clear of the sled, while Jonathan hugged and kissed his family goodbye.

"See Sonya, I was up bright and early today," Steele said to her from his spot right behind her. "I don't know where you got the idea that I'm lazy in the mornings."

"Sure, just keep telling yourself that," she muttered, remembering the many mornings where he slept in and resisted all attempts to get up. Steele may no longer have been as much of a pain as he used to be, but he still found ways to make things interesting. "How about everyone else - ready to go?" The team replied in earnest, eager to get underway. A few were so excited that they looked ready to pop right out of their harnesses.

"It's finally happening! We're getting back to the derby!" Jake excitedly cried.

"C'mon let's go already!" Steele added. "If we wait too long, we'll miss the start."

"Cool your heels - we have plenty of time," she assured him. "The last thing I need is for you to get all nervous on me before the race has even started."

"Me? Nervous? As if," he scoffed. "I never get nervous about anything."

"Really? Not even about baths?"

"Hey, you can't blame me for not liking the cold water!" The team just laughed at that, before Jonathan got into position on the sled, prompting them to focus forwards.

'Steele may still have his ego, but having him around will help us out… as long as he doesn't do anything stupid,' she thought, right before Jonathan gave the order to go, sending them jolting forward. They were on their way to Fairbanks, and once the race started, they would have to give it their all in order to win. They may have been out of practise, but she trusted her team to pull through no matter what the challenge.

Steele too was amped up for the race. He may not have liked the arrangement at first, but he still had to thank Jonathan for giving him this chance to get his glory back. 'This is it - my moment to shine. I don't care what Sonya says; I'm going to become a champion one way or another. Hopefully the memory of what I did during the serum run has faded away. If I could hide it from these clowns, then it shouldn't be much of a stretch to hide it from everyone else. I'll probably cause cheers just by being there,' he thought, 'Nothing at all will stop me this time, nothing-'

His thought was cut short as they rounded a corner, when something caught his eye. Up high, perched on top of a house was a white shape. He took a quick glance as they passed by, but when he did, his stomach felt like it would drop out from under him. It was the wolf - the white wolf from months ago that gave him a dire warning before vanishing into thin air. She watched him intently, remembering her parting words.

"Only when you put the past behind you, will you regain what you have lost."

"Hey Steele, watcha looking at?" Jake's voice cut in.

"Huh? Oh, nothing… just one last look around the town," he lied. He glanced back at the house, but the wolf was gone, spooking him as much as it did the first time.

'Get a grip, it was just a trick of the light,' he tried to convince himself. 'You've never let a wolf tell you what to do, so why should you start now? You're here to win this race, so you can't get freaked out by every wolf that you see.'

And yet, no matter how many times he told himself that, he still ended up looking over his shoulder every now and then, just to make sure no wolf was following.

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In Nome, the mood was much more celebratory. For the townspeople, seeing their favourite team ready to leave was only the start of an exciting event that would end right where it began. Their hopes were riding not only on their musher, but also on their local hero, the scruffy brown wolfdog in the lead spot. The other dogs shared the excitement, and more than a few were bounding around, their harnesses limiting their movements.

"It's finally happening!" Kaltag cried out. "This is the most exciting, the most electrifying, the most energized-"

"I'm so psyched!" a smaller grey husky named Star cut in, right behind Kaltag. Despite the interruption, all present barked in agreement. They were raring to go, wanting to prove their clout in the biggest race of the year. Even Balto was excited, his tail wagging fast enough that it was a blur, but he still tried to keep things under control.

"Just remember guys, it's not over until we cross the finish," he reminded them.

"But we can win this year! With youse on our side, we're unstoppable!" Nikki replied.

"I know we're all amped up, but Balto has a point. We have a whole race to run before we get to the finish, and we can't afford to get cocky," Kaltag added. "That's what cost us the race the last time, and I don't want to repeat that mistake again."

"Hear, hear," another teammate added.

"So boss, are ya nervous?" Kaltag asked him.

"A bit, but I think I'm too excited to let it get to me," Balto replied. "This may be my first race, but… have I ever told you my father was a racing dog?" Kaltag shook his head and Balto continued his story. "I never got to meet him, but my mother told me about him when I was a pup. She said he was the greatest racing dog she ever knew, and that's why I think I can do this. This is what I was born to do," he finished, echoing the words of the unknown husky from his dreams.

"Well, wherever your old man is, I'm sure he'd be proud of you," Kaltag added, and Balto nodded. It was something he hadn't felt very often in his life, but this time he wished his father was there, to see him ready to live up to his full potential.

"Looks like someone's comin' to see youse off," Nikki said, and Balto turned to see Jenna trotting up the street to see him.

"Hey there Jen," he greeted, as she gave him a warm nuzzle.

"It's your big day Balto," she whispered in his ear. "Please be careful."

"Hey, I'm always careful," he replied, breaking off the nuzzle and giving her a wide smile. "No matter what, I'll always run my hardest for you, and I will come back to you. I promise… and I'll come back a winner, too."

"You could come back in last for all I care - all I want is for you to be safe," she said, before giving his muzzle a quick lick. "Good luck."

"Hey, what about us?" Kaltag put in. "Can we have a kiss for luck too?" This caused a few chuckles with the team, but Jenna just raised her brow at him.

"Really? Nice try," she said, giving Balto one more nuzzle to show her devotion to him.

"Don't mind them, they're just excited about today too," he assured her. "I'll still miss you. It won't be the same without you around to cuddle," he said, giving her a sheepish grin, letting one ear droop to the side.

"I'm sure you'll manage, but if you want, you can have this," she said, before leaning her head down and using her paw to push her bandanna off her neck. Once it was off her, she picked it up and draped it over his head, pushing it properly into place on him. He nuzzled her chin a bit as she did this, appreciating the gesture she was making.

There was only one other time that she'd given him her bandana, and that was two years ago during the serum run. It was shortly after he'd set out to find the team, after they fought off an enraged grizzly bear. She'd been injured in the attack, unable to continue on with him. He volunteered to go on ahead alone, but before they parted, she gave him her bandana to keep warm. While his thick fur was able to withstand biting cold, he still appreciated the gift, and kept it as a reminder of why he was doing this. He was finding the medicine for her and her girl, along with all of the other children who were suffering in Nome. He was doing this to help those in need, and he let that define who he was.

That was what drove him then, but he had different reasons for running in this race. He could have turned down the offer to be lead dog, but in doing so he would be turning his back on the team that helped him during the serum run. For too long, his life had been dictated as an outcast thanks to Steele. After his great deed, things started to change, and the team moved on, but they still lived in the shadow of their former lead. They wouldn't be able to emerge past it without proving they could win without Steele. To do that, they needed his help. He was running this race to help his friends, and to discover a part of himself as well. He was descended not only from proud wolves, but great racing dogs, and now he would make that part of himself proud. His wolf half had been brought to peace, and now it was time to make his being whole.

A crowd had gathered to see them off, and it wasn't long before their musher arrived, finished his preparations and took his position on the sled. There were cheers and waves from all sides, and as the energy washed over him, Balto let out a loud howl, which was soon matched by his team behind him. They howled to announce to the world that they weren't going down without a fight, and once the order was given, they bolted off, with him rushing towards what he'd been dreaming of since he was a pup.

'Good luck Balto, and if you ever lose your way, think of me.'

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Chapter Four: An Unexpected