going to lie to you. Not every dog is like me. In fact, most of them probably match what you have heard about us," he said, "You're lucky that I was the one who found you and not someone else on my team."

"Why you?" she asked, "What makes you so different from the others?"

"Well, I suppose it's partly because of how I was raised," he replied, "My parents always told me that you never truly know someone until you meet them face-to-face. You have to spend time and actually talk to someone before you can truly know anything about them."

"Well, you've been talking to me for a little while. What do you know about me now?" she asked.

"I know that you're nowhere near as bad as the stories about wolves are," he said, "Heck, I'd even say I was talking to another dog instead of a wolf - and a pretty one at that."

She was a little embarrassed by his comment, but soon realized that she had been thinking the same about him. He may not have been a wolf, but she still thought that he was quite handsome, "Okay, if I'm not as bad as the stories about wolves are, then what are the stories like?" she asked.

"Oh, they're your typical traveler's tales," he started, "They usually feature a vicious wolf as an enemy and a human or his dogs as the brave heroes who kill the wolf."

"Are any of the stories true?" she asked.

"I really can't say myself whether they're true or not. I haven't witnessed any wolf attack people or dogs," he replied, "Unfortunately, it seems to be the only type of story that is told. Without anyone disputing them, they become accepted as truth."

"Is that why you brought me here?" she asked, "Is it to keep me away from the dogs that would attack me?"

"That's right. I'd hate all the effort I put into helping you to go to waste," he said, "I've tried to change some of my teammate's views, but most of them hold on to the prejudice they've been raised with. They won't listen to me, even though I am their lead dog."

"Lead?" she asked. 

"You were that white wolf that was watching my team come in a few days ago right?" he asked, and she nodded, "So you saw how I was in the front of my team right?" 

"Yes," she replied.

"That's my position; the lead dog. It is my job to direct the dogs behind me and make sure that we don't run into any obstacles on the way," he said, "However, it's not just me barking out orders. Everyone looks out for each other and we keep each other out of danger. That's what being part of a team is about." 

"When I saw you earlier, you were pulling something for the human," she started, "What was it?"

"That, my friend, is the sled. You see, humans don't travel very well over long distances in this climate, so they use a sled to help transport themselves and their supplies across the snow. However, they need something to pull the sled, and there's nothing else better to use than a dog," he said.

"Is that all you do?" she asked, "Pull sleds around for the humans?"

"Mostly; my owner's job is to help deliver supplies to other towns, and he needs us to get him there. However, sledding isn't all toil and work. Going out and working with a team is great fun, and our work doesn't go unrewarded. In return for our help, our owner feeds us and takes care of us. We look out for him and he looks out for us," he replied. It sounded to her as though Amak really enjoyed his work with the humans. They seemed to have a symbiotic relationship with each other, as they worked to benefit each other – a far cry from the master and slave relationship Mayak had described, "Now, while going out with him is fun and all, my true passion is dogsled racing," he continued. 

"Racing? Now you've lost me," she said. She may have started to understand the relationship between humans and dogs, but there was still much more that she didn't know about their world.

"In a dogsled race, there are many teams of dogs competing to see who is the fastest," he replied, "There are long days of almost nonstop running through the wilderness, with only your wits and your legs to guide you. It's rough, but it's also a real thrill for us, as it's a nice break from making deliveries. In fact, after my owner's hunting trip is finished here, my team is going to be taking part in one of the biggest races of the year: the Trans-Alaskan Derby," he said, excited, "Ah, but I've gone on long enough about myself; I want to hear about you. Are you feeling any better today?"

"Let's see," she said, and started to get to her feet. Her chest still hurt when she stood, but it wasn't as severe as the night before, "My chest still hurts, but I can stand up," she said. 

"Well, if you're still sore, then you shouldn't over-exert yourself. I've seen too many good sled dogs push themselves too far, only to end up hurting themselves worse than before," he said, "Though, I'm curious, what were you doing out on your own last night? I thought that wolves always traveled in packs."

"I was with my pack, but we had split up to find food," she said, "I had been wandering in the storm alone until I bumped into a moose. It was very upset that I had come so close and started to charge at me," she started.

"Yeah, those guys are known to be very grouchy," he said, "Go on, what happened next?"

"I tried to snap at it to make it back off, but I got too close and he slammed into my side. I tried to howl for my pack, but I blacked out shortly after. The next thing I know, I'm waking up here, with you," she finished.

"Do you know where your pack is right now?" he asked, "I'm sure they'll notice that you're missing, and you will want to get back to them."

Aniu thought about this. Her pack had been trying to find the caribou, but they hadn't had much luck before she had her run-in with the moose. The storm had interfered with her navigation, so she had no idea how far away they would be, or what direction they would go. They could be anywhere, "No, I don't. They would be following the caribou herd, but I don't know where they have gone," she said, "Do you know anything? Please, can you help me?" she asked. 

"I don't know," he replied, "After you fell asleep last night I went back out to see if your pack was nearby, but I didn't find anything. If they were following the caribou, then they probably kept on moving," Aniu's heart fell. She was completely lost now and had no way of returning to her pack, "Although…. there may be a way I can help you," he said.

"How?" she asked, hopeful.

"Well, like your pack, my human came to hunt the caribou herds as well. That's why my team is here in the first place. Now, while we haven't found the herds yet, we still make daily trips out to look for them," he said, "If my hunch is correct, then there's a good chance that the herd that my owner wants to find is the same one that your pack was following. If I can find the herd, then that would get you one step closer to home."

"Are you sure it will work?" she asked.

"It's the best lead I have, and I think we should take it," he said, "If I do find them, I might even be able to slip away and help you look for them. That is, if you don't mind."

"Really? You'd do all that for me?" she asked.

"Sure, it's the least I can do," he said, "I want to make sure you get back to where you belong." 

Aniu couldn't believe it. Amak had been a complete stranger to her less than a day ago, and yet he was volunteering to help her. He was taking such a big risk in helping her, considering the attitude of the other dogs, and yet he wasn't asking anything of her in return. "Thank you for all this. How can I ever repay you?" she asked. 

"You don't have to," he said, "I'd be more than happy to help any damsel in distress."

----------------------------

True to his word, Amak went out every day with his team in the hopes of finding the caribou. However, he now went out with a greater sense of urgency, as he had promised to help lead Aniu back to her pack. Unfortunately, the search wasn't going well and he would often come back to her in the evening with a disappointed face. There was another snag as well; Amak's owner would only be staying for a week and a half. After that time they would have to leave whether or not they found the caribou. This prompted Amak to increase his efforts, as failure could potentially leave Aniu stranded. 

While Amak would always be out during the day, he would come back to her in the evenings to check up on her. They took this time together to talk, getting to know each other and learning about each others kinds. It was from these talks that Aniu learned that dogs and wolves weren't all that different. Dogs had the same keen senses of smell and hearing that a wolf did, although a wolf's were slightly sharper (something Amak protested). Dogs and wolves both used very similar methods to survive in the cold, and they also had similar methods of organizing