Troubling News
Kemo lay in his den, quietly brooding. He had waited for so long to see Aleu, yet fate (and Balto's wishes) had determined that his first encounter with his niece would be laced with half-truths. As one who valued integrity and honesty above all else, it had just rubbed his fur the wrong way to engage in even harmless deceit, if there ever was such a thing. Now the simple memory of the incident festered in his mind. Truth and honor are intertwined. The loss of one is the loss of the other. Am I then dishonored by circumventing truth? He shook his head. It's odd that my own brother has put me in this position.
His troubled state did not prevent him from spinning into a fighting stance when he heard some gravel shift near the entrance. Though his eyes spotted no intruder, his nose revealed otherwise. "You are unwise to come here, Eyak. You know I dislike being disturbed at night."
A black silhouette emerged from the shadows. "True, and I apologize for bothering you at this time, but what I have to say is of the utmost urgency."
A low growl rumbled in Kemo's throat. "Your reason had better be good enough for me to allow your life to remain intact. Threats against me are one thing, but threats against my kin, especially against those who cannot defend themselves, is quite another. What you did to my niece was . . ."
"Dishonorable?" Eyak prompted with a smirk.
Kemo's eyes narrowed. "This goes beyond dishonor. It was despicable, barbarous, unconscionable."
"Flattered, I'm sure." Eyak smirked. "But it was necessary. I gained information that you will find intriguing to say the least."
"You are letting the end justify the means, and the means involved the threat of harm to my niece. The mere sight of you is an insult to my eyes."
"Yet this will benefit every clan in this region. I discovered more concerning the human heading construction in the south forest."
Kemo froze. "And that would be?"
"That he is staying in Nome . . ."
"Balto already informed me of this. I sent Tutchone to warn you two nights ago."
"Yes, and there is one conspicuously missing detail, which I have discovered. Where is this human staying, or did Balto tell you this as well?"
Kemo thought back to the night before last and frowned. "No. I was under the impression that he did not know yet."
Eyak smiled victoriously. "Oh, he knows, or at least he should. The human is staying in his home."
Before Eyak could move, Kemo had him pinned to the ground. "You lie! It does not surprise me that you would stoop so low as to offer slander against an honorable canine like my brother. And without him here to defend himself. You are a coward and a hypocrite."
Coward?! Hypocrite?! He will pay dearly for that. It was all Eyak could do to force himself to calmness. No point in fighting where I'm sure to lose. Yes, he will pay dearly, but later. "I am no coward, and what I offer is truth, not slander. This is what I discovered from his daughter. She claimed that Balto has acted strangely since a man arrived to stay in their house. He is here for a project."
"A project can mean many things to humans." Kemo pressed harder on Eyak's ribs.
Eyak gasped in pain. "Perhaps, but piece the facts together. Balto's unease, his reluctance to help us, his daughter's information. Look inside yourself. All of the missing pieces add up to only one thing. Think carefully. If you truly believe I lie, strike me down." Eyak exposed his throat to attack.
Kemo hesitated. Aleu had started to tell him something before the others had arrived. Can it be that she was going to tell him the same thing Eyak claims she revealed to him? If so, I don't know what to think. Has Balto betrayed us? Kemo snarled in contempt and allowed Eyak to stand. "Save your insignificant melodramatics. I will check your story. If you have spoken falsely . . ."
"You will find that I have not," Eyak interjected. As he turned and walked outside, he allowed a smile to play across his face. Balto has lost this battle, and once Kemo discovers I have spoken true, the half-breed will likely lose the war as well.
By the time Balto carried his exhausted daughter up to their house, Jenna was nearly frantic with worry. She rushed outside to meet them as he turned up the walkway. "Oh Balto! Is she all right?"
"Yes. She's sleeping right now," Balto said, as they walked into the house. After laying the sleeping pup in the basket, he stepped back to look at her. "She's had quite a night."
Jenna looked at him. "Where did you find her?"
"At Kemo's den." Balto held up a paw to forestall any questions. "It's a long story, and I'll let Aleu tell it herself in the morning. From everything Kemo and Kiska told me about what happened, I think Aleu's learned her lesson without any input from us. She apparently tangled with another wolf pack."
"You sound like you don't know exactly what happened."
"That's because I don't. I was more concerned with finding her than I was with getting background information. One thing's for sure, though; she won't be forgetting any of this anytime soon. I'm sure she'll have a good story for us tomorrow morning."
The next morning, Aleu did tell her story, and what a story she had! Though obviously embellished somewhat, the tale was none the less amazing. Though her brothers and Kala were irritated and a bit disappointed that their wayward sister hadn't been punished, they still listened eagerly to the story, often leaning forward in wide-eyed anticipation. While everyone else, including Dash, Aurora, and Chipper saw it as entertainment, Balto began scrutinizing the story for important information once Eyak entered the picture. That was one wolf that was a killer.
After Aleu had finished her abridged and edited version of the previous night's events, Balto quietly took her aside. "Mind if I ask you a couple questions about last night?"
"Sure!" she exclaimed, eager to retell her story.
"You said that Eyak asked you a lot of questions."
"Yes," she said with a nod. "And he was really mean about it too!"
"What did he ask, and what did you tell him? This is very important."
"Well, he asked who my parents were, and I told him your and Mama's names. Then he asked why I ran away, and I said you'd been acting strange since that human came. That's when he got all mad and started asking about the man, and I . . ." Aleu noticed his concerned expression and cocked her head. "What's wrong, Papa? Did I do somethin' bad?"
"What? No, don't worry about it. Tell your mother I'll be back later."
Puzzled by his speedy and not-quite-sincere reply, Aleu watched her father dash out the door.
