It let out a loud roar and charged him, paws with razor sharp blades slashing at the air, making a whipping sound. The man fell backward, trying to avoid the deadly weapons.

It was then that Balto, not knowing anything about how to fight, sprang forth faster than his brain could keep up, forgetting his pain. It was as if something had snapped in him, and the frozen state he’d been in had melted away. A stout protective anger filled his heart.

Balto bit onto the back of the bear’s neck, his jaws clamping down with strength the husky did not even know he possessed. He snarled and shook the bear’s skin and fur, drawing some blood from it but nothing substantial. If it weren’t for the bear staggering in surprise at his attack, he never would have known his bites were effective at all.

At this moment, Balto could not see Siku, for he was solely focused on defending him. He wanted his master to take advantage of the bear being distracted, and shoot. For a while Balto struggled with the ferocious beast, being thrown about, until finally he was crushed on the ground by the bear falling onto him as a last ditch effort to dismount him.

His world, his vision, became very blurry and unclear after that. The wind had been knocked out of his lungs. Things slowly faded into darkness, but not before Balto caught a glimpse of something that entirely dashed whatever hope he’d clung onto.

Balto had been abandoned when he needed his master most.

Siku was gone, having chosen to be a coward, to save himself and leave his dog to die.

Snow began to fall amongst the peaceful, quiet woodland. Not a creature seemed to stir from their burrows, and nothing could be heard except the glistening, sparkling sound of snowflakes gathering like powder on the floor.

Tiny paws made their way through the accumulated white blanket, a puffed mass that blended in almost perfectly with its surroundings if only its nose and eyes weren’t black. The frigid wind of the north country was at its back, and frost encrusted his eyes so that it was nearly impossible to see.

‘I need shelter, it’s so cold,’ it thought, its body going numb from the harsh weather it was exposed to.

The animal did not know how long it had been out there, time seemed to twist and morph around it. It would go in and out of consciousness, all while still moving on auto-pilot. Instincts took over and allowed it to have a chance at surviving this ordeal.

‘I need to get warm…’

It was night time, and the light was as low as could be due to the blizzard. The small beast could see nothing, and for an animal that is saying something. However, one sense that had not been held back was its smell; the strong scent of iron left panic in the animal’s mind. Every living thing knew the smell by heart; it was blood, and it only became stronger as it walked onward.

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Suddenly, the animal tripped and landed on its belly. Strangely enough, instead of feeling ice cold seeping into its underfur area, it felt warmth and a lot of it. Snow piled around and protected it from the whistling gales of storm wind.

Soon, the white creature was feeling warm all over, and sleepy. In a matter of a few hours, the animal was covered in multiple feet of snow, isolated in a tightly packed den of warmth with an even bigger animal. The smell of blood ceased bothering it, and it fell into a heavenly slumber.

The first thing Balto remembered was sniffing the air, seeing nothing, but floating in a warm, golden void. It enraptured him all around, holding him in a peaceful embrace. Then, ripping through the fabric of reality, it was as if he emerged from a long tunnel snout first.

Popping up out of the snow, freezing air hit his nose, sending a shock throughout his body, the final thing he needed to fully wake up. Balto drew in a fresh breath of sweet air, and in fact took as many as he needed.

Resting with his upper body on top of the snow for a moment, he slowly recounted what had happened, and what had led him there.

Dread and pain gripped his chest as imagery of Siku having abandoned him to the bear. Though, as soon as he thought of it, Balto forced it out of his mind. There was no use thinking about it, it couldn't be helped. His sadness would not change what Siku had done to him.

Maybe the wildman hadn't meant to do it, maybe he had just been scared. He would likely never know the answer. The truth of the matter was that, regardless, the blue husky could no longer rely on him.

It was clear that he needed to make his own way. He needed to learn how to survive in this foreboding land, alone. He was done trusting in humans to take care of him, no one would replace his first owner, and with a heavy breath he accepted that.

Hoisting himself upward out of the whiteness, the dog felt soreness and a little stinging hit him in his wounded area. ‘I wonder what happened. How am I still alive?’ Balto thought, visibly puzzled, looking around at the scenery that surrounded him, and at the cuts. ‘Why didn’t the bear eat me?’

There came a sharp bite at his back paw, causing Balto to bolt out of the snow, crashing onto his back. He laid his golden eyes on what was attached, his heart soaring with utter joy. It was a white fox!

“Frostpaw?” Balto exclaimed.

The fox dangled there, and then fell onto Balto’s belly, letting out a relieved sigh. “Indeed.”

Balto yarped happily, wrapping his arms around his beloved friend, happy beyond words that he was still alive and in seemingly good health. “I can’t believe it,” the husky whispered in pleasant shock.

He did not know what else to say, really. No word that came out of his mouth could accurately describe his feelings, so Balto showed them through affection, squeezing tightly.

Part of Frostpaw’s back cracked, sending vibrations through Balto’s skin and fur. “Sorry,” the dog said.

Frostpaw twitched his whiskers. “Don’t be. I needed that.”

“It’s so good to see you again,” Balto closed his eyes.

“Yea. I agree.”