Chapter 7

Balto woke up to Boris's ice water bucket. Two years had passed since he had met Steele. He was now fully grown.

He shook the ice cold water of his fur. "What was that for?"

"You have slept in." Boris replied. Boris had changed over the years. Raising the stubborn pup had turned him into a cynical, grumpy old goose.

"Slept in for what?"

"You have been staying on boat for veek!"

Balto sighed. "We discussed this. If the town keeps shooting at me, I stay away from the town."

"I see no bullet holes. Obviously zey're missing."

"So I'm staying on the boat so that they keep missing!" Balto snapped back.

Boris sighed. "Not dog. Not volf. You are vegetable."

Balto got up. "Screw it. I'm not a vegetable. I'm going to look around."

"If I get shot you'll be sorry." Balto muttered as he went down the ramp.

Balto padded stealthily into town, keeping to the alleyways. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle up. He groaned.

"What do you want now Steele?"

Steele padded up to him. "What do I want? The same thing I've wanted since the moment you showed up here. I want you to leave town."

"This isn't your town. And just so you know I am probably going to leave soon."

Steele grinned. "Really?" He turned to leave. "I want you out by the end of the day."

Balto sighed. He really was considering leaving Nome. He had had enough of Steele. He had had enough of the humans. He had had enough of they're disgusted glances, they're guns, they're fists.

"You're leaving?"

Balto spun around to see who had spoken. It was Togo."Yeah, why?"

Togo shrugged. "I never saw you as a quitter."

Balto chuckled humorlessly. "You want me out?"

Togo shook his head. "No. You're a good kid. That's more than I can say for Steele."

Balto nodded. "Thanks."

"My point is, I don't think you should leave. Not just because of Steele."

Balto sighed. "This isn't just about Steele. It's about…everything. I'm not staying in a town that can't stand the sight of me. I almost got shot a week ago."

Togo nodded. "Well it's your call. If you want to leave that's fine with me. But I'm sure if you looked around you'd find someone who appreciates you. I know I do."

Balto turned to leave. "See you Togo. I have to think about it."

Balto noticed an old building. He had been cornered here when he was chased by a bunch of dogs. Balto smiled. That had been his first day in Nome. He climbed the ladder. He was not being chased this time so he had time to look over the town. It was beautiful. Just as Balto had thought when he had arrived here. He looked across to the other building. When he was little he had feared the large gap between the buildings. But now that he was older, it seemed…manageable.

He suddenly ran at the buildings edge. He leapt gracefully in the air and landed cleanly on the opposite building. The adrenaline pumped through him. He noticed the other building was manageable. He jumped onto the roof of the other building. Soon he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, through the town.

He failed to realize that the gap between one of the buildings was too wide. He jumped. Realizing his mistake he let out a whimper of terror, then smashed into the side of the opposite building and fell to the ground below.

He tried to get up but was pinned to the ground. He had fallen on a bunch of trashcans, and one of them had trapped his leg.

"Need help?" A sweet voice asked.

He looked up. "Huh?"

"You took quite a spill there." The dog padded over. She was a white and red husky. "Need some help?"

Balto nodded. "Kind of…a bit…pinned down."

The husky lifted the trashcan of his leg. Balto got up. His leg was hurting slightly but he wasn't seriously hurt.

"What's you're name?" The husky asked.

"Uh…I'm…uh…" Balto was stunned by how beautiful the husky was.

"What was that?"

"Oh um…my names Balto."

"Oh, nice to meet you Balto. My names Jenna. My family just moved here."

Balto nodded. "Oh…uh well…Nome is quite a place." He chuckled nervously.

"Well I guess I'll see you around then Balto." Jenna said.

"Uh yeah…bye."

Jenna gave him one last smile, then turned and padded away.

Balto padded back to the boat. When he was talking to Jenna he had a feeling he had never had before. He padded up the ramp. Boris was waiting with his wings on his hips.

"Vhat is zis I hear about you leaving?"

Balto sighed. "I'm thinking about leaving Nome."

"And vhy is zat?" Boris asked.

"There's nothing for me in this town. I can't live in a place where everyone hates me."

"I do not hate you."

Balto nodded. "Thanks. But I have to leave."

"But vhere vill you go?"

"I don't know…" Balto frowned. "Why do you give a damn? I'm not your family. You brought me here!"

"If I hadn't you vould have freezed to death!"

"And maybe we'd both be better off!" Balto snapped back. "And it's frozen. Not freezed."

Boris nodded. "Maybe you are right. Maybe I should have let you die. But I vould never have been able to live vith self after zat."

Balto shook his head. "You won't have to worry about me any more."

He licked Boris on the head. "Goodbye Boris. You've been my best friend during these years. I'll never forget you."Balto padded down the ramp. Boris watched sadly as he left. Suddenly Balto stopped and turned. "You'd make a great father to someone Boris. I just wanted you to know that."

Then Balto was gone. Boris sighed. "Good luck kiddo."

Balto padded into the old mill. There weren't many dogs there. But Togo was one of them. Togo smiled when he saw him. "You've thought about it?

"Balto nodded. "I'm leaving. I just came to say goodbye."

Togo nodded. "You know you endured a lot as a pup. I always thought after what you went through, nothing would get to you." He shrugged. "Guess I was wrong."

Togo extended his paw. "Good luck out there kid."

Balto took a look at the town. He was thinking of what Togo had said. He had endured worse in his life.

Though he had tried to bury the memories, he could still see the slaughter of his siblings, the sacrifice of his mother, the insane look on the wolf's face when he killed them.

It all flooded back into his memory. Tears trickled down his muzzle. It was without a doubt the worst moment in his life. He suddenly realized. He had endured worse.

If he could stand to see his family die he could endure a life in Nome.

Steele padded arrogantly through the town. He sniffed the air and frowned.

"I thought you were leaving town." He hissed.

Balto padded out of the shadows. "I was thinking about that. I decided not to."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I'm gonna be here…ya know forever."

Steele gestured to the old mill. Suddenly three dogs padded out of it.

"Guy's? Our friend here doesn't want to leave. Let's teach him to leave."

Balto turned to run but found that he was surrounded.

The dogs pounced. Balto was pinned to the ground. The dogs held him up.

"You got a good hold on him?" Steele asked.

Kaltag nodded. "He's all your's."Steele punched him in the stomach. Balto gasped in pain. Steele hit him again. "You still want to stay in Nome?" He snarled. Balto nodded.

Steele hit him in the stomach again. Blood trickled out of Balto's mouth.

"Please…stop."

"Get the hell out of my town!" Steele snapped back.

"It's…not…your…town." Balto replied. "I'm… not scared of you… Steele."'

Steele chuckled. "Then you'd better learn to be scared of me."

He punched Balto in the face. Balto began laughing.

"Something amusing?" Steele snapped.

"Yeah. No matter what you…do…you can never make me leave this town. I can take everything you throw at me. You're making a fool of yourself."

Steele shook his head. "This isn't all I can throw at you."

He grabbed Balto's neck. "Will you leave?"Balto shook his head. Steele's grip on his neck increased. Balto struggled to breathe. Steele whispered into Balto's ear. "All this can end. You can leave or you can die."

"What is going on here?" A familiar voice demanded.

Steele looked up and put on the most innocent look he could manage. "Jenna! How great to see you again. Your family settled in yet?"

Jenna nodded. "What are you doing?"

Steele smiled and gestured to Balto. "We're just…practicing for that race tomorrow."

Balto snorted. "Sure Steele."

Steele's look turned to anger. "Hey hybrid, was I talking to you?"

"He looks hurt." Jenna said worriedly.

"Oh well, lobo fido here uh…enjoys it!" Steele sneered.

"It doesn't look that way." Jenna replied. "Do you enjoy it?"

Balto was about to answer when Steele clamped his paws down on his muzzle. "He can't talk."

Balto shoved him off. "No I don't enjoy it."

Jenna frowned at Steele. "Let him go."

Steele chuckled. "Why should I do that?"

"Because I told you to." Jenna snapped back.

"But he is a wolf dog." Steele whined.

"And?"

Steele sighed. "I'm just gonna hit him a little bit more." He turned.

Balto was gone.

Balto snapped awake. It was 2:00 in the morning. He breathed heavily. Tears streamed down his bruised muzzle. He got up. He angrily smashed his paws down on the deck.

Boris snapped awake. "Vhy do you vake me up boychik?" He demanded.

Balto let out a cry of sorrow. He continued pounding his paws on the boat. Boris waddled over. "Please! Do not take it out on boat! It is fragile enough!"

Balto could feel tears coming. He was shaking. "I'm forgetting them Boris."

"Vhat? Forgetting who?"

"My…my family. All these years I've been able to hold onto their memories. Now I've even forgotten what they look like!" He collapsed to the deck. He couldn't stop shaking. "But I can still see…him. The one…who killed them."

"Calm down!" Boris said. "You are okay."

"No I'm not dammit! Every night…in my dreams…I see his face."

He calmed down. "I'm sorry for waking you up. But…how is it that I loved them…and I'm forgetting them, but I hate the one who killed them, and I can't get him out of my mind?"