Chapter Six

The Medicine Crate

3,906 Words

"This way," I told him pointing with my nose in the direction of the drop. It was almost impossible to see now, the wind blowing strong enough to grab both falling snow and settled snow. The tracks that I made getting here were completely gone only the slightest drop in the snow telling me where they were.

Without a word Balto moved to follow me, keeping close for the added warmth of my coat. This is something we figured out a long time ago. Even though Balto was also part wolf he still doesn't have the thick coat like I do so in the harsh storms we tend to huddle together.

Looking down we could just faintly see the flickering light of the lantern that was strapped to the top of the medicine box "Watch your," Balto stepped forward, front paw going over the drops lip and touching the ice. With a startled yelp he lost his footing and slid down. "Paws," I finished.

I watched him slide until I could only make out the faintest of outlines, then taking a deep breath I stepped forward right to the edge. I didn't want to do this again, last time I went down here I was knocked out from a badly placed rock and I didn't want to push my luck with that happening again. I started a countdown, going backwards from ten in my head. With each number I got closer to the edge, bracing myself for the slide.

The edge had other ideas. When I hit six I heard a crack, and paused in my counting to cock my ears and look around. The faintest of cracks reached my ears and I couldn't help but slump as I looked down. Snow pebbles rolled out from under my paws and down the ice slide. "Figures," I sighed. Without a sound, as if the cracks were just to gain my attention, the ground shifted, the snow falling forward and carrying my paws with it.

I stuggled, getting low to the fast moving ice and trying to dig my nails in to slow my descent, or at least gain some measure of control. I failed, badly. All I got out of that 'control' were sore nails and pained pads. By the time I got to the bottom Balto was already firmly on the ground and checking on everyone. I got down there, stumbling as my footing all of a sudden became solid instead of slippery.

I'm not sure what happened, one moment I'm struggling to regain my balance, feeling like I'm still sliding down that hill, and the next I'm sprawled out on the ground, my shoulder feeling like it was lit on fire.

I gasped, my breath coming out in short pants as the pain slowly died down. "Damn," I groaned getting to my paws with a small limp. I glared at the offending leg, still throbbing with pain as I avoided putting too much weight on it. "Everyone is fine," Steele growled, still mopping in the corner by himself.

"Yeah, but our musher hit his head," Star put in moving up and nudging Gunnar's limp arm. "And he's not moving,"

I watched as Balto spared a brief look around, taking in all of the beaten down dogs, how they refused to take in even a little hope. "Alright, come on I can lead you home," he promised taking a harness in his mouth and dragging it out of the snow.

I grimaced, moving up to get closer to the crowd as the wind sent a strong gust our way. It was tougher than I thought, walking forward in the snow drifts with only three cooperating legs. My fourth one, the one that seems to always get hurt didn't want to hold any of my weight. "What's wrong?"

I sighed as Jess moved up to me, leaning against my hurt side to take some weight and also for warmth. The cold must really be getting to her, she was shivering constantly, small shakes taking her body. It made me wonder, is she supporting me or am I supporting her. "I'm fine," I finally answered.

"One thing I've learned about you in the days I've known you is you're never fine,"

I looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, shivering against me as the wind continued to gust, "I don't know if I should be insulted about that or not,"

A growl caught my attention and I looked just in time to see Steele jump in front of Balto who was scratching at the bark of a tree. Steele smashed into the dead tree, its weak roots giving out and letting it collapse onto its side. "I'll get use back. I'm the lead dog, I'm in charge," Steele growled.

Balto stared him down for a second, I knew what he would be debating, is this the right time to start this fight? I wanted to say yes, I wanted to shout at him to finish it, do us all a favor and deal with Steele, but this isn't the time or the place for this. Balto seemed to come to the same decision. With a shake of his head he turned around, putting his back to Steele and moving towards the sled. "Well then let me take the medicine, the kids are getting sicker,"

Steele was obviously looking to start something though. Letting out a short growl he jumped in front of Balto, a deranged look in his eyes. "Touch that box, and I'll tear you apart,"

A growl built in my throat and I stepped forward to enter the fight, ignoring my throbbing side and the sharp pains that raked my body with every step. I yelped though when I was pulled backwards, a strong mouth clamped down on my tail. I slid on a short foot of ice, falling down to my stomach. A weight settled on top of me, put in such away that I couldn't move but it wasn't touching my wounds.

I craned my head around, raising an eyebrow at Jess's stern but still smug look. "You are not getting involved," she growled.

I chuckled laying, my head down on my paws and watching as the sled team circled the two fighters. "If you keep doing this to me people will start getting ideas,"

"What's your point?" I froze, going stiff under her at that. Was she joking? Craning my head around to look I noticed she wasn't looking at me. Her head was turned away, looking up the hill to our left.

"I'm not leaving without that medicine," I turned my attention back to Balto, watching as he rolled across the ground after being pushed.

"Who do you think you are?" Asked Steele, cocking his head to the side.

"Since when did you need a Pedigree to help somebody?" Balto asked slinking around the side.

Steele let him get close to the sled, than jumped in front of him, bringing his head up into the air to look down at Balto. Again he let Balto get close, watching as he cautiously walked around the larger dog. Balto was almost able to touch his nose to the sled when Steele pounced. He jumped to the side shoulder colliding with Balto and launching the smaller dog sliding.

"Oh he'll feel that tomorrow," Kaltag put in.

"I think he is feeling that now," Nikki added.

I've never wanted to fight more than I did now, and that's saying something. I struggled, pushing up with my front left leg, the only one that will take my weight, hoping to push Jess off. She was heavier than she looks. I barely rose an inch before she shifted and her weight sent me back down onto the snow with a huff of released air. "No you don't,"

"I need to help," I growled, struggling to push up.

"I said no," she repeated shifting again so I fell. I went to growl but it quickly turned into a yelp when she bit my ear. "You're in no condition to fight, and this is something Balto needs to do for himself. He can't keep hiding from Steele,"

I whimpered, letting my head flop back down onto the hard snow as I watched my only family get tossed around. Steele rushed forward, biting into Balto's scruff and flinging him to the side, before standing beside the sled like he owned it.

Balto slowly got up, to slow in my opinion. Something wasn't right, he was too stiff in his reactions, not all there. I studied him as he moved to the sled again. I saw it when he spun to the side as Steele jumped, toppling the sled and crate atop it. An orange bandana circling his neck. Jenna.

Dogs got his head in the clouds, I muttered.

The last straw was drawn when Steele attacked. He lunged forward, clamping his teeth around one of Balto's back legs and tossing him aside. It seemed like he had perfect aim. Balto flew a short distance before crashing back first with an icy rock, head banging into the top.

I saw red as I forced myself to my paws. Jess not expecting it was tossed aside in my rush. I didn't spare a glance at her as I charged towards the proud Malamute. Before I could reach him I was launched onto my side, a heavy form placing all of its weight on my injured shoulder. The pain didn't even register in my head. I don't know if it from the cold or adrenaline and I didn't really care.

I struggled, squirming and snapping as I tried to get at Steele. A paw was in my view and I snapped at it clamping my teeth briefly around it just above the ankle. The yelp knocked me out of my frenzy.

I let go as the weight pushed off me. Jess stumbled back, small spots of blood darkening her leg fur. She whined, shaking her head and favoring her right leg. "No," I whispered. The taste of blood on my tongue made me want to throw up but I held back the urge. I got to my paws, my own pain forgotten, and moved towards her.

Rex blocked my path, teeth bared and a growl in his chest. "Back off Gunnolf," That name, I don't think I ever hated that name more. I felt like for once I lived up to it, killer, protector. Killer yes, but protector, no not that. I was no protector, I'm just good to kill, that was I was raised to do, that's all I know.

I couldn't look at her, turning away and closing my ears to her whines. I didn't hear her as she called my name, or even hear the fight that went on between Balto and Steele, all I knew was the taste of her blood on my tongue. I felt my teeth pierce her skin and draw it.

Every fight I've been in, every time I drew blood, I felt it all again. My paws became heavy with blood that wasn't there, my mouth drowned in the crimson fluid. My breath came in pants as I backed away, shaking my head. I couldn't do this.

My back hit something and I whipped around expecting a dog. It was a stone, a smear of blood on it. The scent tickled my nose. Edon. This was the rock I launched him into, the rock that knocked him out. He must have hit his head harder than I thought.

I remember when we were pups, before the large war that almost destroyed both packs. We used to play Prey and Hunter, practicing our fighting and foraging with one another. I remember the accident that brought about the war. My pack attacked first, believing blood was due to the loss of one of our elders found dead on their territory.

A scream made me collect myself and I looked over my shoulder. Balto stood at the edge to the cliff, bandana missing from around his neck. He was leaned forward, looking down. I slowly trudged towards him, the feel of blood weighing me down slowly lifting off. I don't think I'll ever be free of the blood I've drawn of the wolves, brothers and sisters that I have killed all because of a war we didn't want.

I remember when I was part of the pack, I was with a female, I don't even remember her name. She was older than me, by some years and a hunter. She had the scent of a deer and we planned to take it back to the den. A howl drew our ears. I made her hide as I went to look.

It was a Valley wolf. She had her rear paw stuck in a bear trap, the sharp metal teeth dug into her leg and making it useless. She looked at me, letting out a pitiful whine. My ears went down as I saw her crying from the pain.

I went to step forward, I was going to free her, I know I shouldn't but I was going to. Then I remembered the war. I took two steps back, shaking my head. That's when I heard the click of the hunter. The human came out of hiding, gun held ready and starring at the trapped wolf. I could kill the human, or at least injure him so he couldn't shoot. I could do a lot of things that would save the wolf, but I didn't.

I backed up into the shadows and turned. Shutting my eyes and closing my ears. A bang. The birds took off from the trees in fright.

Shaking myself out of the memory I looked down the cliff from beside Balto. Steele was down there, bandana clamped in his mouth as he struggled to his feet. I don't know how he survived a drop like that but he did. He looked up at us, anger in his eyes. Then he ran.

"Leave him," Balto sighed. I looked at him. I was ready to run after the dog, I knew the area, sort of, I could cut him off easily and finish it. "We need to get the medicine home."

Home, that sounds nice, I just want to get to the Trawler and start over, forget all of this.

We both turned. The dogs had just finished pushing Gunnar up onto the sled, somehow wrapping him tightly in the blanket that was already on it. I followed Balto as he trotted to the front, avoiding looking at Rex, who glared at me, and Jess who, I didn't even want to know how she was looking at me.

At the front Star stood in his place, Steele's harness held in his mouth. When Balto got close he held it higher, inviting Balto to put it on. I don't think I've ever seen Balto happier than when he stepped into the harness and it fit him perfectly.

I took up my position beside him, looking at the top of the hill with trepidation. "That isn't going to be easy," I muttered.

"We can do it," Balto vowed. He looked back, scanning the team behind him. "Mush!"

I launched forward with him, running ahead to scale the wall first. At the top I waited, they were half way up, making better time than I thought they would. Behind them, just pulling himself over the cliff edge was Steele, the bandana was still in his mouth.

I could see the first marker on the tree, the bark torn off. Turning back I saw Balto just top the hill, but I couldn't see Steele anymore. They all made it up, passing me as I studied the ground below. Nothing that I could see from this distance. The sled slid past and I turned following it through the trees and blowing wind.

We had been running for a while when we came to a natural fork and stopped. Marks were everywhere, the bark stripped from almost every tree lining the paths. "Which way Balto? Which way?" Star asked.

I moved up the line, looking around with Balto. Checking the snow I growled, no tracks, the snow had already covered it. And the wind was making it impossible to catch a scent.

"Uh," Balto looked around with me, eventually looking at me. I shrugged, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. "This way!"

The team followed him willingly, believing he knew without a doubt where they were going. I knew otherwise. We were lost, his markings had failed. I followed anyways though, I'd rather stick with them than run by myself, safer in numbers as they say.

We ran for many minutes, though I couldn't be sure how long it was exactly. By the time we slid to a stop I was ready to go down. I leg was almost completely numb, all I could feel was the tip of my shoulder blade, and I didn't want to feel that. Pain raked through my body and it was getting harder to breath. My vision was starting to get bleary, swimming before my eyes.

I blinked, my sight settling down. Shaking my head I tried to ignore the head ache that was forming. What was wrong with me?

"Balto, why are you taking us in circles?" Kaltag barked. His voice sounded far away, yet I was sitting almost right next to the pile of dogs

I couldn't even hear Balto's answer. They launched into another run, going the other trail this time. Instantly there was a small drop, the sled crashing to the ground with a thump. I followed, jumping easily. My leg gave out on the landing though and I rolled, not feeling any pain like I should have. Getting to my paws I started running struggling to keep the team in sight as I favored my right leg.

They went left, following the trail.

I cut through the tree's relying on my instincts to guide me through the reaching branches and deep snow. I came out beside them, beside Jess to be specific. She was struggling to match the fast pace Balto set, harness pulling her most of the way.

I stumbled but recovered and kept up, barely. "Cain?"

I shook my head keeping up the stumbling run even as we broke through the tree line. My eyes widened when the ground suddenly dropped into a steep hill and we started to slide. The sled slid to the side eventually passing the team. I dug in my paws, my nails creating furrows in the snow as I tried to slow down.

The edge was approaching. The two wheel dogs had only just avoided going off, and luckily the sled had caught of a lip of rock that came above the snow line. I passed Gunnar who lay sprawled in the snow and kept going. I started to panic, digging in my front paws till I turned about and even tried running.

I stopped right when my rear paws left the ground and I was left kicking rock ledge. My leg blazed with pain as I held on, struggling to get back up even as I heard cracking. The sled was tiping beside me and crates was coming out of its ties but I couldn't do anything. Suddenly just as it slipped out, Balto caught it, grabbing a line in his mouth. I sighed, grabbing some purchase with my back paws.

The ground jolted under me and I froze in fear, eyes widening. Balto and I looked at each other, the same looks of fear on our faces and then the ground was gone. We screamed as we tumbled, and I spun in the air.

Why me? I thought as the ground approached. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath and bracing myself as best I could.

XxXxXxXx

"Cain!" Jess screamed moving to rush forward as if to catch him.

Rex caught her just in time, grabbing her by her scruff and tugging back until she was on her rear, the edge just before her. "What are you doing?" He barked.

"I have to help him, we have to help," The storm picked up, making it a white out down below.

"There is no way to get down there," Rex told her growling as he stopped her from trying. "You would kill yourself trying, and then what good would you do them, us. If somehow they survive and get the medicine here we would be down a team member and I doubt that wolf of yours would take kindly to a leash,"

Jess froze, eyes wide as she looked to the cliff edge. "I don't think he could survive that, he…" She gulped a sob getting close to escaping, "he wasn't right before he took that tumble, something's wrong with him."

Rex sighed, looking towards the cliff also. "He did take quite the beating from them wolves, but he's tough, didn't you say so yourself?"

"I don't know," Jess answered sounding like she was somewhere else. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

XxXxXxXx

I shivered and started to shift. Something dug into my stomach, making it tough to breath properly. My back felt heavy and when I opened my eyes my vision wasn't as bad as before. Snow came down even harder than before. I shivered, snow coming off of my back and onto my nose, making me sneeze.

Shifting I let my weight carry me and I tumbled down even more, banging my back painfully off something on the way. Finally, many bounces later I settled. I was on snow, no shocker there, but this was untouched virgin snow that acted like a pillow. I sighed, it was so comfy, I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.

But I couldn't. Pain in my leg caused me to stay awake and I took it as a blessing. Pain means I'm still alive, it also means that I had a chance to live. Slowly, cautiously I got to my paws, my legs shaking under my weight, my right leg didn't want to hold my weight but I wasn't surprised this time.

I stumbled, something tapping my left shoulder. Looking at it I saw a glow coming from under the snow, the bit that I hit had cleared and wood peeked out from the light. I quickly angled brushing my tail across it. Slowly the medicine box was revealed, the lantern atop it flickering at the odd angle it was on.

The snow cleared slightly and I saw Balto. He studied something on the ground, lifting up his paw and looking at it before placing it back down in the same spot in wonder. A change seemed to come over him, his fur rippled and not from the wind and he lifted his head. He howled, the cry piercing the assaulting wind.

I answered the cry lifting my own head. My cry was deeper, I was more experienced in doing this than him. Faint echoes of other howls tickled my ears from the mountains and I let the familiar sound wash over me.

I kept going after Balto ended and slowly lowered my head. His eyes met mine and we grinned. "Just another hill to conquer," he told me.

"Going to be hard," I added.

"Challenging,"

"Fun," I ended.

Thank you for reading my story so far I hope you will continue reading as we get into my ideas more as the movie ends. This chapter stands at 3,906 words and aprox. 8 pages.