"Find your home... Please, Aubrey... Find your home..."

Rusty growled loudly and protested against the words in his mind as Saba and Kanai watched him. He seems to have been struggling internally for the past two hours of their trip, and Saba was starting to get annoyed by it.

"What is it Rusty? Something there?" She asked.

"No… Nothing really. Nothing for miles in any direction. We should be fine."

His response was expected, but to Saba, he seemed normal enough, though even Kanai would have noticed something wrong with him.

Speaking of Kanai:

"Saba I want to walk now." He said in a soft voice.

Saba gently placed him down in the snow and he instantly ran up to Rusty. He growled softly and bit at his front legs, but he paid no mind to it.

"Kanai, leave Rusty alone. Now isn't the time to play."

"Aw, come on! I'm bored!"

Rusty ignored the two for the next 5 minutes as Kanai retracted to walking next to Saba. Rusty on the other hand felt bad for him and figured he could let Kanai at least feel helpful.

"Say, Kanai. You want something to do? See if you can find out which way we need to go next." Rusty said.

The three of them stopped and looked down their path. There were several paths that could be taken, and one would eventually lead to South Peak… The others led to a dense forest that would make it nearly impossible for them to pass once they reached the cliff face along the mountain.

"Yes yes!" Kanai jumped excitedly.

He ran up and looked down each path, specifically avoiding the one that was dark and had scary looking trees. Then he saw the one that led to the west a bit, and one that South Peak could be seen out in the distance.

"Uh… I chose that one!"

Kanai jumped and sniffed around for a bit, leaving Saba and Rusty sitting next to eachother watching as he walked around.

"You do know which way to go, right?" Saba asked.

"Of course I do… I think." Rusty joked.

Saba looked at him confused, he was hard to read, and she had an even harder time figuring out that he was joking. She looked at his profile, the wolf-dingo was ever vigilant of the pup no matter where he went, and even that intrigued her. It was as if he liked the pup. Perhaps it reminded him of himself? Or a sibling? Or… His child. Saba had no idea. He did look old, though not old in a sense of age, more, experience. Maybe he fathered a litter or two in his days, and he watching over Kanai was simple instinct.

"I smell wolves!" Kanai said.

"Impressive." Rusty said as Kanai returned to the two.

Saba giggled as Kanai jumped excitedly, happy to have been able to help, but froze when Kanai looked up at Rusty.

"You remind me of papa…" He said.

"Uh oh…" Saba thought.

Kanai started to cry at the images of his past began to pop up, and he grabbed onto Rusty's leg and cried into his fur.

"Hey… Get…" Rusty began to protest, but he couldn't push the little guy away.

He looked over to Saba, who seemed to have a look of fear on her, not expecting Rusty's reaction to the pup.

"It's okay." He said to her.

"Okay, okay Kanai… Let go of me." He said.

Saba gently pulled Kanai off of him and he turned to Saba's chest and cried some more.

Rusty gave a look at Saba, as if asking what was wrong with Kanai, and she only shrugged her shoulders.

"Why… Why do you say that Kanai?" Saba asked in a gentle voice.

Rusty could already anticipate it… And he knew what the wolf pup was going to say before he said it.

"Papa… He was… t…taken d...down by humans."

"Taken down?"

"A loud explosion and.. and he fell down…" Kanai struggled to explain.

"Damn humans and their guns…" Rusty said.

"My thought exactly…" Saba agreed.

"But you're a dog… "

"Let's just say, I've come to hate the humans as much as any wolf out here right now."

"Interesting. Anyway, you two settle here for the night. I'm going out for a hunt."

Saba nodded, and returned to Kanai, who was feeling a little sticky to her for some reason.

"Oh and... Take care of Kanai." He said as he motioned to the pup, who was sitting in the snow to their left, staring at the ground.

"Kanai… Don't worry. We will find your mother. And… I'm sorry… About… Your dad…"

Kanai slowly hugged Saba and soon his crying died down enough and he looked around.

"Rusty seems mean, but that's how my papa is too. I think it's just an act."

"Do you think that?"

"Yeah, I bet deep down he has a heart."

"I believe that too, Kanai." Saba said.

Saba held Kanai for a while… She couldn't imagine what he had seen… How any pup had to go through that, watching their own father die before them?

And all it did was refresh her hate for the Humans…

Rusty

I loved hunting, it was a good way to vent. I was angry… Why the hell was I angry though? And at what?

Kanai… He saw me as his father, after he watched his own father die… This isn't right for him. I'm no father, and he still has a mother. I had hope that by the time we find Black Eye, that we could find his mother... I really, truly did wish that Kanai could find his home, because I know all too well what it's like to feel helpless as a pup... And helpless against the humans at that.

I noted the location of Saba and Kanai, and ran off, looking to bring them a good meal, and to be honest, is as starting to feel hungers call all the same.

Downwind, about 200 meters, were a few muskoxen.

Settled, I chased them down, singling out the slowest of the bunch and jumped into its side, tearing into the soft part of its head. It cried odd sounds of pain and death as the other few simply ignored his cried and ran off.

It always intrigued me how most of the animals I chased down, seemed to operate in small groups, yet when I started to chase them, leaving behind one of their own seemed to not even bother them. It was an odd tactic... But it worked. No doubt about that, those other oxen would live to see another day. Not even feeling guilty as they're watched one of their own be killed...

Regardless, rules of the wild. Hunt or be hunted, savage or survivor. And I caught my prize. The amount of blood that poured from its neck alone was impressive, and probably was well over what the average wolf body could hold. Didn't matter to me though. I started striping pieces off, and got my own fill on the tougher areas. I was subconsciously trying to do Saba and Kanai a favor, by eating the parts I knew they couldn't, or rather, wouldn't.

Satisfied by my own catch, I dragged the rest to where Kanai and Saba slept. As I traversed the several hundred meters of snow I had time to think. Did it really bother me that much that Kanai saw me as his father? After a long while of thinking, I settled on: no it didn't. In fact, I think deep down, I felt proud.

Finding Kanai his home is my number one priority now. I don't care if it takes the next few months. This pup needed to find his home.

Balto, Siku and Jenna.

Siku walked slowly behind the couple as Balto tried his hand at detecting Saba. She laughed at his face when he failed to detect her. It wasn't his fault, because she couldn't detect her either.

"Great, we've officially lost her." Balto said.

"Yeah, I told you that miles ago..." Siku added.

"Well... Nothing to the left of us. It's just an endless frozen ocean that way."

"Perhaps it would be better to walk out on the ice?" Siku suggested.

"Are you crazy? What if we fall through?" Jenna said.

"Don't worry. This time of year, the ice could support one hundred wolves." Balto assured.

Balto smiled and looked at Jenna as if he remembered something.

"Well, if I recall correctly, it can't hold a bear up."

"Oh... Don't remind me. That was the first fight I've ever got in. And it wasn't even with another dog." Jenna said.

"Siku's suggestion is a good one, and I promise you. There will be no bears out there" Balto laughed a bit at her along with Siku.

The three walked out a good distance into the ice, and with the coastline in view, it was their best bet at trying to find their missing daughter. Surely they could see a dog, as much as her red fur stood out, amongst the ice snow and equally white trees.

Balto joked with Jenna about something, but Siku concentrated on her nose.

"Yeah, like the time you tricked Steele into that boiler. That's when I knew you were the perfect type of girl for me." Balto said.

"Man that was so long ago... I wonder if he still feels it."

"We can only hope."

Balto shook his head, then looked at Siku.

"Got something again? Is it the son of another god or something?"

"Nope, but I've got a feeling." Siku replied.

"Oh, was that who Alex was? Son of Amarok? Yeah, I've heard some people in town talk about him." Jenna said.

"Like what?"

"Well, that he is a killer and can't be trusted, and a whole bunch of other myths that I know can't be true."

"Yeah, I've met him once before... Way back before the Serum run. He's a nice guy who just has a bad reputation."

"Kinda like you used to be"

"What, the bad reputation part? Or being a nice guy?" Balto joked.

"Both" Jenna said with a smile.
"Shut up I've got something!" Siku budded in as the two were about to kiss.

"What?"

"I... Can't be sure yet, but it's that way." Siku pointed a paw out towards the sea, away from land.

"How far do you think it is?"

"I can't be sure... But I can feel it, it's important, and it's drawing me a few miles out."

"Then I guess it's our best bet. We'll be safe as long as we don't hit the Whale Waters."

"What's whale waters?" Jenna asked.

"It's when you go too far, nobody is safe from a killer whale if it jumps out and grabs you from under. You won't even know what happened before you're in it's belly."

"That's scary... Do you think we should risk that?" She asked.

"It'll be fine. Plus, I trust Siku's nose better than my own... And just look at her."

Balto motioned Jenna to look at Siku, who didn't notice the two staring at her. She was very anxious, and twitched a lot, as if she wanted more than anything to follow the scent. Balto was sure that if they hadn't been around, she would have peed a bit.

Siku turned to them, and instantly straightened up.

"What?"

"Nothing. Lead the way you ol' hound dog." Balto joked.

Siku ran off from the two, heading in the direction of Norton Bay, and without anything to break the horizon, it was just an endless sea of white that matched the light blue hue of the sky above. The snow was fresh, which told Balto that the blizzard he saw in the sky, must have ravished this area too. He had no idea how Siku caught anything in this... But he was starting to recognize a smell too.

Within a mile of their destination Siku froze.

"What ...is it Siku?" Balto said in between labored breathing.

"Man, you're out of shape..." Jenna said.

"Hey, you and Rosie spent this time training." Balto argued.

"Yeah, you're both old, blah blah. But here is where the scent stops."

"Stops? What do you..."

Balto caught onto Saba's scent too, and followed it.

"Here!" Jenna said.

She held in her mouth, Saba's collar. It had Saba's name on it, along with Sam's number and a reward. Balto took a second to observe it further.

"So apparently Saba was only worth 80 bucks to Sam..." Balto said.

"One time Dixie went missing and her owners only offered 50$ to whoever could find her." Jenna said.

(Note that I adjusted for inflation. 80$ in 1928 = roughly 1200$ today.)

"Humans and money... Why they try and put a price on everything is confusing to me." Siku said.

"Good! So we've got her collar... Now where is she?"

"Don't you think it's wired that her collar is here, but not her?"

"I know Saba. In her rage from being kicked out of her home, she most likely took it off and tossed it. But I believe she's fine somewhere... Maybe even around here." Balto said.

His words assured Jenna, and even himself a bit. Siku, on the other hand remained skeptical. She believed something happened to her, and damn it all, she was going to kick the ass of whoever laid a finger on Saba.

"Come on, lets go. Her trail leads back to land this way." Siku said.

"Wait... I... Just give me a second." Balto said.

Siku turned her head at his sudden interjection, and saw that he was trying hard to catch onto a scent.

"Smells like... A wolf pup or something."

"Is... It me?" Siku asked.

"No... No. Defiantly younger. Much younger." Balto said.

"I found it too!" Jenna said rather over-excitedly.

"I don't smell... Oh wait..." She lowered her nose further. "Yeah... I guess I was just focusing on Saba more. All the more reason to follow her trail. If this wolf pup is as young as you think it is, then maybe it's lost, and found Saba to help." Siku suggested.

"That's a good theory..." Balto said.

"Well, I just know these things. Plus I was also lost as a pup... And at times... Findin someone, anyone, out here in the wilderness is a blessing."

"Way to make me feel bad..." Balto said as he lowered his head.

"Not your fault, after all, I finally found my home with you and Jenna! Maybe... Saba just needs to find hers."

"But her home is back with-"

"No way it is... He's a creep, and you know it. Threw her out because of money problems? Suddenly the sky seems clearer now." Siku said.

"Well. Saba always talked good about him?" Jenna added.

"Look, neither of you get it. She left for a reason... Look where we are! If she had simply been thrown out, she would have returned by now, and no way in hell shed be almost 10 miles out in the Ice fields." Siku argued, showing a bit of annoyed anger for the two blind canines before her.

Siku spoke the smartest words that neither Jenna nor Balto could think of. Saba was simply thrown out, then why didn't she come to them? Or her sisters, brothers, friends? Surely she wouldn't run many miles into the wilderness like this... Balto couldn't put a finger on it, but he knew something else had to have happened. Maybe if he talked with Sam a bit more... But it was too late now, plus they were finally hot on Saba's trail. If anything, she could shed light on her own disappearance.

"Let's go. Sun's going down." Balto said.

Siku smiled and walked ahead of them, once again locking onto the scent trail and leading the other two.

Hmm... So Balto, Jenna and Siku are nearly a whole day behind Saba. They both were out on the ice when the sun was about to set... And I wonder what happened to that Demon wolf?