After a long silent moment the strange dog slowly lifted his head to speak. When Balto saw his face he was completely shocked. Here before him now was one of the dogs responsible for Alue's murder! Balto stared at this dog with an iron glare as old emotions began to flood into him. A low growl began to rumble down in his throat and the malamute shifted nervously under Balto's angry stare.

"I..." he began weakly.

"Shut it!" Balto barked causing the malamute to shrink back.

"But..."

Balto flashed over to the dog and struck him quicker than a snake, rolling him over onto his back. Balto pressed his nose so it was right up in the malamute's face.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you," Balto spat.

The dog whimpered and turned his head away from Balto's nose only to have it forced back to straight.

"Answer me or I'll do it now!" Balto yelled, placing one of his claws on the malamute's jugular.

"I..." he began weakly.

"What!" Balto snapped, applying more pressure with his claw.

The malamute opened his teary blue eyes and locked them firmly with Balto's.

"I'm... I'm so sorry for what I helped do to you," he cried loudly, "I'm... I'm... so..." He broke down and began to cry softly.

Balto backed off slightly, listening to what this dog had to say.

"I kn... know what we... e did to you w... as wrong," he continued between sobs, "and I know j-just how much it hurt you..."

Balto stopped him with a loud growl.

"What the hell makes you think you know anything?" Balto yelled, reapplying pressure on the dog's throat, "Do you haw any idea what it's like having to bury your only child?

"Y... yes I do," the malamute replied between sobs.

Hearing this shocked Balto, causing him to step off of the malamute's chest. The malamute rolled onto his feet quickly and sat so as to show that his intent was not on fighting. Not having much time to think, he simply started off of a whim that still tugged on his heart.

"When my son was murdered by wolves he was only eleven months old," he began painfully.

Balto locked eyes with the malamute, now interested in what he had to say.

"I was so devastated by this that I nearly lost my mind," the malamute continued, pain radiating from him more so than the light of a thousand suns. "I let myself be consumed with a hatred for your kind so bad that I just couldn't let go. I made it a point to hurt or kill any wolf I came across, full bred or not. I only got one good look at your daughter, and as I can remember it now seeing her with a cool foundation in a tight spot that was betrayed by the utter horror and helplessness behind her eyes made me think of my little Jep. He had the same terror in his eyes when the wolves pinned him to the ground and put their jaws to his neck."

The malamute paused to try and fight back the tears brimming under his eyes.

"I pleaded with them to spare his life, practically got down on my knees and begged them to let him go., but that was one thing he never did. Instead he simply told them that he forgave them for their sin and then took his death with a peaceful and fulfilled smile. Never before in my life had I been more proud, or more sad."

"I wish I could say the same about Alue," Balto spat bitterly, "she died knowing that her two pups would have to grow up without a mother, possibly never knowing what really happened to her."

The malamute hung his head. He had no idea that she had pups, but at that time he probably would have gladly killed them as well. That thought, the thought that he would not have even thought twice about doing such a terrible thing made him sick to his stomach.

"If that's all you have to say then leave," Balto growled bitterly.

"That's not all," the malamute replied weakly.

He raised his eyes so that they were locked with Balto's again.

"I know it's a long shot, but just hear me out."

Balto rolled his eyes and growled under his breath.

"Fine," was his simple reply.

The malamute stood up and padded slowly over to Balto, stopping an arm's length from him and reaching out with his paw.

"I know that nothing I say could ever change what happened in the past or justify my actions, but maybe it can bring closure to both you and myself."

Balto stared down at the outstretched paw with disgust.

"You honestly expect me to forgive you for what you were a part of?" Balto nearly yelled.

"No," the malamute replied, "I expect you to first be able to forgive yourself."

Balto was stunned by these words. They were ringing more true than any he had ever had said to him.

Even to this day he knew that he had never truly come to terms with her death and still had a pang of guilt that would work it way into his dreams and convince him that it was all his fault. The malamute watched as tears started to well up into Balto's eyes as he thought, thought back to his pup hood, the deaths in his family that he had always blamed himself for; thought back to Alue's pup hood and making her grow up in the dark about her true heritage, back to the day that he had to tell her about having wild blood in her and how much it had hurt her. He thought about the night he had to let her go, likely to never see her again. He saw her floating slowly out to sea , her head back as she howled her last goodbye He had also never been more proud of her or down. And finally he thought back to the day of her death. Yes there were many things he could have done differently, but then again, each one put her in even more risk of danger.

Balto took in a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly, a small easy smile forming upon his lips. Balto was now standing on the threshold of something he had never done, finally facing the ghosts of his past and laying them to rest. So much guilt was beginning to lift off of his conscious that he felt he would float away. After a few moments Balto looked across him down at the paw still stretched to him.

"What do you say Balto? Can you forgive me for my sin?"

Balto smiled and placed his paw on top of the malamute's.

"I forgive you," he said warmly, "and can you forgive my blood for ours?"

The malamute simply nodded with a smile and dropped his paw back to the snow. Without a word he turned, also feeling the light of forgiveness shine upon his heart, and began to make his way toward the outskirts of town.

"Hey," Balto called, causing the malamute to stop and turn to him, "thank you,"

The malamute smiled and turned, continuing on his way out of town. Balto watched him go until he was not but a tiny dot on the horizon and smiled. He would be forever grateful to that dog, and he didn't even know his name.

By now the sun was just barely giving off any light, the eastward pointing shadows nearly darkening the alley completely. Balto turned and began to walk away and would not go visit Dusk that evening.

Well it looks like old problems are beginning to be resolved, which means that sadly we are nearing the end of this story. I hope that y'all have been enjoying reading this as much as I have writing it and that just maybe you were able to find some valuable lessons through the course of this story.