Balto: How the Mighty Rise Again( part 9)
Three weeks had passed since Chiffre's death. Jenna padded up to the beached fishing boat. Boris was were he usually was, sweeping the deck.
"Hi Boris."
Boris jumped, breathing heavily. "Oh. Jenna. I guess you are here for Balto?"
Jenna nodded. "Is he here?"
Boris sighed. "If you can call staying under blanket for three veeks 'here' zen yes."
Jenna jumped up onto the deck. Boris gestured to the main cabin. Jenna hesitantly padded inside. "Balto?"
She saw movement. Balto popped up from under his blanket. "Jenna. Good to see you again."
Jenna looked around the cluttered boat. "Are you going to stay in here forever?"
"More or less." Balto replied. He had tears in his eyes. "I won. I should be feeling good. I should feel like I did before all this Silver business happened." He sighed. "But I don't. I feel like I'veā¦lost something.""I'm sorry about your brother, Balto."
Balto shook his head. "Not just him. Silver. Maria. Samson. You know he had a family?" The tears came streaming down his muzzle. "And he was gunned down for helping someone! It's not fair."
Jenna padded up next to him. "Sometimes life's not fair. You just have to make the best of it."
Balto smiled. "My mother used to say the same thing."
"I'm sure Aniu would be very proud of you, Balto. I know I am."
Jenna turned to leave. Boris was waiting with his wings folded. "How is he? He hasn't spoken to me in veeks!"
"Some wounds take a while to heal." Jenna said reassuringly.
Balto grunted as he got up. "Well I'm done feeling sorry for myself. Jenna, I'll be out of town for a few weeks."Jenna stepped in front of him. "Oh no you don't. I'm not letting you wander off again. I'm coming with you."
Balto shrugged. "Okay. Try to keep up."
Balto brushed past, down the ramp. Jenna was awestruck. "That's not Balto. He argues every little thing."
Boris grinned. "Maybe za boychik has outgrown his stubborness."
"You wish!" Balto shouted back. Boris groaned. "Vell, good luck to za two of you. Come back in vone piece."
Balto and Jenna had been traveling for almost two days. Finally Balto stopped. He was next to the entrance to an old cave. A tear trickled down his muzzle. "What is it?" Jenna asked curiously.
"I was born here. With my mother and my siblings."
Jenna gasped. "Here? Are you sure?"
"I would never forget it." Balto replied. He padded over to some rocks. They were arranged in a row. Each one had a letter engraved in them.
Balto stopped at the stone marked A. "My mother." Balto explained.
He looked around and found a blank rock. He took the rock and, using his claw, engraved a C in it. placed it next to his brother's and sister's graves.
He took a long look back at the cave. The memories came back to him. He closed his eyes. He remembered the smile of his mother, the excitement when his father came back from sled runs, the mischievous looks on his sibling's faces and his own. He opened his eyes again.
"Balto? Should we stay a while or should we go home?"
Balto sighed. "Let's go home. I promised you a family, and that's just what we're gonna have."
The two left the old cave, in the direction of Nome.
A brown and tan wolf dog climbed the side of a mountain. His fur appeared gray brown in the darkness of night. He grimaced as he climbed. But wolves were natural climbers. He reached the top. Here there was a perfect view of the city. Nome Alaska. In the wolf dog's mind it was the most beautiful place in the world. The lights of it were beautiful in the night. He smiled as he looked out across the city. His city. The city he had won back. The city that, once again, thought of him as their hero.
Then he breathed in and let out a triumphant howl.
