up at him as he walked in.

"Hay, new dog in town" one said.

"hi" Balto said nervously

"Im Holly" A brown and white female dog said to his right. Balto grinned at her.

"My name is balto" He said taking his eyes off the female.

"Im lon" a bleu dog said to his left and balto smiled at him.

"And im Night" A pure black dog said.

"Is that your real name? or a nickname?" Balto asked feeling that the name coud fit for either one.

"real" Night said simply.

"trust me you don't want night angry at you" lon said standing up.

"why?" balto asked curiously.

"he blends in with the night so well he could be right beside you and you wouldn't even know" lon said shile night grinned proudly.

Balto didn't know if he should believe this. Holly suddenly was sitting beside balto and looking at him with a strange look in her eye. Balto looked to her original spot and didn't see her. He then became aware of her presence right beside him. Holly smiled slightly and licked baltos nose.

"Holly come on, he just get here" night said.

Holly then chucled and said while standing back up "that should tell you something night"

Night chucled "you like him."

Balto blushed at this and looked at holly.

"Well yea" Holly said looking back at balto with a loon on her face that suggestied seh was thinking.

"well" Balto started. Trying to change the subject "have yall lived here long?"

"yea" Night said. "my hole live acctually"

"ive lived here only a few months" lon said "came here from white top hill"

"im from anchorage" Holl said.

"Thats where im from!" Balto exclaimed.

"really? did you ever see a girl about 13 with brown hair?" Holly asked balto.

"no, i er wasnt there long" Balto said uneasily.

"oh" Holly said "she is the owner of my mother"

"really? She is still alive?" Balto asked

"last i heard she was" Holly said, her face becoming worried.

"Wheat about your parents balto?" lon asked

"er, they are. . well. . . dead. . ." Balto said sadly

"What! Really? How?" Night asked surprised.

"Killed" baltos said softly. Their was a silence that was broken only when lon said

"what killed them?"

"a human" Balto said. All three dogs gasped. "id rather not talk aobut it though" Balto said wanting to change the subject again.

There was a whistle that could be heard threw the door just then and Holly, Night, and Lon made for the doog. "see you around" the said before leaving.

Balto was then left in his own thoughts for the next hour before he walked out of the warm room and out into the cool air.

"Hay boy its me again" came a voice followed by a hand scratching behind his ears. It was Alex.

Balto grinned and closed his eyes.

"Dad this doeg doesent have a collar" Alex said. Balto opened his eyes and looked behind alex and saw alex's father again.

"really?" the father asked crouching down and running his fingers threw the fur around baltos neck.

"Well i guess he can stay with us. I mean until someon claims him. He seems friendly enough"

"what if no one claims him?" alex asked

"then we'll keep him" Alex's father said.

Alex smiled and scratched balto behind the ears again. Balto felt happy too. He knew no one would claim him.

Part 3

Balto sat on the porch of the house alex had brought him too, waging his tail and watching alex time something together an hour later.

"How do you like this?" Alex asked holding several thick strings that were tied together. "Its a chew toy for you" Alex said. Balto barked in approval.

Alex layed the chew toy in front of balto and balto gnawd on it.

"You know i should name you. Only teperary if someone claims you" Alex said watching balto, who looked up from his chewing at alex wondering what he was talking about.

"What do you reckon?" Alex asked.

Maybe he's talking about a thame he will call me. Balto thought.

"Do you like Nino?" alex asked.

Balto grunted in dissaproval. "Mee too" alex agreed. "ok how about jake?"

Balto growled. What kind of name is that? Balto thought. Laughing, alex reached over to balto and patted him on the head a few times. "we'll find a name sooner or later"

Balto licked alex's hand then he heard alex utter another name, though it was bearly audible.

"Husk"

Balto barked approvingly. He liked it.

"Like it boy?" Alex asked. Balto barked again causing alex to smile again and started trying the name.

"Here Husk, come here Husk, Hay Husk"

Balto smiled and jumped on alex who started laughing. The rest of that daw was enjoyable for balto. That was until alex went in for supper and Balto ,board, stepped off the porch and onto the snow covered ground. Looking down the street balto saw a fairly well built dog. What and Black fur with a golden collar around his neck. Balto watched the dog for a minute then the dog spotted him and headed in his direction. As he approached the dog seemed to grow larger and larger with each step.

"Hay, your new right?" the dog asked

"Yea i got here earlier this morning" Balto replied.

"really? Well whats your name?" the dog asked

"Balto. Well thats my real name but my boy calls me Husk" Balto replied

"Oh, im Steele. Look as a sort of tradition of mine i race all new dogs here around Nome Twice." Steel said.

"So you wanna race?" Balto asked.

"yea, first one around nome twice wins. Steel said grinning.

"Ok where do we start?" balto asked

"follow me" Steele said said turning and heading down the street. Balto followed steele down several streets and finally down a back alley. It had a bad feeling to it. The air seemed colder her for some reason.

"Its this it?" balto asked

"yea this is it" Steele chuckled and punced on balto then beat him. As balto lay on the ground his body sore, steele kicked snow at balto and walked away chuckling .

Balto got up and a couple minutes later with only a bite mark in his ear and a few scratches and ,enraged, he growled but then sighed. He backtracked his way to Alex's home and then nudged the door with his nose and waited for someone to let him in.

The rest of balto's day was peaceful and at night he curled up beside alex and had the best night of sleep he'd had in a long time.

Yawning and streatching balto walked into the kitchen that next morning and saw alex eating at a table. Balto sat down at alex's feet and watched him until he finished then set a bowl of food infront of balto. Balto ate and when he finished and walked out of the kitchen he saw alex open the door and then said "alright husk ive got to go to school. Bye"

balto wondered What 'school' was then he waited infront the door and waited to be let out. Finally alex's father let him out and he explored the town for about half an hour before he saw the black and white steele again. Steele was accompained by a scrawny dog, a fairly good built dog, and a fat dog. Steele spotted balto and said "hay its my new buddy, Balto" then headed for him.

Balto tensed as steele apprached and then he said "i dont want any trouble steele"

"Well you've got trouble" steele said then punced on balto. Balto fought back this time then when he cut steele in the chest with his claw the three dogs held him down while Steele beat balto who could not defend himself.

Again enraged by steele balto growled. His body was sore and his vision was blurred. He stumbled trying to walk straight and get back to alex's home. Just then a pure black dog came into his sight. He couldn't keep it in focus but he could tell it was Night.

"Hay, are you alright? you look like your about to pass out" Night said

"Hay, im ok" Balto said trying to grin.

"anyway i was hoping to find you i wanted to warn you that Holly is looking for you. If your not interested in her id run if i were you" Night said then left.

Balto chuckled slightly then shook his head. He waited until his vision focused before heading off for home. By the time he got there his head had stopped spinning and his vision stayed in focus. Balto saw alex standing on the porch bouncing a yellow ball up and down. Balto followed its progress threw the air and then alex tossed it at him. Balto jumped and tried to catch it but missed. He ran after the ball then picked it up in his mouth then turned and headed back towards alex. Alex held out his hand and balto dropped the ball into his hand then alex said "wanna play fetch Husk?"

Balto barked

"alright here it goes" alex said then threw the ball again.

Balto ran after it and would try to catch it then take it back to alex who would throw it agian. They kept this up for several hours until alex had to go do something called 'Homework'. Balto then had nothing left to dow so he curled up on the rug and fell asleep.

When balto woke up the next morning he heard a loud commontin coming from outside. Curious balto wondered outside, after alex let him out, and found a large crowd gathered watching something in the street. Getting a closer look balt saw several sleds lined up with several dogs in straps that were attached to the sleds. Visable threw the crowd was the black and white dogs, Steele.

As balto watched he saw Steele snap at the scrawny dog behind him and the others laughed.

Just then a gunshot went off and balto, recognizing the sound ran. He ran until he was sure he was far from the crowd and then stopped. When he stopped he was shaking badly.

"hay there Balto" came a