Balta was worried. She knew the team had reached the checkpoint at the depot. She knew they had left, heading back with the medicine. They should have gotten back by now. She and Jenna sat on a crate outside the window of the doctors' office.
"I really hope they are alright," Balta sighed, "They should have made it back by now."
"If they don't make it back in time . . ." Jenna said.
"I know," Balta said, a determined looked glowing in her amber eyes, "I'm going look for them."
"WHAT?! Are you crazy?" Jenna exclaimed.
"No, I'm not crazy," Balta said jumping off the crate and started walking towards the edge of the town, "Steel can handle snow flurries, but a full-on blizzard would send him into a panic. He doesn't know how to navigate through them. I have to go find them."
"At least promise me you will be careful," Jenna pleaded, "I can't lose my best friend."
"I will be careful," Balta reassured her friend, "I promise."
With that Balta took off towards the forest, following the scent trail that was left over from when the team left. She had been searching for at least an hour by now when she was suddenly attacked by a large black bear. Balta was scared, she knew exactly what kind of damage a bear that large could do to someone as small as her. It took a while, but she finally managed to trick the bear into falling into an ice-covered lake.
She had a large gash on her left shoulder that was bleeding profusely, and her paw was dislocated as well. She sighed but continued on her journey to find the missing team, scratching the back off of trees to make a clear path back to the town.