The Wolf and His Boy

Teaser: AU. A wolf defies the Witch and frees Edmund. As the two travel through Narnia, Edmund discovers humans are not the only denizens of Earth to find Narnia. Narnia/Balto crossover

Chapter Four: Wolf-Dog

Let me tell you something Balto. A dog cannot make this journey alone. But maybe a wolf can. – Boris

Balto hurried to the dungeon. He had found the secret passage out of the Witch's castle and now he was going to free the boy. Ahead of him he heard the Witch's voice and the wolf-dog slowed.

"Do you know why you're here Faun?" she inquired. Balto gulped.

"Because I believe in a free Narnia." The Faun's words sent a thrill dancing up Balto's neck. The Witch just jeered and accused the young boy of betrayal. Balto stepped aside, bowing his head as the Witch swept past, her guards dragging the Faun. Balto sprang to the cell and watched as the Witch's dwarf unlocked the manacles. The wolf-dog waited until the Witch was long gone and then Balto leapt forward with a snarl. The dwarf tumbled to the floor and his head slammed against the ice.

Balto turned toward the boy. "Come on. We've got to go now."

The dark-haired boy gaped at Balto but followed anyway. Balto led the way to the tunnel and paused. "We don't have time to get a torch. Hold onto my fur and I'll guide you."

"Alright," the boy whispered.

Balto moved carefully, doing his best not to lose the boy. He was grateful the tunnel was fairly short. After about fifteen minutes, he led his charge up and out into the night. "We have to hurry. It won't take her long to find out you're gone."

But the boy stopped and demanded, "Who are you and why are you helping me?"

Balto turned to the boy. "I'm Balto. I'm helping you because I want to." The wolf-dog paused. "Besides, I'm only half-wolf and well, I probably would have left anyway. I was never really in the Secret Police." Balto's ears pricked. "What's your name?"

"I'm Edmund."

"Well then Edmund, shall we?" Balto held out a paw, pointing the way. Edmund nodded and the two set out. Edmund told Balto where he thought his siblings were going and Balto shook his head. "I'm like you Edmund. I'm from Earth. I don't know my way around Narnia."

"You're from back home?" Edmund asked, surprised.

Balto nodded. "Nome, Alaska."

"My family's from England. Finchley. My father's away in the war and we got sent to the country."

Balto sighed. "I never really knew my parents. My only family is a snow goose and two polar bears."

"Polar bears?"

Balto chuckled and the two unlikely companions made their way through the Narnian forest.


Nikki plunged through the forest, silent. The three sled dogs knew that to bark meant the wolves could track them easier. Of course, the sled left a clear enough trail that the wolves were tracking them effortlessly anyway. Still the diversion had worked. Half the wolves had broken off to follow Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. On the other paw, this little stunt probably guaranteed their meeting with the infamous White Witch. Nikki leapt forward with a tiny snarl. He would fight to protect the others, even if it was futile. More howling echoed from up ahead. Kaltag groaned. They were cut off. Sure enough, in the next clearing, wolves waited. The three sled dogs came to a halt and started barking furiously. The wolf leader laughed.

"Where are the humans?"

Star just snarled at him. One of the other wolves leapt at him and Nikki slipped clear of his harness to intercept the wolf. He fell instead of Star and the wolf bared its teeth. Star and Kaltag lunged, knocking the wolf away from their team mate. The three dogs stood side by side, facing down the pack of wolves.


Balto gasped as he recognized the frenzied barking. He turned to Edmund. "Climb a tree and don't get down, til I come back."

Scared, Edmund nodded and clambered up a nearby trunk. Balto raced toward the barks. They aren't getting my team. I'll make sure of that. He saw the clearing ahead and he could see Nikki, Kaltag, and Star barking at the approaching wolves. He leapt forward and jumped, sailing over the three dogs to land facing the wolves. The lead wolf stepped back in surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

Balto straightened. "Return to the castle. Someone has escaped with the human."

The wolves snarled in disbelief. The leader frowned. "These dogs were helping the other three. We cannot let them escape."

Balto stalked forward. "Are you questioning Her Majesty's orders?"

"N…n…no," the leader stammered.

"I didn't think so. Get going!" Balto snapped. He waited until all the wolves were gone and the sound of their howls had faded before turning. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were staring at him as they stood in front of a beautiful sled. Balto grinned. "Long time, no see guys. How ya been?"

All at once he had a bombardment of three overjoyed sled dogs. Balto laughed and danced around with them. "Okay, okay, guys. I gotta go get someone." Balto pulled out the harness he'd managed to save and tossed it to Nikki. "Hook it up and I'll be right back."

Balto hurried back to where he had left Edmund. "Edmund."

The boy came sliding down from the tree. "Is everything okay?"

"Better than okay. I'd like you to meet some friends of mine."


Kaltag and Star moved Nikki's harness to the back as Nikki attached Balto's harness to the front of the gangline. Pleased, the three looked up as Balto returned. To their surprise, Edmund was following the wolf-dog into the clearing. "Edmund?" Star asked.

Balto looked at them quizzically. "You know him?"

Nikki rumbled and Kaltag explained, "We've been staying at the Beavers. We've met all four kids." Kaltag gestured toward Edmund with a paw. "He split and suddenly we're running from a pack of wolves."

Balto stiffened. He turned toward Edmund. "Did you know?"

Edmund sniffed. "I thought she was nice. She treated me like I was important. I didn't know that would happen."

Nikki growled. "Weren't you listening to Mr. Beaver?"

Balto held up a paw. "Enough. What's done is done. We have to get going before those wolves figure out I'm the one who escaped with Edmund. Besides," Balto added, "would we have done any better?"

The three sled dogs looked at each other. "No," Nikki admitted.

Balto nodded and turned to Edmund. "Can you stand on the back of the sled and hang on?"

Edmund walked over to the sled and looked. "I think so."

"Good. We'll make better time that way." Balto looked at his team. "You guys know the way?"

Nikki shrugged. "We head west until we hit a river. After the river we'll need to figure sommat out but thas not for aways."

Balto grinned at his team. "Alright. Let's get going."

The four slipped into their harnesses and Balto looked back at Edmund. The dark-haired boy clung to the sled's handlebars. "When you're ready Edmund, say 'Mush'," Balto called.

Edmund gulped. He took a stronger hold on the bars and called, "Mush."

The four dogs dug in and the sled moved forward. The team picked up speed slowly, mindful of the forest and the inexperienced musher at their backs. Balto gloried in the snow and the sounds of the sled running through the woods.

Four solid hours of travel later, they were picking their way down a slope. Dogs and boy musher worked to keep the sled from tumbling. Edmund went first, guiding the sled and pushing it up a bit to alleviate some of the strain on the dogs. Balto and his team backed down the slope, Nikki calling out instructions with support from Edmund. The cliff alone took an hour and the five travelers rested for another hour after that. Edmund pulled out some of the food Mrs. Beaver had packed for the sled and they gratefully chowed down. With the meal finished, the team slid back into their harnesses and moved out. Gradually the forest grew less dense until the team burst out into a lake area. Balto halted the team and carefully stepped out to check the ice. It held but Balto was uneasy. He scanned the area and scowled. To go around the lake would take at least two hours while going straight across would take half an hour. They had little choice considering pursuit could be close behind.

"We'll have to go across. Edmund, do you think you can hang on at top speed?"

"Are wes makin' a sprint dere Boss?" Nikki asked.

"Yes. I don't trust the ice," Balto replied.

Kaltag and Star looked alarmed at that. Balto sighed. "We've no choice, guys. Pursuit could be close behind us and I don't want to find out. The lake is our best shot."

Edmund eyed the lake then said firmly, "I'll hang on. It's better than going back to the Witch's dungeon."


Balto growled, digging his claws into the ice. The sled was flying behind them now and they raced toward the opposite shore. Fortune still shone and no pursuers had been heard or sighted. None of them had slipped on the ice and the ice itself was holding beneath them. Edmund hadn't fallen off either. Five minutes later they were on the other side and the team slowed, panting for breath. Balto settled into an easy jog, letting his team catch its breath. A sound reached the wolf-dog's ears and he halted, ears pricked. A rumble filled the air and they all looked back at the lake, wide-eyed as the ice abruptly bucked and cracked. Water surged and the group gaped. Balto looked around, still stunned and realized that the snow was melting at a rather alarming rate.

"Let's get going. The snow is melting."

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star barked in acknowledgement and the team set off again.

Less than an hour later the group panted by the edge of the river. The last quarter mile had been brutal and Edmund hadn't even been on the sled. The boy had been shoving the sled from behind. Winter had vanished in the course of an hour. Balto surveyed the sled. It would have to be hidden and the group would have to carry what they could. In the interests of time, all the sled dogs kept their harnesses on and Edmund detached the harnesses from the gangline. Supplies were sorted through and each took as much as he could; trying to leave as little as possible behind. Luckily, they'd come out of the forest at a place where the river ran gently. One by one, the group swam through the river and climbed out on the other side, grateful that the supplies had been packed in waterproof bags.

"Now what?" Edmund asked.

Four sighs greeted that question. Balto looked up. "We've no idea where to go."

Star tilted his head to the side. "We could follow the river and try to track the Beavers."

Balto looked over at Nikki and Kaltag. "Any ideas other than that?"

They shook their heads and Star's tail wagged.

Balto rose, then paused. "Anyone need a break?"

"I'm good," Edmund replied. The other three chimed agreement.

Balto grinned. "Then let's get moving."

The group set off. Half an hour later, they found a waterfall and picked their way down. Balto sniffed and growled. "Wolves."

Nikki frowned. "Can't be the ones after us," he pointed out.

Edmund looked into the woods. "What about my family?"

The four dogs looked at each other. "What do we do, Balto?" Star asked.

"Let's follow them. They might know where we're going."

Balto swung into the lead and the group picked up the pace. All five of them just hoped they'd get to Beruna soon.


A/N: Ah, the five intrepid adventurers. Hope you enjoyed Balto's method of getting rid of the Secret Police. Next Chapter: King of the Wood Please read and review