You look like it.”

“Uh... yeah. I am. Why?”

“HA! That's your team's advantage. You add instinct to your team. Out there, no dog can make it alone-” Balto cut in but in a surprised tone,

“-but a wolf can.”

“Exactly! Where did you hear that before?”
“I was about to ask you the same.”

Right then the gun was shot and the race began.

Chapter 6: Competition

The sleds broke the snow and the dogs started to move. The sleds became faster and faster. Magnum was intent on not letting Kurgan in front. He barked and yelped for the rest of the dogs to move faster. Balto looked to his left and saw Steele with that powerful stride, he was in his own world. Balto was running as fast as Magnum was going. Magnum was a Mackenzie so his legs were much longer, thus a long and faster stride. Balto's comparatively smaller legs had to move faster to keep up with those Mackenzie strides.

It was all so exciting. The noise of dogs, the contact of feet on snow covered ground, and the fierce competition with national pride at stake. The favorites in this race were the United States, the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland, but the real competition was between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Americans were determined to beat the Russians on their own territory to make a statement. Each member had a different thought driving them.

Magnum always thought, “I'm the best. I'll stay the best!”

Balto kept thinking, “Sooner I get this done, the sooner I'll get back to Jenna.”

Steele kept saying to himself, “Win and I get my life back!

All the other team members had their own, none of them were more motivated than Magnum, Balto, and Steele. However on the Russian team, there was no motivation, just simply discipline. Kurgan and the others were disciplined into one powerful unit with the work ethic of a machine. All what the Russians saw was a task that needed to be completed. They didn't see awards, treats, or congratulation at the end, they saw, mission accomplished.

So far the Americans and Russians were neck to neck all day. As soon as the judges' clocks hit 9 pm, they fired flares to signal to stop. The red flare scene in the night sky for miles and the dogs on all the teams stopped. The Americans and Russians were next to each other as far as camping. The other teams were a mile or more behind. All the dogs made nests in the snow to keep warm. Balto was resting nice and snug but then a whisper woke him up,

“Hey Balto, get up!” It was Steele. Balto, groggy, mumbled,

“Yeah? What d'ya want?”

“Wolves! They're howling and driving me crazy. Tell them to shut it.”

Balto chuckled, “Steele you goof. You can't shut up wolves.”

“At least tell me what they're saying.”

“Fine.”

Balto got up and he and Steele went on top of hill nearby the camp. The moonlight revealed a rugged volcanic landscape with scattered trees. The Kamchatka Peninsula is a lot more different than Alaska. Balto listened to the howls and told Steele what he listened as time passed,

“Can't say much Steele. It's mostly singing in a way. It's like one big spread out chorus.”

“Well what are you doing. Pitch in!” Steele halfway teased. Balto went shy,

“I don't know Steele...”

“Come on! I know you can lobo.” nudged Steele. Balto took a breath, lifted his head and gave a strong howl that echoed on that hill top. It sent a chill down Steele's spine. For some reason, Steele felt a complex appreciation for it.

“That was fancy stuff Balto.”

“Hey no problem. Runs in one side of my family.”

“I must second that was also good.” That voice was none of their's. Balto and Steele froze in place. They slowly turned around and saw a wolf right there, a graceful female with a beautiful silver coat that reflected the moon light. Her voice had a seductive tone to it, it ringed in any male's ear.

“So what are you two dogs doing out here?” the female wolf asked. Balto and Steele were sort of stunned. They didn't know how to talk to a wolf that seemed so beautiful.

“Uh... we're on a race and... we're taking a break right now.” answered Balto. The female wolf approached them slowly. Steele was quaking in his paws and Balto noticed this and the female took note as well.

“Your friend here is rather nervous. what's with him?”

“I'll let him answer that.” said Balto.

Steele swallowed and kept still. He blurted out,

“I never really met a wolf this close before... at least, never a full one.”

The female laughed. Steele became more comfortable around her as it seemed she had a sense of humor.

“Don't worry. I won't bite you and a pack won't ambush you. I'm a lone wolf. My name's Silver Cloud. To be honest, I've been watching your sled team earlier today. I plan to keep watching. One of your boys caught my eye.” At this moment she glanced at Steele. “I'll see you around.” Then she darted off into the dark. Balto looked at Steele and smiled and imitated Silver Cloud,

“One of your boys caught my eye. Steele, I think she meant you.” Steele's ears went back. He seemed uncomfortable with it. Balto continued,

“Lemme guess... you like her too.”

Steele sighed, “Night Balto, lets get some sleep.”

Chapter 7: Blood

The next morning, the team woke up, packed up, and headed out. The judges fired a flare to signal to start moving. The flare burned a bright green in the early morning sun. The dogs barked in excitement when they finally started. Once again, the American and Soviet team were neck to neck. Magnum looked over to the Russian leader, Kurgan,

“Working hard eh sport?” Magnum mocked. Kurgan smugly smiled at him and shouted,

“Ia tebya imeyu!” Snorted Kurgan. All of the Russian dogs laughed. Magnum knew he was insulted, he just didn't know how. This irritated him. It irritated him even more when Kurgan's team started to pull ahead.

“Oh no you don't Ruskie!” Magnum lengthened his stride much to his team's distress, but they wanted to win just as badly. The dogs could hear their mushers yell and curse to move faster. A steep hill appeared on the trail. The Russian team got their first and started to climb. The American team arrived second and pumped their legs. The American dogs clearly had the muscle as they started to pull ahead uphill. The Russian dogs maybe fast, but the Americans were stronger, giving them the advantage on hills. However, as soon as the ground leveled, the Russians were in the lead again. It went on like this for 2 days. The teams began a strong rivalry but a friendly comradery as well. On the 3rd night, Balto met up with Kurgan. Kurgan looked eerily familiar to Balto. Kurgan turned to him and spoke,

“Balto, I have prayed on the issue and the answer came to me in a dream.”

“I'm listening.”

“We are more connected than you may think.” This put Balto back,

“What are you saying.”

“We are brothers Balto. Brothers in blood.”

“We share the same father?!” Balto blurted out. He was walking in circles, it seemed so unreal that by chance of fate, he met a half-brother and he was Russian. Kurgan took a breath,

“I can tell you the story of our parents.”

“Sure you might as well” urged Balto. Kurgan began.

It was a dark winter in a Koryak village. An American missionary came to visit the village and also give supplies for the winter. It was fiercely cold and the Koryaks needed coats. One of the elders bred dogs and noticed the missionary's lead dog, a strong, dark coated Siberian husky. This Balto, was our father, his name was Paul. The elders of the camp and the missionary agreed to lead him to my mother. Luckily, my mother liked him and they had pups. I was in this litter. I knew this part of the story. My mother used to talk about our father as if he were an angel. I sometimes saw him when he was delivering supplies. I can tell you that he had a kind heart and always went out of his way to help someone. But for your side of the story, I had to receive in a dream. As you may know, your mother was a wolf, a beautiful white one. Our father was on a freight mission in Alaska. The sled team was attacked by a bear. The musher was killed and all of the dogs were killed. But our father managed to crawl away wounded. Stranded in a forest, dying, your mother came along and helped him. She nursed him back to health. Your father had pups with her and that's where you come in Balto. But you don't remember much of our father. He was unsatisfied on how he was still a dog, when he mated with your mother, he was convinced he was a wolf at heart. He left to find a way to become one. My mother sent a friend to look for our father because he didn't show up at the village for a delivery. That friend Balto, was Boris the goose. He flew all over Alaska and found our father wandering the tundra. Boris told him he'll freeze, but our father said that a dog can't make it alone but a wolf can. Boris reported back to my mother, and said what our father said. That's how I know of the saying. Boris also said he mated with a wolf. My mother sent Boris away to look for you to take care of you and your siblings since you were fatherless. I don't know the fate of our father yet, Balto, but someday it would be revealed.

Balto was sitting there with his jaw loose and eyes wide. He couldn't believe it all. Kurgan is his half-brother, Boris is the connection between these two worlds. He still wondered, what happened to their father, Paul? Paul sounded like a great dog even though it sounded like he was delusional at the end. Balto asked,

“Kurgan, how did I end up alone? How did I get separated from my mother or siblings if I had any?”

“Balto, you do indeed have siblings but I do not know where they are. I do not know how you became separated from your mother either. Perhaps time will reveal that.”

Meanwhile, Magnum was awakened by a whispering voice from the