“He loved his job and we all miss him.”

Dusty rested her head on Ralph’s shoulder, a few tears slipped from her eyes.

“His dream was to be lead dog.” Kirby continued “When it was fulfilled he had an accident. He slipped on an ice sheet, broke his leg, cracked his head and fell through the ice. He was taken to the vet and…put down.” Kirby ended with a sad voice.

Some dogs raised their heads and listened other kept their eyes shut, but you could tell that they were listening.

 

 

3 months later

 

 

 

Kodi finally got his cast off and was now on the team as lead dog again. He never barked a word to his family about this. If Balto and Jenna already lost Saba and Dingo if they heard that their other son was injured real bad they’d flip!

“Kodi?” the dogs asked as Kodi and the musher walked to the sled. All the dogs were harnessed.

“The one and only.” Kodi laughed as he was being harnessed.

“We thought your were dead.” Ralph said

“I thought I was a goner too.” Kodi replied

“Hike!” the musher called and they set off again.

After a few minutes of running Kodi’s leg was killing him. What’s going on? Kodi asked himself, he started to slow down. No I can’t let anyone down…not again.

He kept a stead running pace and delivered the mail like normal.

 

Days later his running dot worse and worse. He knew that his last day would come but he didn’t know that it would be today.

It was a Sunday so the mail wouldn’t be delivered today. The musher took Kodi to a little boy’s house.

“Good-bye Kodi.” He started “You’re going to love it here.” The musher left as the family took Kodi inside.

“Who’s the new dog?” a cat whispered

“I don’t know.” Another one replied

Kodi saw the two cats and bared his teeth.

“Run!” a cat hissed

Kodi barked and ran after them at full speed knocking over chairs and jumping on couches.

The dad screamed his name. Kodi stopped in his tracks and turned to see a newspaper hit him in the face. Kodi was kicked outside and into the fence. He still pondered about the smack on the face. He has never had a human turn evil on him. Sure he’s had a flick on the nose from the musher but it was for not listening.

Kodi wanted out and was not going to wait any longer. Kodi looked around the fence and saw that the gait door was open. He limped out and to the boiler room.

 

Kodi got to the boiler room but never walked in. He over heard the dogs talking about the team.

“We can’t tell Kodi.” Dusty said “He’ll be so crushed.”

“Yah we can’t just tell him about our team going into the Iditarod.” Ralph started “We must keep this extremity hush, hush.”

 

CHAPTER 6

 

 

Kodi lay down inside of his new home. The rug was hard but oh well. He thought back on those memories of him on the team. He realized his running days were not over.

The Iditarod was coming up.

Kodi struggled to his paws and ran out the doggie door. He got to the sled team they were harnessing the dogs. Kodi crept up to the musher.

“Shoo.” He said “Get!”

Kodi backed away slowly. His ears were folded flat on his head.

“Go on get.” The musher scolded. Kodi walked off slowly then turned back. The musher was putting another dog as lead. It was Jenna.

Mom?! Kodi thought. Jenna barked happily at the musher. Kodi walked up again.

“I said get!” the musher called and walked up to the read and white wolf dog. Kodi ran away.

He heard the musher call “Hike!” and the sled take off.

 

 

The next winter

 

Kodi walked up to the starting line and looked for his team. He saw his mother as lead dog. The gun shot went off and the dogs left.

 

10 days later

 

Kodi watched as the other dogs pulled into the finish line. There was no sign of his team. Not only was Kodi worried but other people were too.

 

The next day Kodi had not heard of them. Without a goodbye he set out to find his mother and team.

It was a three days travel. He bit the snow and fought against the wind. He came to a ledge and heard whimpering.

“Mom!” He whispered to himself. Kodi hopped from snow covered rock to snow covered rock until he got to the bottom.

“Kodi!” Kirby exclaimed. The rest of the team except for the musher and his mother pocked their heads out of the snow.

“The musher and your mother are both knocked out.” Dusty said

Kodi sat back and thought for a second.

“Follow my lead.” He said

 

 

CHAPTER 7

 

 

The dogs put Jenna and the musher in the basket and covered them. Ralph held up the lead dog harness awhile Kodi got in it.

“C’mon!” Kodi called the dogs set off. Kodi’s running was unsteady but he and the others ran thought the night.

At the break of dawn there was a howl that pierced the morning sky. The dogs stopped.

“Wolves.” Kodi whispered “Don’t panic and hurry!” Kodi started running. The other dogs followed.

There were many foot steps running very close along side them in the forest. Distant howls but close footsteps.

“Faster!” Kodi called Kodi worked his legs to the bone. Each stride his paw became better and better.

He looked down and his paws and smiled then looked ahead and sped up. The wolves were closing in they were getting close enough to were you could hear their panting.

“What are we going to do Kodi?” One of the dogs panted

“Stay alive that’s what.” Kodi called back the look on his face grew even more serious “No slacking!”

Kodi began running so fast to where his head was bowed. He raised his head and saw town.

Instinctively he jumped in the air and howled. Balto heard the howl and perked his head.

“Kodi?! Jenna?!” he questioned. He looked out and saw the team. “Kodi!”

He ran towards the team. As he got closer he saw Kodi’s figure raise its head again and howl once more. Balto howled a reply.

When he got up to the team he ran with them to town. Many people came rushing outside.

They gasped at the site of Kodi and his team with the musher and Jenna in the basket. The people took care of Jenna and the musher while Kodi got out of his harness un praised.

He panted heavily then looked up and saw Balto. Balto didn’t say anything instead he nuzzled his son.

“I’m very proud of you.”

 

 

FORWARD

 

 

Kodi walked up to the musher. Every dog but Jenna was harnessed. The musher patted Kodi.

“Great job Kodi.” He said “I’m sorry for shooing you off like that.”

Kodi licked the musher in forgiveness.

The musher smiled “How’d you like to be lead dog again?”

Kodi barked happily. The musher harnessed Kodi and they set off.

 

 

 

THE END

 

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