Foreword

I'm looking outside my window and to be honest, I'd rather be outside. It's May in southern Ontario, which means the sun is shining, the skies are clear and the breeze is warm, beckoning everyone - including an avid cyclist such as myself - to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather outside. The wretched winter is behind us (finally) and the whole world feels like it's having a new beginning. Alas, I must resist the temptation for now because I have kept my loyal readers waiting long enough. I have finished another story, and while it may not have the level of suspense and action that a couple of my recent stories did, there should still be a few good surprises in here.

Just when you thought Balto had saved the day at the end of "The Road Home", I still had one more curveball to throw. Long story short, Balto is starting to experience the dreams that plagued him through the events of Balto II: Wolf Quest. He doesn't know what they mean or why they are happening, but they still are. To add to the pressure, his pups are coming fast and he wants to do his best for them. He wants to be a good father, but he also wants to protect them from what he had to go through when he was younger. He knows being part wolf can be hard, but he doesn't know who he can turn to for aid. Just goes to show you that you don't need a bad guy for there to be a good deal of conflict.

Before I get things started, I just want to make a shout out to Walto Disney, who helped with the beta reading for this story. Thanks again man, and I hope that you survive all that homework you're getting. Also, even though this is the latest story in my series, you can probably get away without having to read most of my prior stories. Then again, there's nothing stopping you from look at my past work as well and who knows - there may be a few clues for what is at play in this story. ;) Ah, I've kept you waiting long enough - it's time to start the show! Sit back and enjoy iWolf's latest story: "With Good Intentions". As for me, I've held off long enough - it's time to hit the bike trails.

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Chapter 1: Ravens and Wolves

"Balto…"

The voice was faint, but familiar. The name was right on the tip of his tongue, but it refused to emerge. The only thing that came out of his mouth was his own breath, visible in the chilled air that was as cold as the ground beneath him. He was alone in a landscape of flat ice, and all was quiet until he heard a harsh call from the inky skies above. It was a call that he was all too familiar with by now. It was the raven, circling above his head as it always did.

"Balto… hello Balto."

At first he thought the raven was finally talking to him, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere instead of from above. The bird circled a few more times before descending, fading as a bank of fog started to roll in. The mist clouded his vision as the raven called him again. With nothing else to guide him, he followed the calls through the thick cloud.

"What do you want?" he asked. "How did I get here?"

"You came here last night, remember?"

He tried, but just as he couldn't link the voice to a name, he couldn't remember how he got here. He'd been standing in the desolate ice field right after… he'd walked somewhere last night… and then he was here… the voice was so familiar to him.

Suddenly, a burst of air rushed in and he had to bear down in order to stay on his feet. The gale roared in his ears and he gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes as the rushing air stung them.

"Balto, are you okay?"

"Augh… the wind…"

"Wind? Vhat wind? There's no wind… Balto… wake up!"

With those two words, everything rushed back to him. There was only one creature that slurred 'what's' as 'vhat's' like that; an old Russian snow goose named Boris. He'd seen Boris only last night in the beached boat he called home. They'd shared a quick chat before turning in for the night. He'd closed his eyes… that meant he was asleep now… and this was all a dream.

"Boris?" he asked, opening his eyes. He hoped to wake up and return to his boat, but he was still in the dream – and he wasn't alone anymore. Surrounding him were countless wolves, all staring at him with glowing gold eyes. Their stare probed deep into him, finding everything there was to know about him. His past, his present, his future… his hopes… his fears…

"C'mon, wake up boitshick!"

"They're everywhere!" he gasped as he wheeled around and saw wolves all around him, creeping closer and leaving no opening for escape. They howled out, calling for him. "No - I don't - I'm trapped - get me out of here!" he cried as the ground started to shake. The ice beneath his feet cracked and buckled, but the wolves surrounding him left little room to dash away. He was now faced with one of his worst fears – to be trapped with no escape.

"WAKE UP!"

He shut his eyes but the howl roared in his ears, broken only by the cracking beneath him. No matter how much he willed it, he couldn't snap out of the dream. The ice beneath him lurched as the slab he was standing on started to tip over. He tried to dart upwards to the higher side, but he couldn't get much traction on the slick surface. His paws skidded on the ice before losing all contact with the ground, sending him plunging backwards into the inky abyss.

Where his own will failed, his body's instincts prevailed. The sensation of falling jolted his entire system, shocking it out of his dream. The vision vanished in an instant, right before he felt his back impact something hard. Instead of ice, there were weathered planks above him as he panted in exertion. He sucked in air that was no longer freezing and regained his senses, taking comfort in his surroundings. He was where he wanted to be, and it wasn't long before a familiar beaked face entered his vision, looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Vhat was that all about?" the old bird asked, wanting to know why he'd been waken up so early by his friend thrashing and muttering in his sleep.

"I'm fine… it was just a dream," he replied as he blinked the sleep out of his amber eyes, allowing him to focus on his unlikely friend. Unlikely might actually have been an understatement, as Balto was a canine - a natural born predator that would normally prey on an old goose like Boris. Then again, it was also partly because of what he was that Boris had befriended him. Balto was no ordinary canine; he was a hybrid of a domestic dog and a wild wolf. Because of his heritage, friends were in short supply for him during his younger years. He would take anyone he could get, and that included an old goose who'd decided to take him under his wing. To this day, he chuckled at the inanity of the whole thing. They actually met when he tried to hunt down Boris, but Balto ended up going through some thin ice during the chase. Despite the wolfdog's agression, Boris would act out of compassion towards him. He helped nurse the young half-wolf back to health, and over the years, they would end up sharing an ersatz father-son bond between them.

"Just a dream, eh? This wouldn't happen to be your raven and wolf dream again, now would it?" Boris asked.

"No… maybe… so what if it was?" Balto's heart was still pounding from the intensity of the dream, his breath coming in gasps as though he'd run a hundred-mile race. As much as he didn't like admitting it, this wasn't the first time this had happened. For the past month, he'd have a recurring dream every few days in some surreal, icy landscape. Each dream had its own differences and variations, but he'd always see the ever-watchful raven circling over his head before finding them – the wolves with glowing eyes.

"So vhat? The vhat is that if it was, it shows that something's going on in that furry head of yours," Boris replied.

"Nothing's going on in my head," Balto barked, before getting up to leave the wheelhouse. "Dreams are just dreams, nothing else."

"You might think that, but maybe you need a second opinion on this, eh?" Boris suggested, following him out onto the boat deck. "Maybe one of your friends can help you out… or maybe Jenna-"

"I've told you before that I don't need everyone to know, least of all Jenna," Balto cut in. "The last thing I need is to have everyone worrying if I'm losing my mind… especially with the pups coming."

Jenna was Balto's mate, a Siberian husky with a heart kind enough to soften all but the steeliest souls. They had known each other since they were young pups, becoming fast friends despite his label as a half-breed outcast. It wasn't until after he'd averted a crisis in Nome that he'd finally shaken most of the stigma against him, allowing them to admit their love for each other. He'd saved the day, won the love of his sweetheart, and now they were expecting a litter of pups of their own. There were only a few weeks to go until then, and Balto didn't want anything to distract him from his new responsibility.

"Alright, if that's what you want to do, that's fine; even though it's never good to keep things from your friends… or your family."

Balto was silent; as much as he wanted to rebuff Boris, he knew that he himself was one who valued honesty very highly. "I know, but even if I did tell her would it make any difference?"

"It might. Who knows, being honest might make them go away, instead of keeping them all bottled up inside you," Boris suggested. "It might help you sleep better too so that you're not kicking old Boris early in the morning."

"Sorry about that, you know I didn't mean it," he apologized.

"I know, but I shouldn't have to flip you over just to wake you up," Boris scolded, stretching his back. There was a very audible crack as everything popped back into place. "You aren't exactly a little pup anymore."

"No, but if you want I'm sure you'll have no trouble rolling my pups around when they come," he replied, hoping to finally get them off the subject of his dreams.

"Hey, as long as they don't bite, I'll always take little pups over the bears," he grumbled.

"Oh Boris, don't be like that. I know that deep down, you love playing with them," Balto teased, smirking a little.

"I don't know where you get these funny ideas. I don't love playing with Muk and Luk… I survive the play."

"Play? Yay, let's play!" The voice came from below the deck, and was soon followed by two round balls of white fluff charging out before tackling Boris and squeezing him in a tight hug.

"Ack, Luk let me go!" Boris snapped at the larger one. "And no, Muk, I don't want to play right now. Can't I talk to Balto for a moment?" he added, turning to the smaller one. Muk and Luk were two polar bear cubs that Balto and Boris had also taken in when they found them alone in the town. They were a very rambunctious pair and would charge towards anything fun at the drop of a hat. They had a great love for their 'uncle' Boris, despite the older goose's misgivings towards their dynamic style of fun and games.

"Aw, but we love you Uncle Boris, isn't that right Luk?"

"Mmm ffm mfff fff mmmmm." Luk's speech always came out in a mumble that only Muk seemed able to translate, giving the brothers a secret language of their own.

"Look, if you really loved me, you'd let me have a moment with Balto here," Boris grumbled as he freed himself from Luk's death grip and sucked in air.

"Fff, mmm mff?"

"No Luk, he isn't angry with us," Muk reassured. "He just wants to talk to Balto and then we'll play."

"I didn't agree to any playing!" Boris exclaimed. "Help me out here Balto."

"Actually, I was just on my way out. I'd hate to keep you guys from your fun," Balto put in, trying not to smile too much.

"Balto, don't you dare run out on me again! Help me!" Boris cried. "Ugh, on second thought maybe it will be better when the pups are here. The bears can play with them and leave me be."

"Oh we'd love that too! When can we play with the pups Balto? When? When? When?" Muk asked, bouncing around excitedly.

"Soon. They still have to be born and Jenna and I are thinking that's still a few weeks away; but it won't be long, so don't fret."

"Mmmm fmm fff mfff mfmfm?"

"That's a really good question Luk! Where will your pups come from anyways?"

"Uh… well…" Balto was caught a little off guard on this one. He knew they probably wouldn't understand the true story, but he hadn't had time to think of a good cover for them yet. "Actually, I think Boris would be able to explain it better for you."

"Oh no, you're not dragging me into this one. They asked you, not me."

Balto groaned, while Boris grinned at his own little payback. "Well… you see… pups come from… you get them by… well they start very small when you first get them."

"But how do they start in the first place?" Muk asked.

"Well, you have to ask for them in a very special way… but that way is a secret that only mothers and fathers can know. It's all a very complicated process and you'd have to be older to fully understand it," he finished, hoping that would satisfy them.

"It's actually not that complicated…" he heard Boris mutter. Fortunately, the bears didn't hear him.

"Mfff ffmmm, fff mm?"

"I don't know how you'd ask either, Luk. Balto said we'd learn it when we were older, so we'll just wait for that."

"Ffmf mfff mmm, fmf?"

"Hm, that's a good guess," Muk said, rubbing his chin with his paw. "Or maybe you ask with some sort of song, or maybe a dance?"

"So, do you think they're getting closer? I'd say their dance guess is almost there," Boris quipped, causing Balto to roll his eyes.

"Hey, it's either that or the clichéd stork story. Hopefully it'll keep them happy enough… almost as happy as they get when playing with uncle Boris!" he replied, raising his voice for those last few words so that the bears could hear him.

"Vhat? No!" Boris cried, starting to tremble.

"Yes! Play with us uncle Boris, play with us! You said you would after you talked to Balto!" Luk exclaimed, grabbing the old bird and shaking him in joy.

"Ack! But I… I don't… ugh, okay, I'll play with you. How about this, we play hide and seek? You two hide, and I'll seek. Ready? Go!" With that, the bear cubs dashed off the ship to try to find some hiding spots, leaving Boris and Balto alone once again. "I think we handled that quite well," Boris added. "I actually like your little story on where pups come from."

"Even though it was improvised and didn't tell them anything at all?"

"Hey, that's what a cover story is supposed to do. You give them something they can understand until the time is right for them to know the truth. If you could improvise something like that, then you'll do fine… because there will come a time where curious pups will want to know where they came from too."

"I know… hopefully by then I'll think of something a little better," Balto replied. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I probably should go see Jenna."

"Yes, of course. Go see your sweetheart," Boris replied, urging him away.

"Just don't forget to look for the bears," Balto finished before jumping over the side of his boat. Boris waved him off and took a moment to enjoy the peace.

"Of course I will look for bears… when I feel like it," Boris chuckled before waddling back into the wheelhouse to sleep in a little more.

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Balto made the dash towards town in record time, eager to see Jenna. His paws sloshed through the wet snow as he crossed the tundra surrounding the town. The temperature had been rising steadily over the past few weeks, but even in the early days of May some snow still remained. He'd heard the humans musing about how this winter was ending a little later than usual, but in this case it was better late than never. Already there were some bare patches of ground, but it would take some more time before the snow would completely disappear with the coming of spring.

He quickly found the old totem pole that he used as a marker on his way to Jenna's. It sat right in front of the opening to her street and he dashed past it, not giving the worn carvings a second thought. It was still early in the day, so most of the town wasn't awake yet. The streets were empty, giving him a clear path as he ran along the dirt road. Very few would notice his entrance, but it wasn't like he needed the cover. He was always welcome in Nome thanks to the courageous deed he performed a few months ago.

Diphtheria broke out among many of the children in Nome, and the sled team sent to find the medicine got lost in a storm. With no one else to help, Balto set out alone and returned the medicine safely, saving the children – including one little girl who'd always had a soft spot for the stray half-wolf. This deed won him the favor of the town, but that was nothing compared to the prize he cherished above all – the love of a certain husky.

He reached a small home a few minutes later, trotting around the side towards a small shed. He poked the unlocked door open, and entered very quietly. The space was large enough to accommodate two people comfortably in addition to all the gardening and home repair equipment along the back wall. In one of the corners, curled up comfortably in a basket was a red and cream husky who had the power to warm his heart on the coldest days. Jenna - she was the love of his life, his inspiration, and every other great thing Balto admired. She was still fast asleep, so he quietly padded over to her, before gently rubbing her neck with his nose, right above the bright orange bandana she always wore around her neck.

She sighed a little at his touch, and when he brushed up against her ear, she giggled. She opened her brown eyes and stared up at him, smiling when she saw her love. At a glance, one could tell that they came from two different worlds. She had the privileged, well-groomed life of a house dog while he lived a rougher life as a stray. His brown coat was thick, and there were a few spots where the fur stuck up, refusing to bow to any sort of grooming. However, these were small things compared to what she really loveed about him. His eyes were very deep amber, a sure sign of his part wolf breeding. While some shied away from such wild eyes, she looked into them and saw only a dog that wanted someone to care for him.

His mother had vanished at a very early age and he'd never known his father, leaving him an orphan when he was a pup. This was what she knew about him since they first met almost three years ago, and from that moment, she'd resolved to be a friend for him. From that time, she'd known that he was truly a kind dog – despite some of his actions under pressure. He was never malicious or apathetic towards her or anyone else, and that was what urged him to go and find the medicine after everyone else had failed.

For the longest time, she'd been the only dog that would say anything to him that wasn't a put-down. That was what made him truly appreciate her friendship when he was young, and as he got older, the feelings towards her developed further. He loved who she was and how she was never one to get caught up in the frenzy against him. While he didn't like to think of himself as superficial, there was no denying that he thought she was the most beautiful dog he'd ever seen. There were actually a few times where he'd caught himself admiring her, but if she noticed it, she never seemed to have anything against it.

"Morning handsome," she greeted.

"Morning Jen," he returned, his one ear drooping as it did when he was at ease. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, the little ones didn't make too much fuss during the night," she replied, looking down towards her abdomen. He followed her glance, his eyes traveling along her spotless cream underside before reaching her swollen belly. Every time he saw that it filled him with great pride. Soon they would have their own litter of puppies, born to parents who loved each other and would love them with all their hearts. "How about you?"

"Not bad," he replied, able to hide any indication that his sleep was disrupted by strange dreams. Despite Boris' urgings, he still didn't want to cause Jenna any worry. The pups were the priority now and he didn't want anything to distract him from his family. "It's good the pups stayed stayed settled last night, or I would have to give them a good talk about keeping their mother awake at night."

She chuckled. "Yeah, but that talk would have to wait until they were born - I don't think they'd hear much of you in there," she said. "Though, I'm ready to get them out of me now - they're heavy and they make me look like I ate a whole seal."

"Oh, but it's not that bad. It's barely noticeable on you. You're still the same beautiful Jenna I fell in love with," he replied, smiling. In the past weeks, Balto had learned the hard way that females could get very touchy about their weight, and Jenna was no exception.

"You know, there is such a thing as too much flattery," she replied, seeing right through him.

"Hey, you can't blame me for trying. If it makes you feel better, you'll be back to your normal self once the pups are born," he assured, earning a grin from her.

"Thanks… I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Aw… I'm just doing what any good father out there would do," he said sheepishly, looking down at the ground and shuffling his one paw back and forth. She smiled at how even after providing so much for her, his humility still shone through.

He leaned in for a nuzzle, and she returned it, grateful for everything he'd done for her. The past few weeks had held its share of ups and downs for both of them. Much of this was very new for Jenna, and there some times where she didn't know what was happening to her own body. Early on she'd wake up in the morning feeling nauseous or dizzy. That passed as the pups grew, but new symptoms were soon to follow. Of course, the pups grew and made her abdomen swell and sag beneath her, and while the added weight wasn't much compared to her own, it was enough to affect her.

Her normally swift stride was reduced to a loping gait, and she found herself tiring faster than usual. The normal walk for the day would often leave her legs and back sore. Fortunately her owners, along with her friends and even passing strangers were sympathetic, offering any type of help when needed. Front and centre with his support was Balto, who wanted to ensure that anything she needed was provided, especially when the cravings started to hit her. There were many times where kibble would not be enough to satisfy her tastes. She was eating for more than one now, and that's where he came in. It turned out having a part wolf mate came in handy if something needed to be hunted or tracked down. He could go out at the drop of a hat, and while most trips were for real cases, there was one time where she decided to prank him by suddenly developing a taste for moose. At first, she thought he wouldn't buy it, but she ended up having to dart down the street after him to stop him from actually taking on something ten times his size.

"Now, how about we get some breakfast into you? You've got to start the day off fresh," he suggested and her tail wagged at the thought.

"Yes… now that I think about it, I'd really like to try some of the toast my humans have… maybe with some peanut butter too," she said, causing him to chuckle.

"I don't know - that one might be a little trickier to get. Humans don't seem to like sharing their food from the tables… but I have heard that peanut butter is pretty good," he mused as they left the shed and made their way to the back door. "Oh great, I think I'm getting your cravings too."

It was her turn to chuckle at him as the climbed up the steps towards the doggie door in the back. "Well, maybe this time they'll give you a chance. Come on," she invited before stepping inside. While he had her invitation, he wasn't sure if he'd have the same from her owners. They would have the final word on whether or not he would be welcome, and so far they didn't seem too keen on the idea.

'Would I be welcome? I know Rosy would love it, but her parents might be another story,' he thought. 'Well, I suppose there's only one way for me to find out.' Deciding to take the plunge, he poked his head through the doggie door to see what kind of welcome would greet him inside.

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Chapter 2: Another Obstacle to Overcome

The kitchen was warm and the smell of freshly cooked eggs and bacon greeted Balto's nose when he poked his head inside. Still unsure of the reception he would receive, he held back on entering any further. A little to his left was the table the inviting smells were coming from, while the doorway to kitchen was to the right. The far end had the entrance to the lounge, while the walls had small pictures and other knickknacks hung up for decoration. Seated around the table were two adults enjoying their meal while the younger girl with them was more interested in her favorite dog's ears. The young girl was Rosy, and she was quick to get a bowl of food out for her favorite dog. "Alright Jenna, eat up girl," she said, before looking over towards him. A grin formed on her face when she saw her other favorite dog with his head sticking in the door.

In the three months since Balto retrieved the medicine during the serum run, the love and affection from Rosy only increased. She already considered him a friend from his days as an outcast, refusing to give in to the fear of him that the rest of the residents held. She'd been one of the kids who fell ill during the diphtheria outbreak, and the fact that he was the one who brought the medicine home made him her hero. Right after, she'd tried many times to take him in and let him live with them, but her parents weren't completely sold on the idea. They allowed him to accompany them when they took Jenna out for her daily walk, but he had yet to receive permission to enter their household. This was why he held back - he wanted to make sure he would be welcome in their territory first.

"Balto, come here, boy!" she called, and at that, her parents both looked up from their breakfasts and towards the half-wolf peeking through the back door. Both regarded him with caution, but didn't immediately move to shoo him away, something he took as a good sign. "I'm sure you just want some breakfast too, don't you?" Rosy asked, before turning to her parents for approval. Her father looked at her mother, and he could hear them mumbling about it.

"I don't know, he might muck up the house," her father stated.

"Then we won't let him go too far. We can get him something and then send him right on his way," her mother replied and he nodded. "Alright, he can come in but he doesn't go out of our sight, okay?"

Rosy nodded and with that, Balto gingerly stepped in while a second bowl of food was set out for him beside Jenna. While the dry, crunchy kibble was different from the meat or fish he usually scavenged for himself, he gratefully accepted it.

"See, he's behaving," Rosy pointed out. "Maybe he could eat with us everyday?"

"Don't push it," her father urged. "A walk is one thing, but he's still a wild hybrid. A home like ours might not be the best for him."

"But we can't leave him alone forever! Besides, look at how nice he is when he's around Jenna," she continued. "I think he'd be nice around her puppies too."

"Are you sure?" her father retorted. "He may seem nice now, but we don't know how he'd react around them. They'd be defenseless, so I don't know if it's good to have a half wolf like him around the pups."

This made Balto stop mid-bite. Had it been another dog talking, he probably would have wheeled around and snapped at them for suggesting such a thing. The idea of being kept away from his pups repulsed him, but like all the other concerns about him it was all because he was still part-wolf. 'I don't believe this. Being reluctant to let me in is one thing, but keeping me away from my own pups is an insult, especially considering what I did for these people.'

Rosy grumbled at her father, before muttering, "He'd never hurt them… especially if they were his too."

'Oh, I love this kid.'

"Now we don't know for sure that he's the father," her father added. "It could be another dog from town."

"But he's always hanging around her, and it's obvious they like each other and-"

"Look, we can go back and forth on this until the cows come home, but the decision is final," her father cut in. "I just want to err on the side of caution. We don't know what would make him snap."

"I don't think he'd snap at us," Rosy protested.

"Although if you keep talking about me like that, I just might," Balto grumbled, earning a disapproving glare from Jenna.

"You never know," her father continued. "Even if he doesn't snap, I don't want him to think he can just mooch off of us for a free lunch. Dog food isn't free y'know."

"But it's not like money's tight," Rosy's mother put in.

"Besides, I can do fine on my own," Balto mumbled. "I don't need to beg for my meals."

"Just ignore him," Jenna urged.

"Don't you hear what he's saying?" he retorted.

"Yes, but you can't react or he will kick you out."

"He kicks me, and I'm going for the ankles-"

"Balto, honestly what has gotten into you?" she said sharply. He tried to think of some excuse, but his brain wasn't functioning at full power. Despite the boost from the food, he still felt a little tired - probably from being woken up early by his dreams.

"I'm sorry, it's just… I haven't been sleeping right recently and the fact that Mr. Putdown doesn't want to let me see my own pups isn't helping my mood either," he explained, while trying to control the growl forming in his voice.

"I don't like it either, but reacting won't help you out at all. If anything, it will only prove what he's saying about you," Jenna retorted. "For goodness sakes, lower your hackles. The last thing we need is you baring your fangs at breakfast." At this, Balto was quick to hide the teeth that had become exposed in frustration, but he still wore a very discontented look as he tried to go back to the kibble remaining in the dish.

"I think we should look into it," Rosy's mother said, the conversation having continued while Balto vented. "We might be able to support another dog if we wanted to. My only worry is whether or not he'd want to stay in one place. I have noticed that he likes to go off on his own quite a bit."

"But Balto wouldn't run away from us, would he?" Rosy asked.

"As long as I'm not treated unfairly," Balto muttered. "Though you can't blame me for wanting to stretch my legs and go out on the land for a bit... especially if it gets me away from him." Beside him Jenna sighed a bit - this was definitely not how she wanted breakfast to go for them.

"I don't know if he would, but we can't know if we don't try," Rosy's mother replied.

"Oh, not you too," her husband grumbled. "Look, there's more to this here. There are also medical bills, grooming, and what if he breaks things? I know you love him now, but he's not exactly housetrained, and who knows what damage those fangs could do-"

"That's enough!" Balto snapped. While his words were heard only by Jenna, that didn't stop the humans from jumping at the sudden bark that came with it before it trailed off into a soft growl.

The older man's head snapped towards him, and the two stared each other down, not saying a word. Balto didn't bare his fangs nor make any other move - he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing him crack. He couldn't deny that he felt insulted, but when he glanced to his sides, he saw Jenna, Rosy and her mother all staring at him with apprehension. He knew who his allies in this room were and didn't want to lose their confidence. His best option would be to take the high road and cut his losses. He sorted in contempt at the man before turning around and trotting right out the doggie door. Jenna tried to follow, but she was held back by Rosy's father.

"Great, I think you made him mad," Rosy said.

"I doubt it - dogs can't understand us," her father replied.

"Then explain that," Rosy demanded. Her father sat there with his mouth open, but no explanation came to him.

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Balto stormed through the streets and right out of town, paying little attention to his direction. He was so frustrated with the result of that encounter, wondering why, after all the good he'd done, he was still viewed with mistrust by some.

'What is his problem with me? I save his daughter, I protect his dog from danger, and I mind my manners when I visit,' he thought. 'I do everything right, and he still looks down on me because I'm part wolf. If he's like this to me, then what will he do when he finally sees that our pups are part wolf too? Will that be when he finally comes around… or will he look down on them too?'

The thought of his own pups being neglected or mistreated because of their breeding quickly filled him with rage. 'If that man does anything because of what they are, I swear the gloves will come off. I'll… I'll-' Multitudes of vengeful scenarios started to run through his head, but his mind was quick to push them away. As frustrated as he was, he was not a violent dog and would never harm another unless it was a mater of mortal peril.

'Get a hold of yourself. You won't do yourself any good getting angry now; if anything it would just undo what you've already gained,' his rational side put in, helping to calm his nerves. 'Jenna said that humans had a soft spot for puppies, so it's doubtful they'd kick them to the curb if they were part wolf… Rosy would go on a rampage if that happened.' He chuckled a little as the thought of a rampaging eight year old entered his mind. Rosy may have been small, but she had a lot of energy and could potentially do a lot of damage.

'Still, it's frustrating to have someone like him say things like that about me when I know they aren't true. I don't want that prejudice to be passed down to my pups either,' he thought. 'The worst part is that I can't rebuff him because humans can't understand dogs. He'd probably just think I was barking my head off for no reason. There's got to be some way… I got this far thanks to my good actions, so I'll have to show him that I can be good around the pups. That just leaves the question of how.'

He sighed and sat down to ponder, finally taking a moment to look at his surroundings. He'd actually wandered quite a distance away from Nome, and was now in the woodland a couple of miles away. He'd been so caught up with his thoughts that he had walked right out of town and across the tundra without even realizing it. Taking a moment to get his bearings, he recognized the roll of a few hills, and the sound of a nearby creek that he used as a marker when he went to visit his friend Maska.

'Maska… maybe he can help me out here,' he thought. Maska was a wolf whom Balto had befriended shortly after the serum run. He'd actually found him after having a very rough day, and the wolf was eager to boost his spirits and give him a place where he could come when he needed it. 'Maska was there for me when I needed help then and I'm sure he'd do the same today. If anyone can help me out, it'll be him.' With that, he set off deeper into the woods, hoping to gain any advice he could for dealing with a stubborn human.

----------

The woods were silent, save for the soft sound of paws against the ground. The warm winds of spring had melted a large amount of snow, soaking the land in fresh meltwater. The paws made more of a squelching sound against the inundated ground, but their owner didn't mind. He knew that soon the sun would warm the land and dry it out, bringing the life of summer. Maska observed his surroundings, taking the sights in. His years of experience had taught him all there was to know about the cycles of the world, and now he was going to pass some of that knowledge on to his companions.

"Papa, what are you looking at?" a voice asked him. He looked down and saw the four young cubs with him had curious looks in their eyes.

"Everything," he replied. "I'm looking at what this land is now, and what it will bring in the time to come."

"Huh? How can you see all that?" a second voice inquired, this one female.

"Because I know how to look at the world in more than one way," he replied. "Here, why don't you look around and tell me what you see."

"I see… trees, and the ground… some bushes… along with you and everyone else," the female pup replied.

"Good. That shows you can see everything in your present, but then you need to take that one step further and see what will become of those trees, those bushes, the ground and you as time goes on." The cubs cocked their heads in confusion as they tried to understand what their father was trying to explain, but they needed a little more from him to grasp the idea. "What I'm trying to say is that I know that as the summer warms, everything in this world will start to grow. The trees will grow higher and the bushes will grow leaves. The grass on the ground will grow, and that grass will bring the caribou herds with them. You too will grow into strong wolves, and as the grass feeds the caribou, the caribou will feed-"

"Us!" another cub gleefully cried. "Does that mean that we can hunt caribou with you?"

"Not for a little while," he replied, earning groans from them. "You are still small, and a caribou is much too big for you to hunt down. For now, I'd rather that you try to chase after something that won't hurt you." There was a pause, and Maska heard another set of paws trotting along the ground, headed his way. He perked his ears, and the cubs noticed his attention, becoming excited with it.

"What is it papa? Is it a caribou?" the fourth cub asked. "Can we chase it?"

"No, and I wouldn't want you chasing a caribou anyways," he replied, taking a few sniffs of the air. It didn't take him long to identify whose scent it was, and when he did, he got an idea. "However… I think this might be something you can handle. Alright, you go hide behind those trees. When I give the signal, you bolt out and grab him."

The cubs yipped in excitement before hiding behind the tree as Maska chuckled a bit. While he was normally seen as one whose main quality was his wisdom, he was known among his friends for also having a good sense of humor. It wasn't long before his target emerged, unaware of what was waiting for him.

"Balto, it's good to see you again," he greeted.

"It's good to see you too," Balto replied to the brown furred wolf in front of him. "You sure seem chipper today."

"Why wouldn't I be? The weather's wonderful and I get to see one of my friends – what else could put me in such a good mood?"

"I don't know, but I know you well enough to know that you only look like that when you have something planned," Balto replied. "What is it this time? Is Anya going to jump out at me again?"

"No… but you're close," he said, before calling, "Alright, get 'em!"

In a flash, four small bodies launched themselves at him, nipping at his shoulders. This was quickly followed by four gleeful shouts of "Balto!" and the nips quickly turned into licks and nuzzles as he realized his attackers were only four rambunctious wolf cubs.

"Alright, leave him be, I think he's had enough," Maska chuckled and three of the cubs left him alone, leaving only the fourth, who was still trying to nip at Balto's tail. "I said leave him. I've told you before that other's tails aren't toys."

"Yeah, if you aren't careful you might yank it right off my rear end." With that, the cub obediently let the tail go and joined his siblings with their father.

"So Balto, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something. I'm having a little trouble with one of the humans in town."

"Do you need a place to stay for a little while?" Maska asked. "You know my land is always open to you, so if you need it, I'd be more than willing to accommodate you."

"No, no, I don't need anything like that, but thank you," Balto replied. "Long story short, one of Jenna's owners still isn't enthusiastic about having me around their house, which is bad because I want to be around when my pups are born. I want to be able to help Jenna raise them, but the powers that be think I'm too wild to be trusted with pups."

"Humans… no matter what they always think wolves do nothing but harm," Maska grumbled. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"The thing is, since I can't tell them I can be trusted, I have to show them. The question is just how - how can I show them I can be trusted?"

"First off, you must show that you won't back down from what is your right," Maska replied. "You must show that you are devoted to your own pups, and if it means disobeying them when they tell you to leave, then so be it. Try to resist without resorting to aggression, and that will communicate that you aren't willing to be kept away from your pups. Once you show that you are going to be there for the pups, then you can show the next important thing, which is that you are competent as a caregiver. Show that you can be a good parent by being simply that - a good parent," Maska replied. "All you have to do is take good care of them, and unless they are really set against you, it should sway them. Just use what you know, demonstrate your bond with them and you'll do fine."

"Of course… I can… what I could do is… um… " Balto trailed off as his mind drew a blank over what to do with pups when they actually came.

"You do know some basics of parenting, right?" Maska asked expectantly.

"Uh, would saying no make me look really stupid?" Balto sheepishly replied, looking down at the ground with his ears flat in embarrassment.

Maska just chuckled a little. "No, it just shows that this is something new for you. I had a feeling you might come to me for something like this at some point. Looking after a new litter of pups can be quite a challenge, and isn't something where you can just wing it. Fortunately, I know how to help you out here."

"I'll take any help I can get – so, what's the first thing to know?"

"Well, I could tell you so many different things, but most of it would just be theory. Besides, what might work with me might not work with you," Maska started. "You won't learn much if we just sat and talked either. Parenting is an active pursuit, and needs some practical instruction." He looked down at his cubs, who had been politely waiting while the grown-ups talked. "How would you four like to have some time to play with Balto today?" The pups unanimously cheered 'yes', their small tails wagging at the sound of the word 'play'.

"Uh Maska, what are you getting at?" Balto asked.

"How'd you like to look after my own little pack for a little bit?" Maska asked back, turning to his friend. "It'd be like - what's that phrase you once used... oh yes, a 'crash course' in parenting."

"Uh, what?" he asked, unsure if Maska was pulling his leg again. He was going to let him – someone with zero experience with pups – look after his own cubs. "Are you sure you want to do that? Shouldn't you give me some advice or tips before putting your cubs in my care?"

"As I said, something like this needs more practical instruction than just a lesson. I want to see what you can do first, and wait to see if you really need the advice, or if your common sense will be enough," he explained. "Don't worry, I'll be a short distance away if you need help. You'll be fine, and you'll soon see just how much fun they can be too," he assured, before turning back to his cubs. "Now, while you're with Balto today I want you be good for him. He's trying to learn to be like me, and so you should behave as well as you would for me, okay?" The pups nodded and yipped at the idea of having Balto be their cubsitter for the day. "Good, now have fun," he finished, before dashing over a nearby hill. Balto took one look at the cubs and while they didn't seem too bad, he drew a blank when it came to deciding what to do now. His lack of direction made him quite nervous, making it feel like he was being pushed headfirst into something that was way over his head.

'Why am I always the one who gets stuck in these things?'

-----------

Chapter 3: A New Doubt

Despite being thrust headfirst into this, things actually started out smoothly for Balto as he looked after Maska's cubs. He first thought they would be entertained with some sled-dog stories, but the wild cubs soon tired of them, wanting to do something they held more interest in. Most of the day ended up involving a lot of running on Balto's part, something that became evident to Maska as he tailed them. He overheard Balto's repeated attempts to tell them to stay, but his cubs found ways to work together in order to get off on their own. However, Maska didn't interfere as he wanted Balto to fully appreciate how much of a challenge parenting could be. He had learned how to tell when his cubs were up to something, but Balto didn't have that benefit. While he didn't approve of them trying to run off, he had to admit that they certainly had taken his lessons on teamwork and acting as a pack to heart.

'Now if only they would use that to be more constructive than mischievous,' he thought as he padded through the woods. He'd been tracking them for a good twenty minutes by now, trying to find them for another checkup. Somehow, they'd managed to cover quite a distance in that time, leaving him to play catch-up. Soon the unmistakable yips and barks of his cubs started to ring through the trees and he pushed onwards to finally relieve his friend. 'I think Balto's probably had enough for one day. I just hope they haven't done too much damage to him,' he thought as he came over a hill and found them. Balto had collapsed on the ground while the cubs surrounded him, each tugging on a different part of his body.

"C'mon Balto, we want to play again!" one of them chirped.

"We've been running for hours; aren't you tired too?" Balto groaned.

"But you said you were good at this!"

"We've played chase me around six times in a row – can't we play a different game?"

"Alright, I think Balto's had enough for today," Maska said as he stepped onto the scene. "Why don't you go have fun with your mother for a moment?" The cubs said their goodbyes to Balto before darting off, freeing the battered wolfdog from their siege. "Oh how the mighty have fallen – I wonder how the dogs in town would think if they saw the hero of Nome felled by a few cubs."

"They'd think something was seriously wrong with me. I have some of the best endurance in the town when it comes to running, but these cubs… they're something else," Balto said as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "At first they were darting off every which way, wanting me to chase them around. After a while I figured that if they liked chasing so much, I'd let them track me instead of the other way around."

"Hm, keep them running towards you instead of running away… that's not half bad," Maska complimented.

"Thanks; I actually hoped it would wear them out first so that I'd get a chance to rest."

"Ah, but cubs have a knack for having limitless energy. You're just lucky you only had to look after them for a few hours. When you have your own pups, they'll be energetic all day, every day," Maska replied, earning another groan from Balto.

"I just hope that my pups will listen a little more than your pups did. I swear I asked them at least six times to stick close, but they still bolted off."

"I noticed that too, and while I commend you for maintaining your calm, your performance seemed lacking in some respects," Maska explained. "I overheard your efforts, and while you were saying all the right words, tone matters much more in a case like this. You sounded more like you were addressing another dog than your own pups."

"Well, I didn't want to be too harsh on them," Balto replied.

"That's also good, but you still need to be direct with them when you need their attention. Pups are smarter than you think, and they will be able to sense weakness. The golden rule is that first and foremost you are the alpha of your own pack," Maska stressed. "You must sound like an alpha, and not just act the part. Now, I know the rules that are set in a human and dog home will be different than the rules here, but as long as they are young, the final word will always be with you and Jenna."

"What happens if Jenna and I disagree on what that final word should be?"

"Then you should do your best to work out what would be best for them," Maska replied. "Disagreements will happen, but as long as you can work out an agreement or a compromise, you'll do fine. The important part is that you work together for them; otherwise they may get confused if you're saying one thing and she's saying another. While discipline is important to teach them right from wrong, it is also important to have fun with them, and show them that you can be depended on for love and comfort when they need it."

"In other words, it's going to be a big balancing act between the two," Balto added, and Maska nodded.

"Yes, and seeing how my litter walked off with big smiles, I don't think you have much trouble with the latter facet. Just don't forget to remind them who's in charge when you need to and you'll have a wonderful time when your pups come."

"You know, some of this would have been useful before you unleashed your brood on me."

"Ah, but if I did that, you wouldn't have learned the most important lesson."

"What, that pups will never give me a break?"

"Nope. By throwing you in headfirst, I probably showed you the most important lesson of all. No matter what you won't know everything on your first day because it will be just that - your first day. It's like how a wolf won't know everything about hunting on their first hunt."

"Or how a sled dog won't know everything about racing the first time they're put in a harness," Balto continued and Maska nodded in agreement.

"However, for your first time with any pups I'd say you did pretty well. You kept them safe and mostly together, and they seemed happy with your company."

"I know, but I was really just improvising all that," Balto admitted, but that only made Maska grin further.

"And with that skill, you will go far with your pups. Sometimes improvisation is the best way to learn - and to teach. You and Jenna will be where they learn about the world around them, making sure they know the benefits of doing right while maintaining the consequences of doing wrong. However, most of what they will learn will come not from what you say but how you act."

"You mean lead by example."

"That's right. They will look up to you for right and wrong, and will get more from what you do than what you say. The idea of 'do as I say, not as I do' won't do you or them any good, and could have dire consequences."

"Gotcha… well at the rate I'm going, I'll certainly be able to show them how to want to nap," he said, smiling.

"Hehe, that's true," Maska chuckled. "But you won't get a chance to nap every time. You must stay attentive to keep them out of trouble. Their safety will be one of your top priorities, and until they can make it on their own, they could find themselves getting hurt. I'm not just talking about cuts here either; their feeling of self-worth could get hurt too if they aren't encouraged or given a chance to show competency as they learn."

"Or if they don't feel like they can fit in."

"Yes, and I know that's something you're all too familiar with… even today," Maska continued, remembering what Balto had told him about Rosy's father that morning. "If it helps you at all, I still think it's an injustice to have you treated that way."

"Yeah, but that's how it's been for most of my life, all because I was part wolf. Even today I still feel like I stick out in a crowd and I don't want that to happen with my pups either. I don't want to be held at arms length from them simply because of what I am."

"Of course not and in my opinion keeping you away would be an insult to your rights as their father," Maska affirmed. "Humans, I don't think I'll ever understand them… but from what I've heard there's enough good in them to not despair. I'm sure most of the children in town would love to adopt one of the pups of the hero who saved them."

"I know, it's just those other few and after what I did it gets to me that they still think that. I just hope I can sway Rosy's father so that my pups don't have to go through what I did."

"Do you mean the ridicule?"

"No, worse than that," Balto muttered. "I don't want them to grow up like I did. I don't want them to grow up without me - without their father."

----------

After some more time chatting and catching up with each other, Balto bid Maska goodbye and started to head home. The afternoon sun was already making its descent towards the horizon, and Balto wanted to get back to Nome before it set. He wanted to see Jenna that evening and hopefully have some pleasant time with her after storming out that morning. Despite being out for most of the day, there was still enough time for that as well. The days had been growing longer with the approach of spring, and would continue to do so until the summer.

The sticky, partially melted snow gave way under his paws as he trotted through the woods. Birds tweeted in the braches, the melodies occasionally punctuated by the dripping of fresh meltwater from the trees, falling to the ground and adding to the slushy mix on the ground. As he took in a breath he could already feel a chill forming. The temperature would probably drop just below freezing that night, meaning there would be some frost the next morning. That would quickly disappear with the morning sun, and the thaw of the land would continue until all the snow retreated and gave way to the blooming of spring.

'Maska's right, caring for my pups will be more than just keeping them out of trouble. It's going to be making sure they feel they can fit in… but would it be easy for them if they knew they were quarter wolf?' he thought. 'Even if the dogs accept them, what if they still feel like they're too different? Having a different breed is one thing for a dog, but being part wolf is much harder than something like being part malamute.' He passed through the treeline and onto the open tundra. The spots on the ground free of any snow were empty at the moment, but with the coming of spring, grass would sprout up and blanket the area in a green carpet.

He knew the prejudice against wolves was far from gone, and there was almost a sure chance that they would encounter at least one person with that predisposition. 'I don't want them to be exposed to what I had to be during my time here. I don't want them to feel like they aren't as good as everyone else because they're different. Things would be so much easier if they weren't part wolf as well, because then they wouldn't have any trouble fitting in like I did.' While Balto had accepted his wolf half for the most part, there was still that part of him that remembered the pain, frustration and isolation that wolf half brought him. He was not eager to repeat it, and the thought of one of his pups going through it tore at his heart.

As the sun touched the horizon, he had retraced his steps from that morning back to Jenna's home. He took a quick sniff and found that she had returned to her shed, probably to start settling down for the night. He scratched the door to announce his presence, before poking his head in.

"Jenna? Can I come in?" he asked.

"Balto?" she said, turning to face him. "Of course you can; what would make you think you couldn't?" she replied as he padded inside.

"The reception this morning certainly comes to mind," he replied dryly as he sat down beside her.

"Balto, he's only one man. When it comes to me or Rosy you're always welcome."

"I know, but the fact that there are still people who think that way about me… it's a good thing I got out of there when I did 'cause I think I was close to losing it," he uttered coolly.

"To be honest, I would've marched right out with you if I didn't have my family holding me back," she said. "I tried to find you during my walk today, but I couldn't. Where'd you run off to?"

"At first not really anywhere, but I eventually made my way to see Maska. Did you know he has pups too?"

"I think I've seen them at least once before," she replied.

"Yeah, he thought it'd be fun to let me, the soon-to-be dad look after them today," he told. "A word of warning: when our pups come be ready to do a lot of chasing."

She chuckled a little. "I'll try to keep that in mind. One thing's for sure, when they do come, it'll help me get rid of this saggy, baggy stomach."

"I've told you before, you're still the same beautiful Jenna I've always loved," he cut in, leaning over to nuzzle her neck. His soft touch earned a contented sigh from her and when his nose poked her ear, he heard a small squeak.

"Oh, are you ticklish today?" he joked.

"No… I can feel them kicking," she replied. "Go ahead, feel it."

Curious, he padded towards her side and gently placed one of his large paws on her side. At first all he felt was her breathing, but then the poke came through the side. It was small, but many others quickly joined it, all wanting to announce their presence to world outside.

"Heh, they sure are going strong," he noted, before placing the side of his head on her side. The kicks continued against his cheek as he tuned his ears in the hopes of being able to pick up something from inside. "Wow, they just keep on going… how many do you think are in there?"

"Six."

"Really? How can you tell?"

"I'm a mother… I don't know, it might be the kicks or the weight, but I think there are six in there."

He held his head to her side and started counting the kicks. However, they were so miniscule and seemed to come from several different spots at once that he couldn't get a good count of them. "I can't tell how many there are in there – too many feet kicking at once," he sighed, standing back up.

"Yep, it's like there are a few runners in there," she stated.

"Well if you can tell so much, then do you know how many boys and girls are in there?"

She giggled a little. "Now that I can't tell. We'll have to wait for them to be born to find that out… and before you ask, no I don't know when that will happen either."

"Darn… but still, six will be quite a handful," Balto mused.

"Yes, but they'll be our handful," she replied. He paused for a moment to think about looking after six little pups, and how much fun he could have with them… and how much work it would take to keep them out of trouble as well… especially if they were to run afoul of someone who didn't like part-wolves.

"Jenna, I've been thinking," he started. "Do you think our pups will be okay, even if they're part wolf?"

"Of course they'll be okay. They'll have us to protect them and love them."

"I know, but Maska and I were talking today and I realized something. Even if we can protect them from the physical harm of prejudice, what if that isn't enough?"

"Balto, what are you trying to say?"

"I don't want them to go through everything I did. I'm not just talking about the bullying - I don't want them to feel the lack of self-worth I did because I was so different. All through my life, and even a little bit today, I still feel like I'm different from everyone else. Yeah, I can come and go as I please and most of the dogs here are welcoming, but there's still that sense that I'm coming from somewhere else."

"But it's not like you're always pushed to the side because of it."

"No… I don't know if you can understand what I'm getting at, but I'm still the only part wolf in this town. I still feel like I stick out, or that I have to act differently in order to get by. While I'm used to it, I don't want our pups to go through that. I want them to live a better life than I did when I was young. I want them to feel like they can belong in this town, and can do everything anyone else in this town can… and that they don't need to worry about being part wolf."

"Actually, I think I do understand what you're getting at," Jenna replied. "You want them to feel like they won't be judged for what they are. You want them to be able to fit in and let their actions show who they are, instead of having some label put on them that would make them think otherwise."

"Yeah. I want them to become what they want to be, instead of what they think they should be because of their breeding," Balto said.

"So what should we do?" she asked. "We can't ignore their heritage, but I have to admit I know where you're coming from on this. I don't want our pups to feel they can't live up to everyone else because they're part wolf either. Knowing you has shown me that dogs really do have it easy in this town."

"Would it be easier if they didn't know?" he asked. "Maybe it would be best for them if they didn't know they were part wolf. It might not require much of a stretch anyways, as they're already three-quarters husky."

"I don't know. It just sounds so… dishonest."

Balto knew she was right, and decided to not push something like this after a rough day like today. "Look, we don't have to make the decision now. We can wait a while and see how we feel about it down the road." She nodded in agreement, and he gave her another nuzzle before starting to depart. The sun had set, leaving only the pale remnants of its light in the sky that evening. He took a deep breath of the crisp night air before turning back to her. "Good night Jenna… sleep well."

"Thanks, and the same to you," she returned. "Sweet dreams."

'I hope so, because that raven certainly isn't very sweet to me.'

----------

The next few weeks passed in peace for Balto, but he still held back on telling Jenna or Maska about his dreams, even though they continued to come every few nights. The weather continued to warm and the renewing winds of spring wiped the snow from the land, revealing the tundra that had been concealed for months under the cold blanket. What had once been a white expanse became a multi-colored mosaic as the land's true colors were revealed. The ice that had locked up Nome's harbor soon cracked and disintegrated as the warmth freed the water from its icy state. With the open water, the residents quickly pushed the boats from their onshore storage and into the waiting ocean. Soon crafts of all sizes were coming and going, making the town a bustling hive of trade and commerce once again.

It was a time for new life and new opportunities, and none knew this clearer than Balto. He continued to visit Maska and his cubs, gaining much practical experience when it came to looking after them. Despite his absence during these visits, Jenna was proud to see him take the initiative, with her friends filling in to support her when she needed it.

After a fun night with everyone at the mill, Jenna was on her way home. Balto had gone out for another day of 'pup training' with Maska and she knew he'd be back late. A tan Chinook named Kaltag was more than happy to walk with her home that night, not wanting her to be alone during the evening.

"Did Balto say when he'd be back?" he asked.

"He was going to be late tonight, so I don't think we'll catch him tonight," she said, before yawning widely. "I wouldn't blame him if he went straight to bed – I know I'm ready to crash right now."

"Yeah, but you're also carrying more than yourself," he noted, taking a quick glance at her swollen belly. "Do you know when they're going to come, because right now you look about ready to pop," he observed.

"For the umpteenth time, no... but it's almost been nine weeks so they will be coming very soon."

"Well, let's hope that you can hold off on that until tomorrow because I don't think Balto would want to miss that, them being his pups and all."

"I hope so too," she agreed, stopping briefly to let out a small groan.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine – the little guys were just acting up a little… don't worry, it's passing," she replied and continued walking.

"I'd say those pups are eager to get out into the world too," Kaltag put in.

"No argument here," she replied, just as they reached her shed. "Thanks for looking after me Kal. Have a nice night."

"You too Jen – sleep tight," he replied, letting her enter her shed while he turned towards his own home.

While Jenna just thought that her pups were kicking around again, she didn't know that they would have a surprise in store for her that night…

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Chapter 4: Six Bundles of Joy

He was running and it didn't take him long to figure out why. He wasn't running a race or running to see his love – he was running with the raven again in his dreams. The landscape shook, crumbled and crashed of its own accord while he raced along to avoid the destruction. He evaded the crumbling ice, carried on an ice floe towards what his dreams always carried him towards - the wolves with the unearthly glowing eyes that called to him, leaving him torn. He wanted to be back with Jenna and his family, but the raven's call urged him forward, growing louder until it became a deafening roar.

"Balto! Wake up!"

He shut his eyes to block out the vision, right before a sudden cold shocked his entire body. He snapped his eyes open and found himself sopping wet on his boat, while Boris stood in front him, holding his water dish and wearing a very annoyed look on his face.

"What? What? What's the matter?" he asked.

"The matter is you are having dream again," Boris replied, poking Balto's head with his wing.

'Dream or not, there are so many better ways to wake me up,' he thought as he shook the water from his thick fur. "So what if I was – it's just a dream," he retorted, echoing the words he'd used so many times before.

"HA! This 'just a dream' is keeping you from a decent sleep, and if your eyes get any droopier, you'll have to keep zem open with toothpicks," Boris said, pulling one of his eyelids open for extra effect.

"Boris, they'll stop drooping if you just go away and let me get some rest."

"Wrong, you won't be getting rest with that dream hanging around like dark cloud."

"Ugh, I hate it when you get all dramatic," he grumbled, averting the questioning gaze from his friend.

"How else am I to reach you? I'm telling you boitshick-" he said, grabbing Balto's muzzle and bringing it closer to his face. "If you keep having the same dream again and again, it meanssomething!"

Balto wrenched his muzzle free with a grunt and started to get up. "Boris, dreams don't mean anything. They're just… dreams," he replied as he let out a wide yawn. He trotted out of the wheelhouse and made his way over to the side of the boat. "Now, do you want to come with me? I have to go check on Jenna," he asked, before vaulting over the side and landing on the freshly thawed-out beach. The sand crunched underneath his paws as calm waves from the blue-green sea lapped at the shore, producing a calming rhythm that Balto had missed during the winter.

"Of course I come – I'm not finished nagging you yet!" Boris cried as he followed Balto towards town. Try as he might to filter out the old bird's pestering, Boris continued to try to convince him that his dreams had some sort of meaning or message.

'Oh give it a rest. Even if it was a message, I have no idea who'd want to give me one, much less how'd they'd do it in my dreams,' he thought as he walked along the tundra, passing by some sparse patches of snow that had yet to disappear.

"So, if dreams mean nothing, then why does it have a raven and a pack of wolves, eh? Why not pickled herring?" Boris asked, finishing a long speech that Balto had only been half listening to.

"Because herring would be in one of your dreams, not mine."

"Precisely - raven and wolves have meaning only to you – Balto, look!" he gasped, pointing to what stood in front of them. It was the totem pole that Balto used as a marker to Jenna's, and the carvings on it instantly grabbed Boris' attention. "On totem pole there is raven and wolf!" the old bird cried. While Boris saw the carved figures as some sort of omen, Balto thought differently. He'd passed by it countless times during his life, never giving the old pole of wood much thought. However, he was familiar enough with it to find a few holes in Boris' theory.

"Calm down Boris, there's also a fox and a wolverine-"

"Oi, such scary creatures. They should only live vell far away from me," Boris cut in.

"And a bear and a caribou," Balto continued, ignoring Boris' comment as he listed all of the shapes carved into the wood. "They're just wood carvings, Boris.

"Yes, I know, I know. Humans use them to tell stories; but of vhat, I don't know," Boris mused, while Balto decided to give a more thorough look at the totem pole. Despite passing by it so many times, he'd never taken the time to take a closer look. The carvings were arranged so that the animals were stacked one on top of the other, with the raven overseeing them all, its wooden wings stretched out as though it was ready to take flight.

"Balto, maybe seeing the raven and wolf on totem pole is making you dream something very important?" Boris suggested.

"Like what?"

"Like something you've forgotten… or maybe something you're supposed to know?" Boris explained in a whisper, as though it was some classified government secret.

"Look Boris, all I know is that the totem pole marks the shortcut to Jenna's and that's good enough for me," Balto replied, wanting to finally drop the subject. 'I don't think there'd be anything related to wolves or ravens that I'd be forgetting... or is there? Nah, it's more likely that the whole totem pole thing is just a coincidence. I shouldn't get myself caught up in what is probably a wild goose chase.'

"Ooh boy, stubborn," Boris grumbled, but Balto didn't continue it further. The dream that morning had given him enough wolves and ravens for one day. He was eager to move on and see how Jenna was doing.

'I hope she's doing okay today. She's so close to having our pups - maybe I should put my visits to Maska on hold until after they're born,' he thought as he entered the town. 'I'd hate to think about missing what could be the most important part of my-' His thought was cut off when he heard rapid barking closing in on him. The source was a small terrier charging towards him, obviously cheerful about something. So cheerful in fact that it slid to a stop and crashed right into Balto's front legs. Fortunately, his small weight wasn't enough to knock him over, and the terrier was quick to regain his senses.

"Aye! There you are laddies," the terrier greeted with a very thick accent that Balto hadn't heard before. The terrier wasn't a dog he knew personally, but he'd seen him a couple of times around the town. "I've been smellin' all over for ya," he exclaimed while jumping in the air. His antics made Balto wonder if this dog had truly great news, or if it simply had a little too much coffee to drink in the morning.

The terrier's constant bounding and barking was starting to become a great annoyance for Boris, who held his head to try to block the sound out. "Oi, would you stop with the bouncing and make with the talking?" he groaned. "I'm getting dizzy!"

The terrier got the last of its barking out of its system, before finally delivering its message. "The stork… has landed," he declared. "I repeat - the stork has landed!"

"Jenna?" It didn't take much for Balto to understand the meaning behind the terrier's message, and when he put two and two together, he bounded away, knocking the excited terrier over and leaving Boris behind in the alley.

'It must have happened during the night - ugh, and I'd been sleeping in my boat only a mile away when I should have been by her side. I've been looking forward to this for weeks and I miss it by a hiar. Oh, I hope she isn't mad at me for this,' he hoped as he dashed towards her house. There was no denying it - his pups had been born, and it wouldn't be long before he'd get to see them for himself. He wasn't sure what to expect, but that was part of the fun, like wondering what's underneath the wrapping of a birthday present.

The terrier was quick to follow him as he bounded to Jenna's house, stopping at the door to her shed while he went forward, nudging it open. This was it - the time where he'd get to see just how many bundles of joy they would be caring for.

He stopped at the threshold, taking a moment to look at her. She was lying on her side with her back turned to him, delaying the big reveal for a few seconds more. "Hello Balto," she greeted softly, as he readied himself for what was waiting with her. "Well come in, they don't bite… at least not yet," she said as he padded over to her to see the newborn pups.

It was a sight that would melt even the coldest of hearts. Snuggled up beside her were six pups - Jenna had been spot on with her prediction - nursing from her to receive their first meal of their lives. Five of them bore thin, reddish coats, varying from the brighter shade that Jenna wore to a darker shade that he assumed partially came from him. The sixth was the one that stood out the most, as it had a striking tan coat similar to his, just a shade lighter. All six of them moved awkwardly, still getting used to using their own limbs. Every now and then, one of them would let out a small puppy cry, not to vocalize anything, but simply to test out what would become their voices. As he watched their round bodies squirm and wiggle, he felt like he could float away on his joy.

"Oh Jenna, they're… they're so beautiful; just like you," he said, nuzzling her softly. A small whimper caught their ears, but it was just the little tan pup finding a better spot on her mother's belly.

"And you," she replied, before returning to their nuzzle.

While they took in the sight of their new pups, Boris poked his head in to see the two happy parents. Since he felt like Balto was a part of his own family, he was also very glad about the new arrivals. "Look at me - I'm an uncle," he said to himself. However, the moment was broken when the terrier decided to enter as well, barking his head off. By now, Boris had gotten sick of the yappy dog's intrusions, and decided to be rid of him once and for all. With strength that very few would think a goose would be capable of, he kicked the terrier backwards with enough force to send it flying over the fence behind them. With no more interruptions, they were now free to enjoy the sight of the adorable newborn pups.

After Boris got his own look at the pups, he left to let Balto and Jenna have some time to themselves. For the first little while they just watched the pups quietly, taking in the sight. So far there wasn't much - some of the pups were still nursing while others had settled down for a nap. One of them was bold enough to amble away from its mother to find out what else there was in this new world. However, its eyes were still shut, so it couldn't get very much from its excursion. Balto leaned down and let his nose tap the young pup's. It froze and squeaked a little at this new sensation. It couldn't see or hear what had tapped it, and whimpered in anxiety.

"Hey there little guy… I'm your daddy," he comforted. "Don't worry, your mother and I will take good care of you and your siblings."

Jenna giggled a little. "You do know that pups are born deaf right? They can't hear a word you're saying."

"So? Doesn't mean I can't try. They have to learn the sound of my voice at some point," he replied, before gently nudging the wayward pup back towards its mother, where it settled down to nap with its brothers and sisters.

"Would you look at that, I'm actually a father... but I missed it. Jenna, I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I-"

She shook her head to dismiss his apology. "It's fine Balto, there was no way you could have known. I wasn't expecting it to happen during the night either… then again no one knows how to expect the birth of their own children."

"But I was only a mile away and slept right through it," he countered. "I wanted so badly to see this, but now that I've missed it, it feels like I was asleep at the wheel."

"I know you wanted to be here, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not the most important thing. What's important is that you're here now, and that our pups are safe and healthy," she assured him.

"True… now all that's left is to name them all," he said. "Any ideas?"

"A few. I was thinking-" she was cut off when they heard the door creak open, and turned to see Rosy there, coming in to check on Jenna in the early morning.

"Balto? Watcha doing here boy?" she asked as he came over and let her scratch his ears. "I guess you wanted to check up on Jenna too, huh? Aw, you're such a good dog to look after her like that." He wagged his tail as he received the affection from her, before gently tugging her sleeve to bring her over. "What is it boy?" she asked, and when she saw the pups, she let out a loud squeal of delight.

"They're so cute! MOM! DAD! JENNA HAD HER PUPPIES! MOM DAD! JENNA HAD HER PUPPIES!" she shouted excidtedly as she ran out the door and bolted inside to deliver the news. They could hear her gleeful shouts from inside, following the path of her voice as she went up to her parent's room, roused them out of bed and came back down with her father in tow.

"Alright Rosy, calm down. We heard you the first dozen times," her father said as he ambled into the shed. It was obvious that he'd been woken abruptly, and Balto smirked a little when he saw his appearance.

'Wow, and I thought I had the bad hair days,' he thought as he saw the man. Dressed only in his robe, his hair stood in every direction from lying on a pillow, and even his normally neat moustache was askew that morning.

"Now, let's see what we've got and - hold it, what's he doing here?" he asked suspiciously, pointing at Balto. "He shouldn't be near the pups."

"But dad, they're his puppies too! See, some of them really look like him, especially this one," she explained, before picking the tan pup up and holding it for her father to see.

Rosy had failed to notice that pup had been enjoying her nap against her mother's warm belly. The jostling from being picked up, along with being unable to see of hear what was going on as it was being carried away frightened her. Balto noticed her squirming out of discomfort in Rosy's hands and knew from Maska's advice that pups shouldn't be separated from their mother much before they were able to wander off on their own. Doing so would cause them distress and keep them from the warmth their mother provided to their newborn bodies.

He padded over and gave the pup a few nuzzles and licks to try to calm her. Her squirms calmed a bit, but not completely. So, he very gingerly took the nape of her neck in her teeth and lifted her from Rosy's grasp, taking extra care to not jostle her. Much like what Maska and his mate did countless times with their cubs, he carefully carried his pup back to Jenna and set her down with her siblings, tapping her once with her nose to urge her to stay.

Both Rosy and her father observed his actions, and it was then that something finally gave in the older man. Seeing how tender Balto was with the pups reminded him of the day years ago when he first held his own daughter in his arms. He remembered wanting to be as gentle as possible with his newborn baby girl, and he saw that care being mirrored in Balto's actions. Now, that same little girl he could once cradle in one arm looked up at him, not wanting him to send her hero away. "See, he's being gentle with them. Please don't send him out - he should get a chance to see his puppies."

Everything he'd heard about wolves was telling him to say no, but he couldn't ignore that what he'd just seen ran contrary to his earlier preconceptions. Balto was being as much, if not more gentle with the pups than any other husky dog he'd seen. His concern over the pups no longer held any weight as Balto was there, being very gentle with them - as gentle as any good father would be with their children. The hybrid turned and looked at him, his expression calm, but expectant. He was waiting for the man to make the next move, with no signal of apprehension, anxiety or aggression. He was just waiting for what the man would say, and Rosy's father knew that the time had come now. He would have to give Balto the benefit of the doubt if they were ever to move forward.

"I… well… I'm not going to win this one, am I?" he sighed, pausing a moment before continuing, "Oh what the hey, why not?" he finally conceded. "Maybe having an extra pair of eyes looking after the pups won't hurt."

At this, all of their faces lit up in joy. "Really? Oh thank you, thank you!" Rosy exclaimed, and hugged him tightly. Her father chuckled on seeing her happy outburst, and was surprised when he was almost knocked over as an ecstatic wolfdog rushed in to lick him and show his gratitude as well.

"Easy there, down boy," he said, and Balto obliged, letting the man rub him behind his ears. "Now, I'm going to let him come by to see the pups and play with them, but that's it," he told Rosy. "I'm still wanting to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'll behave within a home."

"But he will, why don't you just let him be part of the family?" Rosy protested. "You just think he's going to do something bad because he's a stray."

"It's not that simple. You remember a few weeks ago when your mother mentioned how Balto does like going off on his own quite a bit, right?" She nodded and he continued on, "Well, we talked about that a bit more, and we realized that it's probably because he's lived as a stray most of his life and is used to roaming around. You sometimes see some of the sled dogs in town do this too. They all like getting out on their own and stretching their legs. It's part of how they were bred, and that's something we can't change completely."

"Are you saying… that maybe Balto wouldn't like it as much in our home?" Rosy asked. "But how could you know for sure?"

"I don't, but if we let him come to see his pups, then maybe we can see if he's interested. If not, we can leave him be and still let him come by," he finished.

Rosy thought it over, turning to Balto to gauge his reaction. "What do you think, boy?"

Balto tilted his head a bit as he thought it over, before giving his tail a few wags and nuzzling her sleeve to communicate his approval. With that, Rosy nodded and accepted her father's compromise. They edged forward to see the pups, and Balto let them approach, just as long as they didn't try to remove any of them.

"What do you think Balto?" Jenna asked him.

"I'm just happy I'm going to be able to see my pups. That was what really mattered to me through this whole thing," he replied. "Come to think of it, he does have a point. While I love coming by to see you and Rosy - and now our pups too - there are actually parts of my 'off the leash' life that I would miss. Visiting Maska, exploring new places… I don't know if it's because of my wolf half, or just because it's the life I'm used to, but I feel happy about this."

She smiled, glad to see that he no longer felt like he was being pushed away unfairly. "Alright, just as long as you don't forget to remember your responsibilities too. The pups will need their poppa to help look after them… and their momma might need some company at the end of day too," she added, grinning at him.

"I know, and I won't forget. You need love and attention just as much as they do," he replied, nuzzling her softly. "Besides, how else are they going to learn how to run like their old dad?" he added, causing her to chuckle a little.

While they chatted about how best to schedule things between them, Rosy and her father were starting to think about names for all of the pups. "Well, it looks like there's three girls and three boys in that bunch," her father observed. "I was thinking that Saba would be a good name for one of the girls, while Kodiak would be good for one of the boys."

"Okay, how about for that one and that one?" Rosy suggested, pointing to the smaller male and smaller female of the group, both of whom had bright red coats. He nodded, and she started to think of names for the other four. "Um, this one could be Dingo," she pointed to one of the darker furred males. "And this one would be Kara," this time to the burgundy female, before going over to the last red male. "And this one would be… uh… let's go with Rex for that one."

"Okay, so it's Dingo, Kara and Rex, so that just leaves this one," her father recited, before reaching over pet the last tan pup. "You take quite a bit after your father, so what would be a good name for you, little one?" The pup squirmed a little under his touch before letting out a short, tiny puppy howl. It sounded more like a small 'aroo' sound, but it was enough to give Rosy an idea.

"Hey, it sounds like she's saying something like… Aleu. Let's name her Aleu," she suggested.

"Alright, Aleu it is," he replied, rounding out the set. Balto overheard them though all that, and he quickly learned the names they'd given the pups. After weeks of waiting it was now time for them to begin a new chapter in their lives. He didn't know what was in store for the pups down the road, but at the moment he wasn't worried. Kodi, Saba, Kara, Dingo, Rex and Aleu were all healthy and safe, and he would do everything in his power to ensure they stayed that way.

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Chapter 5: Seeking Guidance

The pups were actually quite easy for Balto and Jenna to take care of during the first few days. They didn't move around much, preferring to stay in the company of their mother. It wasn't until almost a week later that they started to toddle off and explore their surroundings; that was when more constant supervision was needed. It was decided to move them inside the house in order to keep them safer, but that ended up giving them more opportunities to cause trouble. It started small, with some of them poking around and exploring the interior. At first they thought they could handle them, but the pups were surprisingly crafty, able to slip away even when their father was around for his regular visits. Unlike Maska's group, who seemed to prefer to stick together, their pups loved to scatter. They were capable of causing trouble in six different locations at once, leaving their two parents unable to stop all of them.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were co-ordinating themselves," Balto said after catching Dingo and preventing him from testing out his new milk teeth on the sofa. Now four weeks old, the pups were eager to use their emerging teeth at any opportunity. Jenna was also lecturing Saba on the importance of not destroying the human's socks before they heard the crash of a vase shattering, followed by Kodi and Aleu dashing out of the parlor, half running, half wrestling with each other, barely aware of their surroundings.

"You know, I think you might be right," Jenna agreed as they heard the cursing of Rosy's father about the destroyed vase, quickly followed by a pained groan from Balto. Since he was prevented from using his teeth on the sofa, Dingo instead decided to test their potency by sinking them into his father's paw.

"That's it, time out," Balto grumbled, picking his son up by the scruff of his neck and carrying him out to the porch. "You've got to watch where you use those sharp little fangs of yours - though I wonder where you get them in the first place," he lectured.

"Hey, he might be a chip of the ol' block," a voice called. Balto turned and found it was Kaltag, with Nikki and Star at his side. "So, having fun with your little bundles of joy?"

"Sure, fun, lets go with that. A bunch of teething pups on a rampage is really fun," he grumbled, before grabbing Dingo and preventing him from breaking away from his time out. It wasn't long before they could hear sharp voices coming from inside, and the front door swung open with the adults urging the pups outside.

"That's it - if they can't stop destroying everything in the house, then we'll have to keep them out!" Rosy's mother said sharply. Jenna was soon to follow, scolding Saba for creating the hole in the woman's sock. The door quickly closed, leaving the exasperated parents outside with the three sled dogs.

Kaltag giggled a bit, "If this is a bad time, we can come back later and - hey, watcha doing there?" he asked when he felt a small tug on his collar. Kodi had broken from the group and started to poke at the metal ring on Kaltag's collar, grabbing it in his jaws to pull on it. Kaltag gently nudged him off, before replying, "Sorry buddy, this one's mine - but you might get your own in the next couple of years."

On seeing Kodi do it first, the rest of the pups were quick to follow, coming over to the new arrivals to see if they were willing to play. Of course, by play, that meant being rammed head on, or nipped with their emerging teeth. Balto and Jenna were quick to come in to save their friends from the swarm, while the pups yipped happily at the new arrivals. The excited sounds hit a crescendo, before suddenly being cut by a sharp, high howl. The howl came from Aleu, but her inexperienced voice meant that it came out very shrill, making Kaltag grit his teeth until it was over.

"Ack, that one's certainly got a set of lungs on her," he observed as the pups scampered away from the howling. Jenna quickly followed with Aleu to keep an eye on them, leaving the males around the front. "I've gotta say, that was the highest, the shrillest, the most piercing-"

"She's certainly no wolf like Balto!" Star cut in, and in that moment, Balto's head snapped towards him, locking an icy glare onto the smaller husky. Kaltag could tell that some nerve had been hit in Balto, and was half afraid that he'd strike Star upside the head like he himself used to do so many times.

"And just what do you mean by that?" Balto said, his words carrying a hint of a growl.

"Well, I, uh… it's just that… she doesn't howl as well as you do… you can belt it out like a real wolf… and maybe she'll be able to do the same when she's older," Star explained, growing anxious under Balto's piercing glare.

"How do you know she'd grow up to be like a wolf? She could grow up to be a dog, just like her siblings."

"But she looks so much like you… but maybe the rest might howl a bit too… after all, you're their father and you're part-"

"Star, shut up," Kaltag hissed at him, knocking him with his paw as Balto continued to glare at him.

"So, is that how you see them – still part wolf?" Balto asked, his tone flat.

"That's not all of it. Star didn't mean anything wrong by it… right?" Kaltag put in, taking a quick glance over at Star. The smaller husky nodded and Kaltag turned back to Balto. "See, we didn't mean any harm. We're your friends, remember?"

"Yes… but I just don't want everyone making a big deal over how they're part wolf and have a part wolf father," Balto explained, much calmer.

"Really? I thought you were all at peace and such with being part wolf. I mean, you've been visiting Maska and his pack quite a bit," Kaltag started.

"Most of the dogs here don't mind having you around," Star continued.

"Not to mention that youse saved us with those wolfy senses of yours," Nikki finished.

"I know, but that's because you know me already. My pups are just getting their start and I don't want them feeling like they're different from everyone else; it may make it harder for them."

"Or, it might make it easier. After all, who wouldn't want to be friends with one of the kids of the famous Balto?" Kaltag replied.

"I can tell you who - people and dogs who aren't exactly like you. Let's face it, I may have won most of the town over, but there are still those who don't like wolves and wolf hybrids," Balto explained. "Maybe not in this town, but what about other towns? I don't want them to be judged by what they are. Look, I don't expect you to know exactly where I'm coming from on this, but-"

"That's where you're wrong," Kaltag cut in. "Believe me, the three of us know what it's like to be seen as different. Think about it, we were a Chinook, a chow and a runt - no offence, Star - among a bunch of huskies. Yes, we got a little lip, but it got better. I mean, look at me, I'm the lead dog of the town's championship team and my breed is still a work in progress!"

"Maybe, but in the end you're still dogs. Wolves… they carry a bit more of a stigma than you guys would," Balto admitted. As much as he didn't like it, Kaltag knew he had a point. Wolves were in a class of their own compared to dogs. "Look, all I'm asking is that you have a little discretion around them. If anyone's going to tell them anything about being part wolf it should be me and Jen."

"Yeah, it's best if they hear it from you guys. Have you told them anything yet?" Kaltag asked.

"No. To be honest I don't know what I should tell them."

"Why don't youse just tell it as it is?" Nikki asked.

"Because that might not be the best thing for them. Being part wolf might be harder for them than just being another husky on the block," he explained. "I know it sounds a little dishonest to think about hiding it from them, but part of me just-"

"Wants to protect them from what happened to you," Kaltag finished, and Balto nodded. As much as they wanted to tell him to be honest, the three could sympathize, not only because they knew what it was like to be picked on as well, but because they'd also had a hand in the mistreatment towards Balto in the past. "Alright, if you want, we'll hold back on mentioning the 'w' word around them until you decide what to do for them. I'll make sure to pass that on to the rest of the team as well."

"Thanks guys… sorry for getting a little tense there. I guess I've been under a lot of stress, what with the pups and the restless nights I've been having."

"Yeah, your eyes are lookin' a little droopy dere," Nikki added.

"Uh oh, better make sure he doesn't fall asleep right in the street," Kaltag cracked, and the four of them chuckled. It was only after having a moment where he wasn't chasing the pups around that he realized how exhausted he really was. In part it was because of the work looking after the pups, but it was also because his dreams always managed to cut his sleep by an hour or so. After bidding his friends goodbye, Balto dashed off to reunite with his family, leaving the three sled dogs to think over what he'd said.

"I sure hope Balto doesn't end up lying to his little ones dere," Nikki stated.

"But he only wants what's best for them," Star countered.

"Yes, but he's forgetting one thing," Kaltag mused. "Not every dog out there is as bad as Steele was. There's more good in this world than he thinks."

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While he'd managed to get his friends to hold some restraint, Balto knew it would only be a temporary fix. Something better was needed for the long run, but he was still torn between telling and not telling his pups about his wolf half. While he was grappling with this, his dreams continued, but this time the wolves became more prominent. They were appearing quicker in the dream, but every time he tried to turn his back on them, disaster would strike and the dream world would collapse around him. Once, a slab of ice slammed into him, and when he woke up he swore his side was aching. They were becoming more disruptive, and one night he actually tried to stay up through the night just to avoid having the dream. His mind wandered as he stared out into the dark night, with the only sound being Boris' soft snoring. Inevitably, his mind turned to his pups and a sense of urgency started to overtake him.

'I have to think of something soon. It's only a matter of time before they start talking, and then they'll be asking lots of questions, including about me. I need to figure out what answer I should give them because I don't want to be caught unprepared. If I say the wrong thing then it could adversely affect them for years. I could easily tell five of them that they're huskies because they look the part, but Aleu…' His thought trailed off as he realized that as the days went on, Aleu was looking more and more like one of Maska's cubs than her siblings. 'How would I explain that? It's easy to do now because they're small, but what about when they grow up and leave? They'll be given away to human owners in a few weeks and I should decide how much they should know about themselves before they go off into the world.'

Conflicted, exhausted, and with nothing else to guide him, he felt utterly lost. He and Jenna had been so occupied taking care of the pups that they hadn't had much time to sit down and talk this through. Other than Jenna, the only other one he felt could help him was Maska. He hadn't visited his friend because of the time his pups demanded, but he remembered that this was a day where Rosy's family would be home and could take care of the pups. His absence wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Jumping off his boat, he padded towards the woods, quickly finding his way towards Maska's territory. If there was anyone that could give advice on pups that was also wolf related, it was him. He'd been able to help him when he was having troubles with his wolf side before, and hoped he'd be able to do the same again. The morning sun was starting to clear the horizon and filter through the trees as he arrived, and he let out a howl to call him. It didn't take long for Maska to arrive, beaming at his friend.

"Balto, I haven't seen you for a while. How are things?" he greeted.

"For the most part, okay. The pups arrived a few weeks ago and I've been tied up with them since."

"So, is your pack as much of a bundle of fun as mine was?" he chuckled.

"That, and then some - they seem intent on destroying anything they can get their paws on. Even things I thought couldn't get destroyed they're managing to damage."

"Ah, yes. When you get a bunch of pups together, who knows what kind of ruckus they can cause - although with wolf cubs there are less material goods to be destroyed."

"Except they aren't doing damage as a group - they each go off in different directions at once. It doesn't help that there's only two of us to the six of them."

"You have six pups? Congratulations! What do they look like?"

"Most of them take after their mother, but they're different enough to tell who's who. There's really only one of them who takes after me. Her name's Aleu."

"Most look like their mom, eh? Hm, one would think there'd be more of you in there… but these things are always unpredictable. In the end they're still your pups and they'll bring you joy for years to come."

"Oh yeah… they joy of watching them devour the human's newspapers sure sounds like a great time," Balto said nonchalantly.

"Is that the only dilemma that's facing you?" Maska queried. "If so, I'd suggest getting them a bunch of sticks to chew on instead. My cubs love 'em, and sometimes I let them chase me around and try to grab a stick from my jaws."

"I'll keep that in mind. Truth be told, them chewing stuff up isn't what I'm really worried about. It's something I've been worried about since before they were born, but I haven't been able to think of anything to help it." Maska tilted his head to side as he tried to understand what he was getting at, so Balto decided to lay it out for him.

"Okay, here's what's going on. My pups will be part wolf pups, growing and living in a mostly dog and human world. While that world has come to accept me in Nome, I'm not sure if they'll be so accommodating with the pups, especially considering how Aleu in particular looks so much like a wolf cub than a husky pup. There are still many out there that aren't as accepting of wolves; if not in Nome, then maybe elsewhere, especially if some of them become sled dogs and travel around the north."

"And you're worried that they'll be subject to ridicule because of their wolf side?" Maska asked, and Balto nodded. "That's understandable, but there are some things you should keep in mind. One, your pups would have less wolf in them than you do, and two, not every stranger is going to know they're part wolf at a glance, especially if most of them take after their mother. Even if Aleu looks wolf, she may still be a dog underneath."

"I hope so, but word can travel fast in a small town, and most of Nome is already excited over how Jenna and I had pups. It's just… I don't want them to feel like they're different from everyone else. I want them to think they can fit in with all the dogs without any strings attached."

"I hear what you're saying, but you also can't ignore that it's part of who they are. You should focus on the good your wolf side has brought you. It gave you the strength to overcome great adversity and they should know about the strength within them as well. You never know when they may have to call upon it for themselves."

"But they're so young… what strength they have wouldn't be able to be of much use now. I know it certainly didn't help me out when I was a pup. Did you know that I almost had a shot with staying with Rosy's family? Yeah, I was just a pup and was so close to being able to have a family to take care of me… but when they found out I was part wolf they just tossed me away, not wanting a 'dangerous animal' in their home."

"Oh my… but you don't know your pups will suffer the same fate."

"But what if they do? What if Aleu or one of the others is left behind because they're 'too wolfy' for a human home?"

"In that case, then you could teach them to be a proper dog… or they could live with wolves instead. I've told you before that my door is open to you or anyone close to you and that includes your pups."

"That's very kind, but it might not help. They'd still be part dog, and they might still feel like they're being left out of something.

"All I'm hearing from you is a lot of 'mights' and 'what-ifs', but you won't do yourself or your pups any good if you keep on going around in circles like this," Maska bluntly stated. "At the rate you're going, you're just going to end up chasing your tail instead of the real problem. It's not worth it to lose sleep over."

"Heh, that's not the only reason I'm losing sleep," Balto mumbled, but Maska's sharp ears caught his comment.

"Not the only reason? Would you care to tell me about it? It may be related."

"I doubt it - it's just these weird dreams I've been having. But they're just dreams, they don't mean anything."

"I beg to differ. Dreams can carry quite a bit of meaning, but only for the dreamer. Most of the time it's just our mind trying to make sense of something going on in our lives, but other times… they are induced."

"What? How?" Balto asked. He was skeptical of an outside force influencing his mind, but he still decided to hear Maska out in case there was anything rational he could glean from this.

"To tell you that, I need to tell a bit of a story first," Maska replied, and Balto sat down to listen. Wolves often used stories or fables to explain things or teach lessons to their young ones. Balto himself had used this when telling his story to the pack shortly after he first met them, with lessons of tolerance and perseverance playing out.

"A wolf and his pack were having a particularly lean year, as the caribou seemed to have moved off. However, despite their best efforts, they were unable to find any trace of them. They knew they would have to move on to find food, but they had no idea where they could turn to. All directions seemed devoid of caribou, and it wasn't long before the pack started to go hungry for days on end," Maska started.

"This wolf was so desperate for food that he would even see it in his dreams. He would see himself walking along a river, past a large boulder before he found a great herd of delicious caribou. He'd think he'd found salvation, but the second he tried to chase them, they would fade and his dream would end, leaving him hungrier than ever. This dream would happen every few nights, always the same thing, with him wanting to understand what it meant." This intrigued Balto. Despite it being a different situation, he had to admit the fact he was having a recurring dream was similar to the wolf in the story.

"This went on until one day, the wolf collapsed in the snow from exhaustion. In desperation, he called out for help, and that's when he saw it. There was a raven flying over his head," Balto's eyes perked at the mention of the raven. "He picked himself up, only thinking that he wanted to catch the raven to fill his belly, but as he followed it, that's when he saw it. It was the river from his dreams, but in the real world. He followed it, retracing the steps he'd taken so many times in his sleep. He saw a familiar boulder, and when he went around it, he saw them, the caribou. He didn't take the time to dwell on whether or not this was another dream and just charged at them. He was either going to eat or die trying, but when he sank his fangs into the neck of an elderly caribou, he would be rewarded. After eating his fill, he saw the raven sitting on the ground before the most astounding thing happened. The raven spoke to him and congratulated the him for getting its message. Curious, the wolf asked the raven who it was, and how it knew to lead him to the river."

"The raven responded that it knew about the river because he wanted the wolf to find it. He wanted the wolf to know which way to go, so it gave him directions in his dreams. That way, the wolf would know that this path was the right one. The wolf was astounded that a simple bird would have such power, and asked how it was able to do this, and more importantly, why it would do such a thing for him."

"At this, the raven responded to him, and that's when he understood everything. You see, that raven was no ordinary raven," Maska explained. "That raven… was a spirit guide."

----------

Chapter 6: Spirit Guides

"A… what?"

"Don't you know what they are Balto?" Maska asked. "Above all, the idea of a spirit guide is universal to all wolves."

"Except I didn't know any wolves until recently, remember?"

Maska nodded. "Of course, forgive me. Sometimes I forget that you were raised around dogs only," he conceded, before starting to explain. "When you look at the name, you realize you have a pretty good description right there. First, there's the spirit part - when you hear that word, what do you think of?"

"I think of… what drives me and makes me act. I think of what makes me do what I do," Balto replied.

"That's a good start. When we wolves think of spirits, we think of what makes us who we are. Our personalities, our motivations, our memories; everything we've done and want to do," Maska explained. "There are other words for it, like soul or consciousness, but they all end up meaning the same thing. It's the part of us that can't be touched, measured or destroyed, and yet is still present in our bodies every day. It is the part of us that outlives us, even past death."

"Past death… you mean like a ghost?" Balto asked.

"Hm… I suppose that's another way to put it, but I don't think they're the same as what you're thinking of," Maska continued. "Unlike the wandering spirits of so many scary stories, a spirit guide has a purpose in this world. That purpose is to, well, guide."

"Guide? How can they do that if they're just a spirit?"

"They may be just spirits, but they can take on many different forms, seeming as solid as you or I if they wanted to," Maska replied. "That is also what makes them unique - they seem to exist between our world and another, able to be there and not there at the same time. It's… tricky to explain in physical terms, which is part of what makes them so mysterious. Whatever form they take, they usually do it to pass on knowledge or wisdom that they think someone living can benefit from."

"So, do they just tell us what to do?" Balto asked. "What happens if someone doesn't want to listen to them, or doesn't believe them?"

"I'm not sure; all of the stories involve following the guide's advice, so I don't know what would happen if they refused… but chances are it wouldn't be as good. You remember from the story that the pack was starving - not following the clues given by the guide would have led to disaster," Maska explained. "But what that wolf saw was just that - a clue. He had to solve the problem himself," Maska explained. "He was shown a way in his dreams, but he didn't make the connection until he found that place in the real world. Had he not had that dream, he would've just turned around when he saw that river, never knowing that food was only a short distance away."

"That still sounds like it gave him the answer," Balto added.

"It's not, it's… oh how can I put this into terms you'd understand," Maska mused, pausing a moment to think it over. "Okay, it's like how a sled dog is taught how to run, but if it wants to win a race, it has to run the race itself. Does that help at all?"

"You mean they're like a teacher?" Balto asked, and Maska nodded.

"Yes, and that brings me back to your first question about induced dreams," Maska continued. "Sometimes our dreams are induced by spirit guides in order to show us something important. It coud be something we would need to know later… or something we knew, but forgot and need to remember."

'Okay, this is getting spooky. Boris said the same thing about the dreams too... but it can't be this, can it?'

"Getting back to your dreams, would you care to tell me about them?"

Despite his skepticism, Balto knew he'd already gone this far, so it wouldn't be fair if he backed out now. As he told Maska about his dreams, the wolf's face lit up with excitement once he mentioned the raven flying overhead, like a pup who was hearing a riveting adventure story. "I always try to get away from the wolves, but I'm never able to escape for one reason or another. After that, that's when I usually wake up."

"And you've been having these dreams every few days now?"

"Almost like clockwork," Balto affirmed, while Maska just stood there with his jaw open in awe.

"You have no idea how lucky you are," Maska said. "It's actually very rare for a creature to encounter their spirit guide."

"Do you mean that most don't have a guide?"

"No, it is said that all creatures have a spirit that walks with them as they go through the journey of their lives," Maska replied. "For most, their guide only needs to make small, unseen impacts for their lives to be in order. A spirit guide will only make its presence known when it needs to; when the one they are guiding needs more than a tiny nudge to help find their way."

"Are you saying that the only way to know your spirit guide is if they come to you?"

"Not always; if one feels lost enough then they may call on their spirit guide to help them. They may not appear, but they still help in some way," Maska replied. "But even then, it will still be more subtle. It could be a nudge in a different direction, or a new puzzle for you to solve, but you will receive guidance when you need it most. It's like how a teacher can give you a lesson, but you can also go to the teacher for extra help if you need it."

There was a pause as Balto tied to take all of this in. "Wow, I always thought that humans were the most powerful things in the world, but these spirit guides... they're something else entirely. They can change shape, come and go as they please, and even invade our dreams - just what is the limit of their power?"

"To be honest, no one really knows," Maska replied. "Some stories have spirit guides having no more power than you or I, while others give them the power to influence the actions of others, or project illusions and images that seem almost real. But their true power comes not from the ability to shape the physical world, but to shape the minds of those who live in it. They have wisdom and experience that, when passed down to others, can change lives. When one life is changed, they have the capability to change the lives of others as well. I think you yourself know how powerful a change in one can be… especially after the serum run."

Balto thought back, and when he remembered that one crucial moment, he realized that part of what Maska was saying was right. He'd almost given up on his journey, but an intervention from an ethereal white wolf turned everything around. That wolf showed him the power of his wolf side, allowing him to get up and take the medicine back to Nome. By changing him, it had affected the destiny of so many others. The team and all the children in Nome were saved because of one wolfdog who was able to change what he thought of himself. That change allowed him to use his abilities to their fullest extent, delivering the medicine safely.

'He's right, changing one life can have an impact on countless others. That wolf impacted me, and I impacted all of the kids and their families and the town. Does that mean that wolf was a spirit guide as well?' he wondered. 'I don't know. She was so real, I could even smell her. It was a scent that seemed familiar… and comforting… that doesn't mean for sure that she was a spirit… but she seemed to come out of nowhere when I needed someone the most.' Balto was silent as his mind went back and forth, trying to make sense of this. There was the spirit guide story and how it explained most of what was going on with him, but there was also his rational side, which demanded concrete proof before it would accept any supernatural cause for recent events.

"That's… something, but I'm not sure about it," he started. "Don't take this the wrong way, but this whole spirit thing… it seems a little farfetched."

"I know it's a lot for someone like you to take in, but if there's any chance that this is the cause, then I think you should pursue it," Maska replied. "If your spirit guide is trying to give you a message, then I'm not sure I can decode it myself. Messages such as this draw on things that only have meaning for the recipient, so you'd have to decode it yourself. If not that… then you should seek them out for more guidance. This message could be important, and there could be dire consequences if it's missed."

"And you were talking to me about worrying about what could or could not happen," Balto quipped, but Maska grinned.

"Yes… but I still think you should follow this. You don't have anything to lose, and who knows what else you might learn."

"I'll… think about it," Balto replied, trying to downplay his reluctance.

"I hope you do. Just a word of caution – a spirit guide's message can sometimes be cryptic, unsettling even, but you must press on if you are to understand what they are trying to say," Maska urged. "Is there anything else you need help with?"

"No, I think I'm okay," Balto replied.

"In that case, then it might be best if you go home and think this over. If you need anything more, my ear is always open," Maska finished, before letting Balto start on his way home. As he walked through the woods, Balto's thoughts were sent into a spin from everything he'd heard.

'Should I bother to pursue this? It could help me understand my dreams… but it could also be a waste of time. I mean, c'mon, spirit guides? I know wolves hold them dear as part of their mythology, but they're just that – myths and fables,' he thought. 'Just because it fits doesn't mean it's true. It could simply be stress from the pups combined with an overactive imagination. I have been thinking about wolves quite a bit, at least when thinking about my pups and whether or not to tell them about their wolf side-'

He stopped mid-stride at the thought that this could be connected to his pups. 'Could this be related to it? Could it be some way of trying to show me which way would be better for them? I mean, they started happening soon after I found out we were going to have pups… and from the start this was one of my concerns… or it could just be a coincidence. I mean, the dreams don't have my pups in them, and my pups are only a quarter wolf – I'm having full-blooded wolves appearing in my sleep.'

He continued walking, trying to dismiss any thought of how this could be connected to his pups. 'Even if it was these spirits – which it probably isn't – I have no idea how to find out. Ugh, I should have asked Maska how I'd call them. Do I have to go to some special spot, or say magic words?'

He stopped again and took a look at his surroundings. During his musings his path had taken a slight detour, wandering a little to the west of his usual way home. The area was much rockier, with large boulders strewn about and much steeper hills with exposed rock along their sides. Nearby there was the trickle of a stream of fresh meltwater as it flowed along a shallow ravine. Other than the trickle of the stream, the area was silent, with not even a breeze to rustle the branches of the evergreens.

He scanned left and right, but there was no sign that any sort of spirit was around. Unsure of how he would call them, he first decided to just sit still and think about finding them. He tried to think about asking his question, asking to see them, or even thinking a lot about his dilemma, but all remained silent. He was just a lone wolfdog, silently mulling his thoughts around.

"Hello?" he called out, wondering if his voice would be enough. "Is there anyone or anything out there?" His call faded into the empty quiet, with no response.

"Hello?" he called again, this time a little louder. "Please, if there's anyone out there I'd really like some help here. I don't know which way I should go."

'This is ridiculous, there's no one here,' he thought, but he pushed forward, desperate for any answer to his dilemma. "HEY!" he shouted out. "I want to know what's going on here! Why am I having these dreams? What are they trying to show me?" he bellowed. The words echoed off the cold, hard rocks, ringing until they faded off into the distance.

'Great, you probably woke up most of the neighborhood. Yelling at nothing is just going to make everyone think you've got a few screws loose. If there was any spirit - which there probably isn't - wouldn't they have come by now?' he thought. "Please, all I'm asking for is some help," he asked to the empty boulder field. "If you're out there, then you'd better come out now because I'm not going to ask again," he finished. He waited for a moment, looking from side to side and swiveling his ears to pick up the sound of anyone approaching. Still, the boulder field was still as empty as when he first entered it.

"Hmph… thought so," he muttered, standing up to start his walk back towards Nome. 'There's nothing out here - this whole spirit guide thing is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. I've never believed in ghost stories anyways, so why would I start now? My dreams aren't messages; they're just my mind going in circles. Just because there's some wolf legend about a guiding raven doesn't mean my raven is going to drop out of the sky and-'

Something flashed past in his peripheral vision, followed by the flapping of wings and the feeling of something flying past his head, barely skimming his ears. The sudden appearance of something so close made him jump back. He knew that it was probably some bird, but he hadn't heard any signs of life before in this area. Normally birds would tweet near-constantly, but this one seemed to come out of nowhere. He looked to the side to see what bird had decided to practically do a diving run at his head, but when he did, his heart skipped a beat when he saw it perched on top of a nearby boulder.

With feathers as black as night, free of dust or any other mark, was a raven. Time itself seemed to slow as it stared at him with its shining black eyes, peering right through his body and into his soul, probing his very mind. He didn't know how, but he knew - he knew that this raven was the one from his dreams. It was the same raven that always followed him as he ran, watching over him from afar.

"You," Balto whispered. "How can this be?"

The raven only bobbed its head from side to side, much like how a real bird would when investigating a possible piece of food. It ruffled its feathers a little, before letting out a sharp 'caw' at him. Maska's earlier description of them being cryptic was starting to look like an understatement.

"Okay, you might not be able to talk, but I can't deny that you're here… although you sure took your time," Balto said to it. "Alright, if you are real, then what now? What are you going to show me?"

At his request the raven spread it's wings and lifted into the air, flying off and cawing, as if calling for him to follow. Part of him wanted to turn away and avoid getting involved with what could be nothing more than a mad quest, but he was drawn towards the raven. He couldn't put his paw in it, but something about the raven was evoking old feelings within him. It was a sense of complete comfort and trust - something he hadn't felt since his mother disappeared. He remembered snuggling up to her warm, white fur, feeling like nothing could hurt him as long as his momma was around.

However, the memory was as fleeting as the time she was with him. It was soon replaced with his memories of his time alone. He'd been so young, but he had been left isolated and fearful, always wondering where his mother had gone too. Was she still alive? Did she even remember him? He took another look up at the raven, and decided to add those questions to the list of things he would ask it if given the chance. After a short distance, the raven flew down a hill, stopping at the bottom to rest. When Balto caught up with it, he saw that it was looking intently at the side of the hill. He followed its gaze to the entrance of a cave, formed from a space in the rock and eroded further by centuries of rain and snow. From there he couldn't see very far into it, so he had no way of judging how deep it really was.

It didn't take long for him to guess the raven's intent, and so he didn't need much encouragement to follow it when it took off and flew into the cave, vanishing into the darkness. He wasn't sure what he would find inside, but he had come this far, so he pressed on to see which way this road would take him. Ahead he could hear the flapping of the raven's wings, but they grew fainter the deeper it went. The cave grew darker, and there were faint drips of water from the ceiling as it sloped lower and lower. He couldn't hear the sound of the raven anymore, and after a while he started to wonder how it would navigate in the ever-shrinking tunnel.

The sloping rock started to brush against his ears, forcing him to crouch. The temperature in the dark cave dropped quickly, and it wasn't long before he saw ice running along the walls, untouched by the warming weather outside. Through the dim light he could see that the space narrowed to a much smaller hole ahead. Through the hole was light, in addition to a much larger open space. Crouching until his belly was flat on the ground, he inched himself towards the opening, managing to squeeze his shoulders through, then his midsection before sliding his hips through last. With the greater space afforded to him, he stood up and stretched before moving towards the new light. It was definitely daylight, and he could tell the cave led to a much more open area outside. He dashed forward, ready to face whatever was out there.

All around him were steep hills, forming a sort of natural amphitheatre. Scanning around the small valley, he could not find any trace of the raven. Once again, the elusive bird had vanished as soon as it had appeared. He sniffed the ground and started to move back and forth in a search pattern, hoping to glean some other clue when something else caught his nose. It wasn't the raven, but more canine… like a wolf. Another sniff only confirmed it wasn't anyone he knew, but it was fresh, which meant that they were close. Any wolf might not enjoy a stranger infringing on their territory, so he went on alert. He panned his head back and forth, watching carefully for any sign he wasn't alone. His legs wound up, ready to spring him away. He was in unexplored territory, so he knew to be on his guard. Suddenly, the dirt crunched to his side and he snapped his head to the right. That's when he saw him – a dark-furred wolf staring at him, watching him as he investigated. Neither of them moved as they locked eyes, with the wolf tilting its head in curiosity at the stranger in their midst.

"You look like you're a little lost there, friend," the wolf greeted. "Can I help you?"

"I was… it's just… you wouldn't happen to have seen a raven pass by here would you?" Balto asked, suddenly feeling very foolish.

"Maybe," the wolf replied. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… it's complicated," Balto replied, hesitant to reveal what he was doing to a complete stranger.

"I'm no stranger to complicated things, so you don't have to worry about it," the wolf assured him, as if he could sense his apprehension. "Can I at least ask who you are?"

"My name's Balto," he replied. "How about you?"

"Well, it's nice to meet you Balto. As for myself… the name's Mias," the wolf retuned. "I may not be an expert on ravens, but I still might be able to help you."

----------

Chapter 7: Down Memory Lane

Balto was taken aback by the offer. He'd barely gotten a chance to explain everything, but Mias was already offering his help. 'Then again, if I don't know this wolf, then I can't know for sure what he can know. He could be an expert on these sorts of things, like Maska is.'

"So, what do you say?" Mias asked. "Do you want my help or not?"

"I do want help, but I'm not sure if you can help," Balto mused, shaking his head. "You'd probably think I'm mad."

"Try me," Mias urged. "You'd be surprised at the things I can take seriously."

"It's not just that; this is something that's very... personal."

"Is that why you want to hide it from me?" Mias asked. "Just like how you're hiding it from your own mate… and wondering if you should hide it from your pups as well?"

Balto was quite perturbed by this. He hadn't mentioned Jenna or his pups at all and yet Mias knew not only about them, but the things he'd been keeping from them. There was no way that he could have known, and the fact that he did was scaring him.

"How in the world would you know about that?" he demanded.

Mias looked at him for a moment, before calmly replying, "I may not know all the details, but... it's just the look you have… it's a look that's all to familiar to me. It's a look that I myself wore… long ago."

"That doesn't answer my question. How do you know about my family?"

"A little birdy told me… a little, black birdy," he replied cheekily. Balto paused as it dawned on him that this wolf definitely knew more than he was letting on. "Now, are you sure you don't want my help? After all, you came out here for guidance."

"But I don't know you."

"You don't know the raven either and yet you're chasing it down like your life depended on it," Mias retorted. "Let me ask you this: If you wanted advice, who would you rather talk to? Some spirit thing you don't fully believe in, or someone real, someone tangible… someone who won't pull you along on a crazy chase."

While Balto was more willing to trust the more natural Mias over the supernatural raven, he still hesitated. This was something that he really didn't want to get out if he could avoid it, and there was still the fact that he didn't know Mias all that well. As if reading his mind again, Mias added, "C'mon, it's just you, me and the rocks. This won't get out if you don't want it to. I'm no stranger to keeping secrets myself."

Thinking for a moment, Balto realized that he'd already shared his concerns about his pups with most of his own friends, all of whom were sympathetic. His dreams on the other hand were something that he had only shared with a few, and he would keep it that way as long as he could. 'Then again, Mias seems to know quite a bit about that raven. He knows something he's not telling me… but if I'm going to get answers from him, I'd better offer him something in return.' "Okay, I'll bite. There is something I'm wondering if I should tell my pups about," he started, explaining his struggle over whether or not to tell his pups about their true heritage. He told Mias about how he didn't want to bring his pups into the world of pain and anger that he'd gone through…

"Get out of here wolfdog. Why don't you run back to your pack?"

"That's right, run away you mutt! Run away and never come back!"

"You're too wolfy for a dog town, but you're too doggy for a wolf pack. You don't belong anywhere half-breed!"

"I don't want that to happen to my pups," Balto summed up. "I know that most of Nome has come around because of my great deed, but my pups might not get same benefit. To someone else, they won't be the part-wolf who saved the town, they'll just be part wolf and they might ridicule them for that. I don't want them to go through what I had to. It led to me doing some… things I'm not proud of," he finished, remembering a time where he'd almost killed Steele in a fit of rage, something he always saw as one of his greatest moral failures.

Mias had listened quietly to his story, sitting down and taking everything in. "Well, the good news is that you can't be accused of being a weak liar," Mias started. "It's perfectly understandable to want to protect your pups from something that caused you so much pain. You don't want to burden them with something that they can only appreciate when they're much older and have a greater understanding of the world. This could be another one of those things you don't tell your young ones before they're ready for it, like... where puppies come from."

"Yeah, that's true," Balto replied, before a new revelation came to him. "Hang on, are you saying that I can just wait for the time to tell them?"

"Well, maybe not in those exact words... but it does sound like a good compromise, doesn't it?"

"Yeah... but it might also delay the problem," Balto added. "What if they still feel different because I tell them?"

"Then you might have to take that risk because it's better than the alternative," Mias urged. "With something like this you can't hide it from them forever. It's who they are and they deserve to know the truth. You shouldn't keep that from them because if they find out too late, they might feel betrayed that you kept it from them for so long… or they might find out in the worst way possible," Mias said, his expression becoming more depressed. "It's best if they hear it from you because you definitely don't want to be caught in a lie. That's what happened to me… and I'll never be able to go back because of it."

"What happened?" Balto asked, hoping to get some more insight into who Mias was.

"Well I-" Mias started, but paused, as if contemplating something, before a smile formed on his muzzle. "Actually, instead of just telling you, how about I show you?"

This caught Balto by surprise, but before he could ask further, the wolf's eyes started to glow a bright yellow. He gasped when he saw that the glow was the same glow as the wolves from his dreams, but before he could react, it felt as though all the energy was being drained from him. It was like he'd run a race for sixteen hours straight, causing his legs to wobble underneath him. His eyes started to droop, and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Whatever Mias did affected him so quickly that he was out before he felt himself hit the ground.

----------

"I tried talking to Sami about it, but I think she figured out what I was really getting on to," Mias told him.

"Hm, sorry what?" Balto said. It felt like his mind had wandered off, so he'd missed some of what Mias was trying to tell him. 'I probably should have paid more attention. It feels like I missed most of the conversation.''

"You know, the whole thing with Mayak?" Mias replied. "I've been telling her stories about our past to try to impress her for my brother, but she's already caught on to what I was doing."

"Oh yes, that. Well, she always was a sharp one," Balto replied as his memory was jogged. Somehow, he was able to instantly understand what Mias was talking about, as though he'd been with him for as long as he could remember. Mayak was the alpha male of the pack, while Sami was alpha female. Those positions meant that it was expected for them to become mates, but Sami was hesitant, leading Mias to play matchmaker for them. As far as Balto knew, he was a part of this pack, and knew Mias quite well. He quickly forgot his earlier confusion and continued the conversation as if it had been going on for hours. "So how did she take it when she found out your ulterior motive?" he asked. "'Cause you know how females can get when they find out you're fibbing to them."

Mias chuckled a little. "Yeah, but she wasn't upset. She was actually impressed that I was trying to do something so nice for my little brother… but she's still not interested in him."

"Why?"

"Various reasons: she doesn't like his attitude, and she's still mad at him for ousting the previous alpha of the pack. He was the one she was really sweet on and it doesn't help that Mayak isn't the most outgoing."

"That's true," he agreed.

"Don't take this the wrong way; I love my brother more than anyone else and in spite of his faults I still want to help him… but even I'm starting to feel like this endeavor is doomed to fail," he said, his ears falling a little. "They're so different from each other and I don't want to push Sami into something she doesn't want to be a part of. She deserves someone who can appreciate her spirit, her kind smile… her gentle laugh…"

"Is there anything else about her you appreciate?" Balto teased, chuckling a little.

Mias stopped dead in his tracks, and his reserved posture made him look like someone being interrogated. "It's not like that… we're just friends, nothing more."

"Uh huh, sure," Balto said flatly, making it evident he didn't believe Mias. "That's how it always starts."

They paused for a moment, with Mias trying to avoid his knowing gaze, before admitting, "She does seem to like my storytelling quite a bit…"

----------

"Well, I tried my best, but in the end it was Sami's decision," Mias told him. Once again Balto's mind was a little fuzzy on the details, as if part of the story was missing.

"Hm, sorry?" Balto asked. 'Darnit, there I go not paying attention again. Why is it so easy for me to lose focus today?'

"Don't you remember what I told you a week ago?"

"Um, you were trying to help Mayak and Sami get together, but she caught on to your plan," Balto replied, saying the first thing that came to his mind. The past week seemed to have gone by so quickly that everything between that last talk and the present barely registered in his mind.

"Yes, but now I don't have to worry about it anymore because she finally turned him down. Case closed."

"Huh, you actually sound relieved about it," Balto mused.

"Well, when you think about it, they might not have been that great together. Like I said earlier, he's more introverted while she's more of a free spirit. Those differences might cause trouble down the road," Mias explained. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm meeting with her tonight and I don't need you being a fifth leg around here."

"Ah, of course… you want to be alone on your date," Balto teased again. While Mias shot him a nasty look for the remark, he still let a small grin form at the corners of his mouth. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't deny there was some truth in that. Balto started to depart while a female wolf passed him, heading towards Mias. He surmised that this was Sami, and when he saw her, he felt a peculiar desire to listen in on them. Normally he would leave himself out of other's personal lives, but this time he felt compelled to learn more about what was going on. He silently backtracked, tuning his sensitive ears to pick up what they were saying while hiding behind a nearby bush.

"Hey there handsome, how are you?" he heard her greet. He risked a glance over the bush and saw her gently nuzzling his chin with her nose. His eyes were shut from the feeling of bliss her touch brought him, and he sighed while his tail wagged back and forth.

"I was okay until you showed up," he replied, feigning annoyance. "But now I'm feeling really great," he finished with a smile.

"Oh you," she muttered, rolling her eyes at his humor. "So, where are we going tonight?"

"I was thinking we'd go out by the river," he replied. "It's a full moon tonight, and I've heard that the ice can sparkle on nights like this."

"I'd love that. Plus it'd give us some privacy from… you know who. We wouldn't want him stumbling in on us, now would we?" Balto ducked back behind the bush and it didn't take him long to infer that she was referring to Mayak.

"Actually, there's something about that I want to talk to you about," Mias put in. "I can understand wanting to keep this from Mayak while he was trying to court you, but we can't hide this forever."

"What are you saying?" Sami asked, sounding a little hurt.

"I'm saying that I don't want us to be looking over our shoulders forever," he explained. "I want us to be together with no strings attached. Above all, I want to be honest with everyone… including my brother."

"But if Mayak finds out I really left him just to be with you… he could see it as a betrayal and come after us. I don't want him to hurt you."

"I know he's upset, but it could be even worse if we do nothing and he finds out anyways," he stated. "Finding out that we were keeping something like this could break all of the trust he has in me. Lying would be even worse than telling him the hard truth."

"Then we won't let him know the hard truth," she said. "We won't let anyone know about this. It'll be just us."

There was a pause, before Mias added, "Sami, be honest; is that what you really want to do? Live a lie?"

There was another pause, before Sami quietly replied, "No. Truth be told, this whole thing is starting to get to me already. I want to be able to shout about how much I love you to the land and the sky, not keep it bottled up forever."

"Neither do I," Mias replied. "I want to howl out how beautiful you are, and what a spirited wolf you are… and that means we'd have to be honest with everyone."

"Do you think they'd accept us… the pack I mean," she asked.

"You know, I've talked with so many of them, and I think they would," he replied. "They would know that we are together out of love, and if there's anything that can warm a wolf's heart, it's a good old love story between two unlikely mates."

She giggled. "Yes… kind of like that story you told about the two wolves from warring packs who were sent to kill each other, but fell in love instead, ending the conflict."

"And they all lived happily ever after," Mias finished. "That one's actually one of my favorites… but life doesn't always end like a story. Things can go wrong."

"So what should we do? Do we tell the truth or keep this our secret?" she asked.

"I – I really don't know," Mias replied. "Mayak's not one to take rejection very well-" There was a small whimper from Sami, so Mias reassured her, "But I know my brother and he would never do anything rash, especially if it involves me." There was another lengthy pause, and Balto took another peek to see that she was pressed up against his chest, while he nuzzled her with his chin. "Look, we'll figure something out, don't worry. We don't have to tell them now. Maybe we could wait until things cool off and then we can come clean, okay?" she nodded, earning him a smile. "Now, I don't want this to ruin our evening together, so why don't we go off and forget our worries?" They broke off and took a moment to gaze at each other, with him tapping his nose to hers to cheer her up. They started to walk away from the clearing, side by side, two wolves in love and hoping to have much ahead of them.

"Well, if all else fails, we could always go out on the land like you used to, just the two of us with a fresh start," she suggested, her voice growing fainter as they moved away.

"We could, but I'd like to avoid that if possible," Mias replied. "I just got here, and this place is starting to grow on me…"

----------

Balto was now with a large group of wolves, some muttering to each other while others just watched silently. Once again time seemed to fly by, but this time he was more aware of the sudden time skip. He could have sworn the last thing he saw was Mias and Sami leaving on their date. Now he was behind a crowd in a completely different spot in the woods. However, he wouldn't have much time to dwell on it because the crowd hushed as Mias and Sami walked over together, but with troubled expressions.

"I'm sure that you're all expecting me to tell you the usual stories, but tonight we have something much more important to tell you," Mias started. A few groaned, while others muttered as they guessed what Mias had to say.

"As some of you might know, it is time for an alpha like myself to choose a mate," Sami continued, confidently, but with a slight waver that showed she was nervous. "And after some very careful consideration, I have chosen… Mias."

There was a stunned pause, followed quickly by more muttering. To his left, Balto saw some movement and turned to see a jet-black wolf that greatly resembled Mias staring at the couple intensely. He barely noticed as Balto approached, focusing more on Mias as the rest of the pack came over to him and Sami. Some gave him words of congratulations, while others simply expressed their surprise, but the lone wolf didn't budge, leering at the happy couple.

"An alpha and a beta as mates - what could this mean for our pack?" one wondered.

"This is wonderful Mias. Does your brother know yet?" another asked him.

"Yeah… he kind of caught us first," Mias replied sheepishly. "It's actually more embarrassing than anything."

"Don't try to be so cute about it. You can enthrall the crowd with your words, but I know what I saw. I caught you and Sami in the lie that you'd been giving to the entire pack… and to your own brother," the lone wolf growled to himself. Balto surmised that this was Mayak, the one they had been concerned about. "I won't forget this, brother… and I won't ever let you take my rightful place from me," he finished, before turning away. As he did he briefly locked eyes with Balto, and that caused a very curious sensation in him. He didn't know why, but he immediately felt an impending sense of danger, far stronger than anything he had felt with Steele. The feeling lasted only a moment and passed when Mayak walked away from the celebration, but it still left Balto mystified. It was like Mayak wanted to hurt him, even though they'd never met before.

----------

Balto found himself in yet another stretch of woods, but only now did he really realize that things were jumping around. 'Hang on, wasn't I just with Mias and the pack a minute ago?' he thought. 'Wait, the pack? What pack? I'm not a part of any pack in Nome… where is Nome?' He tried to recall how he got here, but he could only go as far back as when Mias first confided in him his feelings for Sami. 'That had been so long ago… but it feels like I jumped forward in minutes. Wait, why would Mias confide in me? Do I know him that well? It feels like I've just met him.' As Balto tried to sort everything out, he heard raised voices nearby. He recognized them as Mayak and Mias, and peeked around a nearby tree to find the two brothers arguing.

"I never wanted to take your authority!" Mias barked. "I don't care what the others say; you're the alpha and I don't want to take what you worked so hard for away from you… which is why I'm leaving." This caught Mayak and Balto by surprise, but Mias was sincere in his claim. "I talked with Sami, and we agreed that's it's best for you and everyone else if we weren't around."

"Mias, I never thought you'd… wait, what do you mean 'we'?" Mayak asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I mean Sami and I," Mias replied. "It's obvious that having us around is causing you a lot of grief, so we're gong to leave and find our own way. You can lead your pack and find a new mate. We won't bother you any longer."

While at first everything before was obscured by a mental haze, things started to come back to Balto. 'Hang on, I think I have met Mias before this. We were talking about… something. But he was alone; why was he alone? Did he take me to meet his pack? I don't remember anything like that. It feels like so much time has passed, but at the same time it hasn't. Ugh, my senses are so screwed up today. What's going on with my head?'

There was a brief silence as Mias' words sunk into Mayak, while Balto tried to make sense of what was going on. "I know it's a lot to take in, but it's probably for the best," Mias continued, unaware of the real reason for Mayak's silence. "I do care about you brother, and I hate seeing you in such pain."

'We were talking about something important… he was trying to tell me something… something that happened to him… and then-' As he recalled talking with Mias in the ravine, everything clicked in. 'We were talking about my pups and he wanted me to be honest. He said something happened to him before, but instead of telling me… he said he would show me.' The image of Mias staring at him with glowing yellow eyes surfaced, closing the gap in his memory. 'His eyes… they were just like the wolves in my dreams. I saw them, and then I felt so tired, and-' The realization came at him like a wave, causing him to freeze up in shock. 'This isn't real. This is a dream. That explains the time skips… but why does this dream feel different. There was something else. He said he would show me what happened before… which means this is more than a dream. This is a memory – Mias' memory. He wanted to show me this. But how could he do this? Just what is going on with Mias?' The answers only came with more questions, but when Balto tried to shout out to Mias, something was wrong. No matter what, his voice produced no sound. It was as though he'd become invisible, nothing more than a spectator. He tried to run over, but his legs were rooted to the spot. He was paralyzed and forced to watch the scene unfold before him.

He looked to Mias for any answer, but the two brothers had finished their conversation. Mias took a step back, and that's when the most horrifying thing happened. When the paw hit the ground, a metal trap sprang shut. First was the sickening sound of metal crunching through flesh and bone, soon followed by the bloodcurdling scream Mias gave out when the trap snapped shut on his leg. He collapsed in pain and saw the trap he was in, while Balto was still rooted to the sidelines. "No, not this, anything but this," he cried as he tried to pull free, but the trap dug painfully into his flesh. "Brother, please help me," he pleaded with desperate eyes.

Mayak looked at him for a moment, and then said the last thing Balto thought any brother would say, "I won't let you take her away from me."

"Mayak?" Mias asked, but the alpha turned away from him. Balto's heart raced as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Mayak was going to leave his own brother behind in a trap just to take Sami for himself. All this, and Balto was still unable to jump in and help Mias himself. "NO! Don't do this Mayak! Help me! I'm your brother!" he cried out, but Mayak continued walking. He kept on walking when Mias' wails became pleas for help from anyone, but Balto was unable to come and help.

'No, this can't be happening. If I'm asleep then this can't be real,' Balto thought as he tried to shut out Mias' cries for help. 'C'mon, I can get out of it if I just wake up. I have to wake up!'

"No… no!" Mias cried and started trying his best to pull away from the trap, but the heavy chain was fixed to the frozen ground. Balto soon saw the cause of Mias' newfound distress – a human was approaching, hunting knife in hand and ready to finish him off.

'I have to help him!' Balto thought, but the paralysis remained, keeping him on the spot. Mias tried to snap at the human, but he was quick to grab him by the muzzle, pushing him to the ground to hold him still. Mias was still crying for help through his closed muzzle, and all Balto could do was watch in horror as the human readied the knife. He shut his eyes, still hearing Mias' pained cries until they were silenced by the unmistakable sound of the metal slicing through his neck. Balto opened his eyes and trembled in terror at the horror of the scene. Mias lay dead on the ground, left by his own brother to die, all because of something he'd kept from him.

"NO!" he cried out, finding his voice had suddenly returned. Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the human, and he shouted out his companion who was just coming over the hill. The companion had a rifle in hand, and when he saw his friend pointing, he raised it and took aim Balto. Without a second thought, Balto sprang away, his legs released from their hold. He raced away from the hunters, but with the crack of the rifle, everything went black.

----------

Chapter 8: Not Exactly as Planned

"Balto are you okay?"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Balto sprang away from Mias; everything he'd just seen was supposed to be impossible. Somehow he had been taken into Mias' memories and got a glimpse of the wolf's past. If that wasn't scary enough, he had just seen Mias die, left by his callous brother. He was dead in the past, and yet he was here now, standing before him as clear as day.

"Look, I know it was a little confusing, but I had to speed things along to get you to the important parts," Mias explained. "But now you know why I'm saying what I am, right?"

"I don't… but how… how is this possible?" Balto stuttered. "If that was the past, then how can you be here? I saw you die! What is going on here?"

There was pause as Mias bit his lip, but he knew Balto deserved the truth. "Yes, I'm dead, but I can explain everything."

Any semblance of calm quickly left Balto, meaning the only reply that he could muster was a terrified scream. He was standing before a wolf that had risen from the dead, something that was supposed to be impossible. He yelled until his voice was hoarse, but Mias let him get it all out.

"How can this be?" Balto finally asked, his eyes wide in shock and his voice hoarse.

"Well, I think you already saw how I died-"

"No, I mean how can you be here?"

"Ah, now that is a question that even I have asked myself, and over the years I think I've worked out a possible explanation," Mias replied. "Let's start with what you already know about spirits."

"I've heard stories, but they're just that - stories," Balto replied, trying to keep his grip on his rational side.

"I think by now you can say that those stories are a little more than that," Mias replied. "Spirit guides supposedly exist in between this world and the next. We are still bound to this world, but can pass in and out of existence at will. We are here, but we are not at the same time. Do you follow?"

"I think so… Maska said something similar."

"Then I assume he also said how we are neither alive nor dead, but we can appear to be both?" Mias queried, and Balto nodded in reply. "Now, everyone's going to have their own interpretation on what that means, but I like to think we are echoes of our former selves, imprinted on this world for a reason… which brings us back to your question: How can I be here? I think I was bound to this world because of what happened in the moments before my death. I still cared for my brother so much, and I was prepared to give up something so that I wouldn't hurt him any more than I already had."

"You may have cared for him, but he still let you die," Balto added.

"True… but it was more a crime of opportunity than anything. He was acting out of anger because I'd kept the truth from him. If there is anything that can be learned from my story, it's that hiding the truth for too long can end up being worse than just telling it. You never know what kind of nasty situation you could find yourself in," he told.

"Yeah, but I don't think my pups would do anything that bad to me if they found out they were part wolf."

"No… but it could still damage the trust they have in you, just like how my secret damaged my brother's trust in me," Mias countered. "I still wanted Mayak to change for the better. I wanted him to have another chance… and I would get my wish." Mias started to grin as he recalled awakening as a spirit. "At first I thought I was just waking up from a dream, but when I saw my own body lying where it had fallen, I knew what was going on. I heard the sounds of the human's weapons, along with the howls of my pack - the human hunters had followed Mayak's trail back to them. I suppose that was some sort of retribution for my brother's crime, but I couldn't let him die if I could do anything about it. He was moments from being beset by the hunters when I pushed him out of the way, down a steep hill and away from danger."

"It's really amazing how all it takes is a little nudge to change someone's life. It can be as simple as telling a moving story, taking a different path, or… pushing them down a hill. I saved my brother, but I wanted to make sure he'd make good use of his second chance," Mias continued, his expression becoming more neutral. "I warned him to change or else he wouldn't get another chance. I hoped the near-death experience would shake him towards change… but even my brother was more stubborn than I thought."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say his own obsessions led to his demise," Mias said. "It was sad… but even the best of us know that things can't always go according to plan. In the end it was up him to change or not and he decided to stay the same. In doing so he would impact many more lives, some for worse," he said, before looking straight at Balto. "And for others it set the stage for things to turn for the better."

"So what about you? If you couldn't change your brother, does that mean you're stuck here forever?" Balto asked.

"I certainly hope not," Mias replied. "Hopefully, I can change someone else's way of thinking to make up for being unable to change my brother. Only when I am at peace with myself can I move on."

There was a solemn pause as Balto finally realized who he was talking to. He was talking to someone who thought they had failed in their duty. Mias was literally trapped between life and death, unable to go back, but unable to move forward. He wanted to bring him some comfort, but nothing he thought of sounded like it would be of any use.

There was a cry from above, and both of them looked upwards to see the jet-black raven had returned, circling over their heads. Mias regarded it with curiosity. "Hm, this one seems to have a particular attachment to you," he observed.

"I know. I've been seeing it these dreams of mine, but I don't know what it's trying to tell me," Balto replied.

"Have you tried listening to it?"

"But all I hear is its cawing-"

"No, listen very carefully to what it is really saying," Mias cut in. "This one has a deep bond with you, so listen with your heart as much as with your ears."

Balto strained his ears, at first hearing nothing else, but then something started to come through the harsh calls, 'When the time comes… don't forget… who you are.' The voice was very soothing, almost motherly. It instantly put him at ease, as though it could protect him from any harm.

"Don't forget who I am… what could that mean? I already know who I am. I'm, well, me," Balto replied, turning to Mias, but the wolf just shook his head.

"I heard only what you did, so your guess is as good as mine," Mias replied. "It might be the message of your dreams but if it is, now might not be the time to take action on it. If it wants you to act when the time is right, then you'll have to wait for that time to come."

"But how will I know?"

"Trust me, I think you'll know. As for now, you probably should be getting home," Mias suggested, and it was now that Balto noticed the fading light from the setting sun. "Just remember to make sure your pups know the truth at the right time. Sometimes the difference of a day can decide whether it affects their lives - and the lives of those around them - for better or for worse," he finished, and Balto nodded. With that, he turned and retraced his steps through the cave, finding his way back towards Maska's territory. Mias meanwhile remained behind, while the raven swooped down to land in front of him.

"Do I know you?" Mias asked.

"I think you might," the raven spoke in its soothing voice. A sudden gale blew through, and Mias braced himself against it, his eyes stinging from the wind. He shut his eyes until it passed, and when he opened them, he gasped when he saw the raven was no longer there. Standing in its place was a pure white she-wolf with black tipped ears. She smiled at him while his mouth hung open in shock.

"You… you were the one with Mayak before he-" She nodded, confirming his wonder.

"Yes, I was with his pack… but my heart lay with someone else," she replied, briefly remembering a kind husky with bright blue eyes whom she had loved long ago.

"Amak… Mayak killed him too… and you as well," he continued, his faced pained with regret. "Aniu, I'm so sorry. If I'd known what he would do to you and Amak, I never would've saved him. I'm so-" she cut him off once again by shaking her head, still smiling.

"Leaving him like that would've made you no better than him. By saving him, you showed that compassion can always trump anger," she replied. "In doing so, you set in motion the events that would become the greatest moments of my life. I wouldn't trade what happened for anything in the world."

"But… you died because of it."

"Yes, but in doing so, it set the stage for my son to rise up and prove himself, becoming stronger than he was, and saving so many in the process."

"Your son… you mean Balto's your-"

"Yes, he's my little baby boy."

"Heh, he's not exactly a baby anymore. He's got kids of his own too."

"I know… but I'll always remember that first day when he was curled up against me," she said, closing her eyes. "He was so small… but even then he had great strength in him, from myself and his father," she reminisced, before opening her eyes. "Thank you for helping him today. I think your story has helped ease his concerns."

"Yeah… do you think Aleu will be okay?"

"I think so. These things have a habit of falling into order at the right time, even if the road gets a few bumps," she replied.

"Still, with what happened to you… it feels like I failed with my brother," Mias said, brushing his one paw back and forth nervously.

"You haven't failed," she assured him. "You just succeeded in a way you didn't expect. Your actions led to many more lives changing for the better… including my own. For that, you will always have my gratitude."

After Mias thought her words over, he realized she was speaking the truth. His actions all those years ago changed things enough so that many dogs, wolves, and even humans had their lives improved. This realization brought a warming peace to him, something he hadn't felt for years. "Thank you Aniu," he said as he felt all of the regret slip away. He let himself fade from this world, finally at peace, soon leaving Aniu alone in the clearing.

"You're welcome Mias," she replied. "And as for you my son, there are still others who will need your help. When that time comes, you must not forget who you are… and you must learn to let go and let her choose her own fate." With that, she faded away into the wind again, soaring across the air as a raven, waiting for the right time to remind her son of what made him a hero.

----------

Four weeks later

Days passed and the pups grew, learning about the world and everything in it. The dogs in town were very outgoing, with sled dogs sharing their stories of adventure or town dogs keeping them updated on the various happenings of the town. Everything went smoothly, but Balto still kept the truth of their breeding from them, waiting for the right moment to tell them. Despite Aleu's sporadic habit of howling with her tiny puppy voice, no one mentioned the 'w' word, something that gave him much relief.

As the day came closer, the stakes for their adoption were raised when Rosy's parents decided that they wouldn't be able to take in any of the pups on adoption day. They'd caused enough ruckus and they weren't willing to let it continue. For Balto, this meant that the adoption would be a make or break situation. They would have to find a home or risk going homeless, just as he had to when he was a pup.

After spending one last day playing with their poppa on the beach, the time came. That morning, the pups were placed in a wooden box with a sign reading 'Free Puppies to Good Home'. The pups were more excited than anything, as they were eager to be adopted by a human who could be their new playmate. Their parents were the ones who were more anxious; Jenna was sad to see her babies go so soon, and both hoped that all of them would find good homes.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Jenna asked him while the pups played in the box.

"I hope so. Many of the kids in town seemed to adore them when they saw them around town, so there's a good chance they'll find homes."

"And then we'll tell them, right? We'll tell them when they're all safe?" she asked.

"Of course, because then it won't matter - they will be safe no matter who they are."

That was the plan he and Jenna had agreed on, with her not knowing the actual inspiration behind it. All she knew was that he'd spent the last few weeks confident with what to say to the pups. They treated them like dogs and taught them how to act like dogs, all in the hopes that they would be easily accepted into human homes as dogs. Once they were safe in loving homes, they would tell them the truth of their heritage, hoping that their adoption would show that a part wolf can be just as accepted as a regular dog. That way, they would know the truth, but still be somewhere they were comfortable and accepted.

'Now we see if this all pays off,' he thought. 'My biggest worry is for Aleu. She looks so much like a wolf - I'm just hoping that doesn't matter for her. I hope she isn't left behind like I was so many times. If she is, I don't know what I'll-'

His thought was cut short by a piercing howl from none other than Aleu, breaking the previously quiet scene. "Aleu honey, please don't howl," her mother asked.

"Sorry momma," she said sheepishly. "I'm just so excited about today."

Aleu was quickly tackled by Saba, who was eager to put her two cents in. "I'm excited too. I can't wait to get a human, and chew on their socks!" she said, giggling with glee. Aleu was quick to brush her off, and the two quickly joined their other siblings in play.

"Poppa, are you going to get a human too?" Kara asked him shortly after.

Balto just chuckled a bit and rubbed her head with his paw. "Naw. You see, humans like cute little puppies like you, not grizzled old grownups like myself," he said, avoiding any mention of the real reason he didn't have a human owner of his own.

As the day went by, human children came over to see the pups and pick their favorites. One by one, the pups were taken away by children who wanted to have their own puppy as a pet, or by other people who wanted to raise them to become strong sled dogs. It was both happy and sad for them to see their pups go, and at least once that day Balto had to comfort Jenna as the sight of the pups moving on brought her to tears. Their numbers dwindled, but when the sun started to set, one pup still remained. Had it been any of the others Balto would have less concerned, but it was Aleu, the odd one out of the group. After a full day of waiting, Aleu had taken a nap while her parents anxiously waited to see if anyone would take her. However, hope was fading fast for both of them, and for Balto it looked like his fear would be confirmed. No longer could he ignore the cruel reality of the situation.

"Let's face it Jenna, no human will want her. She looks more wolf than me," he said in defeat as the day came to a close.

"That's not true, we just have to keep trying!" she retorted. "If not today, then maybe another day. We just need to make sure she's looked after until then."

"I know, but you know that your family isn't willing to keep them another day." Jenna's face scrunched up as fresh tears formed in her eyes. It looked like she was trying to decide whether to be angry or sad over the injustice of this situation. "Look, I can take care of her. I want her to find a home too… it'll just take some time," he finished, before gently nudging Aleu awake. "C'mon tiger, it's time to get you to bed. What do you say to staying with your old dad for the night?" he said as she slowly got up.

"Okay… but I thought a human was going to come and adopt me," she said.

"I'm sorry, but no one came for you. Besides, we don't want to leave you out here all night, now do we?" Balto replied, trying to mask the crushing disappointment he felt.

Aleu hopped out of the box, but before they could turn down the street, Jenna had one more thing to say. "Just promise me you'll find her a home somewhere."

"I promise," he replied, turning to her for a moment before starting the walk to his boat. She didn't say anything, but Aleu could tell that finding her a home was something very important to both of her parents.

The walk to the boat was quiet, with Aleu seeming almost as disappointed about the outcome as he was. Balto hoped that this would only be a small delay, but there was still the part of him that feared that she wouldn't get a home for the same reason he didn't - for looking too much like a wolf.

"Poppa? Why didn't a human come for me today?" she asked as they walked up the gangplank. He stopped and looked at her bright blue eyes, seeing the sweet innocence in them.

'Should I tell her? She might deserve to know why she was left behind… but knowing that could break her little heart. She's so young to be burdened with the idea of being an outcast, but what else can I say?' he thought as he tried to decide what answer to give. "Well, Aleu, the thing is… the humans… there might not have been enough kids for everyone to get a pup today," he replied quickly, deciding at the last second to keep the truth from her.

"Okay… does that mean there might be a human for me another day?" she asked.

"I hope so," he replied, trying to keep himself from breaking down and shouting out about the real, painful reason. He had to stay strong for her, not letting the truth burden her until the time was right, 'I'll tell her when she's been accepted somewhere. I don't know how long it will take, but I won't let her go through what I did if I can do anything about it. I just hope it won't take too long to find somewhere she can belong…'

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Chapter 9: Letting Go

One year later

'This isn't what I wanted. This could be very dangerous and I don't want anything to happen to her.' These were Balto's thoughts as he tried to settle down and get to sleep. The rhythmic sound of the ocean against the shore did little to calm him as he rested behind a large rock outcropping. Part of the discomfort came from being in a very unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, some of whom didn't seem to enjoy his presence in the first place. 'Everything has gone from bad to worse since I had to tell her the truth.'

A year had passed since the pups were given away, and while five of them found homes, the sixth – Aleu – was left behind. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that it could be because looked even more like a wolf than he did. He hated the idea that some of the lingering prejudice against wolves was the cause of this, but as the months passed, the evidence supporting it grew as she did. She had the same long, narrow muzzle and leaner build that wolves had, and she also shared many of the mannerisms of wolves, including howling. However, her howling was often to express joy or excitement rather than any sort of territorial claim.

'I'm surprised we went this long without being caught,' he thought, remembering his repeated requests for her to temper her voice. He would always give some excuse like, 'You don't need to be so loud – there are other animals in the forest,' but it was because he wanted to avoid a confrontation with wolves that might see his daughter as an intruder. He didn't want her to be put in a situation that she might not understand, so he made sure contact with wolves was avoided, including with his friend Maska. 'I'm sorry to have shut you out like that my friend… I just wanted to wait for the right time to tell her.' Maska had continued to suggest that she may be better off with his pack, but Balto was adamant about finding a human home for her. Eventually, the task of looking after her grew to take up more and more of his time, and visits with Maska started to fall by the wayside. In fact, it had been months since he'd last seen his good friend. 'I hope he doesn't hold it against me. I just wanted what I thought was best for my daughter.'

And so, Aleu had no contact with, or had heard barely any mention of wolves. All she knew about them was that they lived in the wild, unaware of the deeper connection she had with them. This ignorance continued until only a few days ago, when he was forced to tell her the truth. Ironically, it had come about after a brush with a human, the types whom Balto had hoped would take Aleu in… but he'd misjudged how she would look to a hunter.

It was a typical day for her, playing with Muk and Luk and without a care in the world. He'd followed to check up on her, only to find that his reluctance to talk about wolves meant that she didn't know about a potential danger - the hunter. His heart jumped when he saw the man pointing a rifle at her, but to make it worse, Aleu was actually running towards the man, blissfully unaware that she was charging towards a loaded weapon capable of ending her life in an instant. She only thought that the human might want to adopt her.

Bolting into action and caring only for his child's safety, he charged forward and ploughed into him right as the gunshot went off. For a split second he feared he'd been too late, but the bullet ricocheted harmlessly against the trees. She urged him to stop as he tried to wrestle the gun away from the hunter, and it was only when Boris, Muk and Luk provided a distraction that they were able to get away. However, Aleu still demanded an explanation for what happened, and he tried to explain what the hunter was doing. At first he tried to make it sound like a case of mistaken identity, but further pressing from her forced him to spill the secret he'd kept for her entire life.

"Great, so my grandmother was a wild animal. Did the wolf teach you to know when a human wants to kill you too?"

In retrospect, Balto saw that keeping it from her for so long was probably the worst thing he could do. He hoped to tell her when she was adopted, telling himself 'It'll be soon. Just a few more days, that's all.' Days grew into weeks, weeks into months, and now it was over a year, and his deception seemed to hurt her more than the idea of a human not accepting her - something that he had been warned about a long time ago. She bolted away in anger and he let her run, thinking she'd return once she'd cried herself out, but she didn't. She kept on running and when he gave chase, even stranger things started to happen. On the way he encountered a tricky fox, a group of hostile wolverines and the raven – the same raven from his dreams. All seemed to be pushing him one way or another, eventually leading him to Aleu. He arrived just in time to fight a bear off of her, but it wasn't long after that a group of four wolves attacked them, trying to drive them away before being called off by their elderly leader.

Stranger still was the revelation that the elderly wolf, named Nava, already knew they were coming. He claimed to have sent for them to aid them with a problem of theirs. The caribou that fed them had moved on, leaving them with little food for the coming winter. His proposal was to follow the caribou to where they'd gone, across the great body of water along their shores. He was met with resistance from another wolf named Niju, who insisted that they stay in the land that was rightfully theirs. The argument went back and forth, with even Aleu siding with Nava, but Balto didn't want to get involved. He knew from experience that any dispute with wolves involving food could get nasty, and it didn't help that he didn't know how they would cross the water in the first place. He wanted to stay neutral, but Nava told them they would be led to the caribou by 'The one who is wolf but does not know.' Suddenly all eyes were on him, and despite his attempts to counter them, even he was starting to wonder if this was somehow connected to the dreams he'd been having for almost a year and a half now.

The dreams always featured a pack of mysterious wolves, and he had to admit that a few of the wolves in this pack resembled the ones from his dream. In his dreams, he would run along a never-ending expanse of ice while a raven flew overhead. The ice would collapse around him, creating danger at every turn, but he would press on until he found them; the wolves with glowing eyes. For some reason, he always held back when he saw them. Some force was drawing him towards them, but he would resist and the dream would collapse around him. It was the same thing again and again for over a year, but recently something new started to happen.

The day before he set off to find Aleu, he had a different dream. This time he heard a soothing voice call to him and tell him about the animals that would guide him along the way. The trickster fox, the fearsome wolverine, the insightful bear, and the caribou, full of life. He returned to the mysterious ice field, but this time he was pursuing a herd of caribou while the ice collapsed around him. As if that wasn't strange enough, he encountered all the animals the voice had mentioned on his journey to find Aleu... except the caribou.

'This is all getting really spooky. The things from my dreams are starting to appear while I'm awake. The only thing keeping me from thinking I'm going nuts is that fact that Aleu has seen the raven too, but that only raises more questions,' he thought. 'This is almost as spooky as when I met that Mias fellow,' he recalled, remembering the time over a year ago when he'd encountered a wolf who turned out to be much more than that. Balto wasn't usually one to believe in ghosts or things like that, but after what he'd seen with Mias… he had no idea what to think, but recent events were coming together to form a bigger picture than before.

'If that's the case and these spirit things are real, what does that mean for me? Am I supposed to help this pack? I can feel for their plight, but I don't know what I can do for them. Besides, I have family of my own to look after and that takes priority,' he thought, looking over his shoulder for a moment. He expected to find Aleu lying nearby but she was missing, making his heart jump. He bolted to his feet and immediately started sniffing for her trail. 'I just can't get a break with you, can I?' Rounding a corner, he spotted her in the distance, sitting on a rock outcropping on the shore with Nava, the alpha of this pack. His first instinct was to go over and scold her for running off, but he knew that would only lead to another one of their arguments over his protectiveness of her. He'd gotten sick of going back and forth without end, and seeing that there was no harm in her being in Nava's company, he let it go.

Retreating behind the rock, he lay down and looked back on his time with her. He'd always been so worried about her well-being, but in a way, that was what led them to this. 'I was so concerned about how she'd handle her wolf side that I held the truth from her. Unfortunately, when it came out, it came in the worst way possible and she ran away because of it. I wanted to wait for the right time… but I guess I waited too late,' he thought. 'I only wanted to keep her safe, but she always wanted to go off on some sort of new adventure and explore. She wanted to be more independent; I guess I should have taken that as a sign that there was more wolf in her than I thought. She wanted to run wild and free… and she does look genuinely happy here,' he reflected, remembering how she seemed at peace when she was standing on the shore earlier today, enjoying the salty spray from the incoming waves.

'Happy or not, I can't just leave her here alone. This is no place for a pup like her. This pack is already in a crisis and I don't want her to get caught up in it, especially with someone like that Niju character hanging around.' There was no denying that he didn't trust Niju, and that, coupled with his past experiences with wolves in crisis meant that he wanted to get out of there quickly. 'The last time I tried to help wolves it blew up in my face,' he thought, recalling the incident with Tikani and his pack and noting the parallels between past and present. 'I tried to help Tikani sort out a way to share the caribou in his territory with some dogs, but that ended up falling apart around me. It left his mate dead, and he tried to exact revenge on Jenna and I,' he continued, remembering those dark days when Tikani had pursued them relentlessly. It was the closest he'd been to losing his mate… and his pups too, including Aleu. 'There are so many ways this could go wrong, and I couldn't bear it if I lost my daughter through all of this. I have to get home… even if it means leaving strangers in need.'

He paused at that last thought because of how poorly it sat with him. 'I know it sounds selfish, but should I just leave them in order to get my daughter home safely? After all, I owe nothing to these wolves, and I'm sure they could find a way to cope… but could I live with the idea that I just left them without even trying?' Standing back up, he started to pace as he tried to work out what would be best. 'The last time I tried to help strangers, it almost led to me losing everything I hold dear… but I guess it did work out in the end,' he admitted, remembering that he'd managed to work with some other wolves to expose Tikani's madness and oust him from the pack. In return, the new leader allowed the sled team to share their territory, and there was peace in Nome. Better yet, he hadn't seen any trace of Tikani since, not even while wandering the wilderness in his search for Aleu.

'I could help them… but what about Jenna and my friends back home? They're probably worried about me right now and I hate seeing that, especially with Jenna. I hate being away from my love and I don't want her to think I'm abandoning her for a pack of strangers. I hoped to be gone for no more than a few days.' He closed his eyes and imagined her, sitting by the window and waiting for him to return to her. He took comfort in the fact that she would faithfully stand vigil until he returned, even when it looked like all hope had been lost. 'She waited for me during the serum run, so she'll always wait for me as long as it takes... but should I keep her waiting to help this pack? She might understand if I was doing it to help others in need, but if I were to, that just brings me back to the first problem - how would I find the caribou in the first place?'

He stopped his pacing and realized that on the way here, he hadn't found any trace of caribou herds. He had no direction to follow, no goal in mind, and was facing a long, drawn out challenge if he did decide to search, both from the wild and within from Niju. 'If I can't be of any help to them, maybe it would be best if I headed home instead of wasting my time here. That would mean leaving this pack behind to potentially starve… but this could be a challenge that I won't be able to handle. Then again, I don't think I've ever backed down from a good cause. After all, I went to find the medicine to help the town, even though more than a few of them would rather kick at me.'

As he thought back, he realized that despite the attitudes of the town back then, he still went out to help them. Most of the residents were strangers to him then, and he still helped them. 'You know, other than that one bad thing with Tikani - which wasn't completely my fault anyways - every time I've gone out to help others, I have always succeeded. I was able to find the team and get them home in the worst of conditions. I just had to follow the right path, that's all,' he thought, starting to grin in confidence. However, that confidence took a dent when a new thought entered his head. 'Wait… that time I had a clear path to follow. Out here, I don't know where to start.' He sat down and sighed as he realized that he was once again back at square one.

'Then again, back then I had a clear sense of focus. I knew what I was doing, and it was a good thing I did it too, because of Steele's rash actions that followed soon after. Had I not intervened, it could have been a whole lot worse. There was only one point where I thought I lost my way… but at least then I had a way to lose,' he thought as he reflected on that moment, the moment that changed his life forever.

The white wolf that appeared to him projected a sense of power and wonder, and it howled to him, urging him to join it. At first he turned away, thinking there was no hope, but in doing so he saw that the crate containing the medicine was intact. There was still hope, and in that split second, his determination washed over him. He stood up and let out a powerful howl, which brought the white wolf back. As they shared a duet, all the doubt about what he could and couldn't do faded. The wolf lent him some of their strength, showing that his wolf half could be a source of good and not just misery. From then on, he vowed to never turn his back on his wolf half.

As he reflected on the encounter, something curious happened. His mind jumped to his recurring dream. It had been pushed to the back of his mind during his search for Aleu, but when he compared it with his memory of the white wolf, he found something. In his dream, he would always try to turn away from the wolf pack, but that always led to some sort of calamity, at which point he'd be jolted awake. It would never end well when he turned away from them, so…

"They can show us something we would need to know later… or something we knew, but forgot and need to remember."

Everything started to click into place. He now knew what to do with these wolves, and the meaning of his dream as well. Boris and Maska had been right - the dream was something important, something he had almost forgotten. The pack in his dream was meant to represent the pack he was with right now. He'd found them by following a raven, braving dangers along the way and never stopping until he reached them. Disaster struck whenever he turned away, so the only way to stop it was to swallow his doubts and devote himself to helping them. The pack may have been strangers, but they were strangers in need. 'The good guys never turn away from those who need help. If I abandon them now, it would result in disaster, just like in my dream. I have to help them find the caribou, or at the very least calm them from the harsh words of that Niju,' he resolved, remembering the wolf's calls for them to attack neighboring packs for their food.

'I'm not going to let anyone get hurt if I can do anything about it. There's always a better way to solve these things, and I'll help them find it. That just leaves one last question… what about Aleu?' He thought for a moment about the risks involved in allowing her to be a part of this too, but his only other option was to send her home alone - something she'd resist anyways. 'That just leaves the option of her staying here with me. She did say she wants to find out who she really is out here… and who knows, maybe this will help her find that. Plus, if she was here with me, I'd at least be able to keep an eye on her.' With his thoughts now safely squared away, he settled back down on the ground to get some shuteye. After all, he would have a big day tomorrow.

'It may keep me away from you Jenna, but it's the right thing to do. I promise I'll return to you… and that our daughter will find where she belongs.'

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"Godbye, papa. Tell mom… I've finally found my home."

"Goodbye… daughter."

These were the words that father and daughter shared when they parted ways, but both of them couldn't be happier. That morning, Niju had tried to take the pack on their first raid for food, but Balto put a quick stop to it. With him standing in their way, he kept the wolves still long enough for them to notice something amazing. Ice floes were starting to form on the water, and whether it was because of some strange current or some other force, they arranged themselves in a rough path. From then, the course of action became very clear. The caribou had crossed the water and were waiting on the other side. This bridge would provide a path to them, but they only had a small window of opportunity.

Despite this, Niju held firm, demanding he be allowed to lead the pack. So, Balto decided to call him up on it, telling him that if he wanted to lead the way, he was free to do so. He took one look at the water, and for a moment it seemed like he would actually try, but the boastful wolf ended up backing down, leaving Balto to take charge of the crossing. He started them on their way, but that was when Niju decided to strike from behind. He bolted back to save his daughter from the conniving wolf's jaws, and after dispatching him again, they found the pack was drifting farther away from them. Nava, whom had been with Aleu, was unable to finish the crossing, and at first Balto wanted to get back to them, but his daughter knew that having him leave while she stayed would not be the way to do things.

She felt like she truly belonged with this pack, a feeling she'd been missing almost her entire life and she wasn't going to give it up. He knew this too, and that was why he finally decided to let her go and live her own life. She swam across and howled back to him as he remembered all the wonderful times he'd had with her. He'd only wanted what was best for her, but it was only now that he realized that to do that, he'd have to let her find her own way. She may have grown up and left for a distant land, but in his heart, she would always be his little baby girl.

By now he felt the relief of having everything said and done. Nava would find Niju as they were still part of a pack, while Balto started on his way home. For the first time in over a year, he felt completely at ease. Aleu had found a home, and he finally understood the meaning of his dreams. He got a few steps in before he heard the fluttering of wings followed by an all-to-familiar call. It was the raven again, even though Balto hoped to avoid seeing it after completing his quest.

"What now?" he grumbled.

"Only the journey home, my son."

The voice… it was so familiar… there was only one wolf he knew from his past that ever called him that. He hadn't seen her for years, but... 'Could it be possible?'

He turned around and found not the raven, but a snow-white wolf, gazing at him with her amber eyes. There was no mistaking that she was the same white wolf that had aided him during the serum run, but on seeing her, he remembered that he'd known her when he was much, much younger.

"Aniu, you're my-" she nodded, confirming one of his greatest wishes.

It was something he'd almost forgotten, existing on the fringes of his memory and degraded by time. It was a memory of someone dear to him, and on seeing her now, the image returned. It was the image of his mother, Aniu. The mother that he'd thought lost had finally returned to him as his spirit guide. Despite the knowledge that this meant she had been killed all those years ago, it also brought him some comfort. It showed him that she had always been there, watching over him and guiding him when needed. She had shown him the way during the serum run, and she had shown him the way now, allowing him to understand who he was, and help his daughter find her place as well.

He was amazed at how, after all this time, he'd finally found his long lost mother, but he would only have a brief moment to see her before she let out a howl and disappeared into the wind. Through the howl, he could hear her say, "You have done well my son, but once again I must say goodbye… but it won't be goodbye forever." Hid time with her was cut short once again, but Balto had a feeling that he would see her again someday. He'd waited this long to know her fate, and he was willing to wait a little more.

"Goodbye to you too, mother," he said, confident that he would see her again. With that, he set out for home, contented that this journey had led to many discoveries about himself and his own family. He would return home completely at peace with himself because now he knew who he truly was as well.

And that allowed his dreams that night to be peaceful and raven-free.

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"You have learned much about yourself my son. I am proud that once again, you've helped those in need, including your daughter who needed a home to call her own. Your father would be proud too… but there is one more thing you must do before you can truly learn everything about your heritage. You may be part wolf, but you also come from a line of proud racing dogs. You've lived up to your mother's legacy, but now it is time that you live up to your father's as well."

"Very soon my son, you will become a true champion. You will accomplish what your father could not and reclaim the title he deserved… the title you deserve."

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Maska, Kara, Rex, Sami, Mayak, Mias, Amak and Tikani belong to iWolf231 and may not be used in any way without my direct permission.

Balto, Boris, Jenna, Rosy, Dingo, Saba, Kodi, Aleu, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, Niju, Nava and Aniu belong to Universal Studios and Amblimation.