BALTO VII: NEVER CRY WHITE WOLF
BY EBONY PATRIOT

Niju, Balto, Nava, Aleu, Jenna, Star, Muk, Luk, Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, Boris, Aniu, and Rosy are copyrighted to Universal Studios.

Kemo, Jenner, Kala, and the title “Balto’s Boat” are copyrighted to Cyberwulfe.

Midback is copyrighted to Jim Brandenburg.

Farley Mowat, George, Albert, and Angelica are copyrighted to Farley Mowat.

Pike, Buck, Kiche, Sol-leks, WIld Brother, White Fang, Jack, and One-Eye are copyrgihted to Jack London.

The inspirations for Joker, MicroWing, and Harley, the Joker, Batman and Harley, are copyrighted to DC Comics.

The inspirations for Tornait and Nanuq are copyrighted to jean Craighead George.

The inspiration for Bruce is copyrighted to Albvert Payson Terhune.

Tundra and Taiga are copyrighted to R.D. Lawrence.

Silver Cloud, Black Eagle, Night Jaws, Joker, Togo, Togo’s Clone, Inuit, Ice Breaker, Tornait, Nanuq, White Moon, Snow Fox, Dark Side, Half-tail, Ice Fire, Sand Piper, Desert Storm, Chrome, Desert Storm, Galaxy, MicroWing, Shrink, Hornet, Jade, and Bruce are copyrighted to Ebony Patriot {Me!} DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS WITHOUT GIVING ME CREDIT AND/OR ASKING PERMISSION. IF YOU DON’T, I’LL SIC MY EVIL PYSCHO SPANISH TEACHER ON YOU! WOE SHALL BE YOU!

Voices:

Niju: Mark Hamill
Nava: David Carradine
Aleu: Lacey Chabert
Balto: Kevin Bacon
Steele: Jim Cummings
Star: Robbie Rist
Kaltag: Danny Mann
Nikki: Jack Angel
Jenna: Bridget Fonda
Boris: Bob Hoskins
Muk & Luk: Phil Collins
Rosy: Micheele Trachtenburg
Jenner: Mel Gibson
Kala: Demi Moore
Joker: Mark Hamill
Dingo: Kevin Kline
Kemo: James Earl Jones
Midback: Whopi Goldberg
Pike: Louie Anderson
Buck: Tony Jay
Farley Mowatt: Greg Proops
Gunnar Kassun: John Ratzenberger
Kiche: Lesie Mann
Sol-leks: Kenneth Mars
Wild Brother: John Goodman
Jack London: Harrison Ford
Togo: Colin Mochire
Togo’s Clone: Ryan Styles
Jade: Melissa Joan Hart
Hornet: Jerry Lewis
Silver Cloud: Robby Benson
MicroWing: Kevin Conroy
Bruce: David Ogen Steirs
Shrink: Jennifer Tilly
Thunder: Glen Close
Phoenix: Rupert Everett
The Hunter: Matt Damon
Aniu: Mone Walton

*******CHAPTER 1: TOGO’S CLONE******

“Mush!!” called the young Canadian man. He was Farley Mowat, the first man to actually study wolves in the wild. He had learned that they were not vicious, killing monsters, but faithful, loyal, loving animals. And now he was traveling to Nome, to meet the famed hero wolf-dog, Balto. “Gee!” he cried.

The leader was a stormy-gray Alaskan Malamute, with white eyebrows, legs, lower jaw, and underside. His eyes were a dark, almost black, brown. He harness was of the darkness and finest leather. For this was Togo, the best leader Farley had ever had. He glanced over his shoulder at an almost exact copy of himself. “All right back there, Clone?” he yelled.

It was Togo’s son. He was the perfect model of his sire, save for the silver chest and head blaze. So exact was he a model that his name was ‘Togo’s Clone,’ or just ‘Clone’ for short. “Fine, Dad!!!” cried Clone. He was calm, and gentle and shy, while his father was the soul of friendliness. He got it from his mother, Aniu, the white wolf.

“Dad,” asked Clone. “Do you think the Balto we are going to go and meet is the same Balto?” he asked, his voice full of hope.

“I don’t know. He was just a pup when your mother died,” replied Togo uneasily. “I hope so though....hey! Shrink! Pull your weight!!!” he ordered to a brown female Eskimo husky.

Shrink turned to one side. “And if I don’t want to?” she snapped. Clone suddenly turned, twisting the traces, forcing her onto her feet with shock in her veins.

Fifth place was the beautiful Jade. She was a purebred grey-and-white Siberian husky. Her eyes were blue. She wanted puppies, but no male had yet suited her. So Jade was still single. It was a pity, for she was gentle with pups and was a hard worker. “You deserved it, Shrink! Once we reach Barrow, we are getting a new sled-dog. I hope we get two sled-dogs, so that Farley can get rid of you!!” she called.

Hornet, a silver-and-snow Siberian husky with grizzled black tipped hairs, ran in front of Jade. “Jade,” he called hopefully, for he had loved her since they were both puppies. “I love you! Do you love me?”

“NO! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!?” growled Jade.

“KNOCK IT OFF, YOU TWO!!” growled Togo and Clone in unionism.

Last place was the one-eyed Sol-leks, the ‘angry one.’ He was a chrome-and-snow Siberian husky, and could whip a whole team of huskies if he wanted to. But he didn’t. His only love was pulling. All he asked, for the rest of the time, was to be left alone.

“Mush on, poor fellows! Don’t worry. I’ll get another sled-dog, and you’ll be able go faster. And then once we reach Nome, you'll have a good long rest,” said Farley sympathetically.

Togo meanwhile deep in thought. He had but one mate. That Aniu was a wolf made no difference. They had had two pups. Humans had one day come to the old Boat where they lived happily, shot Aniu, and took Togo and Clone. But they left the other pup, whom they didn’t see. Could it be possible that he was still alive? Maybe, thought Togo hopefully. Maybe Nava, Aniu’s grandfather, and his pack had come and taken care of him. And maybe this Balto they were going to see, was the same one!! Togo’s spirits lifted, but then were crushed. No, they wouldn’t allow a wolf-dog. Clone lived because of his father. Still, some people wouldn't buy him when they heard of his wolf blood. When he was older he had it easier. “But still...could Clone’s twin brother be alive?” he asked aloud as the team pulled into Barrow.

******CHAPTER 2: KICHE******

Kiche was half dog, half wolf. She was mainly gray, but also had a faint red hue in her fur. She watched as a team pulled in. Kiche had mated with the now dead old he-wolf One-Eye. That had produced the famed White Fang, hero of the Jack London book of that name. And Jack London was holding her mane as they pulled in. “Why, hello, Farley Mowat, famous wolf studier!” he called.

“And hello to you, too, Jack.”

“Selling, I hope,” said Jack, watching Togo.

“No, I’m buying,” said Farley, jumping off the runners.

Jack turned to Clone. He gasped and rubbed his eyes. “Yep, that’s the leader’s son, Togo’s Clone, or just Clone, for short. His mother was a wolf,” said Farley.

“Good name,” murmured Jack. He ran his eye over the team as Farley said their names.

“That’s Shrink, after Clone. She never pulls more of her weight than she has to. That’s Hornet, after Shrink. He’s hopelessly in love with Jade, right after him. Jade is a hard-working honest female. And that’s-...”

“SOL-LEKS!?” interrupted Jack. “The same one in my book ‘Call Of The Wild’?”

“The same. Hey listen. I’m going to Nome to see the wolf-dog Balto and I need another sled-dog. Do you have any I could put in front of Sol-leks?”

“Wellll...there’s Pike,” he said, pointing at a orange-and-white Siberian husky laying on the lichens. Pike lifted up his ears.

“NOT PIKE, THE MALIGNER! HE IS ANOTHER SHRINK!!” cried Sol-leks. “Oh, well....I can bite his tail if he lags.”

Pike crawled behind Jack. “I think I’d rather stay here,” said Pike.

“Sol-leks looks angry,” he added.“Or Kiche here,” continued Jack. “She’s a wolf-dog. Maybe she’ll mate with Balto!”

“I doubt it. Wolves and wolf-dogs are faithful, and Balto already has Jenna, the husky,” said Farley. “Is Kiche a good worker?”

“Next to Buck and White Fang, the best I’ve ever seen!!!” cried Jack London. “May I remind you that she is the mother of the hero title character in my book ‘White Fang’?”

“All right. I’ll buy her,” said Farley.

Once Kiche and her harness were bought, she was introduced to all of the team, and then harnessed before Sol-leks. “Hey Sol-leks, are you interested in matrimony?” she whispered to him.

“What, me? A husband/father? No. My only love is pulling, so mush!!” he replied.

“MUSH!” ordered Farley.

“Really? Ahh..but I would like another mate. My last one died from a lynx attack.”

“Just mush! Oh...if you weren’t a girl I’d bite your tail off!” he growled.

“HEY! CHILL! KICHE, LEAVE SOL-LEKS ALONE!! JUST MUSH!” snapped Togo. Their paws padded the hard ground.

******************************************************************

Nome drew closer and closer. When they were roughly three miles from Nome, Clone suddenly threw his head up. A long eerie wolf howl escaped from his mouth.

Two and a half miles from Nome a white wolf with silver marks in old boat and his dark grayish-brown grandfather woke with a start.

******CHAPTER 3: SILVER CLOUD******

Silver Cloud, the white wolf turned to his black-and-ebony-and-ivory brother. “Joker, did you hear that?” Drowsily, Joker lifted his head and stared at his favorite brother. His cruel pure gold eyes ran over the bigger wolf’s body. Silver Cloud was huge, even for a wolf. If it weren’t for the black-tipped ears, the 2-inch silver stripe on his nose and the silver spot on his chest, he would be the pure white of snow. His round eyes, like Joker the runt and his slightly smaller second brother Tundra, were pure gold.

“Did you hear that howl?”

“Yeah, and?” yawned Joker. “Well...it had to be a wolf, and it wasn’t you or me.”

“And it couldn’t have been the Nome Wolf Pack,” said Joker, catching on at last. “Because Harley.” Here Joker stopped and nuzzled his new sleeping mate. It was their first full summer (having married last winter) together as husband and wife. It was the black-and-rust wolf that had won Joker his sanity. “Is the last of her pack. All the other wolves were killed.” Here Joker’s eyes glowed demon yellow as he thought of those murderer pit bulls.

“You now what, my grand pups?” yawned the grayish-brown Balto. “It kinda sounded like my howl. So maybe it’s your siblings. Or Kemo’s pups.” Kemo was the handsome white half-brother of Balto. While Balto had a wolf mom, Aniu, and a dog father whom he couldn’t remember, Kemo had Aniu for a mom and the dead white wolf Inuit for a father. Inuit looked exactly like his son, except he didn’t have black-tipped ears.

“I’ll check,” said Silver Cloud walking of the deck. There was his pure black-and-silver wolf father Niju and his light tan mother Aleu, curled up around the five-month-old pups. Tornait, the black-and-gold toned first-born, was fast asleep. So it couldn’t have been him, thought Silver Cloud. But there are more wolves then Tornait. Silver Cloud turned to Phoenix. The skittish handsome male zebra finch-marked wolf lifted his head. “Silver Cloud, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Did you just howl?”

“No, he didn’t. Nor did I,” said Thunder, the little she-wolf with the female zebra finch marks. “We had waken up when we heard it,” continued Thunder.

Silver Cloud looked at Desert Storm. The fiery red male’s nose was in his tail and his fierce brown eyes were closed. On his shoulder rested the silver-toned Chrome, both wolves fast asleep. Sweet gray Sand Piper lay curled up against his sister, the black-and-white-spotted Galaxy. Silver Cloud ran down to ground deck to see Kemo. Kemo and his beautiful mate Midback were curled around their pups. The three males, Snow Fox, Dark Side, and Ice Fire stretched peacefully, for once, next to the three females Half-tail, Nanuq, and White Moon.

Kemo lifted his head. “What is it, Silver Cloud?” he asked in his deep voice that sounded like wild thunder over the mountains.

“A wolf howled, and we don’t know who it is,” he explained sheepishly.

“Local pack, perhaps?” asked Kemo.

“No! It can’t, Kemo! Harley’s the last of the pack.”

“Besides, Kemo, weren’t you listening?” said graceful Midback as she raised her beautiful head.

“No, I was sleeping, Midback. I was chasing idiot squirrels in the tundra with no trees for them to climb. Why?”

“Because if you had heard it sounding more like a wolf-dog,” she continued.

“I wonder who it is,” muttered Silver Cloud.

Kemo got up. “Well, your grandfather and I can take you to go and see.”

“Thanks, Kemo.” They trotted up to the deck.

Balto looked up. Curled up next to Joker was the coal-black Tundra, with the snow spot on his chest; then Taiga, the butterscotch she-wolf; then Black Eagle the silver headed and tailed black he-wolf; and black Night Jaws. Night Jaws yawned, his silver jaws stretching greatly. The four others stared at him with three yellow and one emerald pairs of eyes before lowering their heads.

“So, Silvey,” said Joker. “Whazup?”

“Kemo, Balto and I are going to see who howled,” explained Silver Cloud.

“You do that,” yawned Joker as he fell back asleep.

Kemo, Balto, and Silver Cloud set out.

******CHAPTER 4: BUCK RETURNS******

Buck snarled as he watched the hunters try to invade his den. Buck’s father had been Elmo the St. Bernard, while his mother had been Shep the Scotts shepherd. The bronze-colored dog had kidnapped from his home in the sunny Southland and brought here, where he had gone wild. He now had a wolf mate and wolf-dog pups. And now human hunters were going to kill him for the prized glorious bronze coat which covered his muscles with the brown eyebrows and white splash on his chest.

“What will we do?” cried the anxious Wild Brother. Wild Brother, a pure gray wolf, was the first wolf Buck had met and was now the Beta. “Take the pack away. They want me,” said Buck in his pipe organ Shakespearean voice.

“You! Why?”

“Because of that Jack London, they think I’m a killer and that I slaughter all the Yeehats.”

“But, Buck, you’ve never killed any human, since those who attacked your master! And, from what you’ve told me, that what’s a dog is supposed to do!”

“It is. But they still think I-I- I actually kill for sport, like them. But, you need to take my family and the pack away. NOW!”

“But what about you?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be at the wolf-dog haven of Alaska, Nome.”

Buck ran out and barked. The hunters looked up. “There’s the $1,000 bounty dog. Get him!” they cried. Their team ran out. Lying on the sled’s wolf pelts were boxers and bull terriers and some mutts. They had no purpose except killing.

Buck easily evaded them. He pointed his nose south-west at Nome and took off, in the wolf-trot that never tires.

******************************************************************

Several days later, Buck was still untired as he entered into Nome. How unlike the team, whose feet and breath were both strained. Buck couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping form his mouth.

“STOP!” snapped a man.

“Sir?” said a little girl as she and her parents and a beautiful female rust-and-cream Siberian husky ran up. “My name is Rosy. This is Jenna, my dog. Well her mate Balto the Wonder Dog lives here. Their daughter, Aleu, married Niju, a wolf, and their pups come and visit. Therefore, wolves are protected here. You can’t shot what’s left of them.”

The hunter scoffed. “That’s sweet, kiddy, but I got wolves to get rid off.” Gunnar Kassun came up on his team. Dingo, the red-colored full brother to Aleu, was leading. Behind him ran Star, the gray Siberian husky; then Kaltag, the tan Siberian husky; than Nikki, the brown chow-chow; then Jenner, full brother to Aleu; then Jenner’s twin sister, Kala; and finally the black-and-white Alaskan Malamute Steele.

“Is there a problem, sirs?” asked Kassun.

“Sirs? Those Barbarians?” cried Dingo.

“I agree with Dingo, dere,” scoffed Nikki.

“Sirs? Those savages, those primitives, those brutes...” said Kaltag.

“They’re bad!” cried Star, followed by the usual strike to the head.

“Enough bickering!” snapped Steele.

“Yeah, that’s our job!” said Jenner. Kala looked at her brother.

‘That’s not something to brag about, Jenner!” she said.

The hunter turned. Kassun drove his team off. Buck laughed and started for Balto’s Boat.

******CHAPTER 5: SILVER CLOUD’S FIND******

Silver Cloud ran shoulder to shoulder with Kemo and Balto. The two half-brothers were discussing their blood lines. “Well,” Kemo was saying. “As you know, my Mom was Aniu, the white wolf. She had married Inuit and had two puppies, Ice Breaker and me.”

“What did Ice Breaker and Inuit look like?” asked Balto.

“Inuit didn’t have black-tipped ears, but otherwise he looked exactly like me. He was very brave and bold, and Aniu was very clever and mysterious. Ice Breaker didn’t have the eye patches, and he had black-tipped toes, but otherwise he looked just like me.”

“What happened to them?” asked Balto, dreading the answer he knew must come, for it is not wolf to suddenly change mates.

“A huge black grizzly attacked. I wasn’t there. I had left when I was a yearling, to get my own pack. The bear, Big Boy, {that was what his name was. I always thought it was good name} attacked Ice Breaker. Inuit was closest and attacked first. Big Boy killed my father and brother before Aniu could fight him. Big Boy, by the way, was the same bear that attack you. Ice Breaker ran off. Anyway, Neno, Nava, and Aniu drove the bear off before he could kill again...”

“Neno? Who’s Neno?”

“A big stormy gray young wolf, The Beta and Nava’s best friend. He and his night-black mate had just three pups. Twister, Toronto and Niju.”

Balto gasped. “Aniu was devastated. She couldn’t believe her beloved mate and son were dead. She ran away. Aniu fell down into a valley and found me,” Kemo continued.

“In that valley were I found you?!?” cried Balto.

“The same. Well, Aniu told me what happened, and I told her she should get another mate. Besides, I wanted more siblings. So Aniu came to Nome and met your father in March. For six months they courted, and then in September married. In March they had you, and another son. I don’t know what happened from then on,” concluded Kemo.

“I do. My brother looked exactly like my father. We lived happily until some humans came. They killed Aniu, and took my father and brother but missed me. Boris cared for me. I had my father in me and so I wanted to be a human’s pet. But all they knew was that I was part wolf. The Nome Wolves would have allowed me, but I didn’t join them. I belonged to the World of Men. Well, then in 1925 there was a diphtheria outbreak, and...well, you the rest.”

Silver Cloud ran a little bit faster, partly because he wanted to find that howler and partly because he didn’t like this depressing tale. A sharp chorus of barks rang in the air. A team drove up. There was a stormy gray Alaskan Malamute in the lead, follow by an almost exact model of himself. The leader ran so close, Silver Cloud, Balto and Kemo could read his name carved into his harness: TOGO.

Togo looked at the wolves. He actually stopped. “BALTO??? CAN IT BE YOU, MY SON?” he gasped.

“What?” asked an amazed Balto.

Silver Cloud glanced at the suddenly pale musher. “I-I-thought Togo just talked. I’m starting to hear things,” he muttered.

Silver Cloud whimpered and looked up. “Sir, are you one of the those rare humans who aren’t too ignorant to hear us ‘dumb’ animals speak?” he asked kindly.

"Now that wolf is talking!” cried Farley.

“Sir, I’m Silver Cloud. This is my grandfather, Balto, and my great-half-uncle, Kemo.”

“But you can’t talk. Only humans can-.... Did you say Balto?”

“Yeah. Who are you? Oh, and about hearing us. Rosy, a little girl in Nome, can talk, too.”

“Oh, well, O.K. I’m Farley Mowat, from Ontario.”

“FARLEY MOWATT?” gasped Kemo. “YOU ARE THE HEROES OF US WOLVES. WE’VE HEARD HOW YOU STUDIED WITH GEORGE AND ALBERT AND ANGELICA IN CANADA!”

“Yes, well I-wait! How did you know about George and his pack?”

“The ravens tell us.”

“Listen, Balto’s grand pups live in an old trawler called Balto’s Boat. Let’s go there.”

“O.K.”

“Silver Cloud, lead the team. Kemo and I need to tell the family were coming,” said Balto. As the team set off, Silver Cloud went to Togo.

Togo turned his head. “Tell me, young wolf, who are your great-grandparents?” he asked. “I don’t have any living ones. I only know the name of Balto’s mother, Aniu. She was widowed thanks to a bear and mated with a dog.”

“Aniu? Was she snow-white? Or a kind of bluish-white?”

“Bluish-white.”

“And this...this bear. Was he named Big Boy? And Aniu’s deceased husband Inuit?” asked Togo, struggling to hold his excitement in.

“Why yes. How do you know?”

“BLESS YOU, LITTLE WHITE WOLF! I KNOW BECAUSE I AM BALTO’S FATHER, TOGO!”

“I KNEW IT WAS THE SAME BALTO!” cried the second dog who had the words carved into his harness: TOGO’S CLONE.

******CHAPTER 6: THE FATHER OF BALTO******

When the team finally reached the Boat, Farley stopped, unharnessed the team and climbed up. Clone and Togo bounded ahead of Farley at ran at Balto. Clone took great strides at ran to Balto. “Oh, Balto! It’s you! Oh, thought I would never see you again. You’re a wolf of a different color, but still, it’s you!”

“WHAT?” gasped Balto.

‘Uh, Papa.” said Aleu. “Didn’t you say that your father was a malamute?”

“Yeah. And didn’t you say that your brother looked exactly like your father?” asked Niju.

“Yes, but I-”

“And there is Aniu in the young dog’s eyes,” agreed Nava.

“Wha-?”

“He has that clever look in the eyes that my grand-daughter had,” said Nava quietly. Since Aniu’s death, it was the first he spoke of her with the fact that he sired her mother.

“What they are getting at is... I am your Father.” There was a silence. “Oh, and how I missed my you, my firstborn. I had Clone, he helped to ease the pain of my beloved Aniu’s death. But I was sure my little Balto would die. No human would care for him just because he was part wolf!” cried Togo.

“You-you-you’re my father?!?” gasped Balto.

“Yes, my son.” “And that makes Clone...my brother.” Balto’s eyes lit up. “I do remember. I was a chocolate-black color with white marks, like MicroWing...”

“Like MicroWing what?” asked a firm, solitude-craving voice curiously. MicroWing, the fourth son of Balto, walked. He was black, with silver Mercury wings on his four paws and faintly on his shoulder blades, and a white ‘bird-in-flight’ shape on his chest.

“And who are these gentlemen?” asked MicroWing’s twin brother, Bruce. Bruce was dark sable, with snow chest, paws, and underside. He was the soul of friendliness. “I’ve never seen them before,” continued Bruce.

Jenna and Rosy came up, followed by Muk, Luk, and Boris. “Hiya, Kemo!” called Luk.

“What’s new?”

“What’s up?” asked Muk. “Besides the clouds,” added Muk, laughing.

“Togo.”

“To-who? What is this about?” asked old Boris.

Jenna turned to MicroWing. “Will you bring in our guest?” she asked.

“O.K., mom,” said MicroWing, leaving.

Jenna walked to Balto. “Is this your mate, Balto?” asked Clone.

“Yes, I am,” said Jenna.

“Good pick.” MicroWing returned, followed by...Buck.

“Father, do remember Buck?” asked MicroWing.

“Do I ever!”

“Is this a meeting of wolves? Who are these guys?” asked Farley.

“Well, I’m Balto, as you know. And this is,” he said, pointing with his paw to everyone he named. “Kemo, Midback, Jenna, MicroWing, Bruce, Silver Cloud, Aleu, Nava, Niju, Boris, Muk, Luk, Tundra, Joker, Harley, Taiga, Night Jaws, Black Eagle, Nanuq, White Moon, Snow Fox, Half-tail, Dark Side, Ice Fire, Tornait, Phoenix, Thunder, Galaxy, Chrome, Desert Storm, Buck, and Sand Piper.”

“This is Jade, Hornet, Shrink, Sol-leks,” said Farley.

“Hello, Buck!” called Sol-leks.

“Hiya, Sol-leks,” said Buck.

“Kiche, Togo and Togo’s Clone.”

“Togo is Balto’s father,” explained Kemo.

Clone and Balto rubbed heads. “Brothers,” they whispered.

Buck lifted his head. “The Hunters are coming!”

******CHAPTER 7: SILVER CLOUD & BUCK******

“Buck, hunters aren’t allowed,” said Jenna calmly. “Tell that to them.”

Balto looked out. “He’s right. Niju, Togo, Clone, Kemo, Buck, we need to stop them.”

‘That’s only six. You need seven to stop wolf hunters. And I’m # 7,” said Silver Cloud.

“Yes,” agreed Joker. “It took seven to save me,” said Harley.

“But you can’t. You’ll die!” Aleu cried.

“Don’t worry,” said Silver Cloud, jumping before they could stop him. Silver growled.

The hunters looked up. “A white one!” The Hunter turned to the boxers. “Sic him. And don’t stain his coat!”

Buck leapt down. The rest of Balto’s team snapped at the remaining killers and hunters. Niju called out: “GO TO THE COPS!!”

Buck and Silver Cloud went around the Boat. “How will get them to here? Buck, you have to get them!” cried Silver Cloud.

Buck grinned. “Well, my pelt’s worth $10,000, so I think they would rather kill me if I try to bring them.”

“Right. I'll go.”

“Not alone.”

“I’ll go with him,” said Clone.

“O.K. go!”

Clone and Cloud took off. They ran for about a quarter of an hour.  Cloud raised his head. “There’s the team!” he shouted as Dingo lead the team.

“Silver, go to Steele and tell him to turn. I’ll take my nephew.” Silver ran to Steele. “STEELE!!”

“WHAT’S WRONG?”

“WOLF HUNTERS!”

“RIGHT! BUT WHERE?”

“I KNOW!” shouted Dingo.

“CLONE JUST TOLD ME!!!”

******************************************************************

Buck was near the boat, his eyes screwed shut, his jaws slightly open.

“BUCK?” cried Silver Cloud. He can’t be dead!! he thought. The boxer leaned to sniff his kill’s head, a cruel smile on the boxer’s lips. Suddenly, in a flash of bronze, the boxer lay dead amongst his fellows. “Buck?!?” gasped Silver.

Buck grinned. “ ‘Playing dead’...The oldest trick in the book!” he laughed.

Gunnar Kassun got off the sled. “Wolf hunters?”

“Yes!” gasped Farley as he went the down.

“They tried to kill Balto’s grandson. And speaking of which, that’s Balto full brother, Clone.”

“Well, Nome will like Clone. But were are the hunters?” Balto barked echoed as he ran across the ground, driving a cowering killer-mutt down. Then, Togo, Niju, and Kemo came forward, each driving a hunter. Clone, Buck and Silver Cloud stepped forward.

“GOOD DOGS!” cheered Kassun and Mowat.

******CHAPTER 8: BROTHERS******

A month passed. As for Balto, he now had his Father and brother back.  Farley Mowat had found many a subject about the wolves. Hornet had finally won over Jade. The two, come next year, would have pups. So it was a happy ending for the team. And best of all, Farley Mowat announced that he was moving into Nome.

Buck had left five weeks ago. He needed to find his pack. The glorious dog promised that someday he come back. He and White Fang.  Farley came up to where the wolves and wolf-dogs were laying.

“Togo, I’m sorry, but I must return to study George and his pack for the rest of the summer.”

Aleu rose. “I’m sorry to say, but we had better being going back, too,” she said.

‘Yeah,” grinned Niju. “Twister and Toronto will be anxious for us to come back.” The pack prepared to leave.

Togo stood harnessed, followed by Togo’s Clone, Shrink, Hornet, Jade, Kiche and Sol-leks. “See ya, hero,” grinned Kiche.

“Corronk! Corronk!,” called a Raven. It landed, and quickly turned into Aniu, the white wolf. “Hello, my sons. My Togo. I thought I would never see you again,” she said.

“My beloved!”

“Indeed. I missed you. I shall guide you to George’s Pack.” She transformed back into the Raven and flew off.

“We’ll be back soon,” whispered Togo.

“Goodbye, Balto. Goodbye, Kemo. I’ll miss you, bro,” said Togo’s Clone.

“Goodbye, my brother,” whispered Balto.

“MUSH!” called Farley. The team took off. “Brothers,” whispered Balto silently to himself as he turned to Kemo.

THE END!!

AUTHOR’S NOTE: WHILE CLONE MAY OR MAY NO HAVE EXISTED, TOGO WAS A REAL DOG.  HE WAS BASICALLY THE STEELE OF THE REAL IDITAROD. -EBONY PATRIOT