Reunion

Reunion
by Cyberwulfe

The snow had just begun falling. Every time it snowed, Kemo knew it was getting colder. He had a special sense about such things. It was what made him so wise, and also the leader of his pack. His thoughts drifted from the serenity of the gently falling flakes to his family. His mate, a beautiful gray wolf, lay with their four pups. Kemo smiled. He had everything he ever wanted. Family, friends, power. He was the alpha male of his pack, the largest white wolf within a hundred miles. No one dared oppose him, for they knew the consequences. They had seen it before the last time someone questioned Kemo's leadership. They ate well that night.

The other three wolves in the pack were friends of Kemo's. When he had decided to leave his father's pack to seek out his lost brother, Balto, he had asked his best friends to come with him. They, being his best friends after all, agreed to come. They each remembered Balto, the wolf-dog who had been born amongst them, and then had suddenly disappeared. Of course when they met a lone female wolf their tempers grew short and Kemo won dominance over them all and earned the affections of Jan. Kemo had never seen such a beautiful wolf in all his life, and he knew Jan was special the moment they first met. Of course the first time they mated he was covered with his own blood, as well as the blood of his friends.

His pups were born soon afterwards and had begun to grow quickly. The other wolves in the pack, who still considered themselves Kemo's close friends, took their place in the puppy rearing and kept the pups out of trouble. They would puppysit and also bring food to them once they had grown old enough. Kemo loved what had become of his small pack of friends, they were now a full sized pack. Strong and soon to have eight full-grown members.

The fight had occurred when Kemo would not move the pack and chase after a group of elk that had passed through their territory. Kemo knew that there were no weak or old animals to kill and therefore left them and kept hunting smaller game such as rabbits. The wolf who had opposed him openly challenged Kemo to a fight, but it was over soon with the wolf lying dead in the snow. Kemo howled in mourning for his lost friend, but the pack still needed food, and therefore cannibalized their own kind in order to stay alive. Kemo, however, respected his friend and went hungry until he was able to catch himself something to eat.

Since then the pack has lived the high life and maintained a controlled balance of power. Each wolf knew its place and stayed there. The only change was when the younger female, who was one of the original five, defeated an older male and gained some standing in the hierarchy, but still very little compared to Kemo's status as the lead wolf.

Kemo walked over to Jan and nuzzled her. She was the alpha female, and even the second dominant male was submissive to her. Kemo licked the closest pup. She was black, an odd colour from a white and gray breeding pair, but they still lover her. The other three were all male and were coloured white, gray and black, and light gray. They often fought among themselves to claim dominance over each other and Kemo and Jan would watch and grin while the rest of the pack cheered on their favorites. The female, who was the runt of the litter, was able to beat all of her brothers and they rolled onto their backs and urinated whenever she walked by. Kemo treated her no differently from her siblings, and still disciplined them accordingly with little taps or snarls if they acted out of place or held their tails high. It was tough sometimes, but they had to learn.

The other three wolves approached and sat around in a circle. The wolves often sat in this way so as to be able to see each other while talking or holding strategy meetings before a hunt. Right now they were planning a move onto the hilly ground near the town where Balto's mother was suspected to have gone. It was dangerous, moving very close to the human's town, but Kemo was still dedicated to finding his lost brother and hopefully taking him home and rejoining his father's pack.

"It is still quite some distance, but we can make it if we maintain a quick pace," said Kemo.

"It's starting to snow too. That may mean some hindrance later," suggested Chee, the second ranking male. Kemo valued his wisdom of nature and how the weather worked. He was often able to predict when a blizzard was approaching or when the snow would fall. Of course today he was right again!

"True," replied Kemo," But I'm sure we'll be able to find shelter soon. The hills will make good dens for us once we get there."
"That will give our pups good protection," said Jan.

The wolves nodded. The female who had won a higher rank rarely ever spoke during such meetings, but now piped up with a concern," But what if we meet up with any humans?"

Kemo's ears perked up. He had a great deal to fear from humans. He had seen Balto's father killed by humans and had almost been captured by them, but he also respected their ability to live in such a harsh environment along with the furred creatures. He just nodded slowly and looked at the female," We will deal with that problem when it arises. Right now I think the humans won't be journeying out too far from their town. Chee has predicted a bit of snow, perhaps enough to keep them away."

The wolves nodded again. They had never met humans in their lives, but they also feared and respected them. If they ever met them they would have to decide what to do at the time.

Later that day they had moved on towards the hills. With Kemo and Chee in the lead they were able to make their way through the forest fairly quickly and easily. After a few hours the snow was falling much heavier now, almost making it hard to see. The snow fell on their faces and eyes causing them to blink rapidly. They agreed to bed down where they were and hope that the snow would fall lightly, just long enough for their journey to end.

Kemo once again sat away from the pack, simply observing the woods and everything around him. He learned best from experiences, and if he knew how the wind blew, how the snow fell, and how paws sounded crunching on snow, then he felt sure to detect anything wrong in the woods. And he could sense something now. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like something was telling him to turn around and go back home. Kemo dismissed the idea as foolish, as he had already traveled so far, but still let it eat away at him. He feared nothing; nothing but nature and things unknown. He had never tucked his tail between his legs and run; he always faced his fears and fought his own battles. But now he felt as if something horrible was going to happen.

Jan approached him and nuzzled his neck. Kemo turned towards her and smiled. She was his lifeline. He didn't know how he'd survive without her love to keep him going. They were unseperable, a bonded pair for life. Kemo would definitely give his life for her, something he had almost done when they were in danger from an old grizzly bear that was wandering around, but the rest of the pack arrived just in time and drove the bear away.

"See anything interesting?" asked Jan.

Kemo continued to stare at her," Only the most beautiful wolf in the whole world!"

Jan blushed and looked away," Stop teasing me. You can't mean that. Not with all the wolves you must have met in your life."

"Did I choose them for my mate? No. Only you caught my eye!"

Jan just nuzzled him again. She was glad to have him for her mate. He was strong, protective, and the perfect father. He would teach their pups the proper ways of the wolf, and they might even grow up someday to lead their own packs. But for now they were just little bundles of fluff.

The sun set and it soon grew dark. The wolves gathered together to keep warm and soon fell asleep. Before drifting off Kemo once again thought of Balto. Could that have been him? He had met a wolf three weeks earlier at the bottom of a cliff. They had howled together, but then the other wolf had dragged a wooden box up a cliff. He was obviously a dishonoured pet of humans, but Kemo still wondered if it was his brother, Balto.

Over a dozen miles away in the town of Nome, Alaska, Balto now lived in a warm house with his new master Rosy and her family. He also lived with Jenna, who was the most beautiful dog he'd ever seen. They had fallen in love a few weeks earlier and now lived together. Rosy's parents understood that Jenna now had a new friend and was more than happy to take in the town's new hero.

Once shunned because of his half-wolf heritage, Balto had lived outside Nome on an old fishing trawler with his friend Boris, a Russian snow goose. Boris now lived there with their friends Muk & Luk, both polar bears. They were still young, and loved to fool around, which made Boris wish he had flown South for the winter.

A serious epidemic of diphtheria had stricken Nome and infected several children. It was Balto's bravery that had eventually brought the medicine to Nome and saved the children. The people forgot about his difference and now realized how kind and gentle he really was. Jenna knew that as well and was right there to greet him as he led the dogsled team into town that evening. Since then Balto had lived at Rosy's house and had made many friends who used to be enemies.

Balto, while in the woods on his way back to Nome with the sled team, had met a white wolf. He had led the team down a steep slope and then fallen down a cliff and lost the medicine in the snow. He felt useless but then found the medicine, the very tip of the crate sticking out of the snow. Still feeling as if he had failed he told himself that the climb up the cliff was impossible, but then the wolf appeared. He howled, but Balto looked away. He felt that his wolf half was trying to escape to the surface and to come out, but Balto kept it inside. Then Balto remembered what Boris had told him," Let me tell you something Balto. A dog cannot make this journey alone. But, maybe a wolf can." Balto felt a new strength and finally let his inner wolf out. He howled, bringing back the wolf, and the two of them howled together. Then Balto dragged the medicine up the cliff and the team continued on to Nome.

Balto hadn't given the wolf a second thought until after he had returned to Nome and was explaining his adventure to the other dogs. There had been something familiar about the wolf, and it bothered Balto. He seemed so familiar, as if they had met a long time ago, but Balto couldn't remember. It was as if his memory had been erased. He never really knew much about his past, even when his mother had mysteriously disappeared one day, and he only wished to know where he really came from and where he belonged.

Ever since fully accepting his wolf heritage, Balto has spent several days at a time living in the woods, trying to get in touch with his inner wolf, but he still could not get the same feelings he had that day when he met the wolf. He even had dreams where the wolf had come and just Balto's name, and then was gone. Balto wondered what the wolf had to do with his past, as well as how it knew his name. He never talked to Jenna about it for fear of frightening her. He wasn't sure how she would take the news of his calls from the wild. Perhaps he should leave and live in the woods. No. He loved Jenna, but perhaps there was something else. Something in the woods that would fill the void.

He felt the calling. It seemed to grow stronger every day. He stopped his walks in the woods for fear of leaving forever. He didn't even visit his friends on the old trawler. Balto couldn't understand his feelings, and there was no one for him to talk to about it. Nobody. He had to find out who the wolf was, where he came from, and why he haunted his dreams. Balto decided to leave on a quest, and not give up until he had his answers.

Jenna awoke as Balto's claws clicked across the kitchen floor. She yawned and smiled as he approached her. Not noticing that she was awake he kept walking, straight to the back door. Jenna put a puzzled look on her face and followed him.

"Balto," she called from the doorway to the back room," Where are you going?"

"Uh, just out for a while," he replied nervously. He didn't want her to know he was leaving, possibly for days or weeks. He had to know.

"You've been going out a lot since you moved in. Did you ever go out so much when you lived alone?"

"No. I just like to walk in the woods. It's very peaceful and... well... I guess it's the wolf in me. It loves the woods."

"Maybe I could come with you, if you want?" asked Jenna with a bit of a grin.

Balto looked at the doggy door. He would be almost out of town by now if Jenna hadn't come along. He shook his head slowly," Not today. I'll take you next time. Maybe we could make a date of it, hmm?" He topped it off with a wink and then slipped through the door, leaving Jenna sitting in the doorway, still puzzled.

Balto reached the edge of town and glanced behind him. The day was still new, and very few people were out at this time. He looked out at the trees that surrounded Nome. This was his home. It had been that way for several years of his life, and now he was going back. With his new strength and instincts he was sure to survive, it was his mind that he was afraid of. Would he be driven mad by his quest?

Nevertheless, he pressed on, ignoring the blowing snow. As he entered the trees he took one last look at the town where Jenna had now gone back to sleep. He sighed and turned back to the woods. Back to his old life. To where the answers lay.

Kemo shook the snow off of his back and surveyed the pack. Some were sleeping, some were awake, some were just shaking themselves off as well. His mate and pups lay huddled in a big pile of snow. Kemo dipped his nose into the pile of snow and nuzzled his mate. She smiled and licked his face. She slowly arose and cleared the snow off their pups. The pack formed their circle.

"As you can obviously see, the snow has not stopped falling yet," said Chee.

"A small setback," replied Kemo," We should still press on. We shouldn't be too far from the hills. I think we could make it in the next couple of hours."

The pack began moving again. The snow continued to fall, but was of little concern to the wolves. They were built to endure such hostile conditions. Kemo sniffed the air. It was even colder than yesterday, and Kemo was curious as to what type of game they would be able to hunt. Would they have to wait for the blizzard to go away before they could hunt. They could last a few days without food, but their tempers would not be as patient.

The hours dragged by, with nothing but the blank whiteness of the plains and the dark stacks of trees that surrounded them. Every once and a while they would stop and rest, but were up again in less than ten minutes. They knew that their sanctuary lay in the hills where a proper densite could be made, which also meant shelter from the cold. Kemo smiled to himself. He hadn't been in a warm cave for a long time, ever since he was born. He only wished his pups could have been born in a den too, but in the rush to find Balto there was no time to seek out a proper densite. A large dead tree, that had been rotted out by the years and gutted by animals in search of any type of food they could find, served as his pups' home for the first week of their lives.

It was starting to get dark. Kemo sighed a heavy sigh. They had missed the hills again. He hoped to make them by tomorrow, before it got dark. Then his pack could rest as their bodies warmed the small spaces. Ah, yes, that was what Kemo wanted. Warmth. Only his small mound of snow at night was capable of containing his own body heat, but he knew that with the number of wolves in the pack they could heat a small cave in less than an hour.

Kemo snuffed as a large flake of snow landed right on his nose. Jan laughed and stood next to him, the pups played at their feet, happy to have stopped again.

"Maybe tomorrow?" sighed Kemo.

"The sooner the better," said Jan," It is getting colder. I hope our pups can survive it."

Kemo looked down at the four bundles of frolicking fur," I'm sure they'll get by," and with a smile he continued to look about him. The woods were empty and quiet, except for the wolves and the sounds of the pups. They would make the hills by tomorrow for sure.

Balto curled into a ball as the snow fell on him. He knew what would keep him warm tonight. Wolves had done it for centuries, and it was a skill that had been learned by the husky dogs of the north from their wolf genes, or perhaps by wolves themselves? Either way, the snow piled on him and insulated him from the cold, his own body heat trapped in the small mound of snow. He was asleep before he was totally covered.

Once again, Balto dreamed of the wolf. This time it came to him and seemed to be begging him, but Balto could hear no words. The wolf walked away and then turned, as if it wanted Balto to follow him. Then Balto woke up. He was even more confused than before. What could this new dream have meant?

Balto was starting to lose his mind. He had recurring thoughts about the wolf, and every dream had the wolf in it. If he didn't find his answers soon he would surely go mad. Balto licked his lips. He was used to eating every day, but now he was on his own. He would hunt tomorrow, but right now he needed his sleep. Once again he let his heavy eyelids close and the dreams returned...

Balto awoke. It was morning. He was totally buried in deep snow, and it took a giant leap upwards to break free. The terrain had changed. Everything was covered, including his old footprints from yesterday, but one thing that snow couldn't cover was his scent. He found it on a tree that was only a few feet away, and another about thirty feet from there. He turned in the opposite direction, back towards his mound, and continued on his way.

The wind was still blowing, but not as fiercely as before. He hoped that his search would be more rewarding today than it was yesterday. He began to walk away from the bay and straight into the center of the woods.

Kemo looked ahead of the pack, squinting to see through the falling snow. He thought he had seen a dark shape in the trees several meters ahead of him. He ordered the pack to spread out. It was time for a meal. Kemo started trotting, then broke into a dead run. The pack ran close behind him, certain that he had found the food source. They knew what to do when they found it, but would stay close by him until they found it.

Kemo stopped in mid stride to the yelping cries of several wolves. He turned and saw them writhing on the ground. Kemo had never seen anything like it before. He approached the two wolves and looked. They each had strange black things around their feet, which held them tightly. The wolves now tried to bite them off, but they were as solid as rocks. Kemo tried as well, being the strongest, but even he could not remove the alien devices.

Jan circled around to try to figure out how they might be removed, but yelped in pain herself. Kemo ran to her and saw that she also has one of the strange things around her paw. Each of the wolves were unable to move, for the odd things were attached to the ground. Kemo tried desperately to free his mate from the trap, but it was no use.

"What are these things?!" shouted Kemo in frustration.

The remaining wolves had no answer. All they could do was watch as their friends lay panting in the snow. Small amounts of blood ran from where the traps had clamped shut around their paws.

"Would you look at that!" said a man looking through a set of binoculars.

"We hit the jackpot this time!" exclaimed his partner.

The two had been hunting wolves, not too far from Nome, but now they saw the pack of wolves that sat about their traps. There were five adults and four pups, which would bring them several hundred dollars. Perhaps if they caught the pups alive they would be worth more, but the two men hated wolves and wanted to see them all dead. Their hatred was driven by fairy tales and fantasies of "the big bad wolf" and stories of wolves killing livestock. They were pests!

"Let's go," said the first man.

Kemo's head shot up as a loud thunderous crack rang through the air. It was a sound he hadn't heard for a long time. The last time was when Balto's father was killed by man. He would never forget that sound. It came again. One of the wolves who wasn't trapped cried out and began to flop around on the snow. It was soon stained red and the wolf no longer moved or breathed. Kemo looked around for the source of the danger, but only watched helplessly as one of his pups was thrown several feet, then rolled over and landed in a bloody heap, a large hole in its side.

Kemo was enraged now. What was killing his pack? Then he saw them. The two men rushing forward, firing their guns as they ran. Kemo snarled and stood between Jan and the hunters. The men fired again. Closer this time, they did not miss. Kemo's pack was now reduced to five. Two more wolves were dead.

"Go!" shouted Jan," Save yourselves!"

The last adult wolf, who wasn't trapped, grabbed a puppy in its mouth and began to run.

"No! I won't leave you here!" said Kemo.

"If you don't then you'll be killed to. We've lost."

Kemo growled and again attacked the trap with his teeth. One of his canines broke and fell into the snow. Blood oozed out of his mouth, but he didn't care. He didn't want to see his mate killed.

Jan snarled fiercely and slashed Kemo's shoulder. He yelped and jumped away.

"Go!" she shouted once more.

Kemo turned but still hesitated.

"Go! Now!"

"I love you," said Kemo.

Another crack. The wolf carrying the pup was now dead, and one of the men chased down the scampering pup and pounced on it. The second man was still running at him and the two trapped wolves. He finally turned and ran. A loud crack was heard behind him and then he felt a painful burning on the side of his head. He fell to the ground. Blood ran down the side of his face. He slumped into a heap and cried out loud. He too had fallen victim to man's weapons.

He could hear the men laughing and then there were several more shots fired and he could hear Jan cry out, then it was finally quiet. Kemo heard footsteps. He wanted to run but he felt limp. He raised his front paw and slowly dragged himself ahead a few inches. The man was now standing over him.

"Hey! Lookey here! He's still alive!" the man called to his partner," I just wounded him!" He pulled out a knife and kneeled beside Kemo. He grabbed Kemo's neck and prepared to strike, but then Kemo welled inside him the strength of revenge and grabbed the man's arm from around his neck. The man screamed and dropped the knife. Kemo shook his arm from side to side before slashing the man's face and then trotted away.

The man was left in the snow as his partner rushed to his rescue, but by the time he got there Kemo was out of sight.

The blizzard had picked up again. Balto was having trouble seeing ahead of him. There was no way that he would be able to find anything now, let alone a white wolf! He knew of an old cave nearby that he had discovered once while exploring as a lone wolf. Judging how far he'd gone he knew the cave wasn't far, and therefore changed direction.

There were several marks that gave away the location of the cave, and Balto soon located one. It was on a tall pine tree and was shaped like an "X". He had scratched it into the bark with his paws after he had first found the cave. He knew he was on the right track.

Kemo staggered and fell to the ground. The blizzard ripped at his wound with frozen fury, and left it raw to the blowing snow. He tried to lift his head but failed to do so. The weather was getting the better of him, and after losing so much blood from his wound he was very weak. He could still feel the warm liquid escaping from his body. It was his life essence, and once it was gone he would be gone too. He only wished now that he had let the human kill him rather than having to endure the misery of the freezing cold.

His legs felt numb, and Kemo knew his time was near. His mate and pack were dead, he was badly wounded and weak, and there was no hope of him surviving the blizzard out in the open. He lay still, closed his eyes, and allowed death to overshadow him.

Balto caught a scent. It was strange, yet familiar. He followed it as best he could in the blowing wind and then stumbled across a white wolf. He was lying in the snow, a faint dark patch of snow gathered by the right side of his head. He was mostly buried in snow.

"No!" Balto thought," All this searching just to find him dead!"

Balto approached and sniffed the wolf. He was still warm and breathing, but just barely. Balto didn't know how long he had been out in the cold, but any longer and he would be dead for sure. Balto dug him out and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. The wolf was very heavy, but Balto had the strength of a wolf, and managed to drag him until he found the second marker. He was close to the cave.

Finally he could see the black opening of the cave. Balto's eyes lit up. There was shelter; protection from this deadly cold. He only hoped his friend had survived. He now felt cold in his jaws and feared the worst. Once inside, Balto laid the wolf against the wall and lay over top of him, hoping to transfer warmth between the two of them. The wolf was still alive, and with each breath he took made Balto rise with his immense rib cage.

The wolf was indeed larger than Balto, and Balto knew it was the same wolf he had met just three weeks earlier. Balto, happy that his search was over and he could now sleep in peace, allowed the gentle blanket of sleep to envelop him once more. He would dream good dreams tonight.

Kemo slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the darkness. He could still feel the stinging pain of the wound, but he also had another feeling. It felt like Jan's fine, soft tongue, massaging the wound as she had done so many times before with other wounds.

"So this is what it is like after death?" Kemo thought," At least Jan is here with me."

Kemo slowly raised his head and the licking stopped. He looked to his right and saw a gray wolf standing over him. Kemo was startled, but still too weak to move. He just stared at the wolf.

"I'm glad you're awake," it said gently," You've got quite a wound here."

The wolf leaned down and licked Kemo's head once more. Kemo turned his head away and the gray wolf stopped his licking.

"Don't try to get up just yet. We're going to be here for a while. It's still raging outside," said the gray wolf in its gentle voice.

Kemo, although he didn't know who he was, felt safe. The voice was kind and spoke with the tone of an old friend rather than that of an enemy. He once again looked at the wolf. His eyes clearly saw who it was. Balto! His search had ended as well.

"I... I've found you... at last," he said weakly.

"Hey, that's my line," Balto smiled.

"Balto... it's good to see you again," Kemo smiled and then lay his head down on the cave's cold floor.

Kemo once again awoke from a deep sleep, only this was not the sleep of death. He felt warmer and stronger now, but his muscles still refused to cooperate. The best he could do was raise his head, and even that took a lot of effort. There was no sign of Balto, and no sign of life other than the wild wind that still blew outside.

Balto returned after an hour or so and dropped a dead rabbit at Kemo's feet. Kemo looked up at him and smiled," Thank you."

"I'll eat later. I just want to make sure you get your strength back," said Balto.

Kemo nodded slowly and began to eat.

Balto watched for a moment and then left to hunt for his own meal.

Balto returned to find Kemo asleep again. He now had two rabbits and dropped one of them next to Kemo. As Balto ate, he looked upon his old friend. He hoped to talk once he awoke, and finally have all of his questions answered. Where did he come from? What was he doing all the way out here?

Balto finished his meal and lay down to sleep as well. It had been a long day of hunting and Balto hoped they would both be wide awake in the morning to chat. The sun set, and the cave grew darker, until there was nothing but an inky blackness.

Kemo awoke and found Balto sleeping, as well as the dead rabbit beside him. He ate it, and then sat awake for several hours just thinking and glancing over at Balto. He had finally found him. All he had to do now was talk with him and hopefully convince him to come home, back to his father's pack. There they would live the life they had bother left behind; with Balto leaving it several years ago, and Kemo merely weeks ago.

Finally Balto stirred in his sleep and his gray eyelids opened. Kemo smiled and even gave his tail a little wag, as if the the two of them were puppies again. He managed to sit up, and rested with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Good morning," he said," Sleep well?"

"Yes," Balto yawned," How are you feeling?"

"I feel strong enough to stand at least," said Kemo. He proved his point by standing, but then collapsed to the floor," Well, close enough."

Balto grinned and lay down next to his friend," Where should we start? There is so much I want to ask you."

"I wanted to talk with you too," said Kemo.

They just sat for a few minutes looking at each other, trying to say what was on their minds. Finally after finding one another they had nothing to say.

Balto broke the silence," I want to know... what is our connection in life?"

"I am glad you asked that. It is a long story that goes back six years. It has been too long in fact," began Kemo.

Balto nodded and listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail about his past.

"You and I were born of the same wolf pack. My father was the leader of the pack, and your father was his brother, so technically that makes us both princes."

Balto chuckled. He never thought of himself as a prince before.

"Your mother had wandered into our pack one night. She was a husky dog, one of man's dogs. And my father had her chased away. But she was weak and injured, and your father urged mine to help her. But my father did nothing. So your father secretly took her to a cave and helped her to get better. They eventually fell in love and had a litter of pups."

Balto licked his lips and yawned again after just waking up. The story was just getting interesting. He had never known a lot about his mother before, and knew absolutely nothing about his father.

"Of course my father was furious. He banished all of you from the pack. But you were saved when he saw how big and strong your family looked. So then you became part of the pack."

"When did we first meet?" asked Balto.

"Well, I was play fighting with my siblings to win dominance over them , but after that I got bored. So I saw you with your family and decided to take over," said Kemo. He turned his head and trailed off.

"And?" pressed Balto.

"You kicked my butt! I was whimpering like... well, like a puppy!"

Balto laughed. At least they had a good start.

"Since then we were inseparable. We would play every day, and even chased squirrels."

"What happened to me after that. How did I end up here if I was born in a wolf pack?"

Kemo seemed to hesitate, but he knew that Balto needed to know the truth. He cleared his throat and continued," One day, when we were four months old, we were chasing a squirrel through the woods. Then we had our first encounter with humans. We tried to run away, but they captured us. Fortunately we had been gone so long that the pack had sent a search party to find us. It was led by your father. While we were escaping, he was killed by the humans."

Balto gasped. He never knew what had happened to his father. Balto fought back tears, but was unsuccessful. A few ran down his cheeks and darkened his fur.

"I'm sorry," said Kemo," It was partly my fault too. I remember egging you on."

"It's okay. I asked... you told me. I'll be okay," Balto wiped his face with his front paw and then asked Kemo to continue.

"Since Rahn's death was mostly our fault, my father told me never to play with you again, or even speak to you. Your mother must have realized that her family was in trouble again because she was gone the next day. The pack followed her trail to a human town. She had returned to the humans."

"That explains how I got here. But I have no brothers or sisters. You said I had a family," puzzled Balto.

"Your mother took you with her and left your siblings with an old female, who kept your mother's destination a secret. She raised your two brothers and sister. As far as I know they are still alive and well."

Balto smiled and looked at the mouth of the cave. Somewhere out there was his family. A place where he belonged. He turned to Kemo," Well, what brings you out here?"

"I knew where you were, so I took some of my best friends and left my father's pack to find you. It cost me everything but I have finally found you."

"Cost? What cost," asked Balto.

"While we were walking, two of my friends and my mate were trapped by strange things that were hidden in the snow. Only myself, my third friend, and my pups weren't trapped. Then two men came and killed them. That is how I received my wound; I barely escaped myself."

"Oh, that's horrible! I'm so sorry," said Balto.

"I lost my friends, my mate, and my children! I swear that if I ever find those men I will avenge the deaths of my pack tenfold!" Kemo bared his teeth and shook with fury. It was his turn to release warm tears. They ran down his cheek and fell upon the cold floor.

Balto reached over and placed a paw over Kemo's. The two lay there for a few more minutes. Balto lowered his head, still mourning his father's death. It had been six years and he had never known him, but he still had a great feeling of loss. He understood Kemo's loss as well.

"Now that you've found me, what are you going to do?" asked Balto. He sniffed.

"I had first planned to bring you back to our pack. Our family. But after losing my pack I feel as if there is nothing left for me. The pack is so far away, and the trip might do us in as well."

"You could stay here with me? There is plenty of game to hunt and I know of a lot of nice sites for a den," suggested Balto. But inside him was the feeling that he had once felt before. He wanted to leave, to go home and be with his family, his brothers and sister. But he remembered Jenna. He loved her. He could never leave her behind, worried and in fear that he had died in the storm.

"I cannot stay. Those men will surely find me and kill me as well. I'm very sorry," Kemo finally said. He hung his head and then looked up at Balto," I will stay here until I have my strength back, but then I plan to leave for my old home. Will you come with me?"

"I can't. I'm sorry, but I live in the town now. And besides, I met this great dog. She's the best! I could never leave her!" said Balto. He saw Kemo's disappointment.

"I understand. I will miss you," said Kemo.

"Yeah. I know," replied Balto.

The two sat in silence. They had found each other, only to leave so soon.

"So," said Kemo after a few minutes," Tell me about this great dog."

Balto began to remember how his life had been only a month earlier. After living in Nome by himself for most if his six years, he had a vivid picture of what it was like before becoming the town hero.

"Well," began Balto, letting the memories flood back," I first met her when we were still young. I was about two years old at the time. My mother had disappeared somehow and I lived alone in the wreck of an old boat. When we first met, she and I, I felt like my knees were going to collapse. I could feel my nose become wet and my mouth hung open. She was beautiful!"

Kemo nodded. He understood what it was like to look upon canine beauty.

"We talked a few times, but not as often as I would have liked. The other dogs knew I was part wolf and often made fun of me because of it. Jenna never teased me, but maintained a distance between us, only chatting if we happened to stumble across each other in the street."

"So, how did you win her over?"

"A few weeks ago, the children of my town became very sick and needed medicine. The only was to get it was by dogsled. The lead dog ran the wrong way and the team was lost. I went out to find them and managed to lead them home. I became a hero, and the hero always gets the girl!" Balto smiled.

Kemo gave him an odd look.

"Alright, fine! She and I had a little thing going while I was searching for the team. She had followed me and was injured. She gave me her bandanna to keep warm and then nuzzled my neck. It was then that I realized that she liked me as much as I liked her. Now I live with her and her family."

"Thinking of starting a family of your own?" asked Kemo.

Balto smiled and looked at the cave opening," Not yet, but maybe?"

Kemo smiled. He knew what the feeling was like, and was sure that when the time came Balto would be ready to be a father.

Balto promised Kemo that he would return the next day, and left him with two rabbits. He entered town and was immediately pounced on by Sylvie the Afghan hound," Balto! Where have you been? Jenna's worried sick!"

"I know. I'm sorry, but I got caught up in the storm!" replied Balto.

"You'd better tell Jenna that, not me!"

Balto nodded and increased his pace until he arrived at Jenna's house. She was inside in the living room.

"Balto! You're alright!" she ran up and nuzzled him.

"Yeah. I got stuck in a cave while the storm died down," said Balto. He was very excited and wanted to tell Jenna everything," You won't believe who I met!"

"Who?" she asked.

"Do you remember me telling you about the wolf I met on the trip back home?" he asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I found him! He was almost dead, but I took him to a cave and he's a lot better now. He's from my pack, where I was born. He told me everything about my past; my parents, my family, and also how I got here."

"I don't understand," said Jenna.

"Let me explain..."

It was almost an hour later. Jenna lay with her mouth hanging open as Balto finished telling her everything that Kemo had just told him.

"I'm very sorry for you, Balto. It must be awful hearing all that stuff about your father," she said," But you must feel very happy to know all about your past now. It's been a secret since you were a puppy."

"Yeah. And now Kemo is waiting in the cave right now. I told him I'd be back tomorrow and hopefully he'll have his strength back and will be able to make the journey home," finished Balto.

"You're not really going with him, are you?"

"No! Of course not. I'd never leave you alone."

Jenna smiled. She was sure that if Steele ever returned and found her alone without Balto that he would try to make her his girlfriend again! The thought sent shivers up her spine.

"I hope Kemo can make the trip back okay. Then again, if he came all this way alone then he could easily get back," said Jenna.

"He didn't come alone. His pack was killed by men just a few days ago. He wants revenge but decided it would be better for him to just leave everything behind him."

Jenna's mouth dropped open," Balto! I know where they are!"

"Who?"

"The men who killed them! I was looking for you in the woods, when I saw two men I'd never seen before. The were carrying the skins of several wolves and also four dead wolf puppies. It was horrible. They went to a small house just a little ways out of town," Jenna finished and took a deep breath.

"I have to tell Kemo. Even if it means he might try to get revenge. The men might kill him if he goes there! There's got to be some way to stop those men!" said Balto.

"But Balto..."

"I have to! He'd never trust me again if he found out that I knew the location of his pack's killers and didn't tell him."

Jenna nodded. Balto lay down and planned on how to break the news to Kemo.

"I'll kill them!" shouted Kemo. He found a new surge of strength and stood up almost effortlessly. He snarled and then turned towards Balto," Tell me where they are!"

"Alright. But promise me you won't do anything rash," said Balto.

Kemo hesitated, but then finally nodded.

Balto and Kemo slowly approached the small house. Around the back side of it was a clothesline. From it hung the skins of the dead wolves. Kemo found himself looking upon the gray-furred skin of Jan; her eyes now empty and lifeless. There was nothing left of her except her grin, which was now nothing but a flap of skin.

The four dead puppies were laying on a crate, awaiting the skinner. Kemo was enraged. He took one of the small puppies and carried it away. Balto, puzzled, trotted after his friend. When he caught up to him, Kemo was digging a hole in the snow. When he reached the ground he dug and scratched until he had dug deep enough to bury the pup. Then he covered it over with dirt.

"I can at least leave one of them with a bit of honour," he said. Then he covered up the hole with snow and ran back to the house.

Balto and Kemo propped their front paws on one of the rear window ledges and peered inside. There were the two men, snoozing in the late afternoon. One of them had a bandage on his face, obviously the one who Kemo had slashed with his teeth. Kemo snarled, but tried to keep it low enough so as not to arouse the two men from their sleep.

"If only I could get inside. I'll kill them while they sleep!" growled Kemo.

"They'll have the advantage. Besides, they also have their guns," reasoned Balto.

"Not for long," said Kemo.

He started to scratch at the window and growled. One of the men woke up and shouted at his partner to wake up. Balto and Kemo each ran up a different side of the building and waited. As expected, the two men emerged carrying their rifles. Kemo had felt their sharp pain before and survived, and therefore felt no fear towards them. As one man aimed at the approaching wolf, Balto came up behind and pounced on the two men.

Kemo took his opportunity and grabbed one of the men's arms in his mouth. He began to drag the man away while Balto stole the guns and ran away with them. The second man approached Kemo with a club and was about to beat him when Balto returned and tackled him. Kemo was now shaking the man, who was screaming loudly. Balto had chased the other man away and turned to his friend.

"Kemo, that's enough!" he said.

"No! They both have to die!" shouted Kemo," I will avenge my pack's death!"

"You don't have to kill them! You can't!" pleaded Balto.

Kemo merely bit down harder and grinned as the man screamed louder. Kemo let the man's blood run into his mouth. His next target was the man's throat.

"How would your mate think of you now? Look at you, you've gone crazy with hatred! You're not yourself!" cried Balto. He knew his chances of stopping his friend were very slim, but he still had to try," What if you kill them? More men will come looking for you! Then you can never escape!"

Kemo released the man and stared at Balto," The humans have made you soft. You have no idea who I was or how I feel!"

The man tried to crawl away but one loud snarl from Kemo made him cower beneath the large wolf's paws," I won't let them get away with what they did!"

"Will killing them make it better? Will it undo what they did? Nothing will have changed, and by killing them out of hatred you've sunk to their level. You're no better than they are!'

"Don't compare me to them!" snarled Kemo," If I kill them then I will be satisfied, and if you don't come with me then I'm going home where other men will never find me!"

Balto kept staring at Kemo. Then he sat down and sighed," Please. Do not kill them. If you do that then... I'm afraid we cannot be friends any longer. You will have to go, and I will forget about you and never look back to where I came from. As far as I'm concerned I am a dog. And there is nothing either of us can do about it."

Kemo gasped. He knew the laws of the Wild and the Heritage of the Wolf, and he tried his best to maintain them. But here was Balto, his brother, a fellow wolf, renouncing everything that he was and what he had learned these past few days. It was almost as shocking as watching his pack killed before his eyes. He stepped away from the man," I cannot believe you would do that. You've finally discovered who you are and where you come from. Your hunger has been satisfied, and you are happy. How could you just leave it behind?"

"I can do it as easily as you can kill these men; without any second thought. But I won't, if you leave them alone. Please Kemo. They will be judged elsewhere for what they have done, but for now it's not up to you or me to do it."

Kemo looked down at the wounded man. He snuffed and launched a large glob of mucus on the man's head, and then turned towards the woods and trotted away. Balto was left alone with the whimpering man, who now cradled his arm like a baby. Balto smiled and then followed his wolf friend into the woods.

Kemo finally agreed to stay with Balto. He had nothing to live for and his father's pack was a very long ways away, and he knew that Balto would enjoy the company of his old friend. The two of them had no trouble locating the perfect spot for a den and Kemo was soon moved in and feeling right at home... almost.

Balto took Jenna out to meet his brother for the first time. Jenna was surprised, but happy to meet a part of Balto's family. The three canines spent the rest of the day together before Balto and Jenna left Kemo in his den to spend the night.

"He seems happier now," said Jenna," I hope he'll be alright."

"I hope those men get out of town before Kemo goes on another rampage," said Balto.

"They're leaving today. After packing their stuff on a sled they were about ready to leave, but a delay caused them to wait. I suppose they'll leave this evening," replied Jenna.

Balto nodded and walked closer to Jenna. Why had he thought of leaving? Here was everything he wanted. A home, a friend, family, food, and now, most importantly, his brother. He nuzzled Jenna and the two of them disappeared into town.

Kemo sat on a snow drift at the edge of the woods, watching as a long dark shape emerged from Nome and began to shrink towards the horizon. It was the dogsled with the two men. Kemo stared after it with a burning hatred. he licked his lips, still able to taste the man's blood.

"Next time, I will not be so merciful," he vowed.

Then he turned and walked back to his den.

The End

Back to Balto Fanfics