CHAPTER 11
Under Borealis Light

Three canines, a brown and white furred husky, a white and black wolfdog and their only son: A 2-weeks old puppy with the same colors of his mother, were resting on their home, a tiny cave in the forest. They tried to sleep as the midnight approached. Suddenly, an unknown scent reached the couple's noses.

''I think that there's somebody out there, I better take a look, stay here'' Said the former sled dog.
He don't even figured out that a bloodthirsty, dark furred entity with glowing, yellow eyes was waiting for him in the woods, his desperate cries were the last thing that came out of his muzzle.

His mate started to look for him, as about a long time passed after he left the den.

The creature was still hiding in the bushes, looking for the next spot on its killing list to come straight to him...The fate of the hybrid female was the same.

The pale light of the moon faded as the satellite hid behind the clouds, like if it was afraid of that sanguinary animal.

With its black fur stained with the blood of the two canines, it approached their home, looking for its main and final objective: Their puppy...

That horrible vision attacked Dinae's mind as he wandered on the cramped corridors of the Windigo's cavern, looking for her beloved Dara, that weird and terrific daydream was only one thing on his already long list of horrors that he faced -and will still face- that long night.

And there was already a list of so many questions without an answer, the Evil Spirit was looking for some ''Aniu's Successor'' that apparently was him. But he don't knew who was that Aniu that he was succeding. He don't even knew his parents...

Suddenly he felt the presence of the Windigo's servants, that weird wolfish creatures that mocked on him earlier. They felt his presence to and reached for him from another tunnel.

Dinae left that dig and jumped to a larger corridor, trying to escape those creatures as he descended the levels of the cave. Then he hid behind a large basalt formation. He felt that they lost his tracks. But two of that creatures appeared and leapt over him.

''Are you taking a tour on our cavern, successor?'' One of them said, with a grievous male voice

''Don't worry, you'll see more awesome places here, and you will meet Leo and Raima, they want to play with you!'' Replied the other canine with an eerie female voice.

It was going to be a long night in the town of Nome. A harsh, distressing night.

Jenna decided to keep Balto at her home, she don't wanted anyone to know about that strange illness that was threatening her mate, what would be the reaction of the dogs of the town? They will be panicked, their hero was sick and even him don't knew what was going on.

Jenna took a hard decision, but her instincts told her that she was doing the right thing, after all, she was Balto's mate, and apparently, an invisible connection existed between them two, she knew what to do every time he needed help... Like when she appeared from nowhere and fought the grizzly bear that nearly choked Balto, on his quest to find the stranded sled team and the antitoxin.

She knew that it was better to stay at home when Balto departed in the search of Aleu, and she made the lyrics for the most beautiful and encouraging song that Balto had heard on his life, to motivate him to compete against the bush plane and to realize that winning wasn't that important. The love and admiration of his son: Kodiak, was the most important thing that he will ever had.

''Wait... Kodi? Where's Kodi? I've dont see him in two days!'' Said Jenna.
''He's on a larger travel than normal, Jen, they went to another town, the team that delivered there had an accident and they went to rescue them and the supplies, please, don't be worried'' Said Balto with a low voice ''You... and me, we need to be calm'' He continued. ''He will come back tomorrow in the morning''

But Jenna was afraid of that, how will affect Kodiak ito see his father like that?

Jenna sat beside Balto ''Please, you have to get well soon, Balto'' She thought. And then, tired, she fell asleep.

A sandy-grey furred she-wolf was lying on the ground of the forest, a tear that dropped from one of her eyes had frozed, and some snow and ice was accumulating on her back. The aurora borealis, the green, yellow, and other colors combination drawing in the sky announced its arrival.

Aleu saw herself, her own body, from the air, she was dreaming again,

''Aleu'' She listened to an elder, soft, familiar female voice. ''It's time to finish your quest, but you maybe not do so alone'' The white wolf spirit continued ''I can't go with you, but you will have the force that I still had in my spirit with you, that force, used by the right person, will at least help to stop the dark spirit's coming, and, who would be more right than someone with my own blood?''

The two female wolves smiled.

''Here you go, my dear granddaughter, it's your time to save them all'' Aniu encouraged her son's daughter

Balto's mother continued:

''It would be one who is a wolf but does not know it.'' The white wolf added, remembering the words she told to the former alpha, Nava, years ago ''Now you know it Aleu, this is your destiny, it is written since the moment you where born.''

Aniu disappeared in a cloud of snow. And Aleu awoke, back on her four legs, back with all her strength, she knew what to do now.

She ran heading to Windigo's Den, she reunited with Akicha, Tristan... and Kodiak

''Aleu!'' Cried Kodi, happily and loudly, he was very glad to see his supposedly dead sister alive and well.
''They told me that you were dead''
''Me... dead?'' She asked ''That's ridiculous!...and suspicious. But you can see that i'm well, but now, Kodi, i need to ask you a favor''
''Whatever you want, sis!'' He answered
''I need you to stay here, with Akicha and Tristan''
''But...don't you need me...or them, to defeat that dark spirit they are talking about?'' Kodi protested
''I'll need them, but I need someone to protect you, as you've seen, it's very dangerous, you suddenly appeared here, and I don't want... to lose you now. You need to be safe.''
''Aleu, please, we...we can make it together, we are brothers! and we are the descendants of the Great Aniu!'' Said the red and white mail wolfdog.
''How do you know that?'' Asked Aleu. He supposed that her father never told Kodi about his heritage like he did with her.
''I saw her, in my dreams, she told me that we are her blood, Dad is her blood, we are her spirit alive. Right now we are in danger, our family is in danger because of that Windigo and his return. We need to be together, we aren't her successors, but we are something very similar...''
''Do you know who's the Successor, Kodi?'' Asked Balto's daughter
''She told me his name, but I can't remember...''
''His name is Dinae, and he was already captured by Windigo''
''Dinae? He is...the wheel dog of the mail team! He is the Successor?''
''Yes, the one different from her family that she needed''

Kodi resigned, and he said, lowering his face.
''Well... I better follow your orders, you're an alpha after all...''
''Kodiak'' Aleu interrupted her brother ''Forget what I've said, you are right, we need to be together, Papa can't be here, nor our other siblings, we are the ones...'' Aleu paused.
''...Who will help Aniu and her Successor to avoid The Windigo's come back and to restore the order in the Wild'' Kodiak and Aleu said that sentence at the same time.

''Because we are her blood'' Finished Kodi.
''There's no doubt about it, you've seen Grandma'' Replied Aleu
''Yes, first I was afraid of those dreams, but later I've realized that they were something important for me'' Said Aleu's brother.
''Now, come with me, all of you '' Aleu ordered, the five canines ran and reached the top of that spooky mountain...

Dinae was took through the cavern to a room in the center of it, it was circular-shaped and seven tunnels led to it, apparently it was kind of the main room. Six creatures, one for entrance, secured that holes, but one of them were empty, and a familiar canine entered the room through it.

Raima appeared on the room, and without saying a word, she attacked and sent Dinae down to the ground, she slapped his face twice, Dinae tried to defend, but he was tired.

''Seriously, this is gonna be easy as defeating that half-breed?'' Raima said as she hit Din's head.
''But you are Aniu's successor'' Raima slapped Din again
''Aren't you supposed to kill me?'' She said mockingly, and knocked the husky.

''I...i don't even know who is Aniu'' Said Dinae with a weak tone of voice ''I don't even know what i'm doing here, or why you're trying to kill me!'' The white and black sled dog was laying on the ground.

''I'll reply that question'' Raima said ''I'm trying to finish my father's job''.