Prologue:
Balto was out of breath by the time he caught up to Jenna.
She'd run quite a ways out of town and then darted into the trees. Even though it was dark and she had surged ahead so that Balto couldn't see her anymore; he had no problem following her.
Jenna wasn't making any attempt to hide her presence in the woods. A maze of broken branches, exploded snow drifts and other clear signs marked a path Balto could probly have followed with his eyes closed.
Finally though, the crashing sounds ahead stopped and Balto sensed that Jenna has stopped running.
He followed her path through the trees until he met a clearing at the top of a hill.
Balto slowed to a trot and then stopped. He remembered this spot very well.
Jenna was sitting on the top of the hill. She had her back to him and was looking down on the town of Nome.
Balto took a few steps toward her. "...Jen?" He asked.
Jenna said nothing, didn't even move.
Balto sighed and walked through the snow until he got up beside her.
"…Jen?" He asked again.
Jenna turned her head away from her.
Balto sighed again and sat down.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Silver snowflakes slowly drifted down from clouds gilded by the moonlight, but neither dogs said anything.
"I'm sorry Jen." Balto said finally. He sighed. I just…"
He paused.
"I had to do what was right…"
Jenna sighed but said nothing.
Balto sighed again. "Jenna if my mother has given him a second chance, if she believes in him… then we should too."
He stopped and sighed. "Jen, please talk to me/"
Jenna kept her face turned away from Balto, her gaze locked on the small town below her.
"It's pretty up here…" She said softly.
Balto nodded.
Jenna sighed. "Do you remember the last time we were up here?"
Balto nodded. "…like it was yesterday." He said.
Jenna smiled sadly. "You brought me up here after the Serum run. We spent our first night together right here, overlooking the town you had helped to save. You were adopted by Roger after that and John took you as lead to replace Steele."
Balto nodded. "Yes, I remember."
Jenna sighed. "Then do you remember what came next?"
Balto nodded. "Steele..."
Jenna nodded back and continued to stare off into the distance. "Steele had been given a chance. The town had not banished him, and on my word. I stood up for him, said that he deserved to be cast out from our polite society, but that he had seemed repentant in the days following your return. He even talked to me, told me he was happy that I had found someone and apologized for placing Rosie's life in danger."
Balto nodded.
"He seemed to have changed then." Jenna said. "...and I foolishly gave him a second chance. After all he had done to me... I was willing to let him live among us still..."
Balto sighed. "...then there was Jimmy."
Jenna nodded. "You were having a hard time adjusting to the life of a lead dog, and as a pet."
Balto nodded. "After so long as a stray... I guess it was hard to accept."
Jenna nodded back.
Balto sighed. "When we were running on that mountain... I should have stayed in the outcropping of trees we passed. Everything I could read in the weather and the team said that there was a storm, but I couldn't see it. I ran right around that cliff face and into the strongest wind I have ever seen."
Balto sighed again and his eyes took a far off look, as if he had been physically transported back to that horrible night. "The wind blasted the sled up off the runners and tossed us all through a world of blowing snow. When I finally stopped rolling I could hardly see, and had to shout to be heard. I got out the harness and made it up the line, checking each of the team. Everyone was okay... except... except Jimmy, our wheel dog. The..." Balto paused and sighed, hanging his head. "...the sled rolled over him... killed him instantly." He paused again. "I... I got him killed. It was my job as lead to keep him safe and I got him killed."
Jenna finally did glance back at Balto for a moment. "Balto, that's not what I'm talking about." She said. "You were young, inexperienced. ...John had no business taking you out on a run like that. He could have stopped the sled as easily as you could have."
Balto sighed. "Yeah... sure." He said.
Jenna sighed and looked back out over the town of Nome. "What happened after that?" She asked.
Balto sighed once more. "I... I left Roger's home, left you. I went back to the trawler and... thought."
Jenna nodded. "...and?"
Balto sighed again, for he remembered what came next clearest of all. "The next thing I heard was from a wolf that showed up at the trawler. He told me that Steele had you in a cave outside Nome. He said I had to come alone, that if I told anyone else about this that Steele would kill you, that he was watching me."
"...and?" Jenna asked.
Balto turned away. "Boris tried to tell me to talk to the other dogs, but I wouldn't. I went to face Steele alone... it was a trap. A mile out from the cave I was jumped and beaten unconscious by four wolves. They carried me to Steele. Steele said he was going to kill me, and take you with him. I tried to fight him, but he would have killed me... if not for Boris. He came charging over the hill with the other dogs of the town. They fought the wolves and Steele down. Then Shep banished Steele, and told him never to return."
Jenna nodded.
Balto looked back at her. "I decided sledding wasn't for me and neither was being a pet. I went back to the boat and not long after that... our kids were born."
Jenna nodded again. "Balto, we gave him his second chance, both of us. ...and he tricked us, kidnapped me and tried to kill you. I don't think I need to go into all the atrocities he committed after that."
Balto shook his head. "No you don't." He said. "I know he's been evil Jen, but... there's something different about him."
Jenna shook her head. "Balto, there's always something different about him. He never tells the truth. He always spins it to his own advantage."
Balto sighed again.
Jenna sighed as well and then turned to him.
"Balto... I'm pregnant." She said.
Balto stepped back, a look of shock on his face. "...what?" He asked.
Jenna sighed. "Balto..."
Balto shook his head. "There's more to this isn't there?" He asked. "You wouldn't have that look on your face it were just that."
Jenna sighed. "I... I saw Dolo again." She said.
Balto's muzzle fell open and he looked away from her. "So you... and he?"
Jenna nodded. "I'm sorry Balto, I don't know what I was thinking. I just... you've been... distant. I just needed someone to talk to and... oh Balto, I never meant for this to happen. It was just once, one mistake."
Balto nodded. "...one mistake... how long have you known?"
Jenna hung her head. "...about five weeks." She said.
Balto shook his head again. "Five weeks? You've known this for five weeks? ...and you're telling me now?"
Jenna sighed. "Balto... I wanted to tell you, I just... I didn't know when to do it."
Balto sighed, but remained silent. He looked at her and then quickly looked away. Balto's mind was spinning, trying to come to terms with what he'd just been told.
Jenna walked in front of him. "Balto..."
Balto stepped back and turned away from her.
Jenna sighed again. "Balto, please look at me... I love you." Her eyes filled with tears. "Please talk to me."
Balto sighed, but did not look back at her. "I... I need to think Jen." He said. "I'll see you tomorrow, we can talk then." Balto took off running over the hillside then, unable to stand on that hillside any longer.
Jenna slumped to the snow on top of the hill, covered her muzzle with her paws and cried.
A golden furred wolf stood inside her chambers within the Talbourne's cave. She was of average height and build. Was normal in every way; save one, her right ear was badly torn, and flopped over halfway up, unable to stand straight anymore. She licked her paw and smoothed out the fur on top of her head. Her paw was shaking. She was very nervous.
"Are you here Snap?" A voice asked from outside the chambers.
The wolf smiled. "Yeah, I'm here Ituko." She said. The wolf turned and walked out of her chambers.
A dark gray wolf was waiting outside for her. "How are you tonight Snap?" He asked.
Snap smiled. "I'm doing alright, you?"
Ituko chuckled. "Well, considering I'm not out on patrol or fighting for my life I'm doing pretty good."
Snap giggled. "I know, right?"
Ituko started walking along the stone shelf and Snap followed him, walking at his side.
"How are things in Third Unit?" Snap asked.
Ituko smiled. "They're as good as they can be. Ami is a great leader. We all knew she would be one day. It's kind of cool that she was one of us. She knows how we feel, what we go through."
Snap nodded. "Yeah, I can see where that would be a good thing."
Ituko nodded. "What about you? ...how's Aleu treating you?"
Snap smiled. "Aleu is great." She said. "I think she's the only female in this clan that's more stubborn than me hehe."
Ituko chuckled. "Oh surely you're not stubborn."
Snap smiled and popped the wolf on the shoulder lightly with her paw. "Hey now, remember the fight we got into not too long after I got here?"
Ituko laughed. "Yeah, yeah I remember. All because you couldn't take a compliment."
Snap grinned at him. "...and wouldn't be persuaded to either."
Ituko grinned back. "We both got confined to our chambers for two days after that little spat."
Snap laughed. "Ha ha yeah, Shadow was not pleased."
Ituko chuckled. "No, he definitely was not." He said. "I feel kind of sorry for the wolves in Fourth Unit; having him as their Lieutenant.
Snap nodded. "Yeah... though he has changed since the war against Lytion."
Ituko nodded and sighed. "I think a lot of us have."
Snap nodded back and both fell silent for a moment, thinking of comrades that had fallen in that awful time.
"Well at least they're with Aniu now." Ituko said finally.
Snap nodded. "Yeah... there's that."
The two wolves stopped walking and Ituko turned to face Snap. "Snap, what happened to your ear?" He asked.
Snap's eyes flashed. "Ituko, leave that alone."
Ituko frowned. "I'm just curious." He said. "...looks like it hurt."
Snap growled low in her throat and laid her ears back against her skull. "It did." She said. "Ituko, leave. it. alone."
"I bet it's quite a story. I bet the other wolf came out worse than you"
Snap growled louder and turned on him. She latched her jaws around the younger wolf's foreleg and pulled it out from under him, then she spun to the side and let go, tossing him against the wall hard enough to rattle his thoughts.
Ituko sprung to his paws and shook his head. "Hey what the hell is wrong with you?" He asked.
"I said to leave it alone!" Snap shouted.
Ituko rubbed his head with his paw. "Yeah well I will, and I'll leave you alone as well. Good-night Snap." He said. Then he walked away from her back down the shelves of rock.
Snap watched him go, growling in her throat. Gradually the growl got softer and her ears began to prick up a little more. Her eyes grew softer and then her ears dropped and a tear rolled out of her eye. "Damn it!" She cursed. "Why do I always have to mess things up." She walked over to the rock wall and leaned her nose against it. "Every time a guy gets close to me... they have to bring up my ear and..." She sighed. "...and I don't want to remember..."
Snap raised her paw and slammed it into the rock wall. "Damn you humans." She muttered. Then she stood up and headed back to her chambers.