CHAPTER I
It was a cold winter night in the city of Nome, Alaska; and in the streets of that city, isolated from the rest of the world, few people were walking.
Not far from the city, near an ancient boat, Balto and Jenna were talking.
«How long have you been having these dreams?» Jenna asked.
«Dreams? What I have are nightmares!» replied Balto.
«And what happens in your... "nightmares"?» she inquired.
«Maybe it's better if I don't tell you.» he answered. Jenna perceived in Balto's sentence a tinge of melancholy, but at the same time a tinge of fear.
«Come on, Balto» She said. «You can tell me.»
«All right. I'll tell you. It all started two nights ago; I was sleeping, when suddenly I had a vision. I can't tell you if it was real or not. In the vision there were me and Aleu. She was on the edge of a precipice and she cried out for my help, but I couldn't move; even if I was trying to move just one muscle, it was all in vain. I remained motionless.»
«What happens next?»
«I don't know. The dream ends before I can see it.»
There was a moment of silence between the two animals, but their face spoke more than a thousand people. Balto's gaze suggested that he was afraid, afraid that the dream could become reality; while Jenna's was a worried look, but she tried not to let him notice it.
«Listen to me, Balto» she said. «You must be calm. Dreams are just dreams, not the future. We are the ones who decide our future and how to live it.»
«Yes, maybe you are right. Maybe I should stop worrying about a simple dream.»
«Come on, let's go to sleep.» She said in a loving tone. And they went to sleep; or at least Jenna, because Balto couldn't sleep.
The next day Jenna woke up in a good mood, but she didn't see Balto at her side. She understood then what had happened. She went to the bow of the ship, and saw Balto.
«Did you still have that nightmare?» She asked.
«Yup.» He answered. «I continue to have that vision.» Jenna slowly walked over to Balto and, when she was close enough, looked him in the eye: they expressed sadness and fear at the same time.
«Don't worry, darling.» she said. «Soon everything will be back as before, and you won't have those dreams anymore. trust me.» At that precise moment, in Balto's eyes, Jenna perceived tranquility.
«How could I live without you?» said Balto.
«You couldn't.» said Jenna with a nice tone. «But now we have to go to see Kodi, remember?»
«yes, you're right» replied Balto. «I must try to think as little as possible about my dreams and concentrate more on what is real. Let's go, Jenna»
Both dogs headed for the house where lived Kodi and his girlfriend Dusty, who was in sweet waiting.
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CHAPTER II
Kodi and Dusty had first met when they were still just teenagers. And they both still remember the moment they met.
Kodi had just joined the sleigh to sort the mail of the citizens of Nome, while Dusty had been a part of it for a month and so she knew what to do. As the days passed, Dusty taught Kodi how to behave when they were delivering the mail, what to do and what to never do; and from the very first glance Kodi began to feel something for her, but he didn't want to point it out as he would be teased by his dog friends. But one day Dusty accidentally dropped a package that read "fragile" on it and all dogs, including Kodi, were near her. The noise of the object breaking was heard throughout the warehouse. When the musher entered the room and saw the disaster he became furious.
«Damn!» he screamed. «Who did it? Who among you dropped the package?» Total silence. Dusty was ready to step forward when suddenly, under everyone's amazed eyes, Kodi stepped forward.
«You should have been more cautious, Kodi.» Said the musher. «No dinner for you tonight; and now go immediately to your kennel!» Kodi walked slowly towards the kennel with a sad face, but at the same time he was happy that Dusty had not been punished.
During their dinner, the dogs happily ate, except for one: Dusty. She felt guilty about what had happened, so she decided to go talk to Kodi. Once she arrived in front of his kennel she asked him:
«Why did you take the blame for me? I am the one who dropped the package, not you.» Kodi looked at her with a look; the look that a person, or in this case a dog, makes when he is ashamed to say what he is about to say.
«I did it because I didn't want the animal I care about most in the world be punished.» This sentence left Dusty speechless, but then she said something she had long meant:
«I also care about you Kodi»
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CHAPTER III
When Balto and Jenna went where Kodi and Dusty lived, they found their son in front of the door.
«Hi, Kodi!» Balto said.
«Hi, dad» he said.
«So how do you feel?» Jenna asked.
«Well...» Kodi answered. «Dusty is fine, and I'm fine, too.»
«I'm going to talk with Dusty.» Jenna said to Balto. «So you men can talk about what you want.» And she headed to the back of the house, where she found Dusty inside her kennel. Meanwhile, Balto and Kodi had stood side by side to talk. Suddenly Kodi asked a question Balto never expected:
«So why don't you sleep, dad?» Balto didn't know what to say so he just answered the question with another question.
«How do you know it?» For a moment Kodi laughed.
«Come on, dad» He said. «It is evident: under your eyes there are dark circles, and your eyes are red.»
«I didn't think it was so obvious.» He said. «Sorry, Kodi; but lately I've been having strange dreams.»
«Do you want to tell me about it?» Balto was about to say no, but then he thought that after all it was just a dream and therefore it would make no difference.
«I always dream of being on the edge of a precipice with Aleu, who is about to fall under and screams my name ... but I can't move.» silence.
«Do you think it can mean anything?» Kodi asked.
«I do not know.» said Balto. «But once the same thing happened. That time, Aleu ran away and I went to look for her; and once I found her, we had to help a pack of wolves reach the caribou, who had escaped.But once the same thing happened. That time, Aleu ran away and I went to look for her; and once we found it, we had to help a pack of wolves reach the caribou, who had escaped. And in my dreams I saw the caribou and the pack of wolves.» In his eyes you could see fear. « I am afraid that the dream I am having will come true.» But before Kodi could say anything, Boris arrived along with Muk and Luk. Balto and his son noticed that their looks were worried, but at the same time terrified.
«Balto!» yelled Boris in his typical Russian accent. «You have to come quickly!» What he said next left Balto and Kodi speechless. «Duke had been attacked!»
«From who?» asked Kodi and his father at the same time.
«Nobody knows.» Luk said. « But is in serious condition. Run to the hospital!»
Balto and Kodi ran as fast as they could to the hospital, but when they got there they saw a lot of people asking the doctor a lot of questions. Of all the questions that people asked, Balto managed to distinguish one:
«Doctor, be honest with me.» A woman said. «How is my son?» Balto, Kodi and all the people waited for the answer; an answer they never wanted to know.
«I'm very sorry, ma'am.» said the doctor. «Your son's injuries were very serious and caused him a bleed that led to his death.» Upon hearing those words, all the people were speechless; and the woman scream in pain.
«No.» Kodi said. «It can not be true. He can not!» Balto looked at him and saw that his face was wet with tears. Kodi, unable to stay in front of the hospital, ran to his house; and Balto followed him. Once they arrived, they found Boris, Muk and Like, Jenna and Dusty waiting for them in front of the house. All their faces were serious.
«So? How's Duke?» Boris asked. Kodi said nothing, but just looked at his uncle with a face full of sadness; and at that point everyone understood what had happened.
«Could you leave us alone for a moment?» Balto asked.
«Sure.» Jenna answered. And then everyone went into the house, except Balto and Kodi.
«I still can not believe it.» Kodi said. « Who could have done it?»
«I don't know, Kodi.» Balto answered.
«If I find who has reduced him like this, I will have no mercy.» Balto couldn't believe what his son had just said.
«Why do you say that?» he asked.
«Why?» Kodi answered. «Dad, I just heard that Duke is dead! How am I supposed to feel?» Balto tried to reason with him, but this angered Kodi, who ran away; but Balto followed him. After running for two minutes, they stopped because something impossible was happening around them: around them a thick cloud of fog was generating. The two dogs did not understand what was happening. When they were completely shrouded in fog, a wolf with a fur as white as snow in winter appeared in front of them.
«Who are you?» Kodi asked. But the wolf only looked at them with his yellow eyes, and then disappeared into the fog. Shortly afterwards the fog also disappeared; but, looking around, Kodi and Balto saw that they were no longer in Nome, but on the shore of a beach.
«Dad?» said a voice behind them. When they turned, they saw a gray she-wolf staring at them. She had a bushy tail and yellow eyes, just like Balto. In fact that she-wolf was the daughter of Balto: Aleu.
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CHAPTER IV
The she-wolf, who had not seen her father for more than four years, ran to him.
«What are you doing here?» asked Aleu. But before they could say anything, they saw a black-fur figure arrive quickly. Aleu greeted the wolf happily, but realizing that Balto and Kodi did not understand who he was, she said:
«Dad, this is Handya. My best friend.» Balto carefully observed the wolf. He saw that he had blue eyes and fur as black as night; but also noticed that he had a scar on its face, probably due to a fight.
«Aleu has told me a lot of things about you.» said Handya. «She describes you as a hero.» Handya's voice was very strange; it was powerful, but at the same time persuasive. «And you are Kodi, aren't you?»
«Yes.» answered Kodi.
«Why are you here?» asked Aleu.
«I believe that...» said Balto, trying to find the right words. « I believe that Aniu brought us here intentionally.» Kodi was speechless. so, his father knew who was the white wolf they had seen in the fog.
«You knew who she was, did you?» he asked to his father.
«Yes, I knew it. but I didn't want to believe it.» said Balto. «When Aniu appears to you, something always happens»
«If Aniu brought you here, there must be a reason.» said Handya.
«We have a lot to tell each other, Dad.» said Aleu. «I missed you very much.» Aleu smiled at her father. At that moment Balto's emotions were many. He felt happiness because he had seen his daughter after so many years; but at the same time he was afraid. afraid that the vision would become real. and he would have done anything to prevent anything happen to Aleu and Kodi. Anything.
When Balto, Kodi and Handya reached the rest of the pack, Aleu called his companions.
«Brothers and sisters,» she said. «Today Aniu brought us guests. This is Balto, my father; and Kodi, my brother.» All members of the pack looked at Balto and Kodi. One of the wolves, Tarkus, approached to Balto and smiled at him. The wolf had black fur and eyes as yellow as the sun.
«I remember you, Balto.» he said. «You helped us to reach the caribou, and for this we have to thank you.» Balto smiled.
«Thank you.» said Balto.
«My name is Tarkus.» And then he turned to Kodi. «And you are Kodi.»
«Yes»
«your heart is in pain, it can be seen from your face. you must have lost someone you cared about very much. maybe...a master.» After hearing those words, Kodi was speechless.
«How did you discover this?» he asked.
«I didn't discovered it, I just knew it. Aniu gave me this power: I understand everything about animals that I meet only with a glance, I perceive their emotions; i know enough about their past, and something about their future.»
«About their past?» asked Balto stunned.
«Yes.» answerd Tarkus. Kodi, however, didn't believe what he heard.
«that's impossible.» he said, But Tarkus replied promptly:
«The possible wouldn't be achieved if the impossible weren't always attempted in the world» Kodi was stunned. Aleu, seeing the scene, approached to Tarkus.
«He is the wisest of the pack.» she said. «Tarkus means wisdom in Estonian. That is why he is so wise.»
«The sun will start setting soon,» said Tarkus. «Maybe it's better if you stay. Just for tonight.»
«He's right,» said Aleu. « In the evening this place is very dangerous. That's why we never go hunting at night.» And then Tarkus so turned to his companions.
«Be kind with them. If Aniu brought them here, there must be an important reason.» however, one of the wolves was not at all happy with the presence of Balto and Kodi.
«If you're really wise Tarkus, you should know why they are here.» His name was Kurat and he hated anyone who wasn't part of the pack. It was not the first time, however, that such a thing like that happened.
«I understand your disappointment Kurat,» said Tarkus. «But for today they will be our guests.» Kurat slowly approached to Tarkus; his eyes were full of hatred towards him. When Tarkus was within walking distance of Kurat, they looked into each other's eyes. There was a few moments of silence, then Kurat spoke:
«One day your wisdom won't protect you. One day it will bring you down.» Hate could have been felt in his words. After saying that, he walked away and sat down in a corner, away from the other wolves. Balto was amazed to see the scene.
«Why does he behave like this?» he asked to Tarkus. The wolf looked at him with a melancholy look.
«Once Kurat was good: He smiled at everyone, helped those who need help and was our friend. But one day everything changed. One day I had a vision, my first vision. In that vision I saw that a pack of wolves attacked and killed four of my brothers; but I didn't mind it, Because I thought it was just a dream. The next evening, however, it happened: A pack of six wolves came and attacked us, because they wanted to steal our food. We chased them away, but in doing so four of our companions died. Among these four were also Kurat's parents. I was desperate and so were all the other wolves. Kurat went hunting and therefore was unaware of the tragedy. When I told him what happened, his face filled with sadness.» Balto and Kodi looked at Tarkus with melancholy.
«What happened next?» asked Kodi.
«Then I did something that I still regret: I told him about my vision.» His face filled with guilt.
«Why did you do that?» asked Balto.
«I felt guilty about what happened.» he answered. «I was afraid that if he found out for himself, he would hate me for life; But apparently I was wrong. When I told him, Kurat became furious and he hates me ever since, and hates any other wolf who is not part of the pack, in this case, you two.»
«It wasn't your fault.» said Handya. «You were young and it was your first vision in your entire life.» Tarkus looked at him and smiled at him. As soon as he noticed that his face was wet with some tears, he wiped his face and tried not to notice it.
«Come on,» said trying to contain his sadness. «Soon it will be night. We need to find a place to sleep.» And after saying that, he told Balto and Kodi to follow him. At one time, Balto looked where Kurat was and what he saw made him shiver: Kurat stared at him with hatred and contempt.
They arrived near a cave. The cave was very large, in fact inside it lived the whole wolf pack and each wolf had its own position.
«For tonight, you'll stay here» said Tarkus. «Tomorrow I will try to communicate with Aniu.»
The night arrived. Balto and Kodi were sleeping, just like the rest of the pack. Among all the wolves there was one who was still awake: Kurat. He, after the tragedy, didn't sleep anymore; he stayed awake at night, to warn the pack in case of danger, and slept a few hours in the morning. Kurat wasn't evil: he did all this because he wanted to protect the pack, his family. At one point he heard a noise coming behind the cave. Kurat approached. He was ready to attack the creature that could have put his family in danger; but when he realized who it was, he immediately calmed down: the creature wasn't a danger for the wolf pack, because he was part of it; It was Handya.
«What are you doing here, Handya?» asked Kurat.
«I just wanted to see if you were okay.» ansewred Handya. Kurat looked at him with contempt.
«Why now?»
«What?»
«Why now? Why you want to talk to me now?»
«Listen, Kurat...» said Handya. «I admit it: I was wrong not to do it before; but now I am here, as a friend, asking you how you are.Please forgive me.» Kurat, despite his anger, decided to forgive his friend; after all, they had been friends since they were just wolf puppes.
when they were puppies Kurat and Handya always played together until the evening. They were best friends. Once Handya, walking in the woods, found himself facing a pack of wolves that were part of an enemy pack.
"Well, well; look who we have here." said one of the wolves approaching the puppy threateningly. Handya was terrified and tried to escape from the wolves, but one of them stood in front of the puppy, stopping him, and with his paw hit him in the face, wounding him. This action astonished the rest of the group too, because they just wanted to annoy the pup, but they didn't want to hurt him. The puppy moaned loudly: he felt the claws penetrating and tearing the flesh. Handya backed away frightened. He felt trapped; but he immediately remembered what Kurat had said to him one day: "If you are ever in danger, howl as loud as you can and I will always come. Wherever I am, I will always come". At this point the puppy put all the air he could into his little lungs, and then, with all his energy, he howled. The howling heard throughout the forest and reached the ears of Kurat. He immediately realized that his friend was in danger and rushed as fast as he could towards him. When Kurat arrived, he ran against one of the wolves, hitting him with his claws to the eye. All the wolves ran away scared, except the one that was hit in the eye.
"You will regret to have done this to me." said the wolf. "When I become the Leader, I will recognize you and make you regret having been born!" Having said that, he left.
"Thank you, Kurat. I really don't know what I would do without you." said Handya.
"We are friends and we will be friends forever; no matter what will happen." said Kurat.
«I'm fine, Handya.» Indeed he wasn't well at all: he was sad; and Handya realized it.
«You're not fine.» he said. «it's obvious you're sad.» Kurat in fact tried in vain to not show his sadness. He looked at Handya with a gaze full of sadness, but at the same time of anger.
«Why didn't he tell me?» he said. «Why didn't he tell me about his dream? If he had told me, my parents would be alive now!» in his words Handya perceived a great hatred.
«Kurat,...» he tried to say. «Now that two years have passed, you have to leave the past behind you. At that time Tarkus was inexperienced: it was his first vision; he couldn't have known that that dream would become true.» upon hearing those words, Kurat looked at his friend with anger.
«I should have known you were keeping his share.» he said. «You came here only to tell me to leave the past behind!»
«I came here because you are my friend!» there was a moment of silence between the two; a deafening silence. Then, Kurat spoke:
«Kow I really don't know if I can trust you anymore.» Handya's heart filled with sadness hearing these words. That was no longer Kurat; he was no longer his friend, who saw the positive in everything: that was a wolf who saw the worst of everything. Realizing that by now he was unable to drive away the anger from his heart, he went inside the cave and went to sleep. Kurat continued to observe the immense landscape; but he did not realize that above the cave where the whole herd was sleeping there was a figure staring at him. This figure had fur as as white as snow, and eyes as yellow as the sun shining in the morning. The figure was Aniu and she looked at him with a serious but at the same time melancholy look: she knew that soon something was going to happen to him.
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CHAPTER V
The next day Tarkus woke up Balto, Kodi and Handya.
«Come on, get up.» he said. Balto and Kodi woke up, but Handya took longer because, after all, he had stayed awake for most of the night.
«Where do you want to lead us?» asked Kodi, who was very tired. «Last night you said you wanted to lead us somewhere and communicate with Aniu.»
«Let's go.» said Tarkus. The journey seemed endless, but the landscape was beautiful: Balto felt his paws touch the soft grass, adorned with beautiful flowers and heard the birds singing sweet melodies. At a certain point Balto and the rest of the group passed near a waterfall; a gushing waterfall, not too high but rich of water, which exploded in a triumph of jets and drops in the middle of the green landscape. The force that it released made it resemble as something alive and cheerful, like a child who played at hiding and emerging from the top of the landscape. Suddenly Tarkus walked towards the waterfall.
«Where the hell are you going?» asked Kodi. Tarkus smiled.
«Do you trust me?» he asked.
«Of course I trust you.» answered Handya.
«Well, then don't ask questions. If you trust me, just follow me.» Handya, Balto and Kodi looked at each other: where did Tarkus want to take them? Tarkus led the group to the foot of the waterfall, and passed under the gushing water, disappearing.
«What are you doing?» asked Balto worried. Tarkus never came back, but said a phrase that leaves Balto and the rest of the group speechless:
«Come on. If you want to find out what Aniu has in store for you, you have to trust me. Come on.» Balto, Kodi and Handya approached the waterfall at the same time; and the water jets wet their fur. After a while, the trio became brave and passed under the waterfall. When they finally did so, however, the water that wet their fur, this time didn't, indeed: once they went under the waterfall and found themselves on the other side, Balto and the rest of the group realised that their fur was completely dry, as if they had never gone under the waterfall; as if that waterfall wasn't really there. Looking around to see where they were, everyone, except Tarkus, remained amazed to see the place where their friend had led them. The cave was so large that the sunlight could not fully illuminate it. In the cave, however, there were also crystals as blue as water, which, when they were caressed by daylight, dispersed it throughout the cave, giving it that atmosphere that made it even more fantastic than it used to be.
«where did you lead us?» asked Kodi astonished. Not even Handya knew of the existence of this place.
«This is Tachar» said Tarkus. «A place that nobody else knows, except me; when I want to talk with Aniu, I come here and she appears to me.»
«Why did you bring us here?» asked Handya. Tarkus looked at his friend.
«I brought you here because Aniu told me to do it.» Balto and the rest of the group were speechless and looked at their friend; then Tarkus continued: «Aniu appeared to me in a dream telling we four had to come.» Balto, Kodi and Handya looked at each other. Suddenly a powerful howl was heard throughout the cave, and then fog began to form in the middle of it; shortly afterwards, Aniu stood in front of the group, looking at it with her eyes as yellow as the sun. Her fur swayed as if it were being caressed by the wind, even if there were no drafts in the cave. A deafening silence came into the cave.
«I did as you told me» said Tarkus.
«You've done well, Tarkus.» said Aniu, and then she looked at Balto and the rest of the group. «You must be careful and don't trust anyone.»
«Why?» asked Balto. Aniu looked at him with a serious but at the same time sad gaze. «One of the wolves in your daughter's pack will betray her family.» she said. In the cave came a deafening silence, and everyone looked at each other.
«Who will do it?» asked Handya.
«I cannot tell you.» answered Aniu. «The future is a vast meadow, where every single stem of grass is a possible future: if you remove one, there are endless others; if you remove one, the future change.» suddenly a wall of fog began to form in front of Aniu, until it covered her completely.
«Wait!» shouted Tarkus, but in vain: when the fog disappeared Aniu was already gone. Tarkus, realizing that Aniu was no longer there, looked at his companions with a serious look. At this point everyone understood what he was planning to do.
«We must tell the pack.» he said. «they must know.» Everyone agreed and then headed for the pack. When they arrived they found Aleu waiting for them in front of the cave.
«So?» she asked. «What did you discover?»
«Summon the whole pack.» answered Tarkus. «We have discovered something terrible.» In his face Aleu saw fear.
When the whole pack was summoned, Aleu spoke first.
«TodayTarkus and his friends communicated with Aniu, discovering something terrible.»the wolves looked at each other: their faces expressed only one question: Whatdid Tarkus discover?
Then Tarkus stepped forward and spoke.
«Today Aniu appeared to us» he said. «and she predicted this:...» Tarkus took a short break, then took courage and spoke: « A wolf who is part of the pack will betray us.» All the wolves were speechless: some simply said nothing, even if their faces expressed fear and anger at the same time; and others began to speak to each other.
« So now we can't trust anyone?» said one of the wolves. «but this is unacceptable! how can we be a pack if we can' t trust each other?» all wolves agreed with him. As the wolves were arguing, there was a powerful howl coming from the forest; All the wolves turned in the direction of howling to see who was doing it. A shadow appeared from the wood.
The Husky, whose name was Fengen, had fur as black as the sky on a starless night and eyes as blue as crystal water. Fengen ran quickly in the pack's direction. When Fengen was close enough, Balto noticed that there were some wounds on his body, some deep and some not, which covered his fur with blood.
«Help me!» he said. «someone help me!» he looked for a moment at Balto and the rest of the pack, and then fell unconscious to the ground. all the wolves approached him to help him, except Kurat, who watched the scene without intervening.
«Let's take him to the cave.» said Aleu.
«But we can't! He's not part of the pack. And Aniu said we can't trust anyone!» a wolf said.
«She said that one of the pack will betray us, and he is not part of it.» said Balto, standing between the wolf and Fengen. «so there is nothing to fear.» At this point the pack took Fengen into the cave, where they let him rest.
That night Balto could not sleep: he wanted to know who that Husky was, who among all the wolves present had looked at him to ask him for help; so the following day he went into the cave to talk with him.
«Who are you?» asked Balto. Fengen, who was still sore from his wounds, looked at him in an astonished way; he seemed surprised that Balto himself had asked him something like that.
«Don't you remember me?» said the Husky looking at him with his shiny eyes.
«Should I?»
«I thought Aniu told you about me.»
«What does this have to do with Aniu?»
«Listen, Balto...» tried to say Fengen. «I know it must have been hard for you...» but Balto suddenly interrupted him.
«you know nothing about my past!»
«Trust me, I know more than you think.» Balto began to understand, but he didn't want to believe it.
«Who are you?» he asked.
«I'm your father.» Balto could not believe what he heard. he had never seen his father and now he was there in front of him, staring at him.
Balto was still shocked by Fengen's answer. He didn't want to believe it.
«If you really are my father» he said, «then tell me where have you been all these years!» Fengen noticed that on Balto's face a small tear was falling.
«Iwill tell you everything» said Fengen, «but you might not like what I'm goingto tell you». And he began to tell the story.
«When you were born, your mother and I lived in a cave in the middle of a forest» he said. «one day as we were walking through the forest, we heard some shots and realized They were hunters. so your mother told me to run home and keep you safe; and so I did. suddenly I heard a shot and then a terrible silence. I ran immediatelyoutside to see what had happened... and then I saw what I never wished to see:your mother was lying on the ground, hit by a bullet. I was angry and attacked the hunter, whoscreamed and made his companions understand where he was. At that moment, Irealized that I was unable to protect you; so I brought you to an old city, andleft you there» When Fengen finished telling the story, a deafening silence descended into the cave. For a moment, Balto remained in silence, but then spoke:
«Why didn't you come to see me?» his face was wet by tears.
«I had to run away» answered Fengen. «if I ever came to see you, the hunters would have seen me and killed both you and me». At that moment Tarkus entered inside the cave.
«I see you're feeling better, aren't you?» said to Fengen. Fengen smiled.
«And I have to thank you for having helped me» the two wolves smiled at each other. Tarkus then spoke to Balto.
«If it is not a problem for you, now I' d like to talk in private with our new friend» he said. Even if Balto wished to spend more time with his father, he did as Tarkus asked and left him and Fengen alone. When he went out, he saw that Aleu and Kodi were waiting for him.
«So?» asked Aleu. «Did you find out who he is?». Balto said nothing, but just looked at them; on his face a smile formed.
«Why are you smiling?» asked Kodi. Balto beckoned them to follow him and led them where other wolves could not possibly disturb them, then he spoke:
«You must promise me that you will not tell anyone» he said. Aleu and Kodi looked at each other: they were confused.
«why are you acting like this?» said Kodi, who was becoming annoyed.
«I always thought he was dead, and now I find him in the cave» said Balto.
«Who, Dad? Who?» asked Aleu. There was a moment of silence, but then the silence was interrupted by Balto's words:
«my father» he said. Aleu and Kodi were speechless.
«but... that can't be true!» said Kodi.
«It's true, Kodi» continued Balto. «He's my father».
«And did he tell you that?» said Aleu. «Dad, didn't you think that maybe he's just making it up?»
«Then tell me: how did he know about my past?» insisted Balto. «He knew exactly what happened when I was a pup»
«But maybe it didn't happen as you think, Balto» said a voice. When Aleu, Kodi and Balto turned around, they saw Kurat; the latter approached the trio.
«I may not have one of the nicest personalities, but I can immediately understand when someone is lying» he said.
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CHAPTER VI
«How?» asked Kodi. «Who do you know he's lying?».
«This is the gift I received from Aniu» Kurat answered.
«Why should we trust you?» said Balto. Kurat slowly approached him.
«You can also not do it» he said. «but it could cost everything to one of you. trust me, at least for this time: I know I haven't been nice and I apologize, but I know that our new host is lying, about something I don't know yet». Balto didn't understand the situation, and it upset him: thousands of questions were swirling in his mind: why would he lie? Who was he? how did he know who he was?, but most of all, what did he want from him?
«We should talk to Tarkus about this» said Aleu. Kodi said he agreed with her; Balto still had difficulty to believe Kurat's words, but in spite of this he decided to do as he said, so the group went to talk to Tarkus, who was still inside the cave with Fengen. When they arrived in front of the cave they called Tarkus, who seemed to be irritated by this fact, and Balto understood it.
«What do you want?» asked Tarkus. Kurat was the first to talk:
«We came to ask you if you found out more about the wolf» he said.
«I only found out that his name is Fengen. nothing else». Kurat frowned.
«is there something you're not telling us, Tarkus?» he said in a defiant tone. «you always said that you were able to know everything about everyone just by looking at them, but for some reason now you tell us that you only understood his name». Tarkus approached Kurat in a very menacing way.
«I am not trying to hide anything from you». he said. «Just because I can't understand very much about a wolf, it doesn't mean I want to hide something!».
«Then just tell us if he is lying» said Aleu in order to calm the situation. Tarkus looked at Aleu and then again at Kurat.
«I'll only do it as long as you promise me that you will never again accuse me of something I haven't done» said to Kurat, who smiled.
«I can't promise it, you know» said Kurat.
«I know» replied Tarkus. The wolf then closed his eyes and concentrated himself. everyone remained in silence and the only sound that was heard was the one of his breathing. Suddenly he opened his eyes, which were now as yellow as the sun. Balto looked at Aleu and saw that she was not surprised at all by the situation; on the contrary, he was fascinated: he would have liked to receive a unique power like the ones of Tarkus or Kurat.
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CHAPTER VII
Takus's eyes suddenly returned to their original color. His vision had just ended. The effort the wolf had just made was the most strenuous he had ever done: he felt as exhausted as if he had run for a whole day without a single rest.
«Are you okay?» asked Balto, as he approached him.
«Yes» he answered, still breathless.
«So, what have you discovered?» demanded Aleu. Tarkus first looked at Aleu, then at Balto.
«He was not lying,» he said, as he was looking at the latter. «What he has told you is true». Kurat, who had been standing aside until now, suddenly approached Tarkus. But it was not a quiet approach, but a threatening one.
«I know what I've seen,» he said. «if you're hiding something from us, you'd better tell us now».
Tarkus, exhausted by the effort he had made, could do almost nothing except to look at his old friend with sadness. his gaze focused on the wolf's eyes. they were full of sadness, anger, hatred. all these emotions had combined into a mixture that unfortunately led Kurat to be what he had become: a wolf who no longer trusted anyone and always kept himself aside.
«Enough!» said Aleu, as she interposed herself between the two. Kurat remained silent for a few moments, then spoke:
«You'd better not trust either Fengen.... or Tarkus» and after saying this he walked away. He did not know where he was going, but knew that he would certainly feel better away from Tarkus.
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CHAPTER VIII
Balto continued to see Fengen, who was now recovered, for a whole week. The two wolves started telling each other about the adventures they had lived and continued for whole afternoons. Balto told Fengen about the fact he was raised by a goose, the serum run during the diphtheria epidemic of 1925, how he met and then fall in love with Jenna, the journey he took with his daughter Aleu, and the race he and his son Kodi ran to beat Duke.
And then Fengen told his story, from the moment he born until the moment he had to escape to save his pup after the hunters killed Aniu.
«When we will return to Nome, I want you to meet Jenna and Boris» said Balto one day.
«Looking forward» answered his father.
Suddenly the eyes of both wolves filled with something that burned their eyes: tears. however, these were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy.
«I missed you so much» Balto said, as he stroked his snout on Fengen, who repeated the same movement.
«So do I,» said his father. «Your children are proud of you, aren't they?».
«They are,» answered Balto. «but they say I shouldn't trust you. Kurat says there's something wrong with you». At that moment Fengen's face suddenly became serious, as if Balto had offended him. The latter, however, did not notice it.
«And do you believe it?» Fengen asked, looking at his son with an icy stare that nearly scared him.
«I don't know. With all the things that have happened these days, I don't know anymore». Fengen nodded, but his face remained still serious.
«Dad» said a voice coming from the entrance of the cave. Balto turned around and saw Kodi.
«Kodi,» said Balto. «what's up?». Kodi approached his father but paid no attention to Fengen's presence.
«I need to talk to you» said Kodi.
«Tell me, what's the matter?»
«Not here. I need to talk to you privately».
«Right». Balto agreed, but he had no idea what his son was going to tell him. Father and son then went on their way, and Kodi took Balto as far as he could from Fengen, in order that he couldn't hear or see them.
«So, what do you want to tell me?» asked Balto.
«there's only one way to know if he's lying» answered Kodi.
«Which is?»
«We need to take him to Tachar. Only then we will know if he is lying». Balto looked around to see if anyone was watching them. Seeing no one, he looked at Kodi and then whispered:
«Are you sure you want to do this? I believe he is not lying to us»
«Yes, I want to. To me, and I think to all other wolves, he's too mysterious».
Even though Balto was against the idea, he knew it was the only way to know if his father was lying.
«Okay, Kodi,» he said. «who else is going to come with us?»
«Tarkus and Kurat»
«Kurat too? Why?»
«Tarkus said he would come only if Kurat came, too». Balto and Kodi returned to the cave, where they saw Fengen talking to Tarkus. They were unable to hear what they were saying to each other. Tarkus was the first to notice their presence.
«I told Fengen where we're going to lead him,» said he. «I told him we are going to lead him to Aniu and he can't wait to leave»
«I' m looking forward to seeing your mother again, Balto» said Fengen. «When are we going to leave?».
«Now, if you want» said Kurat appearing next to Balto and Kodi. His tone of voice was a friendly one, but his face was very serious.
«So, what are we waiting for?» said Tarkus.
When they finally left it was night. The forest was bleak, dark, sinister as were its noises and shadows, and all that lurked behind them.
The moonlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, the low branches looked like skeletal arms and hands; Balto felt like he was being watched. The sound of a cricket made him gasp. He stopped.
«What's up?» asked Fengen.
«Oh nothing,» answered the wolf. «it's just that the forest makes me a little nervous»
«Come on, let's go!» said Tarkus, who was the leader during the journey. «We must move quickly»
The ground was damp, there were stones, the wind moved the leaves and created ghostly noises, the shadows looked like fierce animals ready to attack the group, the only light was that of the full moon that accompanied them on their journey.
Who knows what was hiding in that forest, maybe there were wolves behind the bushes, maybe poisonous insects, or... but Balto shook his head to banish those thoughts, but as much as he tried to calm himself, the fear of being in that forest haunted him. The feeling of danger lurking inside him, taking away his courage, and making him shiver with cold.
After almost an hour of walking that seemed interminable, the group reached Tachar. In the night, the waterfall looked more stunning than ever and the moonlight gave it a fantasy atmosphere that far exceeded the one that Balto, Kodi, Tarkus and Handya had perceived when they went there in the daytime.
«But it's gorgeous!» said Fengen.
«And you still haven't seen anything,» replied Balto smiling. «You haven't seen the cave yet». And after saying that, the wolf ran in the direction of the waterfall, disappearing into it. Under the astonished eyes of Fengen, the other wolves did the same. Kurat, however, was the one who had taken the longest time, because before going into the waterfall he whispered something in Fengen's ear:
«If you don't want to, you can stay here» he said. and then ran in the direction of the waterfall. In his tone of voice, Fengen perceived a tone of defiance. He slowly approached the waterfall, took a deep breath... and crossed it.
Fengen could not believe his eyes when, after crossing the water, he found himself inside a huge cavern illuminated by crystals as blue as the sky on a cloudless and sunny day. But the wolf was eager to see Aniu again.
«When is Aniu due to arrive?» he asked.
«Oh, don't worry» answered Tarkus. «she'll be here soon».
Minutes passed, but no sign of Aniu. Hours passed, but nothing. Everyone began to feel tired. They needed to sleep.
«Whose idea was it to bring my father here?» asked Balto softly to Kodi. «was it yours?»
«Not really» answered Kodi. «it was Tarkus' idea». Balto looked in the direction of Tarkus, who was facing the altar where Aniu was supposed to appear. Kurat approached Balto and Kodi.
«Where is Aniu?» he asked.
«I don't know» Balto replied, and then turned to Tarkus.
«Tarkus,» he said. «do you happen to know where Aniu is? She should have arrived a few hours ago».
«Aniu?» said Tarkus. «she won't come». His voice had changed completely: from a shy and insecure voice to a dark and ominous one.
«What?» asked Kodi, even though he already knew what the answer would be.
«Why did you bring us here?» Kurat demanded. Tarkus laughed a little, but it was very ominous, as if a demon had taken possession of his soul. he turned around. What they all saw left them speechless: his eyes had become as red as the flames of hell.
«Oh God» said Kurat. «Damn it! I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!». Fengen approached Tarkus.
«Tarkus,» said he. « Why are you doing this?», and right then he said something that left everyone speechless, but especially Balto: « I told you to do it when they were sleeping, in order we could kill them!».
Balto's heart filled with sadness and anger at the same time.
« Dad,» he said. «are you serious?». Fengen turned to face his son.
«Come on...» replied his father. «do you really think I'm your father?». Kodi and Kurat looked at Balto, who was barely trying to hold his tears from falling; these tears of rage were wetting his muzzle, which by now was more gray than brown because of his age.
«What do you mean by that?» Kurat asked, growling.
«Don't you remember me, Kurat?» continued Fengen. « I once swore that I would make you suffer. And now it's time!». A thick fog began to form around Fengen and envelop him. His fur was no longer as black as night, but as grey as storm’s clouds. His eyes were no longer as blue as clear water, but as yellow and sparkling as the sun.
Kurat understood immediately who he was: the wolf who attacked Handya when he was a pup.
«Who are you?!» cried Balto. «How do you know everything about my past?»
Fengen looked the wolf straight in the eyes; they suddenly became sparkling even more.
«You told me» he said. Balto suddenly began to feel weaker and weaker. It was as if his soul was slowly abandoning his body.
For the wolf it was as if he had been running with all his strength for a very long time without ever stopping; his mouth began to lose its capacity to produce saliva and therefore became dry. His muscles could no longer support his body and therefore began to sleep, not caring that their rest would have made the poor wolf, by now almost lifeless, fall.
«Stop! That's enough!» said Kodi, running in order to save his father. Tarkus, however, stepped between him and Balto. He looked at him with his eyes as red as fire, gnashing his fangs and advancing threateningly towards him.
«Just try and I'll bet you to death!» said Tarkus. Kodi, having no way to escape, had no choice except to back away.
Kurat, however, used the opportunity: he attacked Fengen with all his energy. Fengen, however, realized this, and as Kurat jumped against him, the wolf quickly moved out of the way. Fengen's fangs penetrated Kurat's neck, tearing through his skin and penetrating deeply inside of him.
Kurat moaned. blood slowly flowed down his throat. in just a few seconds his soul left his body.
«NO!!» shouted Balto, still weak. Fengen wiped off the poor wolf's blood from his muzzle. Kodi was so desperate, that he couldn't say a single word. But it was his own face, with its expression full of anger and pain at the same time, that spoke for him.
«Why did you do that?!» asked Balto, who was hardly able to hold his tears from falling from his eyes.
«He left me no choice» Fengen replied, as he was wiping the wolf's blood off his muzzle. «You know, maybe if he hadn't attacked me, I might have let him live»
The wolf approached Balto in a threatening way, and as he got closer, Balto's heart beat faster. He was feeling fear like he had never felt before.
«Get away from him!» shouted Kodi. Tarkus, however, made him shut up by grazing his face, tearing at his skin. Kodi yelped.
Balto, being without strength, was unable to protect his son; and this made him feel like the worst father who could be in the world.
«I'm going to be nice,» said Fengen. «I'm not going to kill you: I'm going to leave you here alone, without food or water… leaving you slowly die». And suddenly around Fengen and Tarkus a fog appeared, enveloping them completely. When the mist disappeared, the two wolves were gone... as if they had never been there.
There was a moment of total silence. Kodi slowly stood up and approached his father.
«Dad, are you all right?» he asked. Balto looked at him and smiled. Even though he was extremely powerless, he didn't want his son to worry about it.
«Yes, I'm fine» said Balto. Kodi looked around to find the cave entrance. Finally, he saw it.
«Do you have the strength to get up?» he asked. Balto did it, albeit with great effort. Father and son prepared to go towards the outside, but Balto stopped and looked at Kurat's soulless body. His gaze filled with sadness.
«I'm so sorry» he said. suddenly the earth trembled as never before. Kodi looked to the outside and saw that at the entrance stood Fengen, looking at them smiling menacingly. Fengen beckoned the two wolves to look up; and as they did so, remnants of the cave fell in front of the entrance... and blocked it.
«NO!» shouted Kodi. But now it was all useless: the only way they had to get out had been blocked. Kodi and Balto felt powerless: They were trapped and didn't know what to do.