Balto and Boris' search for Balto's mother bore no fruit, not even after looking anywhere nearby he had been accidentally separated from her. They had been all over places that morning up to early afternoon: forest, rocks and cliffs, clearings, further down the beach. After hours of searching, it was clear that they could search no longer.

"Balto, I am so sorry that I could not help you find your mother." Boris talked to a pup who had his head lowered down with ears and tail dragging in snow, being shattered by grief that their search turned futile, even after calling for her. Nothing, he never received any replies from her in the wild. He didn't say a word.

Looking at the forlorn puppy that was walking slowly back to the old boat, Boris followed him very closely. Balto looked like he was going to burst into tears after facing a grieving and bitter defeat from mother nature. Boris spoke to the pup: "Balto, if there is anything I could do for you. It is hard for me to look at someone who's lost a mother!"

Balto finally looked at Boris with a very sad look and opened his jaw as if he were about to say something, but nothing came out. Shock and grief were too strong, he felt like his ability to speak vaporized from within. Boris looked at the town in the distance and the surroundings, to which he added two and two to ask: "But wait! What about your father? And your siblings? Do you know where they are?"

To think that their entire search was for Balto's mother, he didn't say anything at first. Then, he looked around himself and it didn't occur to him that his shock and awe was so strong it was able to suppress his memories of him remembering he had a father of siblings in the first place, to which he answered: "No. In fact, I don't think I have siblings or that I have dad!"

Boris gasped in awe when he heard this. Even if he knew nothing about Balto's family, save for the mother he'd been mentioning, how wasn't the little one able to recall any memories of him having siblings and father? He asked him, just to make sure: "For real? You should think hard! I am sure that she isn't the only family member you have!"

With all the memory he had lost at this point, Balto gazed once again in his surroundings and noticed a cave in the distance, that same one where his mother had put him on safety, answering: "I only remember that cave over there! But I don't remember that there was anyone with me! I just can't remember! I wanted to be with my mama again!"

"Oh my…" Boris rubbed his neck with his wing when he saw a little pup bursting into tears and wasting no time, Boris rushed to hug the young one, telling him: "There, there, relax! I am sure that your mother will return to you one day, Balto! Don't think that this is the end!" Letting the tears flow down his cheeks, Balto looked at the goose with his teary eyes to ask him: "Do you think… that she will come back for me, Boris?"

"She is your mother, so why would she leave you behind, boychick?! Of course she'll return for you!" Boris made sure of that, even if he was unaware of his mother's fate. After Balto calmed down a bit and let the last tears stream down his cheeks, he asked: "Can we go home now, Boris? I just don't want to be outside anymore!"

"Yes, let's go, Balto. But aren't you going to eat something? You haven't had anything to eat since last afternoon!" Boris pointed out how long it had been for Balto not to taste anything and it was not looking very good as he was looking at the two months old puppy. Balto's only response was: "No, I'm not hungry now, I just want to rest."

Yet, Boris was persistent about his thoughts: "You must eat something at least! You're not going to feel any well if you reject, do you hear me?" Letting the poor pup be famished after going through the longest period of no food at this point was incredible. Balto let him know: "But I'm still too young to hunt and I will never catch a single animal out there!"

That, of course, Boris knew and he had an ace up his wing, with which he beckoned Balto to the sailor's room on the boat, telling him: "Alright, here's what we are going to do: You go in there and hide under that blanket. I will sneak into town and try to find anything for you to eat. Whatever you do, don't move! I will tap with my legs on the deck when I'm back, that is going to be my signal!"

"Oh, I see. But why can't I come with you?" Balto wondered why Boris didn't speak of coming with him. Boris looked reluctantly towards Nome and then back at the pup, rubbing his back with the wing, telling him: "No, you're still too young! When you grow a bit older than you are, I'll let you go there, alright?"

This "too young" was clearly not true. He was talking to a wolf dog puppy and should someone see him in the town, there would have been hysteria everywhere and the poor pup would not stand a chance against so many dogs and humans. Balto lowered his ears, but agreed with him anyhow: "Okay, I'll hide in here then." He didn't want to bother telling the goose how his mother took him once there, there was no use.

"Good thing you will do so, boychick! Let ole' Boris handle this food issue!" Boris watched Balto hide under the gray blanket in the sailor's room so he could head to the town himself. Truth to be said, he clearly didn't like the idea of going into town, but there was no other option. This was for Balto's good, he needed food more than ever.

Balto waited under that blanket wrapped around him, still being crushed by grief and shock of being separated from his mother. Where was she? She could not have abandoned him just like that! Was it true that his mother was the only family he had? What if Boris was right? What if he had a father and siblings? But why didn't he have any memories of them?

Trying to recall his moments in his past, all that he could recall was his mother, fur as white as snow and eyes golden as the stars in night sky and one other memory he had was with his mother was the northern lights trick with the glass shards and oil lantern. That bag of shards still lay there on the other side of the room, but without her, there was no magic left from those shards.

Then Balto felt the growl coming from his stomach. It was afternoon out there and he learned the extent of him rejecting food. If only Boris was here soon so he could eat something. He didn't care what he was going to eat, as long as it was edible. That hunger was making him feel like everything was good to eat at this point.

Then, he heard it, the tapping of someone's legs on a deck. Balto moved from under that blanket and moved outside. Much to his relief, Boris was back and he was carrying a bag in his beak, which he dropped on the floor when the pup came out. He told him: "Well, Balto, it took me some time to find what you may like to eat. It isn't very much, but I hope this will feed you for now."

Balto carefully moved to the bag from where the strong smell came and moving it with his muzzle, he could see two bones, a piece of leftover steak, ribs and one and a half sausage inside. It was good enough for him when he pulled out the sausages first, saying: "Thank you, Boris." His answer was: "Don't mention it, kiddo. I hope you're going to be alright once you're done."

He watched the puppy eat sausages, ribs and steak quite fast, noticing a large appetite this little pup had and it extended to him gnawing bones. He left at least one bone for another time, to which Boris asked him: "Well, how are you feeling? Are you full now?" Balto looked at the goose and his first answer was the puppy nuzzling the goose, saying: "This was delicious, Boris! I was so famished!"

"What did I tell you, boychick?! I knew it that you had to satisfy your hunger one way or another!" Boris laughed, bringing in some warmth after Balto was done. However, the way he nuzzled him and Boris' laugh combined something that led to a surprising decision: "Balto, now that I've fed you, I think there is one thing you should know."

"What is it?" Balto asked the Russian goose, hoping that he had some good news and he wasn't wrong about it: "I don't know where your mother is and when she will return for you but until then, I will look after you!" While it wasn't something Balto hoped for, he was still delighted to ask: "Really? You will take care of me?"

"Until your mother returns and if it has to be, when you can be on your own, kiddo!" Boris laughed once again and with his wings, he hugged the puppy. Balto actually appreciated to what extent was Boris going. He was still hoping that any day soon his mother was going to return, but to have a feathery company here was something new to him.

"But remember, we will still look after her, alright? We can't give up just now!" Boris instructed him what was waiting for Balto over the course of the next few days, to which he energetically answered: "Alright, I agree!" Who knew, maybe the next day Balto was going to be reunited with her, maybe at some point in the future when he was a grown wolf dog. If only he knew what the real fate of his mother was.

The next morning, Balto and Boris were ready to continue their search for Balto's mother. This time they spent less time searching around and the places they were searching weren't any different from the ones they visited last morning. This search turned out fruitless once more, much to Balto's disappointment, albeit he seemed a bit less grieved than the day before.

„Poor boychick, at this point he should be learning with his mother how to live in wilderness and hunt. We all eat to live, they say. Instead, he has me as someone who is like a father he has no memories of." Boris thought to himself while they were walking back to the old boat. It wasn't noon yet, but Balto had only one last bone left to gnaw for meal. That wasn't enough for him.

„Here, Balto. You just go in the boat and wait for me to come back, I will bring some more food, alright?" Boris beckoned him where to go and while watching the wolfdog pup get to his blanket, he let him know: „And I'll try to find something like a plate for you so there's water to drink. You can't really drink salt water, can you?" As Balto was going to answer him…

„UNCLE BORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!" Suddenly, a jovial and delightful yell came from the distance, not far from the place they were last searching at. Boris went from zero to hundred when he heard that yell calling for him, holding his head with his wings and saying: „Oh no, not again!" Balto was confused when he heard that yell and Boris' reaction: „What's going on, Boris?"

„Quick, get under the blanket! I'll handle this menace by myself!" Boris pushed him inside and found a very wet long stick, which looked a lot like a mop. Wasting no time, Boris moved his „weapon" around and screamed: „Come at me, I dare you! I will show you how it is done in a motherland!" He seemed to take a lot of his patriotism with that chant.

When he turned around, he noticed someone on a deck. A white ball of fluff, big furry white ball it was, with two big eyes and a black nose, standing on the end of Boris' stick. A polar bear cub, happily looking at the goose. Since he didn't seem like he could come close to Boris, he asked the cub: „Alright, where is he, Muk? Is he still catching up with you?"

„Behind you!" Muk the polar bear cub giggled when Boris looked behind him and before he could react, he was grabbed by another polar bear cub, this one being larger and with beady eyes and a small pink nose. The bigger one happily hugged Boris, who was resisting the polar bear's embrace all while the cub mumbled something.

„Arrrrrgh! What does he say now?" Boris finally caught some air when the bigger cub loosened his grip. He was still happily hugged by the bear when Muk, the smaller one, answered: „Luk says that he is very happy to see you again! He is also wondering where have you been for the last two days? We were worried for you!" It all looked like there was some explanantion to offer.

„Right, I might have flown back to my motherland by then!" Boris spoke when he was finally set free, but his comment on him returning home didn't seem to upset Muk and Luk at all, when they both sat down happily watching him. Still, he had some questions to answer: „Well, if you two young boys must know where I have been because I have found someone to look after like you!"

„Really? And where is that someone you are looking for? Is it another polar bear cub like us?!" Muk excitedly asked his „uncle" Boris when he couldn't believe that there was another young one among them to be looked after. Then, Luk, noticed the blanket stirring from outside, to which he mumbled it to Luk, who then noticed the blanket moving.

„Look, someone is hiding right there!" Luk wondered who could that have been and at last, they could see who was hiding underneath it when Balto came out. Muk and Luk looked at the wolf dog puppy in curiosity and amazement, with the former one saying: „Oh look, it is a puppy! Isn't he a cute puppy, Luk?" Luk just goofily nodded with his head when they noticed the new young member over here.

„Hey. Who are you two?" Balto curiously asked the two polar bear cubs, being surprised how they weren't looking that frightening, but quite cute. Still, he didn't want to jinx it with his words. Muk took over the introductions: „Hi there! I am Muk, and this here is my brother Luk. Just to tell you, he can't really talk, he mumbles things only I can translate for him, get it? We are the polar bears if you didn't notice."

„Yeah, I guess so…? Other than that, I am Balto! I actually figured out you're polar bears!" Balto laughed at the obvious, but mostly how funny and cute these two seemed like upon meeting them both. Once again, Luk mumbled something, which made Balto look at him with his head slightly tilted, but soon he got the answer: „Luk is curious whether you're a wolf or a dog. You do seem like you're in between, you know?"

„Now, now, you don't have to be like that, boys. He is a wolf-dog!" Boris decided to prevent the small cub from saying something that would make him sound rude and in process, make Balto feel offended. „A wolf-dog?" Muk asked, not quite understanding how someone like Balto could be a wolf and a dog at the same time.

„You see, his mother is a wolf, right?" Boris stopped for a second to make sure he got it correctly from Balto and the puppy nodded. „His mother is a wolf, yet his father is a dog. But the problem is, he doesn't remember if he has a father, he only remembers his mother! Not to mention, he was separated from her two days ago. We haven't found her yet."

Boris sighed while looking down in disappointment and for a moment, all the joy from the young ones was gone, with Balto still having only fond memories of his mother, but none that he had a father. Both Muk and Luk sounded like they were devastated, especially when Luk mumbled something in a grieving tone, Muk translating to him: „And we were separated from our mom no long ago!"

„I'm sorry to hear that, you two." Balto slightly raised his head to look at these two polar bear cubs sitting on the deck of the boat and then he moved closer to them, hoping to make them happy somehow. Boris noticed the joy was slowly returning over here and spreading his wings, he told them: „Well, you three have now each other. You are friends now!"

An unlikely friendship of a wolf dog puppy and two polar bear cubs was inevitable actually. All three of them had some mutual experiences and now they all felt in the air that they could compensate their grief by spending time together, playing, laughing, running, chasing one another, all under the watchful eyes of Boris, who despite his best efforts to return to his motherland, didn't want to have the poor pup be lonely!

"Why don't you have some fun out there and play? I am sure that you three may make a good and young company! I'll be watching you, be sure of that!" Boris beckoned them to come over to the beach from where he was going to observe the cubs and the puppy having fun, making sure no one was too rough on another or try to accidentally hurt someone.

Suddenly, a growl came, a low-pitched one, which had startled the bears. "What was that?! What was that growling?! Oh no, there's a beast out there!" Muk panicked as he was trying to take cover behind Luk, who in turn tried to hide behind Muk until Boris pressed his wings against his face, being honestly unamused by their actions. "Boys! Bears! That wasn't a beast! That was Balto's belly! He hasn't had his meal yet!"

"Sorry about that, you two." Balto snickered in an embarrassment when Muk and Luk looked at Balto in confusion. Rubbing the belly with his paw, he let them know: "I think I should have eaten something before first, my hunger is getting stronger!" Just as it seemed like this was another trip for Boris to the town for some more food, Luk mumbled something ingenious. Muk took the matter in his own paws to translate: "Balto, we can help you with that! Luk has smelled some fish frolicking in the shallows and we actually can hunt them down for you!"

Balto's hope brightened when he heard they were going to get him some food, but diminished a little bit when Boris stood in: "But don't you go too far from the shallows! Last time I saw you a meter away from there, I had to push you back and convince you both weren't drowning, alright?!"

"Yes, uncle Boris." Muk and Luk lowered their heads in embarrassment when Boris gave them his piece of mind, making Balto ask: "What do you mean, Boris?" To which he received his answer: "These two cannot swim and only hunt fish when they're in shallows, just as they're now as Luk says. I'll make sure to look after them and you not to go too far in the water!"

Muk and Luk wasted no time to rush straight into shallows and Balto caught up with them, having his paws dipped into cold seawater and sand, not being used too much to take a dip in salty water. He caught up with Muk to ask him: "Muk, about those fish you spoke, how do they taste like? I only eat meat and I don't know if I will like it!"

"Trust me, Balto, you're going to enjoy it! It is the same as meat, yet with spikier bones. It is a very good food nonetheless." Muk couldn't wait to taste some fish, even if his statement of fish and meat being one the same might not be factually correct. Then, Muk spoke: "Look, Luk has caught fish for all of us! He may not talk, but he can hunt fish in shallows pretty good!"

Indeed, the bigger polar bear cub was happily returning with not just one fish, but four at least in his mouth. They weren't that big either and once he returned to Muk and Balto, he offered them one for each and had two for himself, making the puppy ask: "But what about Boris? Aren't we going to leave him one fish?"

"Uncle Boris? Naaaah, he doesn't eat fish like us! Luk always has two when he hunts them!" Muk laughed, finding Balto amusing for wanting Boris to eat some fish. Having his meal caught by his new friend, Balto looked at Luk and simply told him: "Thank you!" Luk giggled cutely for having this kind of compliment being given to him.

Muk and Luk didn't waste seconds eating their delicious fish, enjoying it every time when they could catch it. Balto took a bite of a new kind of food he had and despite having more and spiky bones, Balto seemed to enjoy it, his eyes saying it all. Polar bears were happy that their new wolf dog puppy friend was appreciating their taste like this.

As for Boris, who was standing nearby on a rock peeking from sand and snow, despite his troubles with those polar bears with their "UNCLE BORIS!" call, he was proud to look at these three bonding with one another. Three young orphans, all of them under his care, having their meal together and laughing.

"If they were little goslings, they'd never believe what kind of family I'd have." Boris smiled warmly, thinking how it was for him back in the days he lived in his motherland. He missed it, but he didn't reject the idea of living in this small Alaskan town and look after a wolf dog puppy and two polar bear cubs, even if the latter ones weren't someone he'd look after gladly. Then again, they deserved some kind of parent love and care.