The Way Love Begins

Jenna trodded through the alleyway behind the butcher's shop, it was her first day in Nome, and she wanted to see the sights. The little bell that was hanging from the shops door ringed as the butcher walked outside with a big sack. Jenna's nose burned, the sack had a horrid stench reaking from it's opening.

"Hi there." The butcher called. Jenna barked playfully at him.

"Haha, good dog, don't get into this stuff though, smells and tastes disgusting, I left it out over a few days, spoiled." The butcher warned. He heaved the surprisingly large sack into the dumpster, then he turned around and walked back into the shop.

"Hmm, he seems like a nice guy." Jenna muttered to herself.

"Wouldn't count on it." A voice barked out from behind her. She jumped when she heard it.

"Oh my gosh! You scared me half to death." Jenna gasped.

"Well, I think the fact that he's been seen chopping up dogs and throwing them into these sacks is also scary." The dog said.

"Well, I think he's fine. So, who are you?" Jenna asked.

"I'm Balto, who are you?" Balto returned.

"Jenna. I'm new in town." Jenna answered.

"Ah, first day?" Balto continued.

"Yeah." Jenna answered.

"Well, you like it so far?" Balto asked.

"Oh, yes, the people here are very nice." Jenna answered.

"Not to me they're not, nobody is." Balto mumbled.

"Why, are you a stray?" Jenna questioned.

"Yeah, but it's not because of that." Balto said.

"Then why?" Jenna asked further.

"Well, see I'm, uh... I'm part wolf." Balto fumbled.

"Oh, uh." Jenna was surprised.

"What, you gonna run too. Because if you do, you're not the first." Balto hopped down from the fence, and gave Jenna a piercing stare, and she was a little bit scared.

"Balto, I have no... no problem with you being part wolf." Jenna reassured.

"Good. Look, I'm sorry, I can tell that I kinda scared you." Balto apologized.

"Yeah, you kinda did, but it's ok, that thing about the butcher scared me way more." Jenna teased.

"Haha, well, best be off. Maybe we can talk sometime, I'll show you the best parts of town." Balto bragged.

"Oh, I'd love that. See ya." Jenna called as he jumped back up on the roof and ran off. "Wow, he's amazing, crazy but amazing." Jenna thought to herself, and her heart, suddenly skipped a beat.

Balto hopped from roof to roof. He jumped and bumped into Boris.

"Ay, watch were you are going dog." Boris yelled.

"Sorry Boris." Balto apologized.

"Is ok boychick." Boris muttered. "Where were you?"

"I met the most beautiful girl." Balto sighed.

"Oh, I see." Boris blurted out. "Do tell, yes."

"Her fur, was a rusty red color, her tail had a curve to it, but she just, the way she looked into your eyes with herown, was piercing, almost godess like." Balto reminesced.

"Wow, you sound awestruck with love." Boris mumbled. "She must be something."

"Yeah, she is." Balto sighed.

Jenna jogged down the road. She was reading the signs of the various shops when suddenly.

"Jenna!" A voice called.

"Thats gotta be Dixie." Jenna muttered to herself. "Coming!" She yelled back. She ran over to the mill, where the voice came from.

"Yeah Dixie?" Jenna asked. "What's up."

"How was your excursion of the town?" Dixie asked.

"Well, it's pretty nice, and I met this dog, Balto, he's a really nice guy do you know him?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, god, Balto, ha, you're joking right, know him? The whole town knows him, he's a thief, a trickster, a jerk, and a cold-blooded killer." Dixie chuckled, then burst into laughter.

"I don't see why it's so funny, he's really nice." Jenna argued.

"He's just trying to take advantage of you, just like the others, he seems nice at first, but then, just when you don't expect it, BAM, you're dead." Dixie exaggerated beyond belief.

"Oth...others, what others?" Jenna stuttered.

"Four of em'. All dead, Balto is a killer, don't hang out around him, or he'll get you too." Dixie warned. Jenna couldn't believe what she was hearing, was it true? She nodded at Dixie and left the mill. Dixie began to snicker.

Balto was jumping on the butchers roof to make him mad, and he did.

"Who's doing that, dern pigeons, I'll cut em' up into tiny pieces and serve em' to those dogs that bother me every day." The butcher yelled. Balto laughed to himself. He noticed Jenna walking down the street. He jumped down from the roof and jogged over to her.

"Hi Jenna how you doin'?" Balto called out.

"Oh, uh, hi Balto." Jenna gulped. "Come on ask him now or you'll be dead."

"Ask me what?" Balto was suddenly right next to her.

"Ah, oh, don't scare me." Jenna gasped, she playfully tapped him on the head.

"Haha, sorry. So, ask me what?" Balto asked.

"Well, I talked to a friend of mine yesterday, and uh." Jenna stumbled.

"And uh, what?" Balto looked concerned.

"Well, she said the you were..." Balto cut her off.

"A thief, a jerk, and a killer?" Balto asked.

"Yes, and I don't believe her, but, I want to know if." Jenna fumbled with her words.

"Well, the thing is Jenna, when you're part wolf, a hated loner, people make things up about you, now I'm not gonna lie, I steal food to stay alive, you're the first dog that's let me talk to them, so how do they know I'm a jerk, and killer, just because I'm part wolf, they automatically assume..." Jenna cut Balto off.

"They say there were others." Jenna yelled, she began to tear.

"Others?" Balto asked.

"Others like me, females who you take advantage of, and when they don't expect it you kill them." She began to full on cry.

"Jenna, I don't know where you're getting this information, but it's not true." Balto mumbled.

"Oh Balto." Jenna cried as she stepped forward and nuzzled him. She sobbed into his shoulder, he lifed his paw and patted her on the back of her head. She pulled back realizing what she was doing.

"I was overreacting wasn't I?" Jenna sniffled.

"No, I can understand why you feel upset, but where did you hear this?" Balto asked, entirely concerned.

"From a friend of mine, Dixie." Jenna sobbed.

"Oh my god, Jenna, do you realize who Dixie is?" Balto chuckled.

"No why,why are you laughing." Jenna felt offended.

"Dixie is the town gossip, and a liar. I hate to say this, but she played you for a fool." Balto answered.

Jenna began to cry again, but she held her tears, back, she'd felt entirely threatened by Balto, but she also felt furious that dixie had lied to her.

"Balto, I'm sorry for even somewhat thinking that what Dixie said was even remotely true." Jenna apologized.

"It's ok. I hear stuff like that all the time, but it's usually being yelled at me, and there are no apologies." Balto chuckled.

"Look, I need to go straighten things out with Dixie. I'm pretty mad at her right now." Jenna said.

"Alright, you still want that tour?" Balto asked.

"Yeah, definately. Bye!" Jenna called as she trodded off.

Balto slowly turned and walked home. He'd made the girl who made him feel so good break into tears, he felt terrible, but atleast she knew the truth, Dixie was known for her gossip and lies, and people believed every single one about him.

Jenna walked over to the mill, hoping Dixie was still in there. Jenna opened the door, and she was, but there were three other dogs standing by her, one was a tall Afghan, another was a big black and white Malamute, and the other was a brownish-orange husky, and they were talking to each other about something.

"Oh hey Jenna! How are you, this is Jenna, the new girl in town." Dixie motioned towards Jenna. "Jenna, this is Sylvie." She pointed to the Afghan. "This is Steele." She pointed to the black and white dog. "And this is Takito." She pointed to the brown husky.

"Dixie, we need to talk." Jenna stood firmly.

"Ok, come on over." Dixie motioned for her to join them.

"No Dixie, alone." Her words were as cold as ice.

"Uh, ok. Get out get out." Dixie pushed and shooed the other dogs away. "So whats up?"

"We need to talk about Balto." Jenna sat down next to her.

"Oh no this again, look, I told you, stay away from him, don't you know that the others..." She was cut off firmly by Jenna.

"Don't try to fill my head with that crap. You never told me anything about being the town gossip, and the town liar." Jenna was on the verge of tears again.

"Look, Jenna, I don't know who's doubting this, but it's all true." Dixie warned. "I'm telling you, that Balto is a bad person."

"You haven't even talked to him ever, how would you know what he's like?" Jenna yelled. She felt a tear run down the right side of he face.

"Jenna there is proof the others.." She was cut off again.

"There are no others, there is no proof, Balto is a good person, and you have no reason to treat him like you do, and spread these rumors about him, just because he's part wolf, you have absolutely no right to discriminate against him, you call him a heartless jerk, and as far as I'm concerned, you're the true heartless jerk." Jenna began crying again, and she turned around and ran out of the mill. The four dogs slowly walked inside.

"You know, she just broke you down piece by piece." Sylvie said.

"Yeah, she's a hot piece though, a little emotional, but she is fine." Steele chimed in. Takito remained silent.

Jenna ran and ran. She had reached the outskirts of town when she stopped running, her legs wouldn't carry her any farther, and she collapsed in the snow, sobbing. She lay there for a while when suddenly

"Scuse me." A voice blurted out. Jenna jumped up, and sitting in front of her, was a bear.

"Yes?" She didn't exactly know what to say.

"Hey, are you ok?" The bear asked.

"Yes I'm fine." She wiped her tears away.

"Ok, what's your name?" The bear asked.

"Jenna, yours?" She asked further.

"Muk, and that there is Luk." Muk pointed behind her. She turned around, and another bear was there, but three times the size of Muk. Luk simply hummed and waved.

"He says hi." Muk translated.

"Hi." Jenna said back.

"Well, we best be getting off, we've got to go see uncle Boris and Balto." Muk said.

"Wait, you know Balto?" Jenna asked.

"Yes why?" Muk questioned.

"Can you take me to see him, I'm a friend of his?" Jenna asked.

"Ok." Muk chimed. "Let's go."

Balto sat in the boat on the edge of town. Talking to Boris.

"I really upset her. I feel terrible." Balto choked out.

"Well, she agrees with you, she's on your side." Boris reassured.

"Uncle Boooooorriiiiiiissss!!!" Muk yelled.

"Oh no." Boris mumbled. The two bears ran up the ramp and tackled Boris.

"Oh, get off of me!" Boris yelled. Balto sat and watched the bears lick Boris, drowning him in saliva, he turned to look and the ramp, and found Jenna standing in the opening.

"Hi Balto." Jenna smiled at him.

"Uh, hi Jenna. What are you doing here?" Balto asked.

"I wanted to see you. I felt so stupid after believing Dixie, that I went and yelled at her almost in front of her friends." Jenna chuckled.

"Wow." Balto was surprised.

"Yeah. It felt good." Jenna gasped.

"Well, thanks for sticking up for me." Balto muttered.

"Anytime." Jenna walked up and kissed him on the cheek, and he began to blush. She simply smiled at him.

"I believe a certain friend of mine promised me an amazing tour of this town." Jenna joked.

"Did you just call me friend?"Balto asked.

"Yes why?" Jenna asked.

"You're the first person that's ever called me that." Balto looked at her, and her eyes dug into his very sould. "Thank-you."

"Your welcome." Jenna leaned in and nuzzled him softly.

"Jenna." Balto whispered.

"Yes Balto?" Jenna asked.

"Boris and the bear crew are staring at us." Balto whispered into her ear.

"Oh." She drew back from Balto, she was badly blushing.

"So, the tour?" Balto asked.

"Yeah let's go." Jenna was excited, she had made a true friend, but for some reason, it felt like more than that...