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Description
Does she want this, though, she asks herself as she stands there, staring out into the blackening horizon. Can she do it? Despite her doubts, she accepted this task, empty-minded, and it suddenly dawns on her the weight of this responsibility when she has to take her leave to join her clan. When she turns around, Balto gazes upon her with an expression that she can't quite understand... Fear, pleading, even a tinge of anger, all mushed behind a weary and half-attempted smile. It makes her stomach sink. He doesn't think she'll survive. He doesn't think she's ready. And suddenly, she doesn't feel ready either. She could turn back now, go home, see Mother, Kodi, maybe have another chance at finding a -

"Are you sure?" Balto's soft tone would startle her from her daze, and she would gulp, swallowing her throat dry. She'd stiffly nod.

Stop! The voice in the back of her mind would wail. We can still go home!

"I... hope you find what you're looking for..." Balto says, his voice tapering at the end of the sentence. He was choked up, desperately trying to keep his composure, trying not to scare her.

She nods, looking down. "Yeah..." she says. "... Me, too..."

Balto would be the one to embrace her. The last one he convinces himself he'll ever feel with his daughter. It's tight, too tight, but she was too numb, petrified. She was still mulling over what was to come. She almost could have sworn she heard him sniffle. She felt her throat tighten. She fought to still her trembling legs.

"D-Dad...?"

He drew in a breath. "... Y-Yeah?"

"... Could... could you tell mom.... mom that I... I..." Aleu clenched her eyes shut, then blinked rapidly. I love her, is what she wanted to say, but suddenly couldn't speak.

He understood. "Of course, yeah... And you know she loves you, too... heh... I'll be in for it when I get home... It'll be an awful long walk without having to drag you..."

She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but failing miserably was almost something that won a brief smile on her face. "Hah... I'll make up for it someday..."

"You better..." he sighed, leaning his head against hers to look at the sunset. It was awful dark and daunting now. Seemed like such a long way... "You better..."

_______________________________________________________

I've been wanting to test some things, especially with stylistic shading and lighting, and this was the perfect practice! I'm happy with how it came out, like my previous redraw, it fits the theme of my personal headcannons, which have since changed from my previous drawing.

In my headcannon, Aleu still decides to go with Nava's pack as their newly chosen leader. However, here, she is still showing signs of being a young teenager. She's been looking for something all her life that gives her purpose, a home wherever she may be. At first, she had always believed, or perhaps hoped, it'd been with a human companion. Now, she's pressured (unintentionally) by Nava to take his role to save his clan. This terrifying realization that she doesn't know if she's ready, the fact she's no longer going to have Dad or Mom to call for help if she ever needs... Not even Boris will be there to remind her of right and wrong. And with that tone, I gave the scene a much more unpleasant color, dark and reddish orange, uninviting. The death of a familiar life, and the prayer of a better morning... which is doubtful, considering the odds.

Original:
www.deviantart.com/dragonwitha…

Art by me.
Characters by Universal.

Description
Does she want this, though, she asks herself as she stands there, staring out into the blackening horizon. Can she do it? Despite her doubts, she accepted this task, empty-minded, and it suddenly dawns on her the weight of this responsibility when she has to take her leave to join her clan. When she turns around, Balto gazes upon her with an expression that she can't quite understand... Fear, pleading, even a tinge of anger, all mushed behind a weary and half-attempted smile. It makes her stomach sink. He doesn't think she'll survive. He doesn't think she's ready. And suddenly, she doesn't feel ready either. She could turn back now, go home, see Mother, Kodi, maybe have another chance at finding a -

"Are you sure?" Balto's soft tone would startle her from her daze, and she would gulp, swallowing her throat dry. She'd stiffly nod.

Stop! The voice in the back of her mind would wail. We can still go home!

"I... hope you find what you're looking for..." Balto says, his voice tapering at the end of the sentence. He was choked up, desperately trying to keep his composure, trying not to scare her.

She nods, looking down. "Yeah..." she says. "... Me, too..."

Balto would be the one to embrace her. The last one he convinces himself he'll ever feel with his daughter. It's tight, too tight, but she was too numb, petrified. She was still mulling over what was to come. She almost could have sworn she heard him sniffle. She felt her throat tighten. She fought to still her trembling legs.

"D-Dad...?"

He drew in a breath. "... Y-Yeah?"

"... Could... could you tell mom.... mom that I... I..." Aleu clenched her eyes shut, then blinked rapidly. I love her, is what she wanted to say, but suddenly couldn't speak.

He understood. "Of course, yeah... And you know she loves you, too... heh... I'll be in for it when I get home... It'll be an awful long walk without having to drag you..."

She could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but failing miserably was almost something that won a brief smile on her face. "Hah... I'll make up for it someday..."

"You better..." he sighed, leaning his head against hers to look at the sunset. It was awful dark and daunting now. Seemed like such a long way... "You better..."

_______________________________________________________

I've been wanting to test some things, especially with stylistic shading and lighting, and this was the perfect practice! I'm happy with how it came out, like my previous redraw, it fits the theme of my personal headcannons, which have since changed from my previous drawing.

In my headcannon, Aleu still decides to go with Nava's pack as their newly chosen leader. However, here, she is still showing signs of being a young teenager. She's been looking for something all her life that gives her purpose, a home wherever she may be. At first, she had always believed, or perhaps hoped, it'd been with a human companion. Now, she's pressured (unintentionally) by Nava to take his role to save his clan. This terrifying realization that she doesn't know if she's ready, the fact she's no longer going to have Dad or Mom to call for help if she ever needs... Not even Boris will be there to remind her of right and wrong. And with that tone, I gave the scene a much more unpleasant color, dark and reddish orange, uninviting. The death of a familiar life, and the prayer of a better morning... which is doubtful, considering the odds.

Original:
www.deviantart.com/dragonwitha…

Art by me.
Characters by Universal.