The morning sun shone on Soul’s white fur as she watched Rex get put into a harness and tied to the rest of the team. On her other side, Pablo was stuck behind the other team members. He saw her and winked, Soul scoffed and went to Rex who was only one dog away from the front of the team.

‘ I’m so proud of you Rex. You’ll be lead dog one day like your Grandfather, but first you’ll need to prove that you’re worthy of the job.’ Soul said to Rex as she nuzzled him.

‘ I’ll be lead dog one day, but I won’t be lead dog. I’ll be lead wolf dog, like Balto was.’ Rex said as he nuzzled Soul back.

‘ Don’t be ashamed of being part wolf. It’s great being part wolf on a sled team ‘cause you’ll be able to get the team out of any sticky situation, like if they get lost or you’re under attack.’ Soul explained.

‘ I’m not ashamed, I’m proud of it, but I’m just happy that the musher put me on the team in the first place.’ Rex said as he looked at the sky.

‘ Yeah, but the musher is new and he heard that there were wolf dogs in town and everyone knows that wolf dogs are faster than dogs because wolves are the fastest canine around, and you’ re a wolf dog.’ Soul said.

‘ Yeah, but so are you. Why didn’t he put you on the team? Your way more wolf than me anyway.’ Rex said as he looked at her lovingly. She stared back and then Rex realized that she looked like a Husky, not a wolf.

‘ Hey! Wolf dog. Just wanted to make sure that you called your pack to tell them the good news,’ Pablo said as his teammates mocked Rex. Pablo then howled mockingly and Rex got angry and started growling at Pablo. ‘ Oh, I’m so sorry Soul. I’m sorry that you’re paired with a wolf dog. A husky doesn’t belong with a wolf dog. She belongs with me, Pablo the pure bred Border collie.’

Soul was just about to blurt her secret out to the town when Rex stepped in. ‘ Pablo, leave her alone. She doesn’t want you because you’re a spoiled brat who hasn’t even moved out from his mothers yet. Ha!’ Rex said as he imitated a baby Pablo, crawling on the ground and whimpering for his mum.

‘ Hey! I do have an owner and my mum lives in Nenana with my dad. I’m not a pup!’ Pablo shouted as everyone else laughed. ‘ That settles it! The winner of this race wins Soul and the loser has to… be the slave to the winner for a fortnight.’

‘ What?! Leave Soul out of this! She hates you, but she loves me.’ Rex said as he stepped in front of Soul.

‘ Yeah, anyway. Pablo, you said that you’re a pure bred? Why are you as big as a German shepherd? Aren’t you meant to be half of Rex’s size?’ Soul asked as she walked to Rex’s side.

 ‘ Places!!’

 ‘ Gotta go. Bye Rex.’ Soul said as she walked to the sidelines.

Rex got into place and got his energy warmed up as he watched the starting flag. The flag went down and Rex started running as fast as possible.

The teams started getting even when they left the town border and ran into the outskirts. Pablo’s lead dog, Dustin, stared at Rex. He knew that Rex had an advantage over him. Dustin was a chocolate brown husky and Labrador mix with matching eyes. Rex’s lead dog, Cloud, saw Dustin’s team slowing down. Cloud was a champion sled dog and was known all over Alaska including Nome. He had grass green eyes and a coat as black as a thundercloud. 

As Cloud’s team reached the forest centre, Rex noticed that Dustin had stopped the team on the outskirts of town. He was confused and surprised when he saw that their musher had bite marks all over him. First thing that came into his mind- Murder. They had hurt their musher so they didn’t have to stop and that way they would win the race.

‘ Cloud, I think I just found out something about the other team!’ Rex shouted as he ran.

‘ You have? Just a little further and then we’ll stop so that you can tell me!’ Cloud shouted back. When they got to their rest stop, Cloud walked over to Rex and then he explained what he saw back there.

‘ We need to keep moving if we are to beat them and prove that they have cheated. I’ll get the musher moving, you get everyone else and tell them what I have said.’ Cloud said.

Rex then went to the team and did his job while Cloud did his. Soon they were back in the race with the other team back at the forest edge.

4 hours later, they had reached their destination: White Mountain. Once the musher had dropped off his sign that he had been there, he went onto the sled and they ran once again. When they were at the outskirts of White Mountain, they saw their opponents about 5 miles away from them. When they passed them, Pablo got really jealous, but not as much as Dustin.

When Cloud saw that an avalanche had covered the snow plains, he had no other choice than to go over a dangerous mountain and maybe lose a few members of the team.

As they walked along a narrow path, Cloud slowed down to a walk. Rex looked over the edge and regretted ever joining the team. Suddenly he slipped and hung onto the edge, he felt his harness coming off. Cloud saw what happened and pulled as hard as he could, the others started helping too. Cloud then wriggled out of his harness and pulled Rex’s. He then felt the weight decreasing and looked over. Rex’s harness had come off and he was holding onto his life.

‘ Come on! I can’t let anyone die here! Not again,’ memories of his daughters death came to him as he pulled. ‘ Not again!’

Cloud then heard howling and saw that Rex had gone down.

‘ NO!! Rex! Answer me! Please.’ Cloud said as tears filled his eyes. Ever since Rex had joined the team, he had felt like a father again. He got up and walked over the rest of the mountain. 

For the rest of the race, no one cared if they won or lost. They just wanted Rex back, from the dead. Cloud still had memories of what happened to his daughter two years ago. They were having a father-daughter time when a Cougar pounced on her, Cloud had tried to help, but he was knocked out and his daughter didn’t stand a chance, so she was killed at such a young age.

When they got back, everyone expected them to be happy, but they didn’t say a word. When Cloud remembered what he and Rex planned, he waited for Dustin’s team to appear.

Fly noticed that Rex wasn’t there, she felt some uneasiness. Soul felt this too and looked for Fly.

‘ Fly! Have you seen Rex?’ Soul asked as she walked over to Fly who walked over to her.

‘ No. I’m gonna see Cloud and ask him.’ Fly said as she walked past Soul.

‘ I’ll go too. I need to know as much as you do.’ Soul said as she followed Fly. She smiled at Soul as she ran to the town border.

‘ I know what you’re looking for. Or should I say who.’ Cloud said before Soul or Fly could say a word.

‘ Do you know where Rex is? I’m worried and Pablo will be here soon and he'll take me away…’ Soul started.

‘ He’s gone. Forever. I promised that no one would be like Diamond. Especially Rex. He…was like a son to me. He was just like Diamond. Misunderstood.’ Cloud said as he looked down at the snow.

‘ I know it’s hard to let go of what happened, but you don’t know if she did die. Your were knocked out.’ Fly said as she went to Cloud.

‘ I’m misunderstood everyday by a Border collie who can’t leave me alone for more than two seconds. I wish I could tell someone my secret, but I can’t. I promised I wouldn’t, Balto didn’t want it to be said.’ Soul said as she walked in front of Cloud.

‘ What happened to him?’ Fly asked.

‘ He slipped of the edge, I tried to save him, but I failed. The last thing he said to me was…’Cloud then howled loudly like Rex did. ‘ He’s dead. Long gone. It’s too dangerous to go and look. There could be anything.’

Fly’s eyes then filled with tears and she ran to Fang’s house. Soul ran to the mine shack. Inside, she cried until her face was sore with tears.

‘ I have to find him. He can’t be dead. Balto didn’t die when he fell off the cliff and he managed to get back up. With help from Aniu.’ Soul thought as she dried her tears. She then walked outside and sniffed the air. She ran to the forest in the team’s tracks.

Meanwhile, back at the mountain bottom. Rex had managed to get out of the snow and walk to a cave. In the cave, Rex lay resting.

‘ I’ll need to go back home, but the blizzard is too strong. Even for a moose. I should get some sleep.’ Rex said as he lifted his head and then rested it. He closed his eyes and went to sleep…

‘ Come on Rex! You can’t catch me.’

‘ Huh? Soul?’ Rex asked as he opened his eyes and saw Soul running in front of him.

‘ You can’t catch me either papa!’

‘ Papa? I don’t have any kids, but I can still chase Soul.’ Rex thought as he got up and ran over to Soul. She had 5 pups beside her running as well. Suddenly the ground cracked and the pups disappeared and he saw Soul hanging onto a cliff edge.

‘ Soul!’ Rex shouted as he ran over to her.

‘ Rex! Help me!’ Soul shouted, but when Rex came over she gave him a questioning look. ‘Balto?’

‘ It’s me, Rex. Not Balto.’ Rex said. He then grabbed some of Soul’s fur and pulled with all his might. When Soul climbed up, Rex walked over to her, but then fell down the cliff. He then climbed out the snow and rested. He then looked up and saw Aniu. She howled at him, but he was too confused to answer. She then walked away and disappeared in the blizzard.

‘ I can’t get back up. I need to somehow get around.’ Rex thought, but then a thought struck him. He realised that to survive, he would need to use his wolf side and this is how it would start.

Rex got up weakly and saw Aniu’s paw prints. He stepped in them and realised that he thought right. He threw his head back and howled. Aniu appeared again and howled along side him.

Rex then opened his eyes and saw that he was in the cave again. He remembered what he had dreamed and walked outside. The blizzard had gone. He sniffed the air and smelt Caribou. He ran after the scent.

Further away, Soul stopped and rested.

‘ I need to hurry if I’m gonna find him, but I should rest first.’ Soul breathed as she bent down and let her weight drop on the ground. She closed her eyes and slept.

Soul was in a field of flowers and then she saw a bunch of butterflies flying around a white husky.

‘ Mom? Mom!’ Soul shouted as she ran to her. When she was in front of her, she went up to her and nuzzled her mother. Her mother nuzzled her back.

‘Don’t be afraid, Soul. I’m here.’

‘ Oh, mom. I’ve missed you so much.’ Soul said as she nuzzled her.

‘ I now you have and you have been suffering without me. Don’t worry, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.’

‘ Mom? Don’t leave me, please. I don’t want to be alone again.’ Soul said as she felt her mother drift away.

‘ I’m not. No matter how far I am from you, I’m always with you and it will stay that way. No one can change it. When you feel alone just think of me and I’ll be there beside you. You’re not alone, my Soul.’

‘ Mother!!’ Soul shouted as she woke up. She found out that she had been nuzzling a rock. Soul got up and thought of her mother.

 ‘ Get her!’

Rex chewed on a caribou leg and ate until there was nothing but bones. He then heard someone behind him.

 A black wolf then emerged from the shadows and stood in front of Rex.

‘ I am Storm and I lurk in the shadows, but what you’ve said moves me.’ Storm said.

‘ I’m Rex and I stay in the light.’ Rex said as he investigated Storm.

‘ Do you know a white wolf dog?’ Storm asked.

‘ Yeah, I do. Why?’ Rex asked as he stopped investigating.

‘ One known as Soul has been spotted around Star territory. She has made quick friends with Fireheart, the alpha.’ Storm said as he faced Rex.

‘ I need to save her! Before she forgets who she is and why she’s out here, which I don’t know either. Are you gonna help me?’ Rex asked as he walked towards Star territory.

‘ Yes, I will, but only because you’re my friend, who stays in the light.’ Storm said.

‘ Thanks, Storm, wolf of the shadows.’ Rex said as he stopped and watched Storm as he smiled. Then they both started running with Storm in the lead.

About 2 hours later, Storm stopped and sniffed the air and ground.

‘ This isn’t Star territory. This is no ones territory. Normally, each piece of the forest belongs to someone, but this part doesn’t belong.’ Storm explained as he stopped sniffing and he looked around. He then stared at a bush with eyes of stone and started growling.

‘ Storm-?’ Rex asked, but was interrupted.

‘ Come out you cowards! I know you’re there, no use hiding.’ Storm said with a firm voice.

‘ You don’t need to shout.’ A voice said as it came from the bushes with 6 wolves coming behind it. It turned out to be a wolf as well. It had a light yellow-ish coat with two white front legs and darker yellow back legs. It’s eyes were forest green, like the rest of the wolves.

‘ Do you come from the Forest pack?’ Storm asked with a gentler voice.

‘ Yes, we do. We rebelled against our leader, Icepaw, but he had about 20 more wolves against us so we were defeated and were banished to this place: No wolf land.’ The yellow wolf said.

‘This land has no owner since humans destroyed it years ago, but since then the land recovered and grew again. Aniu kept the land safe from harm, but since she passed, no one knows if they’re protected or not, so they don’t come. But we believe that she’s in spirit among us, still.’ A brown and white wolf said as it stepped forward.

 ‘ How did you know that they were Forest wolves?’ Rex asked quietly to Storm.

‘ All Forest wolves have green eyes and they’re always together, especially during hunting.’ Storm answered in a whisper.

 ‘ I am Blue Sun, alpha of this small pack. The brown and white one is Star Field, the very dark grey one is Diamond Sky, the white and grey one is Lightning Blaze, the grey one is Grey Heart and the black one is Thunder Claw.’ Blue Sun said as she walked around the wolves. Rex looked at Lightning Blaze whose face was covered.

‘ Why are you hiding your face Lightning Blaze?’ Rex asked as he went over to him. Lightning Blaze showed his face and Rex saw a lightning shaped scar over his left eye.

‘ Because of that. I was born with it, I think. I don’t know.’ Lightning answered.

‘ When he was born, the Thunder pack came as they did every month to make sure there weren’t any wars between them, but when they saw Lightning, they realised that he didn’t belong with us, but they didn’t give him the scar, he was born with it. The Thunder pack saw that he had no father so they asked his mother who his father was and she answered: Black Paw. Black Paw was the Thunder packs old leader until he disappeared after his daughter was born. Well after that… no one really knows what happened’ Star Field explained as she comforted Lightning. Rex then walked to Blue Sun.

‘ Can you help me? I’m looking for Star territory. My friend was captured by them and I need to rescue her.’ Rex said.

‘ Sure we can help you. We know where everyone’s territory is,’ She then turned her head. ‘ Front and centre!’

Everyone sat in a line and sat very still, excluding Storm and Rex.

‘ We are going on a rescue mission for the wolf dog.’ Blue Sun said as she pointed at Rex. Then Storm sniffed the air and ran to his right with Rex and the others behind.

****

 Rex then got Soul onto his back and started clawing the river bottom, but the current was too strong for him and he was swept down stream. Behind the bushes, Storm and the Rebellions ran down the river. Rex then felt gravity increase and found himself over the waterfall and like before, when he fell off the cliff, he howled with sorrow and sadness.

‘ Rex!’ Storm shouted.

‘ Soul!’ Fireheart shouted.

All the wolves went down to the small lake below and saw Soul and Rex unconscious on the bank, side by side. Storm and Fireheart went over to them with the Rebellions close behind. Storm held Rex’s head and slapped it. Nothing. He splashed it with water and he saw Rex’s eyes moves. Storm gasped with happiness and watched Rex stand up and cough the water from his lungs. Fireheart did the same to Soul, but it didn’t work. Rex nuzzled her, but that didn’t work either.

‘ Soul, my Soul. My destiny. My life. My love. My everything.’ Rex said as tears went down his face. Fireheart, Storm and the Rebellion wolves started tearing up too.

 ****

 ‘ Mother?’ Soul asked.

‘ Your friends are sad. You must return to them.’ Isabella said.

‘ But I won’t see you again and I don’t want to be left alone.’ Soul said.

‘ You won’t be alone. You have friends and I’ll be next to you the whole way. No matter how far away I seem from you, I’m always beside you.’ She said as she faded away.

‘ Mother! Don’t leave me!’ Soul shouted.

 ‘ I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, forever…’ Isabella said as she disappeared.

Soul then coughed and Rex smiled. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. Fireheart and the others gasped and rushed over. Soul then slowly stood up and coughed some more.

‘ Hi…’ Soul said.

‘ Soul, my Soul.’ Rex said as he nuzzled Soul and she nuzzled back. Diamond Sky looked at Rex and saw harness marks on his chest.

‘ Um…Rex? Do you know a husky called Cloud?’ She asked as she walked up to him.

‘ Yes, I do. He’s my team leader back at my hometown. Why?’ He asked.

‘ Well, I’m…his daughter and I want to see him again. I thought he was dead, but he isn’t.’ Diamond Sky said.

‘ You wanna come with us?’ Soul asked.

‘ Rex? Blue Sun and I have made a decision. We have decided to form a pack and live in No wolf land and she says that you can come and visit anytime you like.’ Storm announced.

‘ Good luck, Storm and Blue Sun.’ Rex said as a goodbye. He then turned around with Diamond and Soul beside him. Storm and Blue Sun turned the other way and headed for No wolf land.

**** 

  In Nome, Fly, Fang and Cloud sat at the town border. Fly then heard a noise.

‘ Rex?’ She thought as she stood up and then howled. Fly heard a reply and knew it was him.

‘ What’s that?’ Fang asked as he stood up.

‘ It’s Soul and Rex, they’ve come home. At last.’ Fly answered when Cloud saw something disturbing.

‘ Oh, great. Dustin’s come back too.’ Cloud said as he ran to the finish line.

Rex, Soul and Diamond ran toward the town. Fly and Fang ran too as they passed them at great speed. When they got to the finish line, they stopped and Diamond saw her father.

‘ Go on.’ Soul’s eyes said to Diamond. She then walked over to Cloud.

‘ Dad?’ She asked.

‘ Huh? Look, kid. I’ve got no- Diamond!’ Cloud said as they nuzzled each other. ‘ I thought the cougar killed you. How did you survive?’

‘  The cougar stepped down from the fight and when I fainted it took me to its home and looked after me until I met a wolf pack, then I met Rex and he brought me home. I’ve missed you dad.’ Diamond said.

‘ I’ve missed you too, darling. If your mother were here, she would be so happy. I just can’t believe you’re actually here.’ Cloud said as he stopped nuzzling and started at his daughter, who was thought to be lost until a miracle came, Rex.

‘ I thought that I’d never see you again. Every night, I would cry because I missed you and I won’t any more because I’m finally home and I’ll never leave it again.’ Diamond said as she stared back at her father, a champion sled dog, known far and wide as Cloud, but to her, he was called Dad.

‘ Thank you Rex. You have brought a piece of my heart back to me and now I’m complete. You’re a miracle that saved me from never ending sorrow.’ Cloud said.

‘ Your welcome, Cloud.’ Rex said.

‘ Hey, wolf dog! Looks like I won, you better give me my prize now.’

‘ Pablo. You didn’t win, I won. Soul that is. You cheated and no one likes a cheater. Get your cleaning supplies ready, ‘cause you’re gonna be my slave.’ Rex said as he nearly clawed Pablo’s eyes out of their sockets.

‘ I nearly died out there and Rex saved me. You didn’t so you’re officially dumped.’ Soul said as she brought it down to a whisper. She and Rex then walked away and towards his home.