Chapter 4

Jenna ran and ran and ran and ran, down the streets and alleys, trying to stay ahead of Steel. She could hear him yelling out, screaming out from somewhere behind her. She could almost hear his footfalls next her, running up to attack, to throw her down, to have her.

Jenna gritted her teeth as her endurance began to falter. Her tongue lolled from her mouth and her steps weaved drunkenly from side to side. She needed to rest, but she knew she couldn't. She stumbled on, panting, turning here and there and going further in a direction she didn't know to a place she didn't know where.

In her heart she wished Balto was here to help her. She knew she would have given anything to see his fuzzy face usher her into some secret hiding place. But for all she knew he could be dead. Jenna felt a pain in her heart as the idea hit her. She hoped he wasn't dead, she prayed in her heart he wasn't dead.

Jenna turned, panting and bleary-eyed into another alley. Snow blew in her face and blinded her as she bolted forwards. She ran down the alley, blinking the snowflakes away from her eyes as they hit. Then as she neared the end of the alley, she realized with a start she had no place to go. Her entire body shook as she realized her mistaken turn. All around her the buildings closed in with garbage and other refuse in large piles. She couldn't see a place to climb out, no fence to jump or squeeze under, just tall buildings all around, their cold black windows gazing down on her with sinister pleasure.

"JENNA, GET BACK HERE!!" Steel yelled out from behind her.

The fur on Jenna's neck stood straight up. She looked around her, panicked to find a spot to hide or escape. Then she noticed a scratched up wood door slightly ajar to her right. Jenna bolted to the door and pushed it in with her shoulder. The door opened easily and she stepped inside out of the snow. But beyond the door there was nowhere to go. She had stepped into a very small and cramped shed. Lots of hand tools surrounded by several piles of old burlap sacks and lumber filled the interior of the shed. Jenna turned and pushed the door closed with her shoulder, then sat in silence, breathing, waiting, hoping Steel wouldn't find her. Jenna closed her eyes and spoke softly, praying. "Oh Balto. Please come and help me…. Please help me." She waited.

Steel stopped when he saw her tracks turning in the snow. He knew this alley, and he smiled at Jenna's mistaken turn. He had her, and he yelled out so she knew he did. "JENNA, GET BACK HERE!!" He smiled, she wasn't far now and she had no place to go.

Without haste Steel stepped into the alley, following Jenna's tracks into the wind and snow. Steel let his breath calm as he moved along, carefully looking left and right to see if she might be hiding in the garbage, ready sneak by him as he passed. But Jenna's tracks went down the center of the alley. Any moment he knew he'd find her trying to make a last escape, or cowering in some hiding spot.

Steel knew she could hear him and he spoke out loud. "Oh Jenna, why don't you come out here and we can … talk this over. I think you and me had a little misunderstanding." Steel knew he was almost at the end of the alley. "I'm not mad Jenna. I just want to make sure that you're okay."

Steel stopped and looked at the snow in front of his feet. He could see her tracks stopped here, and then turned to a closed door. Steel knew she was behind the door; and he knew from times passed the door went nowhere. "Oh Jenna, I know you're in there." Steel called as he stepped towards the door. "And I know you have nowhere to go."

Steel looked up at the flimsy door. He could probably break it down with a couple hits with his full bodyweight if he had to. "Come on Jenna. Why don't you come out here? I know you're behind this door." The door tightened against the frame as Jenna put her weight up against it.

Smiling a broad grin, Steel shook his head and closed his eyes. "Fine Jenna, if you want to do it this way, I'll play your game." Steel turned and walked across the alley, getting as close to the other building as he could. He then turned and lined up with the door, dug his feet down into the snow, and bolted forwards. Steel pushed as fast and hard as he could with his body. Then at the last moment he jumped up and made contact to the door with all four paws at the same time. The door shuttered and creaked. The hinges threatened to fly apart. But the door remained standing. Steel landed on his back paws, threatened to fall over backwards, then came down and jumped back up, slamming his front paws into the door. "Come on Jenna! Open the door!" He dropped back down and turned to the opposite side of the alley again.

Jenna held her paws tight against the door. The first hit almost tore the door apart. She knew the door wouldn't handle many more hits like the first. She closed her eyes and thought about Balto.

Steel turned and lined up for another hit. "You should know Jenna, I will open this door, and I can do this all night long. I will beat you Jenna." Steel dug his paws in, tensed his muscles, and bolted for another hit.

But Steel didn't see the grey creature flying off the roof above the door out of the blowing snow. Didn't see the grey blur land just to his front left side. Didn't see the grey blur's teeth grab him by the back of the neck and swing; effectively turning Steel on his side and using his own forward momentum to throw Steel twice as hard into the door.

The door shuttered and cracked inwards at the center down to the bottom outside corner. It even cracked the doorframe and threatened to vibrate a nearby window out of the wall. The entire building shook, several hand tools fell down, and Jenna yelped in surprise. Steel hit the door at least three times as hard as the first time, Jenna thought putting her paws over the crack to keep it from breaking in on the next hit.

But Jenna didn't know Balto stood just outside, breathing hard from the three mile sprint he had just completed. "And you should know Steel." Balto took several deep breaths and eyed Steel down. "That I will beat you."

Steel looked up from the base of the door, and seeing Balto, growled ferociously. "Balto! I thought I took care of you already." Steel jumped to his feet, but his back right hip faltered as a look of pain spread across his face. Steel began to fall down. But he managed to catch himself and stand upright, gritting his teeth through the pain. "I'm going to tear you apart Balto."

Suddenly Steel jumped forwards, teeth flashing, front paws reaching out in slashing moves. Balto backed up as quick as Steel attacked. Then as Steel's attack slowed momentum, Balto leapt forwards with his teeth, making contact with the right side of Steels neck; but so did Steel with the left side of Balto's neck. Both of them tore at each other. The fight degenerated into savage violence and they became entangled as they kicked and thrashed at the others body. Each of them moving and vying to stop the other with quicker and faster moves.

Both of them crashed around the little alley, throwing the other into walls, boxes, and garbage cans. Several piles of garbage fell down around them and on them. They raked each other back over a pile of bricks under the snow and across smashed bits of wood and the sides of garbage cans. The bloodshed and speed of the fight increased as they moved around the alley snarling and creating a racket which could be heard all across town.

Then Steel managed to get a quick snap onto Balto's right front paw, and turning, flung Balto into the building across the alley under a large pile of crates. Balto dropped to the ground in a disheveled heap.

Steel paused to catch his breath, and in turn, nearly collapsed from the pain in his hip and exhaustion. Several open wounds bled rivulets through his fur. Yet he managed to keep upright as he stood defiant, growling at Balto.

Balto could hardly move. His entire body ached with open wounds which bled and discolored his fur and the snow below him. Blood came from his nose and mouth in little drips. Every part of Balto's body demanded him to quit and retreat; if he didn't pass out from exhaustion first. But Balto pushed his feet against the earth, struggling, shaking, to rise and fight again.

Steel jumped on Balto with both his front feet landing on Balto's wounded left shoulder; knocking Balto to the ground with a yelp of pain. "No … you…don't… wolfdog." Steel panted as he stood over Balto. "This is…something you're not…getting up from."

Balto looked up at Steel and felt his impending demise. He could already feel Steel's frosty-white teeth closing around his neck for the final kill. A grim darkness took Balto's to a distant image of his body lying in this alley, cold and stiff. He could see dogs and humans standing over his rigid corpse, pleased he departed for good.

Then Balto caught something out of the corner of his vision high up above them. Up on the third story of crates Balto could see a crate beginning to tip and sway precariously over him and Steel, as if waiting for just the right nudge to topple over. Then a rust colored tail, caught in a gust like a flag, flew out from behind the crate and disappeared again.

"And what…" Balto smiled as he began. "Will you gain…by…by killing me … Steel?"

Steel laughed. "This isn't about gaining anything … it's about loosing a problem." Steel stepped on Balto's chest and pushed his weight down. "Now say goodnight." Steel opened his jaws and focused towards Balto's throat, rounding his head back like a snake for a strike.

With one quick burst of last-reserve energy Balto curled around, putting his feet under him and standing up in line with Steel right shoulder. Steel's jaws came together with a metallic click inches from Balto's throat, but much closer to the snow. At the same moment Balto yelled out, "Now Jenna!"

Jenna pushed the crate forwards from her perch with a hard shove. The wood crate fell away from her, quickly racing towards the earth in a slow rotation.

Balto leapt away from Steel's side. The crate landed with the crunch of wood, followed by a blast of flying snow mixed in with a yelp of surprise. Somewhere underneath it flatted Steel.

Balto looked at the smashed crate through the cloud of snow, half expecting to see Steel jump up and rush him. But Steel remained silent, unconscious, his head sticking out through one side of the broken crate. His tongue lolled from the side of his mouth. He still breathed, and he even moved feebly and blinked his eyes. It wouldn't be long until he woke up and worked his way out of the mess he was in.

Balto looked away from Steel as Jenna jumped off the last crate to the ground She landed and ran up next to Balto.

"Are you alright?" They spoke at the same time. Then they smiled and spoke again at the same time. "Yes." They stared into each others eyes for a moment that seemed to last a lifetime.

Suddenly Jenna stepped forwards and nuzzled Balto's neck. "I thought you were dead. I didn't know if I would ever see you again."

Balto felt an abrupt flurry of emotions filling his body. He felt exalted by Jenna's intimate touch, proud to have saved her, blissful from seeing her up close, transcendent from her smell, and completed by her presence. Balto felt a familiar stammer for words working in his throat. Or it could have been the intermitted feelings of overpowering physical pain and dizziness overtaking him now and then? "I…just, you know … it was … nothing." Balto grinned, gasping for breath at each pause.

At their feet Steel groaned and tried to push a paw down under his body. "Uugghh … mmmuuggghh. Balto." He growled. "Whuugghhh." Steel began to move more, coming around much quicker than he should have. "I'll get you … uugghh." He muttered and began to push his paws under his body and lift the crate. "Don't think …mmm … you'll get away."

"Come on … Jenna." Balto said turning down the street. "We need to … get … out of here … before he … comes around."

Jenna and Balto walked quickly down the street into the snowstorm as Steel began to unravel himself from his mess. They could just make out Steel groaning about what a sneak Balto was. Together Balto and Jenna trotted and jogged along, traveling side by side through the darkened streets.

"Where are we going?" Jenna asked as they moved through the streets past shadows blacker than night and brightly lit windows.

Balto gave Jenna a sidelong look as he hobbled along, still very much in pain from the fight, the run, and everything. "Let's go … to my boat…. We'll be safe … for a while." Balto groaned between breaths.

Jenna stopped and Balto stopped a few feet ahead of her and looked back. "But we won't be safe there." Jenna began. "Steel's going to get up and he's going to get friends."

"I know." Balto replied solemnly as he turned and faced Jenna full on.

"And they're going to come looking for you. And the first place they're going to look is your boat"

"I know."

"And they're going to chase you away or kill you!"

"I know."

Jenna looked at Balto with wonder searing through her expression like a spotlight. "Then what are we going to do? I want us to be together Balto, I love you."

Balto's eye's widened at the remark. "And I love … love you, to Jenna." Balto replied without thinking about what he said. But as soon as the words left his mouth he felt their impact in his chest. His heart opened to Jenna and flooded over her with a radiance which made the night around them brighter. Balto felt lightheaded to the point he thought he would float away. Or perhaps he felt lightheaded from the blood loss; because as Balto stood he began to fall drunkenly towards his left side, but managed to catch himself with an outstretched paw. "Ohhh." Balto groaned.

"Are you alright Balto?" Jenna stepped closer to him, concerned. "Are you hurt?"

Balto shook his head. He felt terribly dizzy, much worse than before. "No, I just … need a second." He sat down in the snow and felt no better. "My heads swimming." He tried to smile.

Jenna didn't take it so lightly. "Balto's you're hurt, let me see." She stepped up close to Balto and looked him over in the dark. Dark spots of blood covered almost all of Balto's fur. But the larger lacerations made Jenna Gasp. "Balto…" She didn't quite know how to describe all the wounds he had; or even what to do about them. There were large cuts on both sides of Balto's neck, on both his shoulders, and down his back and hips. Jenna looked down at the snow and saw a small puddle of blood forming under his paws in the few moments he had stood there.

Balto began to lean drunkenly, this time to the right. His eyes blurred and everything began to turn black. "I think … I'm going… to…to …pass…" But he didn't finish as his body suddenly swayed and toppled forwards into the snow with a dead-weight thud, his eye's upturned in his skull.


"Ccoommee oonn Bbaallttoo." Jenna's voice resounded out of the darkness of Balto's mind, as if she stood at the far end of a long tunnel yelling at him. "Wwee nneedd ttoo kkeeeepp mmoovviinngg." She commanded.

Balto opened his eyes and he could see they had made it out of the town. He could also see the boat which stood only forty feet in front of him now. The snow blew around them, occasionally blocking the bow of the boat from sight as they moved towards it. Balto closed his eyes and may have passed out for a moment, because as soon as he opened them they stood right up next to the boat.

Oh, Balto felt sick to his stomach, cold, and with eyelids made of lead. Balto knew he would have given anything to just lie down and sleep for a few minutes - even a few seconds would have been a godsend. Slowly he turned his head to look through bleary eyes at Jenna.

Jenna walked along next to Balto, leaning heavily into him, almost to the point of carrying him. "Come on Balto wake up, were almost there, wake up."

Balto's feet moved instinctively forwards under his body. He hardly knew he was walking. Yet as Balto realized he was walking, and he tried to push his feet to do something more, his feet faltered and he fell forwards in the snow.

"Come on Balto, get up." Jenna said standing over him, exhausted herself. "It's only a few more feet." But Balto didn't move. "Come on Balto, you can't lie here, you'll freeze to death, and so will I." Balto didn't budge, and Jenna felt too tired to pick him up again.

Jenna looked around. She could hardly see more than ten feet in front of her nose now. At least they had made it out of town and most of the way to the boat. Maybe I can bring the blanket down and keep him warm, Jenna thought looking at the boat. She took one last look at Balto in the snow, asleep now. Jenna began to envy him in his peaceful look. "Don't worry Balto, I'm going to go get a blanket, I'll be right back." But Balto had already drifted off and probably didn't hear anything.

Jenna stepped forwards, making her way down the right side of the boat towards the gangplank with measured steps. She squinted her eye's against the snow and walked forwards, hoping the plank would reveal itself in some gust. "Come one Jenna, it's got to be right here." She took a few more steps, and then, for a moment, she saw it leaning against the boat. Jenna bolted to where she saw the plank.

Then, just as Jenna thought she would see the plank come through the snow in front of her, something suddenly stepped in her way. Something large, fuzzy, warm, and as white as the snow. Jenna felt a strike of terror grip her as she slid to a stop under the beasts nose and looked up at the polar bear standing above her, mumbling. Jenna's jaw slacked and she stared helplessly, unwilling, but ready, to be pounded into a pulp and eaten.

"Where's Balto?" Came a Russian voice just off to Jenna's right side out of the snow.

Jenna looked for the voice through the snow and darkness, and realized a goose was standing at her side. Then Jenna remembered what Balto said about his friends, two polar bears, and a goose. "Are, are you Balto's friends?" She said meekly.

"Yes! Yes!" Came another very excited voice off to Jenna's left. Jenna peered through the snow and saw another – much shorter polar-bear, standing next to the taller one. "Where is he? Where is Balto? I hope he's not hurt. Is he alright? He's been gone a long time."

Jenna turned back down the boat to where she left Balto. "He's this way."

The two polar bears and the goose followed Jenna through the snow back to where Balto lay, half buried and very unconscious.

"What happened to him?" The goose asked as he looked over Balto's fur. "He looks worse than a fish after he's been left out in the sun."

Jenna didn't know if the bird was making some sort of joke. "He … he saved me."

The bird shook his head and sighed loud enough to be heard over the wind. Jenna could hear him mumbling between Russian and english. She couldn't make out most of the words, but a few words she understood; 'love,' being the predominant one, and 'fool kid,' being another.

"Alright," Boris finally said. "Muk, scoop the boychick up onto Luk's back and let's get out of this weather; it's making my feathers ruffle."

The smaller polar bear scooped Balto up out of the snow and put him on the big bears back. Then the two of them waddled off towards the plank again, vanishing into the blowing snow.

Jenna then stood there, unsure of what to do or where she should go. She hadn't been invited in, but she felt she had a right to look over Balto's recovery, and to be here and help if Steel showed up. Jenna sat hesitantly as she waited in the darkness.

"Come with us and let's get out of this cold for the evening." The Russian voice said to Jenna out of the darkness. Jenna could hear him waddling away and then turn. "Are you coming or are you going to sit in the snow?"

Jenna didn't hesitate as she chased after the goose.


Out of the wind, inside the helm of the boat, with a few loose flakes coming in through the door and other cracks, Jenna learned all about Balto's friends. Jenna met Boris, a very loving goose with an attitude against bears and anything else which ruffled his feathers in the wrong direction. But he meant well in everything he said and did and looked over Balto like a caring father. Jenna also met Muk and Luk, the two polar bears who were very fun loving, warm, open, and … well, just children. And of course Jenna introduced herself to them.

Then the four of them looked over Balto who slept deeply, but remained quite alive. None of them could really do anything. Balto's wounds had sealed shut with scabs and frozen blood. And until he woke up he couldn't drink or eat. So all they could do until them would be to wait and look over him, snuggling close to keep him warm.

Time passed in slow breathes of eternity. Balto didn't stir. Muk and Luk slowly grew tired, and fell asleep on either side of Balto, eventually wrapping their arms over him and snuggling down. This left Jenna and Boris all alone with nothing to do but talk.

"So?" Boris whispered across the helm of the boat through the darkness and over the wind. Yet his voice remained quiet for the sleeping bears. "You are the famous Jenna?"

Jenna blushed internally from where she sat near the door. "Yes. What … has Balto said … I mean, has he said anything about me?" She replied in a whisper.

Boris grinned and shook his head, Lovestruck pups, he thought. "Oh, nothing much. Just a few things here and there."

Jenna knew Boris was making her bite on the lead. But she had nothing better to do, so she bit. "Anything in particular?"

"Just that you were very pretty." Boris replied in a simple, uncaring, tone. "Like I said, nothing much."

Jenna felt a little taken aback at such a simple remark. Somewhere in her heart she had expect this bird, Boris, to jump up with joy and sing out a serenade of Balto's love. That or else squawk like a stool pigeon with noting left but beans to spill. "Oh." She said a little disheartened.

"Oh, that and he hasn't thought about anything else since the night he first tried to save you." Boris replied sharply.

"Really?" Jenna said with a glow in her heart.

"I think he was really smitten with you, especially when you rubbed your nose against his. I couldn't get him to think about anything else. He bumbled around, not even knowing where he was going to half the time."

Jenna turned away and blushed again as she bit her lip and felt an unnerving feeling rushing over her body; sort of like standing at the edge of a great abyss.

Boris sensed her unease. "Yes, Balto told me everything about you and him, except what happened tonight. I've never seen him so bad before."

Jenna realized she hadn't told them what happened, or about Steel and his vengeance - which may be going on right at the moment - so she related the story as best as she knew. She told about Balto suddenly showing up, and having an epic brawl with Steel. She then told about how they ran away as Steel was coming to, how Balto collapsed, and how she carried him here, not really knowing where else she could go.

As Jenna finished her story, Boris told Jenna the story about how Steel came out to the boat earlier in the day. He told about all he could hear of Steel and Balto talking, he told how Steel said Balto could never hope to match up to anything Steel could.

"I never saw him so hurt in his life." Boris said talking into his chest, reclining back with his feet outstretched now.

"Really?" Jenna said, realizing just how much Balto felt for her. She now lay on her stomach near the door.

"Yeah, but now what? I mean you can't leave Nome for him, and he can't come to Nome with you. What happens now?" Boris threw out. "You couldn't keep this sort of thing a secret."

Jenna realized she didn't know what she planned to do. "I don't know, I guess I haven't thought about it that much." She looked into her paws as if the answer might be written there. "I guess I'll come with you."

Boris smiled. This was the talk of true love he had been smelling for days. But the smile only hid what he ultimately knew Balto would have to tell Jenna, what he knew Balto had planned in his heart. Or at least what he supposed Balto had planned.

Then the two of them sat, and looked at Balto, both of them realizing Steel would be on his way to catch Balto. They would need to do something, or else, Balto would be dead meat. He certainly couldn't fight Steel in this shape. What would they do? What could they do?


Balto's eye's fluttered open, slowly coming back from a deep and wonderful sleep. The dreams of fanciful shapes and images faded away into the back of his skull, and Balto realized he had awoken, back in the real world. At first everything which happened in the past days seemed only a dream. But as Balto tried to put weight on his paws and stand, he realized, with a grimace, none of it had been a dream.

"Oohh," Balto groaned meekly.

"Balto!" Jenna voiced suddenly, her paws appeared in front of Balto's eyes.

Balto raised his head and looked into Jenna's eyes, tearful with pain, and bright with beauty. "Jenna, you're here." He smiled. "What happened?"

"You passed out, and I –"

"-Oh yeah, you come in with your fur all in a ruff," Boris started as he appeared to Jenna's side. "You battle Steel, and then you pass out from a little running. Some hero." He grinned and reached out to Balto, holding his head between his wings and looking Balto deep in the eyes. "But at least you're back and you're safe. We didn't know if you were ever going to wake up."

Balto felt the two polar bears at his sides begin to stir as Boris released his grip and stepped back. He realized with a smile, that he was surrounded by all his friends; his old friends all around, and in front of him – his new friend, Jenna. Balto then looked at Jenna. "What… what happened?"

"Oh, you just passed out and I carried you out here." Jenna replied simply with a huge grin on her face. "But that's not important right now, –"

"I know," Balto cut in. "What's important is that we're safe."

"But we're not safe," Jenna said sharply, shocked at Balto's statement. "Steel's going to figure out where we are, and then what are we going to do? You can't fight him again. And he's going to have a bunch of dogs with him. You can't possibly outrun him"

"I know." Balto replied with a big grin. "I've had some time to think about this." He pushed his paws under his body and came fully erect with a groan of pain. "But I think I know what we can do." Balto turned his head and looked at Luk on his right side. "We just need to play a little game with Steel to give us some time."


Steel ran ahead of the troop of dogs with a sharp pain in his hip, but he held it at bay and gritted his teeth with anger. Behind him all twenty dogs followed by two's and three's, their heads hung low like battering rams, or held high with teeth bared, ready to fight and tear at wolf-flesh. A red rage ran through their hearts and eye's like lights on a speeding train.

At the edge of town Steel paused and held back before rushing out into the darkness and the wind. Behind him the dogs all stopped and grouped together as they sensed Steel about to say something. The snow fell down around them and collected on their noses and shoulder.

Steel turned and looked over them with a long gaze. "We all come here because of a problem that has been living in our midst. H He's been living here more comfortably than we should have ever let him, stalking the shadows, scaring our children, and we've let this happen. We let out guard down, as well as our trust, and now he's struck and kidnapped one of the most beautiful huskies in the town - and attacked me when I tried to save her. Jenna has been taken, forcibly, by this wolfdog Balto. Is this something we're going to stand for?"

"NO!!!" Came the resounding answer as all twenty mouthed barked in unison.

"Are we going to let this wolf in our midst again?"

"NO!!" Twenty mouthed barked again.

"Then what are we going to do?" Steel said looking over them with another long look.

A quiet pause held the crowd. Then one skinny brown dog near the back suddenly yelled out. "We're going to tear the flesh from his bones!" Abruptly there came a cheer through the whole group as they came to life with the idea.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Steel said turning and rushing into the darkness the wind and the snow. The entire group followed after Steel, aiming towards the boat somewhere off in the distance.


The boat loomed ahead of them, silently and ghastly in their eyes – like a haunted house. The snow had lessened, and so had the wind. An indescribable tenseness began to brew in the dogs as they slowed up from their run. It felt almost like they were afraid, or possibly excited at what they would do.

Steel stopped and looked up at the boat. His hip had begun to throb a little more now. He slowly turned and raised his right paw to his lips and commanded the attention of all the dogs without a word. "sssshhhhh." He then stepped forwards. The rest following, padding silently along, the rage in the hearts no longer burning as bright.

At the very back of the troop of dogs a red and grey dog turned to the black dog next to him and whispered. "Hey, Amal,"

"What?" The dog responded in an annoyed whisper.

"I'm not afraid or nothing, but have you heard that wolves can … you know, control other animals?"

"What?" The dog said with mild shock.

"Yeah, like when we were pups, remember?"

"You mean in the stories?"

"Yeah. Who say's this Balto couldn't do that? Who says he couldn't control you or me, or even all of us. He could march us out onto the ice like the pied piper and leave us to die. I've heard stories told about Balto being seen around a polar bear."

The other dog grunted and rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Those are only silly tales they tell pups to keep them quiet when they misbehave. And as for Balto Being around polar bears, it's probably superstitious mumbo-jumbo."

"But are they really just stories? Or could it be true? Could Balto be -"

"-Just keep quiet." Amal growled.

The other dog zipped his lips shut and tried to bring some semblance of bravery into his gate. But as he walked under the bow of the boat with his eye's cast up at it's ghostly form, he had a feeling of being watched. Then he heard something crunch in the snow. It was right behind him and he turned and peered through the darkness and lightly falling snow. But he couldn't see anything.

"Did you hear that?" He said turning and rushing a few steps up to Amal side again. "I heard something."

"Would you keep quiet! You didn't hear anything. You're only imagining it." Amal whispered in exasperation. "Now just bite you tongue and keep moving."

The other dog tried to close his mouth again, but again he heard something. A footfall crunch through the snow, followed closely by another. It sounded big, and very close behind him.

"I know I heard something this time. There's something behind us. I'm telling you this Balto isn't someone to be messed with. He can control animals or something…" The dog paused as a grim thought entered his head. "What if he's not going to control us, but he's going to get control of a wolverine, or a polar bear, and attack us with it?"

Amal turned and faced his friend full on with exasperated weary in his eyes. "If we go back and look for this thing that I'm sure is in your mind, will you shut up?"

The other dog stared at Amal, unsure if he actually wanted to go and look.

"Fine, I'll go look." Amal said brushing his friend aside with his shoulder. The other dog turned and followed Amal away from the back of the troop into the darkness. They walked a dozen feet and Amal stopped and looked around as his friend came up to his side. "See, what did I tell you, nothing." Amal turned to his friend and put a confident paw on his shoulder. "It was all in your head, just like I said. Am I right?"

"Maybe your right." The other dog said sheepishly.

But then they realized something stood right next to them, towering over their heads and breathing heavily. They realized – without looking – that it was a bear, a great white bear. And they realized this fact with grim shock plastered in their eyes.

The bear growled a tremendous growl, shaking the dogs from where they stood and sending them flying back towards their friends shouting. "IT'S A BEAR, IT'S A BEAR, IT'S A BEAR!!!!"

Suddenly the troop of dogs turned and ran towards their screaming friends as the two dogs ran blindly into the pack, knocking four dogs down into a snarling heap. Confused, some tried to run away from the snarling teeth, others tried to fight and bite what they could.

Steel jumped to scene and tore the dogs off of each other, pulling them apart with his jaws, growling at them all. "Get a grip, get a hold of yourselves, there's no bear!"

Amal turned and pointed his paw to the great hulk lumbering towards them through the darkness. "Tell that to him!" He shouted.

Suddenly the dogs turned and looked at the polar bear coming through the darkness. The polar bear stopped six feet away and stood up on his back legs and let out a growl. The dogs all shuttered and cowered closer together.

"Hold you ground!" Steel shouted over the whimpering of his comrades. "It's only a polar bear cub."

The dogs seemed to relax a little. But then the skinny brown dog who had spoken up before they left the town yelled out. "But where there's a cub, there's a mother!"

And then, almost as if on cue, a tremendous growl came from up on the boat, echoing down over them all. The growl overshadowed the whimpering of the dogs, the sound of the wind. All the dogs started to scramble away from one another and scurry like mice from a fire. They bolted this way and that and headed towards the town again. At the lead of the scattered retreat Steel sprinted a good twenty feet in front of the next dog. Behind him in the main group of fearful dogs a red and grey dog ran next to a black dog. The red and grey dog shouted at the top of his lungs, "I told you he could control animals!!!"


Balto and Jenna both giggled as they watched the dogs scatter to the wind like leaves into a river. They watched the dogs rush this way and that with uncomprehending fear in their eyes. Then Balto and Jenna, followed by Muk, ran to the front of the boat and watched the dogs run and run and run towards Nome. Balto and Jenna began to giggle and laugh even harder at the retreating rescue team.

"Oh Balto that was a good one, I never would have thought to use that old garbage can to make me growl louder." Muk giggled from just behind Balto. He then turned and watched the dogs run away, whooping and growling at them as they went.

Behind them Luk scramble up the plank mumbling something, but laughing as well. He came up behind Muk. "mmmm mmm mmmmm, mmm!"

"Hey says he's never had so much fun in life." Muk translated.

"mmmm mmm mmmmmmm, mmmm. Mmmm?" Luk mumbled.

"Luk says he wants to do it again. Please?" Muk translated again.

Balto grinned and laughed. "If I knew how to do it, I would." But his eye's went cold as he noticed Jenna's distant look. "What is it Jenna?"

"I don't know." She said turning away. "What happens now?" She looked back at Balto, hopeful to hear what she dreamed of hearing.

Balto wanted to console her fears, to tell her they would run away together, to fly into the sky to be with each other for eternity. But he knew if he did they would only be lies. Balto felt he would give anything to see her smile again. But Balto knew Jenna would have to go back to the town, and he … he would have to leave Nome – for a while at least. Balto opened his mouth, to tell her he planned on leaving, and she would need to stay, when Boris cut between them, holding the ragged blanket in his wings.

Boris looked straight into Jenna's eyes. "I don't think Balto plans on you coming with us."

Jenna looked from Boris's face to Balto's. Balto lowered his eyes. "No, I don't."

"But, but-but?" Jenna stammered.

"Jenna." Balto cut in as he took a step around boris. "I can't ask you to give up what you have for me. I know how hard it is to live as an outcast, and I could never ask you, or ever let you, become one for me. Your place is there." Balto indicated towards Nome with a flick of his nose. "You belong there."

"But Balto … I love you."

Balto felt the words opening his heart like a flower blooming. "And I love you, but you need to trust me. One day I will come back, and there will come a time when I will be able to prove myself, not just to you, but to the whole town. Then we can be together."

"You can't be certain of that though." Jenna snapped. "How could you –"

"I'm not asking you to believe what I'm saying Jenna. I'm asking you to trust me without believing what could be." Balto nudged closer to Jenna, right up next to her face now. Balto felt as if he were on the cusp of exploding. His face turned puppyish and loving. "Please Jenna, I love you."

Jenna's eye's visibly softened. Yet her mind looked to be making a rebuttal against her heart "Okay, Balto, I will." Her eye's fell. "When will I get to see you again?"

"I don't know Jenna. Be patient, I'll come find you when the times right." Balto replied, his face still pleading.

Tears built up in the corner of her left eye, she began to sob "And what should I do about Steel?"

Balto grinned. "Give him a good hit in the hip when he wants to say something to you. I think it will bother him for a while. That, and always remind him that you are not interested."

Jenna smiled as a tear rolled down her face. "Thanks Balto." She suddenly pushed her nose forwards, connecting with Balto's, and then parting. "Thanks."

Balto smiled and felt a magnificent warmth grow in his heart which quickly spread to his entire body. Even the cold wind seemed to get warmer.

Boris laid the Blanket over Jenna's shoulders. "You might need this after we go. It's awfully cold"

"Thank you Boris." She sobbed.


Jenna watched Balto, Boris, and the two polar bears Muk and Luk retreat across the dark tundra towards the mountains to the North East. The storm no longer flared with such intensity. A few stars poked through a few holes in the grey clouds above. But the wind remained, blowing gusts of snow across their tracks as they left; which was a blessing in disguise. Jenna tried to smile from under the folds of the blanket as the wind bit her nose and swept her breath away.

Jenna sat on the bow of the boat and watched them go until they appeared to be just dots on the landscape. She watched them until they crested a distant hill, and then for a moment she thought she saw Balto turn and look back at her. Then they disappeared and Jenna felt terribly alone and without a bit of love in the world.

For a while longer Jenna sat on the boat wondering if she should go back to the town. Or should she just stay until someone showed up? She tried to weight the options in her mind, but could only think of Balto. She missed him so much already. How could she possibly wait for him to return? Eventually she just decided to stay put until the dogs came back. Jenna began to cry and sob under her blanket. She couldn't wait to see Balto again.

It didn't take long for the dogs to return with fifteen other dogs in tow – including Jenna's mother and father. They quickly overran the boat, barking and making a terribly racket, cursing and demanding Balto to come out and face them. Then they spread away from the boat searching for tracks.

"Where's Balto?" Jenna faintly heard her mother say over her shoulder as she sat starting, tired, lost, and uncaring. Jenna stood, letting the blanket ruffle to the deck of the boat, refusing to reply or make eye contact as she moved past her mother to the plank. "Jenna, don't ignore me. Did Balto do something to you? … Answer me!"

As Jenna reached the plank she heard the voice of someone she now despised with all her heart, Steel. She turned and looked at him standing with her father at the back of the boat scanning the ice. They talked diligently on where Balto could have gone. Neither of them noticed her.

"I bet he left on the sea ice." Jenna's father said scanning the ice as far as he could. "That way there would be no tracks."

"He could have. Or he might have left while it was windy, let the snow cover his tracks." Steel replied.

"Very well could have. What we need to do now is –"

"Ahem," Jenna cleared her throat, turning Steel and her father around to her.

"Jenna!" Steel exclaimed, his eyes flashing left and right. "I'm glad you're fine. Balto didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Jenna looked at her father, his eyes pleading for her to answer. "I'm fine," She looked away from them, "I just need time." She turned, quickly trotted down the plank, and headed to the town and her shed. She hardly noticed the walk. It passed so quickly. Her mind felt numb to the eyes which watched her pass. The dogs came out in droves to see what the fuss was about. They looked at the raucous happening on the boat and began to spread rumors. Muttered words about Balto and Jenna flew from their ears to their mouths.

Jenna didn't hear any of it. She walked by them with her eye's held low. Suddenly Jenna found herself outside her shed. Quietly she went inside, not bothering to try and close the open door. There Jenna lay down on the mattress. She fell asleep with her paws over her tear-filled eye's.

The End