shelter.”

“So,” Gia said, “I’m guessing Aniak was unsuccessful in getting rid of the little mutt, and it is with Aleu’s little band of outcasts.”

“As far as we know, that is correct, yes.”

Gia smiled again.

“And you say this Shadow would do anything to get Aleu back?”

“I believe he would, yes.” Lightning said.

“This may all work out, send a message to Shadow, I don’t care how, just see that it gets done, tell him we will trade the pup for Aleu, her life for that little mutt.”

“I’ll get right on it.” Lightning said.

He walked from the chamber.

“And get someone to take this trash out of my room.” Gia called after him.

Shadow had the cave on full alert.

The guard had been doubled, and no one was alone.

Suddenly, he heard a howl, and went to investigate.

Another of the wolves that had remained loyal to Aleu, Julic, who was standing guard, was the one who had given the warning.

Shadow emerged from the cave in a low crouch, ready for anything.

What he saw startled him.

Julic was on top of a wolf he knew from Aleu’s. pack.

“Aniak’ pack,,” he corrected himself.

“Would you get this guy off a me!” She yelled.

“Julic, Let her up” Shadow said.

Julic got off her.

She stood up.

“I bring a message, Aniak is dead.”

“What?” Shadow and Julic asked at the same time.

“We have a new leader, and she has nothing against Aleu…”

Shadow interrupted her.

“Then why has he taken her?”

“First off,” the wolf said, “the new alpha’s name is Gia, and it’s a she. Second, you have something she wants, so she took something you want.”

Shadow growled.

“Not a very good way to get on our good side.”

“I really don’t think she cares about your good side Shadow.”

“This is her message,” the female said.

“Give us the pup, the one from the Onasie clan, and we’ll give you Aleu.”

You have two weeks to respond, if not, I suggest you find a new mate.”

Shadow growled at her and before he even knew what was happening, he was on top of the female, jaws at her throat.

“Don’t you ever threaten Aleu again, or I can guarantee that those words will be your last.”

The wolf was obviously very surprised at his attack.

Shadow got off of her.

“Now get out of here, before I decide to let our pack eat you, we are quite hungry.”

The wolf didn’t need to be told twice.

She bolted.

Shadow sighed and thought back to what Aleu had told him when they’d first got to this new cave.

“Shadow promise me something. Promise me that no matter what, Raye will remain safe. I’ve given up a lot to see to it that she remains unharmed, if something should happen to me, keep her safe. I believe she is the key to ending all of the conflict we have with the Onasie clan.”

"What am I supposed to do now?" Shadow said, aloud, "I gave her my word."

Julic looked confused.

"Gave who your word about what?"

Shadow sighed.

"Julic that's too many questions for me to answer right now. Let's go inside and I'll answer that for everyone."

Chapter XIII

It was a week later, and Balto was extremely surprised at how quickly Junior had picked up everything that Kaltag and he had taught him.

Kaltag turned out to be great teacher too. He, knowing about Balto's experience, even taught the kid what to do in the case of thousands of different scenarios, what could go wrong, and what to do to fix it.

Balto covered the rolling sled scenario several times.

Balto watched as Junior finished dragging the tire that they had him pulling.

The training was hard, a twenty mile run marked the beginning and ending of each day, and the rest of the time was spent sprinting, learning how the sled worked, teamwork, and building general strength, like dragging this old tire.

Balto and Kaltag showed up at dawn to pick Junior up, and by first light, they were well on their way to half way done with their run. Then it was off to the sled barn, where Junior was taught how a sled and the guidelines, and the dogs all worked together to produce motion, and what to do if something should go wrong.

Every one of the dogs on the team had to be a leader, because a crash or storm could easily kill or disable the lead. If that happened, someone had to step up and take his place.

Then the group moved on to some morning strength training, in the form of two hundred yard sprints.

The first day Kaltag and Balto had gone easy on him with the sprints, they let him just run, but now, after a week of training, the sprints were at full speed, as fast as he could go.

Two hundred yards there, and two hundred yards back.

They did this for a few hours, averaging about thirty miles of sprints a day.

Balto and Kaltag did these with him most of the time, saying they wouldn't ask him to do anything they weren't willing to.

Sometimes they watched, and offered advice, but most of the time they ran.

Balto found out just how out of shape he was, from the last month of inactivity.

The sprints were fairly hard on him as well.

After the sprints the group ate lunch, but not much, because as soon as they were done eating, they were back at it.

To strengthen Junior's muscles, they made him drag around an old tire, Balto had found. He drug it up hills and down hills, not big ones, but any hill is enough when you're dragging a thirty or forty pound tire around.

Then it was off for more sprints, more knowledge time, and then to finish off the day, another twenty mile run.

They usually returned Junior to his parents at somewhere around ten 'o-clock at night.

Junior was extremely tired, but the effectiveness of Balto and Kaltag's harsh training was showing.

Junior stopped pulling the tire and fell to the snow.

"Get up," Balto yelled.

"I'm...I'm... tired." Junior said.

Balto was unrelenting.

"I don't care. If a sled dog you want to be, then a sled dog you will act."

Junior struggled to his feet.

Balto continued.

"When you're out there and you get tired, you can't give up, a sled dog does not give up, we don't know the meaning of the word failure.

When a sled dog is tired, exhausted; when he is stretched beyond what he thought physically possible... when he wants to give up, that's when he has to dig deep down inside and pull up that which makes him different from all the other dogs, that's when you'll know you're a sled dog; every dog faces that time, sometime in their lives.

Some give up, choosing the easy way out, but not us. You're becoming part of a brotherhood Junior, if you're ever in need of help, shelter, food.. the other's will be there for you, even if they don't know you, if you're a sled dog, you're family, and you must remember the same thing. If you ever see a sled dog in need, it is your duty to try your best to help him out.

Junior was about to fall over.

Balto laughed.

"Junior, why don't you come over here and sit by me for a while, take a break, we've got to wait for Kaltag anyway."

Junior started to drag the old tire toward Balto.

Balto laughed again.

"Kid, you can leave the tire."

Junior gratefully slipped out of the rope harness he wore, and fell on the snow beside Balto.

"Now you can rest," Balto said, "you don't have a team depending on you.

Everything that I said is true Junior, but we sled dogs like to have fun and relax too, there's just a time and place for it."

Junior nodded, so out of breath that he was unable to speak

Balto looked out on the horizon for Kaltag. He thought he could see him.

Junior looked up into the sky, which was starting to get dark.

"Are...are we going on our run soon?"

"No," Balto said, "Kaltag and I have something different in mind for tonight."

Junior could now see Kaltag as well, running towards them.

Kaltag ran up beside him, and stopped.

"Hey Junior," Kaltag said, "what breaking technique was that?"

Junior responded without hesitation.

"That was the hooking technique, you would use it on razor ice, while sliding stops are faster and more controlled, the razor ice will slice you up, if you slide on it."

Kaltag laughed

"Whoa," Kaltag said, "someone's actually been listening."

Balto joined his friend.

"Good, Junior good."

"Why did you bring that, " junior asked, gesturing toward the small sled that Kaltag had been pulling.

"Kid," Balto said, "this is a new challenge, now so far, you've picked p on everything quite well, so I'm not even worried about ya on this one."

Junior looked at the little sled.

"This is going to be easy," he thought.

Kaltag unhooked the tire from the rope harness.

Junior slipped it over his shoulders.

Balto walked over to the sled, and drug a leather one off of it.

"Drop that old nasty thing," Balto said, "you won't be needing it anymore."

He tossed the harness at Junior.

Junior flung the rope one off, and slipped into the new one.

The buckles were all shiny, and the leather felt so much softer against his hair than the rope did.

Junior walked over to Balto, the harness jingled as he walked.

"I love this!" Junior thought.

Kaltag hooked the little sled's guideline to the harness. Kaltag then rolled the tire over, and pushed onto the sled.

Then he and Balto climbed into the tire.

"Here's your scenario," Kaltag said, "I'm injured, as well as Balto here. Our team was making a simple mail run, when we