THE BEGINNING OF RODEO

My first fanfic! Hope you all like it, it stars the wolf-dog that I made up, Rodeo, a very stubborn yet heroic animal that inspired my screen name. Go ahead and read it! It is the beginning before the first Rodeo In Nome book.

This is rated PG for a not too descriptive birth scene and just slightly mild language

Balto, Jenna, Kodi, Aniu, Rosy, Steele, and Boris are property of Universal Studios.

Just don't take the characters I made, they are mine, so... no stealie! :)

Chapter 1: Lost In The Snow

A small wolflike shape was moving slowly through the wind, his paws dragging though the thick snow. He never felt so lost as he did now. For once, he regretted leaving home. In his ears repeated the words he had heard his mom say before he left. "Rodeo, Sonyai's... disappearance isn't your fault. You know that. Rodeo, we just want what's best for you, that's why we moved... Rodeo! Come back!"

Rodeo remembered running into the frosty air, panting, anger rushing through him. He remembered how furious he really had been. He was more angry at himself than at his mother. The day before he ran off he had led his sister Sonyai across the ice in a game of Follow-The-Leader, and then playfully pushed her across the ice. The ice had cracked around her, and she had fallen into the deep, ice-cold water. The water was under zero degrees, and though Rodeo tried all he could to save her, her heart had stopped and she had slid to the bottom of the sea, gone. Gone... the word made Rodeo cringe. And it was all his fault.

Rodeo stopped and sat down in the snow. Part of him yelled just to be back on the warm carpet in front of the fire at his mother's. The other side said that this was what he had gotten himself into, and this was what was meant for him, to be as far away from his family.

Torn and exhausted, he felt anything but happy. The wolf spirit inside of him told him to go on, but he was way too tired. He thought he saw the slight glimmer of city lamps, but then they were gone again, into the endless white snowfall. He collapsed into the snow, laying down against the cold white ground. He felt lost again in this empty, desolate world. But a noise made his ears prick up, and he no longer felt alone. He could not indentify it at first, but then he understood.

Aohrrooooo.... Aharoooooo...

Rodeo did not completely know or trust his wolf heritage, but something about this howl made his spirit rise, as well as his body. He looked into the snowdrifts, and he saw two black dashes and a round, nose shaped black circle. Then he truly saw the wolf in front of him. It was Aniu, the White Wolf, mother of Balto. Before Rodeo had time to react, the wolf was gone. Rodeo set down his paw, and lifted it to check it's size, then he began to hurry toward the glittering light of the city lamps. Though through the wind, his pace was barely a trot. After a long while of fighting the wind, Rodeo came into clear sight of the lamps, but with his exhaustion, he flopped down and fell asleep. Before he was totally asleep, he heard the sound of a husky's barking...

Chapter 2: The City Of Nome

Balto was doing his daily run down the beach, and he hoped to find Boris, the fatherly Russian goose on the beach. When he had gotten up that morning, he couldn't find Boris on the grounded ship he called home. Balto ran, but he could feel his speed weakening. He was getting rather old now, but he still was slightly fast. When he couldn't find Boris, he got to Jenna's in still-record time. When he didn't find Jenna there either, he headed down to the small town of Nome, where the two-lane roads met at the center, called Nome Central. He found that down the narrow roads, nobody was there. Still confused, Balto headed to the Central. He saw many people and dogs gathering up. Was there a race? If so, Balto hadn't heard about it.

Balto curiously tipped his head, and moved into the crowd. He looked around, finding no sleds. Looking farther down the roads, he asked the dog beside him, "Kodi, my son, what is happening? There's no race, for sure..."

Kodi laughed. "Dad. I thought you knew all the news of the village. Pretty sudden, though. Jenna has-"

Balto gasped. "What happened?"

Kodi shook his head. "Let me finish. Jenna and Rosy have found another wolf-dog either sick or asleep on the outskirts of the city. We're waiting here to see what's become of him."

Balto's hair stood on end for a quick second, remembering his other enemy besides Steele. The dog was a mix just like him, but he would never fall asleep on the outskirts of town. Finally his hair flattened as he saw Rosy and Jenna, Jenna pulling Rosy's sled, with a cargo of a scruffy, damp body of a yearling wolf-dog. The wolf looked exactly like a mini Balto except for a slight different tint to his fur. Rosy walked beside the sled, her hand on Jenna's back. "Good girl. You found something more interesting than a twig for once." Rosy giggled nervously. "But is he alive?" she said, turning to look at her father.

Her father set his hand on the still body. "We'll see."

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Rodeo woke to curious voices, then an excited voice, followed by a gleeful bark. Rodeo didn't remember anything but a huge white blanket of swirling snow. Rodeo knew there had been a blizzard, but he didn't know how he got here. He opened his eyes, rocked to his feet, and gave a warningly vicious snarl. His fur bristled, and he settled his skull in between his shoulder blades, warning the people around him with bared teeth.

A burgundy husky blocked his run for the door. She gave him a I'm-not-very-proud-with-you look, that mostly only mothers used, but she did have a point in the way she looked at him. Why was he trying to escape if he had finally came to someplace he could call home? Finally he sat down with his head lowered in apology.

The men scratched their heads in confusion. Rosy's father said, "Yep. This one's no good. I'm beginning to wonder why Jenna dared approach such an animal." Rosy shook her head. "He was asleep. I'm sure of it! He was motionless, breathing very slowly..." Rosy's father considered this. "Well, since it's Christmas, he may stay. But he must keep away from all the villagers." Rosy smiled. "Balto can teach him about us! Just let them talk to each other, and Balto can give him a tour!"

Her father scrunched up his nose. "Ok. I'm not sure it will work though."

Chapter 3: Talk of the Town

By now, rumors were flying, and the new arrival was the talk of the town. Balto had been watching from beneath the floorboards as Rodeo had woken up, and his attitude kind of reminded him of himself whe he was a lor younger, a pup. Balto waited at the beach, knowing the new dog would find him eventually.

Boris was back now, panting. "Oy. I've been running all over for you."

When Balto did not respond, Boris asked, "What be the matter?"

Balto watched down the beach, waiting patiently. "I'm just thinking... the new dog... could he have followed my mother?"

Boris said with a slightly mysterious voice, "Or... could your mother have followed him?"

That next moment, a howl echoed through Nome, ghostly... and it sounded just like Aniu's. But Balto only lowered his ears. Boris tilted his head at a shape running toward them. "Say, is that the new dog?"

Balto lifted his head to watch a wolflike shape that solely resembled Balto and Aleu trot toward them. Balto asked the smaller version of him, "Why do you come here?" although he pretty much already knew.

Rodeo wagged his tail and lowered his body a little, in a guesture that basically meant no harm. Balto smiled. "Well?" he asked. Rodeo said slightly hyperly, "Jenna asked me to come here. I hear you're a legend in this town, and everybody knows you're the best. Jenna said that maybe you could take me on a tour... and I wanna learn about sled teams!"

For once, this pup didn't seem half bad. "C'mon, rascal. Let's get this tour started." Balto said, leading him across the beach toward Jenna's.

Boris laughed, took his mop, and began mopping the deck of the ship. "They seem almost like father and son." Boris looked at them as they turned the bend off the beach. "Maybe... they are related in blood..."

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After Rodeo and Balto checked in at Jenna's to make sure her leg was OK from slipping on the ice while rescuing Rodeo, they headed to Nome Central, where a new sled team was forming. Balto always felt excitement build up when he saw the dogs run. Every time he watched, he somehow felt young again in spirit. It also brought memories of that first time he felt the harness against his chest, and when he saved the many children of Nome, and that time when Rosy woke up as if from a trance, and remembered seeing her happy face when he handed her her musher's hat... Though it was the past, Balto could never let it go, just not yet.

Rodeo watched in awe as Kodi stepped into the front, given a choice to lead this magnificent team of only the most powerful runners. Since Balto was retired for good, the musher saw fit to put his son in the front. Kodi proudly stepped into the harness, as he was chosen for the lead. Balto stepped out of the crowd, Rodeo nervously following, and Balto said to Kodi, "Good luck, m'boy. Make me and Jenna proud."

"I will Dad."

Balto went back into the crowd, and Balto said to Rodeo, "See, the dog in the front has the most important job, to give slight commands to