Conclusion.

(One week later)

Outside the front window the sun shined in from a blue sky. Balto lay peacefully next to the fire in Jenna's house relishing the warmth. Jenna lay next to him gently watching the fire with distance in her eyes. Cleo sat nearby; her head hunched low between her shoulders and her eye's rimmed red from the thousands of tears she had shed.

In no way had it been a very happy week like it should have been. Cleo cried and went into long moments of reserved silence after Balto told her what happened to Benson and what his last words had been. Cleo was far from being okay, but she seemed to be coming around to the truth and would probably come to accept it in time. Jenna cried with her mother endlessly for the first few days. And she still had moment when her eye's watered up and she grew silent and distant. But Balto was sure she would survive.

Behind them William stood amid his bags holding two leashes. His baby brother listened. "I guess I don't have much use for this leash. If you see Benson around would you take him in? He's been a good dog to me. It's just such a mystery that he vanished. But I'm not totally surprised."

"I don't know where he could have gone. But don't worry. If he turns up I'll be sure to get him down to you." Williams's brother reassured.

William handed the extra leash over to his brother as his wife Susan came down the stairs carrying her last bag. Rosy and her mother followed closely behind her. "I'm all set – oh wait!" Susan turned and bolted up the stairs between Rosy and her mother. Rosy and her mother followed after her.

Cleo lifted her head and looked cheerlessly at Jenna. "I don't know if you'll ever see me again."

"Oh mom." Jenna said standing and turning and nuzzling her. "Don't talk like that."

"You know as well as me how it is up here. It could be years before my master comes back, and by then I'd be …"

"Shh." Jenna whispered as tears began to form on the crescent of her eye. "You'll be back. Don't worry. You'll be fine."

To this Cleo smiled as a flood of tears ran down her cheeks. "I want you two to be as happy as you can be. Balto, please take care of my Jenna. And Jenna, know I will always love you."

Jenna began to sob. Then the two of them locked into a nuzzle which would never happen again.

Suddenly Susan clipped Cleo's collar with the leash and stood. "Alright Cleo, lets get going before we miss the boat and get stuck here all winter." Susan giggled lightly and pulled towards the door.

Cleo stared at Jenna until the collar pulled her away, and then she turned and walked with the to the bags which the humans lifted and then began shuffling out the door. Cleo followed them without so much as a glance back over her shoulder.

As soon as the door closed Jenna turned and lay down with Balto. She slipped her head in under his, closed her eyes, and cried.

The end.