the next you're helping a wolf with frostbite.

"I'm crazy.' she thought. 'What if he turns on me, after I help him move again. He'll be loose in Nome!"

But Saba had felt something special in Speed. She knew he wasn't going to attack her. But she wasn't so sure she could trust him, let alone leave him alone. So she moved as fast as possible.

Running into the living room, she went over to the cooking pot. The fire still had warmth coming from the embers, and she hoped that some water was still in the pot. She grabbed the handle of the lid with her mouth, and ripped it off. Peering in, Saba found the rest of Mother's tea water in there.

"Good enough." she said.

She dropped the pot on the floor, and dragged it through the house. Pulling it through the doggie door Speed's face lit up. Saba put it infront of him.

"Put your paws in the water." Saba told Speed. Helping him up, he stood in the pot, his feet (and paws) warming in the water.

"Mmm, this feels good." he said. Saba smiled. But she was nervous. She had to get Speed out of Nome by dawn, otherwise the town would see him.

"Speed, tell me right when it feels better, that's when you have to go." she spoke nervously, and caught his attention immidiatly. "Otherwise, they'll see you. And I don't know what they'll do to you.."

Speed made a scoffing noise, and Saba gave him a playful push. 

"Humans!" he said. "What is it with them and wolves? They hate us, and wolfdogs no better.."

"I'm not so sure about wolfdogs." Saba frowned. "There are some around town."

"Your kidding me." Speed shook his head.

'I'm not!" Saba exclaimed. "I happen to know a half wolf, and his children."

"Yeah, and I guess all the dogs and humans hate them."

"Not nessacarily, at first they hated Balto, but then he saved Nome. He got the medicine and cured a disease."

"Balto, I think I've heard of him. Wasn't he Aniu's son?" Speed questioned.

"Yes. But not many dogs know that.." Saba murmered.

Speed tilted his head. "Then how do you know that?" he asked.

Saba cleared her throat. "Umm, well." she sighed. "Because I am Saba. And my parents are Jenna the purebred husky, and Balto the wolfdog." 

'Why am I telling Speed this?' Saba thought. 'I only just met him. He's so easy to talk to..'

Speed was silent. "Wow. Thanks for telling me." His voice was soothing, and had a smile hid in it.

Saba smiled, and said "Well, you should be done, huh?"

Speed nodded, and she helped him out of the pot, and he stood shakily on his feet. Saba helped steady him, and then he was fine.

"Well, bye Saba." Speed said, his voice sounding strange for a moment, and then turned back to normal. He smiled.

Saba smiled back. "Bye Speed. Its been nice knowing you."

And with that, she walked back into her house, the dog door flapping behind her.

Speed turned around, and took off through the quite streets of Nome, back into the woods.

 

As Speed trotted through the streets, he thought about what had happened.

'Why is Saba so...different?' he wondered. 'And how does she know how to treat frostbite...?'

He pondered over this as he walked over the small stretch of land between Nome and the woods. All of a sudden, Speed heard barking and the cry of a human. Startled, but experienced enough to make no sound, Speed dived into a patch of tall reeds, as he was near the creek.

He watched as a dog sled ran past, barking and making as much noise possible, as the musher yelled, trying to quite them. Shaking his head, Speed kept walking, ashamed that he missed such surroundings, and thanked that he was lucky to have gotten away.

When he reached the woods, he realised that he had no where to go! So, salvaging the quite and the darkness, he found a cave (more like a rock lean-to) and crept inside to sleep.

Half asleep, and quite groggie, Speed awoke (for the second time in one night) without knowing why. He didn't leave the safety of the lean-to, but instead alerted all his senses. He was not alarmed, it couldn't be that dangerous.

But then he gasped (quietly) as he smelt the worst smell known to wolf. The Moose.

 

As Nome started to wake up, Saba, once again, sat by the closed curtian.

'Same old, same old.' she thought sadly.

The family was packing up, and Saba was still annoyed that she would be stuck inside for a week, besides Rosie and Jenna's visits to change her water and keep her company. Mother and Father were putting there 'light' luggage by the door, waiting for Duke to come and collect it. Her girl was saying goodbye to friends, and picking up extra dog food at the grocery store.

Mother walked over to Saba, and gave her a fond pat on the head.

"Poor girl, she's sad that we're going away... Don't worry. Rosie and your mother are coming to visit."

Saba smirked. Its too bad that Mother didn't know the real reason that she was sad. Saba frowned.

"I don't know why I'm sad.." she said aloud.

In the next ten minuets, her girl arrived and so did Duke.

As Duke and Father were taking the bags to the plane, he told the family a story.

"Mr Simpson told me the strangest thing, this morning," he said.

"Pigs fell from the sky?" asked Mother.

"Less strange. More odd. He said that in the forest, no more that five minuets on sled out of Nome, a moose tried to charge at him and his sled! Good old Kodi, he sped away, but it was close. He wondered why the Moose was there, so close to Nome. Only a few minuets later, just outside of the forest, by the creek, a large brown and white wolf was standing there!"

"No!" cried Father. Saba was intruged.

"Its true, he was lucky to get away! Mr Simpson almost ran him over! He didn't notice till the last second that he was there, the was the dogs were carrying on! But that wolf might not be so lucky with that moose, I think the moose is trailing him. You know the rivalry between the species..."

"Poor wolf." said Saba's girl.

Saba jumped up. "Speed!" she barked.

But the family were putting on there coats, and walking out the door.

"No!" Saba screamed. Scratching at the door.

She sat there barking at scratching until she could do it no more....

 

Speed was holding his breath. For the past hour the moose had been roaming around him, but Speed didn't know if the moose knew he was there.

'Well, if he doesn't know, he won't!' Speed thought.

He had been breathing in long, slow breaths and holding them in.

He hoped that the moose would just go away, and Speed would be able to continue on his journey to nowhere.

The moose (who Speed had now nicknamed 'Roamer') reappeared into view. It stopped sniffed the air, and started eating some more grass. Speed never had enough time to get away, and he knew how fast Moose could run.

When Speed was almost a year old, he had been annoyed by Nava's tricks so he walked away and spent the day by himself. But all of a sudden a moose had appeared! Speed had started to run, but it was no use! The moose was gaining on him! When Speed came near to the cliff that his pack was under he jumped off it, so he could escape! He was lucky enough to have landed in the water, but he was bruised for over a week!

Speed knew he wouldn't be as lucky now.

 

Saba was lying at her front door, thinking of an escape plan. She was desperate, and was so sad. Speed could be killed! Speed will be killed, unless she could find away out.

But she had checked each window, they were all closed and locked. The doggie door had something large and heavy on the other side, blocking it. And the back door was shut and locked. There was no way out.

Saba felt like weeping, but she didn't know why. Speed was a stranger, she didn't know anything about him!

"But he has something special." she told herself, she just didn't know what... yet.

There was a noise downstairs (Saba was inspecting the upstairs windows). Feeling sucpicious, she ran downstairs. The front door was opening. Letting out a growl, Saba positioned herself for attack.

Rosie and Jenna walked through the door.

"Hello Saba!" said Rosie. "We thought you could use some cheering up!"

"Yes, with your family going, and all. We thought you'd be down." Jenna added

Saba couldn't believe her luck! "Mother, Rosie. I've never been more pleased to see you! I'll explain later, but right now, I've gotta run!"

Speeding out the half open front door, Saba skidded across the porch and sprinted up the streets of Nome.

"Saba!" cried Jenna. "COME BACK HERE! "

"I've got a COOKIE!" cried Rosie desperately.

But Saba was long gone.

 

Speed was still the unknown prisoner of Roamer. At least, Speed hoped he was unknown.

'I'll just wait till Roamer goes. I've got nowhere to go, so why not be here?' Speed thought.

He relaxed, lay down and watched Roamer.

He was an interesting looking moose. Huge, frightening antlers, and his teeth and hooved were sharp and HUGE! Speed decided that relaxing wasn't the best thing to do.

Instead, he gazed around at the scenery, admiring its beauty.

Speed stiffened. His mouth widened, and his eyes grew to the size of baseballs.

As, in the beautiful scenery,

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