Chapter 11: "Getting ready"

The next morning Balto woke up to a loud yelp next to him. Balto turned around immediately scared that something happened, and saw Jenna crying. "Jenna! What's wrong? What happened?" Balto asked with a soothing voice. "I tried to turn around in my sleep and a enormous shot of pain went through my leg!".

Balto walked over to Jenna and took a closer look at Jenna's leg. "It's still broken" Balto said. "But Devil healed my wounds yesterday? How can it still be broken?" Jenna asked confused.

"I don't know. But it will heal. It only needs some time and rest, and eventually some exercise" Balto replied to her. Jenna tried to stand up and collapsed back on the ground.

"Don't force it! Or else it will take even longer to heal fully!" Balto said caring. Jenna looked at him and asked: "What do we do now? We need to get out of here! Bela knows where our den is and you know he will come back!". "But we can't have you walk long distances in this condition. So I will command Beta to guard the borders of this den-site. We are not going anywhere before your leg is healed." Balto replied.

Balto walked outside and let out a long howl. Beta walked towards Balto and asked: "What do you need us for my liege?" Balto replied: "Jenna's leg isn't in a condition to walk the distance we need to walk. So I need you to get a few of our men and guard the den-site, and send the best warriors out to go look for new lands where we can migrate to eventually!". "Of course!" After this Beta let out a howl and gave the orders to the rest of the men.

Balto walked back inside the cave and asked Jenna: "Are you hungry?". Jenna looked at him thinking to herself: "Did really just ask that?". Jenna smiled and teasingly said to Balto: "No I'm not hungry, I didn't eat for two days now, but I'm not hungry". Balto looked at her and replied teasing: "Well then I'll eat your rabbit as well!". Jenna looked at him and started laughing: "I would love something to eat thank you!" Balto walked over to her and warmly nuzzled her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "See you in 15 minutes!" Balto said with a big grin on his face.

Balto turned around and ran out of the cave and started hunting rabbits. Balto thought to himself: "I bring home rabbits everytime, as a surprise I will bring back home a caribou! Then she can't say I didn't bring home enough food!" Balto started laughing already when he thought about Jenna's face! He started to run and trying to pick up sent of a herd of caribou.

When he got the sent he mentioned that they were near and stopped running so they wouldn't mention him. He started to sneak towards the source of the smell and saw a big herd of caribou grazing not mentioning the thread that was near.

Balto started to sneak closer and closer and then he picked up his speed and grabbed one of the bigger male caribou and took him down.

When the caribou's fight for life was over Balto pulled the caribou onto his back and started to make his way home.

Meanwhile back at the den Jenna was getting worried. "It's almost been 45 minutes now! What is keeping him so long?". At that moment Balto walked in and Jenna couldn't believe her eyes! She saw Balto walking in with a male caribou! Balto walked towards Jenna and lay the caribou down in front of her.

Jenna looked up and saw Balto standing there with a smile on his face that went from ear to ear. "H-how... Y-you caught a caribou!". Balto looked at her and started to laugh. "I thought you would like something else than rabbits". "Come on tuck in! I'll wait I'm not that hungry!" Balto said with a loving warm voice. Jenna didn't want to tuck in she was ashamed because she didn't do anything to help Balto catch this she thought she didn't deserve this. "No I can't. I don't deserve it" Jenna said. Balto looked at her and said with a loving voice: "You deserve every bit of it! And besides you need to eat well so your leg can heal!" Jenna still didn't want to eat from the caribou. Balto smiled and walked over to her and lay down against her. He started to nuzzle her and said: " I love you Jenna and love has to be shown by deeds not words". After hearing this and pressing herself into Balto and his warmth she looked at Balto and looked for a few seconds. When she was looking at Balto, Balto grabbed one of the antlers of the caribou and pulled it closer to him and Jenna.

Balto mentioned that Jenna was looking at him and gave her a kiss.

Jenna turned over to the caribou and started eating.

After Jenna was finished Balto started to eat making sure Jenna would have enough to eat the next day. "Are you not hungry anymore?" Jenna asked Balto. "Nah I had enough" Balto said lying down against Jenna again.

"We need to sleep. The next few weeks we are going to practice standing up, walking and eventually running and everything else!" Balto said.

"Good night Jenna!" Balto said nuzzling Jenna. "Good night!" Jenna replied returning the nuzzle. The next few weeks Balto helped Jenna get back on her feet for the possible journey they had to make to new lands were the could stay to search for evidence of Balto's innocence.

Balto hadn't heard from the scouts in weeks. He was getting worried that there was no more land to be taken and they had to take land from other packs with force.

Jenna's revalidation was going really fast and before she knew Balto and herself were going to go on a hunting trip for caribou. Jenna wanted to go with Balto because her first hunting trip didn't end well with her getting wounded by Bela.

Balto didn't take the lead in the hunt, he wanted to give Jenna a oppurtunity to show what she was capable of doing. Jenna started to run towards the forest with Balto right behind her. "Okay now we are in the forest I trust on you and your judgement! You are the one responsible now for the food we get or don't get" Balto said looking at Jenna. Jenna started to look a little worried and thought by herself: "If I don't succeed we don't have food!". Balto looked at her and saw that she was really nervous. "You're going to do just fine! If you need help I am right here!" Balto said after nuzzling her. Jenna looked at him and calmed down she knew that Balto would always have her back. She turned around and picked up a sent of a caribou herd. She looked at Balto and Balto smiled at her. She turned around and started running towards the source of the sent.

Jenna stopped after 10 minutes of running and saw a herd of caribou in a little clearing. She turned around to look at Balto who was smiling with pride of how Jenna had done. But that smile went away when Balto saw a few members of their own pack, the pack from where Balto was exciled.

Balto grabbed Jenna and pulled her into a little hidingspot underneath a big oak tree. "What's wrong?" Jenna asked concerned. "Our pack is hunting this herd as well. Look!". Jenna looked over to the clearing and saw their pack failing at getting a caribou. "If only Balto didn't wound our guards and hunters we would've had food for tonight.

Balto and Jenna saw them leave in the direction of the den-site. Balto and Jenna stood up from underneath the tree and made their way back to the den at the waterfall.

Jenna looked at Balto disappointed because the hunt was a failure. "It wasn't your fault Jenna! If those wolves hadn't shown up we definitely were going to get a caribou!" Balto said assuringly. Jenna looked at him and nuzzled him. "Thanks Balto". At that moment Beta walked into the cave saying that the scouts had returned.

"I'll be right back" Balto said to Jenna. Balto walked outside the cave and walked towards the scouts. One of them the leader of the 10 named Ahab started to give a report of their journey. "We have found land that hasn't been claimed yet! It is a 2 week travel from here. It has enough food and water and it is easy to protect!" Ahab said to Balto.

"All right, let's make preparations for departure! We are leaving at the next full moon!" Balto ordered. Balto walked back inside the cave towards Jenna and lay down against her and filled her in on what was going to happen. Jenna agreed on all of this and started to look forward to it. Jenna's stomach began to rumble. Balto looked at her with a smile and stood up to get a piece of caribou he stashed away for if the hunt would fail.

He walked up to Jenna and laid the piece of caribou down in front of her.

"Go on, I'm not hungry" Balto said. Balto lay down against Jenna again and Jenna started to eat. After finishing her meal she pressed herself into Balto's fur and fell asleep exhausted of this busy day. Balto laid his head ontop of her neck and fell asleep as well.

Author's Note:

Hey you guys! Here is the next chapter! I know I already uploaded a chapter today but I thought you deserved the next chapter as well! I hope you like this one so please R&R and hope to see you next time!

Mighty-Atlantian