why clocks belong in a human's home. Those ones don't get pounded," she spoke slyly.

       "Yes, but I am goose! No cluck cluck for me!" Boris said with pride. Rukie chuckled.

       "No 'cluck, cluck', you say?" she laughed, but trotted out onto the beach. She lived in a den not to far from what used to be Balto's boat. Now, Boris and Stella lived there alone. Balto had found a home with Duke.

       She moved over to a fresh water stream, and took a couple of laps, then turned back as Boris followed her out of the cave.

       "So... why are you here?" She asked, sitting down. Her stomach growled, but she had gotten used to the fact of not eating.

       Boris jumped up.

       "You're little bang, bang made me forget! Balto! Jenna! They have called for a meeting in zee boiler room! Hurry, hurry! No time to loose! Mush child, mush!" Boris honked, and ushered Rukie towards Nome.

       "You don't have to push!" she complained, and bounded off towards Nome, but not after tripping over the first sand pile... Boris rolled his eyes.

Its dem big paws... poor girl...

       Farther away, in the town of White Mountain...

       "You think that it's okay to talk to others!? You think its okay to go walking by yourself, to leave here, without me!?" A snarling ebonite dog smacked a smaller female across the face. She yelped, and toppled, landing on her side. She winced, but made no atempt to get up. Her brown fur, which would have been beautiful if not ruffled and ungrowmed from days gone bye, stood up in fear. She breathed shakily, and avoided the males eye contact.

       "That's better," he growled, and turned around, padding over to a food bowl titled Tysaen. He greedily ate it up, and walked out a doggie door. The female had curled up into a ball, shivering. I have to leave... she thought to herself. A tear slid down her face. She knew she couldn't leave. 'The world is creul and bitter, Isa-Liana! I'm only protecting you!' the words floated in her head. The female quivered. No... I can't leave. If the world is worse than him... Isa couldn't finish her thought, and she sobbed softly. Why was I ever born!

       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *      

        "Hey, hey! Clutzy finally arrives!" Orval teased his sister as she came up, nudging her kindly. Rukie smiled, and nipped his ear playfully.

       Rukie looked around, smiling. Saba was talking to Kodi, and Noie was roughhousing with Dingo. Angada was gobbleing down some scraps that Nichole had most likely given him. Rukie turned to her older brother, and pushed him playfully. He came off balance, and growled, leaping back at her. Rukie ducked, and he flew over her, landing on Balto.

      "Calm down kids, and pay attention! Jenna has an anouncement!" he said, but he was still excited. Jenna walked over to the stove, and looked aound at her children.

       "Well, there's no other way best as to say this, but... I'm pregnant!" Jenna said. Everyone was expecting it, and they all cheered.

       "Yahoo!" Rukie jumped up in the air. She wasn't going to be the youngest anymore!

       Balto walked over to Jenna and licked her cheek affectionatly.  They all crouded around Jenna, asking questions and blurting out wishes.

       "Seeing as I'm no longer going to be the last born, may I name one, mother?" Rukie finally asked. Everyone fell silent, and looked at eachother, holding their tongues to something. Rukie cocked her head, and shrunk down a little.

       "What?" she asked. Jenna laughed a little, and the others calmed down, smiling at Rukie, but she still felt uneasy.

       "Yes, Rukie, you may, but you can just call me, Jenna. There's really no need for you to call me 'mother' now that your an adult!" Jenna said kindly, but there was a tension there. Rukie smiled slightly, and the others, started talking again, but everything was hard to be free with. Rukie was silent, and finally everything broke up, and the dogs headed home.

       Except Rukie.

       She sat alone in the Boiler room as Jenna, Balto and Kodi left together.

       "I'll walk home by myself mother!" Kodi said quietly, shifting a glance at Rukie. Rukie perked her ears up. Jenna took no notice.

       "Alright, Kodi. Be safe!" Jenna called, and padded off to her house with Balto. Rukie blinked.

       Every time I refer to Jenna or Balto as my parents, I'm chastised. But when Kodi, or Saba, or Noie or anyone refers to them as their parents... why am I so different from my family? she wondered this many times. She even counted the differences, but there were so many that she just couldn't keep track.

       The biggest, of course, was her paws.

       They were even bigger than Balto's.

Chapter 3

       Isa crept as quietly as she could. If Tysean caught her... Isa shivered. There would be no life left for her.

       She pushed out the doggie door, and slid down the porch steps. Past the gate, and around the first building. Even there she felt like Tysean would pop out from any corner and slit her throat. At the thought of this, Isa shivered. She started to shake as she padded further and further away from Tysean and the country towards Nome. A part of her was terrified that he would still catch her.

       She had reached the town. All she had to do, was find enough food, and head to Nome. She had heard rumors of kind dogs there. Its my only hope...but getting back past Tysean's house would be hard. Thats why she had to do this in the cover of night, and all durring this night.

       A garbage can fell over with a loud clank.

       Isa bolted behind piles of boxes.

        She was breathing quickly. Her heart was racing. He's found me! He's found me! Tears slid down her cheeks in panic, and she bolted from behind the boxes.

       "Hey!" a voice shouted. Isa willed her paws to carry her to death before she could suffer any more. The paws of another pounded behind her.

       Isa took a sharp corner, then another, and another. Whomever was chasing her was keeping good pace.

       Isa was breathing very quickly. If she didn't slow down, she would hyper ventalate. He's going to catch me! He'll kill me! a voice screamed in her head. Tears stained her cheeks, and she willed herself to go the extra mile. Run Isa!! Run!! Isa put her heart into it, and broke free of the buildings, racing out into the contry, towards Nome.

       Nome! Nome! That will be my knew home! she thought to herself desperatly, hearing the pawsteps coming closer. They were very rappid... or was it numerous? Isa couldn't tell. Her head felt light. 

       Isa tried to jump an upcoming sandbank, but toppled over. She was too weak, and her paws were too big...

       "I'll kill you Isa! I'll kill you!!" a voice called, and paws collided with Isa's side. Isa yelped, and rolled, cringing and coughed lamly. She couldn't make out the color in the navy night. Then a flash of Orange. And finally, the cool black that made all fade...

      Some time after the event, in Nome...

     Rukie gasped, and her eyes opened. She was sprawled out on her stomach, inside the Boiler room. She looked around wildly, and upon realising where she was, she started to calm down. She rolled onto her side, and let her head fall.

       "It was just a dream, only a dream..." she whispered to herself. She was breathing fairly quickly, and her side hurt, mostly from the memory but some from hunger.

       "You awake Ruk?" a voice called from the corner, and a husky poked her head out. Rukie looked up, and dropped her head down.

       "You had me going there a bit, Mia," Rukie chastized her friend slightly, but smiled. The black and white husky padded over to Rukie. She sat down beside her, and cocked her head.

       "When I couldn't find you in your home, I asked your folks where you might be. They said here, so here I am, with a message. You know a Chase, or something? From a mail run maybe?" she asked, looking Rukie up and down. Rukie swatted her friend over the head kindly.

       "I've never been on a mail run, stupid," she corrected. Mia ducked just in