Summary Toska had grown into a more mature and controlled young hybrid, or so she thinks. With her new age came new responsibilities and a new job as lead dog of a new sled team that consisted of the most random of dogs. With the team all together and the musher chosen, they signed up for the biggest race Nome had ever established. Running to checkpoints positioned miles away from eachother and returning home in the quickest time was the task, and the winning team would be known as the best sled team in Nome's current history. The team had trained long and hard to get fit and ready for the longest run they have ever ran. Dodging danger around every turn and with the interference of love, Toska will have the ride of her life as she tries to save the team and bring them home safely before they're stranded in a wintery wasteland.
Now that you know a little bit about the story, I'm hoping it all comes clearly to the readers. It may seem rushed, but that is because it is not the final draft. I have a long way to go before it gets interesting, so opinions and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
And so, here's all I have so far. Enjoy~
Feels like Today Many dogs were lined up before wooden sleds as they wait for the signal to run. Barks and high-pitched howls drowned out the vibrant cheers of the numerous people that lined the outside of the race track. Men whirled their hats in the air as mothers and their children screamed with excitement. Today was the most important day in sled racing history in Nome, Alaska; although the heroic tale of Balto was still carved into everyone’s heart.
“Are you ready, Toska?” An aged brown wolf hybrid rasped as he padded up to one of the lead dogs on a team.
“Of course! We’ve trained every day for this. There’s no way we’re gonna lose this run.” A young red and scream female replied rather brashly, smirking to her father.
“I bet you have. Just remember to be careful and watch out for-“ The brown male was suddenly cut off as another red and white female husky rubbed his side to meet up with the yound sled dog.
“Good luck, darling.” The older female greeted as she nuzzled the brown hybrid beside her. “She’ll do fine, Balto.”
Balto smiled to his mate before he gave her forehead a gentle lick. “I know, Jenna. Just watch out for danger, and don’t let the race get into your head.” He took a few more steps forward before he leaned forward as if giving his daughter a hug.
“I’ll be fine, Dad. Now get out of the way before you and Mom get trampled.” Toska retorted a bit sourly, although her parents understood her worried intentions.
The crowd fell silent as the race instructor walked in front of the starting line. He held a watch in his left hand and a small pellet gun in the other. His eyes were concentrating on the stopwatch, waiting for the second hand to fall on the twelve mark before he made the announcement.
“Today we mark for the longest race held ever since the tragic sickness that swept through Nome. The task is to get from Nome to the town of Anchorage in the shortest amount of time.” The man took a moment to rise the small gun in the air. “Mushers, ready your dogs!” He yelled before he began the countdown.
The opposing teams of dogs kneeled, ready to spring and release their potential energy that is forcefully held back like an arrow on a bow’s string. Toska and her team mimicked the stance, eager to get the race started.
“Aw, man, I can’t wait to start!” The first swing dog, Asikan, a brown and cream male, barked with escalating excitement. His sudden outburst caused a few dogs from other teams to bark and whine with anxiety, but silence draped the scene as the instructor looked back at the stopwatch.
“Ready!” He yelled, before pausing again. Toska’s legs began to tingle with excitement, wishing the man would just say ‘go’.
“Set!” Asikan could hardly contain himself, as well as most other dogs that were part of the race. “Why can’t you just say “Go”?” The red female sneered to herself as her heart began to pump harder.
“GO!” Immediately after the gun fire, about forty or so dogs charged forward in a frenzy, determined to get in that one certain position in front of all the other teams. Toska hauled herself forward as her musher yelled a command, nearly yanking Asikan off of his feet. In about thirty seconds the team was already in full throttle, minimizing the gap between the nearest sleds of opposing teams. The young team of eight dogs pulled with all their might, passing five or six sleds before reaching the second position, right behind the sled that momentarily held first place.
Toska glanced towards the first place team as they ran neck and neck. The opposing team’s lead dog, a large black and white male husky, snarled as he trust himself forward, causing the swing dog behind him struggle to keep up. The red hybrid frowned at the male’s foolish actions, but she did the same just to intimidate him. Asikan and Jay, the swing dogs, grunted at the sudden burst of speed made by their lead dog, but made no fuss. They were trained to follow the lead dog, and that was exactly what they were doing.
The snow grew deeper as the teams came towards the first check point when the first signs of dawn began to crawl along the atmosphere. They were up to their heels in the white powder before they stopped in front of a small shack, where a man was standing just outside the doorway to greet the oncoming teams. The musher, named Mr. Jackson, hooked his team onto thick chains in the ground to hold them overnight, which was copied by the other mushers. Toska curled herself in a tight ball to keep out the frosty air, but the remainder of the team was deep in conversation.
“Man, that was some run.” Jay, a husky Labrador mix, complained as he slid onto his belly with his tongue slightly sticking out on his mouth
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad.” Kaleria, a golden furred husky retriever mix remarked.
“Yeah, it wasn’t bad at all, but did you see how Harper looked at us? He looked like an insane maniac.” Asikan retorted as he sat upright behind Toska. The brown and cream husky turned his two-toned gaze towards the red and cream hybrid before flashing her an unseen smile. Ever since they first met, Asikan had a crush on Toska, but he was always afraid to admit it. He was afraid she would reject him but his courageousness always dissolved whenever he noticed her nearby. ‘Why is it so hard to talk to her?’ Asikan asked himself, aware that he was unable to answer for his own accord. He mentally shrugged to himself before returning his full attention towards the conversation.
“Harper’s just one of those guys who thinks he’s better than everyone else. That’ll get him nowhere in life, let alone this race.” Kaleria sneered before she yawned, clearly signaling how tired she was.
It was contagious; soon the whole team yawned and settled down to sleep. Asikan bravely scooted closer to Toska for warmth, Jay and Kaleria huddled beside each other, and the silent three, Speedy, Color, and Sarlaac, spread out amongst themselves, clearly the independent dogs of the team. Although the dogs seemed rather secluded from each other, they all remained loyal and relied on teamwork to get the job done.
The night was long and cold, but when dusk finally lit the earth, the teams were up and ready. Being the early bird that catches the worm, Mr. Jackson strapped his team back onto the sled and took off before the their opponents. The morning began like any normal day, but Mr. Jackson was unaware that he and his team were headed straight into the first obstacle of this exhilarating race.
