𝑮𝑯𝑶𝑺𝑻 |✔️

Into the wilderness

☁︎

Ghost walks into the wildness with Balto, Boris, Muk, and Luk after her. she looks behind her as she hears the sound of claws against the wood. "ah Balto," she snickers and puts her down 

snout to the ground scenting after the Alaskan malamute's scent. She finds it and growls a little. "come on this way," she says and trots off with the trio behind her. Father off Steele and his team are still braving the blizzard. They grudgingly trudgethrough the snow one paw at a time. "Steele! We're going in circles!" star calls, worried but instead of listening to his team member, Steele snarls and snaps his head at the smaller dog "..WHAT?!" he growls. Star weavers cowering and say nervously, "..Circles is a good thing, I mean, they're, uh, (He twirlsaround.) heh...circular." Steele huffs, then snps in an unconvincing tone, ".I know what I'm doing, it's... it's.." he then looks in a random direction and calls back, "this way, come on!" Steele dashes forward. The dogs behind him struggle to keep up. As Steele is running, heslips on an inclined sheet of ice. The team howls as they tumble head over tails. They arehurled around at the bottom of the icy hill. Steele's Musher is thrown around also andviolently crashes to the ground, rendering him unconscious. Steele and the other dogs'heads pop from the snow.

"Oooohh...I hit my head on somethin'!" Nikki whines, and Kaltag's head pops up, and he scowls at his friend sneering "Yeah...my head!" a dog from the team then walks over to teh Musher, looking at him, concerned. "...Looks like he's hurt bad, Steele," he says. star turns over to their leader, asking quietly, "Wh-What're we gonna do now, Steele?" Steele doesn't answer and shivers in the cold. The light from the lantern emits an eerieglow on the mountain that marks where the team got stranded, then...fades off. Ghost and Balto go side by side at their destination, not far from Steele's team. Suddenly a snowball flies over Balto's head but not Ghost's. She yelps and shakes her head, taking the snow away quickly. But instead of snapping at the bears who threw it, she trudges on. 

Suddenly she freezes, listening. Balto sees this and trots up to her "what's wrong?" he asks. she looks t him, nods, and hears together. The white wolf suddenly spots a large shape behind a tree, and she narrows her eyes as teh snow that rests on the branches of that tree falls off. "uh, Balto, we have to go," she says nervously, and Balto grows worried. for if his fellow wolf is scared, then he should be too. "Muk, Luk! Come on, let's get going!" he calls and goes off after Ghost, who looks round worried more than before. "get them to safety. I think I know what follows us," she says, and a growl escapes her mouth at the last of her sentence. Balto looks at her like he's concerned for her safety but sighs and calls once more at his friends, but when he turns, Ghost's loud growl cuts the air, and he gasps as he sees a furious grizzly bear. The bear raises a claw to strike Boris. Balto looks back, shocked at what he sees. Borisquickly runs out of the way and gets himself stuck inside a hollow branch. The grizzlyswipes at the unit, causing it to fly and entrap Muk and Luk inside.

But before the half-wolf can do anything, a pricing howl is heard, and the bear groans, turning its head to the white wolf, who's by the ever-falling snow seems to come out of nowhere. She sounds, baring her white teeth. The bear growls at her, and she then suddenly charges at it biting down on the flesh. The bear howls in pain and fails its paws around itself, stamping around and almost trampling Boris and the bears. Balto comes over to them and helps them out. Ghost is thrown in their path with a heavy thud as they run. she groans, closing her eyes. the bear sneers and stomps after her. as it is about to slash at Ghost, Balto bites the bear's claw and kicks it in the face with his legs. "Balto?" Ghost asks a little dazed format eh fall. she then gathers her bearing and joins the half-wolf. The bear roars and throws them both off. they d fall down a hill and onto the surface of a frozen lake. "Balto! Ghost!" Boris shouts as he watches from the hilltop down at the two wolves with the bears and Jenna, who suddenly came just as they landed on teh ice. 

The grizzly stands up and smashes his foot down hard on the ice, causing it to crack adbreak open. It then gets stuck and falls into the frozen abyss. The crack opens up anotherhole around Balto and Ghost. The ice floe overturns, taking Balto down under it. "Balto!" the Ghost roars and starts looking after the half-wolf under the ice as Boris, Jenna, muk, and luk come. Muk and Luk Cannon-Ball into the ice after Balto. The trio who up on the ice, searching for the bears, and battle now. Ghost's hurt but doesn't know it. Down in the freezing water, Muk and Luk clumsily swim around in the water. Muk suddenly grabs Luk and gesturesahead of him. Realizing he's caught the wrong end, he bumps Luk and gestures again atwhat's ahead; Balto's sticking to the bottom of the ice, trying to bore a hole into thefrozen surface with his breath. 

Suddenly there's a terrifying silence. Suddenly, they hear more cracking ice noises, and thesurface again breaks open – with Muk, Luk, and an unmoving Balto bursting out. "Balto!" the trio calls happily. (Jenna and Boris quickly make their way to Muk and Luk while the white wolf limps as fast as she can. Boris suddenly slips on the ice, passing Jenna, and crashing head-on into Muk – who then hits Luk. Luk lands on Balto, forcing all the water outof his body.)Boris suddenly slips on the ice, passing Jenna, and crashing head-on into Muk – who then crashes into Luk. Luk lands on Balto, forcing all the water outof his body. Boris then hits batlo gently, trying to make him wake up. Ghost reaches them and sits down, breathing hauntingly. 

Sunday Balto wakes up and stands up, laying down on the snow, shivering. "Boris...I kno -- knowyou think this trip was crazy, but" he coughs again "... I'm glad you came. you too, Ghost," he says, looking at the white wolf who sighs, standing up and walking over with a limp. "I'm glad too, wolf friend," she says and nuzzles him gently. Jenna sees this and grows a little... jealous? She shakes it off and smiles. Balto then shivers out, "are you okay?" Ghost nods winning at the wound that burns, but she shakes it off. "yeah, the bear could've done worse. And I've gotten worse too," she says and lays herself ontop on Balto to stop his shivering. Jenna then clears her throat, making them look at her. "Look, a message came through; we have to take the mountain trail," she says, and Balto shivers but starts to stop as the warmth of his fellow wolf warms him. "But if we take Eagle...Pass, it'll save us half a day," he says, but Jenna shakes her head and says, "It's blocked. The mountain trail is dangerous, but we can do it" Ghost smiles "she's right. When we wolves are together, there's nothing we cant do" Balto smiles up at her nuzzling her soft fur. 

"Is there anything more than I have to learn about being a... wolf?" Balto says, trailing off. Ghost hcuckløes "you'll get it in time, my friend," she says, feeling that his shiver has stopped. she walks away but suddenly collapses. Balto is by her side instantly. "I'm sorry I'm a little clumsy," she lies, but Balto nudges her softly, saying, "No, you're not... you're hurt." she bares her teeth in anger at herself and stands up. "no, Balto. A little scratch will not slow me down," she growls, but as Balto scans her body for wounds, he finds a big one, starting to form from her chin to hip. he gasps, "no, you're not coming with us. you're going home" he says. Ghost looks into his eyes and stares back. "wolf friend..." she trails off, then looks away. "I can do it. I know I can. Don't worry about me. Worry about Rosie and the children." she then turns to Jenna, smiling softly, "come over, little husky" Jenna does as she says, holding her head down in a sign of respect, "I'll send you home" Jenna looks up shocked "how? you cant walk" she says. The white wolf laughs, taking her paw at Jenna's forehead. 

"There is much I can do without walking, my dear," she says. She then closes her eyes and suddenly whispers some ancient words. Jenna starts to fade "good journey home, little one," Ghost says, and Jenna disappears completely. The wolf grunts as the pain surge through her. "ghost pealse. Go home too. You're not going to make it, and I can't lose you," Balto says, standing up with the white wolf. Boris and the bears are watching, smirking at their attraction. "Balto, my dear. I'm a wolf, for heaven's sake. Trust me when I say I can do this. We need to help Steele and his team," she snaps softly and lifts her nose, taking the scent of the headstrong Alaskan easily. "this way," she says and starts walking against the soft blizzard. Battle sighs, and Boris and the bears suddenly fade from his eyes. he gasps and starts looking after them but finds them not. "Balto!" ghost calls from in front. He runs to her, worried and wide-eyed "where are my friends?" he exclaims, and GHost turns to him. "I sent them home, my dear. They're not safe here" Balto sighs, pleased that there safe. 

"let's go," Ghosttsays and walks forward, but Balto sees her soft limp and clenches his jawas. 

Hopefully, it'll go smoothly, and they'll reach the sled team in time. 

☁︎