Chapter 5

Balto awoke with pain in his legs. He groaned as he got up.

"You feeling alright?" Boris called. He was already sweeping the deck.

"Yeah just…ran a bit last night." Balto said. He winced. "Maybe a bit too much."

Boris nodded. "Vell some dogs vere here zis morning. Zey asked for a volf pup."

Balto padded over to him. "You didn't tell them anything did you?"

Boris shook his head. "No."

Balto smiled. "Thanks Boris. You're a life saver."

Balto padded off the ramp of the boat. "And vere do you think you are going?"

"I'm going to find out why they're after me." Balto called back.

Balto padded discreetly into town. He noticed a lot of dogs were crowded around an old gold dredger. He silently slipped into the crowd.

"I'm telling you this town is filled with wolves!" A dog yelled.

Balto saw in horror that it was the same dog who had chased him the night before. He began to pad away. The dog noticed. His eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"You! That's the wolf that bit me!"Before Balto could react a dog had picked him up by the scruff of the neck and carried him into the gold dredger.

"Let go of me!" Balto demanded.

Balto was dropped to the ground. In the center of the room was a middle aged Saint Bernard.

"Young sir. You are charged with assault of a member of our community. How do you plead?"

Balto looked dumbfounded. "Excuse me mister but I didn't understand a word you just said. English please?"

The Saint Bernard eyed him suspiciously. "What is your name son?"

Balto made a mock salute and barked like a soldier. "My name's Balto sir. Don't wear it out sir."

At this there was a stir of laughter in the crowd. Balto grinned. The Saint Bernard looked irritated.

"Well 'Balto' last night at approximately 11:00 did you or didn't you attack this dog?" He gestured to the dog.

"I bit him if that's what you mean sir." Balto replied innocently. There was more laughter. The dog who had been bitten glared at them.

The Saint Bernard stared at him. "You realize how serious a crime that is son?"

"No I don't." Balto replied.

The Saint Bernard chuckled. "Luckily you're just a pup. I'll let you off on a warning. If it happens again…well…just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Balto nodded. "Sir, can I go now?"

The Saint Bernard sighed, then nodded. "I guess. Good day Balto."

Balto padded hastily out of the building. He started to head back to the boat.

He paused and sniffed the air. He was being followed.

He looked back. The dogs that had attacked him the night before were coming to finish the job.

He increased his pace. They started running towards him.

Balto was running now. He eyed areas that he could hide as he ran. The dogs were keeping up with him. They were bigger than him so they could still outrun him. Balto noticed an old door. He slammed it open. He was in an old boiler room. The dogs had seen him go in. Balto couldn't see any way of escape. Then he noticed a small crawlway. He nervously crawled through it.

He was almost blinded when a spider web went in his face. He brushed it off, then continued. The area was extremely cramped. He could tell he was under a building.

He noticed some light peeking through a hole in the floor. He looked up. There was an office above him. He relaxed.

He lay down. He wasn't going anywhere soon. He looked over and noticed a group of shattered bottles. They were all different colors.

He shrugged. He might as well keep himself entertained.

He started pawing at the bottles. He grouped them under the light and started fidgeting with them.

A few hours passed. He got up. The dogs must have left by now. He padded away from the bottles.

Suddenly rays of light shot out of the bottles. Balto watched in wonder as the lights danced on the wall.

"Vhat vas zat about?" Boris asked, sweeping the deck with his broom.

Balto waved his paw. "Oh just some…assault thing."

Boris dropped the broom. "Balto you realize how serious zat is? Zey could banish you."

Balto shrugged. "How'll they make me?"

"Zey'll kill you." Boris replied.

Balto sighed. "Look Boris, it wasn't even my fault. They attacked me. It was self defense."

Boris crossed his wings. "Really? Vhy do I not see vounds?"

"Well…" Balto couldn't think up an excuse. His mother had always taught him to be honest."They insulted me."

"So you attacked zem?"

Balto nodded. "They called my mother scum."

Boris waddled over to him. "And you're mother is dead. So you attacked him."

Balto nodded. "I never told you how my mother died."

"How did she die?" Boris calmly asked.

"She died to protect me. The wolf wasn't going to kill her. He was going to kill me." Tears came to Balto's eyes. "She died because of me."

Boris shook his head. "Zat is not true. She died for you. Not because of you. Zere is a difference."

Balto nodded. "Whatever you say." He wasn't convinced.

"Besides, do you think your mother vanted you to sit here beating up on yourself? She vanted you to live a good life."

Balto nodded. "I'm going back into town. Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime boychik." Boris replied before resuming the sweeping of the deck.

Balto padded back into town. He suddenly caught the smell of meat. His mouth watered. He hadn't eaten a descent meal in weeks.

The smell led him to the town butcher shop. The door was opened a crack. He poked his head in. The smell of meat was strongest here. Suddenly he smelled something else. Metal.

He opened his eyes to find himself staring down the barrels of a double barreled shotgun. He looked up to see a mans angry face.

"Damn wolves! You ain't getting any of my steak!"

Balto stared fearfully up at the man.

"Well git! Shoo!"

Before Balto could leave the man brought up the barrels of the gun and smashed them down on his head. Balto immediately ran away. The man grinned at his handiwork.

Balto began to feel light headed. He didn't know where he was. He felt the back of his head. It was wet with blood.

"Oh…crap."

Balto fell to the ground unconscious.

Balto was half awake. He realized he was being carried. He could faintly make out voices.

"Quick! Get him to the old mill!" A voice commanded.

"Is he breathing?" Another asked.

Balto tried to answer but was too weak. He slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Is he awake?"

"Is he dead?"

Balto opened his eyes. There were several dogs surrounding him.

The lead one he recognized as the Saint Bernard he had met earlier. Balto smiled weakly.

"Am I dead?"

The dog shook his head. "Apparently not."

Balto winced. "What happened?"

Another younger dog padded forward. "Looks like you hit your head on something."

The Saint Bernard gestured to the younger dog. "This is Togo. He found you unconscious. He brought you here."

"Thanks." Balto said to Togo. He got up. His head was still throbbing from the hit. "I'll be going now."

The Saint Bernard stepped in his way. "I wouldn't suggest that."

"Why not?" Balto asked. He pushed past him to the door. He smashed into it.

The dogs winced. "That's why."

Balto nodded. "Maybe you're right." He collapsed to the ground.

"If you want I could go get your family to pick you up." Togo offered.

Balto shook his head. "I don't have a family."

"Really? What happened to them?" Togo asked.

"You don't want to know." Balto replied.

The Saint Bernard eyed him curiously. "Where are you from?"

Balto shrugged. "No idea. I was born in a cave. We were near some town. That was far away from here."

"So how did you get here?"

"Again, you don't want to know."

The Saint Bernard nodded. "I'm Doc by the way."

Balto nodded. "I should probably get going."

"Do you have a place to stay?" Doc asked.

"Yeah, I got a place on the outskirts."

Doc nodded. "Goodbye then."

Balto stumbled back to the boat. He could barely see. His head was still throbbing from the hit. Boris was already asleep. Good. He wouldn't have to explain his head wound.

Balto collapsed on the deck and fell asleep.