slots under the door.

I sniffed the meat. Something smelled very strange about it.

“Atka, don’t eat it” I whispered.

            “I wasn’t” she whispered back. “I think it’s poisoned or something”

The man and Agro watched us amused, but their amusement faded to impatience.

            “Fine! Don’t eat it!” the man growled. “Guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way!”

With that he stormed out of the room, leaving Agro to watch us. He looked tired. If he would only fall asleep, Atka and I would probably be able to escape…

            It took a while, but after a few hours, Agro’s steady snores echoed in the room again. His owner was somewhere I didn’t know, but the house felt empty.

“Atka, you awake?” I murmured quietly.

            “Um-hm” I heard her answer just as quiet.

“We’re getting out of here. Now. But we gotta be quiet”

Then I focused all of my attention on the lock outside the wooden crate. It was only a bar. I delicately slid my paw out the door and stretched. At first, I couldn’t reach anything, but then by paw brushed against cold metal. I clawed at it. Nothing happened. Wrenching my arm as far out as possible, I tried again. The bar moved a little. I scratched and it moved some more. Then, with one last push, I lashed out and the bar fell to the floor, making a loud clattering noise. Agro scrambled up, mumbling something, but sank back down to the musty floor again and returned to sleep. Slipping my paw back out, I grinned and turned to Atka.

            “You did it!” she whispered excitedly.

“Don’t jinx us yet. I still need to open your door”

Concentrating once again, I pawed at Atka’s door. Hers was a little different; it had some kind of latch as well. I pawed and pawed, but it wouldn’t move. Suddenly, something scuffed behind me.

            “Buck! Look ou-!”

Something jumped on top of me, sending me crashing to the dirty wood. Agro was awake. Scrambling to my feet, I tried to face my attacker only to be knocked to the floor again.

            “Hold on! I’ll help!” Atka cried desperately, scratching at her door.

“Atka it looks like that thing-!”

Agro tackled me again, but this time, I sank my teeth into his nose. Instead of yelping, he snarled, shaking his head as he backed up. I whipped back to Atka.

“You need to lift the latch!”

Agro leapt back at me again, pinning me to the floor. I kicked ferociously, back paws hitting his stomach over and over again, but it was like it had no effect what so ever. I might as well have been kicking the floor.

“So what are you gonna do now dog?!” I snarled.

            “Wait for my owner” Agro drawled stupidly.

Using all my strength, I flipped over backward, knocking the heavy mutt face first into the floor. I whipped around to Atka and couldn’t believe my eyes: Mya had undone the latch and both sisters were racing for the open door where I could see Balto and Mindy’s faces mixed in with a few of the others who had raced to the shack the night before.

            “What in the heck is goin’ on here!?”

I whipped around and my eyes met with the man’s. Mya and Atka froze, the man now blocking their way. His eyes darted to the unconscious Agro and to Balto’s daughters. I froze. Then his eyes darted to the gun…

We both broke into a run, aiming for the silver stick. The moment that I felt my teeth hit it, I felt the cold thing be jerked away. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Mya and Atka scramble for the door. Atka paused, looking back uncertainly.

“Get out! And that’s an order!” I growled through my clenched teeth.

Atka scrambled out of the way and I sprang at the man, knocking the gun across the floor. Both of us hit the wood hard. I moaned and shook my head. And once again, I couldn’t believe who I saw.

“Yukon, get out! Now!”

Yukon’s blue eyes didn’t leave the man.

            “Technically, you’re not my leader” Yukonreplied quietly, keeping his paw on the gun.

The man still froze, horrified that two wolves were in front of him.

“Yukon!” I growled. “I’m warning you!”

            “We’re going back”

“What?! Yes, I know!”

            “Now”

“Fine, just get out of here before he does something!”

Yukon just stared at the man without a word.

            “You get out” he said. “You’re the one that needs to stay alive. I know you are. Get out. And that’s an order”

I wasn’t sure whether to be furious, scared or stunned. Then, in one smooth, motion, I jumped for the door,Yukon slid the gun away and the man crawled across the floor for his gun. By the time he had it in his hands and Agro was groggily picking himself up, we were all gone.

            Out of breath and on the deck of Balto’s boat, the whole group panted. Atka and Mya sat closer to each other then they had since I’d seen them. Balto and Inari were glancing over their shoulders to make sure no one was following. Mindy was panting hardest of all, which I found pretty strange, but she seemed okay as well. Yukon, on the other hand, was in trouble. As soon as I turned to him, he shrank down a little.

“Yukon! You-.”

            “-disobeyed you?” he filled in.

“And-.”

            “-shouldn’t have done it because you’re the leader?”

“And-!”

            “-could’ve been killed?”

Out of words in breath, I couldn’t think of anything else. Everyone else on the boat held their breath, knowing my temper. Instead, I grinned, not being able to help it. Everyone else smiled, relaxing.

“Just to let you know, if you were anyone else, you’d be unconscious” I added brushing past him as I went over to the railing.

Mindy followed me over.

            “Are you leaving?”

I nodded solemnly, scanning the dark woods that would lead me home.

“Yukonsays now” I managed to smile again, looking over my shoulder to see Yukon shrink down again. But my smile faded when I turned back to Mindy. “I’m gonna miss you”

Mindy started to sniff.

“Oh, come on” I said gently. “You were tough enough to break me in… you’re not gonna cry, are you?”

Mindy laughed, a tear or two leaking out.

“I’ll always love you” I said gently, looking into her brown eyes for the last time.

            “I will too” she almost whispered to keep from crying.

I nuzzled her one last time.

“I’m going” I announced. “And, uh… th- thanks. You know, for taking care of… me… and stuff. And nice to meet you Inari”

Inari nodded back with a smile. Then, taking a deep, apprehensive breath, I headed down the ramp. After a few months of living with dogs in the safety of Nome, I actually started to get afraid. But the old me took over and I shook my head. I wasn’t going to be afraid this time! I broke into a run, pushing myself faster and faster until the world whipped by. Then, in a flash, the open ground disappeared and I was back in the woods. I paused for a second, looking around. All I heard was my own panting. Puffing out my chest I walked on. After a while of walking, I realized I wasn’t alone. But a quick glance over my shoulder and I knew it was Yukon.

“You were supposed to stay with your sisters”

            “Technically-.”

“We’re in the wild again. Family members killing each other isn’t rare out here”

            “Well said” Yukonsaid in a small voice. “But dad said I’m in more danger in Nome then I am out here”

“Then your dad doesn’t know Boss”

            “I need to go back. After all he’s done to Atka… I can’t just relax and let you take care of it”

“Fine” I replied in a quiet voice.

            We walked for what seemed like weeks, even though I knew it couldn’t have been more then a few days. The whole time, all I could think about was what was going to happen. Something told me Aniu wasn’t going to help me this time. And I was sure Talus would catch up with me as well. But the biggest thing was my