that’s alright.”

Jenna grinned.

“I was actually on my way to the awards, when I tried to take a short cut through that fence, and got stuck, see my owner’s son races, and….”

As Jenna rambled on, Balto lost all sense of conversation, just watching her.

“She’s so… intoxicating.” Balto thought.

Jenna paused, and looked at him a little strangely.

“You still with me?”

Balto snapped out of the trance like state he’d slipped into.

“Me? Yeah… yeah I’m still here.”

“…anyway,” Jenna said, “that’s how I got stuck under that fence, where are you headed?”

Balto smiled.

“I’m on the way to the awards too, sledding is the most awesome thing….” Balto paused. “I don’t even know how to put it It’s all I want in life, to be a sled dog I mean.”

“Well I’m sire you’ll do fine.” Jenna said.

“uh-huh.” Balto said, “well it’s kind of hard when no one likes you.”

“Why don’t people like you?” Jenna asked.

“It’s really complicated and completely unwarranted.” Balto said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

Jenna nodded.

“Well,” Jenna said, “I think I hear my girl calling me, so I better go.”

Jenna turned and walked off.

“Um...” Balto said.

Jenna stopped.

“Look, I uh… don’t have just a whole lot of friends, so….. um… would you be my friend?”

Jenna smiled as she continued walking backwards.

“Sure.” She said.

“:What’s you name?”” Balto asked, as she turned to walk away.

“It’s Jenna.” Jenna said.

Balto watched her retreat into the growing crowd.

“Jenna….” He thought dreamily.

Chapter 5

Jenna walked down the porch steps to Dixie.

She yawned.

Steele had wanted to celebrate his win, and it had been another very late night.

“Hey Dixie.” Jenna said.

“Tired again Jenna?” Dixie asked.

Jenna yawned again and nodded.

The two of them walked toward the square, where they were supposed to meet Sylvie.

“Um… Hey Dixie?” Jenna asked.

“What is it Jenna?” Dixie asked.

“Well, I met someone yesterday, and he seemed really nice, but he said that a lot of people don’t like him, and I was wondering why.”

“Who was that?” Dixie asked.

“I think his name was Balto.” Jenna said.

No sooner than the word was out of her mouth, Dixie stopped, and turned back to Jenna.

“Jenna, you have to promise me right now that you won’t go near that guy again!”

Jenna looked confused.

“Why?”

“Jenna….” Dixie stopped and looked around, as if to see if anyone was listening.

“He’s half wolf.” Dixie said.

“Oh!” Jenna exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Dixie replied, “so just stay away from him.”

“… but he helped me.” Jenna retorted, “and he… he seemed so nice….”

“Look Jenna,” Dixie said, “trust me, you don’t want to hang around him, promise me that you won’t go near him again.”

“Why?” Jenna asked.

“Jenna,” Dixie said, “I had a friend about a year ago who was with a wolf dog, against our best advise, and he… he killed her.”

“Oh!” Jenna said.

“He didn’t mean to, or not really anyway, but they have that wolf blood in their veins, and it makes it hard for them to control their anger. Wolves are violent animals you know.”

Jenna nodded.

“Promise me you’ll stay away from Balto.” Dixie said.

Jenna sighed.

“Alright.”

“Promise.” Dixie said.

“I promise,” Jenna said, “I just… I feel so sorry for him.”

“I know Jenna, we all do, but he doesn’t belong here, he belongs with them.”

Jenna nodded.

“Now, let’s go meet Steele.”

“But what about….” Jenna started, then she saw the tall afghan hound walking up behind Dixie.

“Hey Dixie.” Sylvia said.

“Hi Sylvia.” Dixie said.

“Are you two ready?” Sylvia asked.

“Yep, sure are.” Dixie said.

“Let’s go then.”

“After you.” Jenna said.

The three friends walked down the sidewalk.

About three hours later Jenna was sitting beside Steele, along with Dixie, Sylvie, Kaltag, Nikki and Star.

The three dogs were Steele’s friends, and not bad, as friends go. They were fiercely loyal to Steele whether that loyalty stemmed from admiration, or fear, Jenna had yet to learn.

“… so anyway,” Steele said, “there I was, running along that mountain side, when suddenly a wind gust came out of nowhere, snapped the guideline, and threw me through the air…”

He paused.

“Well if it isn’t the half-breed.”

Jenna looked behind her, and saw Balto walk by.

“Hey Wolfie,” Kaltag said, “why don’t you run on home!”

The group began laughing, and Balto hung his head a little.

“Yeah,” Nikki added. “Youse should go back to the forest!”

“You don’t belong in town!” Star chipped in.

They all looked at Jenna.

Jenna was very uncomfortable.

Balto looked back at her, and smiled slightly.

“Yeah,” Jenna said, “Why don’t you just run back to your pack that’s where you belong!”

Balto stopped walking, and turned.

Jenna saw a pain in his eyes unlike any she could recall.

He hung his head and slunk slowly off.

“It wasn’t a big deal when the other’s picked on him.” Jenna thought. “Why am I any different?”

“That was a good one Jenna.” Nikki said.

Kaltag, who had an annoying habit of rattling on about things, started in then.

“That was the sharpest, the coldest, the most straight to the heart….”

Star cut him off.

“He looked like he was going to cry.”

Kaltag frowned and popped Star in the back of the head with his paw, knocking the small dog on his face.

Steele laughed, and the others joined in.

Jenna felt horrible.

“I’m sorry Balto.” She thought. “I… I didn’t mean to…”

She paused.

“To what, to hurt him? Well then why did I say what I did?”

The others had moved on, but Jenna still stared at the alleyway Balto had disappeared into, hoping he would come back so she could apologize.

….but he didn’t.

“Hey guys,” Jenna said, “I’ll be right back.”

She stood up and walked over to the alleyway.

Jenna saw Balto, as he was walking down the alleyway. Before she could say anything, he turned, and walked down a different one.

Jenna followed, keeping quiet, as she was still unsure of what, if anything she could say to him.

As she rounded the corner, she saw Balto walk up to a goose.

“A goose?” She thought.

“So boichik, How did it go?”

Balto sighed.

“I didn’t even say anything, she’s just like the others.”

Boris put his wing on Balto’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry my friend,” Boris said, “but I did tell you that is how it would go.”

“You’re always right Boris…” Balto said, “but… but I hoped she’d be… I don’t know, different. She was so… nice to me when we met… I don’t know, let’s go, she’s just another stuck up snob… I guess…”

“Yes, boichik,” Boris said, walking down the alleyway. “Let’s go back to the boat.”

“Boris… would you mind letting me go alone? Just hang out here for a while?”

Boris nodded.

“Sure Balto.”

Balto slunk off.

Jenna watched him leave, and then sat down, as Boris walked away.

“What have I done?” Jenna thought. “I’m not a snob, or stuck up, but… I guess…”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Boris’s voice.

“Ah ha!” He said. “I thought we were being watched!”

Jenna stumbled and fell over in her attempt to get away from the goose.

“What did you just come over to finish him off?”

“Well… no… I…” Jenna stuttered.

“You know the only thing he talked about all day, yesterday was you?”

“Well I’m sorry but… but he’s…”

“He’s what?” Boris said. “Don’t tell me, part wolf right?”

Jenna nodded uneasily.

“You know he gets that everyday? He was really hoping he’d finally met someone who would see past that, but… I guess not.”

“But why do you hang out with him?” Jenna said. “Isn’t… isn’t that dangerous?”

“Balto? Dangerous?” Boris said, “Balto wouldn’t hurt a fly, and I don’t hang with him, I live with him. I raised him, and all he gets every day is this! Everyday! I don’t even know why he insists on coming into town. All he wants is acceptance, but you guys, you popular freaks with all your preppy