straight up and stopped laughing immediately. Steele grinned, "I might something out of you after all." Rachel walked up to her dad and bowed her head and ran up to her mother to lick her face. A strange man suddenly appeared with her fathers owner. "That the only male left?" The stranger asked, Steele's owner nodded, "Are you interested in the female? She's a great puppy and she always put her siblings in place." The strangers looked at Rachel and dissmissed the idea with a wave of his hand. Rachel growled and walked to her father to sit next to him, "Just you wait!" She thought, "When you see me beat all your sled dogs you'll wish you got me!"

*                 *                          *                       *                   *                             *                  *

Rachel woke up to shuffling and look up, her mother looked very sad and her father very upset. Rachel stood up curious what was going on, then the thought hit her harder then a sled. "After the last of the pups found their new home, then your mother and I will split." She remembered her father say to her, her siblings, and her mom. Rachel ran up to her mother and made a high pitched wail, "Please dont leave!" Steele growled, "Show some pride!" Rachel tried to stop seeming pitiful but sadness was still in her voice, "You will at least come to my races won't you?" Vanessa stared at her daughter and nuzzled her for the last time, "I'll try to be there for your first one, but my owner has decided to leave Nome soon." Sorrow cracked Vanessa's voice, "Goodbye my little warrior." Vanessa ran out the door where her master was.

"MOMMY! DON'T GO!" Rachel screeched, she couldn't hold back the tears any longer and when the door closed she started sobbing. And believe it or not Steele let out the tiniest whimper of regret, then growled firecely, "Come on stop sobbing like a miserable lost kitten!" Rachel couldn't control herself but eventually stopped crying. She suddenly got the most determined look on her face that showed she was ready too grow up instead of being a little defenseless pup. She looked up at her father and barked, "Let's go!"