he smiled lightly. He knew he was annoying her and that alone allowed him to enjoy the situation. After a few moments, he finally relented and stood up. He'd had his fun for the morning, but he coudln't push her too far or else he wouldn't be able to get away with it. "Ugh, the more I try to change things with you, the more you stay the same troublesome dog," she said.

"Oh, but I would never try to cause trouble for you Sonya," Steele said, putting on his best faux innocence voice. "See, I got up; I'm a good doggie."

Some of the teammates that observed this exchange started to snicker at this, but she quickly turned to them, muttering, "Don't encourage him, he thrives on it."

"That's right, I thrive on it. I may have lost my friends and status, but I'll never loose my spirit," he thought. "Alright, I'm up, but I don't see why I have to be. Marcus may be getting his cast off today, but what makes you so sure that he'll jump on a sled so quickly?" he asked.

"I'm sure because I know that he hates sitting idle. He started sledding when he was younger because he didn't want to sit idle. He went out with you on his own because he didn't want to sit idle and he won't stay idle the second he gets that cast off," she replied. "I just hope that this time nothing goes wrong."

"It won't, not with me on duty today," he boasted, holding his head high. "I'll get your kid to where he's going before you can even say goodbye."

"Correction, we'll get him there and back," she put in. "We're on the same team this time, and don't forget that I'm still the lead dog."

"What ever you say wol - I mean, Sonya," he replied, catching himself before he said the 'w' word that would get him in much trouble with her. As much as he didn't enjoy being under the command of a half-wolf, it was much better than being sent back out into the cold, and his resistance allowed him to make up for any distaste he had about the situation.

She may have gotten him to back off about her being part wolf, but she hadn't been able to do anything about his large ego. In many ways, he was still the same self-loving husky, but partial control was better than none. 'He may still be full of hot air and he's grown into more of a prankster, but at least I can get him to cooperate,' she thought as she left the barn with Steele following. By the time they reached the front porch of their owner's home, they saw a taller kid coming down the road along with his father and little sister.

"Marcus, are you sure you want to go out so quickly? Don't you think you should rest your leg a little more?" his father asked.

"I've been resting my leg for two months dad and it's a wonder I haven't gone stir crazy already," Marcus replied. "I'm going out; there are those who need me to do my job."

"I can cover your deliveries for you-"

"Please dad, I've never had any accidents going there and it isn't too far," Marcus said, before seeing Sonya waiting for him. "I think Sonya's getting anxious too. Sonya, come here girl," he called and she bolted towards him. He crouched down and let her come up to lick his face and nuzzle him. "Hey there girl, are you ready to go out for a run?" he asked as he rubbed her ears. She barked back, wagging her tail and he took that as a yes. His younger sister Maddie gave Sonya few pats before going over to Steele to give him a big hug – a hug that was a little too tight for the his liking. He whined in protest and tried to pull away from her.

"Maddie, let the poor dog go, I don't think he enjoys it," her father urged, and she let go, allowing him to come up and get an ear rub from Marcus. Despite the attention, Steele could tell that Marcus still favored Sonya, but at least he was a lot gentler with him.

"Don't look so grumpy about it; at least she likes you," Sonya said.

"Yeah, but she always squeezes too hard, just like all little kids. That's why I don't like them much," Steele grumbled.

"You don't like kids do you… well that certainly explains something about you," she replied.

"Just what do you mean by that?" he muttered, but she didn't reply. Steele was not the only one who could get under the other's skin.

"Are you sure there's no way I can talk you out of this?" Marcus's father asked.

"Positive. Besides, I'll have these two to look after me," he replied, holding the two dogs close to him.

Finally, his father let out a sigh and relented. "Fine, but it will be there and back, no other adventures. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I know, and I'll be careful," Marcus said. "Besides, it's a perfect day for sledding."

"It may seem nice now, but it might not be that way when you get out on the trail," his father cautioned. "It's April now and it's starting to warm up. There isn't much left of this year's sledding season."

"All the more reason for me to get out while I still can," Marcus put in.

"I know, but you need to know that there's already snow that's starting to turn to slush, which will make traveling tougher. Also, the rivers are starting to thaw and nothing's more dangerous to a sled team than a rushing river filled with icy meltwater." his father continued.

"I know and I'll be fine. Remember, I've been learning from the best," Marcus replied.

"Well, I may not be the absolute best… just be careful when you're out there okay?" his father replied, and Marcus nodded. Jonathan may have tried his hand at sled-dog racing a few times, but he'd never managed to pull off a win. He hadn't tried in the past few years, mostly due to the disappearance of his favorite lead dog Amak three years ago. 'However, now I've got Steele on my side. With his speed and Sonya's wits, then maybe… just maybe…' he thought, his mind starting to drift towards fantasies of grandeur.

With that, Marcus went to get the sled together, finding the dogs already up and willing to go thanks to Sonya rousing them. Being able to walk around easily was wonderful for him, as he'd spent the last two months restricted with crutches to get around. He was a kid that grew up with sledding, watching his dad go off on trips all around the Alaskan bush, and always wanting to be in motion. He wanted to go out and explore on his own, be it for fun or for his work. During the past couple of years, Marcus earned some money by traveling to a nearby Inuit settlement to trade surplus meat for the local butcher. He'd developed a friendship with the Inuit there, and was itching to go out and see them again. Putting together Sonya, Steele, Jake, Bruno and Misha, he was soon ready to go.

"Alright, everyone's here and ready to go?" Sonya asked. She got answers like 'here' or 'ready' from everyone except…

"Oops, I'm not here," Steele said, even though he was directly behind Sonya. She looked back, and he only gave her a cheeky grin. Shaking her head, she ignored him and waited for Marcus to get on.

"Alright guys, hike!" he called out, and they went off, with Sonya leading the way out of town. As Jonathan had warned, there was extra resistance from the slush on the ground, but the team was able to compensate, each pulling an extra bit harder to get them moving. This was where Steele's raw power would come in handy.

'He may still have his attitude, but at least he's helpful during sled runs,' Sonya thought. 'And while he still enjoys pushing my buttons, at least he's toned it down to the point where it's not that bad. Besides, it's not like I can't prank him back too.'

---

The settlement that they were looking for was about a dozen miles away from town, meaning they could get there and back in the space of a few hours. Loaded in the sled were some blankets, trapping snares, and a few other odds and ends that Marcus would trade to the Inuit for the surplus meat they wished to give. The load wasn't heavy and they skimmed easily over the snow cover. However, as Marcus had said earlier, it wouldn't be that way for much longer. There had already been a few days where the temperature poked a degree or two above freezing, turning the top-most layer of snow into slush. The slush hampered their progress a little, but not enough to cause a major problem as there was much more snow underneath. Overall, it was a very good day for sledding, and all involved were thoroughly enjoying it.

"Isn't this great? And to think that you wanted to sleep in Steele," Sonya said.

"Yeah, but I probably wouldn't have missed much anyways. This is going to be a short delivery," he replied. "Just another day at the office."

"That 'office' happens to be some of the most beautiful wilderness in the world," she put in. "Take a look around you, what do you see?"

"Snow, trees… snow on trees," he said flatly.

"Aw c'mon Steele, why the grumpy mood?" Jake asked.

"I don't know… I guess it's just not as exciting without another team to race," Steele replied. "It doesn't have the thrill I'm used to, the competition."

"Well if