replied.

"Do you really think the other teams are in danger?" Kaltag asked.

"I don't think so, but I'm not leaving anything to chance here," he replied. "It's very likely that this is just a one off event where some lone wolf reacted defensively."

"Biting and snarling are one thing defensively, but that's not how they described it. They said it attacked them without any provocation," the burly malamute added.

"You know as well as I do that sled dogs can exaggerate with their stories, and their fear probably isn't sharpening their memory either," Balto countered. "If this is a one-off thing, then we're probably already safe just by being here and past the wolf's territory. That means we can continue the race without any more trouble."

"But what if there is more trouble? Even if what attacked them doesn't follow us, what if there are other wolf packs along the way?" a younger husky asked.

"Now hang on, I've been running in this race for years and we haven't had any trouble with wolves attacking teams before," Kaltag pointed out.

"Even if there were, it's unlikely you would see them," Balto continued. "When faced with dogs, wolves are more likely to lay low and play it safe. Contrary to what you might think, wolves actually don't like picking a fight unless they feel they have no choice." Another dog was quick to open their mouth, but Balto quickly cut him off. "Just trust me on this one - I know what I'm talking about when it comes to wolves. I know them."

"Yeah, the mutt here knows them so well he could probably call them for a big party," A snide voice cut in. Coming around a cabin was Steele, a smirk on his muzzle.

"Where were you?" Sonya barked. "You shouldn't run off like that."

"Who are you, my mother?" he retorted.

"No, but I'm your lead dog, and it's my job to make sure everyone of my team is safe."

"HA! You think I need you to keep me safe? Wow, not only are you a nag, but you're delusional too." Sonya raised her hackles, but Steele refused to flinch. "What's everyone doing up? Having a late-night class about how wonderful and special wolves are?"

"No, it's actually something more serious. One of the teams got attacked on the trail. We think it was a lone wolf they crossed paths with," Balto explained.

"You don't say? Well I guess it goes to show that not all wolves can be trusted."

"Oh shove it Steele. Balto and Sonya ain't anything like that," Kaltag spat.

"Whatever - I guess it was these stupid dogs' fault for being so careless anyways."

"Just where do you get off saying things like that?" the malamute put in. "Their lead got hurt badly and they might have to pull out of the race. Don't you care about that at all?"

"Why should I? They're not on my team, and if they have to go, then it's just one less competitor to deal with," Steele snidely replied. "Just shows how lame a team is if they can't even last a day out here."

"Hey, it's not their fault they got attacked," Balto countered. "We can't change what happened to them - all we can do is stay vigilant and keep each other safe."

"Yeah, you'd better watch out, because the boogeywolf will come and get you too!" Steele cackled, letting out a mock howl before darting away, laughing his head off.

There was a pause after that, before Kaltag asked, "Can I beat him up? Please?"

"No," Balto replied.

"Aw c'mon; just one good sock across the face?" But Balto held firm - he didn't want anyone to lash out at Steele if they didn't need to. The other dogs returned to their teams, and as Balto and Kaltag settled, there was something troubling the Chinook's mind.

"Hey, Balto, is it just me or did Steele seem more callous than usual?" he asked. "I don't think I've ever seen a dog have such apathy towards another team."

"Except this is Steele we're talking about, remember?" Balto replied. "The only time he'd be interested in someone else was if they were wearing a mirror."

"Yeah, but it was like he wasn't even surprised or had any interest in how another team was savagely beaten."

"I know, but that's just who he is," Balto said. "Besides, it's not like Steele could actually go out and pull something like this himself - he'd easily get caught."

Kaltag was silent as he thought Balto's words over, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else with Steele. The husky had just wandered off and only showed up hours later, not caring about what had just happened. All that together just rubbed him the wrong way and started to raise his suspicion. 'Not to mention that he's gone out of his way to derail a team before,' he thought. It was only a hunch now, but it was frightening enough to the Chinook to make him wish it were wrong.

"Are you sure you don't want me to beat him up?"

"Go to sleep, Kal."

----------

The next morning brought some sobering news. The lead dog suffered two broken legs along with a possible fractured rib. He was unable to run and it would take far too long for him to heal. He needed immediate medical attention, and that meant his team would have to return to Fairbanks to get it. Turning back with their lead unable to run would leave them unable to catch up to any of the racers. The only option left was forfeit, destroying their short-lived dream of running in the derby.

The news came just as Balto was gearing up with his team. The three teams ahead of them had already left, and a race official stood nearby, pocket watch in hand, timing their departure down to the second. As the final straps were tightened, Balto mulled over his thoughts about the previous night. He knew there was always the risk of getting hurt. There were scores of natural hazards out there, and if they weren't careful, they too could find themselves in a tight spot.

He spotted Sonya walking down the street, taking a brief morning jog before her team's time to go. "Hey, Sonya," he called, and she came over to him. "Did you hear the news?."

"I did; it's terrible that they only got a day in before they had to pull out. Hopefully no one else will get hurt," she replied.

"With a race like this, things are bound to happen. Trust me, they won't be the last to forfeit," Kaltag added. "But you are right, it's not fair that they only got a day in."

"But that doesn't mean we can't be careful," Balto continued. "I want you to look after your team. Watch out for anything and keep them close - even Steele."

"Why him? I'd rather keep my distance from him if I can."

"I know, but he's still a part of your team, and he can get hurt in this."

"Okay… I'll see what I can do," she replied, albeit a little hesitantly. While she didn't like having Steele around if she could avoid it, she still decided to take Balto's advice. With something like this, it was always better to play on the side of caution.

"Fifteen seconds!" the official said, and Sonya cleared the way for them. At the call of the official, their musher called 'hike!' and they were off, racing ahead to catch up with those ahead of them, leaving Sonya in the street to watch them fade towards the horizon.

"You be careful too, Balto. I'd hate to lose another friend."

----------

The route to the next checkpoint in Tanana was a lot more straightforward than yesterday's leg of the race, but that was offset by the slightly higher risk involved. Part of the route was a valley in between two steep mountain cliffs. The fact that it was a straight road made it easier, but every now and then they would glance nervously at the cliffs above them. Heavy snow and ice hung precariously from the edges; it wouldn't take much to knock it loose and send a surge of snow cascading down on them. A narrow channel like this would only focus an avalanche further, giving them no room to escape. Even if there wasn't an avalanche, the high cliff would be the perfect perch to launch an ambush. It was places like this that made the derby so dangerous, and Balto kept his ears tuned at maximum, listening for any possible danger.

"Now this is a great day for sleddin'. We're makin' great time too. Hey Balto, are we catchin' up to the next team?" Nikki cut in, briefly breaking Balto's focus. Despite his attention, Balto had been barely aware that they were in fact making significant headway in the race. Taking a quick sniff of the ground, he found the trail left by the team ahead was much fresher than that morning; they were getting closer.

"Yep, I'd say we're no more than a few minutes behind," Balto replied, earning a few excited barks from the team. Their mirth helped break his gloomy mood, and he decided to let himself enjoy the ride. 'What happened last night has got me jumping at shadows when I should be focusing on just having fun with the guys out here. Teams sometimes get into trouble; that's a fact of the race. We all knew the risks when we got into this, but there can't be any boogeywolf following us.' No sooner had that thought formed than something caught the corner of his eye. It was only for a fleeting moment, but there was