Balto: Story of a Wolf-Dog

Author's Note: This is not about the movie character, Balto, this is about my OC, Balto. If you are expecting a story about the movie character, then I suggest you read another story.

Prologue

In Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, a purebred husky had just given birth to a litter of four pups. Three of them looked like huskies and were the epitome of the litter. One of them, however, was a small, weak, ill-proportioned female that looked like a wolf. This one was the runt. Her father had named her Balto, because she reminded him so much of the famous dog. In case you haven't guessed, Balto's father was a grey wolf, and her mother was a brown husky. Ever since Balto's birth, her brother, Kavu, and her sisters, Madra and Giovani, never cut her a break...

Chapter One: Runt of the Litter

"C'mon, runt! Fight back!" Kavu yelled, tugging on Balto's ear, causing her to howl in pain.

"Ow! Kavu, stop! You're hurting me!" Balto cried, tears of pain flowing down her face as her brother kept tugging on her ear. Balto could've sworn her ear would come off had her father, Kale, not stepped in.

"Kavu!" he yelled in a deep, booming voice. Kavu immediately let go of Balto's ear and sat at full attention, facing his father, his eyes shining with fear. "For the fifth time this week, leave your sister alone! Just because she's smaller than the rest of you doesn't give you the right to attack her like that." Kale said to Kavu as he slowly walked over to check up on Balto. This wasn't the first time she had been attacked by one of her siblings. Just yesterday, Madra was attacking her, scratching up her back. Last week, Giovani had bitten Balto's neck. It wasn't Balto's fault she was the runt. She was the least of her family's concern at the moment. She felt more attached to her father than her mother and siblings.

The pups were now 8 weeks old, and their mother and father talked about heading into town and finding homes for them while the pups were asleep. Kale was only concerned about one thing: Balto. Being the runt, and looking like a wolf, she didn't stand a chance at getting adopted.

"Kale, it's time for them to find homes. They're eight weeks old, and should have humans who love them." Kyra had told him.

"I know, Kyra, and I understand." Kale replied to his mate.

"Then what are you so worried about?" She asked. Kale had thought of a million things he could tell her: the city, the humans, unfriendly dogs, etc. However, the only thing that came out of his mouth was, "Balto."

"What about Balto?"

"She's the runt, and she looks almost as much like a wolf as I do! And I'm a full-blood wolf!" Kale had said, almost yelling. "Kyra, you and I both know that no human is ever gonna want her." Kyra was shocked by her mate's statement.

"That's not true!" Kyra yelled. She didn't care if she woke up her pups. She was as mad as a rabid wolf. "You don't know that she'll never get adopted! Lots of wolf hybrids have gotten adopted! It will be no different with Balto!" Kyra was beginning to cry out of anger, frustration, and fear.

"Kyra, listen to me..." Kale said, gently nuzzling her soft, brown fur. "I'm not saying there's something wrong with Balto, there isn't. But she's just, so small and helpless. What if she doesn't get adopted? What will happen to her then?" Kale's eyes were now full of concern and sadness. Kyra didn't know what to say. "What if he's right? What if Balto doesn't get adopted? What will she do if something happens to us?"

"I don't know, Kale." Kyra replied. "I really don't know. Let's just go to sleep and discuss it with the pups in the morning." Kale was exhausted from pup sitting, so he didn't bother arguing and just went straight to sleep. Little did they know that Balto had heard the entire conversation.

Balto had tears in her eyes after hearing their conversation. "What if Daddy's right? Maybe I won't get adopted. I don't belong here." Balto thought to herself. She had decided to go get a drink of water. She woke up her mother on her way out of the den.

"Balto? Balto, where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"I'm just going to get a drink of water, Mommy." Balto replied. "I won't be long." She added, as she walked over to her mother, and licked her face. With this, Kyra smiled and went back to sleep. Much to Balto's relief, Kavu, Madra, and Giovani were still fast asleep and didn't hear her walk out.

Balto made her way to the small, moonlit pond. She took a quick drink and looked at her reflection. "Well, what do you see?" she silently asked herself. "I see a small, weak, young..." Her voice was gradually getting louder as she went on, "...ill-proportioned, brown, wolf dog hybrid!" she replied to herself, out loud. After she said, "hybrid!" she smacked the water with her paw, blurring her reflection. She decided to take a short walk and began walking to the southwest. She knew the direction, because of where the moon was. The full moon had given her plenty of light to see where she was going. After about a quarter of a mile, she wanted to go back to the den, for dawn was approaching and she knew if she wasn't back by sunrise that her mother would have a panic attack. However, her legs weren't obeying her head and kept moving to the southwest.

"Where is she? She should be back by now!" Kyra was, as presumed by Balto, having a panic attack. Her fear was very evident in her eyes.

"When did you last see her?" Kale asked, trying to keep his tone calm.

"Last night when she went to get a drink of water!" Kyra replied, pacing the den. She immediately stopped, her eyes shining with fear, turning around to face Kale, she said, "What if something happened to Balto?" Kyra's assumption hit Kale hard. He felt like he's been bitten in the throat, kicked in the stomach, and hit on the head all at once. Kale didn't even want to think about what could happen to Balto. She was so small, and she didn't know of the dangers that lurked in these woods. "Kale?" Kyra said, bringing him back to reality.

"Kyra, we have to find Balto." Kale said. "She could be anywhere in these woods! She could've even gone into town!" Kyra almost yelled. The pups were awake by now and Balto's sisters were as worried as their mother was about her. Kavu, however, didn't seem worried at all. "The little runt could use a few days in the real world. Who cares if something happens to Balto? I'm not her keeper. She's not my problem." However, deep down, he loved Balto, he just wouldn't admit it.

Kale somehow noticed that Kavu wasn't worried. "Kavu, aren't you worried about Balto, too?" Kale asked his son, suspiciously.

"Well...I...Sh-She's not my problem. Th-The little runt could use a couple of days in the real world." Kavu stammered nervously, avoiding eye contact with his father.

"Kavu, Balto is your sister! I know deep down in your heart that you love her, son. Now are you going to help us look for her or what?" Kale said in a whispering tone that scared Kavu to death.

"Y-yes papa." Kavu replied, cowering slightly.

"Well, come on then, son! We have to find Balto and bring her home. Who knows what could've happened to her by now?" Kale said, running out of the den closely followed by Kavu.