it amputated so I wouldn’t have to endure all the pain. Hm!”

Ketch said nothing. He looked up at the dull, red-brown building serving as Chase’s prison. “Sick of the doctor’s?”

“Don’t even get me started,” Chase groaned, rolling her eyes and looking like she was going to gag. Ketch grinned and took a few steps away, into the street.

“So c’mon.”

“Say what?” Chase asked, bemused.

“Come on,” Ketch explained patiently, “Your leg’s nearly healed, you can walk a little, you’re sick to death of the doctor’s, and they’ll barely miss you. It’s time to start living again, Chase…Of course, I’m only a commandant. You’re a higher officer, the Second Commander. You tell me what to do.”

Chase gave him a hard, playful shove that almost sent both of them toppling over. “We’re done with the army. But…okay, I’ll go with you. You’re not exactly a knight in shining armor, but you’ll do.”

Ketch laughed, a queer, rough, musical sound, and he turned and padded down the street. Chase took a step forward, then looked back. There was no nurse at the window. She had probably been called for an ‘emergency’ and forgotten all about Chase. Ketch had been right. They wouldn’t miss her until one of Rosy’s parents came in to see her, and that would be a couple days at least. Chase turned back and ran after Ketch, who had stopped to wait for her halfway down the road.

Chase quietly let Ketch lead her through town. He seemed to know she wanted to see if anything had changed during her absence, and she was grateful to him for that insight. They didn’t talk much, but commented to each other on any changes they noticed.

“Some dog’s broken off its chain.”

“Goose at the butcher’s again. Guess that’ll be my dinner for tonight.”

“Mine too, I hope,” Chase replied, looking up and down the strangely empty streets, “Where is everybody?”

Ketch stopped and tilted his head to the side. Chase came to a halt and listened too. A dull roar of shouts and cheers came from somewhere far away.

“Main Street,” Ketch said, “Do you want to see what’s going on?”

“If it doesn’t take me till the next century to get there!” Chase half-joked, painstakingly raising alternate paws and trying not to slip in the soft snow. Ketch studied her, his hazel eyes catching the light and breaking it into small pieces. Finally he said, “I’ve got a better idea. Get on my back.”

“Say WHAT?” Chase exclaimed.

“Do you want to go fast? Then c’mon,” Ketch persisted. He turned so he was facing away from Chase, with his legs bent almost to the ground. Chase hesitated. She did want to speed up and find out what had left nearly the whole town deserted, but she didn’t want Ketch’s pity or concern. She didn’t want to be part of interdependence. Yet, one look and she knew Ketch was just trying to help. Why make an awkward scene? She sighed, shrugged, and worked her way over to Ketch. She placed one paw on his back, and squinted her eyes shut as she swung over, and groaned in pain when her stump hit Ketch’s side. “You okay?” he asked, slowly rising up.

“If I die, this is all your fault,” Chase told him, scrambling to get a hold of his fur so she wouldn’t fall off.

“Fine by me,” Ketch said quickly, “…I’m kidding.”

“Let’s hope so,” Chase huffed, and held on tight as Ketch began to walk, bumping her around on his bony shoulders and hips. She stayed on, though, as he slid into a speed-walk, then a jog.

“You okay?” he asked again.

“Just fine,” Chase grunted as she slipped a bit down his back and almost fell off.

“Then hold on,” Ketch called, and Chase could feel him bracing himself underneath her.

“Wai-!” she yelled, but he blasted off down the streets, pounding past buildings and knocking Chase around on his back. They flew through the town and whipped around street corners, and eventually Ketch slid to a stop at the edge of the huge crowd lined up on either side of Main Street. Chase slipped off of Ketch’s back, panting.

“You alright?” he asked, a little worried.

She had to take a few breaths before she could answer. “I’m fine. We were flying, Ketch! Well, I mean, you were, but…I didn’t know you could run like that!”

“Me neither,” Ketch admitted, glancing at the activity around them, “So, what do you think’s such a big deal?”

Distant memories were forming like fog inside Chase’s mind, memories from her puphood. She had sat at Balto’s side as she watched several dogs flash around the corner and sprint down the street. She hadn’t fully understood the racing concept, but she had felt the power of these dogs, their strength, their confidence, their ability to give it their all. And how she had envied them for their grace, their strength, their future in a sport she would never compete in! Such faint memories…

Chase pushed through to pop her head in between two people to see a fair number of dogs lined up behind a line drawn in the snow. “A race!” she exclaimed, and examined the dogs more closely. Wait…There was Kodi, her brother! And Kirby, and Ralph, and all the other dogs on the mail team amongst some new dogs she had seen briefly around town a few times. “It’s a race to determine which dogs are going to be on the mail team,” she called back to Ketch, “I think there are eight that are picked, the eight fastest. This race takes place every couple of months, even though I’ve never been to more than a couple. But my older brother’s out there!”

The starter stepped to the line. “Marks…”

“…Hey, I’ve just got an idea,” Ketch said slowly, a barely noticeable grin playing on his face, “Why don’t we race?”

Chase whirled around, stunned. “Us? As in me and you? As in, specifically, me? Hmmm, let’s see: I’m missing a leg here, I can barely walk, I can’t run, I can barely get my balance…Hey, that’s okay, let’s get up and do the race. I’m sure I’ll be first and get on the mail team no sweat, after I’m done with my trip to the hospital and bleeding to death! Yeah, let’s do it! I’m sure every mail team, every race, even, needs a dead dog!”

“Chase,” Ketch said, burning into her with his hazel eyes, “Do you want to do this?”

“Set…” the starter yelled.

Chase felt the longing well up and break through the surface. She dropped her gaze and spoke to the snow. “Yes,” she muttered.

“Then do it, no matter what,” Ketch said calmly, and pushed her forward so she bowled through two people and found herself standing at the starting line. Ketch slid in beside her.

“Go!” The shattering gun blast shot Chase forward, and before she knew it she was running down the street with the rest of the dogs. She panicked, trying to figure out how to run without falling over herself, but her small legs already seemed to know what to do. She rocked forward onto her front legs, sprang ahead, and landed on her one back leg, and again rocked forward onto her front paws. She watched her feet, frantic and almost not believing that she was doing this, when she realized she was slowing down, and her mind fixed itself into the race. She hurled herself around the corner along with the stampede of canines ahead of and around her. The sharp wind blew back the fur on her face, and she pressed herself into the wind, coming down harder and harder until she was flying free. She was running, actually running for real, for the first time.

Nothing could beat down the golden chord struck inside her, and she whooped in exhilaration.

Pain shot through her back leg as she came down on it. She wobbled for a few sickening seconds, then went down. White snow brushed her face as she lay in the street, eyes scrunched nearly shut and wishing she were dead. She could feel the stares of the crowd, and whispers sliced into her fading joy. A faint glimmer of rage sparked inside her, and that bit of fire got her scrambling up and trembling on her three legs, searching herself for the courage to face the people and dogs. But her bowl was bone-dry. She had nothing left in her to fight.

Ketch had been running a little ways ahead of her, but when he saw Chase fall he turned around and galloped back, his nails scritch-scratching on the stones. Chase saw Ketch’s brown paws skid to a stop in front of her, and his low voice came in her ear.

“Don’t stop. You’ve got to finish the race…Chase, you can do this. You’re running. Show everyone what you’ve got. This could be your only chance in a long time.”

Chase stood with her head bent, struggling to capture the meaning of Ketch’s words. She had wanted attention before; now she had it. What she chose to do right now would determine whether she would be looked down upon even more for a weak-minded cripple, or take a small step in the way of being accepted. Which would she take? Exile or acceptance? Failure or success? Coward or leader? Anything she had ever done, she realized, had gotten her to where she was now. Any small, simple thing had affected her in some way; now she just had to take the first step in whichever direction she would go.

Chase raised her head and narrowed her eyes until all she could see was the finish line. She took a step