Balto watched in terror as Steele plummeted down the edge of the cliff, hitting himself violently on rocks and ledges on his way down. He smashed into the ground with a violent crack, and Balto winced at the noise. Balto turned to the team and sighed.

"Well..is he alright?" Star asked, somewhat nervous. Sure he hated him...the whole team did. But losing their leader was just too much of a risk.

"He's not moving...might be dead, even." Balto replied sadly. "You guys have to move on." He said as he walked up to Kaltag. "I'm going to leave you in charge."

"What?" Was his response. "I-I don't even know how to get back.."

"Just follow the marked trail." Balto then turned away from them and approached the ledge. "Get the medicine safely to the children..and in time." Balto looked over his shoulder at the other dogs. "I have to go make sure Steele is alright."

The other dogs looked at him oddly. Nikki was the one to speak up.

"You're going to help him? Why's that, boss?" He questioned. "After all he's done to you! The ruthless taunts, beating, mockery...you would honestly help him?"

The dogs gazed confused at Balto, who simply shrugged with a frown and said "I'm not like him..." He took a deep breath and paused. "He may be ruthless and cruel to me...but at least I can forgive him."

Kaltag's jaw was nearly on the floor. "You can honestly do that?!"

"Honestly." Balto said with a smile. "Besides, he's got to be in a lot of pain right now...I'm not willing to let someone suffer and die while I just sit back and watch.."

He looked at the team of dogs. "I'll follow soon after, though that could also be dependent on Steele's condition."

"Also dependent on if he's willing to be helped!" Star butted in.

Kaltag as always grunted and raised his paw to smash Star over the head, when Balto interrupted. "Ah.." He raised a paw signaling for him to stop. "Don't hit him, please."

Kaltag sighed and lowered his paw to the ground. "Alright."

"Now, everyone get a move on. We don't want any children dying." Balto ordered. The team agreed, and being lead by Kaltag, they started on their way back home.

Balto began his careful trek down the cliffside. It was slippery on the way down and each single ledge was narrow and jagged, but eventually Balto landed on all fours in the soft and powdery snow. He cautiously walked over to Steele, stopping once along the way to make sure he wasn't in for some surprise attack; but none ever came. Once Balto stood next to Steele he examined his condition. His breathing was slow and weak, his fur was torn and bloody, and a small stream of blood bubbled forth from his muzzle onto the cold icy ground. Balto grimaced at the sight and took a few steps back in mild shock. He had never seen so much carnage in his entire lifetime...this was entirely new to him. Just the cold hard fact that someone was dying in front of him didn't sink in well, even if it was Steele; the one who always thought he was unbreakable. Yet there he lay in the unforgiving snow, reduced to nearly nothing, unconscious and whimpering to himself, and bleeding. The blood was everywhere. So much in fact that it made Balto nearly sick to look at it. He pondered what to do. Should he try to summon all of his strength and drag Steele all the way back to Nome?

'No...there's a good chance he'll bleed to death' He thought to himself. What if he just left him to die? He would die quiet and peaceful...and the snow storm would bury him all by itself. No one would know what happened. 'I'd do that if I didn't have a guilty conscience..'

Balto thought it over several times and sighed to himself when he finally came to a conclusion. There was only one thing he could possibly do. Balto stepped back up to Steele, trying to ignore the sickening pool of blood that was beginning to form, and laid down next to him. Balto wrapped his paws around the husky and curled up close to him. After a few seconds of trying to get comfortable he spoke. "The snow might be cold...and you might be dying.." He whispered into the sleeping husky's ears. "But I'm going to make sure you have a nice warm place to sleep...just in case..you do...happen to pass over." He smiled and rested his head on the husky's shoulder. "Sweet dreams."