Chapter 6

Out on the deck of a trawler that was years ago left to rot alone on the empty coastline laid two wolfish dogs fast asleep, enjoying the pleasant temperatures of the Alaskan summer evening. There was no need for the old raggedy blanket balled up in the helm, the wind that whispered its soft name across the land was comfortably warm and enjoyable as it blew through their fur.

Sliding along in the closing distance was yet a third of these wolf dogs, but unlike his father and sister who lay carefree on the boat, he had a whole mess of trouble stirring about in his mind.

"Should I have gone to mom first?" Kodiak asked in his mind.

"No," he answered back, "She probably wouldn't understand."

"But what makes you think that dad will?"

"I don't know. It's just, I've seen him walk this way before, so maybe the same thing happened to him?" Besides he did tell me to come to him if I ever ran into trouble."

This logical answer took up the remaining few yards that lay between Kodiak and the trawler. He padded around to the plank that led over the rail and paused gazing up the length of it. After a few moments of this he took in a breath and began nervously up the wood that bowed slightly under his weight with each step he took. When he crested the rail he jumped lightly down onto the slanting deck and ran his eyes out to the bow. There, his father and sister lay close by each other's side.

"Wait a minute, what is Alue doing here? Shouldn't she be with her new human?"

Kodiak opened his mouth to call out to them but closed it when he realized that they were both sound asleep. Smiling softly he padded quietly over to them and curled up next to his big sister.

- Balto peeled his eyes lazily open and stretched his body out as far as it would go, emitting a satisfied yawn that shook away his drowsiness. Once he finished he ran his waking eyes over to his… two pups? He jumped back in surprise which woke the both of them.

"Kodi, what are you doing out here," Balto asked still in a state of surprise.

Kodiak and Alue both yawned and sat up next to each other.

"Ya, Kodi, why aren't you with your new human," Alue asked suspiciously." Well what about you? I thought surely that you would be right on their heels with the way you've been going on and on about one."

Alue gave a questioning look over to Balto.

"I… it got too late and the humans all went in for bed," was Balto's quick response.

Kodiak knew his father was hiding something but right now he had bigger problems.

There was a slap on the deck and then another.

"Are the bears still here," asked a familiar voice, "because I don't think I can take 'nother game of log roll."

The pups turned to the fat old goose at the same time as he turned to them and he nearly jumped out of his feathers.

"Uncle Boris!" the two pups cried, immediately sprawling over to the stunned bird that lay dazed on his back.

Boris was still too shocked to defend himself and was buried by Kodiak and Alue. He let out a squawk and managed to sit u, sending the pups rolling to the deck.

"What are you two kiddos doing way out here," he asked rising to his webbed feet.

Boris dusted off his shoulders and looked out to Balto, but all he got was a silly smile and a slight shaking of his head.

"Believe me, Boris, we've been trying to sole that mystery for a while now," Balto said with a chuckle.

Boris ruffled the fur on top of the pups' heads and began to walk over to Balto in that heavy wattle of his.

Kodiak and Alue giggled and began to follow him.

For the first time, Balto took a good look at Kodiak. What he saw made his heart sink like a stone.

"Um, Alue? Can you go and play with Uncle Boris for a while," Balto asked while sending Boris a signal with his eyes.

Boris knew that it was important by the way that Balto looked at him and consented.

"Alright, just so long as I come away with all feathers this time," Boris said and spread his left wing, reveling five or six pin feathers growing out from where the old flight feathers were missing.

Alue gave him a sheepish grin.

"Come on Uncle Boris, you know it was an accident," she replied innocently.

Boris just smiled and slapped his way down the plank with Alue following close behind. "

Can I go play with Uncle Boris too," Kodiak asked completely forgetting the whole reason he even came out here.

"No, I need to talk to you for a moment."

Kodiak hung his head jealously and began padding over toward his father.

"Kodi, what are you walking like that for," Balto asked with a good answer already in his mind.

Kodiak stopped and growled in annoyance.

"I'm sorry dad," he began angrily, "I've been working on it, but I don't know that I'm even doing it until somebody tells me."

Kodiak finished his sentence and lifted his head and tail to a normal status and finished closing the distance separating him and Balto.

"When did this happen," Balto asked.

"I don't know, I think probably after I woke up from…"

"From what," Balto pressed.

Kodiak took in a deep breath.

"How do I even start?"

"Kodi, what happened?"

"Well, you see… I was talking to these new pups that I just met when…"

- "What do you think dad is keeping Kodi for," Alue asked to Boris from atop her favorite flat rock.

From their position on the beach they could just see the top of Balto's ears.

"I don't know," Boris began with a false chuckle, "Probably just giving some good advice. You know how he's always trying to keep you guys out of trouble."

Boris didn't even buy his own lie. He knew that there was something that Balto didn't want Alue to hear. He let his mind drift to the most unlikely, and yet scariest possibility that he could imagine.

"Is Kodi losing?"

"Nah, that couldn't ever happen. Balto wouldn't let it happen."

"Uncle Boris are you okay," Alue chimed.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine kiddo, just thinking.

He looked over at the pup that sat dominantly on the rock and smiled, though that disturbing thought still clung deep in the back of his mind.

- "…I didn't believe them at first because I thought that they were just trying to scare me, but then they told me to walk next to this guy named Ralph. I couldn't believe it. I came out here to ask for some help as soon as I found out."

Balto sat and intently listened to every detail that his son had mentioned, realizing with a heavy heart that his worst fears were becoming a reality. He had to help his son, but how?

"Should I tell him?"

"No, the risk is too great!"

"But he can't go on forever like this, not knowing what he truly is."

"But he's just a pup. How could you possibly tell him? It would crush him."

"I don't know… but I have to tell him. He has to know."

But what about the possibility of a complete overtaking of his mind? You tell him and who knows what will happen. How could you live with yourself if something bad were to happen to him?"

"This is my fault that he is this way. He needs to hear it from me. I owe him that much."

Balto took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Kodi, there's… something I should tell you. Sit down."