Chapter 7: One Wrong Move

For the past couple of hours, the group had gone around Tikani's territory, finding and taking note of the size of each caribou herd. Tikani's knowledge proved vital, as he was the one who would know if there would be enough for everyone. They were now in the northern reaches of his territory, with one more herd left to survey. The mood was that of guarded optimism, as all involved wanted this to work, but there were still a few hurdles to jump through. "Tikani, I don't think I got to thank you for taking the chance to do this," Balto started, hoping to improve the trust that was beginning to form. "I'm glad that we're finally talking."

"You're welcome, and I do look forward to putting this behind us. I just hope that you don't begrudge us for taking one of your dogs." Turning to Kari, he added, "I know we put you and your team through quite an ordeal, but I promise you it wasn't personal. I just wanted to protect my own pack."

Kari nodded. "I understand. In a few ways you're like my own brother. Sometimes he acts before he thinks, but his heart's in the right place."

"Fortunately, if we keep going at the rate we are, we'll have you back with your brother very soon," Anya replied.

"With all the caribou we've counted so far, how close are we to filling your pack's needs?" Balto asked.

"Well, taking into account the hit from the dog team, I'd say we'd have enough to fill maybe… four out of every five," Tikani replied.

"Only that?" Kari asked. "We've already counted three herds, and each of them were very large. I didn't know wolves needed that much food."

"That's because we don't eat all of the caribou. We make sure to leave enough so that they can bear young to replace those that we take," Anya explained. "Out of a large herd, we only take a fraction of them to keep them in balance, without wiping them out."

"Of course; you'd need to ensure you'd have food for future years," Balto said.

"Yes, and food availability is also part of what decides the size of our territory," Tikani continued. "We staked out this area so that it would include enough caribou for us. If our numbers increase, we increase our range and vice-versa."

"In other words, you grow and adapt to suit your needs," Kari clarified.

"Precisely," Tikani replied. "Huh, I guess you dogs aren't as thick as I thought."

"Gee, thanks," Kari mumbled. She was a little annoyed by his comment, but didn't have time to dwell on it because they could see the last herd ahead. Wasting no time, Tikani got to work, circling around and making a quick headcount, picking those that would make for the best prey. The other three followed him, making sure to stay hidden to avoid spooking the caribou. If they bolted, they would have to catch up and start their count again. They circled once and Tikani sat down and mumbled to himself as he crunched the numbers in his head. Unfortunately, there was no hiding the worried look on his face, as he never seemed to get the result he wanted.

"Is everything okay?" Balto asked.

"Not exactly." Tikani's face was grim, his tail sat flat and lifeless like a discarded sock on the snow. "With the number of caribou currently available, we have barely enough to meet the needs of your team and my pack, and ensure that there will be enough to carry on in the future. It could only be done if my pack wasn't growing, but there's a good chance that there will be pups this year. If we tried to fill everyone, it would cause the caribou to decline. After a few years, they may be gone."

"I've been going through the numbers myself Balto," Anya put in. "I'm afraid he's right. They need the herd in the southern valley in order to sustain themselves."

"And if we tried to hunt as well, it would go badly in the long run… for both of us," Kari ceded. "Are you sure there aren't any more caribou here? Where are we?"

"We're at the very northern edge of my territory. The border is no more than a few paces from where we're sitting," he replied.

"What's beyond it?" Kari asked, looking out into the endless forest.

"I don't know; I haven't seen any other packs, only open wilderness," Tikani replied.

"I don't know either; Maska has never bothered to send scouts out there," Anya continued.

"That doesn't mean we should stop here," Balto said, "C'mon, let's try to think of some other way around this."

"I don't know of any other way. I'm sorry, but this may not work out," Tikani said, causing Balto to worry. He wanted to find a peaceful resolution that would benefit both sides, and the idea of failure did not sit well with him. "My priority is to my own pack and… Hey, where are you going?" Tikani barked. Balto and Anya turned to see Kari wandering out of Tikani's territory.

"Kari, what are you doing?" Balto asked.

"I have a hunch," she replied. "You said yourself that your pack expands its territory to meet demand, right? If you're facing more demand, then I think that you might want to look into some more property."

"Of course; if there are caribou out there, you could expand your territory and have enough to meet the needs of your pack," Anya put in.

"But I don't know if there are caribou out there in the first place," Tikani said.

"Then we'll have to take a look; how else will you know what's out there," Balto suggested, and he and Anya followed Kari through the woods, with Tikani close behind. This was it, Balto could almost feel his victory here. "This must be what it feels like during the last few yards of a race," he thought. "To be so close, able to see the finish right ahead of you. It's a real rush; I wonder if this is how my father felt when he ran races… when he became a champion like my mother said. I may not be running a race here, but I guess there are other ways to a be a hero."


Kisa stretched before lying back down on the blankets. Other than the quick chat with Kaltag, she had resolved to avoid talking to her captors. She didn't care how nice they claimed they could be; they were still dogs, and in her eyes that made them her enemy. While she didn't like the Chinook that seemed to be in charge, he had done one good thing for her; he sent that belligerent husky away. Spitz's constant cries of 'where's my sister' made him seem like a whiny pup, but she couldn't ignore his devotion. "His desire to help his sister sure is strong. I couldn't help but feel like he doesn't exactly enjoy the authority placed on him," she thought. "Then again, I wouldn't enjoy having a half-breed in charge either… hm, maybe I could use that to my advantage." No sooner had she finished that thought than she heard footsteps crunching through the snow outside. The room she was in was on the outside wall of the old mill, and some small holes in the wall allowed her to see an alley outside. The footsteps were approaching slowly, and she could hear whomever it was sniffing; they were obviously looking for something.

Finally, the footsteps stopped on the opposite side of the wall and she heard a voice call out, "Hey, you still in there wolf?"

She groaned; it was Spitz again. "You again; I guess you're here for round two?" she asked. "Remember, you can use him. You just have to work him up properly."

"You guessed right," he replied. He'd lost little if any of his ill temper. "I suppose we can forego the usual pleasantries because you already know what I want."

"Ah yes, your darling sister," she taunted. "You care a lot for her don't you? It makes you want to rush to the rescue, doesn't it?"

"I do… but the powers that be have decided to keep me out of this," he grumbled.

"Just as I thought; he doesn't like the half-breed," she thought. "Oh? That doesn't sound fair, considering how it's your sister on the line," she said.

"I know. Her fate is in the hands of a half-breed I wouldn't even trust a bone to and his friends who seem to follow his every word without question," he growled.

"That's right Spitz… you're playing right into my paws," Kisa thought. She knew she was starting to hit a soft spot with him... she just need to apply more pressure. "It's crazy, isn't it? Besides, why would you want to trust dogs that let her be taken away in the first place? If they couldn't protect her once, then who knows how they'll bungle her rescue?" she suggested. "It'd be a shame if you never got to see her again, all because of the failure of some half-breed."

This caught Spitz's attention. "What if she's right, what if Balto can't get my sister back? What would the wolves do with her? Would they force her to become one of their own... or would they see her as baggage to be disposed of?" he wondered. "That half-breed is so sure of his plan, but he never bothered to talk about any alternatives. I don't like how he's suddenly taken the show here… besides this is my sister who's on the line." He started to pace around. "You're right, I don't know if Balto can get it done… but I don't know what I can do either. I don't know where Kari is in the first place."

"I might be able to help you there," she volunteered. "In fact, I may just know exactly where she's being held."

"How would you know that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm one of the alphas of my pack remember? I know everything about our plans… including where we take prisoners," she replied.

"Then tell me! Tell me where I'd have to go to find her!" he demanded.

"I suppose I could tell you… but you'd be only one dog against my entire pack," she pointed out. "You wouldn't get far before they found you and I don't think that they'd be happy to see you again. No, you're better off here than out there."

"But I can't leave her like that!" he exclaimed.

"You really care about her, don't you? Your sister I mean," Kisa asked, knowing that she was almost there. "You're willing to risk facing down an entire pack of wolves, just to save her?"

There was a long pause, until Spitz softly said, "Yes," causing her to smile. "But I can't do it alone."

"Fortunately, I can help you with that too," she replied. It was time to deliver the coup de grace, and she had to play it out just right if she hoped to succeed. "I can take you in and get you past the guards. You'd get your sister back, and I'd be back with my pack... but it would require you to help me get out of here first. Can you do that?"

This caught Spitz a little off guard. It would mean trusting this wolf enough to let her go and lead him to her pack, but it would be a chance to get Kari back. "I don't know… you're not exactly trustworthy," he said.

"Fine then. I'll stay here and so will you," she replied apathetically. "Meanwhile, your sister will be waiting in fear, wondering why her brother isn't doing anything to save her." This pulled at Spitz the most; the idea of simply leaving his sister there was unbearable. It would mean having to put his trust in a wolf, but right now, his desire to see his sister safe and sound far outweighed his distrust for wolves. Examining the wall, he found that some of the panels had come loose due to age and weathering. He could get her out, but it would be risky.

"… Alright, I'll help you, but no funny business or else," Spitz warned.

"Fair enough," she replied and Spitz set to work. Finding that some of the nails could slide right out, he grabbed them with his teeth and pulled them out, loosening the board further. Repeating this a few more times, he managed to loosen two boards enough that they could be tilted out the way, providing an opening for her to squeeze through. The two were careful to not make too much noise lest they alert the dogs in the mill, but soon Kisa was free. Without another word, Spitz started to walk through the alleys with Kisa close behind, both of them taking care to avoid being seen.

"This is risky, but it's my best shot," he thought, "I have to protect my own team. That wolfdog had his chance, now it's my turn."


While exploring the unclaimed land to the north, the group of four would come across some good fortune when the forest opened up into a wide field. In the distance was the unmistakable form of what they were looking for: caribou. The herd appeared large, as their numbers had not been depressed by the predation of hungry wolves. A quick headcount by Tikani confirmed that there were enough to support his pack, with a few extra just in case. It had taken most of the day, but Balto was relieved that he had finally done it. He had made peace with Tikani's pack, and in doing so not only protected the lives of the dogs in town, but the lives of the wolves as well. It wasn't long before Tikani gathered his pack together in the riverbed where he and Balto had first met to share the deal he had made with them.

At the urging of a few of his scouts, some other conditions were added to the deal. No other dogs except for Spitz's team would be allowed to hunt in their territory to prevent over-hunting. They would limit themselves to the southern valley, going no farther north to prevent them from entering the core of their territory. Also, they would always have to enter from the southwest corner so that their entry and exit could be watched. In return, the wolves would allow them safe passage and stay out of their way to avoid any more skirmishes. To accommodate them, Tikani's pack would expand northward towards the herd of caribou that they had just found to the north. Everyone present agreed to these terms, and to Balto, it felt as though he had performed another great victory. "See, I told you that we could work something out if we talked," he said.

"Alright, you got me there," Tikani replied. "And now to seal the deal, it's time to get everyone home."

"Does that mean I'm free to go?" Kari asked.

"Soon, but Balto, can I ask one more thing of you? Could you bring my mate here first? I simply want to see that she's okay, and I'm sure that by now your dogs are sick of playing host with her," Tikani requested.

"Of course," Balto agreed, and turned to Anya. "Could you go find Kaltag in town? He should still be in the old mill on the west end of town, and he'll have Kisa with him. I can keep Kari company here while we wait, but remember to be careful when approaching. You're still a wolf walking into a human town."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I managed to get there this morning without much fuss," she said, before turning to leave. "I'll say hi to Jenna for you too if I find her!" she shouted.

"You do that," Balto said, chuckling a little, "This is it; only a few more minutes and this deal will finally be done with. Nothing could possibly go wrong now."


By now the sun had almost set in Nome, and Spitz and Kisa were closer to their escape. The journey had taken a little while as the mill was on the west end of town, while Kisa's territory was to the east. They were forced to cross the entire town, using alleys and abandoned buildings for cover. Even though they would soon have to dash out into the open tundra, the low light would make it easier for them to slip away. They crept along in silence, with Spitz trying to keep a close eye on Kisa; he didn't want her to slip away and ruin everything. She may have earned some confidence by sharing his feelings about Balto, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was up to something.

"Is it much farther?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts. "It feels like we've been sneaking around for ages."

"It takes a little while to cross town, especially if we're trying not to be seen. We're almost there and once we're out, you can take me to your territory," Spitz replied as he turned the corner into an alley that led out to the open tundra. "See, I told you. The edge of town is right there."

"Good… to bad you dogs are too thick for you own good," she said venomously.

"What are you talking abo - ack!" Spitz cried, his question cut off as Kisa jumped on him, sinking her teeth into his leg and knocking him to the ground. Once he was down, she tried to make a break for it, but Spitz quickly recovered. That wolf had double-crossed him and he wasn't about to let her get away with it. He chased after her and snapped his jaw on her tail, drawing a painful shriek from her. She whipped around to strike back, but he dodged, maintaining his hold on her tail. For any canine, chasing their tail is very difficult, especially when you have another husky clamped down on it. Finally, Kisa kicked out with her rear legs, catching him in the chest and pushing him off her. In their struggle, they had turned around so that Spitz was now blocking her exit. Kisa was forced to turn back with Spitz hot on her trail, heading back into town. "You won't get away this time wolf!" Spitz yelled. "I'm getting Kari back if I have to drag you by your ears!"

Spitz caught up with her again, and this time he bit into her shoulder while slamming his full weight into her. Both were on the ground, rolling around until they fell into the open street. A scream was heard as a few of the townspeople who hadn't gone home for the evening saw a full-fledged wolf in the town, grappling with one of the dogs. "There's a wolf in the town! Someone get a gun!" someone shouted, and there was a scramble to get away from the scene. Kisa and Spitz kept biting at each other until they broke off, standing to face each other directly.

"You lied to me! You were never going to take me to her!" Spitz barked.

"Of course not; you're not worth the trouble," she spat. "Still, I do appreciate you getting me out. See ya later," she finished. She turned away from Spitz, but instead of seeing freedom ahead of her, she froze as she came face to face with the metal barrel of a rifle. Spitz froze up as well as he heard the unmistakable click of a round being cocked into the chamber.


By now, Kaltag could barely stay awake; the exhaustion from the past couple of days was taking its toll. He had barely slept last night due to having to stay up and watch over the town, and his current assignment hadn't allowed him time to nap. Earlier, he had managed to run thanks to the adrenaline surge brought on by grappling with the wolves, but that boost had long worn off, leaving him on the verge of falling over. Nikki and Star had been with him to help look after Kisa, but they too were starting to wear down. Nikki's eyes were half-open, and every now and then he would start to lean to one side as it became harder for him to stay upright. Star was already dozing off, but Kaltag didn't have the energy or the heart to wake him up. He felt like dozing off himself, but the task at hand forced him to stay awake. Still, his exhausted state wasn't much of a concern for him; Kisa had been quiet for the past few hours. "I should still check up on her, just in case," he thought. He stood up and was about to walk over when he heard the door to the mill creak open.

"Okay, he's just in here; hurry up or you'll be caught," he heard Jenna's voice say. He turned around and saw her, along with a familiar red-brown wolf.

"Jenna, Anya; what are you two doing here?" he asked. "Where's Balto?"

"He's still with Tikani and Kari," Anya replied, grinning. "They're both fine and he managed to reach an agreement with Tikani! All he needs now is to bring Kisa back."

"It… worked?" he said. "It actually worked? He got the wolves to leave us alone?" Anya nodded, and he shouted out in joy. "YES! This is the happiest, the most joyous, the most jubilant-" he cried out and quickly nuzzled Anya. However, she didn't mind as she herself felt like jumping around. "Oh Kisa, guess what? You're going home soon!" he called out, but there was no reply. "Ugh, always the antisocial one," he mumbled. "Kisa?" he asked, poking his head into the side room. However, his new joy vanished and his eyes went wide when he saw the empty room. "NO! She's gone!" he cried.

"What? Where did she go?" Jenna asked as she and Anya looked in as well.

"I don't know, but I can see how she got out," Kaltag said, looking at the opening that had been made in the wall. He started to sniff the floor for any clues. "Hang on, I don't think she did this alone. It smells like she had some help from…" his eyes narrowed and his brows knitted as he growled out the last word, "...Spitz. This can't be good. We have to find her, before someone sees her and-" he was cut off by a sudden, thundering bang that echoed across the town. The bang shocked Nikki and Star awake, made Anya jump in shock, while sending a wave of panic through Kaltag. The only reason for someone to shoot within the town was if they... "No, please no," he muttered, as he ran out towards the source of the sound. When he arrived, his stomach twisted. Kisa was there, lying on the ground with a bleeding wound in her neck while Spitz stood over her, frozen in shock. "Spitz!" he roared before launching himself at the husky. He slammed into him, pushing him onto his back and holding him down with his paws. Spitz growled at him, but Kaltag didn't falter. Alerted by the noise, several other dogs came towards the scene.

"You idiot! You insufferable, incurable, unforgivable idiot! Do you have any idea what you have just done!" Kaltag bellowed at him.

"I just wanted to get my sister back!" Spitz shouted back. "She said she would help me, but she double-crossed me!"

"You let her out? You were supposed to wait for Balto to come back!" Kaltag yelled.

Spitz averted his eyes. "I was tried of waiting. I wanted to get my sister back my way."

"Don't you get it? With what you've done, the chances of getting her back have just gone down the toilet," Kaltag shot back. When Spitz realized he was right, it made the husky sick. Without Kisa, the wolves wouldn't give his sister back, nor would they agree to any type of peace. "If this deal fails, it won't be the wolves fault, nor will it be Balto's. It will be yours, and yours alone."