champions.

"Don't give up, this is what you were born to do!" the other husky called. The ground became a blur beneath his feet as he charged forward, the following signal flares going off above their heads in rapid succession. Staying neck and neck with him was the other husky, but Balto was determined to beat him to the finish. He charged forward into the city streets, the crowd roaring on either side, cheering him on. Just a few yards ahead was the finish, and above the noise of the crowd he heard a howl ring out. His eyes instinctively darted upwards, and he saw a dark shape flying above him. It didn't take him long to recognise it as a raven, one that he was very familiar with by now.

"Balto."

The voice was soothing, but it was not from the raven. It instantly put him at ease, making him feel as though he was barely running at all. A warm breeze started to blow, very unusual for that time of year, but he didn't mind. It was like a warm embrace, soothing his weary body. His cares started to fall away, replaced with thoughts of how good it felt to just lie within the warmth. His legs no longer heaved against the ground, and the world around him started to dissolve into nothing but a blur.

----------

"Balto…"

"Hm?"

Something soft was caressing his neck, and the blurred shapes started to refocus into the small shed he was lying in. The soft caresses continued until something settled down on his neck. He turned his head and saw a pair of deep brown eyes staring into his own amber pair. They belonged to a red husky lying at his side, the warmth coming from her body pressed up against his. The red contrasted the pale fur on her underside and muzzle, and was further complimented by a bright orange bandana hung around her neck. She smiled a moment, content just to be with him.

"Good morning, Jenna," he greeted.

"Morning handsome," she said softly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Heavenly," he replied, rolling over so he could return her nuzzle. No matter what, the feel of her fur was the same as it was almost two years ago, when they first admitted their love for each other. He took a deep breath of her scent, while she just rested her head in his thick brown pelt. It never surprised them how much comfort could come simply through another's touch, but that was part of what made them love each other so much.

"I could tell from here," she giggled. "Were you having that dream again?"

"Yep."

"Do you know who that husky is now?"

"Nope."

"So did you make it to the finish this time?"

He let out a sigh, before replying, "Nope."

She rubbed his neck a few more times, before breaking off. He was wearing a blank face now, which told her he was trying to sort through this. "I'm sure you'll pass it some day," she added, trying to comfort him.

"I know... at least these dreams are nowhere near as bad as the ones last year," he said. The dreams he was referring to were ones that had taunted him since before their pups had been born, over a year and a half ago. In them, he'd see a collapsing ice field, a pack of mysterious wolves, and the raven, the same raven from these dreams. That dream was much more unsettling, jarring him awake in the mornings and interfering with his sleep. However, that was because the message it carried was urgent, and was only understood by him just in time.

He was supposed to give aid to a pack of wolves facing starvation, which he only encountered because he was giving chase to his young daughter Aleu, who had run away. At first, all he wanted was to go home and get his daughter to safety, but when he understood the true meaning of it, he knew what he should do. When the time came, he aided the pack, and in the process, allowed his young daughter to leave and find her own place in this world.

That was almost four months ago, but there were still times where Balto would stop and wonder about her. 'Is she safe? Is she happy? Does she still think about her mother and father?'he thought, before getting up. He stretched out his over-sized paws and yawned widely, revealing his large, powerful jaws. After his stretch, he shook his thick brown fur a little to get any dust out, before trotting over for a quick drink from the nearby water bowl. It was technically hers, but she didn't mind, as they had agreed to share it long ago.

Jenna soon got up and stretched as well, just as Balto pushed the door to her shed open. He took a moment on the threshold to reflect on everything that had brought him to today, "Do you ever wonder about her, Jenna? Aleu, I mean," he asked.

"Of course, but every time I do, I remember that she's our daughter. She inherited great strength from both of us. No matter what, I'm sure she'll be fine," she replied, joining him at the door. She rubbed his muzzle with her nose, hoping to ease his worries.

"Thanks... I could always count on you to be the optimist,"

"She's living her dream Balto... and soon you will get a chance to live yours," she added. The light that streamed in was the first light of the morning, and it reflected off the small metal ring hanging from the leather strap around his neck, making it glint. It was a simple collar, but for him it was so much more. It was a symbol of how his dreams would become reality very soon.

The sky was bright orange from the sun that was barely peeking over the horizon. For many it was still too early to be up, but not for Balto. She joined him at the doorway, and they took a moment just to enjoy the peace of the early morning. It had become their favourite time of the day, as it was the time that held so much potential. It was a time where it was just them, and they could do anything they wished. But just as morning would pass, so would that feeling as they would have to get along with the routine of their day.

They left the shed and trotted along the silent streets, the orange light reflecting off the windows. Occasionally, someone would walk out of one of the buildings to fetch the paper, or to open up their business for the day. The mornings held so much potential for these people too, but in the usual hustle and bustle they often didn't take the time to appreciate it.

'Jenna's right, Aleu is somewhere she feels she belongs. She'll be fine, so I shouldn't get too hung up on it. It will only distract me from what I'm doing now, which is something that I've wanted to do since I was a little pup,' he thought. Much like the morning, his youth had held so much potential. For a time, he thought he knew what he could be after hearing stories about his father from his mother, and seeing what sled dogs could do for himself.

"They're so fast; I wanna be as fast as them! I'm gonna be a racing dog. I'm gonna be the fastest and the strongest of them all and I can be champion for you, momma, just like dad."

The stories of strong sled dogs braving the elements and competing against each other instantly captured his young imagination. He dreamed about being a racing champion and making his mother proud, but after a while, it started to look like that dream would never be realised. His mother went hunting one morning, but never returned. He was left an orphan, and when he went into town, all he met was hostility for being part wolf. He was pushed aside as an outcast, crushing his dream of ever running on a dog team, much less winning a race. His hopes were dimmed, but a small spark of them remained, sustained by the thrill he got of watching dog teams come in to Nome.

He may not have been a sled dog then, but a series of events would lead to him not only run with, but to lead a dog team. It was almost two years ago that diphtheria broke out amongst many of the town's children. The team sent to fetch the medicine had gotten lost on the return trip, so Balto rose to the occasion. He wasn't doing it for glory or fame - he did it simply to help a little girl he'd developed a soft spot for. Despite his humble intent, he was hailed a hero when he returned with the medicine, paving the way for his acceptance in the town. However, the one thing he cherished most was the place he earned in Jenna's heart. Born out of the friendship they had as pups, it gradually grew into the absolute love they now held for each other. By now, the townspeople had gotten used to seeing him accompany her while walking around the town. Even her owners sometimes joked that he may as well be their second dog. However, for the time being he was under the care of someone else for a much greater purpose.

They soon crossed the town, finding a small cabin with a large yard behind it. In the yard were many small doghouses. He and Jenna took care to walk quietly, not wanting to disturb the occupants.

"I hope nobody noticed that you slipped away for the night," she said.

"Eh, I don't think they'd mind. As long as I'm back here in time, I'll be fine," he replied.

"Yeah, we'll try to not be too jealous of you." The nonchalant voice came from one of the doghouses to their left, and they turned to find a familiar tan muzzle poking out. The speaker quickly emerged, a tan sled dog that resembled a husky, but was actually a Chinook, a still emerging breed of sled dog.

"Jealous? You? Naw, what's there for you to be jealous about, Kaltag?" Balto kidded, earning a chuckle from the other dog.

"Oh not much, just the fact that you have the greatest girl in town while most of us here are still single."

"That still sounds like jealousy," Jenna