Chapter 2

The pair flew over the snow covered landscape and Balto whined with excitement. Duke's happy eyes shined brightly through his flight goggles. Balto looked down again and saw a small town coming into view. He vaguely thought he recognized this place due to the surroundings, but quickly put it out of his mind as they slowed down and circled overhead looking for a place to land. The ground rushed up toward them and they felt the plane thud as it contacted the soft snow beneath it and slowly slid to a halt. Duke removed his goggles and looked back at Balto.

"How was that, huh, buddy?"

Balto's tail swept from side to side and his tongue lolled out the front of his mouth, his best smile. Duke laughed and stood up, stepping over onto the wing. He walked three paces and jumped down.

"Well, Shadow, you coming?"

Balto stood up and jumped down directly from the cockpit landing forepaws first bringing the rear down second.

"Afternoon, ma'am," Duke said bowing his head to a lady as she passed by. She took no heed to him or the hybrid; all of her attention being fixed on the metal bird. Duke smiled and shook his head. Same response he always got when he first arrived in a town. Balto heeled by his side as the pair strode through town, passing by the Nome General Hospital; and, as Balto stared at it, an image of a beautiful copper colored female appeared in his mind. She was standing at one of the windows gazing in with sad and worried eyes.

What could this all mean? He was sure he'd never met her before. Duke popped into the local hardware store and left Balto alone on the porch. He lay down and rested his head on his forepaws, flattening his ears. A newspaper fluttered by in the street and Balto watched it dance peacefully in the gentle breeze. Something about this paper caught his eye. He thought he saw… No, it couldn't be, but he had to know for sure. He chased it and pinned it down with his paw. Sure enough, there was a photograph of him wearing a sled harness with the entire town milling about him. He couldn't read it of course, but, what would he be doing in this strange town's newspaper? A large black and white husky appeared in his mind. This dog had a disturbed and crazed look in his icy blue eyes. Then a crate that had a word written on it.

Balto was bewildered. He looked off to the west and saw an abandoned trawler resting on its side looming in the distance. Had he seen it somewhere before? It seemed so familiar. On an impulse, he padded over to it and ascended the plank that lead onboard. His paws made contact with the old wood and received a creak as the worn lumber caved slightly. Two heads popped out from a window and disappeared reappearing seconds later with the rest of their bodies as they charged him.

"Balto," exclaimed a small polar bear.

"Wait! Stop! You've got the wrong…"

They all but tackled him. The larger of the two bears embraced him and lifted him from the groung licking the back of his head. Balto struggled to get free.

"Hey, do you mind? Get off!"

The bears released him and gave him some space.

"Sorry, Balto; it's just, Luk and me were worried sick. Where have you been? And where is uncle Boris?"

Balto was confused.

"Look, you've got the wrong dog. My name is Shadow, and who is…"

At that moment, an old goose popped into his head. He was lying on his back unconscious in the snow. Balto saw a dog, NO! Balto saw himself snap the defenseless bird's neck with his paw. He then saw the red husky lying dead in the snow and the grizzly bear falling through the ice. He felt the cold rush of the river and the battering he took. He saw the crate which was filled to the top with medicine, a little girl and her family, six or seven other dogs, and…

"Balto, snap out of it!"

Balto shook his head as he came back to reality.

"No. No no no no NO!" he felt physically sick.

"Balto, what's the matter?"

"I need to lay down," Balto muttered quietly. He remembered everything now; and more importantly, things he so desperately wanted to forget.

He padded over into the main den and slinked under his old blanket, facing out to the front. What was he going to do now?

Well, there's chapter 2. Sorry it's so short, but Chapter 3 will be around shortly. Also, if there was any confusion with the whole memory thing, Balto got amnesia from the river.