across the land. It ran parallel to them, glancing towards them for a moment before continuing on its way. From the distance, he couldn't make out any details of it, but he couldn't ignore how it resembled the wolf from Ruby… 'Wait a minute-'

"Hey Steele, what's got you so interested?" the question from Jake snapped him out of his trance, and glanced over at the curious swing dog.

"Huh? Oh, it's-" he glanced to the side again, but the wolf was gone, as though it was never there in the first place. "It was… nah, it was nothing," he fibbed.

"Are you sure? It could have been whatever Sonya smelled earlier," Jake offered, but Steele shook his head. Despite the sighting, he was reluctant to raise the alarm for something that had vanished so quickly.

'Should I tell them what it was? It might've been the attacker again… or it might just be another wild lobo. I've always thought there were too many of them running around. Even if it was the attacker, then wouldn't it have gone after us? Besides, we haven't seen any sign of it for days. We probably left it behind in the mountains,' he thought, turning his focus back on the road. 'Would it hurt to mention it? They might need the warning… or Sonya might think I'm just trying to cause a panic. Not to mention if I'm wrong, then I'd look pretty stupid, wouldn't I? That smug Balto would just love that, or even worse, he might take the credit for himself... and I'm not going to give him that satisfaction.'

----------

Arriving in White Mountain that evening was like receiving a hero's welcome for them. Friends and family greeted them warmly, and the fact that they were in the lead only added to their mirth. The end was in sight, and as Balto and his team rolled in, Jonathan and Gunnar simply nodded at each other, knowing that the final dash would decide who was the better of the two racers.

It wasn't long before the dogs were trying to cram into the boiler room beside the post office. There was only so much space to go around, meaning those who didn't arrive in time had to find somewhere else to meet. Despite the number of dogs inside, the mood was quite festive. Many of the town dogs wanted to know what it was like first-hand, and the teams present were more than eager to share their stories. Steele himself tried to spin a tale about how he once had to outrun a stampeding herd of moose, but after Sonya mentioned something about moose actually being solitary animals, he settled on just sitting and listening to other dogs talk.

To his side was another group of dogs he recognized from town. They were the mail team, tasked with delivering letters between the remote towns in Alaska. He'd seen them a few times, but there was also a newcomer with them: A lean red husky, young and still in training, but eager to run with them. All their attention was drawn to one dog, but when he heard whose voice it was, it made him scowl. It was Balto, giving them tips for running a race.

"But which is better: Pacing yourself or getting an early advantage?" the young one asked. For Steele that was an easy answer - get the lead and never give it up - but Balto had something different in mind.

"Ah, that's a really good question, Kodi," he replied. "The things is, each method has its pros and cons, and works differently for each dog. Personally, I prefer a balanced approach with a slight twist. You try to get an early lead first, but then pace yourself later on to avoid tiring out. That way, you can be fresh for a final dash at the end, and if your early lead was good enough, it could win the race. In fact, it's what I'm doing right now."

"And yet you're still only in second place," Steele smirked, loud enough to catch their attention. Balto glanced over to Steele, but wasn't about to be rattled by his comments.

"I'm in second - for now," he countered. "A lot can change on the last day."

"Oh? Just admit it - you're going up against a former champion. I'm probably the bravest and most brilliant dog out here, and- "He stopped when heard a quiet snickering beside him, and found it was the smaller husky, who seemed to think his words were quite funny. "And just what are you laughing about, pipsqueak?"

"Oh it's nothing - it's just what I've heard about you is true after all," he said.

"Really? So you have heard about how brave and brilliant I am?"

"Not exactly - I've heard a lot about how you tend to exaggerate about yourself, though," he replied. "Isn't that right guys?" It wasn't long before a few of the team were chuckling in agreement. Steele grumbled at having everything turned around by this annoying pup, and needed a way to salvage the situation.

"Oh yeah? We'll I'd like to see a little pup like you run a race like this!" he snapped.

"Hey! I'm not a pup! Just another year and I'll be running with a team too!" the young husky protested. "Who knows, we just might be running in this race next year!"

"There's no need to get snappy here," Balto urged, but the two dogs ignored him.

"Ha, fat chance! You'd never be able to run in any race - you're nothing but a little runt!" Steele barked, caused the young pup to flinch. Kodi looked down at the ground, ears flat, making Steele think he'd finally achieved victory.

Balto could tell Kodi was shaken by those words, and was quick to intervene. "I wouldn't be too quick to say that. You may not know this, but Kodi's actually come a long way from when he was smaller."

"Oh really, and how would you know that?" Steele asked, but Balto ignored him, instead turning his attention to the crestfallen rookie.

"Don't listen to him - he doesn't know what you're fully capable of," he comforted. "I know that you're just as good as him or anyone else here."

"No, it's okay," Kodi mumbled, trying to piece together his courage. "I know Steele isn't all he's cracked up to be anyways. I know that under all that is nothing but a big liar!"

"Why you little - I'm better than that," Steele growled.

"No you aren't! I know what you did to your team. I know you're a cheat and a sneak! Ever since I was small, I heard about what you did, and how you turned against your own team just because they did something you didn't like," Kodi continued. "I know how bad of a dog you are, and I'm going to make sure everyone else in this town knows too!"

"Kodi, don't! Let me handle this," Balto urged.

"But dad, I thought you said that Steele shouldn't be trusted at all!" Kodi protested, albeit a little too loudly. Most of the room ended up overhearing it, and fell silent.

All eyes were now on them, as Steele glared at the husky, then to Balto, who looked a lot like someone whose secret had just been spilled. For Steele, this indignation only confirmed something he'd long felt towards the half-wolf. "So that's how it is. You claim to want to make things better, but at the same time you've been telling only the worst about me to your little mongrel spawn."

"It's not that simple," Balto protested. "Just… stay out of this for a moment, could ya?" he said, before turning to Kodi. "Come on, we're taking a walk," he said, turning to leave. Kodi opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp glance from his father compelled him to comply. The two started down the street, with Kodi acting a lot more subdued now. While what Steele had said was certainly uncalled for, Balto certainly didn't condone the way his son reacted to it either.

"I know what Steele said was harsh, but there are always better ways to deal with it," he lectured. "You put me in a very awkward situation back there."

"But I thought you said it was always good for others to know the truth," Kodi innocently protested.

"Yes, but there are some cases where the line between being truthful, and revealing too much is very thin. Steele is one of those cases," Balto lectured. "You know how I taught you and your siblings that there are some times where you know something embarrassing about someone else, and that it's rude to say it out loud." Kodi nodded, allowing Balto to continue his lesson. "Well, this is one of those times. Yes, what Steele did was terrible, but that was years ago. It's time to move beyond that."

There was a short pause, before Kodi mumbled, "He called me a runt," his waver speaking volumes of how that word hurt him so much.

Balto could only sympathize with him, because he knew how hard it had been for him. Kodi was the smallest of the litter, and was often left behind because he couldn't keep up with his siblings. It left him feeling like he would never be good enough because of his size, something his father always tried to help him with. At every chance they could, they would run along the beach, with Balto slowing his pace so Kodi could keep up. This helped instill confidence in his son, and as he grew, so did his speed. Bit by bit, Kodi would run ever faster, and soon it came to the point where his father didn't have to restrain himself to allow him to keep up. All he needed was a little nurturing, and Kodi was able to move beyond the limits he thought his size put on him, just as his father had moved beyond the limits his wolf side gave him.

However,