Unfinished Tale

Note: This story takes place a week after the event of 'What Was Lost in Past'.

Chapter One: Before the Storm

Seen the passing of the horrible diphtheria epidemic, Nome returned to its normal state, as a small town located a little too far up to the north to a human's comfort, the normal meant constant struggle against the cruel climate. However, as if the passed danger was a new start for Nome, the days began to get warmer, and the town got more lively, something that did not happen at all when the contagious disease is around. The townspeople of Nome worked together as they always did and hope to build a brighter day for their town. Repairing old buildings, cleaning the streets, but there was one thing they always overlooked; an old, wrecked boat just outside of the town. It had been there for nearly a decade, with no one ever thought of removing it. It might be just another broken boat, one of the many around the coastline, but it was home for a special mix of animals, a goose, two polar bears, and a once rejected wolf-dog, Balto.

It was a very beautiful evening, cold but not snowing. On the deck of the old, broken boat, Balto was having two of the most beautiful things around him at once; a sunset in the winter, which was dazzling as well as rare. The other, was his mate, Jenna, no doubt the most beautiful creature he ever seen. They were lying side by side, admiring the sunset and probably a northern light show at night peacefully.

Normally there was hardly peace on the boat, but Boris, the old goose who had raised Balto up, was 'brought away' by the polar bear cubs, Muk and Luk for a 'hide and seek' game. With the general noise-makers gone, the boat was actually a quiet place, unless someone interrupts…

"Hey Brother!"

Both Balto and Jenna jolt to their paws, turning their heads toward the source of the voice. There, over the edge of the boat stood Kirdo, Balto's twin brother who was just reunited with him. Balto and Jenna welcomed Kirdo warmly onto the ship, "What brings you here?" asked Balto, "Is something wrong with your pack?"

Kirdo smiled as he settled down, "Must there be problem before I can visit you?"

"Well, no." Balto smiled back, "But you told us you're going to be very busy with your pack."

"You bet!" Kirdo proclaimed, "We have to locate a permanent den site, locate our prey's feeding ground and their migration routes, and a whole lot of other things you can name for a pack's survival. "

"Oh my, the works must be hard, and you can only share them between five wolves." Said Jenna.

"Not really, we have Kamsa doing the tracking and locating part. He was one of the best trackers in our pack." Kirdo paused, and continued in a low voice, "We've also left out one part in establishing a pack, the summer den for breeding. But it's not likely we will have pups, don't we?" He put on a strange look.

"Who knows, maybe you might fall for someone in your pack…" Said Balto slyly, but changed the topic quickly as he noticed the annoyed expression on his brother's face, "Speak of which, how's Mista?'

"Oh, Mista," Kirdo's mood changed almost as fast as the topic, "Her physical injuries are not even scars now, the problem is her heart… You knew what happened. She's quite fine now, but still more quiet that before and always seems to be day-dreaming."

"Poor Mista." Said Jenna compassionately.

As Kirdo was about to reply, Balto suddenly became serious, he turned to Kirdo and said, "Brother, there's something I want to ask you. Humans reported a large wolf pack has gathered somewhere in the forest around Nome. Do you know them?"

"A large wolf pack?" Kirdo repeated, interested, "Strangely neither me nor my friends saw any other wolf during our journey north. So no, I do not know them. Why?"

"Because the report was brought to other towns, and many hunters are getting interested in the wolves. You and your friend may be harmed too when they arrive."

"Oh my…" said Kirdo with a grim expression, "I'll ask Kamsa about this, if anyone among us would know about those wolves, it would be him."