"Easy Pirate!" a little girl said as she held onto the leash of an excited husky. Pirate barked and his red & white tail wagged as he checked out the town called Nome. He turned his head to face the little girl and he licked her hand. Ashley the little girl giggled and stroked his head. Pirate rubbed her side with his handsome head and Ashley smiled. The two were waiting outside the post office. Her parents came outside and Pirate barked. Mr. Baker patted the dog's head before he walked side by side with Mrs. Baker toward their new house. Ashley went into a fast run and Pirate ran by her side. "Be careful Ashley." Mrs. Baker spoke. "I'll try!" Ashley yelled as they turned down onto a street. Pirate barked again and started to hop around Ashley as she slowed. Ashley laughed and stopped in front of a small house. She went onto her knees and held Pirate's head in her hands. Fog formed from Pirate's breath as he panted. "Oh Pirate I love you!" She hugged his neck and the dog closed his eyes in comfort.

A few days later after the family had moved in, Pirate was walking around town. The morning sun gleamed in the sky and the snow was as if shaved diamonds. Pirate was a dashing red and white husky. He had a white underside but he had a black patch on his right eye. He put his head to the ground and sniffed the fresh snow. The mail team had not yet arrived and he was glad he had not missed them. He lifted his head and hopped onto the wood sidewalk by the post office. He sat down by the wall and waited but a bark from inside caught his attention. He walked over by the window and stood on his hind legs with his paws on the sill. He saw an Airedale Terrier being petted by a person. Pirate wagged his tail and trotted to the door. Luckily for him someone was just leaving and he slipped inside. The post office was warm from the chill of December outside. Pirate shook and looked up just as the manager came out from behind the counter. "Hello there. You must be the Bakers' dog." The elderly man knelt down and scratched behind Pirate's ear. The dog stretched his neck forward and the man chuckled. "You're a friendly one. What's your name?" The man looked at his brass tag of his brown leather collar. "Pirate... that's a good name for you." He looked at the black patch. Pirate barked and the man chuckled. "Mel come on out and say hello." The Airedale Terrier trotted out from behind a stack of boxes. Pirate wagged his tail and Mel wagged his stub of a tail. The man chuckled again before standing and going back to sort the mail.

"Hi, I'm Pirate. You must be Mel." Pirate spoke.

"Yes and it's nice to meet you. I must say you seem confident of yourself." Mel said as he circled the husky.

"Well you have to be confident when starting out in a new town. Or I should say state." Pirate said as Mel finished inspecting him.

"What do you mean a new state?" Mel asked as he sat down. Pirate sighed before he walked to the window.

"We moved up from Colorado. So it was a far travel." Pirate looked back at Mel and Mel smiled at him. He smiled back but the sound of running dogs made him look back at the window. The mail team had just pulled up.

"Oh thank goodness they made it!" Mel said as he stood to walk outside. "Come on Pirate! They'll be glad to meet you." Pirate smiled and followed Mel outside as the musher came in with a bag stuffed from letters.

"Hey Mel! Who's the new guy?" Kirby said before he put his head down to drink from the bowl that the musher laid in front of him. Dusty, Kodi, Ralph, and Avalanche looked at Pirate.

"This here is Pirate. His family just moved in from Colorado." Mel answered. He looked at Pirate.

"That's Kirby with Kodi at his side. Behind them is Ralph and Dusty. Then its Blaze and Avalanche." Pirate nodded as he looked at each one.

"I can see where you got the name." Ralph spoke and Pirate chuckled.

"Hey Pirate once he gets our harnesses off we'll show you around town." Avalanche said before she gave Ralph's tail a playful nip. Ralph yelped and the team laughed.

"I would like that." Pirate replied and he smiled. The sled team was nice and he was glad that he was going to be friends with them.

After the team showed him around town they headed back to where the team stayed. "So Pirate what do you do?" Dusty asked as she settled herself by Kodi.

"What do you mean?" Pirate asked as he looked up from roughhousing with Blaze & Ralph.

"Do you pull a sled or whatever." Dusty answered.

"I was trained for tracking." Pirate replied. Avalanche & Kirby dropped the rope from a game of tug-o-war and looked at him. Kodi & Dusty jaws were open and Ralph & Blaze stopped to listen. Pirate looked at each one of them before Avalanche started to circle him and inspected him.

"But look at you! You got fine, muscular legs and you have a deep chest. You're a sled dog all over!" Avalanche spoke.

"But every dog's different and not every husky needs to be a harness dog." Pirate looked at the gray and white face of Avalanche.

"He does have a point." Kodi said and the others nodded their heads.

"First time I've ever seen a husky trained for tracking." A voice said from outside the open door. Pirate looked at the door to see a brown husky male.

"Hi Matt." Ralph said as he started to slink behind Blaze.

"So you're the new dog eh?" Matt asked as he stepped in front of Pirate.

"You got that right." Pirate said with a low voice. Something wasn't right about this dog. From the way he held his head, he seemed as if over confident and wanted everyone to know he was boss.

"You got a name?" Matt growled.

"Pirate." Pirate growled back.

"Alright enough you two!" Avalanche snapped as she got between the two. Pirate backed off as Matt still growled.

"Matt..." Kodi warned him. Matt gave a smug grin and backed off.

"I'm just testing the kid." Matt said. Dusty rolled her eyes then a whistle rang through the air.

"Time for me to head home." Pirate said as he started walking toward the door.

"Run home whelp." Matt whispered and Pirate wheeled around.

"What did you say?" Pirate spoke as he advanced toward him.

"Nothing... just good night." Matt said. Pirate narrowed his eyes before he turned back toward the door and walked out into the evening.

"Matt why do you have to be such an ass?" Pirate heard Dusty say and laughter rose. "Good job Dusty." He thought.

In the dining room that night the weather report was given. "Blizzard getting stronger and moving in. Not to hit until about after Christmas. This week is to be sunny..." Mr. Baker turned off the radio. Ashley looked at Pirate and Pirate wagged his tail. "Dad may I be excused?" Ashley asked.

"Yes you may sweetie. Don't forget to take your plates to the kitchen." Mr. Baker said before he ate a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Ashley hopped down from her chair and gathered her silverware, plate, and cup and headed for the kitchen. Pirate rose and waited for her by the kitchen door. She came out and put her hand on his back as they walked toward the stairs. The 7-year-old put her other hand on the rail and together they made it up the stairs. "I'm so glad your brother got her him for her birthday." Mrs. Baker said to her husband. He smiled before he answered, "I'm glad too."

As Ashley was on her bed with her teddy bear in her hand she spoke with Pirate. "Do you think guardian angels exist Pirate?" she asked and Pirate wagged his tail. "I wonder what they look like. Do you think you ever see them?" Pirate just simply put his right paw on her leg and she smiled at him. "I bet you're right Pirate. They do exist it's just you only see them in your greatest need." Ashley hugged his neck again as they looked at the stars out her window. "Honey its time to go to bed. You have school tomorrow." Mrs. Baker said from outside the door. Ashley looked at the door before she reached for a book by her nightstand. "I'm reading Pirate his bedtime story." Ashley replied and she flipped through the pages to chapter 3 of her Wishbone story. Pirate laid his head down on her leg and sighed. "This is the meaning of happiness. Not a thousand bones but a family who cares for you." he thought as he listened.

***

The crisp morning was just an excellent day to meet new people. What Pirate didn't know was he was about to meet one of the most famous dogs of Nome. "Hello you must be Pirate." A female voice said.

Pirate turned to see a red and white husky standing by a brown wolf dog. "Yes I am and you are?" Pirate replied.

"I'm Jenna and this is Balto." Pirate gasped before he bowed his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two." Pirate said.

"Why thank you. Do you know Kodi?' Balto asked.

"Yes I do. He's one of my best friends." Pirate answered and Jenna smiled.

"That's good. He's one of our sons." She said. "I see the team hasn't come in yet." Jenna finished.

"Yes and Mel's fretting about it." Pirate said and Balto laughed.

"Hey Balto and Jenna!" Another voice behind Balto came from a small husky. Pirate stood and wagged his tail.

"Why hello Star! Where's Nikki & Kaltag?" Jenna asked.

"Oh they're just being slow." Star said as he sat down beside Balto.

"Who you calling slow?" Kaltag joked as he and Nikki came around the corner. Jenna, Balto, and Pirate laughed as they came sat by them.

"Wow, man I'm surprised you're not on the team." Nikki said as he looked at Pirate. "That's what everyone's been telling me." Pirate said and the group chuckled.

"Hey Kaltag he has that same fur pattern just like you." Star said and Kaltag hushed. Pirate looked at Kaltag and Kaltag looked at him.

"What's you name?" Nikki asked.

"I'm Pirate." Pirate replied and Star laughed.

"I see it came from the patch. Hey Kaltag you think you're related to him."

Kaltag raised his paw to hit Star but stopped and hastily answered, "A lot of huskies got that same

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