Polaris stormed out of the kennel. She didn’t know where she was heading. As long as it was away from the rest of the team, she didn’t care.

            Cooper and Rusty were the worst. Cooper was always undermining her authority as team leader and Rusty egged him on.

            The rest of the dogs weren’t much better. The only dog who really supported Polaris was Ginger. Ginger was a slim orange mutt with big ears and black flecks. She wasn’t traditionally pretty and was basically ignored by the rest of the team. Polaris figured she was just loyal because Polaris was the only one who noticed her, but it was still a nice change from the other dogs.

            The slender black-and-white husky soon found herself at the lake outside of town. The rotting remains of an old ship stood by the lake. Polaris trotted towards the remains, planning to spend the night there. She wanted time to cool down before going back to the kennel.

            Polaris walked carefully up the ramp to the ship. It creaked and shifted under her paws. She went to the cabin of the ship and curled up. She was still angry about the things Cooper had said about her, but the solitude made her feel a little better.

            Polaris hoped Ginger was OK. She had to be lonely without Polaris.

            Polaris was asleep quickly and dreamed of running through the wilderness, free and with no responsibility.

            The next morning, Polaris woke up thinking how much she didn’t want to go back to the kennel. Not only were the other dogs jerks, but her musher was nothing special. He didn’t give her any attention besides feeding and training.

            Polaris suddenly had an idea. She was going to take a vacation! Polaris would go to White Mountain and see what adventure she could find along the way.

            Polaris left the ship and took a swim in the lake. The water felt cool and refreshing, and when she was done, she felt like all her worries had washed away.

            Polaris trotted out towards the wilderness that led to White Mountain.

            Now, Polaris was alone with her thoughts. She tried not to think about her sled team, but her thoughts kept turning to Ginger. She wondered how Ginger would fair without her. Would she be too lonely? Could she handle the stress?

            Polaris shook her head. She was on vacation now. She wouldn’t think about her team.

            So, what else was there to think about? What about the wilderness she was in. There were probably foxes. Foxes were cute. And squirrels. Always fun for chasing. And wolves.

            Polaris slowed down. Wolves? She didn’t like the idea of meeting a large, intelligent predator on her own.

For a moment she considered going home. But when she thought about it, Polaris realized she was enjoying her freedom too much to go home.

Polaris found some berries she recognized as not poisonous and ate them. They were sweet and so much more satisfying than the dry, slightly stale food than her musher gave her.

Polaris breathed in the fresh air and wagged her tail. Polaris kept her thoughts from her team for a while, but eventually she found herself thinking about Ginger again.

Polaris was relieved when at sunset she reached White Mountain. She found a restaurant and ate from the garbage can behind it. She strolled around the tiny town and was disappointed at how much it was like Nome.

Polaris came across a kennel that was called Gray Brush. She scratched at the door and called,

“Hey! Anyone there?”

“Who’s there?” a nervous voice asked.

“My name’s Polaris,” the little husky said. “I’m a sled dog.”

“Let her in!” a deeper voice said.

The door swung open and a stocky chow mix stood at the door. He glanced behind her then nodded for her to come in.

Once inside, the chow mix pulled the door shut quickly. Dogs lay around the rectangular room, chewing on bones and relaxing on blankets. A huge black-and-white malamute sat in front of a radiator on the opposite end of the room.

“Welcome, Polaris,” he said.

Polaris recognized his voice as the one that asked she be let in.

“What brings you to White Mountain?” he asked.

“I’m on vacation,” she said.

The big dog laughed.

“How’d you swing that?”

“I just left last night,” she said. “That’s all.”

“How long do you plan to be gone?” he asked.

“Just a few days,” Polaris said, laying down on a spare blanket. “What’s your name, by the way?”

“Sitka,” the malamute said. “So, where are you from?”

“Nome,” Polaris said.

            “You came here from Nome?” the chow mix said. “Boy, are you lucky!”
            “Why?” Polaris asked.

            “You didn’t meet the wraith,” the chow mix replied.

            “Don’t start on that again, Gizmo,” a red husky said.

            “Well, it’s true!” Gizmo said. “I saw it!”

            “What’s a wraith?” Polaris asked.

            “The wolves have this legend,” Sitka said. “If a wolf—or dog—dies with unfinished business, they sometimes come back as vengeful ghosts. It’s just a legend.”

            “No, it’s not!” Gizmo said. “I saw the wraith the night I tried to run away!”

            “What did it look like?” Polaris asked, mildly curious.

            “He’s a huge black-and-white husky with glowing eyes!” Gizmo said, his eyes growing wide.

            Polaris figured Gizmo had seen a wolf or imagined the whole thing. She was still curious, though.

            “Do you know who this husky is?” she asked.

            “He’s a dog from Eagle Hill kennel who fell to his death after a fight with his team,” Gizmo said.

            Polaris didn’t remember hearing about anyone from her kennel dying near White Mountain, confirming her suspicion this was just a legend.

            “Well, I’ll be careful,” she said, hiding a smile.

            Polaris chatted and laughed with the other dogs. They were so much nicer than her team! She also enjoyed not having to be in charge and being able to be just one of the team.

            “Polaris,” Sitka said. “If you needed a vacation from your team, maybe you could use a new team. How would you feel about joining ours?”

            Polaris was tempted to say yes, but then she thought of Ginger.

            “Thanks,” she said. “But I have responsibilities back home.”

            “I get that,” Sitka said.

            After chatting a bit longer, the dogs went to sleep. Polaris missed the warmth of Ginger curled up against her.

            The next morning, Polaris had breakfast with the dogs, then started out. She began to head home.

            Once at the bottom of the mountain, Polaris decided to take an indirect way home. Instead of heading directly towards Nome, she walked along the base of the mountain. It was a beautiful day and Polaris loved the feeling of the sun on her fur.

            Polaris had reached an especially rocky part of ground when she heard a voice behind her. It was deep and a little breathy.

            “Hey,” it said. “What are you doing out here?”

            Polaris spun around to see a large black-and-white husky with a leather collar on.

            For a moment, Gizmo’s story crossed Polaris’s mind. She immediately dismissed it, though.

            “What are you doing here?” she said.

            The other dog looked uncomfortable for a moment.

            “I live here,” he said finally.

            Well, that explained the “ghost.” Gizmo must have seen this large stray in the dark and panicked.

            “Sorry to hear that,” Polaris said.

            “I get by,” the other dog said.

            Polaris nodded and turned to leave.

            “Wait,” the other dog said. “You never answered my question.”

            “I’m on vacation,” Polaris said, stopping and turning around.

            “Is that your way of saying you’re a stray?” the other dog said.

            “No!” Polaris said. “It just means I need a break from my team.”

            “I see,” the other dog said.

            “What’s your name?” Polaris asked.

            “Steele,” the other dog said. “I’m a champion sled dog…or, I was.”

            “What happened?” Polaris said.

            “I had a fight with my team,” Steele said. “That’s what I’m doing out here.”

            “Yeah, teams can be the worst,” Polaris said. “That’s why I need a vacation.”

            “So, what position do you run?” Steele asked.

            “I’m the lead!” Polaris said. “And I’m good at it, too.”

            “Win many races?” Steele said.

            “Yeah,” Poalris said, thinking how much she hated to race.

            “I did, too,” Steele said proudly. “I was the best back then!”

            By now, Polaris had noticed that Steele looked well-fed and well-groomed for a stray living in the wilderness. This made her a little suspicious, but why would he lie about being a stray?

            Then she realized he might not have been living out there very long.

            “How long have you been out here?” she asked.

            “A while,” the other dog said.

            Now Polaris was more suspicious.

            “Where are you from?” Polaris asked.

            The other dog hesitated.

            “Where are you from?” he said.

            “You go first,” Polaris said.

            “Nome,” the other dog muttered.

            Polaris wondered why she had never seen him before. Maybe he left before she became a sled dog. Still this dog was raising a few too many questions, so Polaris decided to leave.

            “It was nice meeting you,” she said. “I better be on my way, though.”

            “Wait!” Steele said. “I’d like to come with you.”

            “Why?” Polaris asked, becoming a little uncomfortable.

            “It’s lonely out here,” Steele said.

            Polaris wrinkled her nose in disgust.

            “Are you flirting with me?” Polaris said. “Because that’s never going to happen. I don’t like boys…your age! Nope, no older dogs for me.”

            Polaris felt her face grow hot.

            “First, I don’t look that old,” Steele said. “Second, I’m not flirting. You’d know if I was flirting. I just mean I could use some company.”

            “Oh,” Polaris said. “Well, I guess you could come along.”

            She smiled.

            “If you think you could keep up.”

            “Please!” Steele said. “I was winning races before you were born!”

            “Not old, huh?” Polaris said, still smiling.

            Steele frowned and shrugged.

            The two dogs continued along the base of the mountain, chatting about dog sledding and the challenges of being a team leader.

            “…Anyway, Ginger was the only one who even believed me about smelling a bear. And sure enough, we turn a corner and what’s there? A bear! Luckily, we got away, but it was pretty scary. And it could have all been avoided if they’d just listened to me!”

            Steele nodded.

            “I had the opposite problem,” he said. “No one ever argued with me, and just resented me silently. Finally, things came to a boil…and that’s how I ended up out here.”

            “I’ve been thinking about leaving the kennel for good,” Polaris said.

            “Don’t do that,” Steele said. “Life out here is hard.”

            “I’ve liked it so far,” Polaris said.

            “How long have you been out?” Steele asked.

            “Since yesterday morning,” Polaris said.

            “It gets harder,” Steele said.

            Polaris frowned.

            “I can manage.”

            Steele gave a disbelieving look, which annoyed Polaris.

            “The loneliness is awful,” Steele said. “You don’t get used to it.”

            Polaris was silent.  She turned away from the mountain and headed in Nome’s general direction.

            “Are you going home?” Steele asked.

            “Eventually,” Polaris said. “Ginger needs me. I mean, I’m the only one who notices her.”

            “You’ve said.”

            “Oh,” Polaris said. “So, what about you? What are you going to do when we get back to Nome?”

            Steele shrugged.

            The sun had begun to set and Steele said he knew where a safe cave was. The two dogs stepped into the cave and curled up far apart. Polaris once again missed Ginger.

            The next morning, Steele helped Polaris find the scraps of a caribou carcass for breakfast. It tasted awful, but it was better than nothing.

            “This is life in the wild,” Steele said. “Still want to run away?”

            “What do you care?” Polaris said.

            “I just don’t want another dog to have to live like me,” Steele said.

            “OK…” Polaris said.

            After enough questioning, Steele revealed he had a crush on another dog back in Nome. She didn’t like him, though.

            “I can’t really blame her,” Steele said. “I wasn’t the nicest dog. Still, it hurt that we’d never be together.”

            Polaris sighed. She knew that feeling.

            She knew that feeling, she finally admitted to herself. Out here in the wild, she could think more clearly and consider things it didn’t even feel safe thinking about back in town.

            Polaris stopped in her tracks.

            “You OK?” Steele said.

            “Yeah,” Polaris said. “I just realized, I can’t go back to the kennel.”

            “Why not?” Steele said, sounding a little angry.

            “Because I don’t want to lose the girl of my dreams like you did!”

            Polaris gasped. The secret was out. She didn’t know how Steele would react, but he just looked sad.

            Polaris ran off into the woods, trying to get away from the stranger she had just spilled her secret to.

            Polaris had not gone far when she heard a growl. The scent hit her nose a moment later.

            “Bear!” she cried.

            She spun around to find a huge grizzly bear. Polaris put her ears down and snarled. She leapt at the bear’s face, but it through her to the ground.

            Just then, Steele leapt in front of her and snarled at the bear. The bear swung at him, but its paw went right through him. Polaris wasn’t sure she had seen it right until Steele’s eyes went pure blue and began to glow.

            The bear turned and ran in fear.

            “What the…?” Polaris said.

            Steele turned and his eyes went back to normal.

            “You OK?” Steele said.

            “You…you…” Polaris babbled. “You’re a ghost, aren’t you?”

            Steele looked away.

            “You are!” Polaris said.

            “OK, I am,” Steele said. “But I want to help you?”
            “Why?” Polaris demanded, still too shocked to be scared.

            “Because…I didn’t live a good life,” he said. “I died in a violent accident. I’m not at peace. I thought if I could help other dogs now, I could find peace and move on.”

            Polaris just stared at Steele.

            “You all right?” he said.

            “Oh, I just found out ghosts are real, as is an afterlife,” Polaris said. “No big deal.”

            “Right,” Steele said.

            They sat in awkward silence until Polaris finally said,

            “You really want to help me? Then teach me to survive in the wild.”

            “All right,” Steele said. “First, you should know that I’m not the only supernatural creature out here. There are animal spirits that I honestly don’t know that much about. There’s a wolf and a fox and a bear and some wolverines.”

            “Greaaaat,” Polaris said. “Spirits. And how are they different from ghosts?”

            “They’re not really dead,” Steele said. “They’re…magic.”

            “Magic,” Polaris repeated. “OK! Why not? While I let that sink in, why don’t you teach me something else?”

            “OK,” Steele said. “Let’s talk about scavenging…”
            The next three days, Steele taught Polaris how to survive in the wild. At the end of the third day, Polaris snuck back into Nome.

            “Haven’t been here in a long time,” Steele said. “How I used to race down these streets! All the girls would smile at me…”

            “Hey, Steele,” Polaris said. “I need to be alone for this.”

            Steele nodded.

            “I’ll meet you tomorrow morning,” Polaris said.

            “Good luck,” Steele said.

            Polaris went to the kennel and scratched on the door.

            Ginger opened the door.

            “Polaris?”

            “Ginger, come with me,” she said. “I have something to tell you.”

            Ginger followed Polaris to the edge of town.

            “Where have you been?” Ginger asked. “I was worried sick!”

            “I quit,” Polaris said. “I’m a wild dog now.”

            “You’re kidding!” Ginger said. “Why?”

            “Because I hate my job, and I don’t like the team—except for you. Ginger…”

            “Yes?” Ginger said.

            “I…”

            “What?”

            “I love you!” Polaris blurted.

            Ginger stared at her for a moment, then said,

            “I love you, too.”

            “You know we can’t stay at the kennel and be in a relationship,” Polaris said. “Runaway with me and we can be wild dogs!”

            “But how do you know how to survive?” Ginger asked.

            “I met a dog who lives out there and he taught me how to survive,” Polaris said, deciding to find another time to reveal that ghosts and magic were real.

            Ginger looked back at the town, then at Polaris.

            “I’ll come with you,” she said.

            Polaris licked Ginger’s snout, and Ginger returned the kiss.

            The next morning, Polaris woke up snuggled up to Ginger in the cave Steele had shown her.

            Steele stood at the mouth of the cave. He was smiling and wagging his tail.

            Polaris got up slowly and went outside to talk to him.

            “Thanks, Polaris,” he said. “I’m free now. Good luck with Ginger. I hope you’re happy out here. And if you ever really need help…go find Aniu. She’s the wolf I mentioned. She lives out in the mountains between here and the sea.

            “Thank you,” Polaris said. “Goodbye, Steele.”

            “Goodbye,” Steele said, then vanished.

            Ginger turned over and opened her eyes.

            “Were you talking to someone?” she asked.

            Polaris hesitated, then said,

            “Just saying goodbye to that dog I told you about. He’s not a stray anymore.”

            “That’s great!” Ginger said.

            Ginger stepped out of the cave and took in the beautiful wilderness.

            “Welcome home,” Polaris said.