with her paws, with Rosie doing the same with her hands. The pair slid down the tube slide, their laughter echoing through the tube as they slid down and landed in the dirt at the bottom. Running up to the larger jungle gym they ran over a wooden bridge between two towers and collided with a boy and husky.

  “Sorry Robin” Rosie said looking up at a boy with dark brown hair a year older than her.

“That is alright Rosie you were playing, this your new puppy?”
“Yes her name is Jenna.”

“She is only a year younger Steel… maybe they could be friends” Robin replied stroking the puppy. “His father is the famous sled dog Iron.”

      Standing next to their owners Steel and Jenna looked at each other with their tails wagging.

“You run fast Jenna, I have seen you around town before” Steel said.

 “I have seen you as well with others dogs and at the fourth celebrations.”

“That was such a fun day, would you like to play with me?”

“I would love to, Sylvia and Dixie are too scared to come up here, I cannot even get them to have a go on the smallest slide. You would not mind playing with a dog younger than you?” Jenna replied.

 “No. My mother’s best friend is a year younger than her. I love this place” Steel replied. “Tag”

       Running through the jungle gym Steel soon had Jenna, Robin and Rosie hot on his heels. At the top of the tallest tower Steel increased his speed and jumped into the tube slide paws first, followed by his friends, all landing in a heap at the bottom. Getting up they ran over to the swings where some of the older children played. As their owners swung high into the air Steel and Jenna chased each other around the playground. As evening approached the children went home to their parents. Walking behind their owners Steel and Jenna chatted to one another both aware that they had made a new friend.

       A couple of days later Arthur, Violet, Jenna and Rosie walked through the forest near Nome with Arthur and Violet carrying a picnic basket and rug. Placing the blanket under a large tree on the bank of a river the family sat down and began to eat their picnic. As they ate they watched a family of otters swim by their fur sleek and shining in the sunlight. Reaching into the basket Rosie took out a chocolate muffin and placed it in front of Jenna. Sniffing it curiously Jenna took a bite and liked it immediately, wolfing down the remainder in seconds.

  “Ah this is the life” Arthur muttered lying back against the tree. “Nothing to do other then listen to the birds.”

 “It is lovely to be out of town” Violet replied.

      Near the river Jenna and Rosie played fetch with a bright pink ball when Rosie threw it so hard that it sent sailing over to the opposite bank.

  “Daddy can you please get the ball?”
“How on earth did you manage to get it over there?”

“I threw it hard.”

  “Well it is not that surprising I was a good baseball player, now let me see, how do I get over?”

  “Try to avoid falling in this time Art” Violet called grinning sly at her husband. 

 “That was one time, the boys and I had had a few on that picnic.”

“Oh you certainly had, it was a trio of drowned rats that clamoured out of the water.”

        Walking along the riverbank Arthur came to a log that was across the river carefully he climbed onto it and walked across it. Jumping off Arthur walked along the bank until he reached the ball, picking it up he threw it across, with Jenna catching it. Walking back across he was embraced by Violet before joining Rosie and Jenna in their game. Watching her family Violet took out her sketchpad and sketched the scene. Kneeling down on all fours Arthur pretended to be a bear while Jenna defended Rosie from said bear. In a flash Arthur jumped up and scooped Rosie up, twirling her around before collapsing onto the grass. Slowly the afternoon wore on and evening drew in, despite the fact it was still light outside. Walking home through the forest Jenna and Rosie walked side by side, as they passed a hill outside Nome the family stopped as a howl ripped through the air. Turning around they saw a wolf pack emerge from the mist standing on the hill, their eyes fixed on them. Time seemed to stop as the wolves stared at the family. Out of midst of the pack walked a stunning white female, her yellow eyes looking into Rosie’s green ones. The female let out a long howl which was taken up by the entire pack. Then the mist surged once more when it cleared the pack had vanished, their tracks the only sign they had been there.

“Well that was a lucky sighting” Arthur said. “It is not often you see a pack of wolves.”

“The white one was pretty” Rosie replied as they arrived home.

“She was” Arthur replied smiling. That night all slept soundly in their beds, with Rosie and Jenna both dreaming of the wolves.

      It was the last week of the school holidays, on the beach Jenna, Rosie, Sylvia, Anna, Robin, Steel, Kaltag and Kaltag’s owner Harvey played together. Harvey was the same age of Robin with hair a similar colour to Kaltag’s fur. All were wearing cloaks and holding wooden swords and shields, with the puppies also having cloaks tied around them. The humans were warriors, Jenna, Sylvia and Kaltag were monsters and Steel was playing a wolf. Running between old fishing boats the warriors fought the monsters. Looking at Rosie, Steel bared his teeth and snarled at her while she attacked him with her sword. Nearby Jenna and Harvey fought near the water while Kaltag chased Annabelle between the boats. Suddenly Rosie slipped down a sand dune landing with a splash in the water. Within seconds she was on her feet and running after Steel. As they played their laughter and joy echoing through the beach, six best friends.

        Portside 

       Autumn had arrived in Nome, walking through the town Jenna looked this way and that, her eyes watching the daily dramas unfold. From the theatre music could be heard as the days rehearsals took place, bicycles and carts passed each other on the streets with many delivering supplies to the various shops while. From the general store there came a sudden crash followed a curse as a heavy pan fell from a shelf onto the manager’s foot. Through an open window of the lawyers offices shouting could be heard, one voice belonging to Arthur before the window was slammed shut. Passing the carpenters Jenna watched as a chest of draws, kitchen table, four chairs and a bookcase were loaded into a cart.

  “JENNA”

       Turning around Jenna saw Steel walking towards her with his tail wagging.

“Hi Steel.”

“So your owners have finally allowed you out alone.”

“At last, I was so tired of being kept inside.”

“That must have been boring, so what are your plans?”

“I don’t have any.”

“I’ve an idea how about we explore the harbour?”

“That will be fun I’ve always wanted to see the port” Jenna replied grinning at her friend.

        Setting off the pair walked towards the harbour with many of humans and carts on the road with them. Sailors with their bags walked to their ships, dock workers with dirty clothes spoke of the day’s works, miners with dirty faces and bags walked passed in groups, well off passengers passed by in carts with their luggage piled high. Carts by the dozen rumbled passed with all number of items from fresh fruit to kitchen sinks. Jenna and Steel jumped to one side as a young man raced past, his feet barely touching the ground as he ran for a ship. Those newly arrived in Nome passed by in the opposite direction, some were sailors, others walked with Nome residents and many were clearly either tourist or those who would work in the town until autumn.

   Reaching the port the scent of oil, coal, fish, salt, tobacco and a hundred others things filled their noses. The passenger ship Alameda was moored next to the US naval ship the latter was currently being cleaned by the crew. The crew of the Alameda were out in force as they assisted passengers with disembarking and the unloading of cargo, a piece of which was a grand piano. Fisherman unloaded their catch and took care of their boats, doing everything from repainting to fixing broken windows. Walking over to one boat the pair saw a large grey tom with a torn ear sat on a box. Seeing the pups the cat hissed and drew his claws angrily.

 “Stay away from me dogs.”

“We don’t want to chase you” Steel replied.

“A likely story I was not born yesterday pup I know what dogs are like.”

“But we are telling the truth.”

“You little fools this is my patch so leave it NOW” the cat replied leaping in front of them.

“This is a free town” Steel snarled and Jenna growled. “We have every right to be here.”

      The cat realised its claws and prepared to strike when a strong hand grabbed it by its scruff and hurled it away. With an angry hiss the cat landed on its feet and vanished down the nearest ally. Looking up the pups saw the cat’s owner staring down at them, his