Copper folowed his nose, curiously. Where was Todd?! He remembered what had happened just the other day...

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  Copper reced into the town. He had never been there. Amos wouldn't allow it.

   Copper felt his body collide with that of another dog. He looked up and saw a tan female.

 "Sorry," he gasped, getting to his paws.

 "No problem," she replied, shrugging. "I'm Aleu, the wolfdog."

  "Copper," Copper responded, "the foxhound." A thought struck him. "Have you ever been into the forest?"

 "Plenty," Aleu replied. "Why?"

 "Have you ever met a fox?"

  "Two."

 "What were their names?"

  "Todd and Vixey!"

 "Are they still alive?"

  "I should think so! I met them yesterday!" Aleu replied, confused.

 "Alright!" Copper almost laughed aloud. "Thanks!" He took off into the forest.

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  If Aleu had told him about them, where were they?! He folowed his nose to a den that went partially undergground.

 "Todd?" he asked, hoarsley. Nothing. Copper kicked the ground angrily. "Come on! I'm sorry! Chasing you was the worst mmistake I've ever made!"

 "Copper? What are you doing, howling to the sky?" a farmiliar voice demanded.

 "Todd?" gasped Copper.

 "Yeah." Todd came out of his den. "It is you, copper."

  "Yeah, it's me," Copper told him. "So, gosh! I'm sorry! I'm so so so sorry, Todd. I should have known that you wouldn't do that to Cheif."

  "Yeah, you should have,"Todd told him, harshly. Copper flinched. "But I forgive you." Those were the words Copper had longed to hear for a long time. "You saved my life, Copper."

 "You saved mine," Copper said.

  "with the bear?" Todd asked.

 "Yeah," Copper nodded, grinning. "Ya know, we said once that we'd be friends forever and I think we've managed well so far."

 "I agree," Todd grinned.

  "Todd, who's that?" A female fox appeared.

  "This is Copper, he's been my best friend since we were kids," todd replied. "Copper, this is Vixey."

  "Todd," Vixey hissed, "Didn't he, well I don't know, try to kill us?!"

    "Um..." Copper sighed, "yeah. I guess it's fair to say that that was me."

 "It was you?" Vixey growled. "Oh, well, I outta!"

  "I know," Copper told her. "Yuo want to attack me and I can't blame you. How could I? I tried to kill you two because Cheif had an accident. I was wrong and I've realized it."

  "I don't trust you," Vixey growled.

 Copper bowed his head. "I don't expect you to. I don't expect Todd to but if he does.... Well, anyway, I just came to check up on you so..." Copper turned to leave.

 "Wait, Copper!" todd ran to him. "Don't go yet. I'll show you the den." Copper glanced at Vixey.

  "But, I'll be intruding," he disagreed. "It's better for me to leave."

 "Copper," Todd said. Copper began to run. "Copper, wait!" Todd took off after him.

  "Todd, I won't bug you anymore!" Copper yelled. Todd put on a burst of spead and ran infront of him.

 "Vixey's just Vixey," Todd said. "She holds grudges but she'll get passed it."

  "That's not it."Copper looked at the forest floor. "It's just that, I know how bad I must have hurt you and I can't put up with that."

  "Copper, you didn't know," Todd disagreed.

 "I should have," Copper growled.

  "If you want to make it up to me, visit more," Todd told him.  

  "Alright, tell me if there's ever anything else," Copper said.

   "I will," Todd told him. "How'd you find me?"

   "A wolfdog named Aleu told me," Copper replied.

 "Really?" Todd asked. "How is she? She stole some meat for us, when we couldn't find any food."

  "She looked fine, I don't exactly know her myself," Copper said.

 "COPPER!"

  Copper sighed.  "I have to go."

   "Alright, see ya tomorrow." Todd tried to hide his disopiontment.

 The next day, Copper visited again. Vixey had about excepted him.

 Copper jumped when he heard a bark at the enterance. Todd snuck to the enterance and hissed, "Who's there?"

  "Aleu," said a farmiliar voice. "I've got my dad, Balto with me."

  "You do?" Todd asked. "Well, we'll come outside." Copper and Vixey followed him out.

    "Hey, Copper," Aleu said. "Hi, Vixey." 

 "Hey, Aleu," Vixey nodded. She gave Copper a look. "You know him?"

  "Yeah," Aleu replied. "He asked about you."

   "I see." Vixey turned her gaze from Copper.

  "I'm Balto," Balto said.

  Copper nodded. "I've heard of you."

  "Alot of dogs have," Balto sighed. "I just folowed my instincts."

  "I brought you a ton of meat!" Aleu put in.

 "Thank you," Vixey smiled. Copper hadn't ever seeen her smile! To be honest, he didn't know she could.

  "I thought you'd be extra hungary given your condition," Aleu continued, "so I brought extra sasagues and an extra steak."

  "What condition?" asked Todd and Copper in unison.

 "I..er..." Vixey stammered. "I'm pregnant, Todd."

  "With my...?" Todd gasped.

  "Yes." Vixey nodded.

   "Woooh!" Todd cried. "I'm gonna be a dad!"

 Vixey chuckled. "Yes, Todd."

  "Woah," Copper whistled. "Go, Todd. Go, Todd."

   "Oh yes, Aleu, you have a message for this young dog," Balto said. ALeu nodded and turned to Copper.

 "I saw a gray dog sniffing around the trees saying, 'Copper where are you?' Do yo uknow him?" she asked.

  "Cheif," sighed Copper. "I have to go." He said goodbye to Todd, Vixey, and balto. When he reached Aleu, she spoke up.

  "I'll go with you," she offered. Copper nodded, taken aback.

  "Thanks," he managed. Aleu shrugged and htey began to walk towards the cabin.

 "What's your story?" Aleu asked, sudennly.

  "What do you mean?" copper asked.

 "How did you become who you are?" Aleu asked.

  "Ah," Copper sighed. "Well, I guess my story started when I was a pup. You see, I followed my nose and it led me to the best friend I could have, Todd." Copper explained his story up to the end, when he hesitated. "In conclusion, Todd saved me ferom becoming a huntin' dog that was obsessed with hunting."

  "You have a complicated life," Aleu told him. "So do I." She explained all about runnign away then coming back eventually. "So, I wan't saved like you, but I found out what family means."

  "I understand," Coper nodded. "Cheif, Amos, and Todd are the only family I have. I'd die for them."

  "I get that." Aleu looked at him and their eyes met. Though it lasted for a few moments, it felt like forever.

 Finaly, Copper spoke. "This is it. I should go." Copper trudged to his barrel and looked at ALeu again. "Bye."

  "Bye." Aleu turned then spun back around. "Um... meet you at Vixey's tomorrow?"

  Copper grinned. "That can be arranged." Aleu nodded then took off.

  "Where have you been, youngin'?" Cheif's voice woke Copper from what ever thoughts were running in his mind.

  "With..." Copper had ot think fast.

   "With Goldy?" Cheif asked.

 "Er..." Copper had to think. Goldy was a golden retriver that was copper's girlfriend. "Sure."

  "Sure?" Cheif asked, tilting his head.

  "I mean, yeah!" Copper replied, quickly. Too quickly.

  "Who was the wolf with you?" Cheif narrowed his eyes.

   "Aleu," Copper replied, without thinking. "She's a friend!"

  "Sure," Cheif teased. "A friend. Old or not, I ain't stupid!"

  "Right." Copper lay in the barrel. Cheif had it all wrong! He was with Aleu, Todd, Vixey, and Balto. Not just Aleu. And he was quite please with Goldy.

  Some part of his brain snickered, "Please! Are you trying to pull that on yourself?"

  No! I'm not pulling anything! Copper snapped in his mind. Was he right?

 Aleu began to walk back to Vixey's. She heard the thudding of paws and stopped. A golden retriver leaped at her, snarling!

 Aleu gasped and slid to the side. Who was this dog?

  "So, you think you can take my guy?" she growled.

  Aleu cocked her head. "Huh?"

  "Don't play innocent!" snarled the golden retriver.

 "Who do yo umean?!" Aleu demanded, frustrated.

  "Copper, who else?" snapped the retriver.

    "Look, I barely know him," Aleu told her, neck hair standing up.

  "Keep it hat way," growled the retriver. With that, she ran inot the trees.

  "How about not?" Aleu muttered. She headed back for Vixey's.

 Copper woke to a orangish-yellow face above his. "WOAH!"

  "Calm dow, Copper," giggled Goldy's voice. "It's me, Hunter."

 "Don't call me that," Copper grumbled. He stood up. "So, other than trying to give me a heart attack, why are you here?"

 Goldy errupted into a fit of giggles and copper had to wait for them to subside.

 "I saw you wiht  wolfdog yesterday," Goldy said, seriously. "I don't want you say her name ever again. What ever her name is."

  "Her name's June," lied Copper.

  "Oh," Goldy sighed. "Want ot hang out?"

  "Sorry, I've got plans," Copper replied. He slid past her and ran to Todd's.

 "Hey Todd," he greeted when he arrived. "Have you seen Aleu?"

  "Ya, she went to get you," Todd said.

  "Dang it!" copper growled. "I gotta go, fast!" He ran towards the cabbin ad when he arrived, he saw Aleu talking to Goldy.

  "Are you June?" Goldy demanded.

  "no, I'm Aleu," Aleu replied, crossly. "Where'd you get June?"

  Copper groaned and said, "Aleu, Todd's looking for you."

  "He is?" ALeu asked. "I