Ok, finally got some idea's for a new chapter! I sure hope you all like it, so yeah. Enjoy it everyone!

Chapter ten: Bridge's to Cross

Shadow led her team proudly. She would not let them down. The team tracked through the snow and ice, as best they could. Every once in a while, one of them would slip. But they still fought on.

Shadow looked back and saw her team trudging after her. She forced her head back around and pushed hard against the blinding snow.

After a while, they came across a slim and skinny ice bridge. Shadow looked at it, very worried.

"Alright every. We're going to have to do this slowly and carefully, if we're going to make it across! This is the shortest way and we need to go this way." Shadow said.

Everyone nodded and looked at her. She cocked her head, then she realized they wanted her to chose who went first and who went last.

Shadow sat down and decided that, Balto would go first, incase something happened, they would need a strong leader. Followed by Kodi, Ralph, Kirby, Dusty, Boris, Muk, Luk and lastly herself.

Balto made it to the other side safely, then the other followed closely behind. Shadow watched the bridge closely, and could see it wouldn't take much more weight. She gulped, when it was her turn to cross.

Everyone waited on the other side for her, trying their best to encourage her across. She slowly placed a paw on the ice and felt her fur stand up on end. The ice was very, very weak and it wouldn't take much for it to brake.

She could feel herself shaking, as she slowly crossed the bridge. She knew she had to be quick, but slow, if she was going to make it across.

"Come on, Shadow! You can make it." Balto said, from the other side.

Shadow looked up at her friends and forced a smile. She continued slowly walking across. She was almost to the other side, when her ears perked up on high.

She heard a sound that she had heard nearly a year ago, when she was making her way away from Wolf Mountain. The sound of a thin ice bridge, cracking under her weight.

She had a look of pure fear on her face, as she heard the ice cracking. She looked back and saw the ice, as cracks began to appear. All starting small, but then growing bigger and bigger.

"Come on, Shadow! RUN!" Kodi called out.

Shadow looked up at her friends, then pushed off as hard as she could and took off running down the thin ice bridge. She could feel her claws digging into the wet ice. Her paws slipping every once in a while, but she continued on.

She pushed harder. She could feel the ice, braking under her weight. She fought on, and soon came to the other side. But not before the ice gave way under her.

She let out a scream, as she fell. Balto ran towards the edge and clamped his teeth down on the scruff of her neck. Shadow stared down at the long fall, that was before her.

She could feel Balto's teeth digging into her skin, but she didn't feel the pain. She just stared downward. Kodi, Ralph and Kirby ran over and helped to pull her back up on solid ground.

Once they got her up, they pulled her further away from the edge. Shadow laid on the ground, trembling badly. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing quickly.

Balto and Kodi laid down in front of her, while Dusty, Ralph and Kirby laid around her. They all made a tight circle around her, to show they wouldn't leave her.

"Don't worry, Shadow. You're safe now!" Boris said, trying to cheer the pup up.

Shadow looked up at him, nervously. She was breathing so quickly, you almost couldn't see her breath, from the cold. She still trembled badly in fear.

"Hey. It's ok. You're alright!" Balto said, as he moved closer and gently nuzzled her.

Shadow tried not to whimper. But she was still so scared. She laid her nose down on her front paws and shook. Balto shook his head. He knew how scared she was.

"Come on. We don't have much daylight left." he said, taking charge of the group.

The others nodded, then Balto put his nose near Shadow's.

"You want me to carry you?" he gently asked.

Shadow looked at him and nodded. Balto moved around and let Shadow crawl up onto his back. Shadow held on tightly and tried to calm her terrible trembling.

"Alright. Let's go!" Balto said.

The group nodded and then they all set off. Each of them were worried about Shadow. That had been a very close call. They had almost lost her. And they would not let that happen.

Balto led the team along, trying to be careful where he stepped, so that he wouldn't slip on the ice and fall. He knew that Shadow would probably be very scared, from even the slightest fall.

After a while, they came to a large grouping of trees. Balto looked around and nodded to himself. This would be the perfect place for them to camp for the night.

"Alright team, you know what to do. Find some good sizes tree branches and make a thick wall around us, to block out the snow. I'll stay here with Shadow." Balto said.

They all nodded and hurried off to do what they were told to. Balto laid down and let Shadow crawl off his back. She gently slid off his back and plopped down into the cold snow. She still trembled and was scared.

Balto looked up, and he saw that fresh snow was starting to fall. He knew they would have to push the branch's up around them, to keep the snow off them.

Balto brought his gaze back to Shadow. She had her nose resting on her front paws, and her black coat was now speckled with white, from the snow.

She trembled, not only from the fright she had, had. But the snow and cold was getting to her as well. Balto knew that she would be in fragile shape for a little bit.

Then he walked over and laid down beside her, trying to keep her warm. She smiled and snuggled up closer to her brother. She slowly started to close her eyes, sleepily.

"Hey, do me a favor and keep those pretty blue eyes of your open, will ya?" Balto asked.

Shadow looked up at him. "Why? I'm tired." she said quietly.

Balto nuzzled her and said, "You're in bad shape right now, I don't think it would be safe if you fell asleep just yet." Balto said.

Shadow nodded sadly. "I-I can try." she said.

Balto smiled. "Good." he said, as he nuzzled her again.

Then after a bit, the others came back, each dragging a branch with bunch's of leafs still attached to them.

"Alright, how do you want us to do this?" Dusty asked.

Balto got up and walked over. "Dusty, you sit with Shadow and keep her warm." he said.

Dusty nodded and walked over to Shadow. Shadow smiled up at her, and Dusty laid down beside her. Then Balto turned to the others.

"Alright, since it's snowing, we need to try to build them up around us, so that maybe we can keep some of the snow off of us!" he explained.

Everyone nodded and quickly got to work. They pushed the branch's up and made a lean-to sort of thing. When they were done, Kodi ran over and told Shadow and Dusty, that they had some place to stay.

Dusty nodded and stood up and walked towards their sleeping place. Shadow tried to get up, but her legs shook underneath her. Kodi smiled and gently grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and carried her over to their lean-to.

Once everyone was inside, Muk and Luk laid down in front of the entrance, to help block the wind. Since they had such thick coats, they were the best candidates for the job.

Kodi gently set Shadow down and laid down next to her. She still shook, but not as badly now. Everyone gathered around her, and made a tight, warm circle. Shadow smiled at her friends.

"Alright everyone. We've got another long day ahead of us. I say we all get a good night's sleep!" Balto said.

Everyone nodded and settled in for a long nights sleep. Kodi laid close to Shadow, to try and keep her as warm as possible.

Balto also moved closer to her. He wasn't about to let his little sister, go into shock and freeze to death. She had already come close to that once. He wasn't about to let that happen again. Not if he could help it.

He and Kodi both watched as the team fell to sleep, including Shadow. Shadow slowly let her eyes close and her breathing slowed slightly.

Balto and Kodi smiled at each other, then they both settled down and fell asleep as well. They both knew that they had a hard journey ahead of them.

And that their troubles were just starting...

Alright, there's the next chapter for ya! It's kinda boring, if you ask me, but I can't get things going TO fast. Gotta take a good pace. So yeah, hope you all liked it at least a little and I'll try to have more soon, if I can! Please don't forget to leave a review and yeah. Later!