As for Saba, who had been told to stay in the boiler room until her father's return…
She was utterly bored in this place. Usually she'd be accompanied by either her family members, her aunt or even family friends of her parents. Being here alone and told not to talk to any stranger just made her feel like how this fun family day could have 'fun' replaced with 'dull'. If only she stayed at home…
"It'd have been much more fun! I'd get to sleep with mommy or play with Nunivat and Aleu. If only daddy isn't that concerned for me… I can take care of myself if I have to, but why can't they see it? Because I'm still a puppy?" Saba asked herself, laying down on one of the platforms in this place. The humid air outside and the heat inside was making her feel doozy.
She was trying to keep herself awake, but with the issues mentioned above, this was easier said than done. At least it wasn't this warm back home and having her brothers getting lost in those alleys really didn't help that much. She was trying hard to keep her concentration up, especially when she heard something… or someone stepping inside.
Upon gazing at the doors, no one was there. Was her mind playing tricks because she was feeling tired? Then again, she was cuddled in the corner and couldn't notice the floor from this place. She raised her head to see if there was someone inside or not. Even from this place, she still couldn't see anyone inside… but she heard…
"Huh, I guess no one is at home?" An unknown male voice spoke. Judging by the tone of the voice, that had to be a puppy too. The voice didn't even belong to any of her brothers, she'd have recognized each instantly. However, she actually felt the urge to find out who said that, going against her father's words. Walking up closer to the edge, she had a better view.
It was a male red husky puppy. HIs face was unseen but once he moved it on the side, Saba could notice the profile view of this pup - brown eyed and his eye-patches were a mixture of red and brown. He sighed in a disappointment: "Well, so much of finding new friends in a new town." However, as soon as he turned around and noticed he wasn't alone…
He gazed at a scarlett red female wolf-dog puppy with brown eyes on a platform who was looking at him curiously. He gasped in surprise upon realizing that he actually wasn't alone in this place, even more when he heard her say: "Hello!" This was a rather pleasant surprise, especially that the first pup he got to see was a female!
"Umm, hi!" The male pup greeted Saba, sitting down on the wooden floor to concentrate better on her. He explained: "I was told that if I want to meet a friend here, I should go to the boiler room and is this the right place?" She just found it cute how eloquent he was and yet so cutely shy in front of her. She let him know: "Oh, this is the right place! Say, I heard you saying 'new town'. You're not from here?"
"No, I moved in here last night. I've come from a big and distant down named Anchorage and apparently, it's also known as 'The Big Apple of Alaska'! Can you imagine that, a town with a name of a gigantic fruit?!" The pup let her know where he was from and honestly, both of them actually found it funny when he said 'gigantic fruit', thanks to their laugh echoing.
"It is a pretty funny idea actually." Saba admitted, thinking how by some magic, a healthy food could turn into a hundred times bigger size. The pup looked around the boiler room timidly, but then took a deep breath before he revealed himself: "Oh, by the way, my name is Josh!"
"Josh, nice to meet you, my name is Saba!" Saba revealed her name to Josh, who smiled when he got to hear her name… or the fact that he was still surprised to see her. She hopped down to his level and a warm feeling had overcome both of them upon figuring out that both of them were friends with one another.
"So, Josh, wanna play here with me?" Saba asked, wondering if his master was going to be upset that he wasn't at home or not. Thankfully, he let her know: "Well, I came to find and make friends so… yeah, I'd love to play with you!" His tone and the way he spoke just made her think how fun and interesting her new friend was.
The two red puppies were chasing playfully each other in the boiler room and from time to time it'd have them pin each other on their backs, depending who had the chance to do so first. Both of them clearly had fun with each other as it could have been clearly heard by their giggling and playful yipping. Then, a familiar figure was seen on the doors.
"Saba, I'm back! I've found your brothers!" Balto was speaking when he came inside, with all three of Saba's brothers on their father. "Hey, daddy! I've met a new friend here!" Saba playfully and joyfully let him know and judging by the smug look on her father's face, he asked: "You too, huh? Your brothers had the same fortune out there!"
He clearly wasn't mad by the fact that Saba went against his words not to talk to any other strangers, but the pup he was looking at posed no harm and even Josh politely introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Josh. I've met your daughter just now while I was looking for friends!" In that moment, not only Max came in, but Saba's brothers got off Balto.
"Nice to meet you, Josh. My name is Balto." The wolf-dog was amused how this strange pup was respectfully addressing him even if he wasn't looking for it. When he heard that name, Josh: "Did you say Balto? The same Balto who was responsible for saving the town of Nome?! My parents have been talking about that a lot!"
"Really? It's a small world now that it's been talked around everywhere, heh. Tell me, Josh, I don't remember seeing you in town before, where are you from?" Balto took that quite amusingly and then figured out that Josh's tone and dialect were rather strange. The pup let the wolf-dog know: "I came from a big town of Anchorage. It's got a pretty funny nickname too - The Big Apple of Alaska."
"Imagine a giant fruit instead of town! My name is Dingo, by the way!" Finally Balto's pups were introducing themselves to Josh, Dingo going first, then Yukon was next: "I'm Yukon." and at last, Kodi had his turn: "I am Kodiak, but everyone calls me Kodi." As for Saba, she let her friend know: "These are my brothers and they're pretty nice and sweet! I've got two sisters, but they're with my mom home right now."
"Cool!" Josh was getting to know these three new pups around him, but then Dingo told his sister: "Saba, we've got our friends over here you've got to meet! They've come with uncle Max!" Of course, Saba noticed there were not just three other puppies, four of them getting off the dark brown husky. There was Dusty, slender gray one, then there was Dana, a reddish brown one and the twins Yin and Yang, the former being silver and the latter dark gray.
"Well, now your puppies, my daughter and a few other new puppies have their own playhouse here, Balto." Max spoke endearingly on the sight of nine puppies, six of which were siblings albeit the two of them were a separate litter, had a chance to play with each other. Balto answered: "Absolutely. If only Aleu and Nunivat were here, Jenna'd also come."
"I'd have brought my entire family too, though when it comes to pups, Dusty is like my precious girl! Allina and Kobuk are Molly's most beloved ones and believe it or not, Katmai loves being around Audrey!" Max described in a nutshell how it was in their family with the puppies and whom they liked the most.
"Sounds like you and Molly aren't complete without your sister, huh?" Balto smugly asked his friend who just rolled with his eyes on that statement. Balto told him: "When it comes to my family, Yukon and Kodi are my boys whereas Dingo, Saba and Nunivat are close to Jenna. But Aleu, not only that she's different in many ways from her siblings, but I see her as the most precious pup in the litter in my eyes, Max."
"After all, she does take a lot after you so that's something I can understand." Max let him know. While he didn't get to see Balto's eldest pup fully, he remembered the other day when he was on the pups' naming and Aleu was the only non-red pup in the litter. Before Balto could tell him more about his unique daughter, a distant thundering was heard.
It was followed by the howl of the wind and moreso, Dusty asked: "Daddy, is it going to rain again?" Max didn't want to discourage his daughter with another rainstorm coming and so he warmly answered: "It is, but not anytime soon! In fact, we'll be right on time to get back home before it…"
"You spoke too soon, Max." Balto bursted his bubble when the first drops of rain were seen falling outside, getting stronger and stronger. This startled the pups for a little bit, but Balto rushed to the doors and pulled the role that was tied around the doorknob and that way, they were barely open. He addressed them all: "I guess we'll be all stuck here for a while now!"
For the pups, this actually meant more fun and playing with each other! Well, Yang seemed to be the least enthusiastic pup to play, but his sister nudged him to play with the others and after realizing that he had no way to convince them otherwise, he joined the playtime. This left Balto to talk to Max about other things.
"Balto, I was planning on telling you and Jenna something. It's important." Max wanted to discuss something with his wolf-dog friend and by the look he was giving him, Balto wondered if this was leading to something good or not. He asked: "What is it? Is it good news or is it bad news?"
"To be honest, I am not sure. Here is the news - Molly, Audrey and I are going to have a new master and also a musher." Max shared with him and honestly, Balto was puzzled by those news because he didn't know if being glad or being upset was the right choice. He asked him: "Does that mean you're moving out?"
"Technically, yes, but in a new house here in Nome. It's our masters who will be moving out of the town." Max made it a little bit clear to him. For a moment he was relieved by the fact that his friends weren't leaving this town, but there were still some things that weren't clear to him: "I don't get it, you will live in a new house in here but your masters are leaving?"
"The thing is, Sigrid is now around ten years old and master Seppala wants her to go to school in a bigger town and this town doesn't have one. Before they move out, Sigrid gets to choose which one of the puppies she will take. Others are going for adoption, whether they do get adopted or not." Max revealed to him what the discussion was over the last few days about this.
"Max, don't get me wrong, I am glad that none of you three are leaving Nome, but I have to ask, why aren't you going with them?" This maze of confusion for the wolf-dog wasn't seeing the end of the tunnel yet. Max, as usual, had resources to help him out: "They can't afford enough fortune for all of us to come and Sigrid's education is a priority as master Seppala says. Not to mention, also a great opportunity to meet new friends."
"Alright, I think I got it. Besides, you three are still in a sled team so you're passing to a new musher, right?" Balto wanted to make this clear one last time, almost raising the alarm that the three of his friends would leave Nome forever. Max answered: "Precisely that, we've still got enough energy to deliver mail. From what I know, our new musher's name is Gerald Simpson. Truth to be said, I really miss delivering mail and this winter is just too warm!"
"Relax, maybe soon enough it'll get cold and we'll all get to deliver mail again! Besides, you've got to spend more than enough time with your pups, just like me!" Balto showed him the bright side of their prolonged hiatus, something that wasn't the opportunity for each and every sled dog family who had pups during winter days.
As for the puppies, who spent their time playfully chasing each other and running around the boiler room, they took a small break to catch some air and eventually they had a chance to tell something about themselves. Josh went first: "My master is a vet and he will train me to become a rescue dog one day! You know, if there's any human, dog or others in danger, I hop in and rely on my rescue skills to save them!"
The puppies were surprised and amazed by what Josh was going to do when he would grow up. Dingo found that idea intriguing but there was something else he heard him mention and he asked: "You said that your master is a vet. What is a vet?" What they heard seemed like a complete tongue twister: "That's a short for veterinarian!"
"And what is that veterei… veter… ah, forget it! What's with that vet?" Dana tried to remember the word, but clearly she opted for the acronym. Josh got his chance to shine: "Well, that's the doctor, but instead for humans, the vet is a doctor who helps and cures animals! That includes all of us! If you hurt your paw, my master can heal where you hurt it!"
The puppies were truly amazed to know who was Josh's master, Saba being the most intrigued one. As for the others, Dusty said: "Being a rescue dog sounds fun, but there's nothing more fun than being a sled dog! My parents are sled dogs!" Kodi brought it up: "My dad is a sled dog too!" This caught both Balto and Max's attention.
"Looks like we're getting some time to rise and shine from the puppies." Max was amused to hear them say loud and proud about these two. Dana said: "My parents aren't sled dogs but I've always wanted to be one! I heard it's a very fun job!" That opinion was shared by some other pups, including Dusty: "I wanna be a sled dog one day too, Dana! Who knows, maybe we can be teammates?"
That sounded like a pretty good idea to these females. Dingo also brought it up: "When I grow up, I'll also be a sled dog! I just love racing against my siblings every day!" This just sparkled some hope in Kodi: "Oh I wanna be a sled dog too! Who knows, maybe we all can be one team someday?"
"Kodi, I hate to break it up for you, but you're still lagging behind when it comes to racing on the beach. If you're going to be one, then you should try to keep up." Yukon wanted to be reasonable here, without trying to break his youngest brother's dreams. It made Kodi lower his ears a bit, but Balto heard him say that.
"Come on, Yukon, you know how your brother is trying hard! I'm helping him up on the beach every time we have a chance!" Balto let him know that giving Kodi this discouragement wasn't a really good idea. Dingo, standing in Kodi's defense, asked his older brother: "Oh, what about you, Yukon? Do you think you're fit for a sled dog then?"
"Boys, boys, that's enough! Let's not fight here!" Saba didn't want any tension between her brothers and it worked because Yukon didn't want it either, but Dingo saw it the other way. Even so, he answered: "I… I'm not sure. It does sound fun, but I don't see myself in a harness like dad or uncle Max."
"Alright. Hey, Yin, Yang, what about you two? Were your parents sled dogs too?" Dingo wanted to make it up to his brother by including his two friends here. However, what Dingo said was not on purpose but there was something with those twins. Yin's cheerful face turned gloomy and filled with grief in her eyes.
"Did I say something wrong?" Dingo noticed that look, fearing he had messed it up this time. Even their father and Max noticed something was not right. Little Yin whispered something to her brother, trying to stay calm. Yang also knew something that made him shiver in grief, but he was taking it better. He then looked at Yukon and asked: "Yukon, can you come over here?"
"Uhhhhh, sure?" Yukon was close to these two, but they had some secret that made him feel uneasy. Dusty didn't know why only he had to know and so she asked: "Why Yukon? Why can't we know?" He only let her know: "I'll tell him and he can tell you the others when we're not around. This is something we don't want to hear ourselves."
"Come on, pups, if Yukon is the only one who can know, let them be." Balto invited the pups to come cover, making sure they were going to play once their secret discussion was finished. They could see from the distance some pretty dark moments. Yin was seen crying, Yang was trying to hold his tears back and Yukon's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
It was over quite soon and the only thing they could figure out was Yukon saying: "I… I see. I'll let them know soon enough." It took a while for Yang to calm his sister down while Yukon faced his father and other pups, being stunned to hear their secret. None of them wanted to ask what he heard from them while they were still present.
Once Yin calmed down, she and Yang walked up to Yukon and the latter one suggested: "Why don't we go back to our playtime?" As much as they wanted to know what they were talking about, they let it go and Max spoke: "Come on, puppies, while it's still raining out there, you can still make one another a company!"
Soon enough, the joy in the boiler room had returned. Nine puppies had chased playfully one another while the two adult canines observed. Max turned to ask his friend: "Balto, what do you think your other two daughters are doing with Jenna right now?" That was something the wolf-dog had been wondering ever since they had come to the boiler room…
Back at Jenna's, no longer after Balto's departure…
Jenna remained with her eldest and the youngest pup in bed, both of them being snuggled by her chest. Jenna could only wish if these two actually went with their father so she could tag along with her mate. Still, Aleu and Nunivat looked too precious to be awakened, but at the same time, this all felt like they were missing a good opportunity.
It wasn't until she noticed the stirring of both Aleu and Nunivat and how they were actually waking up. She licked Aleu first in the head and asked: "Good morning, Aleu. How did you sleep, sweetheart?" The wolf looking like pup rubbed her head against her mother's chest and answered: "I slept warm and soundly, mama."
Jenna knew how different Aleu was from her siblings, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing that would make Jenna give up on her wolf looking daughter! Then she rubbed her muzzle against Nunivat's belly and asked her youngest daughter: "Rise and shine, Nuni! A big day is ahead of us!" It was a nickname Jenna used to call her daughter for short.
"I will, mama." Nunivat stretched and both female pups were now on their paws. Aleu asked: "Mama, is it too late if we catch up with papa, Saba and brothers?" She was possibly feeling bad about the idea that she might have missed her chance to go with her father. Jenna sighed: "Well, Aleu, I don't know where they could be right now."
"But hey, at least we can play with each other, Aleu!" Nunivat had a better idea and before Aleu knew it, she was pounced by her youngest sister, resulting in laughter of both daughters and Jenna. The two were playfully chasing one another around the living room, but made sure they weren't too rough on one another. Jenna wouldn't be too happy to see that!
Then, Jenna had one thing in mind. If they couldn't be with the rest today, at least she had something special in their mind. She asked them: "Girls, I know what we can do together today! You're going to love it!" Nunivat and Aleu stopped playing for a moment to hear their mother sweetly coo them with her sweet words.
"How about the three of us go and see your aunt Aurora!" Jenna let them know. This was a very good decision when Aleu howled in joy and Nunivat actually didn't mind her doing that. Aleu spoke: "This is going to be so fun! Oh, I have an idea, Nunivat! Maybe we can see if uncle Kane will be there too!" Jenna knew how much Aleu adored her aunt and even at one point she imagined her sister-in-law snuggling her sandy gray daughter in her nap.
"Now, now, girls, I know how much you like Kane, but Aurora has been dating him for a few weeks. We'll see if they will end up officially together!" Jenna let them know that there's no need to rush. Still, Nunivat followed her sister's idea: "But Aleu's right, mommy! He's very fun too!" Their fondness was seen in their puppy eyes and wagging tails.
"Alright, alright, come with me to get something to eat first and then we shall go!" Jenna led them to the kitchen to have some meal, with Aleu following her mother. However, Nunivat didn't have that urge. Instead, out of the excitement, she rushed to the front doors and hoping her mother was going to know she was going to wait outside for her, she exited the house.
The bright red puppy was seen running around the house, showing the great amount of excitement she and her sister were going to have at their aunt's. In fact, Nunivat must've made at least three circles around the house in hopes of her mother and sister coming outside. Then, as she wasn't expecting it, a rain poured from the sky.
"Oh, no, not the rain! I just hope it won't pour too much or else we can't go!" Nunivat wasn't thrilled with the idea of her mother cancelling the visit because of rain. She took cover under one of the windows of the house and waited for the rain to calm down a little bit. However, it was only a few minutes when her worst fear was realized.
A very loud thunder blasted in the distance, scaring the life of the poor little puppy! Without having any time to think, Nunivat rushed for her life to get to the safety, hearing yet another very loud thunder in the distance! In fact, she wasn't thinking where she was going that she rushed straight into the shed… and bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, don't hurt me!" Nunivat yipped blindly at someone she bumped into, being scared to death because of thundering outside. She was laying on the top of another dog or rather, a puppy. The pup, who was surprised by what just happened, didn't seem to have any ill wish towards her, answering: "Hey, don't worry, you're fine! You must be just scared of thunder!"
When she opened her eyes, she saw an unknown puppy. It was a male golden husky puppy puppy with amber brown eyes who was blushing by how he was on the ground and she was above him. Before she could say anything else, yet another loud thunder was heard outside and she held tight on him, not thinking with her head.
Then it came to her that she unintentionally was pinning the puppy on the ground and got off him. She begged: "Please, don't think of something bad towards me! I swear, it was an accident!" The pup got on his paws and walked up to her, answering: "I already said, you're fine! I see you've got frightened from those thunders and I am myself not very fond of them, but I'm not too afraid of them."
"You must be very brave for a puppy then!" Nunivat didn't lie to him, even if he answered her: "Awwww, please, you're flattering me." He was seen with his ears lowered down and blushing. There was something warm Nunivat was feeling towards this puppy and knowing there was a chance not to miss, told him: "Let me introduce myself, my name is Nunivat!"
"Nunivat? That's a pretty name! My name is Thunderbolt, but everyone calls me Thunder." The golden puppy introduced himself to the bright red female, which made Nunivat giggle: "So that's why you're not that afraid of the thunders!" This made Thunder chuckle too, thinking how it was a mere irony he was this brave.
However, Nunivat's joy faded when another thunder was heard from outside. This made the poor puppy shiver in fear and she also told him: "My mommy is now looking all over me back at home! She's going to be scared so much when she finds out I'm missing!" She could only imagine a terrified look on her mother's face upon realizing the youngest pup in the family was gone missing.
"Nunivat, don't worry, when the thunder stops and the rain calms down a little bit, I'll walk you back home! I'm telling you, it'll be all over soon." Thunder's optimism didn't cease and for some reason, Nunivat had the urge to press her head against Thunder's throat and told him: "Thunder, thank you so much!"
"Hey, don't thank me, I'm happy I met you." Thunder didn't hide it even though he was taken off guard by Nunivat's gesture. She did ask him: "But where do you live? You aren't lost, are you?" It was curious how he got in here in the first place, but then again, it was possible the rain forced him to seek shelter.
"Well, I don't live far from here, but the rain started and I had to find the shelter as soon as possible. When the rain stops, I'll head home before my masters get upset." Thunder explained in a nutshell how he came here. However, since she was in the shed with this puppy, she was hoping for him to have second thoughts and come with her to the house and play.
For a few minutes Nunivat remained hugging Thunder out of comfort and even the young male pup was glad he could provide her some. The thunders were fading away in the distance and the rain was weaker. This meant two things: One was that Nunivat could get back home before thunders started again and two, Thunder could safely return home.
"Okay, Nunivat, I'll walk you home now. Stay close to me!" Thunder assured her there was nothing to be afraid of when he made sure it was good enough. Nunivat nodded and the two stuck closely to one another on their way to reach the front doors, making sure they were getting up on the porch. The rain wasn't getting any stronger…
BOOM!
A very loud thunder blasted not far away from their position. It startled Thunder, but Nunivat was scared out of her fur with that sound. As quick as flash, Thunder could notice she wasn't with him anymore and a loud yelp was heard in front of him. Rushing ahead, he noticed Nunivat laying down and holding her paw in the air.
"Nunivat?! What happened!?" Thunder asked his friend, stunned by the sound and how the things flashed so quickly. She responded with a whimper and then answered: "I hurt my paw as soon as I heard the thunder. I must have hit it so hard against the stair!" Now the things grew pretty challenging, but Thunder had the idea.
"I know what will help you." Thunder mentioned it and while she was wondering what he had in mind, he stuck out his tongue and licked her hurt paw a few times. For a moment she had a feeling all her pain was gone and as soon as he was done, she answered shyly: "I… uh, thanks." His warm smile was his non-vocal: "You're welcome!"
"Come on, we have to get you inside! Can you walk?" Thunder looked at the doors and noticed there were dog doors in front. She made a few steps ahead, but winced after applying pressure to her paw. She let him know: "I'll try to, but when we get inside, I hope mommy will help me there!" This was reasonable to him because he'd also struggle carrying her on his back.
The bright red wolf dog puppy and her golden husky companion walked slowly to the doors and Thunder pushed them with his head as much as he could, entering with her into the house. He felt the warm air coming from the fireplace and a nicely looking living room with lavender carpet and green sofas.
"Nunivat?! Oh, there you are! I've been looking all over the house for you!" Jenna's voice, full of stress and anxiety, turned to relieving as soon as she noticed her youngest puppy in front of the doors. She rushed to see how she was doing and also noticed she wasn't alone, bringing it up: "I see you've brought someone with yourself, sweetie?"
"Mommy, this is Thunder. I've found him in our shed while I was hiding from rain and thunder! He helped me calm down in there." Nunivat introduced her friend to her mother, who politely told her: "It's a pleasure to meet you!" He couldn't really figure out if he could give her a title or not so he opted not to.
"My, it's a pleasure to meet you too, young Thunder. I'm happy you kept my daughter a company out there. Curious, how come you were in our shed?" She asked him without trying to sound like she was attacking him. Even he knew she meant nothing bad, he explained: "I was wandering around because I'm new in this town. The rain forced me to take cover in your shed because the door was open. I should get back home soon!"
"On this rain? Absolutely not! You're going to be soaked wet and cold! Come on, you can sleep here with us until the rain stops." Jenna didn't want to hear any objection to this pup coming home all soggy and sneezy. Moreso, Nunivat gave him that look as if she were saying: "Well, that's my mommy!" Speaking of her…
As soon as she made her step further, she dropped down whimpering, which made Jenna turn instantly back on her and ask: "Nuni? What happened to your paw?" She didn't have to hide it: "A very loud thunder out there scared me so bad that I wasn't looking where I was running and I bumped my paw so hard against the stair on the porch!"
"You poor little pup! Here, I'll help you." Jenna was upset about her daughter getting hurt and doing the best thing any mother could and should, she gently grabbed her by neck scruff and carried the pup in her jaws all the way to a bed and placed her on a soft orange pillow. Thunder followed Jenna and found her spot right next to Nunivat, his best friend.
"Well, if your paw wasn't hurt, you could have so much playing together, with Aleu too. Only thing I can really think of is having another nap because this rain ruined our chance to see aunt Aurora." Jenna let her daughter know what choices they had right now and Nunivat felt down now that they couldn't go see Aurora. As for Thunder, he was curious about the name he heard, but Nunivat let him know: "Aleu is my eldest sister. She takes after my daddy."
"Really? Nice!" Thunder didn't know how her father looked like, but to him, it sounded pretty cool. Then, a sandy gray female puppy came from the kitchen and asked: "Mama, did you hear the whimpering? Did papa come home?" Jenna answered: "No, they're still out there. Your sister hurt her paw but her friend helped her up to come home!"
"Oh?" Aleu wondered what she was talking about and when she got in bed, she noticed her sister and her new friend, saying: "Hello!" Thunder was surprised by the looks of Nunivat's eldest sister and then he figured out that Nunivat's father had different looks as he mentioned him so he answered: "Hi, my name is Thunderbolt. Everyone calls me Thunder. You must be Nunivat's sister?"
"That's right! I am Aleu!" She introduced herself to this golden puppy. Nunivat said: "He helped me come back home after I hurt myself, Aleu. Isn't he nice?" He was technically Nunivat's best friend, but nothing could stop Thunder from being friends with the sandy gray puppy. She answered: "I guess you're pretty cool, Thunder. Thanks for helping my sister!"
"It's all I could do actually." Thunder shrugged it off even though this was a pretty big deed he had done. Jenna spoke: "How about the three of us take a nap here? Nunivat can't play and we can't go to aunt Aurora's." This made Aleu feel even more down than her sister, lowering her ears down. She walked up to her mother and found her spot on her chest.
"Will we go tomorrow then, mama? Please?" Aleu gave her those puppy eyes look in hopes she'd "succumb" to her cuteness. Knowing there was no end to it, especially not from someone as adorable as Aleu, she let her know: "Oh, why not? You know how much she loves you all!" She tickled her belly with a muzzle just so he could hear sweet laughs.
"Alright, sleep well, you three! Your father and siblings will be back soon!" Jenna whispered to her two daughters and Thunder, nuzzling the former and giving a motherly lick on forehead to the latter. It didn't take too long for the three of them to nap while Jenna remained awake for the arrival of the rest of her family. The rain wasn't stopping, but thunders did.
She waited patiently and patiently for the rain to die out. It almost took an hour for that to happen and then, the first sun ray after the storm broke through the clouds and made its way to the living room. At this point, Jenna could have taken Thunder home and both her daughters to their aunt. The thing was, they were like little angels sleeping here.
Ten minutes later, after the sun ray bursted through the room, a familiar voice came from outside and it was saying: "Now wipe the paws, pups! You know Rosy won't be happy if you come with muddy paws in the living room!" At last Balto was home with the puppies and after a while, the doors opened, revealing Balto with Saba, Kodi, Dingo and Yukon.
"Jenna, we're… huh?" Balto announced proudly, but Jenna made a shushing sound when they came in. He took that signal and let the pups know: "Be quiet, you four! It seems that your sisters are sleeping!" So the four puppies listened to their father and silently approached their mother's bed. Balto noticed not two, but three puppies in bed.
"Jenna? I see Nunivat and Aleu, but who's the other pup next to Nunivat?" Balto had a better look from above and noticed Thunder first. Jenna whispered: "That's Thunder! Nunivat found him in the shed hiding from the rain. He walked her home, but she hurt herself on a way back and I let him sleep here with us! I hope you don't mind letting him sleep here with us!"
"Why would I? I may not know him, but if he helped Nunivat, he's welcome to stay here! Speaking of friends, these four found their friends too!" Balto let her know when he lied down next to her while these four puppies were looking for their spots where to sleep. Jenna looked proudly at them and gave each a motherly nuzzle with words: "I'm so proud of you, puppies!"
Soon enough, Dingo and Saba cuddled close to their mom while Kodi and Yukon found their spots on their father's back. However, Balto looked at Aleu and he couldn't help himself but to ask: "But what about Aleu? Did she find a friend too?" A motherly smile Jenna was giving to her sleeping wolf-looking daughter faded.
"No, sadly not. She gets well with Thunder, but she didn't get to meet a friend on her own." Jenna told him about their eldest pup and Balto sighed in disappointment. The pup who looked like him the most didn't get to meet her own friend? First she was different from her siblings in lots of ways, then she still didn't find her own friend?
"Don't worry, I'm sure Aleu will meet someone. If Saba and Nunivat could meet theirs, why can't Aleu? I'll tell you more about our four pups' friends after the nap, alright?" Balto held his hopes and then licked Jenna's muzzle, something she returned back when they snuggled to one another and had a wholesome family nap, including Nunivat's friend Thunder.