Chapter 3 – Dingo

“I wanted to be on the sled team,” Dingo finally began, “but that’s the part you knew already.  I knew it was Dad’s dream, and I used to ride Kyle around in the single-dog sled like Mom said she did with her human.  Kyle believed in me a little too much, and his dad had connections with the lead musher, so he wanted me to try out for the sled team.  I guess…at the time…I was blinded by what they wanted.  I wanted to make him happy, and I thought I could do it, so…”

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Nome, Alaska

Several months earlier, early 1928

The panoramic view of the several simple streets of Nome was lightly warmed by the fading winter of the beginning of the year.  The exteriors of the wood and glass houses were bustling with a few good spectators and barking dogs of many varying breeds, as today was an unusual day.  Balto, as apart from the town as he usually is, still knew this very well.  Both the wolf-dog and Boris ventured into the town through its darkened outskirts and back alleys, just like they used to do before the pariah had become a hero.

“Well Balto, today must be special day for you!”

“And why is that?” the wolf-dog answered, looking back curiously at the waddling goose.

“Why else?  Not one, but two of the hero of Nome’s three sons are trying out for the sled team today!”

“Oh, well of course.  The last two even, seeing as Juno is already on the team in White Mountain.  It seems all three of them want what I wanted.  That’s why we’re going to see Kodi and Dingo, remember?”

“Yes, yes.  Did you wish them luck?”

“Well, I did with Kodi.  I couldn’t with Dingo…you know how his owners feel about me.”

“Ah, yes…”

Balto kept moving through the alley and past the familiar broken fencing and pots, while Boris on the other hand had stopped and lifted a feathered hand to his chin in thought.

“Perhaps you could tell him yourself…before the race.”

Balto stopped and looked back to the goose, then hung his head as it gained the weight of doubt.

“I don’t know, it would-…would be kind of awkward don’t you think?  Just pop out of nowhere and talk to him after so long…”

“When they strap him in, he would likely be a distance from owners.”

“Well that’s true, but…do you think now is really the time?”

“If it isn’t, when is the time?  How do you know you’ll get other chance?”

Balto said nothing and looked to the main street ahead of them once again.  He couldn’t see very much as his view of the main street was blocked by the crowd, but he knew that beyond those nameless bodies his two sons were getting ready.

“Well, today’s the big day for our boy and his dog.”

Dingo strode along the side of the street, his very own harness slung around him and fitting well as he led along his boy Kyle’s personal little sled.  The sled in question was well-made by the same carpenter that made Jenna’s, held together with the very same sturdy pale wood that the real thing is usually made of.  The harness fittingly slung around the boy’s pet was of the same professional material as well, as Nome was a fairly small town and it was rather easy for Kyle’s parents to make connections with one of the mushers.  Of course, their interest in trying out their dog for the sled team didn’t hurt either.  Kyle liked to be ridden around on his sled, so Dingo had plenty an opportunity to get used to the feel of the harness grasping his slender form. 

At this point in time the dog was doing a slightly better job of hiding the wolf in him, his fur still the same shades but his eyes less golden and his tail a tad less flat.  There was also a tad more depth and a lush factor to his fur, accompanied by a slightly greater presence of muscle gained from his training process.  Dingo kept his tail high, at least at body level with the end pointing upward towards the clear baby blue sky, the harness of the sled matching the shade of the brown leather collar that still shone proudly around his neck with the license of his name still attached.  He was on top of the world today; he was going to live a dream that was not only his but his human’s, and even one of his still-mysterious father.  He channeled the anxious butterflies in his stomach into an externally-prideful prance to pull his human along on the sled, the boy in question soon giving the signal to stop as they were to reach their destination.

“Easy boy, whoa…”

Having been taught to obey the commands, Dingo listened and slowed his prancing to a steady walk to comply to the first before stopping and sitting to follow the second.  He looked back to Kyle, panting in delight with his tongue hanging out as the boy dismounted and approached to embrace his pet.

“Good boy, Dingo!”

As the boy’s sleeve-covered arms were wrapped around Dingo, the dog nuzzled into the dark warm coat as much as he could to show his love right back.  He had always loved the feeling of his human’s embrace; to him it was the greatest thing in the world.

“You’re gonna do great Dingo,” the eight-or-so-year-old boy continued in his speech as well as his embrace, “you’ll go out there and get lead dog right away!  I know it!”

Dingo kept loving the embrace, his closed eyes only accentuating his increased smiling and nuzzling.  He gave his boy a big lick as well as a few delighted and playful barks, making Kyle just giggle and smile.  He pranced around as well to heighten the human’s happiness, stopping only when the boy’s father came closer.

“Alright Dingo,” the man said, “We’ve got you your tryout.  Just get out there and do your best, alright?”

Kyle’s father then unhooked the harness from his son’s sled, ushering Dingo off to approach the remainder of the crowd.  He was deliberately led to the presence of the head musher, who would be orchestrating the tryouts for the dogs today.  Caught up in the crowd, however, Dingo had accidentally ran straight into the musher in question and Kyle’s father quickly pulled him back a tad as the man turned around.

“Well hello there!  Who do we have here, another tryout?”

“Yes indeed,” Kyle’s father answered for the dog for obvious reasons, “this here is Dingo.”

“Dingo huh?  Alright.  He looks a little different there; what breed is he?”

“Ah well his mother’s the local Jenna, so that’s purebred Siberian Husky there…”

“And the father?”

“Well, his father’s none other than Balto himself.  Not much husky on that side, but his dad did make the serum run a few years back.”

“That’s right!  Well then!”

The musher took a knee and placed a gloved hand onto the space between Dingo’s ears, ruffling it around as the gesture turned into a kind petting.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Dingo.  Here’s hoping you do a good job today, so that way I can have you on my team.  You know, as a matter of fact I think we’ve got your brother here today too…unless one of your parents has been fooling around.”

Dingo didn’t take offense to the last comment before the musher chuckled and headed away.  For one because the remark was told in good humor and he knew it, and for another he no longer knew one of his parents.  His father was out in the wilderness somewhere; how was he to know if anything happened out there in his absence?

 Kyle’s father then released his hold on the dog’s collar and harness, allowing him to scamper off into the crowd among the other tryouts and trainers.  To wit he found his brother Kodi, with whom he had no quarrel with at the time, and his trainer Nikki.  Yes, that Nikki.  These two being the first familiar faces in the crowd, he quickly approached to say his hellos.

“Hey Kodi, Mr. Nikki.”

“Hey Dingo,” Kodi replied eagerly and quickly with his own enthusiasm for the day, “you ready for the tryouts?”

“Yep, pretty sure I’m as excited as you are.”

“It’s gonna be great!  If only Dad could be here.”

“Yeah,” Dingo trailed off as he looked down and to the side, “if only…  Say, have either of you seen my trainer?”

“Who, Kaltag?” Nikki answered. “Yeah, he’s a little further in lookin’ for ya.”

He pointed Dingo in the right direction and the red dog expressed his thanks, goodbyes, and good-lucks before venturing off.  He inched his way through the crowd of dogs, not even seeing his trainer yet before he spoke.

“Dingo, there ya are!”

Dingo felt a cold and wet nose against his torso as a set of canine chompers took a hold of his harness, eventually pulling as well to drag him away from the crowd and into one of the shaded side alleys.  Obviously he was caught off guard, but then became at ease when he found Kaltag’s form before him as the grasp was released.

“Oh, M-Mr. Kaltag!”

“Of course, who else did you think?”

“I don’t know; you just caught me a bit