“Oh. Right. Aniu is all white, and your tan and white.”

“Back to my story, I used to live in a very big pack, but one day when I was about two years old, I met a dog that was lost in the woods. I helped him find his way back and we just became friends. His name was Rush. He came back to me daily and we started talking all day.

Eventually we both fell in love with each other. My father wasn’t the Alpha, like Aniu’s father, but he was the next highest wolf, the beta. He talked to the Alpha about it for a long time. But Rush and I still had our secret meetings. Finally, when we got too serious, I was banned from my pack. I didn’t care because I still had Rush.

Rush wasn’t a sled dog, like Aniu’s husband, he used to be a house dog, until his family had to move and accidentally left him behind. Now he’s a street dog. He showed me to his home, which was an abandoned storage closet. It actually had plenty of space because it was cleaned out.

Rush and I lived in that closet for months, even when we had our puppies. There were four of them: 3 girls and 1 boy.

But that’s when things got ugly.

Soon my motherly instincts took over me and I started fighting with my husband about raising the pups. Soon it was constant arguing. We couldn’t stop fighting about SOMETHING. It’s was either fighting about the pups or about silly things like characteristics. Finally, one by one, our kids ran away because they couldn’t take it anymore. Then there was one lone pup left, the boy that was my favorite because he looked most like me, and had my beautiful green eyes. When he ran away, that was the last straw. I put my foot down and left the closet, never to go back. While I searched for my pup in town, I met these three street dogs. I was deathly afraid of them at first, but then again, we were all the same, abandoned by our loved ones, forced to live this rotten life on the streets. I started being friends with them, but I never got the chance to really know them, because I went out to the woods to search for my pup, and I ran into my old pack. They had no idea who I was and my father, who was now the Alpha, killed me on the spot. That’s my story, Saba.”

Saba was speechless. She had tears forming in her eyes. “I’m…so sorry.” She squeaked. She had no idea what this wolf was probably feeling right now, telling her tragic life story.

“It’s fine, Saba. I’m okay now. I’m a ghost!” She chuckled.

“Yeah but I said all those things about you!”

“Most dogs DO say that stuff to me, so I’m used to it.”

“I’m still sorry Tor.”

Tor looked up at the sky. “I can’t show you tonight, but think about my story ok?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s time for me to go.”

“What?!”

Tor giggled. “Not forever dear, it’s almost time for you to wake up.”

“Okay…bye…” And suddenly a loud bark sounded in her ear.

“SABA! Wake up!”

Saba’a eyes shot open at the sudden bark. She saw Nao trying to pull her up. Saba pulled back.

“Nao, I can get up on my own, thank you.”

“I just wanted to see if you were alive! You never woke up the last 15 times I yelled ‘wake up!’.”

“Sorry, I had a really vivid dream last night.”

“I’d love to hear about it tonight, but we’ve got a job to do.”

Saba smiled. “Right. Let’s go!” Suddenly, Saba felt more excited to run now that she was talking to Nao again.

Back in Nome, Jess and Kila were taking a stroll around town, trying to make conversation with some popular dogs. They just laughed at them and walked away.

Jess made a frustrated face. “Ugh! I wish Saba would come back!”

“Me too.” Kila said. “So we could at least have SOMEONE to talk to.”

“I guess, but now that she’s gone, we’re getting laughed at by the most popular dogs here, even LUKE! I mean, what are we, street dogs?!”

“Yeah, hanging out with Saba got us pretty popular.”

“Exactly! Without Saba we’re at the bottom of the social chain!” Jess had tears forming in her eyes.

“Jess, we knew this would happen, right? Because Saba’s the only dog who can trust us. And that was the plan all along right?”

“Duh! We become friends with Saba to make us popular.”

“Jess…Do you think we’re hurting her? Because the only reason were hanging out with her is to get famous.”

“Kila, listen. We’re not hurting anybody. As long as she doesn’t know, we’re in the clear! And soon we won’t be considered “the newbies” anymore and get our own status up the old fashioned way. Okay?”

“Yeah. That makes sense. But what do we do with her once we’re not newbies anymore?”

“Oh…I’m still working on it, but pretty much we’ll stop hanging out with her and get our own lives.”

“Alright. Sounds like a plan.”

 “And remember, as long as nobody knows other than us, this plan is going to work flawlessly!”

But Jess and Kila didn’t know that Balto was around the corner of a building, and listened the whole time…

It was the middle of the day, and Saba and the team were working together perfectly, like one dog. Soon they arrived at the town and they switched mail bags. The dogs were allowed 5 minutes before they would go back home. Saba and Nao were talking by the sled after they had their snacks.

“Wow…this town is a lot bigger than Nome.” Saba said in wonder.

“Eh…not as big as most of the towns I’ve been to. But I’ll give this one…a 7. What do you think?” Nao asked.

“10 all the way!”

“I see, it’s your first visit to another town. *Sigh* I remember my first sled team…Of course it’s a long story, and highly inappropriate for  a lot of the people reading this.”

“Reading what?”

“I…don’t know.”

AKWARD SILENCE…

“So…what did you dream about last night?”

“Oh. It was about”-

“ALL DOGS REPORT HERE! WE’RE LEAVING IN 1 MINUTE!”

Nao and Saba looked at each other.

“Guess that’s our cue.” Nao said.

“I’ll tell you about my dream later. Let’s run!”

It was a day and a half trip back home.

Saba had the dream last night, but was shaken awake 2 minutes into it. Unfortunately, there was a bear tracking the sled so we just left because the sun was already rising. For most of the night Saba was awake, wondering abut what her dreams meant. She knew they were leading her to something, but she didn’t quite figure out what it was.

Saba came home around the evening, and a lot of the dogs and people in town went by to see the team come back. Balto and Jenna were there too.

Saba hugged both her parents. She looked at her father.

“Dad…I am so sorry!”

“Saba, it’s okay.”

“No it’s not okay! I told you to get out of my life! Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

Balto chuckled, which was surprising to her. “Saba, I know how teenagers are, believe it or not. Sooner or later, they’ll blame you for everything that’s happened in their life. And you gotta be ready!”

Saba giggled.

“We’re so glad to have you back!” It was Jenna’s turn to hug Saba.

“So, how was it?” Balto asked.

“Very tiring, but I loved it.”

“That’s great! Tell me all about it!”

While Saba was telling her story, Jess and Kila shot through the small crowd shouting, “SABA!”

Jess and Kila attacked Saba in a hug.

“Jess! Kila!”

“We missed you so much!” Jess said

“It’s was lonely without you!” Kila added.

Saba had tears forming in her eyes. “Aww, guys I missed you too.”

Balto nudged Saba’s shoulder. Saba turned around.

“What is it dad?”

“Um…can I speak to you for a moment in private?”

“Sure.” Saba turned back to her friends. “Mind if I talk to my dad?”

“No.”

“Of course not!”

“Thanks!” Jess and Kila trotted away as Saba walked with Balto, talking.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Saba…do you like your friends?”

“You mean Jess and Kila? Yeah, totally!”

“And do they like you back?”

“Yes. They even said so.”

“Let me rephrase the question. Do they like you because of me, or because of who you are inside?”

“Because of who I really am. Why?”

“Why did you think Nao only liked you because of me when you believed your gossip friends liked you for who you are?”

That was a big question for Saba.

“Well…I’ve known Jess and Kila for a year now. And I jut met Nao like a month ago. Plus when he found out you were my dad, he hasn’t stopped talking about you. Jess and Kila never did any of that.”

“Then this may be hard for you to understand…”

“What?” Saba leaned closer. “What is it?”

“While you were gone, I took a walk around town and noticed your two friends walking by. I was going to say hi to them, but they seemed like they were in a private conversation. I was going to leave them alone, but they were talking about you. And they said that meeting you and being nice to you; it was all a joke.”

Saba tried to find some response to this. “Wha-what do you mean?”

“They only wanted to be your friends to get popular, after that they’re just going to dump you in the nearest trash bin!”

Surprisingly to Balto, Saba started laughing.

“What is so funny?” Balto asked, serious.

Saba giggled a little more before answering. “Dad, after all they’ve done for me, I don’t think these guys are fake. Friends are supposed to help one another, and that’s what they do.”

“Okay. Tell me one thing they have done for you. One thing.”

Saba’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She pondered this very carefully for a minute.

“See? Saba, I’m not going to force you to leave your friends, but I’m just here to warn you. They are NOT your friends.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Saba started to giggle again as she was leaving.

“Saba?” Balto called.

“Yes?” Saba’s voice was in a giggle.

“Are you going to believe me, your own father who raised you and taught you good, or your friends who never did one thing for you.”

“I just haven’t thought more about it! I know they did things for me! They helped me find Nao’s house, they scared off Aitu one time, and they were always cool with me, never hyperactive every time I walk towards them.”

“Saba…do you ever wonder that those things could just be…an act?”

“An act? Why would it be an act?”

“Look, I know what I heard, and I heard them saying ‘the only reason we’re hanging out with Saba is to get popular.’”

“Dad you’re getting old. It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that maybe…you heard it wrong.”

“I was standing right there honey. And I’m only 6. I still have some years to go.”

“Dad, as much as I want to believe you…I can’t. Jess and Kila will always be my friends, no matter what you say. End of discussion.”

Saba ran now, back to her place.

What could dad be thinking? Saba thought. Jess and Kila are not those kind of dogs.

Saba went home, ate her dinner, which was more than usual because it was a homecoming gift. And off to bed she went.

And, of course, there was the dream again, which Saba was actually excited to have.

“Are you ready?” Tor asked Saba.

“Yes.”

Saba followed Tor inside the alley. They moved a bit faster than she did when she went in here. Soon Saba could see those big, ugly dogs again. She had to look, though.

“So…you were friends with these…”

Tor knew Saba wouldn’t finish. “Yes, I was. You have no idea what they’ve been through.”

“Well I would have an idea of you’d tell me.”

Tor took a deep breath.

“The biggest out of the 3 is named Akil.” She pointed to the biggest sleeping dog. “He was born in this very alley. He didn’t have any siblings. His mother left him as soon as he could eat anything but milk. But Akil tried to follow her, calling her name. He did that every day for a week, but finally gave up. He wandered the streets, looking for someplace to live. When he would beg for food from the humans, they would just shove him away, disgusted. When he would ask for food from dogs, they tried to play with him like some toy ball. Some dogs actually mistook him for a rat because he was so tiny, and tried to kill him! Usually, the cats would do that. When he was older, and learned how to steal food, Akil wondered about the outside world. He saw a sled team about to leave and hitched a ride. He ended up in a town called Koyuk. The people were even worse to him there! Instead of just shoving him away, they would try and put an axe on him! They would also shout names and torture the still young dog as much as possible until he leaves! Eventually he did, and walked out of town. Now with scars all over his skin, Akil wandered the frozen wasteland in search of life anywhere! He didn’t have any food or water for almost a week!

He trudged through the hardest snow you could imagine, the biggest of storms Until finally, he arrived in Nome again. He went food crazy and went into people’s houses to steal their food! That’s how Akil became ‘the world’s deadliest predator.’ Now every week, every animal living near his alley has to give him half of his or her food to keep him strong.”

“Wow. I never knew how much a dog could survive without being fed.” Saba said.

Tor sighed. “Yes, he was a lucky one. It’s terrible what he’s doing, though.”

“Well what about the other ones?” Saba pointed to the two other dogs sleeping beside Akil.

“Those are Akil’s ‘henchdogs’, as he likes to call them. The one with one ear is name Oki. He was born here two, but at first on the other side of town. He was abused by his parents until he finally put his foot down and left.”

“Is that why Oki has only one ear?” Saba asked.

Tor nodded. “The worst thing they did to him. He was about 6 months old when he left, still a pup. He was still sort of happy though. He had friends that lived across the street. Some of them were street dogs, but others lived in a house. Oki decided to stay with his best friend. He only stayed there for a few weeks because when Oki went out to get food and came back, his best friend was killed by a few mean sled dogs just looking for something to do. They killed almost every little street puppy, except Oki. Do you know why? He was in so much rage, he and the sled dogs got in a huge blood battle! Oki barely survived, but he won. The two street dogs were dead. For the rest of his life, all sled dogs stayed clear of Oki, not wanting to be killed like they were.”

“Aww. Poor Oki.” Saba said sadly.

“There is still one more.” Tor pointed to the youngest one and the smallest, but still two times bigger than Saba.

“This little guy is called by Pok. He was much younger, barely a full grown dog when I met him. All I know of his story is that he was abducted by the white ones in a silver room. Now I have no idea what this means. But it must have something to do with humans because he hates them so much. He once attacked a woman and now she has no arm!”

Saba shuddered.

“All of these dogs were treated horribly as pups, and even now. But they DO have good inside them. No one sees it though.”

“It’s so sad…But what does this have to do with anything?”

“Saba, my soul purpose is to guide you in the right direction. So the only reason I’m telling you this is because I know that you are struggling with making everyone happy, and unsure about your interests. I’m here to tell you that maybe…this will be your calling.”

Saba’s mouth opened wide.

“You mean I’m going to be a street dog?!”

Tor shook her head. “No, no. You misunderstood. I’m saying that if these dogs feel what it’s like to not be feared all the time, maybe they’ll turn around.”

“How do I do that?”

“Just show them how to be like you, kind and considerate. And most importantly: to be forgiving. If they learn these things, they won’t be feared as much, and they’ll get some real respect.”

“But they already know who I am. They almost killed me! What if they don’t trust me?”

“Just keep coming back. Every day until they trust you. I did that a lot when I met them.”

Saba nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Do you want to do this?” Tor asked.

Saba thought for a moment. There could actually be a chance that she could be killed doing this. But these dogs need her help and Tor can’t do it because she’s dead. Saba was now the only one who understood what they went through, and now the only one who could help them become good dogs and respectable dogs. If she didn’t take this chance, who would?

“I’ll do it.” Saba said proudly.

Tor’s smile grew until it reached her ears. “Thank you, Saba! Thank you! *Sigh* now I have to say goodbye.”

Saba’s smile faded. “Goodbye? You mean…forever?”

“I’ve done I’ll I could do. But don’t worry, I’ll still be around. I’m your spirit guardian remember? I never go away!”

Saba giggled and hugged a wolf for the first time. Soft. XD

“Thank you Tor. Thanks for showing me what to do.”

“Goodbye Saba. Saba…Saba…Saba

“Saba? Are you awake?”

Saba’s sleepy eyes slowly opened and looked up at yet another worried Carla.

“You’ve been acting strange, girl. Are you okay?”

Saba yawned and jumped off the bed. She went to her breakfast, ate, and went outside. Saba knew what she had to do today.

Carla put her hand on her hips. “Hm. Saba has never been so tired. Could it be...The strange dreams, the depression, the mood swings, the eating!” Saba has been eating a bit more to make up for those weeks she hasn’t been eating. “I wonder…”

Saba tried to figure out where she was headed. She knew she would have to walk far, but she didn’t mind. Meanwhile she bumped into Jess, but no Kila. Jess was with Luke.

“Hi guys” Saba said.

“Hey Saba!” Jess said back. “What are you doing here?”

Should Saba tell them what she was doing. Nah. Not right now.

“Just taking a stroll.”

“Good, Saba!” Luke said. “Getting some exercise before practice tomorrow!” Luke always gave the team the day off the day after a big mail run.

“Thanks Luke. So what are you guys doing here?”

“I was picking up Luke. He lives around here. We’re going on a secret date. So I can’t tell you, or him, where we’re gong.”

“Oh. Well have fun! I’ll just be headed this way.”

“Woah Saba! Where are you going?” Jess called.

“I’m not sure. Wherever the wind takes me.” Saba half lied because truly, she didn’t know exactly where she was going. She knew the destination, but not the way to get there.

“You’re going on the street where ‘The Predators’ live.”

“Who?”

“You mean you don’t know? There are vicious street dogs living in an alley on that street! Everyone calls them ‘The Predators’. They’ll kill you, Saba! They don’t hold back. Wait. You already encountered them a while ago. So…you know what you’re up against. Just never go in there!”

“I won’t.” Saba had her toenails crossed.