Where The Heart Takes You
Chapter four: Unnerving Feelings Throughout Nome
Nome is dark for all the lights are off. The sky is also dark for it is night. The moonlight shines on the streets creating shadows all around. Two shadows are moving. Two dark shapes are closing in on Nome. They stop at the town border. After a few minutes of staring they face each other and slowly turn around. They head for the woods close to Nome. Within a few seconds the two dark shapes have disappeared into the darkness where the moonlight cannot reach.
#
Early in the morning the musher woke up. He walked into the living room and saw 6 dogs and a wolf pup fast a sleep. Softly he made it to the kitchen and started to make breakfast for himself and the dogs. As he was busy in the kitchen waking sounds were heard from the living room.
'Maahhh' Ralph yawned. Kirby and Dusty were also waking. 'Morning. You now I'm hungry' Ralph said as if this was a new experience. Kirby and Dusty looked at him as if trying to say 'Duh'.
'Ehm, Ralph, you are always hungry. It's not a big surprise' Kirby said. Ralph looked a bit dazed until he smelled the food. As fast as possible he raced into the kitchen. Seconds later sounds of stuff falling and breaking on the ground ringed through the whole house.
'Ralph! Easy boy!' the musher said from the kitchen. All this noise woke up the still sleeping animals.
'Mwaaahh. What's with the noise?' Kodi asked. He stretched himself and looked around. Curly and Sandy made their way to the kitchen.
'Ralph was searching breakfast in the kitchen and forgot his breaks' Dusty said laughing a little. Kodi laughed as well. He then turned around after hearing a voice.
'What's happening?' a sleepy voice asked. Kodi snuggled the little pup and she opened her eyes. 'Big Brother?!' Shanti said and immediately after she said that she jumped at him and both fell on the floor. After laughing and rolling over the floor, Shanti got up and went into the kitchen.
'Ehm? Big brother?' Kirby asked. Kodi turned to the two of them and smiled a bit.
'Yeah well, she kinda asked if she could call me that and I said I didn't mind' Kodi said feeling a bit proud to be her big brother. Dusty smiled softly and Kirby looked suspicious.
'Hmm, well we'll see how you do as a big brother' Kirby said as he turned to the kitchen as well followed by Dusty.
'Hey, for your information I am a brother to many for real, so why wouldn't I be good at it?' Kodi said a little offended. Dusty turned around.
'He's just toying with you, Kodi' she said. Kodi smiled and together they went into the kitchen.
#
After breakfast they all went outside. They had the day off and decodes to have some fun. Kodi, Ralph, Kirby, Dusty and Shanti went to the beach. Kodi walked close to Shanti and she kept watching if she was still near him.
'Hey! Let's race on the beach!' Dusty shouted. Kodi felt like racing. He looked at Shanti.
'Would you like to race as well?' He asked her. Shanty nodded and both stood with the other three.
'Ready!? Set! Go!!' Kirby yelled and all five sped forwards.
Kirby was neck in neck with Kodi and Shanti third. Then came Dusty and behind her Ralph. Shanti jumped forward and landed next to Kodi. They came close to the finish line. Shanti was getting tired and started panting a bit. She was behind Kirby and Kodi was now in front. Shanti made one last jump with her mouth still open catching air. A sudden scream caused Kodi to slip and slide over the finish line. Kirby stripped and lay flat just an inch in front of the finish line and Shanti ended second thanks to her jump. From the shock of the screams he crash-landed on the ground.
'Shanti!' Kodi yelled as he ran over to her. Kirby got up only to see Dusty and Ralph cross the finish line.
'Damn it!' He mumbled.
'Shanti? Are you okay?' Kodi asked worried. Shanti slowly got up and smiled at Kodi with snow covering her face. Kodi couldn't help but laugh as did Shanti.
'What happened?' Dusty asked when everyone gathered. Just as she had asked Boris the goose jumped on Shanti knocking her off her paws.
'Boris! What are you doing!?' Kodi yelled. The other sled dogs looked shocked. Balto arrived on the scene.
'Boris! What?!' was all Balto managed to say. Kodi roughly pushed Boris off of Shanti and checked her. She was a bit stunned, but alright.
'Well, she was about to bite Kirby' Boris said as if that was obvious. Everyone looked confused and Kodi and Shanti looked hurt.
'What?' Shanti said confused. Everyone was a bit surprised to hear her speak for she barely spoke at all.
'I saw you! You had your mouth open and jumped forward to Kirby. Kirby looked stunned.
'No, I did not mean to …… ' Shanti said but Kodi took over.
'Boris you got it all wrong. She was tired and therefore had her mouth open and she jumped to get in front of Kirby, not to bite him!' Kodi said. Boris was about to speak again when he realised his error.
'Ai. I see, sorry Shanti' Boris said. Shanti just smiled at him. Even though everything was cleared, Kodi and Balto had a feeling more people would react like Boris for Shanti was more wolf than anyone else in the town. Balto was half wolf, Shanti definitely ¾ or fully.
They decided to go back to town.
#
They walked inside town and noticed a few dogs were acting very anxious and nervous. These dogs lived in the houses farthest to the end of town. It seemed as if they were nervous to go near there. Balto quickly forgot about it when he saw Jenna.
'Hey' He said and Jenna answered with a nuzzle. Kodi and Shanti were playing in the snow. Kodi looked like a pup again.
The other sled dogs were further away checking if their musher was around. A few people walked by Shanti and as soon as they saw her playfully bite Kodi's ear they walked around her in a big bow. Shanti noticed and looked a bit confused. When she realised they didn't trust her she looked a bit sad. Kodi noticed and acting as her big bro made her forget it by playing some tricks on her. Shanti squeaked of joy as she tried to get away from Kodi who followed her with ease.
Boris was still looking suspicious at her. When he heard a honk above him he noticed Stella. He waved one of his wings at Balto and flew up – though not too high – and left with her.
Kodi and Shanti were panting as they walked to Balto and Jenna.
'Hey mom' Kodi said. Jenna greeted him back and then nuzzled Shanti who squeaked gently from joy.
One of those anxious dogs walked by. 'There's something there! Run! No don't make me go there! There's something near there!' He barked panicky at his boss. The man felt a bit irritated and walked further towards his home.
Kodi, Balto, Jenna and Shanti looked confused and a bit anxious about the dogs behaviour.
The rest of the day went by like any other day and at night Kodi and Shanti slept together on Kodi's cushion in the shed. The other sled dogs were fast a sleep as well.
Shanti had that strange dream again, but it quickly went over into a nice dream.
#
The two dark shapes came out at night. They crept closer and this time entered the town. They sniffed the air and sneakily, but at a quick pace ran through the town. One of them carefully walked over to the door of the musher's house. It sniffed at the crack under the door. The other one was sniffing in an alley.
Suddenly a light went on a few houses away and a man came outside holding a bag that emitted many smells. When the man saw the two dark shapes he screamed for help, dropped the bag and ran inside. The two figures quickly ran away, the one who was sniffing the alley tripping over a garbage bin that lay on its side. Quickly it got up and the two dark shapes ran out of Nome before more people came to see.
#
The next day Kodi woke up with Shanti still next to him, but the other sled dogs already gone. Shanti woke up when he moved off the cushion.
'Morning' Kodi said as he nuzzled her gently. Shanti yawned and stretched before getting up. Kodi opened the shed door and heard several voices outside, humans and dogs. Shanti walked up to him and both went outside.
'There's something bad in town!' 'We have to check everyone corner!' 'No we have to throw out every dog!' 'No man we have to throw out those who are part wolf!' the voices kept going on and on.
Balto, Jenna, Boris, Kirby, Dusty and Ralph stood a little away from the people listening to them. Kodi and Shanti walked over to them.
'What's going on?' Kodi asked. The others now noticed him and Shanti.
'Seems like something got into Nome last night' Kirby said.
'They are arguing about what to do' Dusty continued.
Suddenly a man who turned to them. He looked passed them all and straight at Shanti. Shanti felt a shiver over her back and Kodi stepped closer to her feeling danger coming.
'It's that wolf pup! She caused this. Perhaps it were her parents, they sniffed right?' He said and asked as he looked at the man who saw the dark shapes last night. The man nodded. 'See! It must be her wolf parents! She is dangerous!' the man said.
Some people agreed with him, but a few did not. Shanti cowered a bit when the man shouted at her and Kodi stepped in front of her when the man came closer.
'Let's not jump to conclusions. Let's first verify if it really were wolves and than we'll deal with it' The man in charge said.
Most people calmed down and agreed. The man who shouted at Shanti did not agree and said he would get rid of her himself. He stepped forward and stretched a hand toward her. Kodi growled loudly showing his teeth. Balto and the others looked a bit surprised at Kodi's reaction, but felt the same. Shanti shook with fear when the man did not back off. The other people yelled at the man to leave her alone. The man grinned and stepped forward again. Kodi stepped forward towards the man growling even louder. The man reconsidered for a moment, but stepped forward again. Kodi was about to jump him when his musher appeared.
'Stop provoking my dog' the musher said as he grabbed hold of the man's arm. The man pulled himself loos and walked away angry. The musher calmed Kodi down and patted Shanti who still cowered behind Kodi. The people went back to their daily shores.
'You okay?' Kodi asked when he saw Shanti. She nodded weakly. Kodi nuzzled her and they followed the musher into the house with the other sled dogs to get breakfast. Balto looked in deep thought and worry. Something was near Nome and he had a gut feeling where they might be hiding.
#
Balto was sniffing the streets trying to track a smell he knew would be around there. It was already late and the sun had already started setting. In the low sunlight he reached the end of town. He smelled wolves. They were close. Kodi, Shanti, Jenna, Boris, Kirby, Dusty and Ralph arrived. Before they could ask what Balto was doing they all saw two dark shapes in the open snowy area.
'It's them!' Balto shouted and he ran after them followed by the rest. Kodi worried about having Shanti go there as well, but before he could do anything Shanti was already following the others and Kodi quickly ran after her.
#
'Stop!' Balto yelled. To everyone's surprise the two dark shapes stopped. When they got closer they saw that it were two wolves.
Both wolves looked at them. The male was a dark grey with black paws. The female was white with brown paws. In a way she resembled shanty, but the colours on a different place. Shanti pushed through the crowd and stopped when she saw the two big wolves. Kodi stopped behind her. The female looked stunned and happy when she looked at Shanti. The male stepped forward to her. Kodi quickly stood in front of her. The male growled showing his teeth. Kodi responded with his own growl.
'Give her to us!' The male ordered. Kodi did not say a thing, but gently pushed Shanti behind the others with his paw. The male growled and the female joined him. Kodi stepped forward showing no fear, what the sled dogs and Jenna and Boris certainly wer showing now. Balto stepped next to his son and both nodded.
That was chapter four! Review, please!
Next chapter: Fight for someone important