swiveled, listening for any out of the ordinary sounds.

A crash came from the alley. Kale spun around and caught a sight of something ducking behind a trash can.

"Who's there?" he called out again.

Nothing answered him. Cautiously, Kale crept closer to the trash can. He lowered himself into a crouching position and pounced.

He caught nothing but a bump on the head. Staggering backwards, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. A snicker came from behind him. Feeling dizzy as he whirled around to see, an all-too-familar voice greeted him.

"Well, well. Seems someone's lost his edge, eh guys?"

 Kale snarled through the burning sensation in his throbbing temples.  "You."

"Yes, me."  The enormous brute smirked nastily.  "No lady to save your skin, eh?"  He paused dramatically to grin at his accomplices, who nodded and panted happily on cue.  "Guess she doesn't really care, huh?  As if SHE'D bother with a mongrel like-"

"Don't--you--DARE!"  A high voice burst from behind the trash can at the same moment as a familiar gray-brown body plunged through the air, smacking Kale's assailant and throwing him to the ground.  Puffing, the bully heaved out from under her and pinned her to the ground with effort.  She emitted a warning growl and did her best to free herself, but even KC's strength couldn't match her attacker's.

"Corrin," she gasped, "let go of me, you beast!"

Corrin? Kale thought.  "Corrin, let her go!" he said aloud, hurling his words like stones at the dog.

Corrin responded by cackling.  "You wouldn't be trying so hard to free her if you knew more about her," he sneered.

That's not true!  The words were trapped in Kale's mind, desperate to be let free, but a part of him wouldn't let them out.  "What...what do you mean?" he choked.

"She's a stray!  A common, good-for-nothing stray!"  The look of triumph on the lout's face was sickening, especially contrasted with the mask of horror etched onto KC's.

"And what does that make you?" Kale asked coolly.  He wanted to find out more, but he certainly wasn't going to let this mongrel know that!  He squinted challengingly.

But Corrin ignored the question.  "She was born a stray, and was taken in by a kind old human," he said in a patronizing voice.  "They were supposedly happy together, until one day the human had a stroke, or whatever they call it.  This " -he leered down at KC- "wasn't home at the time.  But when she found out that her human was dying, she didn't even care!  She sat coolly outside the door until the human doctor came!"  Corrin laughed as if it were hilarious.  KC's face was twisted, but she couldn't seem to speak.  "By then, it was too late."  He abruptly released his captive and strutted away, as if all he had come for was to humiliate poor KC.  Which he certainly might have done, Kale thought darkly.

He walked tentatively up to KC and sat down beside her.  "Is that true?"  he asked.

"No," she replied coldly, still looking straight ahead.   

"Then, what happened?" Kale's head was still throbbing, but he didn't want to believe what Corrin had said.

KC lowered her head. "I-I," there was a catch in her voice.

Kale laid himself down next to her and inched closer.

"If you don't want to tell me, I-"

"No." KC stopped him. She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "You deserve to know." She took a deep breath and began.

"I was born a stray.  I never knew my parents, but..."  She paused, obviously taking charge of her emotions.  Kale looked courteously away.  "...a dog on the street told me as a pup that one was a weiarmaraner and...one was a husky.  I don't know which was which.  Anyway, I...was chased around a lot by the street dogs.  Corrin was older than me and has bullied me since we were pups.  Well, one day I had been exhausted from running away from him.  I knew he was gaining on me, but I was just so tired..."  Kale could tell by the look in her eyes that she could see and feel the past. 

"...A kind old lady by the name of Welsh took me in, and...I was very happy with her.  One day, I was out and about, and who d'you think started coming after me?..."  KC stopped to give Kale a crooked grin.  "Well, I outran Corrin, but once I came safely home, I could tell that something was wrong.  My human seemed...different.  I went straight to the place where she always went when she got sick or hurt.  The human working there was gone so I...ran all over town..."  KC gulped.  "I found the human, but...when we got back..."  She leaned her head against Kale's shoulder, not seeming to notice.  "It was too late.  Her daughter, Miss Welsh, keeps wanting to keep me, but I couldn't bear to live around there anymore.  I ran away."

Kale was shocked.  KC always seemed so peaceful and content, and all this time she was hiding a terrible feeling of guilt.  "I'm sorry," he managed.

"What about...you?"  KC looked almost afraid that he was going to blow up in anger or something.  He didn't want to have to tell her, but he had to explain his actions about Amore from earlier.  Then they would be even.  Taking a shaky breath, he started in on his tale.

"Like I said earlier, I lived in Colorado for a while." KC nodded and Kale felt oddly comforted with her head leaning on him. "Well, after about a year my owners decided to move in with relatives in Nome. I said goodbye to my parents and siblings and then we left."

"When I first got here, lots of dogs ignored me, but.." he sighed a little. "Amore was the first one to talk to me." KC looked up at him. "How'd you meet?" "Well, I was just walking past the butcher shop when some dog ran out of there. The butcher must have thought I was with him, 'cause he started throwing stuff at us."

"I ran and kinda crashed into Amore. She didn't shrug me off like the other dogs and we became friends."

KC looked up at Kale, his eyes looked sad and lonely. "Poor guy," she thought.

"After awhile, I realized I was falling in love with her, but I didn't have the nerve to tell her. By the time I did she..." his voice drifted off.

"She had found someone else." KC finished softly. Kale nodded. "I'm sorry,  Kale," she told him. Kale smiled a little.

"It's okay, I'm much..."  He broke off suddenly, embarrassed.

KC lifted her head from his shoulder, abruptly standing up.  "Alright, then," she muttered, "see you."

"Uh...'bye, then."  Kale watched her walk away slowly and wondered, what in the world is happening to me?  I thought Amore...

What in the world is happening to me?  I never expected this...but Kale and Amore...it's too late...

Jumbled thoughts clashed inside KC's head as she dashed towards her favorite trash can.  Curling up inside it, she thought, No, KC.  You've gotta pull yourself together.  You're a street dog, so cut it out.

But I don't want to be a street dog, piped a tiny voice inside her head.  I want to be appreciated.

Kale appreciates you.  KC growled softly at the inner voice.  "Yeah, but it's too late for him," she muttered. 

"What in the world is happening to me?" Kale muttered to himself as he paced in circles.

"You know what's happening." a small voice inside told him.

"No way. I mean, Amore-"

"Amore's taken, remember?" the voice squeaked.

Kale growled to himself. "There's no way she'd like me anyway."

"How do you know?" the voice asked.

"I've already been rejected once, why should I get rejected again?" Kale muttered.

"You just don't want to admit it," the voice taunted.

Kale growled inwardly. Staring up at the night sky, he saw the northern lights dance.

"Could it be true?" he asked himself.

For the next two weeks KC made it a point to avoid Kale.  Occasionally she would watch him from afar, but he seemed different.  Even when Amore was within viewing distance of him, he didn't seem to care.  KC saw him stop suddenly and stare into a dark alley one day, like the one they had first met in.

Is he looking for...?  She tried to stop herself, but her thoughts ran rampant.  Maybe..he's searching for me.  She tried to ignore the tingle in her spine.

Kale was getting exasperated.  Two weeks and no sign of KC.  He was annoyed at how much he missed her, but it only drove him to search harder.  Several days before, he had been sure he'd seen a glimpse of a lithe gray-brown body behind a building.  Today he was determined to find her, and hope rose in his throat and nearly choked him as he caught sight of her, hurrying away into an alley.

"Wait!"  Kale panted.  "KC, WAIT!"

She stopped after several tight twists and turns.  "What?" she whispered.  He was shocked to realize that she was afraid.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said more gently.  "Why have you hidden from me?"

"Because...I...you're in love...with a different dog."

There.  The words were out.

 Kale stared at her in amazment. "Wha-what do you mean?"

"You're in love with Amore." KC's words were cold and icy.

Kale took a step back. "I, uh, um.." he stumbled over the words.

"Just forget it," KC said bitterly. She abruptly brushed past him.

"No, I'm not!" Kale was startled to find the words were his.

KC stopped and turned to face him. Kale thought he saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes, but he wasn't sure.

"I-I-I'm in love with you!" he blurted out.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He thought. He wrenched his eyes shut, expecting her to say something