Cole and Balto returned to Nome, Cole headed off.
"I'll see if Fox and the team will help us out.", he said over his shoulder.
Balto seemed to understand cause he nodded and Cole bolted around a bend to see Fox come around another bend with Nikki, Kaltag, and Star right behind him. They had almost hit Cole when Fox put on the breaks. The others did too and couldn't help but notice Cole's expression.
"Togo?", Nikki asked.
"What brings you here?", Kaltag added.
Cole took a breath.
"Fox, I think… I think Duke crashed on his way back to Nome."
Fox looked surprised as the other three gasped.
"Crashed?", Star yelped.
Fox regained his posture and looked concerned.
"What makes you think that?", he asked.
"A couple of polar bears I know told me.", Cole answered, "I know it sounds dumb, but I believe them."
Fox looked understanding as he turned to Nikki, Kaltag, and Star.
"Okay boys, we got ourselves a rescue mission."
"Um Fox, we can't really run fast.", Nikki informed a bit nervous.
"Not to mention I have grown very sensitive to spring's frost.", Kaltag added.
Star however looked firm.
"Guys, Fox says we're going, that means we go."
Fox smiled.
"Thanks Star.", he said before looking Cole's way, "You can count on us. We'll get our musher to see if he'll lend us a helping hand also."
Cole looked assured.
"Thanks a lot guys.", he said, "Balto and I could use the help."
Fox bolted off with the other three and Cole then started looking around for Balto to see if he had any luck with Kodi and the mail team helping out. Unfortunately for him, as he was passing a street, he saw Balto dashing off and Stella fly in close to him. Luckily he caught up just as Stella got close enough to talk.
"Balto and Togo right?"
"Hey Stella.", Cole answered politely, "What brings you here?"
"Well, not that I'm interested, but did that bum Boris come back yet?", she replied.
"Come back?", Balto asked confused, "I thought he was with you."
"Let's say he made an unscheduled flight on that bush plane.", Stella said smiling.
Balto halted instantly and Cole did as well.
"Boris was on the plane?", Balto asked.
"I saw him get packed on myself.", Stella informed as she landed in front of the duo, "Don't ask."
"Stella, I think…", Balto started before pausing for a moment, "I think the plane crashed.
Stella looked shocked.
"What?"
/
Cole then turned in time to see Steele walk out looking interested.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Balto frowned.
"Can this wait Steele?", he asked harshly, "I think that-"
"The plane went down?", Steele guessed, "Don't correct me cause I overheard you and Togo here."
Cole looked super annoyed.
"Balto and I are going out to see if that is true Steele.", he said firmly, "It very well might be."
Steele didn't look on board.
"You two are seriously going to find the person who tried putting dogs out of the job?", he asked coldly, "Why help an enemy?"
"Cause if we don't we're no better.", Cole stated, "Duke could be dying out there."
Steele turned away still looking cold.
"Oh well, then I guess Duke is done for."
Balto looked ready to pounce, but then Cole got an idea. Balto paused when Cole winked his way as Cole looked at Steele.
"You're saying you would pass up an opportunity to show Nome that you still have what it takes to do the right thing and possibly get your glory back?"
Steele flinched hard, then turned around looking a bit more eager and on board.
"Um… that's… that's exactly what I ment Togo.", he said trying to sound sincere, "I wasn't thinking about that part. What matters is that we find Duke and bring him back."
Balto smiled.
"Sure you did."
Steele's expression returned to its usual annoyed one.
"Are we going or not?", he snapped back.
Stella looked firm.
"Listen buster, if you're going to help us, you need to adopt a more humble attitude.", she scolded Steele as she got up in his face, "I did not come up here to see a couple of nice guys get dissed by an ungrateful, downtrodden, cliché, ill-mannered jerk. Got it?"
Whether it was the fact the goose stood up to him or he just wanted to get this over with, Steele just nodded and Stella backed off and turned to Cole and Balto.
"So, can you find this Muk and Luk?", she asked.
Steele's expression darkened to its usual annoyed look as he started thinking to himself.
"This is really happening.", he thought to himself, "My one chance to not have my musher toss me out on my butt, and I have to take orders from the two dogs I positively loathe just to get it. Why? What did I do to deserve this?"
A short moment later, Balto and Cole headed off with Stella which brought Steele out of his thoughts.
"Hey!", he yelled as he bolted after them, "Don't leave me behind Lobo!"
/
As evening fell, Muk and Luk lead Balto, Cole, Steele and Stella over a bridge of ice which led into the wilderness of Alaska.
"Fast as you can, boys.", Balto said to the two bears, "It's gonna be a cold night."
Steele rolled his eyes.
"Oh, that's nice.", he said sarcastically.
Muk looked over his shoulder a bit nervous.
"Er, you're positive when we get back there the monster won't get us?", he asked.
"Quite sure.", Cole answered.
"I don't know why I'm going on this search and rescue mission.", Stella piped up, "That lying, untrustworthy ball of feathers."
"You know he's nuts about you.", Balto told her.
"Really?", Stella asked interested, "Did he say something?"
"He only said that you were more beautiful than a wild rose and more luminous than the Northern lights."
"He didn't say that.", Stella said now gushing.
"No, but Balto and I knew it was what he thought.", Cole answered.
"And how do you both know so much?", Stella asked.
"Boris raised Balto since he was little.", Cole answered, "He may be a pain at times, but he means well."
Stella looked a bit annoyed.
"Yeah, you mentioned that I think. I wish I had never laid eyes on that lying beak of his.", she said though her voice was beginning to get less aggravated, "Or that little cute waddle when he walks or that feather that sticks out in that funny way on his neck, you know?"
Steele just kept trudging ahead, but he was looking back so he could hear the conversation as Stella finally broke down and collapsed on Balto's back.
"Oh Balto, I was the one who chased him onto that plane.", she said regretfully, "If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself."
Cole looked Steele's way and Steele quickly turned his head back to look ahead.
"Steele, there is something that's been on my mind lately."
"The fact we're being led by a couple of polar bears?", Steele asked a bit miffed.
"No.", Cole stated, "I want to know why you were so mean to Balto for so long. What did he ever do to you?"
Steele looked angry.
"I'd rather not talk about it."
"You'll feel better if you do.", Cole stated, "Now tell me what made you-"
Steele then snapped and raised his voice loud enough to be heard over the wind that had begun blowing.
"A pack of wild wolves killed my dad okay?!"
/
Balto looked shocked.
"Steele, are you saying that-"
"Yes!", Steele snapped as he looked Balto's way, "A pack of wild wolves killed my dad. And he was the best sled dog in the history of Nome and do you know why?!"
"Cause he earned it?", Cole guessed.
"No!", Steele countered, "Because he had the skill, the looks, the team and everyone in Nome loved him for it."
"So why did you bully me?", Balto asked.
Steele took a couple breaths, but still looked annoyed.
"Well I had to blame somebody when the news reached my ears.", Steele answered, "And you were just in the wrong place and the wrong time."
Cole frowned.
"Or you bullied him cause if you were picking on something that reminded you of your father's death that it made you feel better?"
Steele chose to ignore that question as he observed the pace the group was going.
"At this rate, we won't find anyone til next spring."
As much as Cole and Balto wanted to object, they could see Steele had a point. Stella then spoke up to Muk and Luk.
"Say, fellas, why don't you tell me where the plane went down so I can fly there?"
Cole looked amused.
"Why didn't we think of that?"
"Let's see.", Muk stated, "The frightening monster ran amok at…"
He paused when he noticed Balto and Cole's firm expressions and then restarted.
"I mean, the bush plane attacked us by Bear Claw Rock, just past Falcon's Peak."
"Got it.", Stella said as she stood up, "Bear Rock. Falcon's Peak. Wish me luck boys."
She took off, but Steele rolled his eyes.
"I don't wish her luck.", he snarked.
Then the snow under Steele gave way and he fell into a hole in the snow. As he struggled to get out, Cole couldn't help but snicker.
"Very funny.", Steele snapped as he got out, "Darn spring snow."
Then the snow under him gave way again and he was under the snow once more.
"Well, there's bound to be soft patches of snow around-", Muk started.
That was when Luk and him went under the snow too and got up while shaking it off themselves. Muk then saw Stella returning.
"Would you look at that? Stella's found them. She's better than I thought."
Stella came down as Cole and Balto got to the main part of the land and away from the bridge as Steele trudged up behind them while Muk and Luk got themselves out of the snow.
"Bear Peak. Falcon Rock?", she asked as she perched on Balto's back, "Whatever it was you told me, I have no clue where I'm going. I'm just here on vacation."
"Swell.", Steele said grumpily.
Balto ignored him though.
"I guess that leaves you out as our tour guide, then."
"Let's move.", Cole added.
The group headed over the bridge though Steele looked behind to see that the bridge was cracking a bit.
"Oh, that could be bad.", he thought to himself.
That was when his back paw accidentally got struck by a partially buried rock making him stumble and almost fall over again. Luckily he regained his posture and was able to walk fine in a few moments.
/
Back in Nome, people had gathered and Jenna was getting a bit concerned. Mel had come alongside her cause he naturally had a bad feeling about things. Dipsey came also, though she was only pretending to be just as concerned until the conversations started.
"Something's happened to the plane."
"Let's send out a search party."
"We don't know where to look."
"It could be anywhere between here and White Mountain."
Mel then turned to Jenna and walked away a bit.
"This is terrible. Do you know how much open territory there is between us and White Mountain?"
"No Mel, but I think you're going to tell us anyway.", Dipsey answered him though she doubted he knew.
"Millions of miles.", Mel said, "They'll be looking for that bush plane for weeks."
Jenna then looked assured.
"If anyone can find that plane, Balto and Togo can."
She then paused as she noticed Kodi walking by with the mail team.
"Kodi?", she asked before the team noticed her and she raised her voice to get her son's attention, "Kodiak, come here."
"Yeah, mom.", Kodi answered before obliging to his mother's words.
Mel and Dipsey could both see this was a moment they had no part in so they left leaving Jenna and her son alone to talk.
"What are you doing here?", Jenna asked as Kodi and her met halfway in the street, "I thought you went with your dad and Togo."
"No, I didn't.", Kodi answered though he felt a bit ashamed when he said it.
"You mean your dad and Togo are out there alone?", Jenna asked, "Why didn't you go?"
"Well, I…", Kodi started, "I don't know. I don't know why he's even looking? Fox and his team are out searching too."
As much as Jenna was impressed Fox was helping, she didn't lose sight of why she was talking to her son.
"Kodi, I don't believe you. There is a man out there, maybe dying."
"We could have lost our jobs because of that man.", Kodi answered.
Jenna couldn't believe that her son said that.
"You think your job is worth more than a life?", she asked him before sighing and looking defeated, "I should have gone with Balto."
Kodi now looked even more ashamed as he recalled what his team had said to Balto before he headed out.
"The only difference between a dog and a machine is that dogs are tough and reliable."
"I thought the difference is only one has a heart.", Balto had retorted, "I'm not going to let Duke freeze to death out there."
Kodi was brought out of his thoughts as he recalled a time in his puppy days when he tried to follow Cole's example of dashing.
"I can't run Uncle Togo.", he whined, "I'll never-"
"Hey, what do I always say?", Cole had told him.
"Never say "never"?", Kodi asked brightening.
Cole nodded.
"And remember that it's never too late to make the right choice when you make a mistake. Sometimes you have to experience defeat to learn what a real sled dog is about."