"Don't go out too far, Aleu, the tide's coming in fast!" Balto called to his daughter.
"Don't worry, Balto, she's perfectly safe." Estelle said.
"I'll be fine." Aleu smiled as she let the wind hit her face with her fur gently in the breeze.
Balto couldn't help it, he was still being a protective parent. "I don't like you being out here... You could slip and fall."
"Papa, you've got to stop worrying about me..." Aleu sighed.
Ingrid pointed as she kept her hood up. "I hate to break this up, but we got more company." She was pointing to dangerous wolves of the wild.
"Oh, great." Akito groaned.
The bad wolves came down one by one to pursue the strangers in their habitat.
"Avoid us, 'cuz," the brown wolf laughed wickedly. "We're mean. Right, Nuk?"
"Yeah, especially when I'm hungry," the other wolf named Nuk agreed viciously. "Especially for humans who don't know where they're going or who they're dealing with..."
Balto stood close with Aleu as Ingrid stood protectively with Akito and Estelle.
"We don't want any trouble." Akito said.
"This is your territory, so we'll go." Balto added in defense.
The three wolves came over anyway.
"Sorry, but you aren't going nowhere!" the lead wolf chuckled, scratching his fleas while threatening.
"That's 'anywhere'," Aleu corrected with a scowl.
"Yeah, flea bag." Estelle added.
"Girls, I hardly think this is time to be correcting his grammar..." Balto muttered.
"You think you can win cuz you got Coyote Girl with you, you got another thing comin', she's flesh and weak like all of youse!" the wolf taunted.
Ingrid looked firmly at them, but she raised her hands in a waving motion again, which seemed to summon something over. It was the raven!
"Do you have magic powers?" Akito asked her.
"You could say that..." Ingrid whispered. "I'm not like most girls..."
"What are you?" Estelle asked.
"I can't tell you now, but I will when the time is right..." Ingrid made the raven scare off the dooming wolves.
Balto and Aleu were just thrilled the raven was on their side and they could get away. Aleu wanted to challenge them though with her inner wolf.
'Aleu, please don't.' Akito thought.
Aleu growled and pounced to the bad wolves as the raven cawed. Balto took his hand at trying to knock them down and hurt them, the raven didn't hold them off for long. Aleu nearly slipped and drowned with the water wave and the crazier of the wolves was trying to come for him, but Balto butted him away, but soon Akito, Estelle, Ingrid, Aleu, and Balto were surrounded by the three wolves.
'Oh, dear.' Estelle thought.
Aleu and Balto tried their best to take down the endangering wolves.
"Let me help." Ingrid spoke up.
"You're human, wolves aren't too keen on humans." Balto looked back to her.
"Well yeah, but at least let us help." Estelle spoke up.
"How good are you?" Balto asked the feral girl.
Ingrid stepped in anyway, it was three against two. When Aleu and Balto took two wolves, Ingrid came for the other one.
"Aww... And I thought doggies and humans could swim!" one of the wolves taunted.
"Yeah, yeah, chase their tails with a leash!" the other laughed.
Ingrid seemed to concentrate hard as the wave behind the bad wolves was coming up and splashed them hard like it had hurt them since they were now on the ledge and looked like they were just beat up.
"Wow, she's good." Estelle said.
Akito nodded. The wolves got up, thinking the tide was coming in.
"Come on, we better get out of here." Balto told Aleu, Akito, Estelle, and Ingrid.
"Balto, it's not the tide," Akito whispered. "Ingrid brought a wave to those wolves to scare them."
"We still have to get out of here before it gets too strong." Balto said to him.
"Good point, besides, I have a feeling they might have a friend that is as evil as they are maybe even more." Akito said.
The alpha wolf named Niju of the three bad wolves was mocking his followers, until a new wolf pack came in and stopped their mocking about 'all doggies going to heaven'. This new wolf with his pack seemed larger and stronger and protective for Balto, Akito, Estelle, Ingrid, and Aleu.
"I will not let them go, Nava." Niju scoffed to the other lead wolf. "I will not let you, an aging fool, destroy us with your weakness!"
"I admire your passion, Niju." Nava smirked as he came with his followers.
"I have a feeling Niju is about to be humiliated." Akito whispered.
"Niju reminds me of Steele." Estelle said to her brother.
Nava and Niju were at nose and nose. Ingrid didn't have to do anything as a whale was blowing his blowhole with water gushing everywhere. The water from its spout splashed up, then came down and splattered onto Niju, making everyone laugh at his misery. Even Ingrid was laughing.
"Someday your tricks and the Coyote Girl's will not be enough to save you." Niju snarled as he was dripping wet.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Niju." Nava apologized, but sounded anything but sorry.
'I don't feel sorry for Niju one little bit.' The twins thought.
"Thank you for your help." Balto smiled.
"You're welcome," Nava told them. "But it is I who thank you for coming at last."
"You knew we were coming?" Balto sounded surprised.
"Of course, it was I who sent you with Ingrid's help." Nava explained.
"Really?" Estelle asked him. "How?"
"Come with me... We've been expecting one like Aleu for a long time." Nava replied, leading them to his pack with his others following.
And so, they followed Nava into his pack.
The others were together and Nava took the top rock to make an announcement to his pack. "My brothers and sisters, our summer has almost passed and I have listened to the trees and the blades of grass and they have said this: The caribou will not return this year."
This made the wolves mutter against each other, that meant no food for them.
"Nor any other year," Nava continued. "For they have crossed the Great Water."
The wolves gasped at that.
"If we are to survive, we must follow them with the Coyote Girl raised by the fox, Iris." Nava then stated, looking to Ingrid.
Everyone began to look towards Ingrid.
"If we are to survive, we must follow her." Nava announced, even if the wolves mostly hated Ingrid for being raised by a fox.
Niju scoffed as he circled Ingrid with Akito, Estelle, Balto, and Aleu. "The old one believes that trees and grass can talk and it's time to realize our leader has lost his ability to lead for trusting a fox girl with the cloth of coyotes!"
This made Akito and Estelle to tighten their knuckles.
"How dare you say that!" a dark brown wolf snapped.
"Yes, Nava has always led us well, even if we are to trust the girl raised by a fox." a silver one added.
"Stop!" Nava barked. "Let him speak."
'Is he serious?! Niju is bad mouthing Ingrid and Nava wants him to speak?!' Akito thought.
"I'm not sure." Estelle said back, she didn't realize it, but she had read her brother's thoughts.
Nava told that maybe the caribou might come back, they didn't know.
"Niju could be right..." the brown wolf whispered.
"Could be..." the silver one repeated.
'They better not be agreeing with that jerk.' Akito thought.
"How do you expect to survive without caribou?" Ingrid asked. "Even my human people needed them before I left... Mostly for milk."
"She's right," a female black wolf spoke up. "They bring us life."
"Simple," Niju smirked. "We take what we can from the other clans, even if it concerns Coyote Girl's human pack."
The other wolves didn't like the idea of stealing from others as Niju claimed it would be their right to survive.
"And if you eat the food, what about the others?" Estelle spoke up.
"That is none of our concern." Niju scoffed.
"You'll throw everything out of balance!" Akito exclaimed.
"The boy Akito is right," Nava walked over. "Is not the balance of our world the concern of all? If we steal from other clans, those clans will be forced to steal as well. Soon, we will all be fighting for less and less food."
"Uh-oh," one of the dumb, evil wolves murmured. "Less and less food sounds bad, doesn't it, Sumac?"
"Oh, yeah, really bad, really, really bad..." the mangy wolf, Sumac, agreed. "Unless you're on a diet."
"Who's on a diet?" the biggest wolf looked down at him in confusion.
"Aniu, the white wolf has come to me in dream visions and has taken the form of the one we would least expect on this wolf quest adventure and has told me what we must do..." Nava told the others, mentioning Balto's mother. "She said we must move on we must be led by one who is wolf and does not know..." He came toward Aleu and Balto as he said this.
"I know exactly who is the one that is to lead this pack." Akito said as he looked to Aleu.
"Papa...?" Aleu spoke up.
Balto smiled, he looked pleased. "Look, I'm flattered... Really, I mean, I led a dog team before with Akito in the winter, but not a pack..."
Niju laughed as good as a cackling hyena. "See here... Our wise leader who visits with the great Anui only in his dreams has brought a mutt to guide us."
This made his minions laugh, but wonder what a mutt was. Aleu growled, coming toward Niju, she did not like her father being laughed at for that and neither did Akito or Estelle.
"It's all right, Aleu," Balto stopped his daughter before a grudge match could happen. "His blood may be pure, but his motives are not."
Aleu glared at both Balto and Niju, then went to the top rock to let her voice be heard by the others. "I say Niju is afraid to cross the Great Water."
The others gasped at that.
"I am not afraid!" Niju snapped. "But crossing the Great Water is impossible! We cannot swim in it, we could all die! So I, Niju, say Nava must step down and let a true leader take his place."
"I will step down, Niju, when a true leader takes my place." Nava insisted.
Niju snarled and lunged for Nava to fight him.
'Bad decision.' Akito thought while smirking.
Nava seemed to had disappeared when Niju came for him. The wolves and the few humans came as Niju demanded to be fought so he can take down Nava for good.
"How did you do that?" Aleu and the twins asked in unison.
Niju had enough. "I will not be a leader who depends on foolish dreams or a human who neglected her own kind!" He snarled and looked back at the pack as he walked off. "Those who will, follow me!"
The wolves murmured to each other, wondering what to do, but a few did go after Niju.
'Traitors.' Akito thought.
The remaining wolves went the other way as Balto and Aleu stared at them. Somehow, Ingrid came up to the tree closest to Aleu and made magical sparkles came out from the palm of her hand and it made the tree come to life and had Nava come out as soon as Niju and the others were out of sight.
"Ingrid simply helped me become one with the tree," Nava answered Alue, Akito, and Estelle's question once they were alone.
"If I tried that, I'd get splinters." Balto lightly chuckled.
This made the twins giggle.
Nava led them to the ice caps in the water, leading to the Northern Lights, reciting proverbs they must learn and live by. "But now, we must speak of how you will lead us to the caribou."
Balto looked confused. "Nava, I don't understand..."
Ingrid looked Aleu in the eyes, both of their eyes turning yellow as Ingrid let some visions appear in Aleu's head, like she was more of the new leader than her father was. Akito and Estelle looked at Aleu's eyes and where their eyes began to glow as well. Aleu blinked and shook her head as Nava and Balto talked about dreams. Nava walked off, and making Balto follow as the raven flew overhead, cawing.
"This has gone too far, Aleu, and it isn't our battle." Balto told his daughter, trying to make them get back home to everyone else.
"But, Papa, I saw caribou," Aleu spoke up.
"Look, this could be very dangerous," Balto argued. "Despite my dreams or anything else, I will not put you in any danger."
"This is not about you all anymore." Ingrid spoke up. "You all may not be full wolves, but this is about the others and you must help them..."
But Balto didn't want to hear anymore as the wind started to return. "That wind is a sign that winter's coming early, come on, everyone, your parents must be worried sick, especially your mother, Aleu. We'll all leave by morning."
"We're not leaving, Balto." Estelle said.
"We must," Balto said to her. "Your family must be worried sick over you just as well as Jenna."
He saw that the twins and Aleu were serious about helping this pack.
"We're not leaving, Balto," Estelle repeated. "We have to help this pack."
Balto looked to them and sighed. "I don't know..."
"Please, Papa, let us help them." Aleu said to her father.
Balto found he had no choice. They would stay here for tonight. He also relaized that Aleu was a more strong leader of the pack than he was amounting to be. Ingrid had a small smile, it seemed as though this was all going according to plan in her mind.
"Alright, we'll stay here for the night and try and help them." Balto said.
Aleu smiled finally to her father. "Thank you, Papa..."
"Yes, thank you, Balto." Ingrid added.
Balto smiled softly to them. "I guess we better keep ourselves warm with the incoming winter... This weather has been strange lately."
"Come on, we'll help get you guys settled." Aleu told the twins and feral girl.
"Thanks, Aleu." The twins said.
"Ingrid, me and Estelle saw the vision too." Akito whispered to the feral girl.
Ingrid turned to them. "You did?"
"Yes..." Estelle nodded as Balto and Aleu went off to find them shelter for the night.
"You two have a mighty powerful path ahead of you," Ingrid said, wryly. "Do you know of your parents' backgrounds who made you who you are?"
"We don't know much about Dad's side, but we do know Mom's side." Akito said.
"What's that?" Ingrid asked. "If I may know..."
"Sure you can, you're our friend." Estelle said with a smile before she and Akito explained.
"Oh, my." Ingrid said after hearing about their mother's side.
"Angel, Scamp, Annette, Colette, and Danielle told us," Akito finished.
"The triplets weren't there, but they heard it from Angel and Scamp," Estelle added. "And of course, Dad told us as a bedtime story."
Ingrid slowly nodded. "I see... Your mother sounds very strong to go through that kind of life though."
Balto and Aleu came to the kids as soon as shelter was found for them.
"And Mom and Dad have gone on adventures with Aunt Cherry, Dad mostly, but at times, Mom and Dad would always go on adventures with her." Akito said.
"I heard about her in my village... There were lots of crazy stories about her." Ingrid said as they went to follow Balto and Aleu.
Akito yawned once they got to a cavern to stay in with beds made up for them so they wouldn't have to sleep on the cold, cave floor. Estelle laid down on the floor falling fast asleep without any problems.
"Get some rest, you might need it." Balto said before they all fell asleep.
Soon, they all slept, except for Aleu who had dreams again and decided to go see Nava about them. Estelle woke up and saw Aleu not there and decided to go out and find her and when she stepped out, she saw Aleu walking to Nava. Aleu noticed Estelle and went with her to see the alpha wolf staring at the colorful Northern Lights of Alaska.
"A star dies and another is born," Nava recited. "All is great dance of balance," he then looked to the girls with a friendly smile. "You have questions."
"How'd you know?" Estelle asked with a smile.
"Ingrid informed me." Nava replied.
Aleu smiled, then did ask her question. "Why is Niju so against moving the clan? What is he afraid of?"
"Niju is not a coward," Nava explained as the sky glowed white before it started to rain. "He is not afraid to die, but he is afraid of change. He would rather face starvation than leave the land he believes is ours. This world through which we wander is wonderful and strange... The only truth we can really know is that everything will change."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Estelle said before looking into the ocean. Even though she never had swimming lessons, the ocean looked like a fun place she could swim in.
Meanwhile, it was snowing back in Nome.
Jenna looked out the window with Rosy. "What's keeping them...?" she mumbled, still worried about Aleu and Balto.
Rosy held her dog. "Don't worry, I'm sure they're fine, Jenna..." she whispered calmly.
Boris looked up with Muk and Luk as it snowed in their area.
"Uncle Boris, what do you suppose what's taking them so long?" Muk asked.
Luk whimpered.
Boris sighed. "I'm not sure, boys... I'm not sure..."