you, so what?" Kodi said. "I got dog and wolf in me." he continued. "My big brother's going out with a girl who's part wolf." Dakota added. "I don't know any wolves, but I like howling, it makes me feel big." Jasper cued. Balto smiled at Max. "See? Everyone's got wolf in them."

Max smiled at them, and at himself. It was good to know there were people he could trust. Balto looked down on him proudly. He turned to his little red and white son. "Kodiak, would you mind showing him around town?" Balto asked politely.

"Yeah, that over there's the vet, the animal doctor, you'll go there when you get hurt or poorly." Kodi chatted as they walked slowly down East Third Avenue. He pointed to an even larger building with a towering point that made him dizzy to look at it. "And that's the church." he informed. "What is that?" Max walked up to a strange wooden object. "You ain't seen a sled before?" Balto asked. "No. What's it do?" he said, eyeing it all over. "Humans use it to carry mail and supplies around the state. Dogs pull it when they're tied to ropes in it." Max raised an eyebrow. "That sounds painful." he chatted naively. Balto laughed. "It doesn't hurt you. You just pull it along when you run." Max sighed in understanding. "Wanna try it out?" he requested.

After waiting long enough for a reply, Balto helped to strap him in. "Ugh, are you sure about this?" he asked. "You'll be fine. Just run around for a while but don't turn too sharply." he informed. Max started jogging. Suddenly, something inside him snapped. He enjoyed it. "I could get used to this." he thought, smiling to himself. Eventually, after running around a few minutes, he came back to his friends, tingling with adrenaline. "How'd that feel?" Balto asked curiously but expecting a specific answer. "Really good!" Maxwell said, surprised. "Better than me when I started first." he laughed. "You keep practicing that and within about a year you'll be a champion racer." he advised. Max smiled. Now he had something that he could live his life around, a hobby.

Balto unfastened him. "Nome is a really nice place! My dad told me about it the day that he... you know." he explained slowly. 

There came a whistle. A human, on the other side of the street, was calling Balto over. Balto barked happily. He looked at the pups. "Kids, can I trust you to look after Max for a few hours while I go the vets?" he asked clearly. All of them nodded. Balto brushed the top of Max's head. "If anything bad happens, come and get me or Jenna. See you later!" he said, before running off with the human.

The gang of puppies started walking again through the streets, chatting their usual small talk. But their cheerful talking was interrupted, when a trio of huskies jumped in front of them out of nowhere, and blocked their way forward.

"Hey dere widdle puppies." one of them laughed in an immature, sarcastic tone. Jasper sighed. "Go away." he threatened. The larger of the three came up to the brave one, and huffed. "Go ahead, then. Make me go away." Maxwell now knew it was evident that the three didn't get on well with them. A small but aggressive looking husky leaned forward, and sniffed Maxwell. "Who's that?" he asked rudely. "Umm, Max...?" he answered unsurely. The small husky coughed in his face. "You don't smell right. What breed are you?" the leader demanded. "I'm a wolf-dog..." Max stuttered fearfully. After a second of silence, the gang burst into laughter. "Science experiment gone wrong!" one of them joked between his giggles. 

"Leave him alone! What's he done to you?" Dusty argued. One of the bullies leaned up to her and towered over her, but she didn't back down. "I know you're a tiny and stupid pup, but by now you should know that we don't like half casts on our turf." the small husky answered. He pinched her nose gently, as if to get an understand. Still, there wasn't even as much as a flinch. The big husky eyed the small black and white pup.

"Now, listen kid. We're dogs, you're a half-dog. You're not welcome here, no-one wants you here, and if you stay, things are gonna get rough." Kirby leapt in between the two. "Back off! He's just lost his parents!" he defended. The lead dog smiled aggressively. "Who cares?" he replied. "We don't want him, so who would??" he growled. 

Maxwell opened his mouth to attempt a comeback, but sadness overcame him, and he ran away, his face soaking in tears. He didn't even know where he was running. Instinct was conquering him, but couldn't erase the emotions. The three huskies looked at each other, laughing and celebrating and then walking off. The puppies themselves looked at each other. 

"Balto!!!" they all yelled simultaneously.

Max weaved through the streets. Some time passed before he eventually found the kennel, and, throwing the dog flap open, he dived into his basket, threw the covers over himself and ignored the world. It was now only him and his memories. His tears soaked into the blanket like a sponge. 

After a while, he heard a creak. A tidal wave of moonlight flooded in. Max had been inside the kennel for longer than he thought. He couldn't help but turn to see who was there. It was Balto, and the pups. Max payed little attention, and resumed his weeping. 

Comfortingly, Balto came up to him and rubbed his back. "It's okay, Max. Let it out." he hummed. "Sorry Balto... I can't stop crying..." he whined. Balto lifted up his chin so he could look up easier. "Max, crying is the strongest thing to do at a time like this. Max, when my mum died and when my dad left me, I cried, actually I cried harder than you did." Balto confessed. Max looked up into his eyes. Balto nodded. "It's perfectly fine to cry. Just letting out the steam, that's all it is." he mumbled. "I miss my mum and dad so much..." he bawled. Balto stroked the top of his head, and quietly shushed him. "Max, those bullies have been taught a lesson. They won't bother you again for a long time if they know what's good for them." Balto whispered comfortingly. Max attempted a smile, but failed again. Kodi walked up to him, and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Don't be upset about it. They're only bullies." he whispered. Maxwell coughed. "Sorry Kodi but... I can't stop... not like this..." he sobbed. Narrowing his eyes, somehow Kodi grunted in irritation.

"I know you're sad about your mum and dad but just quit over-reacting!" he suddenly yelled. Max was struck hard by his words. "You're just as bad as those bullies, you know that?!" Max argued. "Just quit thinking that we're gonna go easy on you only 'cos you haven't got your crossbreed parents!" Kodi yelled. Balto, gobsmacked in the background, shook his head at him slowly. Maxwell looked away. "Max, I, uh..." Kodi stammered, realizing what he had just said. Maxwell covered his view with a paw. "Max..." Kodi asked again. "YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT ME TO FREEZE!!!" Max suddenly yelled. All of them backed up. His eyes damped again and he charged out weeping. He heard Kodi call for him, but he was too grief-stricken to take notice. Even when he called him a second time he still didn't stop. "Leave me alone!" he cried, heading for the Centre of the town. Kodi sat in silence. Dusty and the others were also shocked. His father walked up to him like a tyrantic giant. He looked down on him as a strict teacher would to a student. "Kodiak. I want you to think about what you said. And what you'll say to him when he comes back."

Chapter 4

Any living being with senses can tell that a quiet and dark alleyway beholds a surprise. Maxwell lay between two barrels crying, his paws over his eyes. "How could he say that to me?" he whimpered to himself. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?" a black and white husky asked. He looked friendly enough to talk to. "I thought I had friends, but they proved me wrong." he mumbled. "Same happened to me. I'm Steele." the stranger held out a paw. Max shook him. "Maxwell." he replied. "You must be new here, I've never met you before." Steele remarked. He sat down next to the pup. "Yeah, I got adopted." he said sheepishly. "Oh really? Where's your parents?" he asked politely. Maxwell's heart sank deep and he turned away. "Oh, sorry. And what's up with your so-called friends?" he asked again. His deep and dry and repetitive voice was starting to annoy him. He sighed. "They were making fun of me because I'm part wolf." he confessed. "What, you're part wolf aswell?" Steele jumped up. "Yeah." he sighed again. "Not another half-cast." Steele mumbled to himself. "What, is there something wrong?" Max asked, naively. "Yeah, there is. Half breeds ruined my life." "How come?" he asked naively and curiously. "That lowlife wolf-dog Balto. He took away my glory, my pride, my title, everything!" he slammed his fist into the floor. Max flinched. "What's wrong with Balto?

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