Balto 4: Dawn of a New Hero
Chapter One:
Kodi struggled to see past the blinding snow. His mate, Dusty, was back in the den, preparing to have pups, while he was still out in the snow, hunting for food. Why was he, exactly? And what was the use? All the caribou had died off. The world was slowly coming to an end. Wolves were starving, and so were humans. It would take a hero to save them all.
But who? Balto had up and died four years ago, leaving Kodi alone. (Jenna had died six months before Balto.) Aleu was out there somewhere. She couldn't be their hero- she was busy with her pack, probably fending for them all. Kodi shivered as another freezing cold wind blew. I've got to find food, he thought, no matter what. For Dusty. And for the pups! With that, he pushed on, a determined look planted on his face.
He squinted. Up ahead was...yes! The body of a dead caribou. Excited, Kodi surged forward. He licked the caribou's body. It tasted so wonderful. Well, he'd better bring them home to Dusty, or else she'd starve. Kodi picked up the carcass and dragged it for miles. After an hour of walking, Kodi finally made it to the den. He heard mewling. Like...the sound of pups! He raced in, dragging the caribou with him. "Dusty, look what I-" he started, but then saw the pups. They were snuggled against her, drinking milk.
He dropped the carcass and sat down next to his mate. There were four pups in all: Three were red, like himself, and one was grey, like Dusty. "Oh, Dusty," Kodi whispered. "They're beautiful. J-Just like you." The grey pup shifted her weight, whimpering in the process. "And you," Dusty added, smiling and nuzzling Kodi's muzzle. "There's one girl- the grey one- and the rest are boys." Dusty was positively giddy. "We need a hero, Dusty," Kodi told her. She tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?" she countered, confused. "The world is dying," Kodi went on.
"We need someone to save the world." Dusty's blue eyes widened. "You can't possibly mean the pups," she gasped. "Yes, I mean the pups," he replied. He glanced at the grey pup. "Or at least one of them," Kodi murmured to himself. Dusty sighed. "We don't need another 'hero' in the family." Kodi only grinned. "It runs in our blood." Dusty frowned. "If you say so." She paused. "Will we have to train her?" she asked, and he nodded. "Yes. We'll have to train her to run long distances and be able to stay up at night." He narrowed his eyes. "But," he added, "that will come in a matter of time." Dusty let out something between a sigh and a sob. "Oh, it'll be okay," Kodi soothed, nuzzling her.
"No it will not," Dusty wept. "Everything- my whole life- is ruined." She continued crying, until she cried herself to sleep. Hours later, she awoke to see three pups dead beside her. "Kodi!" she screamed frantically. "Come quickly! It's an emergency!" Kodi rushed into the den. "W-What happened?" he demanded, stepping closer to Dusty. "Three pups," she sobbed. "They're dead." Kodi felt his own eyes filling with tears. "Please, don't let it be so," he muttered. "It is, it is," Dusty wailed, leaning against her mate. "I'm so sorry, honey." Kodi hugged her, and she stopped crying. She took a deep breath. "Let's bury them," she suggested. "Yes," Kodi agreed. He helped her carry the three dead pups outside. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing, and now the ground was white. He dug a hole in the ground and placed the dead pups in it.
They said the right words, howled mournfully, and then kicked dirt over the hole. Wordlessly, the two wolves walked inside. The grey pup was still sleeping in the basket as if nothing had happened. "Lucky we still have her," Dusty murmured, peering down at the grey ball of fluff. "Yes." Kodi nodded. "We do." Dusty smiled, though it was a sad one. "We should name her." Kodi smiled. "How about Saba, after her sister?" he asked. "Beautiful," Dusty whispered. "Just beautiful." Kodi sighed, looking down at Saba. "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow you and I should go hunting." The couple settled down into the basket next to Saba. Saba wiggled her way under her mother's stomach, for the warmth. Dusty chuckled, closing her eyes. Soon she was asleep.
Three years later...
Saba sat in the boiler room with her friends, while loud music played. It was a party for sure. Her boyfriend and soon-to-be mate sat with a couple of girls, joking around. His name was Sammy. "Girls, girls, quit the flirting," said Sammy smoothly. He gestured to Saba. "I'm with her. There's nothing that can stop this deep love we have." Saba only rolled her eyes, while the other girls giggled, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, big boy," said one, chuckling. Sammy smirked. "Hey, fellas," he called to the group of male dogs across the room, "if you wanna girl, get over here. Watch n learn." Saba laughed to herself. What a dork.
"Sammy, you get your own self over here," she yelled, causing an outbirst of laughter from her group of girls. Sammy strutted over happily. "Hey," he greeted, sitting down. One of the girls giggled, blushing and looking at Sammy, who smiled, as if he was pleased with what was going on. Saba shot her friend a glare. "He's taken, Willow," she snapped. Willow grinned. "I know," she cooed, thumping her tail on the floor. Kodi burst in. "Dad?" Saba was shocked at this sudden interruption. "Sorry to crash the party," Kodi panted, "but I need to talk to Saba, now!" He yanked his daughter outside, slamming the door behind him. "What the hell, Dad?" Saba complained. "Be quiet! And watch your language," her father warned. Saba scoffed under her breath, but said nothing.
"As you know, the world is slowly coming to an end," he began. "Yes, Dad, I know," she muttered, sick and tired of the stupid lecture already. "We need a hero to save us," Kodi went on. Saba's ears perked up. "Who?" Then she realised what he was talking about. "Oh, God, no. You can't possibly be talking about me." She laughed. However, he only nodded, completely serious. "Yes, you." To her horror, Saba blushed. "No! I can't save the world, I'm only a girl, I can't-" Kodi bit his lip. "Yes, you can. You have more power than you realise, Saba." Saba breathed in, shocked at this news. "And," he added, "I have something to tell you." Saba swayed. She waited to hear what her father was about to say.
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