Cole kept pace with Balto as they trudged on through the day making marks on trees, though Cole had by now decided to try his own claws on the trees when he made his mark and found it more fitting.
"We'll just trudge on for now.", Balto told him, "It'll save time."
Cole looked amused as he sniffed the air and caught Steele's scent. They were on the right track so they moved on with Boris right behind with Muk and Luk behind him. Cole turned just in time to see that Muk and Luk had started a snowball fight and saw one aiming right for Balto.
"Duck.", he said.
Balto did and the snowball hit a tree making a white spot with a splat. Balto looked back at the polar bears having fun smiling before looking back ahead and heading out. Cole did the same, but as a few snowballs missed Boris he looked back at the bears and tried to shush them, but got pelted with a snowball in the face and knocked him down making an outline in the snow.
"Brilliant!", Muk said to Luk excitedly, "Right on the beak. What a bull's-eye!"
He and Luk gave high-fives and did a little victory dance Cole couldn't help but chuckle at before Boris' voice cut through the air.
"That did it! Who did that?"
Muk and Luk paused to see the goose looking their way like a parent scolding their children with a small bit of snow on his head and drumming his fingers. Luk started whimpering, but Muk went behind his brother and pointed to him while peeking out.
"I-it was him.", he said giving a big cheesy smile.
Cole looked back to Balto who was ahead of him and caught up to him when his ears picked up something growling that made him pause and gasp. Balto must have heard it too cause he had done the same and both dogs started listening while looking around. There didn't seem to be anything, but Cole had a feeling something was watching them. Something big and something really mean by the way the growling kept coming only it sounded not far.
"Guys, I think—", Balto started as he tried to look ahead before he gasped in a direction.
Cole followed just in time to see something big go behind some trees and some snow fall off them. Fear started growing in Cole's mind and he didn't want to stay around to find out.
"I think we should keep moving.", Balto finished looking timid.
"I agree.", Cole said looking just as timid.
Boris by now had gotten himself out of the hole he had made looking a bit firm.
"Is that your answer to all problems? Motion?", he asked before he straightened his back.
He then sighed, and tried to catch up while dusting himself off and honking unaware that Muk and Luk were preparing more snowballs.
/
Cole looked back hoping to call to the bears, but Balto beat him to it.
"Luk, Muk, come on!", he called, "Let's get going."
Boris looked firmer.
"Come on, boys. Let's go, boys. Faster, boys.", he muttered before raising his voice hoping that Balto and Cole heard him, "Easy to say for a couple guys with four legs!"
That was when a snowball came out and smacked him on the back of his head knocking him down once more. Boris raised his head looking mad as he had finally had enough of Muk and Luk's antics.
"Okay, that's it!", he scolded after spitting out some snow and turning to the polar bears, "It's time for goose to kick a little bear butt!"
Muk and Luk were standing holding more snow, but now they had looks of pure fear on their faces while shuddering which made the snow in their claws crumble away.
"Aha! Finally!", Boris said looking amused, "You're all done 'cause Boris is making an impression!"
Muk pointed behind Boris but Boris didn't notice before he leaned back into a wall of dark fur which made him confused.
"Now what?"
He looked around and when he noticed the fur, his expression became fearful also before he felt it and then looked up right into the face of . . . a huge pitch-black bear with yellow pupil-less eyes! The bear growled fiercely as Boris backed off, but raised a claw as if to strike him down. Balto and Cole turned just in time to see the bear and gasp in surprise as Boris tried running away, but only for the bear to swipe the ground and sent the goose flying into an old stump with a hole in the center and then swipe again to send the stump flying over its shoulder and right towards Muk and Luk who panicked and didn't get anywhere before the stump fell on them, trapping them in a spot as the bear started coming their way.
"Hang on there boys!", Cole called out as Balto and him dashed back towards them.
The bear saw them coming and when Balto leaped towards it, just swiped him aside before using its leg to swipe Cole aside. Cole slid for a bit before getting up with his teeth bared as the bear gave him and Balto a look that Cole guessed was a "back off or else!" one before it started towards Boris, Muk, and Luk again.
/
"Help!", Muk screamed as he and Luk ducked down and covered their eyes with their paws.
Just as the bear had lifted its paw to swipe again from its upright position, it reared its head back in pain as Balto bit on one of its back legs and strained to pull it out from under it. He managed and the bear flipped over, but then get flipped up til he was nose to nose with it! Cole reacted fast as the bear flipped over and pinned Balto to the ground using its paw and lifted its other one. Cole leaped up and bit into it hoping to get Balto some time, but the bear managed to fling him aside once more. Just as Cole had gotten to his feet, he heard another dog's yell and Jenna flew out at the bear's paw and bit into it making the creature roar in pain and back off Balto a little before she kicked it in the face making it angrier.
"Jenna?", Balto asked in shock.
The bear flung Jenna aside, and she groaned as she hit the snow. Cole had to move fast cause the bear was going to be on Balto again. Quick as he could, he leaped onto the bears back and then bit down on its ear making it rear up in pain just as Jenna came over after recovering from her fling bit on its nose before it got too high. That's what made the bear get off Balto, but now it was staggering towards Muk, Luk, and Boris! Cole let go and hurried over to Balto and tried stirring him.
"Wake up! Wake up!", he said quickly, "Hello?!"
Cole turned to see the bear swipe Jenna off its nose and she collided with the stump freeing Muk and Luk before the bear turned its gaze on him and Balto who had now recovered. Cole then noticed a lake nearby and an idea came to him. Balto tried backing up with Cole beside him as the bear got its face close to theirs. Balto then moved and a branch swung back and smacked the bear in the face while Cole lost his footing and came sliding down a hillside with Balto til they came to the lake and were sliding out on it for a ways til they stopped.
/
The bear appeared on top of the hill and made its way down without taking its eyes off Cole or Balto. They backed up then Cole heard a crack and turned to see Balto's paw break through the ice and get wet. Maybe, if they got the bear out far enough, it will fall through the ice. They kept backing up as the bear kept coming out on the ice. Jenna, Boris, Muk, and Luk appeared on top of the hill and saw what was going on.
"Balto!", Boris called down.
The bear got up on its back legs again and took a huge heavy step towards Balto and Cole making the ice shake a bit before both dogs saw cracks forming. Cole moved with Balto and the bear took another step towards them making the ice crack more. With one last move, Balto and Cole got out even further from the shore just as the bear took one more step and the ice broke under it. The bear strained to get out, but fell all the way below the ice. Cole noticed cracks heading him and Balto's way and his worry grew as the cracks formed a circle around them and the circle they were on lifted up. Balto tried to grab the top and Cole did too and they held there for a moment, but their grip was slipping! Cole's ears could hear Jenna and the others coming, but they wouldn't make it in time! Quickly, he tried getting his collar off and managed to before grabbing it with his teeth. Just as Balto and him slipped beneath the water, he flung his collar to the crack and it stuck there making a pocket of air just as water filled his eyes and he took a large breath of air while he still could. Even under the water, Cole held on to that collar for dear life while seeing Balto try and get air on another pocket that was diminishing by the moment. Cole prayed they would pull through, unaware of the events going on above. Jenna and Boris stopped by the lake's edge, but Muk and Luk kept running.
"Geronimo!", he called out.
Luk imitated a horn as both bears broke into the ice and were underwater in a flash. Jenna hurried over to the hole they made looking worried.
"Luk! Muk!", she called.
"They cannot swim!", Boris said in shock before ice cracked underneath him though he got out of dodge in time.
"Polar bears who can't swim?!"", Jenna asked now more worried.
/
Underneath the ice, Muk and Luk tumbled through the current before they paused and Muk pointed while blubbering something before he turned and saw he was talking to his brother's behind. He quickly flipped his brother right side up and pointed to Balto who was breathing the last bit of air he had while Cole was breathing okay until his collar got loose. Jenna's face appeared above Balto and Cole though Cole noticed this before Balto then slid further down the current. Muk and Luk came up to Cole and with a push, managed to get Cole out from under the ice where Cole took in a huge breath of air.
"Togo!"
Cole slowly lifted his head to see Jenna rushing his way though she paused when she got close to him.
"Are you alright?", she asked hurriedly, "Where's Balto?"
"Not sure.", Cole answered weakly as he shook himself dry then looking behind him, "I just hope Muk and Luk got to him."
Jenna hurried over to Boris who had his face under the ice. Even from a distance, Cole heard them as he got his collar back on.
"Well?", Jenna asked.
Boris lifted his face out which was now covered in ice and then sneezed making the ice break off.
"I cannot see them."
Cole tensed as he managed to recover most of his strength, but the sound of ice cracking made him tense. Did the bear that fall in come back up again? He didn't want to find out and headed back to Jenna and Boris just as the ice gave way behind him and he saw Muk and Luk burst to the surface while Luk carried Balto under an arm. Cole suddenly was overjoyed that Muk and Luk had pulled Balto to safety and hurried over as Jenna and Boris followed. Cole saw Luk massaging Balto while Muk shook himself dry. Then Cole heard the sound of Boris honking and turned just in time to see Boris sliding his way before Boris passed him, slid off a ramp of broken ice, sacked into Muk who then collided with Luk that fell on Balto and Balto opened his mouth just as a bunch of water was pushed out his open mouth. Boris quickly came over to Balto as he got to his feet.
"Come to life, come to life.", he said grabbing Balto's head and shaking it, "Breathe! Come on, breathe."
"Oh, is he going to be okay? 'Cause he's not breathing. He doesn't look well.", Muk said rather worriedly as he made his way over his toppled brother and then looked firm at Boris, "Stop hitting him, Uncle Boris."
/
Cole turned back to Balto who seemed to come back to life just as Boris stopped getting him to breathe.
"Balto, I was so scared.", the old goose said caringly, "I got people bumps."
Balto coughed a few times as he tried to lift himself up on the log Luk had placed him.
"Boris ..", he started before he coughed again and slid down beside the log to lie himself down, "I know this trip is crazy, but… I'm glad you came."
He gave the goose a smile while the goose gave a smile himself.
"Who else would you bring on a wild goose chase but a goose huh?"
Jenna came over the log and when she asked if Balto was okay, Balto had answered at the same time. Cole saw the spark they had back at the racetrack and felt a chuckle of amusement before they started talking.
"I'm fine.", Jenna said laying on top of Balto to warm him, "Look, a message came through. We have to take the mountain trail."
"But if we take Eagle Pass, it'll save us half a day.", Balto informed still shivering.
"It's blocked.", Jenna told him, "The mountain trail is dangerous, but we can do it."
"I'm beginning to see there isn't anything you can't do.", Balto said looking up to her smiling to show his gratitude.
"I'm seeing a few things too, and it's making the ice melt.", Boris said before a shower of water splashed him and he turned his attention to Luk who was now shaking himself dry, "I hate bears!"
"Hey, thanks for the save boys.", Cole said to Muk and Luk.
"You two guys ought to learn how to swim one day.", Balto said giving the bears a smile himself, "You'd be pretty good at it."
Luk turned to Muk and started whimpering while making notions.
"Yes, of course we were.", Muk said to his brother, "We were in the water. We were moving. We got wet, didn't we? We—"
He cut himself off as a look of realization came to his face.
"Luk, we were swimming!"
/
Cole noticed Jenna had tried to walk before she fell down and one of her front paws bent backwards.
"Clumsy.", she told herself as Cole and Balto came over.
"No you're not.", Balto said to her, "You're hurt."
"No, I'm fine.", Jenna insisted as she tried walking again only to fall down again and she admitted defeat by looking Balto's way, "Oh, maybe I'm not so fine. You should all go on without me."
"Jenna.", Balto said a bit surprised.
"No, no. I'll be slowing everyone down.", Jenna said looking back a bit sad, "Rosy can't hold out much longer."
Cole could see the worry in her and Balto's eyes and leaned closer to Balto.
"She does have a point."
Balto then turned to see a branch nearby that Jenna could rest on while being pulled.
"Muk, you and Luk carry Jenna back to town on this.", he said as he went to fetch the branch.
"And this time, don't take time out for a swim.", Boris said smiling and chuckling.
"You can make sure of that Boris.", Balto told him, "You can lead them home."
"Aye.", Boris said as he placed his head in his hand again.
"Just follow our marks.", Cole added.
"You're going on alone?", Jenna asked curiously.
"Won't be the first time.", Balto admitted.
"Oh, here.", Jenna said removing the scarf around her neck, "I'm afraid it won't keep you very warm."
"Yeah, it will.", Balto told her.
Cole felt amused as he watched Balto and Jenna rub their head together before Luk's loud whimpering made them all pause.
"Well, of course Balto and Togo will come back.", Muk assured Luk, "They're Balto and Togo aren't they?"
Cole smiled.
"Hey, Balto and I are coming back with the medicine.", he said trying to be supportive.
Balto appreciated it as he turned to Jenna.
"I promise, Jenna.", he said to her before turning away, "Go ahead guys. Take her home."
As Balto and Cole headed out, Boris came up to them.
"Balto, I do not like leaving you out here alone.", he said.
"Boris, he's not going to go alone.", Cole told him, "He'll have me at his side."