always what got him. Those big frightened, accusing and pain laced brown eyes. “I’m so sorry Julie,” he said, tears came to his eyes. “I’m so sorry.” He walked over to her and laid down beside her, cuddling up close to her. By this time Julie was already too far gone to comprehend much of what he was saying, but he kept talking anyway, possibly as much for his own benefit as calming the once beautiful, dying dog.. “I didn’t want to do it Julie, I really didn’t. Why did it have to be this way? I love you… but I couldn’t let you do that to me… please, understand that had you not done this… I never would have hurt you, I promise.” Julie turned her head to look at him, and though he had done this to her, strange comfort was better than no comfort at all in these last few moments. With great effort she laid her head on his shoulder, looking up at him, pain, confusion, and fear etched across her features. Tears were pouring down his face now as he looked at Julie, at what he had done to her. “God, I’m so sorry Julie, please forgive me, please… I don’t want you to die… I love you. If I could save you I would…” A vision from the past rushed back to him, as it always did in times like this. A beautiful red and white husky lying in a pool of her own blood, struggling to breathe, even as Julie was now. “Why’d you do this?” The female’s sweet voice gurgled. “I don’t know…” He heard himself say. “Oh God I’m so sorry.” The beautiful female struggled to crawl over to him and he backed away, horrified at what he’d done to her. She made it over to him and pulled him down beside her, laying her head on his paws. “I love you, I always have, and always will, no matter what you’ve done.” The beautiful female’s blue eyes swelled with pain and fear. “Hold me…” She said. He wrapped his paws around her blood covered shoulders and held her close as a violent tremor shook her body. She looked up at him. “I… I love you.” She said. Then her eyes went dull as her body slackened against him. He held her body close and cried… The vision ended and he looked down at Julie. Her eyes had that familiar look to them, the dull look that means that the life within has flared and went out. He shrugged her off of him and stood, feeling weak, almost unable to stand. He turned and saw someone standing there at the head of the alley. “Hey you, what are you doing?” The yellow dog said, walking forward. “Is that… oh God… Julie…” The brown dog sighed. “Damn… “ The dog came back to the present, the howling wind tearing at his fur, feeling as though it would tear it from his body. He’d been lucky to get away from there. He’d been attacked by over twenty dogs, and he didn’t know exactly how he’d managed to get away, but he had… …but he was hurt, and hurt bad, he knew. One of the dog’s had bit him on the neck, and he’d thrown the dog off, but as the attacker fell his teeth had torn a large gash that had ripped down the side of his neck, to about half of his shoulder… the wound was still bleeding and the dog knew that if he didn’t get help soon he would most likely bleed to death… and there didn’t seem to be much help around. Slowly the dog struggled to his feet. He’d never given up before… ”…and I don’t plan to start now…” he thought. “I’ll just have to continue on… it won’t be easy, but who said life was supposed to be easy…” He laughed softly at the old line and struggled on through the howling storm. Chapter 3 Kodi and his team burst over the horizon, led on by Mr. Harrms calls. “Lead on, lead on, Hee boy!” Kodi obediently turned to the left, following the musher’s commands. They were headed east now, back towards home. As of yet the journey had not met with incident, and Kodi was ready to get home. Thinking about his son during the entire one hour journey had made him very tired, and very ready to find some sleep soon. Suddenly it was there, on the right, and Kodi had no time to stop or swerve, though he tried. It was a large rock jutting out of the snow, black against a black sky. He hadn’t hit it, it was too far to the right of him, but Josh had to jump over it and barely succeeded. Shanaea had no idea what hit her. One moment she was running full out, the next something loomed right in front of her. She saw Josh leap over it, but even as she tried to herself she knew she’d never clear it. The next moment she was rolling, having slammed into the rock, and the sled skidded sideways, slammed into the rock and soared toward her. Shanaea knew if she couldn’t get out of its’ way she was as good as dead. She rolled to the left of it and the sled caught her a glancing blow to the shoulder. She felt something snap and then she was rolling again, rolling faster as she was thrown down the hill. She bounced and rolled on the snow over ten times before she hit a rock jutting out of the side of the hill. Shanaea’s vision exploded into white starbursts as she hit the rock. She vaulted over it and rolled head over tail down the hill, taking out a small bush. She felt the branches of the bush scrape through her fur, and then she was through it, rolling down the steep hill once more. She saw the tree just a few seconds before her head slammed into the side of it, throwing her sideways again. Her vision had went black, her consciousness gone, by the time she slid to a stop at the bottom of the hill, nestled in the small valley she’d rolled into… Kodi stood up from the snow and groaned. The musher was already up and checking on the dogs. They all seemed to be all right. Kodi looked over and saw Dusty lying on the ground nearby. “Dusty!” He called. His mate raised her head, shook it and looked at him. “What happened Kodi?” Dusty asked. “I don’t know.” Kodi said. “We must have hit that rock and rolled the sled.” He paused. “Are you alright?” “Yeah I think so,” she said, standing slowly. “How’s everyone else?” “I’m fine mom.” Josh said beside her. “So am I.” Hans said, walking up beside her. “We’re good back here.” Alai called, helping his sister Ebbie to her feet. “Well that’s everyone except Shanaea.” Dusty said. In the snow she couldn’t see that her daughter was missing. “Shanaea?” Dusty called. “Shanaea dear are you okay?” Silence answered her. “Shanaea?” “Shay?” Josh said, turning around. “Uh oh.” He said. “What uh oh?” Kodi said. “I don’t like the sound of that.” He slipped out of his harness and walked back to Josh who bent down, grasping his jaws around the secondary and tertiary guidelines. They were broken… “Oh no.” Kodi said. “What is it?” Dusty asked, slipping out of her harness as well and running the few feet to her mate’s side. She gasped when she saw the guideline. “Do… do you think she’s alright?” Dusty asked. “I think she should be.” Kodi said. “No one else was hurt.” “Then why doesn’t she answer us?” Dusty asked. Kodi sighed. “She may have rolled a long ways down that hill… I’m going to go look for her. She probably can’t hear us for the wind.” Dusty nodded. “I’m coming with you.” “No you’re not.” Kodi said. “You need to stay here with the rest of the tea… the family.” Dusty nodded. “Please bring her back Kodi.” Kodi smiled. “I’m sure she’s okay. I’ll be back in a bit, okay?” Dusty nodded. “Hurry.” “I will.” Kodi responded. He started to walk away, but Dusty’s voice stopped him. “Kodi…” He stopped and turned. “What is it Dusty?” “I love you.” Kodi smiled. “I love you too Dusty. I’ll be back soon, don’t worry. I’ll find her.” Dusty nodded and Kodi took off, following the marks the sled had made in the snow as it slid until he came to the rock. “Shanaea!” He called. “Shanaea are you there!” Nothing but the howling wind answered him. Kodi sniffed the rock and picked up his daughter’s scent. Any normal dog probably would have been lost in this situation, without any idea where to search or where Shanaea might be… …but Kodi was no ordinary dog, he was part wolf. “Shanaea I’m coming for you!” He called. “Hang in there sweetheart!” Then he started down the hill, following the trail. Shanaea was walking through a darkened alley in the dead of night. She recognized it; the alley was in between the restaurant and the hotel back in her home of Nome. She looked around. The alley was in the outskirts of Nome, a place known to be home to some of the more dangerous denizens of Nome. “What am I doing here?” She thought. Then she remembered. ”I’m looking for someone…” She looked around, but could spot nothing familiar looking. Then she saw it. A hole in the side of the hotel… a dark hole… Shanaea shivered. She’d always been scared of the dark. Whoever she was looking for must have been important to her, for she disregarded her fears and ducked quickly into the hole. She couldn’t see anything, nothing. She could feel the dampness of the long vacant room, could smell the musky air, but she couldn’t see anything. Fear suddenly flooded her system. If someone was out there… she’d never be able to see them. She started to make her way to the light of the hole she’d entered fro, the only light that she could see. Suddenly she froze. A deep growl came from the darkness. Her heart started beating more rapidly and she ran toward the light, but something slammed into her side and sent her rolling in the dark, slamming into a wooden desk, knocking the breath from her. She started to stand, but a sudden weakness came over her. She didn’t know what it was caused by. After a few minutes she made it to her feet, and then she found out why she felt weak. She slipped in the blood on the floor, her blood, the blood that was pumping steadily from the side of her neck. Fear overpowered her pain, and she stood again, trying to run, but only able to half shuffle toward the light. It seemed much further away than it had before, and with every step

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