Fresh morning dew painted the grass and the mist rolled in, just kissing the edge of the town. It was a quiet morning, for people had yet to stir from their homes and make their way into the chilled dawn that awaited them. A flash of beautiful red caught his amber gaze, and his eyes locked on to the lithe form making its way to his home. He was lucky to have her; that much he knew. Despite having grown over the years to realize he was good enough, sometimes he felt as though he didn't quite deserve the life he lived. His home may not have changed, but his life certainly had.

At the dawn of his life, he struggled desperately within himself; an internal battle that he never quite stopped waging. Being a half-breed came with its perks, of course. He was never forced inside on a beautiful day just because there was mud on the ground, and he never had to listen to the word of a master who's attention was only obtained by him when performing meaningless tricks like he had seen many other dogs do. He had been free from the start, and was happy with how he had turned out. Despite not having a family, he was not without love in his life of course. Boris loved him dearly, despite the old goose denying it every step of the way. He had taught him that it wasn't what you said, but what you did day in and day out to prove your love. Even on hard days Boris was an ever present fixture in his life; a solid rock to lean on when the entire world was changing around him.

Despite his freedom, being a half-breed pup was hard. Young people wanted to play with him; and he would return the favor gladly. He would only be smacked or kicked away when their parents discovered their new playmate, and the young child was wisked away, made to fear and resent his every move. He remained naive and hopeful that one day he would make friends in the children of the village, and in the dogs of the village. Despite his efforts and his kind and forgiving nature, his friendships never blossomed. They were constricted like a flower at the first sign of frost, without enough life in it to sustain through the harsh winter. He left his puphood with a mild bitterness; but he never gave up on his resolve.

The afternoon of his life was filled with love; having been named a hero in the village for rescuing children by returning their medicine and their prized dogs. Steele made his job hard, but thanks to the resolve he never gave up on; he prevailed finally on finding friends. He received so many friends at that point, in the form of Jenna and Rosie, before gradually expanding to just about everyone who had rejected him so many times before. He still managed to forgive and forget, knowing what their position was from the start. It was hard to be different, and being friends with someone like him was the epitome of different.

He showed his love for Jenna, the beatiful red husky, long before he ever spoke it in sweet whispers and promises. She returned his feelings quicker and sweeter than he could ever have imagined. Never before had he thought Jenna to be anything but out of reach for him; a dream that could never be. He was proud of himself in this; if he was able to love and be loved, he could finally say he had achieved the thing he had been working his entire life for. It wasn't easy to come by friends even after Jenna determined him 'safe', but he worked hard and carried on as strong and steady as he could. In return for his love, Jenna gave him the most beautiful thing he could have ever expected; pups.

As a father, his pups were everything to him. From day one he would do anything to protect those perfect bundles of joy that he had watched grow. None of his children were too old for his protection and love. Though all of them had never bene a shining example of normal, he could not have been more proud. He was so pleased with each of them for turning out the way they did. His determination, pride, and ability to forgive were echoed in each one of his and Jenna's pups, a strong personality he was excited to see played out in so many different ways. 

As the sun began to set on his long and fulfilling life, his brown muzzle began to pepper with grey and his bright amber eyes had begun to dull with age. While still an impressive dog, Balto knew that his prime was far from over. He was disappearing slowly from existance, and he knew his time would be quite soon. He laid his head upon his paws and took a last, deep and shuddering breath. His eyes slowly slid shut on the last flash of beautiful and eternal red, before his breathing stopped all together.

A pretty husky laid by her mates side, having spent nearly her entire life by his side, she felt lost and empty without his stady breathing and calm heartbeat. Rosie having left years ago and Balto leaving now left the female alone in the world; a dog without a purpose. Her tail laid across the tail of the unbreathing dog next to her, a small comfort for the next few months of loneliness. She knew it wasn't quite her time to go, although she too was peppered with grey and eyes less bright as they had been in her youth. Her Balto would never walk along beach with her again, but he would be her hero for as long as she continued to live.

Balto was many things throughout his life; a mutt, a monster, a hero, a lover, and a father. Though all of his titles described him, Balto had known of each one pressing into the back of his mind from the moment he took his first, whining breath as a small pup. His last breath was shakey, but his mind was calm and clear and his confidance in tact. Although he would be gone forever, falling into the oblivion, he would continue to remember. We would all continue to recall the story of Balto; the greatest dog that ever lived.