room.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Douglas paced impatiently back and forth across the wooden planks of a derelict boat. He eyed his prize with an insatiable lust. Her crimson and snowy fur blew in the frozen gale and her eyes were still shut. A collar was fastened snugly around her leg and a rising pole. Douglas took a few steps towards her, wondering how to wake her from the slumber he had caused. There was a sudden shouting that made itself known to his ear.

“You are to be getting away from her this instant you flee-bitten mongrel!” the gander honked.

“Shut it you overgrown chicken, I’ll be happy enough to have you for dinner, but not right now,” he hissed.

Boris, who was currently held down by heavy ropes, was far past the point of frustration. “You try that and I will be giving you one horrible case of indigestion!”

Douglas, now successfully distracted, stepped over to the goose. He lifted a paw and put a claw dangerously close to Boris’ neck. Boris gave a quiet gulp and shut his eyes tightly.

“You, Bird, are truly insufferable beyond the shadow of a doubt. I think I have enough reason to end your pitiful life here and now, or at least clip you of those scrawny wings.”

Boris opened his eyes and tried to sound more brave than he really was. “Feh, I am old bird. It would be doing you no good to harm me, but…” he raised his thick, bushy eyebrows, “I could take the pain if you would be letting Jenna go.”

Douglas scoffed and turned away from the bird, “That’s one thing I don’t understand about you animals! None of you care about your own lives! You all say that you don’t care what happens to you, as long as others are safe… but let’s test that shall we.”

He whipped back around and without a second thought, dragged a claw through the goose’s skin near his wing. Boris yelled out in surprise and in pain, trying to wriggle away from the dog. Douglas sneered viciously as he waited for the goose to claim defeat, but that would never come. A quiet voice quickly stopped his actions, her voice like a choir of angels to his ears.

“Now, Jenna, why on Earth would I stop? I’m only proving a point,” he said innocently.

Jenna shook her dizzy head. “No… No… It’s me you’re after… Leave Boris alone, please.”

Douglas licked his teeth and sauntered over towards his sister arrogantly. “Why yes, you’re quite right, I did come for you. And I really don’t want to waste much more time.”

He walked behind her shaking form and snickered with sheer delight. But he didn’t know that he would never have her, ever. His ears perked to the sound of running paws. A chow rushed up the plank of Balto’s boat and skidded to a halt in front of Douglas. Jenna gave a weak smile.

“Nikki, I’m so glad you’re here! I-” her sentence cut off when he gave a crooked grin. “Nikki?”

“Douglas, you’re needed by Hal for one, last assignment. He promises that this’ll be the last thing you’ll do. Then you’ll be free to have your-” he gazed down at the now fearful Jenna, “prize, without any of us bothering you.”

Douglas looked down at her as well, rather unhappily. “Are you sure it can’t wait?”

Nikki shrugged, “It depends if ya really wanna tick him off. Which I wouldn’t try.”

Douglas huffed impatiently. “Fine, I’ll go… Lead the way.”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Becca stretched before lifting her sleepy head. She gave a thoughtful gaze around, but quickly remembered that this was no world of dreams and happiness. She saw her tired brother by her side, and her now fearful aunt to her left. She gave a heavy sigh. When had everything gone so wrong? It had seemed like so long ago when she last saw her mother’s shining face. She missed her soft basket more now than she ever thought that she would. She even longed for the time a few days ago when her aunt had come to seem more and more like a mother to them, but ever since her uncle had come back, she became something that frightened Becca. She licked a wound on her front paw. Seth had scratched her when they had been fighting for the food scraps that were left over from the grown-ups. Becca heard her aunt shift about, and she gave a sad look to her.

“What do you want?” Lilith asked suspiciously, scratching at her collar.

Becca cocked her head, “Why you keep scratching your collar? Is it itchy?”

Lilith shook her head, “No, but it’s getting to be downright annoying… Why would you want to know?…”

She scratched again and something small suddenly fell from her collar. Both the females looked down at it, with obvious confusion. It was a tiny, white tablet. Lilith twisted her collar and more of these tablets rained down, pattering against the hard dirt.

“What are these?” Becca asked.

Lilith studied them carefully. She knew what these were, or at least, she hoped she did.

“I think… I think this is my medicine,” she almost questioned herself.

Becca’s face suddenly lit up. “You mean that stuff that makes you fun?!”

Lilith was still uncertain, “Yeah, that stuff. But, what would it be doing in my collar?”

“It doesn’t matter!” Becca was now on her feet, “Just take it, pleease!?” 

She shook her head, “I’m not sure… Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Auntie,” Becca said, staring at Lilith, “please just trust me and try it. You’re no fun like this.”

“But what about your uncle? He wouldn’t be happy if I did it. Trust me, he’d-”

“He’s nothing but a jerk! I don’t know why you keep listening to him. I promise that he won’t find out if you take it. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

She glanced down at the little tablets scattered across the ground. Maybe Becca was right? But what if she was wrong?… No… She had to… trust her. Something about trusting unnerved her. Lilith leaned down and took one of the white tablets between her teeth. It was now or never. Her eyes glanced over towards the empty doorway and she gulped heavily as her ears flattened against her head. With a great deal of courage, she let the tablet enter between her lips and she quickly swallowed it, coughing at the somewhat bitter taste. Becca stared at Lilith hopefully.

“Do you feel any better yet?” she asked.

“Well I don’t know, we’d have to-”

She stopped short. The sound of crunching snow had come to her ears. She stood up slowly and looked towards the pitch black entrance. She took a few sluggish steps forward, passing a sleeping Kaltag and Star. The two peeked open their eyes and watched her move with interest and silly smirks played themselves across their muzzles. The dank air began to surround her as she crawled closer and closer to the outside. Her breath came out in a puff of steam as she looked into the blackness. Something drifted in and out of her vision but she left it to her imagination. She closed to her eyes tightly, trying to somehow burry herself in her mind, to shut everything else out. But there had been a noise… She knew it! Her body trembled as the multiple scenarios flashed through her mind’s eye. Her eyes squinted open once more, but still saw nothing but the blackness that had been before her. She gave a sigh of something that resembled relief. Maybe it had all just been in her head? Lilith stepped back slowly, turned around, hit her muzzle against a brightly colored red nose, and screamed.

“That certainly wasn’t the greeting I would have expected from you, Sister Dear,” Hal snickered.

Lilith pushed him away, a growl escaping her voice. “Stop doing that! I’m getting sick and tired of it!”

“Ooh, hoo, hoo,” Hal put a claw under her chin and stared into her eyes, “since when did you get so rebellious?”

She suddenly began stuttering as she realized what she had just done. She crossed her forepaws and looked down. “I-I’m sorry.”

Hal’s eyes closed half-way as did his smile. He patted Lilith on the head softly and nodded.

“Go…” he said softly.

Lilith lifted and cocked her head. “What?”

He spoke with a much more commanding tone this time. “Go!”

Lilith didn’t need to ask any more questions, especially with the tone of his voice. She turned around and bolted into the dark, frozen streets. Hal grinned toothily as he gazed at Kaltag and Star. He nodded to them as well, and without having to be told, they stood up and causally walked after Lilith. Becca went to try and fall asleep again, hoping to avoid her uncle, when something popped into her mind. She looked around the room, which only proved her thoughts. Seth was here, but Stevan wasn’t. As if reading her thoughts, Hal stared down at his niece cheerfully.

“Oh, don’t worry about your brother. I assure you that he’s doing well. I just sent him to join another dog for tonight. He’ll be just… fine.”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Mr. Simpson flopped the hood of his furry parka down as he stepped up to a wooden door. He gave a few knocks and waited briefly until the door swung open, revealing an older man and his little, pudgy dog. Mr. Kode grinned and motioned the musher inside, taking a seat back down on the chair in front of the