his panicking leader.

"Hey, I think it might be," another put in. "When we found this old dog, he mentioned something about an expecting mother. Isn't that right Saku?"

"Yeah, he did," a third wolf, Saku added. "At first I didn't think anything of it, but the only one he could have been referring to was… Jenna. I heard it too, and so did Atka and… Tikani. They were all there."

"So what?" Tikani retorted, rolling his eyes. "That old dog was just a-"

"But Tikani, doing something like this is forbidden! It is not our way!" the older wolf cried.

"Whose word are you going to take? Mine or his?" Tikani demanded.

"We would take your words… if they didn't turn out to be full of lies," Saku put in, and the mumbling that followed showed that was the prevailing thought of the pack.

"But don't you remember what that wolfdog has done to us?"

"Let me ask you this? What exactly has Balto personally done to any of you?" Atka cut in, stepping forward to face the pack. "Yes, Kisa's death was a tragedy, but it came at the hands of a human whom Balto had no control over. She may have been an adversary for him, but he still grieved her death as much as we did. Does that sound like the actions of a scheming half-dog?"

"But what about the other dogs? They must be stopped!" Tikani barked.

"The dogs that were the start of all this may have infringed on our territory before, but Balto tried to work something out between us," Atka continued. "We almost had something, but then you closed that deal in your rage. However… after that, the dogs haven't returned have they? They haven't made any further move against us, even though it's putting them in a tough situation."

"Think of it this way; have I ever intentionally misled you for my own gain?" Balto asked, and the answer came from the silence of the pack. None could think of any way Balto had lied to them. "You see, I haven't. When you make up your mind on whose word to would take, keep that in mind… along with how Tikani kept what he knew about Jenna from all of you."

Silence fell over the room as they thought Balto's words over. Through all this, their actions were based only on what Tikani told them. They'd been so caught up in the raw emotions over Kisa's death that they'd never stopped to think about whether or not this was necessary. Then again, this whole thing was Tikani's plan from the start, and already some felt that it was only meant to serve Tikani's need for revenge. Most of them barely knew who Jenna was, but were so accustomed to following Tikani that they didn't stop and wonder why they were going after a dog they'd seen maybe once before. Their indecision enraged Tikani, who realised that some half-dog had managed to unravel the narrative he'd used to rally his pack.

"I've had enough of you wolfdog! I'm not going to let it end this way!" Tikani bellowed before lunging at Balto. He caught him by the scruff of his neck and flung him to the side. Tikani prepared for another strike, but Faro, Atka and Salin were quick to leap across the room and tackle him, meeting no resistance from the pack. The shock from the impact stunned Tikani while Atka held him down with his paws. "What are you waiting for! Stop them! Don't let them get away with this!" Tikani called, but no one reacted. Instead, they simply watched him struggle to get up, some looking at him with contempt, others with complete disgust.

Once he got his wind back, he shoved Atka off him. He rose to find Balto already on his feet, with Faro and Salin by his side. It was four on one, but when he tried to step back, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg. He wheeled around to see that one of his own had bit him. To an alpha like him, such insubordination was almost unheard of, and yet someone who was barely two years old had nipped his thigh. On either side of him, more started to close in, some growling, others snapping at him as well. On all sides were teeth and claws intent on harming him, tightening in on him by the second. On seeing all of his own wolves turn on him like this caused a very curious sensation in Tikani. It was fear – something that he hadn't felt in years thanks to the loyalty from his pack. His ears fell flat against his head – probably for the first time in his life – as he saw that he had no support. He wasn't sure if they were going to kill him, but if they wanted to, there was very little he could do to stop them. He turned back and saw Balto whispering something into Atka's ear before they padded over.

"How does it feel Tikani? How does it feel to have an entire wolf pack turn on you, ready to finish you off?" Balto asked. "How does it feel to be alone and trapped with no way out?" Tikani didn't reply, but his expression betrayed his courage, displaying his fear for the world to see. "Does it terrify you? I think it would… because that's how you made me feel for the past few days. No, scratch that - I felt even worse. Jenna was also in danger, and it was all because of you."

"No… it won't end this way," Tikani growled, trying to cover his fear with anger.

"It can and it will," Atka declared. "This ends now Tikani. You're done here." He took one more look at Balto, who nodded for him to continue. "Tikani, I want you to walk away from this. I want you to walk away and never return to us. I want you to walk away and never hurt anyone again!"

Tikani couldn't believe his ears. He looked at his beta incredulously at the thought of being evicted from his own pack. "And if I refuse?"

"Then that's your choice… though I'm not sure I'd be able to stop everyone from taking a bite out of you," Atka replied, and another wolf snapped at his side to force the point. "Oh, and if you ever try to make any move against Balto, Jenna or any of their friends… then we won't be nearly as forgiving as we are now. We will be keeping a watch out for you," Atka added, determined to prevent Tikani from acting alone.

The pack made an opening to show him the door, and that was when Tikani knew it was over. He hated the idea of giving up, but he knew that in the event a pack turned against an alpha, it was best for the alpha to leave gracefully. 'I won't forget what you've done here wolfdog. This is twice you've ruined my life now,' he thought as he walked out of the mill. After one last look back, he snorted before running into the empty wilderness, vowing to return someday. He had nothing else to lose, so he would find a way, no matter what...

----------

Emotions were still running very high in the pack, which was to be expected when a trusted leader was found out to be a liar. Atka led Balto and Jenna outside for their own safety while he tried to sort everything out. The hope was that he'd be able to end the chase, but there was always the chance that the pack would overrule him. He did hold the next highest rank after Tikani… but he wasn't sure if his rank still held any weight after Tikani had exiled him.

"Do you think he'll be okay, or should we make another run for it?" Jenna asked after a few anxious minutes of waiting. She looked down the street, seeing that they would have a clear getaway if they needed it.

"Well, everything seems calm in there, so I don't think we have to worry," he replied, moving his ears to try to catch any sound from inside the mill. However, his optimism was still guarded, and he took a look down the empty road as well.

"Does this mean… it's finally over?"

"I hope so. If it is… that means we're safe now," he replied, nuzzling her. "Soon we can go home and see Rosy and everyone else."

"Rosy… oh she's probably worried sick by now," she said, rubbing into his chest.

"Yeah… I suppose we have been gone for a while," he replied, causing her to crack a smile. If he was taking something in good humour, that was a sign that everything was alright. They heard paws crunching through the snow and saw Atka, Faro and Salin coming towards them. "So what's the word?" he asked.

"You two can rest easy. It took some effort to convince them, but I've gotten them to agree to end this conflict. Congratulations - you can go home safely now."

"Really? We can?" Balto asked, and Atka nodded. His tail wagged excitedly as he looked at Jenna, who looked like she was near tears out of joy. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful we are for this."

"Considering how it means that you no longer need to run for your lives, I would imagine you'd be very grateful… but I can't take all the credit," Atka admitted. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to turn the tide against Tikani. What you've done is a great service to our pack, and there's got to be some way we can repay you."

"Oh you don't have to do that…" Balto started, his humble nature making him reluctant to accept gifts. Then again... there were others who could benefit from such a favor. "Actually, now that you mention it, there is something I hope you can do."

"Name it."

"You remember that sled team I told you about? The one that strayed into your territory and caused all this?" Balto started and Atka quickly caught on.

"You want me to allow them to hunt in our territory, just like in the deal you tried to make with Tikani," Atka stated.

"Please, they've been having it rough for the past month and that would help them provide for themselves-"

"Say no more," Atka cut in, smiling. "I remember the terms of the deal quite clearly… and as the new alpha I think I can make it happen."

"Really? You can do all that for us?" Jenna asked.

"Of course. I may not know how you dogs do things, but out here, the word of the alpha carries quite a bit of weight… as long as it is supported by the pack as well. But after today I don't think I'll have to worry much about it. There are more than a few of us who think it's about time we started building friendships instead of ending them."

"I don't know. In my experience there's still going to be a few who are reluctant to change," Balto added.

"I know, but this way I can make sure they don't do anything rash," Atka replied. "For now, our main focus should be getting you two home... and if my memory is correct, we may be closer to your town than you think."

"How close? Do we have far to go?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know how far it is exactly, but I know that since the mountains were to the northeast of your town, and we're currently due west from those mountains…" Atka explained, trailing off as he thought it over in his head. "If I've got this worked out right, then we're roughly north of the town, no more than a day away."

Both of them smiled at the thought, and she turned to Balto, grinning. "So, think you can handle one more day of travel?" she asked.

"Just as long as I don't have to run for any of it," he replied.

"Good. I'll send some scouts ahead along the river. Chances are that one of them will find the way," Atka finished, and they were soon on their way.

It felt a little surreal for them to be travelling along with a pack that, only hours ago, was trying to chase them down. As they travelled up front with Atka, they would occasionally glance over their shoulders. They was no further danger, but their apprehension had yet to wear off, resulting in them repeating that action every few minutes. They continued to follow the river, and at regular intervals, one of the wolves would break off to widen their search. Atka's guess of north was more of a generalization, so he used his scouts to cast a wide net in the hopes of finding something that would point the way. He was eager to not only return Balto and Jenna to their home, but to also return his pack to their land to begin starting over after Tikani.

It was a couple of hours before they got their first clue in the form of a sharp howl that rang out. From their angle, it came from slightly to their left. Rushing towards it, they were a little surprised to find the wolf who howled was actually cornered against a tree by another red-brown wolf.

"I won't ask you again. What has happened to Balto and Jenna! Where are they!" the wolf demanded in a voice they instantly recognized. The sight of a familiar face gave them much relief, telling them they were closer to home than ever.

"We're right here Anya," Balto called out. "Sorry if we caused you a little fright there."

"Balto?" she asked, turning towards him and appearing completely dumbfounded. "How is this… but these are… why would Tikani-"

"Tikani's no longer the one giving orders; I am," Atka cut in. "There have been a few changes while we were out, and if you'll allow it, I can explain everything to Maska."

"This is… I... sure, yes... I can take you to Maska," Anya said, her jaw hanging open as she tried to take everything in. She quickly rushed to Balto and Jenna, giving both of them a quick nuzzle in greeting. "I'm so glad to see you two are okay. After you didn't return with Maska we feared the worst."

"Thanks - it's good to see a friendly face after so long," Balto said.

"I'm glad I could brighten your day," she replied, breaking into a grin. "So, how did you manage to pull this off?"

"It's... complicated. I guess you could say... the way home found me, just like you said it would," Balto explained.

"Well, I don't just say these things because I like the sound of my own voice."

"Hehe, that's true. Actually, I think it would be best if I left the explaining to Atka," Balto replied. "I'm sorry to just say hi and run, but we'd really like to get home before dark."

"Of course. You're probably exhausted from your days of travel," she said. "We're currently at the northern border of our territory and I'm sure you can find your way from here. I probably won't be the only one happy to see you safe and sound," she said, before turning to Atka. "Alright, if you'll follow me I can take you to Maska. I'm sure he'll be very interested to know what's happened over the past few days." Atka nodded, and told Faro and Salin to take everyone else back to their own territory. With that, they all went their separate ways: Balto and Jenna went towards their home, the pack towards their home territory, while Atka followed Anya to find Maska. There would be much that these two alphas would have to discuss, but Atka hoped that it would be a fresh start between their two packs.

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"But mom, they could be out there!"

"Rosy it's getting late. We can look for them tomorrow."

"I'll just go up the street. I promise."

"… Okay, but I want you back in ten minutes. It's getting dark."

Rosy already had her coat on, and with her mother's permission she stepped out the front door. Jenna had been missing for three whole days now, and she hadn't seen any sign of Balto either. She went up the mostly empty street, peering through the low evening light, hoping to find some trace of them. She looked under porches and down alleys, but found nothing. When she reached the end of the street, her face fell at the prospect of having to spend another night without the dogs she loved so much.

"Where are you two? Why would you run away like that?" she asked, sniffling a little as she turned back towards her home. She'd taken no more than two steps before she heard a haunting cry ring out across the tundra. It was the howl of a wolf, and one that she'd heard before. The last time she heard that howl was when she was very sick. It was the howl that announced the one who saved her life…

"Balto!" she cried and turned around to see the brown half wolf bounding towards her with a red husky by his side. "Jenna!" She ran out to them, catching them mid-stride to pull them into a tight hug. They eagerly licked her face, tails wagging in the joy of seeing her. "Where were you two?" she demanded. "I've been so worried about you. I missed you so much."

'We missed you too," Balto thought, glad to feel the safety that came whenever he saw Nome. They were home, safe and sound. In the end, that was all he needed to be happy.

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Atka lay down in the den, his mind buzzing from the day's events. He'd become the alpha of his pack, saved Balto, and even started to mend fences with Maska - all in one day. He knew his mind should be focused on his new responsibility, but there was something else nagging at him; something about her. 'Where did you go?' he thought.

The dirt crunched behind him, and he was surprised to see none other than Aniu at the entrance to the den. It was as though his own thoughts had summoned her. "How did you get here so quickly? What's going on with you?" he asked. A bystander wouldn't have heard any reply from her, but Atka did, right in his own mind. Her voice was heard by him and him alone, and she told him what he wanted to know. She told him the reason for her long absence, and his face fell when he learned her story. "You mean you're… Oh my... I'm so sorry. So you're here as a… spirit?" he asked, pausing as the replies came to his mind. "Ah, that makes sense. You know, you hear about these things in stories but you never really believe them until you see them. Thank you again for being my guide. You have no idea how many you have saved today… Oh, I guess you do… You're very welcome… He's important? Why?"

From the way she talked, it sounded like she had a very keen interest in Balto, something that puzzled him a bit. "Out of all the wolves and dogs in the world, why do you have such an interest in him? What makes him so special to you?" he asked. When the reply came, his eyes grew wide. "He's your… So that's where he gets his wolf half from," he replied. "If that's so, then why don't you tell him that? He should know… So when will the time be right for him… Okay, I won't mention it to him, but you shouldn't keep this from him for too long." She nodded to him, and told him her plan. "Soon… you'll tell him soon. But how?"

"I have something in mind…"

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Epilogue: Hopes and Dreams

He was running. He didn't know why, all that mattered was that he kept on running. The landscape was desolate, with nothing but solid ice in all directions. The sky was dark, but it had a very surreal quality to it. The whole land seemed unnatural, but he didn't stop to dwell on it. He just kept on running.

He heard a groan behind him, followed by a sharp crack. He looked back and saw the ice cracking and crumbling. Now he had a clear reason to keep running. He raced to stay ahead of the crack, but it always matched his speed. He swerved left, but the crack was quick to follow. He pushed his body forward, managing to stay ahead of the ice that seemed intent on swallowing him. Suddenly, the ice crashed ahead of him as well, rising to form a wall in front of him. He had heard of sled teams encountering them – pressure ridges in the sea ice – but he had never heard of one rising so quickly. With peril behind and a wall ahead, it was as though some force intent on stopping him was controlling the ice itself, but he would not give up without a fight. The ridge rose at an angle and he scaled it, hoping to find safety on the other side. The ridge rose steeper, and he could feel his paws sliding on the ice, but he pushed forward. He reached the summit, but the ridge shook before crumbling beneath his feet. He fell, expecting to hit the icy cold water, but instead landed hard on a swaying piece of ice. He was floating on a small white island on an inky sea. Looking around, he saw other pieces of ice, but any continuous ground had crumbled and broken up.

He thought he was alone in this landscape until he heard a cry above him. He saw a large, dark bird – a raven – flying overhead. The call was sharp, meant to grab his attention. It circled a few times before starting to fly away, and as it did, he was amazed to see that many pieces of ice had floated together to form a semi-straight path. He wound up and jumped from his piece to the next, and then the next after that. From piece to piece, he went along, following the raven. He didn't know why he had to, but it was the only thing he could do.

As he followed the path, fog started to roll in around him. This only added to the surreal nature of this land as fog rarely formed in the cold of winter. Through the fog, he started to see shapes. He raced towards them, but when was able to identify them, he halted. In front of him were wolves - a whole pack of them - but they weren't like any wolves he'd seen before. He'd never seen wolves with glowing yellow eyes. They just stood and stared at him with their ethereal gaze, but he held back. He didn't know them and he wasn't sure if they were friends or foes. Something didn't feel right to him; it felt like there was danger around… just like the danger he felt when being pursued by Tikani's pack.

He heard a howl call out, long and high. They were calling to him, calling for him to join them, but he held back. He didn't want to be with these wolves; he wanted to go back home to be with Jenna. He turned his back to them, hoping to get away, but their howl continued, growing louder. He jumped to another ice floe, but when he landed it shattered beneath his feet, plunging him into the dark below. The howling persisted as he fell into the black. He didn't hit water, only falling through darkness. He despaired and the howl grew louder in his ears, becoming a roar. He tried to scream, but nothing came out as he fell deeper and deeper into nothing. He was terrified; there was no end in sight. He shut his eyes, hoping, praying for some sort of end to this nightmare.

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"NO!" Balto shouted when he snapped his eyes open. His eyes darted left and right and found that he was safe in his boat. It was barely morning, and it didn't take him long to realise that what happened was all a dream. An unsettling dream, but still a dream nonetheless. He could feel his heart pounding and his ears were ringing from the howl, but he brushed it off as just the after-effects of the dream.

He settled back down and closed his eyes to sleep. It was probably just his mind reacting to the stress he'd been put through for the past few days. He hoped that the time to come would bring peace and security, not just for himself, but for his future family as well. They would grow up in a safe home, with him and Jenna before being passed on to human families. From now on, he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

But of course, things don't always follow our hopes…

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Maska, Kari, Anya, Tikani, Spitz, Faro, Atka, Salin, Mackenzie and Saku all belong to iWolf231 and may not be used in any way without my direct permission.

Balto, Jenna, Rosy, Kaltag, Nikki, Star, Doc and Aniu belong to Universal Studios and Amblimation.