Chapter 8
Bad News
Balto woke up early the next morning and padded over to the single window in his room. He placed his forepaws on the sill and pushed on the cold glass with his nose. To his delight, Duke had left it unlocked. Balto pushed the window as far as he could make it go and hoisted himself up and out, landing lightly in the snow beneath him. The sun had risen completely over the horizon twenty minutes ago and its rays warmed his back and eased the aches out of his sore muscles. He took in a draw of the crisp air and exhaled. This deep breath shook away any drowsiness that still clung to him and he looked out in the distance with only one thing on his mind. He had to notify the pack of Alue's death.
He turned off to the east and trotted off in the effortless gait of a wolf and ventured nonstop across the land with a less than high spirit. None the less he covered the distance in a little less than four hours. He stood on a cliff and gazed out at the water that rolled and lapped in an endless attempt to reclaim its land, but there was a problem. Winter would soon blend into spring and had done its work on the ice bridge. Even from where he stood he saw that it only stretched about a mile into the water. The other seven had been claimed by the warming weather. How was he supposed to get to the other side?
"Follow the sun's light my son; let it guide you to your family," came a soft voice that seemed to belong to the light breeze.
Balto didn't understand. What was that supposed to mean? The sun was directly above him and as of now, completely blocked out by clouds. How was he supposed to use that for anything? On a dime's drop, the clouds parted only enough to send a single ray of light to the earth. Balto couldn't believe it. Balto followed the beam of light from its source to where it ended. There, illuminated like a sign from God was half of a tree that had been split by lightning and had fallen some months ago. He back traced around the cliff he stood atop, and ran down the beach a short way, then finally turned back inland and up the small slope that marked where the woods ended. The tree lay dead ahead. Balto inspected the trunk thoroughly and found that thankfully, it had not rotted beyond use. He seized a stout branch that had not yet broken off and pulled as hard as he could in a backwards direction. The tree refused to move. Balto released the branch and took in long heaving breaths. He set his mouth to it again and wrenched his whole body backwards. There was a slight grinding sound and the tree gave slightly. This further encouraged Balto and he put all of his effort into the branch. With one final tug and a strenuous growl, the half slid free and fell to the ground. Balto stood for a few moments and caught his breath, secretly proud of himself to be able to do that without help. Using a great deal of his regained strength, he began to pull it down to the beach in the same way he had removed it. He dug his hind paws into the ground and tugged on the tree until he felt the ground turn to grain. The sand made for easier travel and he was able to put a little less strain on his aching muscles. He dragged this stubborn thing through the sand until he felt the cold water lick his back paws.
The voice crossed into his ears soft and sweet once again.
"Trust in the wind my son; let it carry you on your way."
Incredibly at that exact moment, a steady gust of wind blew upon his back and out into the water. Balto knew this was yet another sign and went to pulling the log. Once the front half of it reached the water, the rest of it slid effortlessly in. Balto now easily pulled the log out until the almost smooth water lapped under his chest and clambered on. Unbelievably still, and without his prior knowledge, the tides shifted and he was quickly carried off shore.
Far away on the face of a rocky cliff that looked out over the ocean, a white wolf sat back on her haunches and watched as her son grew smaller and smaller in the vast ocean.
"Good luck to you my son, and may your journey lead you to what is is you seek to find."
She howled her song and slowly turned to dust in the breeze.
- Balto landed on the island not long before the sun began its descent upon the horizon.
"Ahh you've come back," came a scratchy voice from one of the many evening shadows.
Out into the light stepped a long slender tan wolf with one eye.
"Yes Kaspin, I humbly request passage through your territory once again to the Calcutta territory. I need to speak with the alphas."
"Of course my friend," Kaspin replied.
A thought hit him and he glanced off with his one eye unsure exactly how to deliver the question that spun around in his mind.
"So, where is Alue and her escort," Kaspin began with a nervous sweep of his paw, "you know, that big guy with the bad attitude. I thought for sure that whatever you sent her for would not take but a day or two."
"That is why I have come here," Balto stated and dropped his eyes to the ground. "That bastard lied and manipulated every wolf on this island. He came and took her from under you and you didn't pick up on his true intentions. He took her to see me and then killed her while I watched." Balto found this sentence hard to articulate.
Kaspin dropped his head and then lifted it again with a searing anger bubbling in his one blue eye.
"That conniving son of a bitch, I'll rip his head off!"
"No need, I took care of him myself."
"Are you going to be alright," Kaspin asked with a voice that was flat and consumed by dread.
"I'll manage," Balto said with his head down. "I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to tell her family." He raised his eyes again and let his gaze meet Kaspin's. "How can I look Calcutta in the eyes and tell him that he sent his own mate to her demise?"
- Balto stood alone in the tunnel opening that overlooked his daughter's home. He saw Calcutta, a large brown wolf with tan socks, sitting on his haunches and smiling down at his two pups as they play fought. Balto moved his eyes across the land beneath him and saw a tan wolf napping under the shade of a tree, two others, one grey with a white belly and the other, a bright shade of white with black goggles and ear tips sniffed around in the tall grass and near rocks in search for mice. From the looks of them they were merely killing time instead of actually hunting for food.
Balto let out a bark, alerting the pack of his presence and padded down the natural walkway that zigged and twisted to the ground. Calcutta smiled and rose to his feet, seeing his father-in-law, but quickly let his lips go slack when he noticed that he was alone. The other wolves , in exception of the two pups, fell in and sat themselves down in a line as Balto approached their alpha and came to a stop with five paces between them.
"How good to see you again, Balto," Calcutta said warmly.
Balto half smiled.
"My mate did not get too used to life in the city did she," Calcutta asked playfully, laughing at his own joke. The other wolves chuckled to themselves.
"Sir, with your permission, I would like to speak to you in private," Balto said and jerked his head to the den behind him.
"We are all a family here. Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of my pack; especially if it has anything to do with one of their alphas."
Balto knew that he could not get Calcutta to change his mind.
"Well sir," he began with a pause after addressing the leader, "Alue will not be returning to you."
Calcutta frowned and the wolves that had gathered started to murmur amongst themselves.
"What are you talking about? She said that she would be back in a few days..
Balto looked the leader in the eyes. The wolves that were murmuring to themselves fell silent. No words needed to be spoken. The telepathy of death takes its own form in one's eyes.
"No."
Balto hung his head.
"Alue died in the jaws of the dog that came and took her."
The rest of the pack hung their heads in mourning of their fallen leader. Balto looked over and down at the two pups that had lain together in a depression in the ground and his eyes began to fill up with tears. Why did it seem that the worst of evils fell upon the most innocent of creatures?
"I should have gone with her," Calcutta said with a saddened exhale, "I could have protected her."
"No, if you had gone he would have killed you too."
"You don't know that," Calcutta argued.
"Yes I do. When that guy has a rage, he is above nothing. He killed his own father when he was only a year old."
Calcutta looked up to the white clouds scattered thinly above him.
"She is in a better place."
Balto was shocked.
"Y… You know about the Gates?"
Calcutta only nodded.
"Who taught you?"
Calcutta tilted his head back down until he was looking Balto in the face.
"My mother; when I was just a pup of about two months. She told me right before she died that there was a place where everything was at peace and all of my passed family and friends would be waiting for me, when it finally comes my time." His speech was slow and smooth in the way of a reverend giving a sermon at a funeral. "I believe every word."
Balto stood in silence as the alpha tilted his head back to the sky and sat down with a wistful gaze at the clouds that rolled slowly across the endless sky. The wind blew through their fur as the pair sat and silently recollected happy memories spent with their beautiful Alue.
End Part 1
A/N So I finally finished the first part of this story. I'd like to see if I cant get any new reviewers. Come on, I know y'all are out there.
