for the run.

''GO!'' Balto shouted as they both ran along the beach.

Balto was running fast as usual. Dingo was running straight behind him. He didn't feel any exhaustion this time. He was slowly reaching Balto.

Suddenly...

''OW!'' Balto yelped as he collapsed and fell into the snowy ground.

''Dad?!'' Dingo asked his father, obviously worried. He nudged him to get him up.

''It's alright, Dingo.'' Balto said, getting up. ''I didn't see that rock.''

They both looked behind and noticed a small rock peeking out of the snow.

''Come on, let's try again.'' Balto said as Dingo and he returned from where they started.

''Get set... GO!'' Balto shouted as they began running along the beach again. This time they both managed to avoid the peeking rock on the ground.

As Dingo was slowly reaching Balto again, he noticed that Balto wasn't keeping up the pace. Instead he started doing some weird movements with the paw.

''Ah!'' Balto groaned in pain and then collapsed into the ground.

''Dad?'' Dingo asked, stopping by. ''Are you sure you're OK?''

''I think so...'' Balto said, getting up on his paws. He began walking, but his paw was irritating him.

''Oh, no...'' Balto said disappointed. ''It seems that I'm not young anymore...''

''Dad, does that mean that you won't be able to train me?'' Dingo asked.

''Dingo, I'm so sorry.'' Balto said, saddened. ''I'm not as young as I used to be.''

''What am I going to do now?'' Dingo asked.

''I'm not able to run as fast as I used to be.'' Balto said. ''But I know who can train you! Follow me!''

Later...

''Kodi, you're young and fast sled dog.'' Dingo said, as Kodi came to the beach. ''Will you please train me for the race?''

''Sure thing, Dingo.'' Kodi said, ready to help his older brother. ''I'll train you to become a sled dog!''

Both brothers went to the spot where Balto and Dingo had begun the race.

''Get set...'' Kodi said, as they both prepared for the run. ''GO!''

Both Kodi and Dingo began running very fast. Kodi was in front of Dingo, who was running as fast as possible.

Then, Dingo started to feel the lack of energy and air. But he didn't want to stop. He wanted to overpower the exhaustion inside him.

''Run, Dingo, run!'' Kodi yelled from the front, encouraging Dingo to run faster.

Soon enough, they reached the other end of the beach. Dingo was ten meters behind Kodi, but he wasn't bothered with that, as he was running at the full speed.

''Dingo... that was amazing...'' Kodi panted. ''If we run every... day like this... you might... out-run me...''

''Thanks... bro...'' Dingo panted.

As the days passed, Kodi was training Dingo to run faster. Every day Kodi'd finish first, but Dingo'd finish the race with each meter closer to Kodi.

After nine days of hard training, Dingo was getting ready for the decisive race tomorrow. Kodi stopped by before heading home.

''I wish you luck tomorrow, Dingo!'' Kodi said.

''Thanks, bro.'' Dingo said, getting ready to sleep.

The next day, it was the most important day for Dingo. He had been working hard for the decisive race, the race that'd give him a place in Kaltag's team. If he'd succeed this time, Kaltag'd gladly give him the place in team and finally retire.

Dingo got on the track among Dana and the other four dogs who he had met ten days ago. Kaltag got among them.

''I wish you luck, Dingo!'' Saba shouted from the right.

''Thanks, Saba! I'm going to need it!'' Dingo shouted.

''You ready?'' Dana asked Dingo.

''Ready.'' Dingo answered.

''GO!'' Kaltag shouted as everyone began running towards the other end of the street.

''Here he goes!'' Nunivat shouted also from the right.

Dingo was running very fast. Dana and Forrest were the only ones in front of him. But that didn't bother him, as the only thing it mattered to him was not to finish behind Kaltag.

He started feeling the exhaustion in himself. But...

''Not this time!'' Dingo thought in himself as he began running faster, surpassing Forrest.

''Woah!'' Dana exclaimed as she noticed Dingo surpassing her in full speed.

There was it, the finish line, 20 meters, 10 meters, 5 meters, 3 meters, 2...

''YES!'' Dingo shouted proudly as he successfully crossed the line first, collapsing on the ground.

''Dingo, you did it! I'm proud at you!'' Jenna said, running to her son.

''Thanks... mom...'' Dingo said, panting.

''You did it, kid!'' Kaltag said, coming last in the race. ''That was the most amazing, the strongest, the fastest run I've ever seen!''

''Thanks, sir.'' Dingo said, finally getting some energy as he got on his paws.

''Dingo, that was outstanding!'' Balto said, coming up as well.

''Congratulations, bro!'' Yukon said, coming up too. ''You have spirit for the run, just like Kodi!''

''Thanks.'' Dingo said, blushing of all that praising.

''Balto! Your kid is sure great runner!'' Kaltag said. ''You've really trained him well!''

''Thanks, Kaltag. But I wasn't the one who trained him.'' Balto said, as Kaltag looked him, confused. ''It was Kodi who trained him.''

''Really?'' Kaltag asked. ''Your sons are heck of the runners!''

Then he turned towards Dingo and said: ''Well, kid. I can now finally retire. You and the others can replace me now. You deserved to be a leader!''

''Me? A leader?'' Dingo asked. ''But Dana deserves to lead! She won the first race!''

''It's okay, Dingo!'' Dana said. ''You've shown your strength, speed and determinance. You deserve to be the leader!''

Dingo looked at Dana, then at Kaltag, then at Balto and again at Kaltag. He said: ''Alright, I'm going to be the leader of the team!''

''That's very good, kid!'' Kaltag said. ''I wish you all the best in your career.'' Then he headed away.

Later that evening...

''I believe that we're going to be the great runners.'' Dana said.

''I agree.'' Dingo said. ''It was worth it after all.''

Chapter 18: All together
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Ever since Dingo had become the sled dog, his team was very successful, just like Kodi's. They were one of the fastest sled teams in Nome.

The dog leaders of the other teams were impressed by their speed.

''They sure are fast.'' One of them said. ''The speed is running down their family!''

''Of course.'' The other one said. ''Balto is their father. So there's no doubt they're fast.''

By the end of 1928, a sled dog championship was held. Both Kodi's and Dingo's teams were in the championship.

Thanks to their speed, they were on the top of their groups. They managed to reach quarter-finals. Even better, both Kodi's and Dingo's teams passed into the semi-finale.

Kodi's team won the semi-final race, thus getting into finale. Dingo's team had to win the next race in order to reach finale.

One day in 1929, Dingo's team was getting ready for the race against the opponent team, for the finale. Dingo was already thinking how great would it be to race against his brother in the finale.

''I wish you luck, Dingo!'' Kodi yelled from the side. ''And we can race together!''

''Thanks, Kodi!'' Dingo replied.

''Get set!'' an announcer shouted. Then he fired from the gun. Both teams set off to White Mountain.

''I can't wait to race against him!'' Kodi said to Dusty.

''I bet that'd be massive fun!'' Dusty replied.

Later that night, a telegraph was sent from the White Mountain. Balto heard the message and ran to everyone to tell the news.

''It seems that the teams are returning tomorrow.'' Balto said. ''A blizzard is there outside, so the teams are going to sleep over in White Mountain.''

''Oh, well.'' Kodi said. ''I wouldn't like to get up in the middle of the night to wait them half-asleep.''

The next morning...

Kodi and Dusty were walking through the Nome. Somewhere at the sunrise, an another telegraph was received. The teams were on their way back.

''I hope no one gets lost on the way.'' Kodi said. ''Otherwise, what'd happen of the final race.''

''I'm sure they won't.'' Dusty said. ''They know which way to go.''

Kodi was walking down the street, he was sunk deep into his minds. He wasn't paying attention.

''Kodi?'' Dusty asked, causing Kodi to snap back into reality.

''Huh? Oh, sorry.'' Kodi said. ''I've been thinking something about my life