Paw prints in the snow slowly began to be covered up with snow as the wolf-dog sat watching the waves roll ashore, she was all alone. She had great friends, friends that she wouldn’t give away from anything in the world, although sometimes she wanted a real family, someone who could tell her everything would be alright in the stormy nights, someone she could tell her thoughts and dreams to.

Dusty slowly turned around and looked over towards the wooden ship stranded on the beach where Nome’s hero lived. She smiled watching Balto and his son (and her best friend) talk happily as they looked up at the stars from the bow of the vessel.

Slowly she walked back along the road towards her home and as she walked she couldn’t help but look in to the different homes where in one she saw Jenna and another one her pups sitting beside a warm fire talking to each other. Laughing to her self Dusty kept walking, she didn’t need a family she had lived a happy life so far without one, she was a mail-dog and was highly regarded in the town. Hearing a tapping at a nearby window Dusty turned around to see a few huskies looking at her and pretending to howl, they were obviously making fun of her wolfish appearance…but she had news for them, she wasn’t a wolf she was a husky. Ignoring them and holding her head up high Dusty kept walking towards her home.

Once she was there she quickly ran inside once her owner had opened the door for her. Running over to the warm fire Dusty sat down as her elderly owner sat down on a chair beside her patting her head. ‘Oh Dusty, I’m getting to old to look after you, so my son will be taking you from now on…’ The elderly lady looked down at Dusty who looked confused not understanding what she was saying, ‘…oh Dusty if only you could understand me.’ The lady smiled as Dusty’s tail wagged behind her.

The next morning Dusty woke up beside the burnt out fire, she stretched her legs out and yawned but before she could go and get breakfast she heard a tapping at the window, it was Kodi. Smiling Dusty quickly ran towards the door and scratched it until her owner let her out. ‘Hey Kodi!’ She said smiling and looking up at him not noticing the sad look on his face. ‘What’s wrong?’ Dusty said beginning to look worried.

‘Dusty these men came last night and they said I’m the fastest dog they’ve ever seen!’ Kodi said jumping up in excitement. ‘But they’re taking me away for a year or so…’

‘Wait you can’t leave!’ Dusty said shocked looking at him.

‘This could be the biggest break in my career. I might finally be as famous as my father!’ Kodi said holding his head up high.

‘When are you leaving?’ Dusty asked bitterly.

‘Tonight…’ Kodi said but didn’t get to finish.

‘What…what about the mail run? In wind, hail or shine?’ Dusty laughed, ‘We wouldn’t be a team any more without you…’ Dusty sighed.

‘Someone will replace me.’ Hearing someone call his name Kodi quickly turned around to see his owner beckoning him. ‘Come and see my off tonight Dusty!’ Kodi yelled as he ran over to his owner leaving Dusty looking after him.

‘But we were a team…’ Dusty sighed sitting down on the cold porch.

When ever you want something to never end, it always seems to be over so soon that you’ve hardly enjoyed the time you’ve had left. The sun in the sky moved so fast that Dusty barely had time to contemplate what was going on and before she knew it the moon was in the sky and the stars behind it glittering like a thousand diamonds in the sky.

When ever someone says that goodbyes aren’t hard it means they haven’t had to say it to someone who they cared about knowing that there was a high possibility they’d never see each other again. Dusty watched as Kodi lead a small team off in to the cold night disappearing like when day turns into night.

She wasn’t sure how long she had sat there in the cold snow, hoping that Kodi would change his mind  and come home. A break in the clouds let the moon shine down illuminating her light brown coat and making her purple-blue eyes glisten with a dying hope that was like a candle being blown out by the wind.


Finally the light in her eyes had all but burnt out as she turned around and slowly trudged home turning her back on her best friend, he was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.

Once Dusty had returned home she quickly ran up to her owner who patted her kindly before bringing out a leash she was holding. Looking a little confused Dusty thought that it was a little late for a walk. She didn’t fight against her owner as she slowly put a collar and leash on Dusty. ‘Oh Dusty…this time tomorrow you’ll be leaving Nome forever…’

Even though Dusty couldn’t really understand what she was saying she understood enough to know that she was also going to be leaving. But she couldn’t what about the mail run? They needed her with Kodi gone she was moving up a position she was going to take charge.

From the door the elderly woman’s son walked in as Dusty quickly cowered behind her owner as the man took her leash and began to pull her outside. Whining for her owner Dusty watched as the elderly lady waved goodbye to her as the door shut in Dusty’s face. Frowning she looked up at the man who sighed. ‘Don’t worry Dusty I’m not going to hurt you…’ He chimed. The man was much younger then the elderly lady and looked about in his mid twenties. He had short brown hair and brown eyes and was much taller then anyone Dusty had ever seen before.

The man took Dusty to a strange house and tied her up outside on the porch as he went inside leaving her outside. To full of rage to sleep Dusty remained awake nearly all night until finally her eyelids grew so heavy she didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep.

‘Look it’s the wolf-dog!’ The sound of voices woke Dusty as she looked down at a few huskies looking up at her. Frowning but not saying anything Dusty looked away from them but that morning they persisted and came even closer teasing her.

‘Look you guys I’m not a wolf alright!’ Dusty snapped turning around looking at them.

‘I heard that she attacked her owner because she is too much like a wolf…’ One of them whispered as Dusty growled and jumped up on her feet but the others just laughed knowing she couldn’t get them. ‘Oh no look the wolfs angry…’ They laughed and ran away as Dusty sighed before sitting back down looking after them, what she wouldn’t give to be like them, to run with them but the only friends she had she would never see them again. She would never see Kirby or Ralph again.

The man came outside with a smile and sat beside Dusty who walked as far away from him as possible because of her leash. The man put down a bowl of food but Dusty sneered at it despite the fact her stomach was growling loudly. The man smiled slyly and just sat their as Dusty looked at him and after about half an hour Dusty slowly walked forward and ate the food in the bowl. The man went to pat her on the head but she quickly dodged him and smiled back at him. The man gave her a funny look before standing up and walking back inside.

The day went by so quick that the time that she was able to talk to Kirby and Ralph was so short she barely had time to say any proper goodbyes. The awesome foursome was splitting up and now they weren’t even going to be a trio any more.

‘Come on Dusty.’ The man said holding the leash as Dusty just sat down not wanting to move. Finally Dusty had to give in because the collar was starting to hurt her. Slowly she slipped into a harness with a few other dogs she had never seen before. ‘Who are you!?’ One exclaimed looking at her.

‘She looks like a wolf.’ Another said whispering to the others.

‘I’m not a wolf!’ Dusty barked at them as she turned to see Kirby and Ralph standing nearby looking at her and smiling. Smiling back at them for one last time she heard her new owner yell mush and she ran forward following the dogs in front of her.

Soon Nome was only a flicker in the distance as she ran and ran, they only stopped once or twice the entire day but for some reason Dusty didn’t seem to tire it was as though she wanted to run away, to escape, but why?

As night drew near they made it to a nearby town which was much larger then Nome and had people and dogs bustling around every where. Dusty’s eyes opened wide, she had never seen anything like this in her entire life. There were so many people and different dog breeds she had never seen before. Stepping forward Dusty smiled as she looked at everyone, no one seemed to look at her any differently, it was like they didn’t care they were to busy doing something else and it was just the way Dusty liked it.

Her new owner slowly unleashed all the dogs who all ran over to a nearby water container. The man turned to Dusty who looked up at him. ‘Now don’t you go running off because Nome is to far away…look at this I’m talking to a dog…’ he mumbled as he let Dusty go from the leash and as soon as he did she sprang forward smiling as she looked around.  Turning around she watched the man disappear as she sneered, she wasn’t going to stay here she was going to try and find a way home.

‘Where are you going?’ One of the dogs in the sled team said as she walked past them not even thinking about having a drink. Ignoring them Dusty ran forward into the town as all the other dogs looked at each other. ‘She’s probably running back off to the wild.’ One of them laughed as they turned back around.

As Dusty walked through the town the people there simply ignored her as they walked past her some even nearly tripping right over her because they weren’t looking where they were going. The people in this place where all