Scene 1: Balto's Nightmare

  Balto was running.  He heard Jenna's voice.  "Balto!  Where are you?  Help!"  she yelped.  Balto picked up the speed and ran faster and faster until he came to the source of Jenna's voice: the shed attatched to her house.  He shoved the door aside.  He saw Jenna, tied up to a hook on the wall.  But she wasn't alone: Steele was there, telling her how Balto was such a loser and he was going to beat the fight out of him in the race.  What race? Balto thought.  Then Steele chose that moment to turn and face the door.  "Ah, Balto, I've been expecting you.  See, I want a race.  You and me.  Lobo versus perro.  Wolf versus dog.  I'm comin' back to Nome.  And you'd better be there.  And you'd better race me.  Got it, mutt?"  Balto was angered by Steele's words.  He bit at Steele, who vanished, leaving no trace.  Jenna was crying to get away from the rope.  Yelling and crying.  "Balto!  Balto, get this thing off me!  BALTO!!!!" 

And that's when Balto woke up.

Scene 2: Steele's Return

  "Hey, Balto!  Come down here!" It was Jenna's voice, but she didn't sound frightened, as she had in the dream.  In fact, she seemed excited.  I wonder what she's so happy about? Balto contemplated.  He leaped down from the deck of the old boat he lived on. 

  Jenna was waiting below, smiling.  "Balto, I've got a surprise for you!"  she said.  "Come on!"  With that, she trotted off, Balto trailing close behind.

"What's this all about?" he inquired her as they went.

"I told you, it's a surprise!  I will say this: you'll be very happy," Jenna replied.

"Okay..." Balto said, confused.  He pondered what the surprise could be.  Another ride in a plane?  A big feast of yummy foods?  "Did I forget our anniversary?!?!" he thought, suddenly afraid.

  When Jenna finally stopped, they were in front of her shed.  Balto stepped closer cautiously and sniffed.  Not Steele's scent... but it was a familiar smell.  And it was friendly...

  Suddenly, a paw stepped out.  Then a body was visible.

  "Hello, Papa," Aleu said, smiling gently.  Balto couldn't believe his eyes.  Aleu?  Here?  Impossible.  She had crossed the ice bridge a few years back. 

  "Aleu?  Is that you?" Balto asked, bewildered.

  "It's me, Papa."  Aleu ran up to her father and nuzzled him.  She stepped back.  "Papa, I need your help.  See, I brought the clan back.  I wanted to be closer to home.  But do you know a sheltered place in the woods for us to stay?"

  "Uh, sure," Balto responded, confused slightly.  "You can stay in the forest behind my boat.  It's safe there.  And there's a river nearby.  You can live there."

  "Thanks, Papa!  Oh, and I'd like you to meet my advisor, Kenai."  Aleu ran off.  She soon returned with a dark gray wolf.

The wolf bowed his head.  "You must be Balto, Aleu's father.  I have heard much about you.  You are a great example of brave canines, even if you are not a wolf."

  "Well, thank you.  And you must be Kenai, Aleu's advisor.  Actually, I'm half wolf.  My mother was Aniu.  Have you heard of her?"  Balto replied formally.

  "Oh, my!  You are Aniu's son?  And your father was a dog, I assume?"

  "I suppose so."

  "Hey, Kenai, we're staying in the woods behind my father's boat.  That's on the beach.  Let the clan know, please," Aleu said.  Kenai was an eager-to-please wolf, so he nodded and dashed away...

  As Kenai disappeared into the distance, Balto caught Aleu staring after him.  Was that a hint of affection in her gaze?  Balto smiled slyly at Jenna, who obviously had noticed, too.

  Balto turned his gaze to Aleu and remarked, "Well, he seemed nice.  What do you say, Jenna?"

  "I say he was quite handsome.  Don't you agree, Aleu?"

  "Look, guys, I don't like him like that, okay?" Aleu retorted, embarrassed.

  "Mmm-hmm," Balto said.  "Right.  Very believable."

  Aleu thanked Balto again, and left.

  "She likes him," Balto stated.

  "Yes, it's pretty obvious.  And it seems like he likes her back.  It makes me wonder if she'll take him as a mate eventually."

  Later that night, Balto was lying awake on his boat.  He couldn't sleep.  Suddenly, he heard a voice that made his hackles raise and his lips curl into a snarl.  "Balto!" the voice barked.

"Steele," Balto growled.

The well-muscled husky was smirking at Balto, and he said, "Well, well, well, wolf-dog, you don't seem too glad to see me."

A figure stepped out of the shadows and stood beside Steele.

"You should remember me," the figure growled.

"Niju!  What are you doing here?!"

"Enjoying the town," Niju joked.

"Niju's going to work with me as my swing dog in the race," Steele cut in.

"Uh-huh," Balto replied uncertainly.

"Now, let's get down to business.  I haven't got all night!" Steele barked.  "We'll say the race'll be in a week.  You have that long to build your team.  Got it, mutt?"

"Got it," Balto glared down at his enemies as they left.

Scene 3: Building a Team

The next day, Balto spent some time gathering his pups for the race.  First, he headed to Aleu's hideout.

"Hey, Aleu?  I need a favor."

"Anything, Papa."

"Would you run in a race with me?"  Balto blurted.

"Of course!  I owe you.  And I'll help gather my brothers and sisters, too." She turned to Kenai. "You're in charge until I come back."

"Yes, Aleu," Kenai bowed his head and was about to dash away when Aleu stopped him.

"Don't get in a fight with Dante again," she warned quietly.  He nodded and walked away.

Aleu and Balto sprinted to where Kodi lived and asked him if he'd compete with them against Steele and Niju.

"I dunno, Dad...Dusty's gonna have her pups soon," Kodi replied.

"How soon?" Aleu cut in.

"A week, maybe sooner," Kodi answered his sister.  "I'm glad you're back, by the way," he added.

"Glad to be back, Kodiak," she responded, laughing a bit at her accidental rhyme.

Kodi smiled.  "I guess I could help."

"Thanks, Kodi.  This means a lot to me," Balto sighed.

The three canines headed toward Skylar and Aurora's house and they joined in immediately.  They then went to Denali and Polaris's house.

"Of course we'll help you, Dad!" Denali exclaimed.  To her brother she added, "Come on, Pol!  It'll be fun!"

Polaris gave in, a smile playing his red face.  "Oh, all right, Den.  We'll help ya, Pops."

"Great, that's everyone!  But now we need the gear and a musher," Aleu said urgently.

"I know just the man," Balto grinned.

Scene 4: The Race

At the end of the week, it was time for the race.  The dogs got in order; Duke placed all the gear in the sled carefully.  As wheel dogs, Dingo and Saba stood at the back while waiting to be harnessed; Denali and Polaris stood in team dog position.  Kodi and Aleu played swing dogs, just behind where Balto would stand when he returned from visiting Jenna.

"Good luck," Jenna said, nuzzling her mate.

"Thanks, Jenna.  I've gotta go now," Balto replied, dashing off.

"I'll be watching at the starting line!" she called after him.

When Balto returned, he saw Kodi lying beside the sled.  "Let's go!  Harness up!" he called to his son.

Kodi weakly lifted his head.  "Dad, I don't think I can run," he groaned.  "My leg..."

Balto looked at Kodi's foreleg.  It was bleeding.  "Who did this?" he growled.

"Steele," Aleu spat disgustedly.

'Who can run?"

Aleu brightened.  "I know just the wolf!"  She ran as fast as she could and returned with Kenai.  She instructed the confused gray wolf to stand beside her and let Duke harness him.

"KODI!  Kodi, are you okay?" a voice howled.  Balto turned to see Dusty, plump with the weight of the puppies she'd soon deliver, waddling as fast as her pregnancy would allow toward Kodi.  She licked his face vigorously.  "Are you all right?"

Kodi laughed weakly, wincing as he tried to stand up.  "I'm fine.  You shouldn't be bustling around so much," he scolded gently.  "You'll lose the pups like that."

Dusty rolled her eyes at her mate.  "You worry too much," she teased him.

Kaltag (who had, like his companions, Nikki and Star, joined Steele's team out of fear) glanced over at them, whispered to his friends, then unharnessed and carried Kodi to the place where he and Dusty lived together, with Dusty hobbling after them.  After dropping off the two, the three sled dogs returned and slipped back into their harnesses before Steele noticed a thing.

Mel, the worrisome Airedale terrier whose human worked at the post office,  scampered to stand in front of the two teams.