Loves Innocence
By Sleazy E
The wind picked up slightly as the young wolf/dog hybrid named Balto crossed the expansive stretch of white snow between the old fishing trawler and Nome. Balto raised his nose to the wind as he ran on in the dark. He couldn't smell anything different; just the usual smell of wood smoke mixed with meat and human effluence; not to mention the all encompassing smell of dogs. Nothing to big or exciting looked to be going on in the small town. Most of the houses appeared to be dark; their tenant's already deep beneath the covers hiding from the cold. The only place where the lamps still burned at full wick was the large and rowdy 'Nome Bar,' on the main street. Even from a half a mile out Balto could hear people in the bar talking, dancing, and playing music on the piano. But they were always loud on the weekends.
Balto slowed to a steady trot as he neared the edge of town and the buildings cast in shadow. His breath and heartbeat thundered in the silence around him as he peered left and right as far as he could see. He searched for a dog or human who might raise an alarm if they saw him sneaking into town. It was dangerous business for a wolf/dog to be around the town. The dogs weren't too much trouble though. They would bark and yell at Balto until their voices went hoarse. Sometimes if they caught Balto on the flat he would have to make a run for it. But Balto knew his awkward proportioned teenage body. He knew he could run faster than any dog in town, even the adults. He also knew he could out distance, out endure, and out speed anybody who wanted to give chase.
Then there were the humans. They truly were dangerous. Even though the humans weren't fast with their feet they possessed something even Balto couldn't outrun, a gun. Nothing made the fur on Balto's neck stand up like the thundering sound of a gun going off. Even as Balto stepped forwards to the shadows of the building he shuddered at the thought of the human gun's. A sobering reminder of their savage cruelty.
But Balto had a way of getting around the humans and dog when he went into town. He got the idea one day while cowering in the shadows near some garbage cans a few months back.
Balto had been pulled into the town one summer night by the unrelenting smell of spoiled fish the butcher had thrown out. The wind must have been in the right direction all day since the smell blew straight to the boat, making Balto's mouth salivate in a way it never had. Little dribbles of saliva covered the deck and Balto couldn't stop himself. By the time night fell, Balto could only think of going and getting the fish. Three days without a morsel of food can bring out the bravery in anyone, young Balto thought.
So Balto, still in a puppy body at the time, ran into town and commenced to sneaking about the shadows like he always did. He jumped from this can, to that shadow, to this box, to this porch. Often stopping and looking around before sprinting to his next bit of cover. Then somebody came noisily down an alley, a dog … no three adult dogs. Balto cowered out of sight between a garbage can and building as they came.
"So she comes over and tells me that I got to get out, and I says, 'for what? ' So then she starts telling me …" One of the dogs said ranting on.
Then suddenly a white and grey cat jumped out from under a nearby porch and bolted under the three dogs faces. Before the dogs even understood what happened, the cat had run up a plank onto a fence out of reach. The three dogs looked dimly at the cat on the fence licking his paws, completely safe from the dimwits below him.
The three dogs, not to be outdone by some uppity cat, barked and howled up at it. "Why don't yous come downs here and gives us some sport," one of the dogs barked. "You wise, no good tooting cat," another dog chimed. But the cat wasn't having anything to do with the dogs from his safe place.
The cat and his safe vantage gave Balto an idea. If a cat could find safety from the heights of Nome, then why couldn't he?
It took a while to learn to navigate the roofs, decks, and clotheslines of Nome. But nothing compared to how long it took to get the balance and grace to move adequately about. This grace and ability to move around the rooftops also came with his growing body. And so it happened with the help of some grey and white tabby that Balto learned.
Even now as Balto leapt from the silver garbage can to the shed roof and onto the house roof he remembered the cat. He smiled as he reached the peak of the house and looked over the rooftops of Nome. This was his territory. No dogs or humans ever came up here, and from up here he could go anywhere he wanted in Nome.
Balto didn't waste another moment in thought. He began to move about, to practice his graceful art of jumping from rooftop to rooftop like a phantom. Here and there Balto came upon spots which required a little more skill. Sometime he could jump and latch his teeth onto a clothesline and slide across. Other times he could balance on a board or beam and walk tiptoe. At some spots Balto had to go through the windows of abandoned building and come out somewhere else. Still other times he had to pole-vault with a board or pipe across to another roof. But nevertheless Balto moved nimbly, like a rooftop dancer born to play the part.
Tonight Balto had three things he wanted to do. First he wanted to go to the butcher's shop and see if anything tasty had been thrown in those gleaming silver cans. A growing boy needs to eat, he thought with a smile. The second thing Balto wanted to do was find her. And the third thing Balto wanted to do, which happened to be something on his list of things to do for a long time now, was talk to her.
Ahh, her, Balto thought as he looked submissively across the town from a roof where he paused to breath. Where is she right now, where is Jenna? He wondered about her with compassion glistening in his eyes like a palpable candle flame. She was so beautiful, her big brown eyes, her soft ears, her short muzzle with her small black nose on the end. Oh how delicate and powerful she looked. The image of her in Balto's mind lit up the darkness of the roof like a beacon, and his heart echoed a call of despair into the lonely expanses between him and her. Balto's mind trailed back into memory,to the memory of first meeting her two weeks earlier. How it went so wrong, yet so right.
It had been one of the first days of true winter, and something had been brewing in town all morning. Lots of voices mixed together in a great commotion, and music sprang forth from every window. Balto couldn't fathom what might be going on, and so ran to see what was happening. Like always he jumped to the roof and ran along towards the sound. When he finally came upon the commotion, he didn't understand it. People lined either side of the street in great herds dressed in winter clothes and tucked down under wool hats and scarfs. Here and there a child complained or played with a nearby friend in a loud piercing voice. A brass band tooted and twanged near a man in a top hat on a podium.
Dogs stood in lines, tied with leather ropes to a long rope connected to a sled. On the back of the sled a man stood staring off at the crowd or checking the sack on his sled. A dozen or more sleds with their dogs sat idly by. Balto looked down on it, mystified at such a human congregation. But the main part of the event had yet to begin.
As Balto watched from behind the safety of a roof ridge, he began to learn what the whole event was about. On one end of the street they had set up a banner over a red line in the snow. The banner – which Balto would realize in later years – read 'Start of the Nome 500.' Balto soon realized, without having to read, some sort of race with sled dogs was going on. But before they started the big dogs off they had a smaller race with puppies - which proved to Balto's questioning mind this was indeed a race. The owners stood with their dogs at the starting line, and when the man in the top hat fired his gun in the air – which made Balto cringe and duck down – the puppies ran down the street to another banner which read 'finish'. At each of the six races the people cheered and applauded wildly.
Balto sat down and watched for a long time. He watched the puppies running down the street yipping and barking at the attention they got like crazed maniacs. Some of the pups didn't know what to do or where to go and ran around, frightened of the overwhelming attention until they ran off into the crowds, lost. Then the event moved on to the large dogs. Slowly men grabbed two teams at a time - they had a man to every single dog on a team – and led them to the start banner. When they had the two teams lined up the man in the top hat on the podium fired his gun in the air and dogs ran off with a rush of cheers and applause. The band then started a tune and finished as the team disappeared down the far end of the street. They did this again and again, always leaving when the gun had been fired, – which made Balto cringe again and again and again behind his rooftop hideaway.
It happened while Balto watched the start to this endurance race that he noticed her. He noticed her rust and cream colored fur, luminous in the blinding sunlight. Who is she? Balto thought, peeking over the rooftop at her walking down the opposite side of the street. She appeared to be about Balto's age with her teenage body beginning to blossom out into the beautiful adult she would become. Next to her she had two friends: a tall brown dog with long hanging ear, and another shorter white dog with tiny legs and a thick bushy tail to match. The tiny dog didn't seem to even pause for a breath as she kept talking. Even from the roof, over the sound of the crowd, across the street, Balto could hear her yapping on and on. "I'm telling you Jenna, I can tell a thing or two about guys, and I'm sure about this guy. I just know I am, I'm telling…" Jenna, Balto thought, that was her name. Balto noticed Jenna rolling her eyes and looking to her friend with the long ears; she obviously was tired of the little dogs yapping to.
Balto watched Jenna and her two friends walking down the street, passing through the crowd and out of Balto's sight at times. Balto followed her, sneaking along from roof to roof down the street, all the while keeping his gaze on her.
Then Jenna and her two friends stopped abruptly and looked across the street. Balto ducked down. The girls whispered into each others ear and peered at something out of Balto's sight on his side of the street. Balto crept closer to the edge of the roof so he could see what they were looking at. Down below him Balto could see three male dogs standing and looking at the racers taking off. They stood with their back to an alley blocked off with wooden crates. There was a fat dark brown dog, and a lighter colored, much taller, brown dog. And in between these two dog dogs stood someone Balto had already met, had already been cursed by, had already fought, and already had an extreme dislike for. Steel. Balto grumbled.
Steel stood looking at the racers leaving, his attention being pulled to the start line whenever the gun went off and the people shouted in earnest. After the racers had moved out of sight he turned to one of his two companions and said something. From where Balto sat he couldn't see their faces or hear what Steel said. But from Balto's previous encounters with Steel he knew they weren't nice remarks.
Balto watched with fear in his eyes as Jenna and her two friends crossed the street towards Steel and his two friends. Oh no, Balto thought seeing them come. He closed his eyes; he didn't want to watch this.
But something made Balto want to watch and listen. It must have Been Jenna; he wanted to hear her speak, to see her up close and almost in person. Or maybe he wanted to somehow protect Jenna from Steel and his conniving ways. So Balto quickly moved around back of the house and found a shed roof to jump down onto. He then jumped to the ground and moved down the alley to the crates behind Steel and his two friends, peering through a space between the crates at Jenna's soft and beautiful face.
"Jenna," The little female dog chimed out of Balto's sight. "I would like to introduce you to Steel. Steel, this is Jenna, and she has a thing for you."
Jenna looked at the little dog with a flash of shy resentment.
"Jenna," Steel started with a musical ring in his voice. Jenna's name flew off his tongue like a spotless flower growing out of a cesspool. Balto had to admit Steel sounded suave as he continued. "It's a pleasure to meet a girl of your, particular beauty. You are like a light in a sea of darkness."
Don't fall for it Jenna. It's all lies and fancy words, Balto pleaded through the crates.
Jenna grinned openly. "It's nice to meet you as well Steel. My friend Dixie had nothing but nice things to say about you."
Balto felt his feet tingle. Her voice sounded like a gentle wind through the grass on a mountaintop. Balto felt his head get light. Speak again, Balto beseeched through the crates. Let me hear you speak again.
Steel laughed. "Oh please Dixie, tell me you didn't." He laughed more. "You've probably made me up to be something far better than I am. I'm just a dog who wants to one day run in the Nome five hundred, to help anyone I can in town, and to one day be a good father to my children."
Jenna looked to her long eared friend with a timid flush; her eyes appeared to be searching for reassurance.
"But don't think I want children today Jenna." Steel said reassuringly. "And don't think I want you in any physical way, because you may not be the right kind of girl for me and my nature. But I would gladly love to meet you better, to speak to you about yourself, and myself, in a more one on one environment?"
Say no Jenna. He's nothing but a sham! Balto thought looking through the crate at her debating face. Say no, say no, say no! Please say no.
"I guess one date wouldn't hurt." Jenna smiled. Her short friend squealed.
NO! Balto's heart sunk to his empty belly and twisted his gut into a retched mess. He looked away; unless his stomach decided to empty what little he had in it on the ground. Balto looked back, he had to hear more.
"How about the night after tomorrow? We'll meet at the boiler room?" Steel offered.
"That sounds nice. It's a date." Jenna turned abruptly with her friends and they moved off out of sight.
Balto waited behind the crates. He wanted to hear what Steel actually thought, and Balto knew it would come out in a few seconds when Jenna stepped out of hearing range.
"Ahh," Steel started, probably watching Jenna's hips as she swaggered off. "She's charming and shy…. Six bones say's I'm getting on top of her in three dates. She'll be powerless against my animalistic charm." Steel laughed derisively.
"You're on." The dog next to him called back.
Balto turned and trotted back towards the shed seething at Steel's remark. He didn't want to hear any more; he didn't want to hear how Steel would ravage the beautiful flower named Jenna into a powerless tool for his pleasure. Balto felt a sudden irate urge to protect Jenna from Steel as he leapt back onto the shed roof and up onto the house roof. I will protect her, Balto vowed to himself. I will.
But first Balto wanted to see her again, and maybe to hear her speak. Balto leapt from building to building, looking down at the street with the crowds and the racers. Where was she? Balto moved on to the next building and looked down. There, Balto thought, spotting the short-legged friend and the taller long-eared friend across the street. But Jenna wasn't with them any more. Where'd she go? Balto questioned as he crossed over the ridge of the house.
But then it happened as he stepped on the other side of the ridge. Some ice caught Balto's foot; he fell on his stomach and started to slide towards the edge. Balto pushed his feet under him and tried to leap for the next house. His feet slipped under him again. He scrambled to stop his slide and maybe yelped out in fear. The edge loomed before his eyes and he was helpless to stop it. Balto slid over the edge. The wooden crate below rushed up to meet him. Darkness consumed Balto as he hit down with a crunch.
Time passed in an instant. Balto opened his eyes and found himself staring straight up at the roof he had just fallen from; his eye's blurry and the defined edges of the building appeared fuzzy. Balto's back hurt and he could feel what would be a bruise all down his left side, with a sharper pain running the entire length of his rib cage. His breath wasn't quite right either, each breath he took came labored and erratic - Balto had the wind knocked out of him. He concentrated on restoring his breathing. At least nothing, besides the smashed crate he laid in, felt broken.
"Are you all right?" A voice called from nearby. It sounded familiar.
Balto raised his head up and saw her, Jenna. She stood next to the smashed crate, very near to him, with her brown eye's boring worry into his yellow ones. Another small male dog with grey stripes stood on the other side of Balto. "That was quiet a fall." The little dog chimed, twisting his head to look up at the roof.
"Yeah … I'm f… fine." Balto said through labored breathes, his voice raspy and old. He tried to pull himself up to a sitting position, but instantly found Jenna's left paw on his chest pushing him back down.
"You just stay there for a minute." She commanded with tenderness. "I don't want you getting up just yet."
"No … I'm al…alright…really." Balto said trying to push himself up again, but her paw didn't relent an inch. Balto didn't fight her.
Jenna looked at the small dog. "Star, go get some help." Star nodded excitedly and bolted towards the main street with the people and out of Balto's sight. Jenna turned her attention to Balto. "So what's your name?" Jenna asked removing her paw from his chest. "I know I've seen you around town before, but not with anybody ever."
"Balto."
"Balto?" Jenna asked cocking her head. Then her eye's lit up with recognition "Oh! So you must be the wolfdog everybody's been talking about." She smiled as she looked him in the eyes. "My names Jenna."
He twisted his body and a little spasm of pain shot in his ribs. Balto moaned as his breath caught audibly in his throat; he wasn't having as difficult a time breathing now, but it still wasn't normal. "It's nice to talk to you. … How did you know … that I fell?"
She smiled. "I was standing right there on the street talking with Star when I heard you yell out. I turned around just in time to see you crunch into this crate." She smiled again, wider, beaming. "I came over just as you woke up."
"Thanks for helping … me." Balto said with his raspy voice. He suddenly felt very embarrassed and fearful. He sat up before Jenna could tell him otherwise. "I should … get going."
"Wait, no, lay down. Where is there to go?"
"I can't stay." Balto said pulling himself to his feet. An awful stinging covered the entire left side of his body and around to his back. Balto moaned as he stood defiant against his pain. "I'm sorry I have to go…" Balto began to walk down the alley. Oh the pain! Balto cried in his mind. It just didn't seem to stop or let up; he stumbled towards the wall and leaned heavily into it.
"Please Balto, just sit for a minute." Jenna said, suddenly pleading by Balto's side. "Star went to get some help and he'll be right back."
"That's why I can't stay. …Whoever he brings back … is going to see me and panic. …" Balto pushed away from the wall. "Nobody helps a half breed." Balto said this almost as a threat as he stood defiant against his hurting and once again started forwards. He made it halfway down the alley this time and leaned against the wall with a heavy grunt. No way could he get away quickly if he had to.
"Please Balto." Jenna pleaded by Balto's side again. "I'll help you. You're hurt. Just sit down and I'll tell them to go away. Don't be a fool"
Balto pushed himself away from the wall again and began to walk, one foot in front of the other in front of the other. He had to get away from here before the other dog, Star, brought somebody back who would find great joy in ripping him apart. All the wolf senses and days of lonely wandering reeled in Balto's mind and screamed at him. Go, go, go. Balto pushed on, the pain still terrible and all consuming, but he felt he could manage it now as he pushed his way around the corner of the alley and down the street. As Balto made it to the next alley, limping along with the pain, he threw a glance over his shoulder. Jenna stood at the corner watching him go, her brown eyes filled with sorrow and wonder. Balto suddenly felt stupid and irrational for what he did, but he kept walking and managed to get away without anybody coming after him.
Balto knew, as he walked on, the injuries he received from the fall off the roof would heal almost fully in a few days. But the udder embarrassment and shame from his fall, and his subsequent fleeing from Jenna and her kindness, would not easily be licked away.
Balto licked his chops with a loud smacking and chomping noise as he sat in the dark on the roof of the butchers shop. There hadn't been much in the cans, a few fatty steak trimmings, hardly enough to be considered a meal. But Balto ate them with relish and jumped to his rooftop perch to clean his muzzle and enjoy the aftertaste of his meal in relative safety.
Where are you Jenna, Balto thought looking out across the town as he finished cleaning himself. The only noise out in the darkness came from the bar, still pumping music and laughter into the night. Since their brief meeting Balto had seen Jenna from afar a few times. He even followed her and Steel as they went on a date one night. They cruised around town gabbing and laughing like old friends; Steel told jokes and acted like a perfect gentleman - except towards the end of the date when Steel forced Jenna to nuzzle him. It made Balto want to pound Steel's pretty little head into a snow bank, especially when Balto thought about what Steel wanted to do to Jenna. Balto wanted to just sit down with Jenna for a few minutes and explain to her how Steel was nothing but a two faced liar after only one thing. But would Jenna believe him, a half-breed feral wolf dog who lived in the shadows scraping meals from any dark hole he could get?
A wild-haired dog appeared below Balto out of the darkness, sniffing around the garbage cans like a rat searching for a cracker. The dog pulled himself up to the can and sniffed. Balto knew he would find nothing in it. The dog turned and trotted off, his tail hung low and his eyes bitter. "There's never anything in there for me?" He pouted aloud. Balto felt a little guilty.
As soon as the dog went out of sight Balto stood and began to move about again, his stomach a little heavier for the journey. Now he would try and find Jenna and, if courage would be with him, he would try and tell her all about Steel. He looked hopefully at the stars above.
Off Balto ran, flying across the roofs as if he had wings and with a single bound could just fly across the town. He ran on, his nose attuned to the breeze, searching for Jenna's delicate scent. It didn't take long before his nose caught it and brought him to a halt. Balto turned into the wind, which came from the ocean, and bounded over roof and alley towards her.
Near the ocean Balto slowed as her scent got stronger and a pair of voices began to catch his ears. One of the voices sounded to be Jenna's, the other – Balto cringed – was Steels. They must be on a date, Balto thought miserably as he neared the edge of the roof and looked down on the two of them walking along.
Steel walked on Jenna's right side, his body right next to hers and his tail curled over occasionally rubbing against her hip and butt. Jenna appeared to notice Steel's tail pressing against her side and, whenever it touched her, she shied away with her entire body. Steel just countered her measure by moving with her. It didn't appear Jenna had much more room to shy away since she practically walked with her shoulder against the side of the buildings already.
Balto followed along as they walked, being sure not to make a sound or fall stupidly and noisily if his foot caught some ice again. Steel's words began to reach a crescendo in the story he told Jenna. Balto listened.
"So my friends just run out on me, leaving me trapped their under the tree with this polar bear sniffing around my head. And I think to myself, 'Steel, this is it, you are going to die.' I didn't have anything I could do. You know what I'm saying Jenna." Steel's tail touched Jenna's hip.
"Yeah Steel, it sounds like you had nothing you could do." Jenna said in an uninterested tone as she stepped a little further to the side, but to no avail since Steel just moved up against her once more.
"So then I get this idea, and it comes from nowhere. I mean I can't really take credit for it…. Well I guess I can since it came from my head, and I was the one who did what I thought of. So I guess it is all my idea. You know?" Steel's tail once again rubbed Jenna's hip and butt, lingering for far longer than an accident.
"Steel." Jenna stopped, turning full on to face Steel with resentment coursing through her facial expressions. "Would you stop touching me? I don't like it."
"What?" Steel pulled his shoulders up as if he didn't know what he had been doing wrong. "It's our third date Jenna. I'm just showing some affection."
Jenna scowled at Steel, knitting her eyebrows together unfriendly. "Affection is not touching my butt. Give me some space. You're smothering me."
"Jenna come on. It's our third date. Most girls are ready for a little action from me by the second date." Steel replied, still feigning innocence. Suddenly Steel stepped forwards with a cocksure attitude, his voice smooth and comforting like the day at the race. "I know a little place near here with a mattress and a deck over the ocean. Let's say you and I go over there and, we'll talk this out?"
Jenna stepped forwards into Steel's face, indignant. "We'll I'm not like most girls and the idea that I'd sleep with you on a third date, it's just… just, ridiculous." She spat the words out and turned back the way they had been walking from. "This dates over."
Balto watched helplessly from his rooftop perch as Steel's face changed from calm and smooth-talking, to enraged and irrational Oh no, Balto thought as Steel lowered his head with hateful red eyes. Balto moved quickly across the roof to find a way down.
Steel bolted forwards like a panther with a quick jump action, smacking the top of his head into Jenna's soft side. The impact sent Jenna sprawling sideways into the building and the snow "Ahhh!" Jenna yelped out at the shock of the impact. She rolled onto her side as Steel stepped menacingly over her.
"Nobody turns Steel down, especially some whelping bitch who thinks she's in some way better than me! I should take from you what I want and leave you lying here." Even Steel's breath echoed between the buildings. "And don't even bother to tell your father about this. You know he's always on my side. All I have to do is make up some excuse about you falling and getting all the bruises I'm going to give to you, and he'll believe me, not you." Steel raised his right paw up and brought it down with his full body weight on Jenna's exposed ribcage again and again. Jenna barked out a breath of pain from each hit and laid her head back, almost unconscious from the punches.
Steel finally stopped and looked down on Jenna like he had found something slimy on his paw. Guilt crept into his face as he backed away from what he had already done. "Let this be a warning to you Jenna. Next time I won't be so nice." Steel turned and walked quickly down the street and around the corner, not even bothering to look back.
Balto realized he hadn't been fast enough as he walked onto the scene from across the alley. Jenna's barks of pain had sent Balto into a panic as he raced off the roof and towards her, but now everything was quiet, the storm had passed. Jenna lay on her side in the snow gasping for breath. Steel had committed the crime, and then vanished. Balto had come too late and the guilt of it made him want to hide away in a hole; he had failed to protect her.
Jenna stirred and Balto moved, instinctively, close to the shadow of a back porch so she wouldn't see him. Jenna rolled onto her stomach and brought herself up into a sitting position. She's so strong, Balto thought in admiration. But then Balto noticed the tears, silver in the low light, streaking her cheeks like shooting stars. The gentle sobs and whispered cries Jenna released made Balto want to cry with her. He just couldn't understand why he felt so strongly for her. It was like they were the sun and the moon: him, the outcast one steeped in shadows except when came around; and her, the bright ray of sun to light everything up. Always the moon chases the sun.
Balto had to speak to her. He had to comfort Jenna in this time of pain. Balto stepped forwards, but a millions years of wolf caution stopped him. He was different than her, from a completely different world. He was the moon, and she the sun. But he still felt compassion for this beautiful creature in this moment of utter despair. Uncertainty tore Balto in half and short-circuited everything. It seemed as thought Balto would pass out from this confusion when… "Are you alright?" Balto whispered, surprised he had spoke.
Jenna turned, startled, maybe slightly terrified Steel had returned to do more damage. Her eye's searched the darkness. "Who's there?" She called.
Balto stepped forwards out of the shadow with his head hung low in his defeated attempt to save Jenna. "It's …uh me, Balto."
"Oh, hi Balto." Jenna said sniffling and wiping the free tears from her cheeks with the backs of her paws. "How long have you been there?" She asked, although her tone sounded as if she already knew the answer.
"Long enough." Balto replied stepping closer. He looked either way down the street to see if anybody might be coming, and then he stepped closer yet. "I know what happened. I tried to get here to stop him, but by the time I got here he was gone."
"It's okay. I'm fine; my prides hurt more than I am." Jenna said forcing a smile to Balto. The tears still welled up in her eyes and made them incandescent in the darkness. "I knew you were nearby."
"How?"
"I smelled you. I remembered your smell from when you fell off the roof at the race. I knew you were around, or at least had been around here recently. I've also seen you following me from time to time." Jenna raised her paws one by one and wiped her cheeks again. "I didn't know if you were following me tonight though."
"I…yes. I have been following you." Balto had thought about challenging the idea of him following her, but he couldn't lie. He looked at Jenna with a tinge of guilt on his face. "I wanted to warn you about what kind of guy Steel was. But I … I was afraid."
Jenna smiled, this time a real one. "Afraid? Afraid Of what?"
Balto wanted to say something – anything – other than what came to his mind. "You."
Jenna giggled.
"What's so funny?" Balto said in good humor.
"Nothing." She smiled. "I just thought it was funny that you're afraid of me." Jenna's face twisted up in befuddlement. "Why are you afraid of me? I'm the one who should be afraid of you, and I'm not. I don't think you want to hurt me like my father said you do."
Balto shrugged his shoulders guiltily. "I was afraid you might think less of me, or that I was bad because of my being a…"
"Wolf?" Jenna cut in.
"Part wolf." Balto corrected.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I look more like of a wolf than I actually am." Balto shuffled his large paw uneasily on the snow. "But the real question is are you alright?"
Jenna smiled "Yes. I'm fine…. I knew Steel was a jerk, but I didn't think he was this big a jerk." Her smile vanished as her eyes sunk back to memory. "He's sweet in public, but he's just a slime-ball in private."
"I'm sorry." Balto apologized, lowering his head.
"It's not your fault Balto…. At least somebody was around if things got to out of hand." She smiled again. The only marks left from her tears were the drying rivulets on her cheeks.
Balto loved to see her smile. It filled him with joy and he felt a similar smile spread over his face. The moment felt strange, their eye's locked, neither talking, just listening and waiting for the other to speak, contented with each others mere presence. Balto broke his eyes away first and looked uncomfortably away. "I guess if you're alright I'll leave you alone then."
"No!" Jenna barked, brining Balto's attention straight back to her. "I mean…. Could you maybe, walk me home?" Jenna's eyes pleaded.
Balto didn't like the idea and his face showed it. It wasn't the idea of him walking Jenna home – which actually seemed like a dream come true – it was because if anybody else saw him there would be an alarm, a chase, and maybe a few gunshots.
Jenna seemed to sense Balto's unease at the prospect. She had forgotten he couldn't just go walk around willy-nilly like she did. But maybe they could go another way. "I know a different way. It will take us around town. We just go down to the beach and walk until we reach the edge of town, then we just keep going around the town until we get to my house. My master lives on the edge of town so it should be safe."
"I think I can handle that. There shouldn't be anybody down near the ice, especially at night." Balto said stepping closer. "Do you need any help getting up?"
Jenna pulled herself to her feet and stood for a moment. "No. I think I'm alright."
Together the two of them moved side by side down towards the beach and the frozen ocean which blazed under pinhole stars and the occasional flash of the northern lights. Balto, whose first instinct told him to go from shadow to shadow like a ghost, felt queer just walking along like a common dog, and next to one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Questions began to run through his head on what sort of behavior he should be practicing in the company of such a fine lady. She's so pretty. Why is she looking at my hips? Do I have something nasty in my fur? Oh no! She caught me staring at her. Look away…. Yeah, try and act cool. Uh-oh, should I offer to lie in that puddle so she can walk on me? Or should I tell her about it? I don't want her feet to get dirty. Oh well, she already walked through it. Her feet are all dirty now. She doesn't look happy. OH-NO! What if she has to go? Do I just turn around and pretend to be looking at something? What if I have to go? And then what happens when I get her home? Is it just goodbye, farewell? Hmmm, she's so beautiful. Her face is so soft and wonderful. Those eyes, they almost seem to be staring right through me. Oh no! She is staring through me. She caught me staring at her again. Just look away, don't think, its better that way. Just keep looking away.
Jenna on the other paw had a few questions of her own going on in her head. Balto sure is strange. Why does he keep looking towards the shadows like he wants to hide? He doesn't walk quiet right. There must be something wrong with his shoulders or his hip. Maybe it's from the fall he took. He sure has cute hips though, and a strong butt. Oh, he caught me looking at his butt, look away Jenna…. Is he looking? No, he's back to looking at the shadows. I wonder what his story is. Why is he here in Nome all by himself? Maybe he's not by himself. Oh! I didn't notice that puddle, now my feet are wet and muddy. Why didn't he notice it for me? I guess I should have been looking out for it instead of looking at him. He is cute thought. He has a boyish charm with that tuft of tangled hair on his head. He also has the most beautiful, piercing, yellow eyes I believe I've ever seen. Oh no! He's staring at me. He caught me staring at him. Just look away Jenna, Don't think about anything.
They walked onin an awkward way, each looking off and on at the other and thinking about the other, but utterly terrified of the other and what they might be thinking about them. Puppy love, it seemed rich in the air and as thick as oil.
They strolled down onto the beach and turned towards Balto's boat. Above them the sky looked brilliant, lit with a million stars; the milky way like an avenue for them to follow from here to forever. They both sighed at the same time, then, noticing the others sigh, smiled.
"It's just so beautiful." Jenna offered, looking away from the sky to Balto's face with a sidelong glance. "When you're in town you don't see the stars this well."
"I should show you the stars out where I live." Balto grinned, doing the same head motion. "They're really spectacular out there." Balto mentally kicked himself for the remark. Don't invite her to your home you dolt. She won't be impressed; you live in a garbage heap. Besides, you don't invite a girl like this to your garbage heap home, especially when you save her from a date, and don't you even think walking her home is counted as a date. "I- I …I mean – um"
"What?" Jenna giggled. He's so funny sometimes. I don't get it. She looked at Balto who seemed distracted as he looked off at some group of stars over the frozen ocean. Jenna decided to keep talking. "So where do you live?"
Balto's eyes darted back and forth in his head. Should he tell her? "Um … I live out … there." Balto pointed with a flick of his nose towards the old fishing trawler leaning heavily on it's side. "It's … you know…"
"Quaint," Jenna finished for him. "I like it. I bet its quiet out there and nobody ever bothers you."
"To quiet at times." Balto said it without really thinking about it, his head dropped glumly, but picked up as he continued. "Except for my friends."
"You have friends?" Jenna winced at her words. They sounded so cold hearted coming from her lips. Of course he has friends Jenna. He's not some freak. Is he? "I mean, who are your friends?"
"You wouldn't know them. They're sort of outcasts and misfits like me." Balto looked at the boat. He wondered if Boris stood out there on the rail, just out of sight, watching him.
"What are their names?" Jenna asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"Well… there's Boris, he's a snow goose from Russia. Then there are the two polar bear cubs, Muk and Luk. They're sort of abandoned like me. And those are … all my friends." Balto finished, lowering his head, depressed again.
The answer had been a little more than Jenna was expecting. Polar bears? "Oh…. Aren't you afraid?"
Balto looked cross at Jenna. "Of what?"
"Muk and Luk? I've always heard polar bears aren't meant to be messed with."
"Afraid of Muk and Luk?" Balto chuckled at the notion of him being afraid of Muk and Luk, or ever feeling he had to be. Muk and Luk were so harmless they couldn't hurt themselves. "No. They're not anything to fear. They're just kids."
Jenna seemed visibly comforted at the news of friendly polar bear. "We'll at least you're not totally alone." She paused, Oh go on Jenna, just offer it to him. "And I hope that I could be on that small list of 'friends.'"
Balto looked at Jenna, a little taken aback. She wants to be my friend? The news twisted Balto's heart and head until he thought he would to pass out. "Yeah. I guess I can count you as my friend." Come on Balto, a little more enthusiasm. "In fact I would love to call you my friend."
Jenna smiled. Balto smiled. They carried on to the edge of town and turned to leave the beach and go to Jenna's house. Around the fringe of town they strolled, looking at the stars and pointing things out to one another, just happy to be alive and with someone. Both their hearts filled with an only slightly conditioned joy: Jenna from a guy who didn't want her for her body; and Balto for a new friend who didn't look at his fur and his body build and throw him out the door of any thought or reason.
"So are you going to tell your father about what happened?" Balto asked quietly.
Jenna looked sheepishly at Balto, then lowered her head and turned away so he couldn't see the look of pain on her face. "No. He wouldn't believe me if I told him."
"Why? I mean you have the bruises to prove he hit you." Balto replied quickly.
Jenna looked back at Balto, the look of pain clearly evident on her face. "My father wouldn't believe me if I came back missing a leg. Steel is pretty much my father's best friend. Steel can lie straight to my fathers face and he'll believe him every time. And these bruises, Steel would just say I fell down some stairs and I got angry and tried to blame him for it." Jenna seemed on the point of tears again. "I'm never right in my fathers view."
Balto felt a ting of guilt for brining tears to Jenna's eyes again. "I'm sorry."
Jenna smirked. "For what? You don't need to be sorry for what goes on in my life."
Balto looked sidelong at Jenna, his eyes sheepish. "I'm sorry for brining up bad memories and making you cry again."
"Oh Balto." She smiled wide. "Thank you for being so considerate."
"No problem."
Soon, too soon for either of them, they arrived at Jenna's house. The upstairs lights in the little yellow house shined still on, "Don't worry." Jenna said with a smile. "I don't live in the house." She instead moved around the back and showed Balto the little shed next to the wood pile where she slept.
"So…" Jenna said turning to Balto after showing him the outside of the shed. She seemed flustered and unsure. "I really want to thank you for what you did tonight." Jenna sounded flustered. "I hope you know I really appreciate you for following me, even though to some it might be considered… rude."
Balto also felt flustered and on the verge of some explosion if release didn't happen. "And I'm sorry for not getting to you sooner. If I had I would have given Steel something he wouldn't forget."
Jenna scowled at Balto "It's probably better if you don't fight Steel. Because after you beat him, he'd have you run out of town by a bunch of his friends."
Balto saw the wisdom in what she said. Steel would probably sink low enough to chase Balto out of town and into the hills if he lost a fight. Balto brought his attention back to Jenna. "So I guess this is goodnight and sleep tight?" Balto stepped back a few paces, feeling on the cusp of discharging all his pent up flustering into a high-speed sprint. "I'll see you around some time, friend?"
"Balto." Jenna called sweetly. She stepped forwards swiftly and before Balto realized what had happened she touched her nose to his – the canine equivalent to a kiss on the cheek. "Don't tell your other friends." Jenna winked as she turned to the shed.
Balto watched her go, stammering inwardly to bring words or even syllables to his mouth. His tongue lay against his teeth, inert to any sort of stimuli from the brain. His eye's felt fuzzy and the whole event in front of him became indistinct and far away, as if he were looking at everything down a long tunnel. For a moment his brain may have gone blank, or may have shut right off; like someone flipping a light switch on and off quickly. What was he even thinking about? Was he thinking? Could he do anything other than stare at Jenna with his slack jaw and short circuited brain? No, Balto finally admitted. Balto could only watch her retreat into the shed with a little smile on her face. She was probably smiling at his ridiculous mug.
As Balto's brain began to reactivate and he realized what had happened, he turned and began to run towards his boat. He felt as light as a feather and in love.