"Steele, here boy," Steele looked up at his master. "That a boy!" Steele rubbed against his master, who was ill for quite a while. He was being caressed and scratched, Steele always loved that. Then he heard a click, and realized too late that his master had attached a leash to his expensive leather collar.

"I'm sorry boy, but I need the money," His master looked regretful but determined. Steele thrashed around trying to get out of his collar, but there was no use. What had he done wrong? He had always obeyed his master. However deep down Steele knew it would come to this, his master had already sold Nikki, Kaltag, and Star. Though he had always considered himself thr master's favorite.

Steele's master needed the money to pay for his medical bill, wich was extremly high, so he sold his sled dogs. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were bought by a local amateur musher who had bought all three of them. He could'nt buy Steele because he already had enough dogs for his team. Steele was nervous about his buyer, he had no clue who he was or where he lived.

Then there came a knock at the door. Steele tried to hide, but there wasn't an acceptable place and it was too late.

A large burly man stepped in and imeadeatly went to Steele. "So this he?" The man asked with a hevy burr of an accent.

"Yes that's Steele," Steele's master replied.

The man examined Steele for a few minutes, then he said, "He's strong one no?"

"Yes, he was lead dog of my sled team."

The man was rumaging thruogh his fur pouch, "Thank you Mister Sullivan, he'll do great."

"You're welcome, Mr. Russel." Steele was untied from the table and was handed to Mr. Russel. Steele tried to protest, but it would be no use.

Mr. Russel grabed Steele's leash and pulled him from the barn. Steele looked back hoping his master would change his mind, but the door was closed shut.

"Come'ilong boychick," Mr. Russel yanked Steele away from his home. "My name's Horace B. Russel, but I perfr Berg, my middle name." Steele blinked, "Berg" was conversing with him like he was a human. Maybe he would learn to trust and accept Berg, just maybe.

Steele was hooked up to a post, with five more posts with dogs attached to them. He sniffed taking in the strange dogs' scent. "I'll be back boychick, use time to get and know your new team members." With that said he walked off, leaving Steele alone with five strange dogs.

One came up to him, as far as the chain would let him, and sniffed him. Steele growled. "Hey new guy," a voice rasped beside him. Steele turned to find an old rusty brown male husky sizeing him up. "The name's Rusty," the husky informed, "What's your's?"

"Steele," That was the most confidant voice Steele could muster, considering his beloved master betrayed him.

The first dog, the one that had been sniffing the Malamute, stepped forward. "I-I'm T-tuft-ttt," he said. He was a gray husky with a stutter.

"Me name, it Hugor. You love it or you die, I kill, no?" a large burly biege husky/malamute/chow-chow grumbled.

Steele didn't have time to react when yet another dog introduced himself. "Hi, i'm Daelei," or herself. Steele just blinked at the pretty black husky. She giggled, and Steele felt himself blush, for the first time.

"Sup, the name's Jake," A black husky said. "I'm Daelei's brother," he added.

"I am lead dog on this team, kapisch?" Rusty said. Steele narrowed his eyes.

"Well, that is about to change," He replied. Rusty glared at him menacingly, snorted and looked away.

"Save your breth, newbie," he advised. Steele smirked and ignored him.

"So, you guys farmilliar with Nome?" Steele said, changing the subject.

"Yah, that where wolf-dog hero live no?" Hugor said.

Steele tried not to twitch at the question, he tried to hide his loathing as he spoke, "Yes, that's the place."

"He sounds like a hero," Daelei sighed dreamiliy.

"He's no hero," Steele snapped fericely. Everyone stared confused. "I mean he's no hero, he's a god." He relaxed as the others bought it. Steele wanted to be on good terms with these dogs, even if it meant he had to pretend he respected that sleezy wolf-dog.

"I-iii w-wwould l-like t-t-to m-meet him," Tuft stutterd. the others agreed readily. Steele hated that they liked and admired his arch-nemisis, Balto.

"Well too bad," Steele snapped, and instantly after, he regreted it. All five pairs of eyes stared back angry and anoyed. "I mean... I... uh..." He had nothing. For a couple of agonizing minutes, he sat there, looking stupidly untill...

"Jelous," Daelei offered, she really wanted to be on this handsome newcomers side.

Steele went with it, "I am jelous, I guess I would like to be heroic and  famous, but I'm just a sled dog."

"Oh dear," Daelei could relate. All she wanted was to be known, farther than the little town in which she curently resided. She felt the need to break out of her organised cycle of a life, to do something great.

Jake, seeing the look his sister was giving the stronger and better looking arival, became consumed with a feeling he had not yet felt, envy.

"What did you say your name was again?" Jake asked, just realising a way to get this... dog away from his sister.

Steele noticed the tone of Jake's bark, more like a growl, and new exactly what he was minipulating. He had no choice but to answer, for all the sled members were listing with atention.

"Steele..." Steele began hesitantly. At that everyone blinked in recognition.

"The dog, who almost foiled Balto's heroic qeust, nearly got a sled team and their musher frozen to death, and nearly killed a whole future population by your foolish actions?" Daelei ventured not wanting to belive it.

"Yes."

To be continued...