I was cold and wet, I knew my Mother had just been here. Why had she left me so suddenly in a place I could not see?  Everything was dark, the damp ground sent shivers down my spine and the horrid smell of burning pine was still strong in the air. I yelled and howled as loud as my voice would go, but all that answered me back was a long sorrowfull echo. Fear pierced through me making my small heart beat faster, I knew I had to calm or I would loose myself in this strange place. If I could just get my footing and make it to the open where I could finally catch my breath away from the smoke. I tried, but my paws were still too small, but I knew I couldn't give up, I tried again digging my tiny claws into the soiled dirt. I took one small blind step then another and another. I fell head first  hitting a long bony surface of something. I whimpered slightly with out meaning too, but that fall wasn't too easy on my weak body.

"Shshs" I heard a very gentle voice say, I cried again as the warm body encirlcled me trying to calm my fear. I sniffed the air. The body next to me smelled wild, almost like my Father, but I knew my Dad to well to know that it wasn't him. I wanted to fight the wolf away, but he seemed kind and my thoughts went back to how my Father had felt when he put his huge paws around me and sang a soft lullaby in my ear. The wolf's body was warm I sniffed the air agian and there was an odd smell I had never smelled before, one not so wild somewhat tamed, but before I could think about it much more I fell asleep.

       The next moment things were blury and I was barely aware of voices and dogs around me, in different circumstances I would have fought them off, though being so small I couldn't do so much. I was too weak though, and I could feel my body begining to relax I only wanted to sleep, but the wolf from earlier wouldn't quit shaking me, and pawning me around in his big paws, it was impossible to sleep being jostled around in such a manner. I whined agian a pitiful howl everything I had held in suddenly came out.

"Balto, be careful with her"  A much softer voice than from the woods said.

"I'm just trying to keep her awake" He said honestly. "If she falls asleep now we could loose her"

"Well lets see if shes hungry, put her beside me"  The kind voice said

"Where are the pups?" 

"Their asleep in the basket" 

"You sure you want to try this?" The wolf, named, Balto said

"Do you see any other willing mothers around here?"  I could feel the grin as it crossed both their faces.

       I was lifted into the air so lightly I felt weightless and I came down easy on a soft pillow next to the sofest fur I had ever felt, even my Mom's hadn't been so soft. Mom had rough hair, Dad said it was white just like mine, I wish I could have seen her, but the world was still a new place to me, and so far it had been unwelcoming, I wandered if I would ever see it as the beauty my parents had spoken of it. I felt a cold nose nudge me gently, as the dog nuzzled my head, I sniffed her curiosly, though I had no sight, with my nose I could see see the world. She didn't smell wild like the other yet I could tell there was a conection between them, two dogs so different yet such a strong bond, I wandered if I too would ever have such a place I could belong. The dog again nuzzled me gently and I put my paw against her cheek.

  "Balto" I heard the soft voice whisper in delight

 "Already found an attachment huh?"  He nuzzled me lovingly.

            I allowed myself to fall back down and sink into the soft surface beaneath me. I curled up as close as I could to the the dog, she was soft and warm and somehow I knew everything was going to be ok as Balto put a gently paw over me to stop my shivering. Maybe I had already found that place and didn't even know. 

            ************************

   "Wait up Adele!"   Aniu yelled laughing as she passed Kodi and tried to keep up with her younger sister. "Come on you have to keep up" Adele yelled excitedly as she ran down the beach to reach her father at the other end. Adele had grown, no longer was she the weak pup found in the forest, but an, already tall, sleek and slender, growing pup. Her white fur glistened and her eyes blue eyes sparkled with the anticipation and excitement of the whole world around her. She was bigger than the others, though being the youngest. She was taller and had big paws and longs legs, and runing came to her with ease, she loved to feel the wind through her fur and have the feeling that she could do anything, anything at all.

  "I won" Adele screamed as she crossed the line and fell down playfully at Balto's feet, he smiled pushing her around and baring his paws at her as he growled gently. The other pups came gasping for air over the finish line.

      "Adele, don't you think you could let just one of us win some time?"   Kodi said falling to the ground tiredly.

  "Nope" Adele pranced around him slyly "You gotta work for it, your outta shape there Kodi" She laughed, she knew how to get him in a defensive mood.

  "O yea, you think so?"  He said standing to his feet.

 "Ahm" Adele nodded.

       Un-expectely, Kodi jumped on his sister, taking her off guard and making them both fall in the tide of the water as it came in. They fought playfully, till Kodi had Adele on the ground laughing, as she reached and grabbed his ear gently with her teeth.

  "Ok be nice" Jenna said coming to her pups, "Look at you your soked" She sighed rolling her eyes with a smile. "It looks like someone is going to need a bath"

 "AWW" Both Kodi and Adele said "But Mom" Kodi objected.

  "No buts, you cant possibly come inside with all that sand matted in your fur"

   "I told you so" Saba said prancing on daintily, she was the girlistest of the pups and she loved a chance to rub it in about baths and such. "You need to learn to love baths, there good for you, it keeps your fur silky soft" 

        Kodi and Dingo rolled thier eyes, and then snuck quietly behind Saba as she went on and on.

 "Save your life" Dingo screamed pushing Saba into the water, she imeaditaly yelled for Mom.

 "Mom look what they did, now my bow is runined" She cried

 "Boys'  Balto said a little harshly to warn them.

 "Saba its not that bad,a towel a brush and you will be as good as new." Jenna conforted her pup

 "Yea Saba come on its not so bad to get a little dirty" Aleu said, it really bothered her sometimes how Saba couldnt stand the world around her, to Aleu it was a place full of things to expierence dirt was just another thing that added to it.

 "Yea coming from the dog who buries her bones" Saba snapped.

 Aleu shrugged and rolled her eyes "Theres no point in wasting them"

   "Daddy I'm tired" Adele said leaning agianst Balto's shoulder.

 "And I'm hungry" Dingo added

   "Yea me too, Jen it's getting a little late, want to head back home?" 

   "Yea we probably should" Jenna agreed walking close by Balto's side.

  "Come on Aleu, Here Saba you can ride on my back"  Balto said lifting Saba into the air as she smiled excitedly, she stuck her tounge out un-obsreved though to the other pups, who were still laughing at how wet she was.

   They were half way up the bank when Jenna relized she had left her bandana back at the beach.

  "I'll go get it" Adele offered quickly.

  "I wanna go" Dingo protested.

  "I'm the fastest" Adele said pushing him.

 'I'm the strongest" Dingo smiled.

  "SO what does that have to do with anyhing?"

 "Hold it" Balto commanded "Why don't you both go" 

      Before Balto could finsh both pups had darted down the beach to look for the bandana.

   "You look at that end, and I'll look over here it couldn't have gone far" Dingo said instructingly.

  "Ok meet back here in a second" 

     Adele turned toward the north and looked around, but she didn't see the bandana. She put her nose in the air and sniffed, at first all she smelled was the wide see and the birds flyingover head, the fish that filled the ocean and the cold sand beneath her paws. But she concentrated more then she caught the scent of her mother, it was srtong, she looked around her, there was a few bushes and a sand dune, she looked more closely and there lay Jenna's bandana. She smirked, she always had had a good scense of smell. She picked it up gently in her mouth and turned around, but the sight she saw made her step back.

          It was Tyler, Steele's son. He looked like his mother, tall and slender, but his temper was mean. He had taken every moment to try and be like his father, and he had done well. He was mean and tough and felt nothing, his heart was as cold has his deep dark eyes and he hated Adele, and her sibilings, but he pointed his anger at her, b/c she was all wolf. The line that seperates wolf from dog wasn't apparant in her , just like in Balto, and that above all else drove Steele, Tyler and other dogs like them crazey. Few believed there was a fine line between wolf and dog, domesticated and wild, mix and pure, but those who did, enforced it with rage.

   "Well look what we have here" Tyler said grinning slyly as he walked slowly around