Saba got picked up by a little girl and turned around in her arms, looking over her shoulder and at the life she was leaving behind. She waved her paw to her remaining siblings. She will defiantly miss them, but she was happy to go to her new home and have a human to look after. She couldn’t wait to be trained and to work and maybe even pull sleds like her father. She was almost shaking at the possibilities opening up ahead of her and smiled so wide, it looked like her muzzle might split in two.

      Saba’s owner’s name was Amy. She was a small six-year-old with golden brown hair and icy blue eyes. She was very hyper and could be a bit loud and selfish, but for the most part, she was a great little kid. Saba loved Amy with all her heart the day after they met and grew into very great friends. Amy was great with dogs. She knew how to be firm but not mean with Saba as she was growing up in Amy’s house and learning the household rules. Saba also learned to respond to Sheila, her new name, but she still referred to herself as Saba, although she loves the name Sheila. Saba had been taught to pull sleds and she had become strong and very fast. She could easily pull Amy for hours on a small sled her parents bought for her.

      One day, when Saba was a young adult, she was hitched up to her sled and told to run. “MUSH, SHEILA! MUSH!” cried Amy loudly. At the word, Saba ran off. She darted through the woods and into downtown Nome where she found Kodi, talking with Dusty.

      “Hi Kodi, Hi Dusty,” Saba called and swerved towards them and stopped as they all wagged there tails in greeting.

      “SHEILA!!!! MUSH!!!” called Amy.

      “Oh, Amy’s in a hurry today. Maybe she has a play date with Rosie or Jackie today. Well, whatever it is, I have to go. Bye Dusty and Kodi,” She barked and the husky and the hybrid waved after her. With that, she sprinted on with the sled. They passed through center Nome and to the outskirts of town. They raced along a mushy street. Then, a large van appeared, flanking them; Amy got nervous and called to Saba

    “MUSH!! FASTER, GIRL!!!” she shouted. Saba got unsettled by her tone and began running faster and faster until she was on a full on sprint, but the van kept following them, being right behind them and going the speed they are. Then the van drove up next to Saba. Saba sprinted as fast as she could, very nervous. Then, a large dog leaped out the window, tackling Saba. “SHEILA!!” cried Amy and she leaped toward them, trying to help Saba. Then, a large man stepped out of the van and grabbed Amy and shoved her inside the back of the van. “SHEILA!!!SHEILA!!! HELP!!!!” Amy cried. Saba tried to get up, but the large dog pinned her down and wouldn’t let her up. Then, the man got in the open door and whistled. The large dog leaped in the van and the man closed the door. The van’s engine roared and Saba clawed at the back, trying to get to Amy with the sled still on her back.

      “AMY!! AMY!!! Saba howled, although Amy couldn’t understand her.

      “SHEILA!! HELP ME!!!!” Amy called from inside, banging on the door. Then the van began to move. Saba slides her paws off the back of the van and loped after it, hopping on two legs with the other two front paws scratching on the back. Then the van began to pick up speed. Saba tripped and she fell to the ground with a yip, but quickly recovered quickly and winded after it. The van’s speed steadily rose and Saba pounded after it, leaped up and scratching the back door, the dropping back on all fours and caught up to it again and hurdled over a pot hole and jumped up again, scratching the door, then the van began to move faster and faster and Saba picked up speed with the van. Soon she was tearing after the van. Her paws broke mushy slush into liquid, turning her snow-white paws brown. Wind and slush flew in the air from the tires of the van that blew in her face, sometimes blinding her, but still she raced on. Amy meant the world to her and she wasn’t going to give up just like that. So, on she ran and ran. She had no idea where she was, but she knew that Amy needed her and it was her duty as a best friend to find her. She galloped as fast as she could but the van showed no sign of stopping. Soon she felt like her heart was going to burst and knew that she couldn’t run for much longer. Then, she scratched on the door again and the man driving the van saw her. Then, he stopped the van suddenly and Saba crashed into the bumper. With a yowl of pain, she plummeted to the ground, covered in slush. Then the man drove off with a smirk on his face as he saw the red husky laying motionless on the ground. “SHEILA!!!!!” screeched Amy, hearing Saba’s yowl and hoping desperately that she was ok. The van sped off and out of sight.

      Saba heaved herself up some time later and sat down, dazed, for about a minuet, then, as abruptly as a snap of fingers, she remembered. Amy was in danger. She was still tired and her paws ached like hell, but she knew that she needed to find Amy. She trotted and trotted along, as fast as she could, which wasn’t that fast. Her fur was caked with dirt and snow and her chest was matted with dried blood. She meandered on the street for some time when incredible luck set it. There, on the side of the road, was the van. It had run out of gas and was parked at a gas station and the man was walking back to the truck. He opened the back and threw in a piece of bread for Amy to eat and walked to his door, forgetting to close the back door. Saba leaped inside. The back was filled with empty wooden boxes that had collected dust for some time. Saba and began to pull Amy’s sleeve, making her move towards the open door. But that’s where the good luck ended. The man heard the sled, still harness to Saba’s back, clash on the van wile she leaped up in the back. She heard him open the door to the front and she dashed behind some wooded boxes. Her sled stuck out a little, but the man didn’t seem to notice.

      “Oh, no you don’t!” chuckles the man and closes the doors, locking Amy and Saba in and going to his door and starting the van, then they began to move.

      “Sheila! What are we going to do?” Amy whispered urgently. Saba was all out of ideas. She pawed at the door, but knew immediately that that wasn’t a good idea when she heard the man’s dog barking, he had obviously heard her scratching at the door. The man stopped and opened his door and looked inside. He saw Saba and his face turned red with fury.

      “YOU MANGY MUTT!” He roared at Saba, “Oh, I know exactly what to do with you!” He smirked and closed the door. Saba and Amy looked at each other, surprised that he didn’t do anything and nervous at what he will do next. He sped down the road. Saba stood over Amy, protecting her from the wooden boxes bouncing around the back of the van. Then, the van stopped abruptly and the man opened the door, grabbing Saba quickly and taping Amy’s mouth shut and gave Saba to two men. The men took Saba and stuffed her in a pet carrier.

      “Good night sir,” one of the men grumbled, tipping his hat at the man, wile he walked to his van’s front seat, waves back. The men brought Saba to a small enclosure and tried to get the sled off, but she snapped at anyone who got too close, so they let her keep it. She sat down in it, looking at the stars. A light snow appeared, but the stars and moon where clearly visible. She smashed against the cage like a maniac, desperately trying to get free.

      “AMY! AMY! Amy …Amy ……Amy ……amy…..a…m…y......” Saba’s cries for her owner got softer and more hopeless.  She looks to the stars and sits up, tears rolling down her face.

 (“The Starlight’s Glow” goes with the melody of “The Water is Wide.” Sung by Saba)

The starlight’s glow

The moonlight’s shine

But troubles here

Takes something dear of mine

How can I go on?

What is there left

For me to love

What can I do?

I trusted the stars

To guide me to what’s right

But I was wrong

Are you even there?

I’m losing all hope

All strength to carry on

I needed you

Now I’m on my own

But there’s a light

Through all the dark

A light so dim

But I know that its there

A blaze of hope

Shines through the night

Maybe your there

Still guiding me

Look to the stars

Please guide me to her

I need you know

More then ever before

I know that your there

Keeping me out of harms way

Please help me know

I have faith in you

The starlight’s glow

The moonlights shine

I will follow you

To the end of time

I won’t let her go

I won’t let her die

I know your there

I’ll follow the sky

(Lyrics adapted from the song “The Starlight’s Glow” sung by Bluestar, both lyrics created by Tamaskawolf-BP)

      A fire burned in Saba’s eyes, a blaze of determination as she looked at the metal enclosure she was in. She placed a paw through on of the holes and smiled. Maybe she could escape! She carefully and quietly climbed the fence. She got to the top and leaped down, landing with a thud and the sled landing with a crash on the ground and Saba started sprinting down the street. The snow turned into a blizzard but still she ran on. Soon, the snow built up to about her waist. She walks slowly, but steadily through the side of the street. Her chest broke through the icy crust on top of the snow as she plowed through the frozen sidewalk. Her small paws desperately try to lift above the snow. Her head is bowed so it could break the lethal gust of the wind. Her thick red coat ruffled in the wind and was painted white with the tiny white ice crystals. Saba trudged on,