“The one mile marker! Mush, Jenna, mush! Let's win this race! Woo hoo!”

Barking excitedly, I pulled Rosy’s newly acquired sled that her parents had bought her through the street over to the race. It was a really nice day despite the cold wind. As we drew closer to the crowd of onlookers, Rosy told me to slow down. And as if on cue one of my friends Dixie had arrived.

“Good morning, Jenna! Ought to be a close race, don't you think? Maybe even neck and neck?”

At that moment a sudden breeze had caught my attention and I didn’t notice that she was throwing out her chest and looking downwards to emphasize her collar until another friend of ours Sylvie decided to join me.

“Say something about her new collar before she gets whiplash.” Sylvie said, rolling her eyes at Dixie. At that moment she had lifted her hind leg and began scratching at the collar and shooting proud glances at it.

I took a quick glance at it. “Uh… Dixie, what a pretty collar, is it new?”
“What, this old thing?” Dixie asked, acting mildly surprised that someone had noticed her collar despite her not-so-subtle attempts to draw my attention to it. “Yeah!” Then she added rather quietly and with an excited shudder running down her body. “Do you think, um, Steele will notice?”

Of course it was typical of Dixie to act so silly when it came to Steele. Even Sylvie who had just a big crush on Steele was a little annoyed with Dixie’s infatuation.

Exchanging somewhat exasperated expressions with Sylvie, I replied rather dryly, “I'm afraid the only way Steele notices anyone is if they're wearing a mirror.”

“Oh Jenna, you’re so hard on him.” Dixie said, following Sylvie who had just noticed a few other of our friends who were also watching the race.

“Jenna, stay girl.” Rosy said. We were close to the finish line and Rosy left me to pick up a mitten she had dropped.

“Jenna!” She ran over and hugged me as I barked happily and nuzzled her.

“Hold on…” She took off her hat and started to wave, yelling out, “Come on, Steele!” However a sudden gust of wind had carried Rosy’s hat and dropped it just in front of the finish line banner.

“Oh no, my hat!” Rosy cried. She was about to run after it but I grabbed at her sleeve afraid that Rosy might get hurt and the scene it might cause.

Right then I saw a brown form running right alongside Steele. It took me a moment to recognize that it was Balto. Because of his wolf heritage, he was shunned by the majority of Nome’s humans and dogs including Steele.

Steele, displeased at Balto’s intervention had snapped at him, just when they neared Rosy’s hat. However Balto managed to evade Steele’s jaws and grab the hat during the process.

“Balto! What a crazy thing to do!” Rosy exclaimed, taking her hat back from him. “Just to show off for a pretty girl.” She added mischievously looking at me and then Balto who had lowered his head modestly at her first comment.

Grinning at the second comment, he looked me and somewhat shyly I looked away, cheeks burining. Despite the stories and the fact he was part wolf, I couldn’t see any aggression from him. Quietly, I admired his kindness and didn’t drive him away like most dogs would of done.

“I'm sure Jenna would love to have you on our team!” Rosy said about to hitch him onto the sled.

“Hey hey hey!” Suddenly Rosy’s father came over and pulled Rosy away while kicking some snow at Balto.

“Dad!”

“He might bite you, honey, he’s part wolf.”

Wearing a hurt expression and wincing at being referred as ‘part wolf’, Balto walked away. I watched him with somewhat mixed feelings, I felt bad for him but he was a stranger to me. However he didn’t seem like the violent monster that some people made him out to be.

Just then Steele had came over to greet me, “Hi there, Jenna. Enjoy the race?”

“Yeah. Almost as much as you did.” I said referring to his temper tantrum a while ago.

“Thanks. Jenna, let's go celebrate. I know where all the bones are buried.” At this he started to lean into me, wearing a devious expression.

Recoiling from his touch, I answered, “I don't know Steele, suddenly I've lost my appetite.” I started to walk away from him.

“Ohhhh. . .well maybe your taste runs more toward. . .wolf.” Steele said flexing his muscles.

Not amused by what Steele was insinuating, I whirled around incensed. I was about to say something until Rosy interrupted our conversation.

“Jenna, come on girl! We're going back home!”

“Sorry Steele. My girl is calling me.” I said, relieved to get away from him.

I don’t exactly hate Steele but I wasn’t impressed with his constant flirting with numerous females and showing off his big ego. Unfortunately most of my friends didn’t share my opinion. In fact, some went as far as to think we would make a great couple. Steele especially agreed with this and I was the constant target of his flirting.

I guess I was too lost in thought and started to wander away from my family because the next thing I know a surprised Balto is running right up to me.

Somewhat startled I took a step back to save us both from a painful crash however that didn’t stop our noses from gently touching. My eyes widened slightly as I felt the cold tip of his nose against mine. 

Bashfully, Balto pulled away and smiled in a helpless sort of way. He sat down and started stammering, “Heh, Jenna… I uh… heh.”

Trying to think of something to say since it seemed like Balto was rendered speechless, Rosy and her father started call out after me.

“Jenna!”

“Jen! Come on!”

Taking to opportunity to glance back at Rosy, I just noticed her hat. I should thank him for bringing her hat back, I thought. Turning back to Balto I was about to speak except he wasn’t there. Puzzled, I followed his scent to the broken fence from which he appeared, wondering why he left. I looked around for him until Rosy’s father called after me again.

“Jenna! Come here, girl!”

Oh, he was probably afraid that Rosy's father might drive him away again. I’ll just thank him later.

Obediently I ran over to my family and playfully nudged my muzzle into Rosy’s side. Bursting out into laughing, Rosy gently stroked my neck until she started to cough.

“Rosy, are you okay?” her mother asked. Worried, she placed her hand onto Rosy’s forehead. “You have a fever! Oh, you probably caught Anna’s cold.”

Anna was another little girl that lived next door. Earlier, Rosy had visited her however she wasn‘t feeling well so the visit was rather short.

Hurriedly, her parents led Rosy into the house and straight into bed. As her mother made some tea for her, Anna’s mother had came over in a fit of tears. I couldn’t make out the conversation because I had been taking a nap and my mind was still fuzzy with sleep. Whatever Anna’s mother had said had obviously worried Rosy’s parents because they both rushed to her room when she left.

Following them, they were helping Rosy into her coat and hat saying that they were going to the hospital. Alarmed when I heard this I pressed my face against Rosy’s neck. Her fever was still high and her coughs were getting worse.

“Jenna down.” Her father said, pulling me away from Rosy. “Stay girl.”

I tried to follow them as they left the house but Rosy’s parents ordered me to stay. I was restless and worried; the worst part being that I didn't know what was going on. Eventually after a lot of anxious pacing throughout the empty house, I burst through the dog door to find out what was going on myself.

By the time I reached the hospital, night had fallen across Nome. I could see Rosy's silhouette through the window still coughing. I started barking in hopes that she would notice me and that she was okay.

As soon as she heard me, she ran outside towards me laughing.
“Jenna? Jenna! Jenna! Hi girl!”

Excitedly, I ran in circles around her but my joy was cut short as she started coughing again. Concerned, I nudged at her elbow to find her temperate was still high.

“Rosy!” Rosy’s father came outside with her coat. “Rosy, come on. You're gonna catch your death out here.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Come on, honey, the doctor's waiting.” Puzzled, I watched them as they closed the door.

I peered into the windows, trying to find my owner. I noticed that most of the patients were children who were coughing. Finally I found Rosy being examined by the doctor. A sense of dread was starting to form into my mind. His face was grim and the anxious expressions from her parents weren‘t putting me into ease either.

“Jenna? Uh... Jenna.”

Slightly alarmed I looked back and saw Balto.

“Balto. Hi.” I said, distracted.

“Hi.” He started to say something else but Rosy had started to cough again. She looked so frail and helpless. My paws moved restlessly against the window sill letting my claws dig into the layer of snow. It was upsetting to see her in such a state and I couldn’t do anything to help her. I didn’t even know what was wrong with her.

“Jenna?” He noticed my unhappiness and joined me on top of the wood pile.

“Rosy's in there.” I explained, not taking my gaze away as the doctor took her temperature.

“In a hospital? Why?” He asked, sounding concerned.

“She feels warm. . .she has a terrible cough.” One of her hands clutched at her throat as Rosy coughed again. Finally I looked at him murmuring softly, “Balto, what's wrong with her?”

I don’t know why I asked him that. He wasn’t a doctor obviously and I hardly knew him. In different circumstances I would have been embarrassed by how I sounded, so vulnerable and needy. But there was something reassuring about him, I couldn’t quite place it but I trusted Balto in my moment of emotional weakness.

“ I'm not sure, but I know how to find out. Come on.” Quietly I followed him as he was heading for the boiler room.

“I have the keys to the city.” He said in a reassuring way. Using his paws, he lifted the pins from the hinges of the door so that the door swung