can’t ever do that again.”

“Kodi rolled his eyes, and Dusty and Balto laughed.

“Balto walked up to his son.

“Great job son,” he said, “I’ve never been prouder.”

Kodi smiled.

“Thanks dad.”

Balto looked at Kodi, and then back at Dusty.

He smiled.

“Well, we can talk some more tomorrow, come on Jen, I’ll walk you home.”

“But…” Jenna started.

“Come on Jen,” Balto said, “Kodi’s got to be tired, aren’t you?” He said, turning to look at his son.

Kodi nodded.

“Oh yeah, exhausted.”

It wasn’t far from the truth either.

“Okay,” Jenna said, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

“Bye mom, bye dad,” Kodi said.

Balto turned to look at Dusty and winked at her.

She laughed.

Then Balto and Jenna walked out of the barn.

Dusty walked over to the door and watched as the two of them walked down the street and disappear.

“So Kodi,” she said, “what was it that you realized, out there with the team?”

She got no answer,

She turned around.

“Kodi?”

She smiled and walked over to him, he was sound asleep.

She got his blanket out of his bed and laid it on top of him, then she laid down on the floor next to him, and soon she too was asleep.

Chapter 8

Balto was standing on Main Street, waiting for the flying machine’s distinctive sound, but all was silent, except for the howling wind.

Jenna walked up to him.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked. “Everyone’s looking for you.”

Balto sighed.

“I’m… I’m just afraid that…”

“Afraid that what?” Jenna asked.

“Afraid that the flying machine might’ve crashed in the storm, and that human is spending tonight in the storm.”

“Come on inside Balto, there’s nothing you can do about it, besides, you’re going to make Kodi think that you were rooting for that thing.”

Balto nodded, then stopped.

“Jenna, what did you say?”

“What, that Kodi’s…”

Balto cut her off.

“No, before that.”

“Oh, you can’t do anything about it if that machine crashed.”

Balto remembered the human’s words.

“You’re quite the hero around here, aren’t you boy?”

“You’re wrong,” Balto said.

Jenna turned and looked at him.

“About what?”

“I… we can help him, we’ve just got to find…”

Jenna interrupted him.

“Balto, you’re not serious?”

Balto looked at Jenna.

“I can’t just let him freeze to death out there. Whether he tried to take Kodi’s job or not, he’s still a human.”

Jenna walked over to him.

“But… but Balto the… the storm..”

Balto interrupted her.

“Is why I have to go after him.”

Balto started to walk inside the shed.

Jenna stared after him.

“Oh Balto,” she said to herself. “Why does it always have to be you, why can’t you stay home, safe for once?”

Then Jenna walked down the street, headed for home.

Balto walked into the shed.

The dogs from the team were all inside, laughing and joking.

“Hey we sure kicked that thing’s tail, didn’t we?” Cookie said.

“Yeah,” Dix added, “a little storm, and he doesn’t even come back.”

Kodi laughed.

“Yeah, all of you did a great job, I don’t think,: at least I hope that stupid human never comes back, in fact…”

He stood up.

“…I hope that stupid machine of his crashed, maybe then he’ll realize our place.”

All of the dogs laughed and cheered.

Kodi turned and saw Balto standing there, he had a disturbed look on his face.

“Kodi, what did you just say?”

Kodi looked straight at his father.

“I said that I hope that machine crashed.”

He smiled and looked back to the team.

“Kodi,” Balto said, “come here.”

“Dad,” Kodi said, “I kinda have some stuff to do with the team and whatnot, and…”

Balto cut his son off.

“Kodiak, come with me, now.”

His father’s voice had a sharpness to it that Kodi had rarely heard.

“Okay,” he said.

He looked back at the team.

“I’m gonna go outside for a minute alright, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Okay,” they all said, then they went back to laughing and joking.

Dusty stood up.

Balto and Kodi walked out of the shed, she could tell something wasn’t right, and decided to follow them.

When they were outside Kodi turned to his father.

“Now what is it that you want to talk about dad?”

Balto sighed and looked at his son for a moment, then back at the ground.

“You… Kodi, you didn’t mean what you said, did you?”

“Yes,” he said, “I do, I mean it more than anything I’ve ever said, that… that man tried to take away my job.”

“Kodi,” Balto said, “I think you’re right, I think the plane crashed, and if that’s so, then… then that human is out in the storm right now…”

Kodi cut him off.

“Good, that’s fine with me, maybe he’ll realize that their stupid inventions don’t take the place of us.”

“Kodi,” Balto said quietly, “he could, and probably will freeze to death out there.”

“Fine by me,” Kodi said.

“Kodi?” Balto said, “I… I can’t believe that you’d say something like that.”

He sighed, then looked back at the ground.

“The other humans are mounting a search, but it can’t leave until the storm clears, and by then it will be too late. Kodi, it’s up to us, up to the dogs again.”

He looked back up at Kodi.

“I came to ask you to help me. I’m going out later tonight.”

Balto looked back up at his son.

“Will you help?”

Kodi took a step backwards.

“I don’t believe it,” he said.

He looked at his dad and spit on the ground.

“You’re siding with him. So much for family and loyalty and all that other stuff you taught me about huh?”

He started to walk away.

“Kodi,” Balto said.\

He looked at the ground as his son kept walking away,

“No,” he thought, “he’s not going to treat me like that.”

“Kodiak!” Balto yelled, anger evident in his voice. “Kodiak, stop!”

Kodi stopped and turned around.

Balto stomped up to him.

“Kodi, I wanted you to win, I’m just worried about him because he’s a human, a man, and a nice one. We’re supposed to be man’s best friend, is leaving him out there being his friend?”

“He’s not my friend,” Kodi said, “and apparently neither are you.”

He walked toward his dad, yelling now.

“All you’ve done since it got here is drool over that darn plane. I should’ve known that you’d do this, you… you traitor!”

Balto smacked Kodi across the face with his paw. Kodi fell to the snow, surprised.

“That is enough,” Balto said angrily.

Kodi stared at him from the snow; his look was one of hatred.

“No matter how old you are, lead dog or not, I’m still your father, and you will give me that respect, understand?”

“Kodi just stood up and shook the snow off of himself.

“Whatever.” Kodi said as he walked back towards the shed.

Balto just watched his son walk away.

He sighed, shook his head, then took off running, headed to Jenna’s.

“I should talk to him,” Dusty thought.

Dusty caught up with Kodi fairly fast, and got his attention just before he went inside the shed.

“Kodi, can… can I talk to you for minute,” She said slowly.

He stopped and turned around.

He sighed.

“What is it Dusty?”

“Kodi, what’s wrong, are you mad or something you don’t sound like yourself.”

“My dad and I got into…”

He paused and looked at the ground.

“We got into an argument.”

“I know,” Dusty said, “I saw the whole thing.”

“You know, you hurt him, back there.”

“I know,” Kodi said, “I didn’t want to, but.. it’s what I think.”

“Kodi,” Dusty said, walking up to him. “I’m glad that you’re dedicated to the team, but you’re wrong.”

“So you’re going to side with him huh, I thought we were a team?” Kodi said angrily.

“I... I know how you must feel, but he’s right,” Dusty said.

“Dusty that man tried to take our job. What I live for, Dusty, he tried to take away my life.”

“And I know that must anger you,” Dusty said. “it does me too, but…”

Kodi interrupted her.

“Well you’re not showing it, you want me to go after him, don’t you?”

“Kodi, whether he tried to take our jobs or not, he’s still a human.”

“Yeah, well he got what he