Chapter 3 - More Unusual Twists

Chapter Three: More Unusual Twists
To say that the humans were surprised by how quiet and seemingly gentle Frost acted was an understatement. With the boundless patience only a pet dog would show, Frost allowed Rosie’s father to treat and bandage his injured paws.
“You’re not taking offense at this, are you?” Balto later asked, when he and the white wolf had lain down in front of the fireplace.
“No. Why would I?” Frost in turn questioned; sighing with relief that the weight was off of his now-bandaged paws.
“I just couldn’t see you as the type who would accept help and shelter from humans. You’d seemed too independent and wild back then.” Balto said; surprised when Frost snorted slightly, and shook his head.
“Even a so-called ‘symbol of the wild’ needs some leisure time every now and again......And after what I’ve been through, I think I’m at least a little deserving of it.” Frost replied, then ruefully added, “Though I must admit, in some ways I am envious.”
“Why?” Balto heard himself ask.
“You’ve got a beautiful and loyal mate. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d find one like her.” Frost said; the mischievous glint returning to his golden eyes when he saw Balto’s almost dumbfounded expression. Then, with an almost exasperated sigh, Balto shook his head, then gave the wolf a grave look.
“You’d said that Steele had been dangerously close by when Jenna started giving birth. How close was he?” Balto asked, quietly; almost afraid of what the answer would be.
“Close enough that he was a danger to her and the pups......He was coming from downwind, so I almost didn’t catch his scent until it was nearly too late. We got lucky this time, Balto, but I can’t say if luck will save her, next time.” Frost murmured, looking up when Rosie ran in and excitedly hugged his neck, and then Balto’s.
“Eight! Jenna had eight puppies, this time!” Rosie shouted, in delight; unaware that the white wolf was giving her a bemused look.
“Eight......I wonder how many will turn out to act more like wolves than dogs, this time?” Balto mused, aloud, when the child had bounced away again.
“I take it one turned out that way in the last litter?” Frost questioned.
“Yeah. My daughter Aleu.” Balto muttered, as he remembered what had happened that time, and instantly started dreading the next time. Frost only chuckled at the chagrin on the mixed-breed’s face, and shook his head.
“I heard something about her in my travels. She’s in Nava’s pack, isn’t she?” Frost asked. Balto nodded.
“She joined that pack last winter. I wonder how she’s doing now?” Balto sighed, with true parental concern for his headstrong daughter, in his voice.
“Last I’d heard, they’re doing well. She hasn’t chosen a mate yet, though.” Frost stated, then yawned and glared at the roaring fire behind them, “The main concern I have now, however, is why this confounded fire is making me sleepy.”
“Something you’ll have to get used to, I guess, while your paws heal.” Balto said, smiling when he saw how drowsy the larger canine already was.
“I suppose so.” Frost muttered, as he lay down on his side, and started to drift off.
“Sleep well, my friend. You’ve earned it.” Balto thought, as the wolf finally fell into deep slumber, and he got up and walked over to the room where Jenna now lay. When he arrived, he could only feel his heart swell with pride, at the sight before him. Jenna was diligently nursing her new litter; gently nudging and licking the pups in turn, to be sure that they were all there.
“They look beautiful, Jenna.” Balto softly said, as he approached, and gazed at the tiny bundles of fluff. As before, a good number of them had their mother’s red-brown coat, and two of them had his drab wolf-brown coloring. The only one that really stood out was the white pup.
“We’ll have to think of a good name for him.” Jenna said, as she also gazed thoughtfully at the pure white puppy.
“Yes. He’s descended from a white wolf, and was rescued by another today.” Balto murmured, as he quietly remembered his mother, and her pure white pelt.
“That reminds me; when we left the boat, Frost said something strange.....When Boris told him that this pup had his coloring, he’d said something to the effect that he ‘hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come’. Does he consider himself bad luck?” Jenna asked, concernedly. Balto could only shrug.
“It seems that way, but I can’t be certain. He seems to have had a rough time of it, recently, so I guess that’s why he’d said that. In any case, he can’t be as bad as he thinks he is, since he saved your life, and those of these puppies, as well.” Balto stated, as he again smiled proudly at the pups, and then her.
“That’s true. I guess, all we can do now, is make sure no one raises a fuss about him being here. He deserves some time to recover from his own hardships.” Jenna said; seeming surprised when Balto gently nuzzled her, then sighing and leaning into his warmth.
“Leave that to me. If any rumors have started, then I’ll just tell them of what he’d done today, in spite of the injuries to his paws. Rosie and her parents have already seen the result of his courage, and will probably tell the rest of the humans. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to our family’s hero.” Balto reassured; his tone of voice telling the husky that much. He felt her nod gently, and then lay her head down alongside the puppies; releasing an exhausted sigh as she did so. For a few moments more, Balto contentedly watched as his family slept; more thankful now than ever, that the white wolf was there.
“I guess what the humans keep saying about guardian angels is true.......” Balto mused, then quietly made his way to the pet door; knowing full well that the task before him would be even more daunting than that to pull the sled with the antitoxin up the ravine, four years earlier.
“How on earth will I keep the rumors from spreading? And what kind of damage has Steele added to it?”



vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)



The boiler room was abuzz, as Kodi tried to answer his teammates’ and the neighborhood dogs’ questions about the strange newcomer that had arrived in town like a whirlwind.
“Is he really a wolf, Kodi?” one dog asked, curiously.
“What’s he like? He isn’t a savage, is he?” another questioned, almost fearfully.
“He was pulling a sled this morning! How had he managed that?” yet another queried, as the rest of the dogs pressed forward; asking a myriad of questions while doing so.
“All right, back up a bit, everyone! Don’t crowd Kodi too much!” Balto’s voice shouted, good-naturedly, as he made his way through them.
“Dad! It’s about time you got here! I’ve been up to my ears in this for almost an hour, now!” Kodi hissed.
“Sorry about that, Kodi.” Balto apologized, then turned and faced the crowd. He could see that some of the dogs were afraid of what the newcomer could do.....Yet, most of them were just curious. Had what they heard about the wolf pulling the sled actually been true?
“To answer your questions, everyone, yes. The one pulling that sled this morning is in fact a wolf, yet he’s one of the calmest and bravest wolves I’ve ever seen. He knew the risks of entering a human town, yet went ahead and did it, since Jenna was giving birth at that time.” Balto stated, his words causing a hush to fall over the group.
“But why’d he do it?” Nikki asked, as he approached and sat down in front of Balto; with Kaltag and Star following him.
“Steele.” Balto simply said, the gravity in his tone telling them all they needed to know.
“I’m surprised that coward is still here.” Dixie growled, angrily; remembering how distraught Jenna had been at one point during that awful night, four years prior.
“Coward or no, he’s still a threat. Even Frost knew this, and he did all he could to protect Jenna and the pups from him, even with his own injuries to contend with.” Balto murmured.
“Frost? Is that the wolf’s name?” another dog asked, curiously.
“Yes.” Balto replied. He listened as a slight murmur rose from the group before him, yet breathed a sigh of relief when they returned their gazes to him. In their eyes, he could see the trust they had in him, and his words.
“We’ll trust ya on this one, Balto. And I’ll be the first to agree with ya that what Frost did took a lot of guts. More than what Steele has, now.” Nikki said; speaking for the rest in this instance.
“Thanks, everyone.” Balto murmured, grateful that he hadn’t had to promise to run the wolf out of town, and that the conversation hadn’t even headed in that direction.
“No problem. Just one thing.” Nikki said, as a slight grin appeared on his round, usually dour face.
“What?” Balto asked, curiously.
“I wanna be able to meet the guy soon, even though he’s a wolf.” Nikki stated.
“I’ll see what I can do. He isn’t going to feel like walking very far for a while yet, since his paws are just beginning to heal......But he’ll probably agree to meeting some of you.” Balto replied; noticing when Nikki exchanged glances with Kaltag.
“Anything else you guys want to add?” Kodi asked, breaking his silence and approaching them, as well.
“Not really.......Just a crazy thought......Wonder if he’d agree to it?” Kaltag mused aloud.
“What kind of ‘crazy thought’?” Kodi asked, curiously, as the group got closer to the trio so they could hear what was on Kaltag’s mind.
“Wonder if that wolf would agree to pulling a sled full-time, after his paws heal? I’ll bet he’d put even Steele’s record to shame!” Kaltag said, thoughtfully. At this, Balto’s jaw dropped; a wolf leading a sled team?! It was indeed a crazy idea!
“But......considering how calm he was, when Rosie was removing the harness earlier......would he be well suited to doing it, after all?” Balto wondered, as he made his way out of the boiler room, and down the street towards home; his mind taking in all sorts of possibilities for the white-furred wanderer, and his future if he did indeed remain in Nome.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)


“Me? Lead a sled team? Quite a leap of faith, wouldn’t you say?” Frost asked, after he’d been told all of what had occurred after his daring move.
“I would say so. Rosie’s father has already turned down two mushers who have wanted to make you into their ‘lead dog’ for their teams, since your paws are still in bad shape. One of those teams is the one Steele used to lead; the one that had brought the medicine back from Nenana.” Balto stated. Once again, they were lying in front of the fireplace; the heat and roaring of the flames making for a calm atmosphere to talk about what had gone on only hours before.
“And that was the same team you’d led back here, after so much hardship. An unusual twist of fate, that I would be chosen to lead that particular team.” Frost muttered, as he ruefully shook his head; smiling slightly as he did so. The sense of irony had not been lost on either of them.
“Got that right.” Balto agreed, then asked, “But what do you think? Would you be interested in doing something like that?”
“I really can’t say, at this point. While it may have been true that all dogs descended from wolves, it seems strange that the people of this town have accepted a wolf so easily into their fold. Part of me says to be wary of something like this.......but the other part just thinks it could make for an interesting tale to tell future generations. A wolf who spent some time as a ‘sled dog’.......Truth be told, I am curious.” Frost murmured; turning his head when a knock was heard at the door, and Rosie’s father answered it.
“It looks like the vet is here to check on your paws. Depending on what he says, it could be a matter of time before you are able to satisfy that curiosity.” Balto said, as the kind-faced man entered, and took a good look at Frost.
“Well, there’s a sight I never thought I’d see! He certainly is a wolf, all right!” the vet said, as he slowly approached, kneeled, and gently scratched Frost’s ears. Balto chuckled softly when he noticed Frost unconsciously leaning towards the kind human; enjoying the feel of the weathered fingers massaging the back of his head.
“Quite the quiet fellow, I must say. I’ve never seen a wolf react like this. It’s almost as though he’d been raised by humans.” the vet murmured, then carefully lifted one of Frost’s bandaged paws and gently removed the gauze from around it.
“How does it look?” Rosie’s father asked, as he also got closer and kneeled beside the vet; reaching over and scratching Balto’s ears as he spoke.
“These cuts are quite deep, but they should heal on their own, as long as he doesn’t overdo it. Give him about two months or more, then he’ll be as good as new.” the vet replied as he started applying more medicine to the lacerated pads, then wrapped them in clean bandages. He did this to the other three paws, as well, before he stood up again and went to wash his hands.
“Two or three months, is it? Shouldn’t be too hard to wait.” Frost muttered.
“No, it shouldn’t.” Balto agreed, then thought, “And by then, we’ll know just which pups in Jenna’s new litter will act more like wolves than dogs........”

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment