It was a steep and slippery climb down the hill, but Qimmia managed it. When she reached the bottom, she looked around and then saw a white Arctic wolf lying on the ground. "Oh, are you alright?" Qimmia asked as she ran over to the wolf.

The wolf turned around and saw the human girl approach her. Knowing her instinct, the wolf growled and warned defensively, "A human! Don't come any closer! I have sharp teeth, and I'm not afraid to use them – especially since I'll be having pups any day now!"

Qimmia stopped in her tracks and said calmly but cautiously, "It's alright. I mean no harm. I just want to help."

The wolf's expression changed to surprise as she gasped, "Wait! You-you can… understand what… I'm saying?"

"Yes," Qimmia answered calmly, "I-I possess a jade necklace that… gives me the ability to talk to animals."

The wolf still looked at the girl with disbelief, but her expression softened as she said, "Well, my name is Aniu. I was wandering about, searching for a good spot to dig a den for myself and my pups, and I slipped on a patch of ice, and I fell down this hill." She tried standing up, but she yelped in pain, "Oh! I think I must've hurt my foot."

"My name is Qimmia," the girl gently smiled, "I was trying to find what lies ahead for me in life, and I heard your cries. I'll tend to your foot and maybe help you dig a den if you'll let me stay with you near that very den."

Aniu, the white wolf, still was a bit weary of Qimmia; wolves weren't supposed to trust humans, for it was nature's laws. But this human seemed to mean no harm, and Aniu said to the girl, "Very well. After all, I may need to rest since my foot is injured, and my pups will be born any day."

Qimmia tore a piece of hide off her belt, and then gently wrapped it around Ainu's foot. When she finished, the Inupiat girl gently helped the wolf back up to her feet and told her not to press too hard down on the injury.

Qimmia followed Aniu away from the hill, and they soon came to patch of tundra that dirt and dried grass showing. "Hmmm," the girl wondered. She tested the state of the ground by digging with her ivory dagger a bit; the ground was still frozen with permafrost, and Qimmia looked around to see if there were any bushes to help her with shelter.

"The ground is still frozen?" Aniu asked the girl.

"I'm afraid so," Qimmia nodded with disappointment, "Aniu, I'll have to admit that I've never been this far away from the ocean before. And all my life, my people in the village depended on the ocean – they have for hundreds of years. I wish I could help you more, but all I can offer to keep you warm is my parka. Until then, we'll have to wait until most of the snow melts and the caribou return." The teen girl then took off her parka and gently laid it on top of the wolf's back.

Aniu smiled and said softly, "I've never endured this much kindness since I got separated from my pack."

"What happened to make you separated from your fellow pack members?" Qimmia asked with curiosity.

Aniu explained, "Several months ago, my pack and I were wandering the tundra and the shores of the ocean, looking for food. Last year's herd of caribou wasn't very big, and we had already killed most of the young and sick animals. I was sent to find some food one day, and I came close to the edge of a human territory known as Nome. I eventually caught the scent of an animal, but I then found it was a stray husky – a type of dog."

"And then what happened?" Qimmia asked with interest.

Aniu continued, "Naturally, I decided to follow that scent. I found that very dog, and he was like no animal I had ever seen before. He was strongly built, handsome, and savvy. I know I was making a bad choice, but this dog looked like he knew a thing or two. We ran a little ways, and he led me to this human tool containing food scraps that men left behind. They didn't taste anything like the game I was used to eating, but they did just fine. After several hours, the dog and I talked to each other, and then I must have blacked out late at night. When I woke up the next morning, the dog was gone, and I found that I had made a big mistake."

Qimmia put her hand over her mouth in shock as Aniu continued, "When I tracked down my pack, the alpha male was furious. He lectured me about falling for a dog that's been around men, and wolves should never trust man. I was cast out of the pack, and left on my own. Since that day, I have been hunting and finding shelter without any help from other wolves. And several weeks ago, I found myself experiencing what many mothers feel when they are going to have offspring." Just then, the wolf felt a sharp pain in the lower half of her body! "Oh!" she cried with a yelp.

Qimmia sprang to her feet and asked, "Aniu, what's wrong? Do you think… it's time?"

"Yes," Aniu answered, "Check and see. I need all the strength I can get."

Qimmia looked under the wolf's tail, and could see that Aniu was dilating. "Oh my!" Qimmia gasped, "Well, just breathe, and I can help you!"

"Are you sure?" Aniu asked.

"You'll have to trust me!" said Qimmia.

Ainu breathed heavily and pushed her upper body forward. Qimmia stayed by the wolf's tail and watched as something poked out; the girl couldn't believe it – she was actually helping a pregnant wolf give birth to live pups!

For the next several minutes, Aniu had delivered four healthy pups – two girls and two boys. But then, the wolf felt more contractions. "Oh, Qimmia!" Aniu cried out, "I think there might be one more pup wanting to leave my body!"

"Don't worry!" Qimmia called, "You're doing fine. Just keep breathing!"

Aniu did as she was told and Qimmia stayed by her side. Before long, the last pup had left his mother's body; this was the runt of the litter, because he was born last and much smaller than his brothers and sisters.

When all was said and done, Aniu and her newborn pups – all of them blind and deaf – were resting underneath Qimmia's parka. All the baby wolf-dog hybrid pups hungrily suckled milk from their mother as Qimmia watched with tears of happiness.

"Qimmia, won't you be cold on a night like this?" Aniu asked the Eskimo, "I'm sure this extra coat of yours may have room for someone like you."

Qimmia smiled and laid down beside the mother wolf's back before she pulled a little bit of her parka close to her. When she did, she heard a tiny, high-pitched cry. She looked over and saw the tiny runt being rejected from having any milk by his larger siblings. "Aniu, I know I shouldn't do this," the Eskimo said calmly and softly, "But this little one looks like he needs some extra love. Would you mind if I reach my hand over and help him?"

Aniu warmly smiled and said, "For a human, you seem to bring as much trust as all the members of my former pack, maybe even the street dog who gave me these pups. I want you to give special care to the runt, for the smallest pup in a wolf's litter rarely survives its first year."

Qimmia returned her own loving smile as she gently stroked the tiny runt's messy gray fur and picked him up. She then held him close to herself and whispered, "You are a brave little one. Your name shall not be 'runt.' Your name is Balto, and I can see that you are bound for great things someday." The pup sniffed Qimmia's hands and smiled. The Inupiat girl then reached back to Aniu's stomach and gathered drips of milk from her teats. Then, she put her hand beside the tiny pup, and he hungrily lapped the milk up. Balto, the tiny pup, then gave a burp before he sighed with content. Qimmia warmly smiled as the pup began to fall asleep beside her; she and her new friends then snuggled up together and slept under the warm parka.