motionless.

Steele stepped forward.  “Now,” he said, savoring the moment, “To finish it.” 

 “No!” Toby ran forward and did the only thing he could think of.  He jumped into the air and clamped his jaws hard on Steele’s tail.  Steele let out a howl of rage and spun around, trying to dislodge the pup, but Toby held on tight until Steele slammed him against the wall, jarring him loose.

“Well, well, well.  If it isn’t the half-pint hero,” snarled Steele.  “I’ll teach you to get in my way, you little flea-bitten-“  But that was all he had a chance to say before he was knocked aside.  Balto had gotten his second wind and was on the offensive.  The surprise onslaught drove Steele out into the street.

“There he is!” someone shouted.  A whole pack of dogs headed for Steele with fire in their eyes.  Steele sized up the situation and ran for his life with the pack close on his heels.  Toby ran behind them, but again he was too slow to catch up.

“Toby, are you alright?” asked a voice.

“Luna!” yelled Toby, running over to his friend.  “Are you okay?  Did he hurt you?  Where’d that pack come from?”

Luna laughed.  “I’m fine.  He wasn’t trying to hurt me, he just wanted to use me as bait to get Balto.”  She shrugged.  “I decided since everybody’s heard of him, somebody should know he was back in town.

“I never thought it would come to this,” said a female voice.  Toby and Luna looked up and saw a malamute / chow mix standing next to them and staring off in the direction Steele and the pack had gone.

Luna wagged her tail.  “Hi mom.  This is Toby, the friend I’ve been telling you about.”

                Luna’s mother looked at Toby.  “Oh, yes.  The one who put you in the vet’s office.”

Toby backed up and his tail went between his legs.  “I didn’t mean to do it, honest.”

Luna’s mother smiled.  “It’s all right.  I know it was an accident.  My daughter has told me a lot about you.  I’m glad I finally have the chance to meet you face-to-face.”

Balto walked up.  “Is everyone alright?”

Everyone nodded.

“Well that’s the first good news since Steele showed up.  What happened back there anyway?  I mean, I remember him standing over me, but then he was mad at you for some reason.”  He was looking at Toby.

“Um, well, sir, I saw you fighting, and I sort of bit him on the tail.”

This brought a chorus of laughter from Luna and Balto.  “You didn’t really, did you?” giggled Luna.

Toby nodded, his face turning bright red.  Then he noticed that Luna’s mother wasn’t laughing.  She was just standing there with her head and tail drooping.  "I thought I finished him last time," she said in a voice that was almost a whisper.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have come back to Nome.”

“What do you mean, Mom?” asked Luna curiously.

 In response, she turned away.  “Come with me, Luna.  There’s something I need to tell you.”

As mother and daughter walked away, Toby looked up at Balto.  “You were amazing,” he said.  “The way you took on Steele like that was totally awesome.”

Balto shrugged.  “It wasn’t the first time, and I’m afraid it won’t be the last.  Steele’s hated me since before the diphtheria epidemic.”

“Before?” asked Toby.  “I thought he was mad at you for getting the medicine to Nome and showing him for the stinker he was.”

Balto shook his head.  “That just added to it.  He’s hated me ever since I first set foot in town.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m part wolf.”

“Why would he hate you for that?  I think it’s neat.”

Balto laughed a little.  “Well, most dogs around here hate me for being a half-breed.  Or at least they used to.”

Toby looked at the ground, thoughtful.  “Yeah, my brother- well, my half-brother, really- is kind of the same way.”  He hadn’t meant to mention Pete, but now the whole story came pouring out.  “His dad was a husky, like my mom, but he died and then mom met my dad, who’s a bloodhound.  So now Pete thinks he’s so much better than me just because I’m a mix.”  He looked up at Balto.  “I always thought if I were a wolf-dog like you everyone would respect me.”

Balto shook his head regretfully.  “I’m afraid you’re wrong about that.  Being part wolf doesn’t make you popular at all.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to break up fights that started because someone was picking on my kids for being part wolf, and they’re less wolf than I am.”  He sat in silence for a moment and allowed this to sink in.  “A friend of mine once told me that there are journeys a dog can’t make alone, but a wolf can.  Maybe it’s the same for mixed-breed dogs.”

 Toby thought about that.  All his life he had wanted to be half wolf like Balto.  It had never occurred to him that maybe being half bloodhound was good enough.  “You know, you’re right.  When Steele grabbed Luna, I couldn’t keep up with him.  But I was able to sniff him out and track him down that way.”

“And you showed up just in time, too,” said Balto, ruffling the fur on top of Toby’s head.  “Gotta go, but I’ll see if I can help you out with your brother one of these days.”

Toby’s jaw dropped.  “Really?  You’d do that for me?”

Balto smiled.  “I’d be happy to.”

“Wow!  Thanks!  I’ve gotta find Luna.  I can’t wait to tell her about this!  See ya!”  And he dashed off with his tail whipping back and forth like a flag.

Toby headed for Luna’s home and found her talking with her mother.  Not wanting to interrupt, he sat outside and waited.  And while he was sitting there, he couldn’t really help overhearing what was being said.

“I still don’t believe it!” Luna was saying.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to tell you because… well, because I wanted to forget it myself.”  Luna’s mother sighed.  “I shouldn’t have come back to Nome.  I should have known Steele would come back and there’d be trouble.”

“So why did you come back?” Luna asked.

“Because of your father.”

“Oh, I see.”  Luna sounded close to tears.  “And I guess he’s also the reason you didn’t tell me that the dog who almost destroyed Nome is my grandfather!”

Toby’s eyes widened.  ‘What?’ he wondered.

“I know how you feel,” Luna’s mother said.  “After all, he’s my father too.”

Toby ran off in confusion.  ‘This can’t be real, this can’t be real, THIS CAN’T BE REAL!’ he thought over and over again.

“I know it’s not a pleasant thought,” Luna’s mother continued.  “You have a proud heritage too, though.”

“Yeah, I know!” snapped Luna.  “I’ve got one grandpa who saved the town because my other grandpa just about destroyed it!”

Once again, Toby tried to pretend he hadn’t heard the conversation.  He still played with Luna, but now every time he looked at her all he could think of was how much she looked like Steele- although most of it was in his mind.  The only real resemblance was her sapphire-blue eyes.  Luna was distracted too, often lost in her own thoughts, but it was inevitable: she noticed that something was wrong.  “What’s the matter with you?” she asked Toby one day.

“What?” asked Toby.

“You were looking at me weird,” she said.  “And you were showing your teeth.”

“Oh.”  Toby stared very quickly at the ground.

“Toby, what’s eating you?”

“Nothing.”

“Toby, you tell me this instant what the problem is!”

“Well,” Toby began, “You remember after Steele kidnapped you, your mom took you off to talk with you?”

An odd look crossed Luna’s face.  “Don’t remind me.”

“Well, see, I had a really great talk with Balto and he said he’d help me with Pete and all.  I went to tell you and sort of… accidentally heard what you and your mom were talking about.”

Luna looked worried.  “You did?”

“Yeah.  I really didn’t mean to, honest.  It just…”

“Happened, yeah.”  Luna sighed.

Toby knew he should probably stop, but the words kept coming.  “It just freaks me out, talking to someone who’s grandpa has been Nome’s most wanted since 1925.”

“Yeah, well try actually being that someone!”  Luna retorted.  “Not to mention talking to someone who’s eavesdropped when you and your mom have been discussing family issues!”

“Luna,