A brown husky panted as he ran, but then, who wouldn't pant when having to pull a sled? He ran with his team as they passed trees through the forest. The husky was behind another dog. It was at the front of the sled. It was the lead dog. He had always wanted to be lead dog, and was close to getting it. He ran as a cabin appeared in view. The team passed a town as everyone said hello. They knew the team. Soon they reached the cabin, it was medium sized and was attached to a shed. Brown and brown were it's colors. The musher unhooked the dogs and opend the shed as they ran inside.

" Hey Max! Today was a good run, wasn't it?" A brown and cream dog shouted, as he panted.

" Yeah, I think I saw a wolf!" The cream dog answered. "It said it always had wanted to meet a sled dog!"

 Everyone laugh as the husky shook it's head. He had this interest in wolves. How they lived and hunted. Of course, pulling a sled was far more fun.

" Now, you know that I'd never leave you guys." He answered.

" Yeah Ibbiq, you'd just ask the wolves to let you go." Max joked.

 Ibbiq chuckled, his friend always tried to be the clown. He looked at all his friends. Then all of them went and ate. The musher walked in just then, he smiled, patting one of the dogs on the head.

" I hope you are ready, tommorrow we're going to Fairbanks, so rest up."

  Smiling, the dog finished his food. He walked up to his owner, and licked his hand. Chuckling, he walked to the couch, and sat down. Ibbiq followed, and sat on his lap. Soon enough, all of them were sleeping.

  The next morning, all the dogs were hooked up, only, just then, the musher did something strange. He hooked Ibbiq in Rex's place. "A couple more places, and I could be lead dog." The husky thought.

  Loading the mail onto the sled from the post office, the musher yelled Hike! And soon the dogs were running. Man walked into the post office, asking for a package.

" You think they'll be okay?" The man asked.

" Yeah." Another answered. " Why'd you ask?"

" Heard a storm's picking up, and there's a slight chance it'll be a rough one.'

" I heard about it also." He answered. " But the chances are less than 25%."

   The customer grabbed his package, tipped his hat and walked off. As he walked he looked at the clouds. They were humongous, and black.

" But a chance is a chance, and looks like this one took that chance, and won." He muttered, then hurried home.

    The husky panted, as he ran behind his teamate. They had been going this speed for a while, and he, as all the other dogs, were tired.  As they ran, Ibbiq thought to himself. However, his concentration was interrupted by a sudden smell, although it had dissapeared instantly. He stopped, yanking and startling the rest of his teammates. All of them had tripped over one another, and Ibbiq ended up (Or should I say down?) at the bottom of the heavy pile of sled dogs.

  The musher yelled to put increase the pace, however he was interrupted as a drip landed on his forehead. Looking up, he could see black thunderous clous, not to mention they had an enormous size. He gritted his teeth, and repeated the command fully to the dogs, them obeying instinctivly because of training.

  After a while, the huskies had slowed down, but still went at a good speed, about a canter, the musher could've sworn he saw a patch of pink snow. He ignored it, and shook his head. After a while, he could see another patch, more red than the lightish pink. He had also noticed the dogs slow down a bit, so he ordered them to stop.

 Looking around, he lifted Ibbiq's paw, and could see a sharp cut on it, also a bit deep. Sighing, he started to unpack, and took out his tent. He grabbed Ibbiq, and brought him inside, once having unclipped the rest of the huskies.

" What's wrong? What happened?" A red and cream husky asked, looking around.

 " I don't know Sadie, but let's make dens before it's too late." A gray malamute said, digging out the snow.

   Everyone agreed, and did the same. After a while, Ibbiq had come out. He sighed, and started digging his den, burying as fast as he could. It was hard, since he could only use one paw. That night, the storm increased more and more by second, and a light snow surrounded them, then turning into a blizzard. There were no signs of it decreasing.

   Getting out of the tent, the human looked around, and shouted for his dogs. They got up, destroying their dens. Hooking them up, he ordered them to mush, looking for a safer place to stay, leaving behind the tent, for there was no way he'd pack up, and freeze at the same time. However, after a while, they were still out, their heads tucked in to avoid getting stingy snow on their face. Unfortunantely, the blizzard picked up even more, and they were lost.

  Looking around, he sighed, and grabbed Ibbiq. Knowing the dog for a long time, he hoped he'd help them get out. He swapped the lead with the brown husky, and then returned to the back of the sled, yelling mush so they would run. Ibbiq, although surprised, started to lead them, looking for anything. Suddenly, he felt more weight on his shoulders, and looked around. One of the dogs had collapsed.

  Squinting his eyes, he started to run, and later found a cave. Staying in there, he nudged the alaskan husky, going by the name of Max, who had gone unconcious, and felt the cold mingle with his nose. Slowly, his friend's chest stopped heaving up and down, and it seemed as if shine was drained out of his pelt.

  Looking at his owner, he whined. The human shook his head, and petted him sadly. All of them went to sleep, hoping that the snow storm would clear out by tommorrow. When dawn came, their hopes had turned into reality, and a beautiful white snow lay upon the entrance.

   Wagging his tail, Ibbiq licked his owner awake, and then started to do the same with the rest, but something was wrong. Only half of them awoke, the rest lay still and limp. The beauty of that snow, had come with a price.

 Hooking him up, the brown husky lead them into a different town, being a trail different from where they had gone, where they could rest. On the way, two more dogs sickened, and, because treatment wasn't found at time, they had passed away.

  Ibbiq mourned his friends. He'd miss them, and hoped to see them soon, in the other world. Being back in his town, the lovely town of Nome, Ibbiq was always found with his ears laying flat on his skull, and he couldn't help but stay silent, for he had no idea on what to say. This could only make him think about the sled dogs. Their team was dissolving, and would soon be nothing.

" Without sled dogs, there isn't a mail team, and without a mail team, there is no mail, which means-"

" I'm sorry, but you're fired." The post man said, tipping his hat.

" Wha?" He asked.

" I've put the paycheck on your front door. Sorry." He said, and walked inside.

  Every single dog was staring up at the post man, All the dogs mourned that their friends would have to go. That night, when eveyone was asleep. The shed's door open and there stood the musher with another person. He grabbed Ibbiq as the husky woke up, startled, but still groggy.

" Shhh, Ibbiq. Meet your new musher." He whispered to not wake the others and cause a panic.

 Ibbiq sniffed the man, who seemed creepy to him. He was kinda chubby and short, wearing a thick black coat, some worn out gloves and a wreack of boots. Ibbiq couldn't help but growl at him, raising his hackles and was hooked up to a sled, behind the lead dog, who was a black dog with a barely noticible white spot.

" Hehe, you're gonna be in for a treat."

 Ibbig looked up, still sleepy. He was unaware of what was happening, but his instincts could tell him something was wrong. Even so, he was sleepy, until the yell of mush startled him. It wasn't his musher's voice, but he obeyed, everything making clear sense. As the man yelled, every dog in the barn awoke startled, and ran to the window to see a sled team going away, taking a familiar husky with them. The dogs looked through the window as their friend left.

" I'll miss him." Said Sadie.

" We all will." Another dog added, a small whine added at the end of his sentence.

 The next day, Ibbiq was in a rude awakening, literally. He was kicked in the ribs by his new musher, and was then put behind the lead dog like before. He noticed that his harness was all worn out, dirty and worn out. He sniffed it to get used to the sled, although he was a bit surprised to find a dog scent on it.

" I wonder what happened to the last dog." He thought, raising his head and looking around. His thoughts started to wander...

 ...But then yanked forward, pulling the sled, when he felt a whip. He ran as fast as he could, but couldn't seem to catch up with the others. This team must've been really experienced. He never felt the need to hurry last night, they must've been tired too. He had almost tripped, but regained balance. That is, until a dog behind him lunged, bitting his leg and making Ibbiq trip and fall. The musher got off, walking up to the dog with anger, and unhooked  the brown siberian husky. He pulled him to a place away from the other dogs, and started hitting him with a whip as hard as he could, snaps echoing through the canine's ears as he was punished.

" Idiot dog! Dare you make the same mistake, and I'll give you more than just a whip!!" He shouted, his face turning red with every swung of arm he gave.

 Ibbiq jumped as his owner hit him. Ow, ow, OW!! How it hurt. However other dogs just stared, watching