Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog
Chapter 7: Introductions, Invitations, and Conversations
A/N: I got the casino idea while watching "All Dogs Go to Heaven"
"What are you doing here? How'd you even know I was here?" Balto asked when she saw him standing in the doorway of the shed. Even though she was whispering, she woke up Garth and Duke.
"Balto? Who's this?" Garth asked, stretching.
"Oh, uh, Garth this is Codie. Codie, this is Garth, over there is Duke," Balto replied, gesturing towards Duke, "and that's Dakota," she pointed her paw towards him and Jack, "and right next to him there's his brother, Jack."
After everyone was introduced to Codie, he made his reason for coming known.
"Balto, may I speak with you?"
"Sure." Balto replied, not seeing his intentions.
"Alone." Codie said, not feeling comfortable of talking to her around her friends.
"Oh, of course. See ya later guys." Balto said, standing up and walking out of the shed with Codie.
"She likes him." Jack said, when Balto left.
"No shit, Jack." Garth said, rolling his eyes.
Jack suddenly got an idea. "Say, why doesn't she bring him to the casino in the Junkyard. I'm sure he'd get a kick outta that."
"Well, it is Balto's place, so why not?" Duke replied, looking to the others for approval.
"Yeah. He looks like he could use some cheerin' up." Dakota said.
"It's settled then! We're tellin' Balto when she gets back." Garth said, scratching his ear with his foot.
"Yeah!" They all yelled in unison, followed by an early morning howl.
"Well I've been on my own since I was eight weeks old. I had a brother named Kavu, and two sisters named Madra and Giovanni. My dad was a grey wolf, and my mom my was a Siberian husky." Balto explained, after Codie had asked her about herself. "I ran away at eight weeks, because I was tired of being the runt. So, I learned to fend for myself and become the wolf that my father was."
Codie was very interested in her story. She had a life of adventure and self-sufficiency. He had a life of luxury and a future mate who was very mean to him.
"I met the guys when I was fourteen and I met Wilson when I first came here. Wilson's like a father to me. He took me in when no one else would, and the guys are my best friends in all of Canada," she explained further.
"Why can't I have a life like yours, Balto?" Codie asked. "With no rules, no responsibilities, and no worries."
"Well, it's not all fun and games. Okay it is, but you have to scavenge for food, avoid the dogcatcher, and lots of other stuff. Trust me, you wouldn't last two days with no baths and hardly ever any dog food." Balto replied, chuckling slightly.
"I happen to hate that dry, tasteless dog food. Everybody expects me to be this perfect gentleman, which I'm not! I'm strong, I'm sturdy, I'm tough as a wolf!" Codie said.
"Wanna bet?" Balto asked, raising her right eyebrow with a smirk spreading across her muzzle.
"What do you mean?" Codie asked puzzled as to what her intentions were.
"You said you were tough as a wolf, and I want to test it. Tackle me." Balto replied.
"I beg your pardon?" Codie said, stopping in his tracks.
"Tackle me. I'm half wolf, so if you're really tough as a wolf you can tackle me no problem." Balto said, her smirk evolving into a grin. Before Balto knew what was happening, Codie had her pinned to the ground. "Hey! I wasn't ready!" Balto complained.
"Still counts, half-breed." Codie, replied along with a triumphant grin.
"Okay, you had your fun now get off." Balto said, kicking him off with her hind legs.
They continued walking through town, laughing the whole way, and opening up to each other. Codie told Balto things he never had the audacity to tell anyone, and Balto revealed specific parts of her past she never bothered telling anybody either. However, the only thing she would never tell ANYONE is how she got a scar she's had on the left side of her face since she was fifteen. The only ones who knew were Duke and Wilson.
Luckily for Balto, Codie was on her right side, so he couldn't see her scar. Codie never really noticed it, but was bound to question her about it sooner or later. Apparently, other dogs had noticed it, because they were staring. Balto didn't know if they were staring at her scar, or at them. Seeing a wolf dog and a purebred husky together was not a common sight around town. However, they couldn't care less about the stares they were receiving and just enjoyed each other's company.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses there." Balto said, as they passed a barbecue restaurant. She began trotting around to the back of the restaurant, and was closely followed by Codie.
"What? What's up?" Codie asked, curious as to what they were doing there.
Balto didn't answer. She just barked three times and the chef came out. He didn't have to ask what she was there for, since she had come there since she was eight dog years old. He just tossed a T-bone steak out and she took it to where Codie was standing.
"See. This is how strays get the best of everything. T-bones come out of nowhere, and no one pays much mind to you." Codie said, digging into the steak.
"You only say that until you've done time in the pound." Balto replied.
"You've done time?"
"Yep. Around the time I was fifteen I got dumped in the pound for fighting with some dogs. Duke and Dakota helped break me out." Balto explained, still tearing away at the meat.
"Wow. Now that's friendship."
"Aw, you know the old saying: If you can't count on a friend to break you out of jail, what kind of a friend are they?"
Balto could see the junkyard in the distance and got an idea. The dog casino was underneath a pile of wood, which has an underground tunnel for an entrance dug by yours truly. Balto and the guys dug out the rest and built it with their own paws. It may seem impossible, but they have their methods.
"You know, I own a casino in the junkyard. Maybe you can come by tonight. Give ya a taste of the life of a Canadian mutt." Balto said.
"I'll see if I can. I gotta sneak away again, though. I can only hope I don't get caught. If I do, it will be the end of me." Codie replied, wincing at the thought of what Aurora would to him if she found out.
"Sweet. It's settled then. Come by around eight. Big pile of wood in the junkyard, you can't miss it." Balto said as she walked away and headed towards the beach to meet up with her pack. "It was nice talkin' to ya. See you tonight."
"Bye." Codie yelled after her. He enjoyed the time he spent with her, and couldn't help but smile every time he thought of her. Maybe his mother was wrong. Maybe wolf dogs and mutts weren't rejects that belonged in the pound. Maybe his mother would realize this if she actually got the chance to meet Balto.
Meanwhile, Balto was at the beach playing around with her pack. She couldn't wait until eight o'clock. She wondered why he was so afraid of his family. Maybe they didn't treat him right or something. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a splash and getting soaked.
"Splash contest! Okay Garth, your turn!" Duke yelled, swimming towards the shore.
"Incoming!" Garth yelled as he jumped into the salty, cold ocean. Dakota followed and before you could say "half-breed", Jack was in, too.
"C'mon, Balto, you're missin' out!"
"Come on! We're all omegas here!"
Balto didn't need to be told a third time. She ran across the dock at top speed and jumped in after her comrades. This was a common activity amongst the five friends and they enjoyed it very much. They've been using a lot of their spare time frolicking in the water lately. The water's long since gotten cold, but they have thick coats that they've inherited from their wolf parents, so they don't mind. After about thirty minutes, Jack spoke up.
"So, Balto, about your friend," Jack said.
"Yeah? What about him?" Balto replied, shaking her head trying to get water out of her ear.
"Why don't you bring him down to your junkyard casino tonight?"
"Already asked him. He said he will if he can sneak away." Balto replied while hitting her head with her paw, still trying to get the water out. "Grr! Damn water keeps gettin' in my ear!"
Codie was to have dinner at seven o'clock, then go on a date with Aurora that night, but he would rather go and see Balto again. He really, really liked Balto, and he kind of saw her as another option if things go any further south with Aurora. Codie had a feeling that Balto really liked him, too. Dogs can sense things like that, but he still prayed that his assumption was correct. He nervously looked at the clock as his mother was slicking his fur back with her tongue. It disgusted him, but he had to put up with it.
"You seem nervous." Codie's mother commented, noticing how he kept looking at the clock and fidgeting with his paws.
"Hm? Oh, no, I'm just excited about tonight," he replied. It wasn't a whole lie, he was excited about tonight, but not about the date with Aurora. He was excited about going to Balto's place in the junkyard. It would be the first time he ever went to a place where it was just wolf dogs and other mutts.
It was seven thirty, and Codie just wanted to get dinner over with. His mother and Aurora had been talking mindlessly for the past half hour and it was driving him nuts. He looked at the clock for the tenth time and decided to excuse himself. Aurora eyed him suspiciously, but let him go. She, of course, reminded him of their date that night and told him not to be late. He gave a half-hearted promise, and went on his way. He made it to the junkyard casino around seven forty-five and saw Garth, Jack, Duke, and Dakota go down into the tunnel entrance. He proceeded inside the tunnel after them and was stunned when he entered.
All around him were dogs of different heritages and breed mixtures. He was introduced to a American Eskimo/German shepherd mix named Jock. The two became friends quickly, despite the fact that Codie was a pedigree and Jock was a mutt.
Balto arrived around eight fifteen, and announced her presence with a loud howl. Everyone there immediately looked up from their games and looked to see who howled. Some of them went up to welcome Balto, while others continued playing their games. Balto smiled when she saw Codie there. She wondered what extents he had to go to come, but she just pushed those thoughts aside.
"Yo, Codie! What'd you have to do to get here?" Balto asked as she trotted up to him.
"Not much, really. I just excused myself from dinner and came here," Codie replied with a shrug.
"You ever been in an underground casino before?" Balto asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"No, but if Aurora finds me here, I'm dead. Literally."
"Well then, let's have some fun while we can." Balto said, walking over to the craps table.
