DISCLAIMER- I own nothing from Balto, only my original characters.

Here is my first Balto fanfic, hope you like. There will be cursing, sexual themes (maybe), and blood and gore...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! :)

EDIT (12/1/12): I am still working on editing these first few chapters to make them stand out but haven't had a lot of time. I hope you guys keep reading through the first couple of chapters because it gets a lot better. Just a heads up, hope you take the advice.

Please review and favorite!

Chapter 1: Leaving Behind the Past

Cole looked out into the distance, trying to make out shapes in the light snowfall. At the edge of his vision there was a spire of rock that rose out of the sea. A mountain peak. It was in the middle of a vast ocean that had been frozen over, leaving a walkway for the stupid. The ice should be hard enough to get across but he had heard stories of whole dog sledding teams going down on the hardest of ice.

Winter had just kicked off so he figured he had some time, maybe one or two months till the ice would start thaw. Plenty of time to pass without issue, except he didn't have time. Or at least he thought he didn't.

His heart was screaming at him to go across the ice and reply to the wolf call he had heard earlier. Cole looked at himself, frowning. He wasn't a wolf, just some miserable mutt who ran away from his owners. His soft brown coat blew against the wintery breeze. His fur went from dark brown on his back to a lighter shade of brown on his stomach.

Maybe I look like a wolf so they will think I'm one, he thought to himself. Maybe they would even accept me into the pack!

But Cole knew. Wolves just don't accept random strangers into their pack. Plus, most animals have a sense of what he is. But he still hoped. That's all he could do now is hope. He took another glance back at the gigantic, orange painted mountains looming over him. Alright, it's now or never, he thought as he took his first steps onto the ice. It seemed sturdy enough, it did hold his weight, but he was still cautious. That was just the way he was, the way he will always be.

His reveling in the past was interrupted by a wolf call in the direction of the island. Cole perked his ears and threw his head up in the air, waiting for another call, but none came. With renewed strength at the sound of wolves, he began his long journey on the ice.

{{_}}

The journey from the mainland to the island wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Twice he almost fell through the ice and he could feel the cold waters chilling his whole body. But then he saw it, the Island looming over him, like a master examining his students. He was so close, but stopped when he saw something moving in the distance. The figure looked to be Cole's height and weight, but something wasn't right. A call rang out from the silence and more figures started appearing on the bank.

They were all looking at the direction Cole was coming from. Great…

There were only a few miles to go but something didn't feel right. There was a cracking sound and some snapping noises. He looked down. Oh, no, no, no, no…, he thought to himself. The ice was breaking below him. In a panic flurry he leapt towards the island, the ice seemed to be following him, wanting him to drown in its icy domain.

The land was closer, just one more mile. The ice was closing in on him, but he was too fast. He gave one more giant leap and landed on the snow-covered beach. He started to pant and gasp for air. I haven't run like that in monthss, Cole thought.

His achievement was short lived. The wolves encircled him, just staring at him. There were black wolves, gray wolves, red wolves, all different sizes and shapes.

"Who's this guy?"

"What's he doing here?"

"Is he a wolf?"

"He looks like a wolf."

There were so many whispers that his head started to spin. Cole got up and shook the snow off of his coat. The other wolves went quiet and just renewed their staring.

"What's going on here?" Cole heard a voice say. It was a loving, sweet voice, that of a girl. The other wolves looked panicked at the voice and started to back away from him like he had some kind of contagious disease. While they were backing up they kept looking at Cole and smiling.

"You're gonna get it now, dog."

"Can't wait to see what Aleu does to you."

"Aleu…" Cole whispered.

A female came out of the crowd of wolves. She had brown fur, a little lighter than his own and wolf shaped eyes. He was warmed by her presence. She had a glowing radiance coming off of her.

"What are you looking at?" Aleu said directing it at Cole.

He realized he had been staring at her. "Nothing. Who the hell are you anyways?" He was shocked by his sudden outburst, and it looked like the other wolves were too. They broke out into a whisper and then a hushed silence.

"I should be the one asking you, not the other way around. You are on my land, show some respect," she said with passion.

"Err, I'm sorry…my name is Cole."

"It's a start. My name is Aleu. Where are you from Cole?" she asked.

His eyes darkened and rage filled him. He started to growl but quickly stopped himself. All of the wolves were speechless, even Aleu. They just stared at him, studying him. Aleu cleared her throat to get their attention back on Cole.

"Cane you hunt?" she asked.

"Um…yes," Cole said unconvincingly. The others started to chuckle at his stupidity.

"Would you look at this, a wolf that can't hunt!"

"He can't even hunt? What a useless excuse for a wolf!"

"Some heroic wolf this guy is, huh?"

"I am not a wolf!" Cole yelled. The crowd was silenced again. Aleu stared at him with quizzical eyes.

"You're not a wolf? You sure look like on to me," Aleu said.

"I'm…I'm not. My dad was a wolf and my mom was… a husky" Cole trailed off into deep sorrow and thought.

"What happened to your parents?" asked Aleu.

"They…they were…killed. Right in front of me…I couldn't do anything…" Cole said as he was fighting back the tears. "Oh my God…I'm so sorry.."

"Well lets see those hunting skills of yours. Plenty of caribou to share," Aleu said as she noticed his struggle.

{{_}}

The next day, Aleu and another wolf that was covered in flees told Cole where all the good hunting spots were. They told him to sneak up behind the caribou if possible and to keep down wind of them. Aleu said to wait until sunset then they will both go out and see what he was made of.

Cole was kind of nervous to be alone with Aleu. To a husky she probably seemed scrappy and hideous. But to Cole she looked like one of the rays of the sun. No, stop it Cole. Don't bring her into this, he told himself.

Sunset couldn't come fast enough. He bided his time by sprinting on the snow-covered beach. Each time getting better, but he was interrupted by Aleu who had been watching him for who knows how long.

"You're pretty fast, Cole," she said.

"How-"

"Long have I been here? Let's just say, long enough to see you're little display. But I know someone faster," she teased.

"Yeah? Who's that?" Cole asked.

"My father."

"What's his name?"

"Balto. He saved Nome from a plague once. You don't know him?" Aleu asked.

"His name sounds familiar, but you cane never be sure nowadays," Cole replied.

"It's almost sunset, you want to start the hunt early?" Aleu questioned.

He had completely forgot about the hunt. Aleu and him, alone in a forest. The blood rushed up to his face and he started to stare off into space.

"Cole?"

He shook his head from his dreamlike trance. "Uhh, yeah. We can start early," he agreed.

"Great," she said with a smile.

{{_}}

The hunt went great except for the part of Cole messing everything up. He would crack branches in the forest. The wind would change direction and he would forge to shift his position. Aleu on the other hand, took down to big bucks. She said that I could take credit for one of them and all Cole could say was "Thanks."

The dragged Aleu's kills back to the pack and they were wide eyed that he actually "killed" something. Aleu shot him an encouraging smile, which made Cole smile back with delight.

A week went by and Cole had made to his mind to leave. This place isn't for me, this is a place for wolves. True wolves.

He came up to Aleu in the afternoon to give her the news. He found her sunbathing on a rock jutting out of the beach. He just froze and stared at her. She sensed someone was watching her and turned to find Cole looking at her dreamily.

"Cole?"

He woke up form his day dream, "Uh, Aleu…I'm leaving tomorrow. I just can't stay, this isn't the place for me."

"What? Cole you are more than welcomed to stay here. We said you could stay here. Why would you want to leave?" Aleu started to get frustrated. She jumped down from her perch and went eye to eye with Cole.

"No, Aleu, it isn't that," he said. "This just isn't the place for me. This is wolf territory, and if you don't remember, I'm not a wolf."

"And neither am I but I survive, hell, I'm the leader of this pack!"

"Look Aleu, I'm not staying," was all Cole said as he walked away holding his head down.

Aleu looked up at the stars that now consumed the night sky. Why do I care? I don't even know the guy! She thought. She looked over at him sleeping with his paws crossed under his chin. She smiled, but quickly realized what she was doing. Oh come on! Him?! Cole?! He's just a dog…yeah, just…a dog.

She looked up at the stars again searching for something. Maybe I could go with him? No, no that's stupid. Who would watch the pack? She thought. But she had been training Sal to become the next leader. No, no it's stupid. And besides, he's not my type anyways. But Aleu couldn't keep herself from staring at him. He twitched in his sleep, making her chuckle to herself. She quickly stopped and went back to staring at the stars. I'll think about it more in the morning. And with that she was off in a deep sleep.

{{_}}

In the morning, they gave Cole one last breakfast and all wished him luck in his journey.

"If you don't mind me asking. Where you headed?" asked the flea covered wolf.

"When I was on the top of the mountain, over on the mainland, I thought I saw a village. Thought I would stop bye there," Cole replied.

Aleu suddenly jolted her head up making the wolves around her stare. Home… she thought to herself.

"Well good luck, Cole," said fleabag.

"Thanks," he sais and he started to turn around and walk away.

"I'm coming with you," Aleu blurted out.

"What?" asked Cole.

"You heard me, I'm coming with you," she said again.

"But Aleu, who will lead us?" asked a gray colored wolf.

"Sal."

"What?" the wolf who Cole concluded was Sal, said.

"Yes, Sal. Congratulations you are the interim leader of the pack while I am away," Aleu said with a smile.

"But…if you leave now, you won't be back for a whole year. Spring seems to be coming faster and faster every year," Sal said.

"No buts' Sal. I'm leaving and that's final. Take care everyone," she said and turned towards the ice. She put her first paw on the frozen water then pulled her whole body on. Aleu looked at Cole, "You coming'?"

"Uh, yeah," Cole leapt onto the ice following Aleu. He looked back at the wolves, their expressions saddened him. But he couldn't keep watching them. He had to keep moving, the ice under him was giving out, he could feel it.

He looked at Aleu, she was a few miles ahead of him already. "Aleu, what are you doing?" he asked himself as he ran after her.