Chapter 7

Balto drew in a thoughtful breath as Kodiak sat back onto his haunches. There was a long moment of silence and finally Balto spoke.

"Kodi, there is reason to why these things have been happening to you," Balto began slowly.

Kodiak looked confused.

"What could possibly do this to me," he asked to both his father and himself.

"Well Kodi, you see…"

"It's now or never Balto."

Kodiak sat in great suspense as he waited to hear what his father had to say. Balto bit his tongue and closed his eyes.

"The dream…"

"Come on Balto."

"Yes?"

"… it was just your mind being overactive," Balto spat quickly, "There is no need to worry about it."

Balto was lying to himself almost as much as he was to his son and it was hard for him not to show it. Kodiak gazed at his father quizzically. Balto held his breath in fear that he would be found out.

"Is it true? What he just said?"

"Of course it is! He wouldn't lie to you!"

Kodiak smiled and Balto released his breath slowly.

But there was one thing that Kodiak still needed to know, why did he just start slinking around out of the blue? There had to be an explanation.

"But what about the way I walk? What is that? And why did it just come up like this?"

Balto was really taken back by this series of questions. He realized that he had no good explanation and he scrambled around in his mind trying to think of one. Finally, after nearly frying his brain, the answer shot into his head like someone had turned on a light.

"Hey, does your back hurt you?" Balto asked twisting his face so his false question was more believable.

Kodiak turned and looked at his back confusedly.

"Well, no but…"

"Then it's not as bad as I thought," Balto cut in, "You were just born with your old man's bad joints is all. Tight back, ya know."

Kodiak let a small grin steal across his face.

"So that's why you walk all slouched over all the time," Kodiak said with a laugh.

"Yup," Balto chuckled falsely, "But you know what will help? Have your mother give you a message every now and again. It will work wonders on you, trust me."

Kodiak nodded and Balto looked out to the west. The sun was nearly down and it would be dark in probably half an hour.

"I think it's just about time we got you home," Balto began, "We don't want your new owner to think you've gone and run off."

Kodiak nodded his understanding and began to make his way over to the rail with the plank leading to the ground. Balto held back a ways and secretly kicked himself.

"Damn it! You could have told him, but no, you had to go and lie full in his face!"

"You coming dad," Kodiak called from atop the rail.

Balto snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, rising and joining Kodiak near the board. Kodiak scampered down and Balto stepped on, following close behind until they reached the ground. Balto and Kodiak started to make for town, walking side by side. Balto looked out to the beach and saw Boris chasing Alue.

"Hey Boris?" Balto called.

Boris and Alue both stopped what they were doing and turned to face Balto.

"I'll be back in a bit, just gotta get Kodi home before it gets too late."

Alue scampered over to Balto and stopped in front of him with Boris not far behind.

"Can I come too, Papa?" she piped excitedly.

"I don't see why not," Balto said with a smile, "I can drop you off at your mother's house if you want."

Alue yelled her pleasure and took her place at her brother's side. Balto could feel Boris's gaze upon him and turned to meet it. In Boris's eyes there was a question, a question of which Balto answered by looking away. For the sake of the pups, Boris didn't react to this. Instead he patted them both on the head and decided that he would go too.

"Well, since you're all going I might as well tag along," he said enthusiastically.

But he had other reasons to want to go. There was something wrong and he wanted to know what.

"Alright then," Balto said with a smile and started walking toward town.

- "Alright, Kodi, I guess you're leading the way from here," Balto stated as they made their way past the first couple of buildings on the outskirts of town.

Kodiak smiled and took his place in front and began trotting, sliding more like it, in the direction he came on his way out of town. Balto and the rest of the crew followed at his side.

"Just wait until you meet my new friends," Kodiak began excitedly, "they really are quite a hoot."

Balto and Boris smiled as they listened to Kodiak ramble on about the incident with the puddle and by the time he was finished they were just passing the house where Mr. Simpson called home. Kodiak stopped a short distance from the shed.

"Hey, um... Can you wait here dad?" Kodiak asked slowly.

Balto was confused and his raised eyebrow gave it away to everyone around him.

"What? The guys mentioned how cool it was that you were my dad, so I thought maybe they would like to meet you," Kodiak responded innocently.

Balto smiled, but it quickly died away.

"Do they know about my wolf half? If they do, then they must assume Kodi knows, but if thy don't what are they gonna say when they see me?"

"Dad?"

Balto shook his head, coming back to reality.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking," Balto said with his smile returning to his lips.

"Alright, well, just wait here," Kodiak said as he started moving toward the shed door. There was a rope that hung down so dogs could gain access the inside, but him just being a pup was too small to reach it. He would normally have asked his dad for help, but he didn't want to ruin the surprise so he just scratched on the door.

"Hey guys, I'm back," he called through the door.

After a moment there was a groan and the door started to slowly open, followed by a fat brown head.

"Hey Kodi," Ralph said and pushed the door open a bit further.

Kodiak smiled and stepped through the door and was greeted by the others.

"So Kodi, how'd it go?" Dusty asked mockingly.

"Went fine," Kodiak replied with a sneer.

Ralph started to pull the door closed, but Kodiak stopped him.

"Wait, Ralph, don't close up yet. There's something I want to show you guys."

"It's a bit late to be going anywhere?" Soqin asked.

Kodiak smiled.

"It's just out the door," was his simple response before disappearing through the door.

The pups all looked at each other questioningly, then shrugged and followed, coming around the door to find Kodiak standing alone in the yard. The pups all looked around him expectantly, but saw nothing new.

"What's going on?" Koe began, "I thought you said you had something to show us?'

Kodiak smiled.

"Dad?"

The pups all gasped.

"No way! Your dad's here!" Ralph exclaimed excitedly.

"Sure am," Balto said and stepped out from around the corner of the shed.

The pups' jaws all dropped, every one of them at a loss for words. Here before them was their town's idol.

Dusty was the first one to recover and approached him nervously. Balto looked down at her with a smile.

"Mr. Balto, it's such an honor to meet you," she began weakly.

"Ya, what you did was truly amazing!" Kirby said enthusiastically, breaking any case of general nervousness from Kodiak's friends.

"So you guys are the friends my son told me about," Balto began.

"We sure are," Ralph said.

Balto chuckled.

"Well it looks to me like my son has good taste," Balto said with a smile, "what are your names?"

"I'm Dusty," Dusty said and swished her tail.

"I'm Ralph."

"Soqin."

"Koe."

"Kirby."

"Homma."

Balto smiled and looked expectantly down at the pup yet to speak.

"And what about you young man? What's your name?"

"That right there is Scholla," Kodiak answered for his friend, "he doesn't speak."

Balto smiled at Scholla and received a nod in response.

"Well, it's very good to meet you all," Balto said enthusiastically, "you guys making sure my son stays out of trouble?"

"Oh yes sir," Homma replied.

"Good," Balto replied.

He looked out over the land and saw that the sun was nearly gone.

"Well Kodi, I better get going," he said, receiving disappointed 'awww's' from Kodiak's friends, "I need to get Alue over to your mother's house and get home before it gets too late."

"Okay, dad," Kodiak replied.

Balto lowered his head down and Kodiak nuzzled him.

"I love you dad," he said

"I love you too," Balto replied and lifted his head up again, then turned and began to walk away.

"Your dad sure is a nice guy," Dusty said once he was out of sight.

"Yes, yes he is. He is the most honest and trust worthy dog I know."

Balto was out of sight but not out of earshot and hearing those words come from his son really hit him in the heart. Ever since the day he was born he had been lying to him. He should have told him today.

"Papa?" Alue asked shaking his leg with her paw.

Balto didn't even know he had drifted.

"Sorry Alue," Balto replied with a smile, "let's get over to your mother's house."

Yes I know you were expecting Balto to tell Kodi about his blood, but you'll understand why I didn't do that in later chapters.