At this time, I find myself looking back, impressed with how far things have come along. Since the start of this series, Balto has been put through numerous challenges, only to come out on top every time. As time went on, things expanded to feature other characters, both old and new, adding depth to the main narrative. It's not just the characters that have grown – I myself have grown as a writer, always learning something new with each story. Not bad for someone who, just two years ago, had no stories to show the world.

By now, you're probably asking yourself, 'Hey iWolf, why all the reflection?' Well, I'm finding myself at a point in my life where one chapter will end before another begins. You see, this story is not just another story in my series – it will be the last. All great adventures come to a close at some point, and for this series, that time is now. I have one last story to tell before riding off into the sunset.

So what challenge is in store for our favorite wolfdog this time? How about a race? Ah, but this isn't just any race – it's the Trans-Alaskan Deby, the biggest race of the year. This is the race that turns dogs into champions, with the golden collar as the final prize. After years of having to stay on the sidelines, Balto will finally get his chance to run in it… but he won't be the only one. Steele is entered in this race too, and as old rivalries flare, it quickly becomes obvious that the race won't be the only challenge they will face.

This story will be set roughly two years after the first movie, placing it between the second and third movies in terms of chronology. It is also the largest story I've ever written, roughly one and a half times the size of my usual Balto stories. Of course, that just means that you won't get short-changed on such a big adventure.

Before I start out, I want to thank my beta reader, Mav32. She may be relatively new to the Balto fandom, but she was already a seasoned writer, making her help with the final checks invaluable. I also want to thank everyone who has shown their support for my work over the past couple of years. Since this includes everyone who has ever favorited, commented or contributed to my stories, the list of names quickly becomes too big to put up in it's entirety. I'm sure these people already know who they are, and whether your contribution was big or small, I still appreciate all you've done for me, and for that you have my thanks.

Alright, I've rambled on long enough; it's time to get this race started! Sit back, get comfortable, and maybe get a snack to enjoy the finale in "The Last Miles".

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Chapter One: A Warning and a Promise

"Goodbye to you too, mother."

"And to you, my son, but we will meet again soon. We will meet again once you have reclaimed the title you deserve; the title that was stolen from your father."

The white she-wolf vanished, becoming a very part of the wind that carried her across the land. Time and distance had little meaning for her; a being that no longer lived as others did, but had not passed on completely to join the dead. She was still bound to this world because of the bond to her one and only son. She'd seen him endure great hardship, only to persevere and come out triumphant. It warmed her heart to see him act solely out of compassion for those he cared about, and even for those whom he didn't know. These were qualities that reminded her so much of her mate, whom she loved, but lost long ago.

"You would be so proud of him, Amak. Balto has grown up so much, able to accept who he is despite the prejudice against him."

"I already am, Aniu. He made me proud enough just by being our son."

Aniu smiled when she heard the comforting voice. It was Amak, her one and only love who had been cruelly ripped away from her. Unlike her, he did not remain in this world as an echo, having already moved on to the next. Sometimes his voice would come through to her, making her want to be with him again, but her duty to her son came first. She wanted him to be able to live the dreams he had when he was young. She thought back to those days, when she was still among the living, telling her son tales of Amak's adventures. Balto never did get to meet his father, but just hearing about him inspired the young pup. It wasn't long before he wanted to become a racing dog too.

"I'm gonna be the fastest and the strongest of them all and I can be champion for you, momma, just like dad."

She was proud to see him so inspired, and for a time, she thought he actually had a chance. He may not have had a human owner to make him part of any sled team, but he was young and she didn't want to dampen his spirits. Those times were good for them, but they would be short-lived as they were being hunted. Even though her heart lay with Amak, there was a wolf who also had held an interest in Aniu before finding out the truth. Mayak was his name, and after he found out she had secretly been with a dog instead of him, he turned on her. Amak put up a brave fight, but he would fall to Mayak's fangs. Only an intervention from rest of her pack allowed her to escape to Nome, while Mayak gave chase, never giving up until he found her safe haven. She couldn't run forever, nor could she hide, so she would make a final stand - if not for her, then for her only son. She knew the risk, but she intended to fight tooth and nail to eliminate Mayak and keep them safe, even if it meant her own end. As the morning sun rose, she said what would become her final goodbyes to little Balto.

"Stay safe my son. Please stay safe."

"I will, mom. You're always watching out for me."

"Yes, and I always will. I will always be there to look after you. I love you so much. You make me so proud. You'll be always be my little baby."

Despite her determination, Mayak would gain the upper hand, fatally wounding her. As her life drained away, his taunting sent one last surge through her, giving her the strength to spring up and take them both over the side of a cliff. It would cost her own life, but Mayak was finally defeated. The danger had passed, but without her to protect him, Balto's life would take a very hard turn.

Her bond with her son allowed her to return as a spirit, but she was unable to reach him. Balto would endure cruel hostility at the paws of the dogs in Nome, all while his mother was forced to watch from the sidelines. It broke her heart to be unable to intervene, or even provide comfort to her son, who would cry his eyes out, wondering why his mother had left him. There was one husky in particular that took a sadistic joy in picking on her son: Steele – the champion of Nome and a hero to many. However, she knew his true secret. She knew that he was only a champion because he cheated, stealing the title from whom it truly belonged.

It was supposed to be Amak's moment of triumph, when he would prove himself as a champion. He was neck and neck with his rival, only feet away from the finish line when he became the victim of a dirty trick. The runner up snapped at the legs of another teammate, causing her to trip, costing Amak the seconds he needed to cross the finish first. This dog was Steele, and his name would be one that Aniu would curse under her breath for years. Steele stole the title that was rightfully Amak's, and then humiliated him when he found out his rival was in love with a wolf. The hand of fate would also make him her son's tormentor, and with every injustice her desire for justice grew.

However, there came a time when Steele's actions finally caught up with him, during a mission to find medicine for sick children. He'd lost his way, but when Balto tried to help, he pushed the half-wolf away. When Balto did take charge, Steele went on to sabotage the trail, almost succeeding in that too. Balto was on the verge of giving up, but at his darkest hour, his mother finally returned to him. She gave him the strength to accept his wolf side and find the way home. He was able to expose Steele's lie and the traitorous husky was cast out, while he was lauded for his courage.

The wind started to calm and she let herself slip back into the physical world. She was far from where she started, at the edge of a small town. By now the sun had set, leaving the town dark save for the orange glow from the homes along the streets. She knew that inside them were humans sitting down to dinner with their families, possibly with their canine companions as well. While most wolves saw the bonding between dogs and humans as shameful and oppressive, her time with Amak had shown her differently. Dogs stayed with humans because they loved them, and the two worked together for mutual benefit. As she passed along the outskirts of the town, she paused when she came across one house in particular. On the surface it seemed like any ordinary home; wood paneling made up the exterior, a couple of windows let light out from the home while a small shed was set a short distance away in the back yard. It was just another house on the street, but to Aniu it was so much more. It was once the home of her love, and as she silently crept behind it, she took a moment to pause at a small hill.

She and Amak had come to love watching the northern lights at night, enjoying the colourful dance in the sky. When the lights didn't appear, Amak put it upon himself to create them. Taking some fragments of glass and an old lantern, he was able to project a beautiful facsimile of them on a hillside. It was the most magical moment of her life, but like Amak himself, that moment would pass on, existing only in her memory. The small hill was nothing more than dark ground now, cold and empty.

After her moment of reflection, she continued past the home towards a small barn a few doors down. This was her true objective tonight. An orange glow came from inside as well, but it was much fainter than the lights from the homes. She crept along the side and peeked through a small opening between two boards. The light was coming from a fading lantern inside, left by one of the humans for the barn's occupants. It made the sleeping forms inside appear mostly as shadows, but she could still identify them as dogs, all fast asleep after a good day's work. Some were even letting out a soft snoring, and she smiled a little; Amak used to do the same. Luckily for him, she didn't mind his slumber noises.

She scanned the room before her eyes settled on a well-built black and white husky. He was her objective, and now it was just a matter of getting him to her without waking anyone else up. Taking note of where he was lying, she found the spot on the wall closest to his head. Winding up one of her hind legs, she gave the wood a soft kick. The 'thunk' of her paw on the wood was quiet enough to escape detection by everyone else, but close enough to get the husky out of his slumber.

"Hm? Wha-? Who's there?" a very sleepy voice muttered. She had his attention, so she started scratching at the wood, hoping to coax him outside to investigate.

"Ugh, this had better be good," the voice inside grumbled, before the soft clicks of claws on the floorboards started to make their way to the door. "I swear, if it's Sonya screwing with my sleep again, there'll be hell to pay." The hinges creaked, cutting the silence of the night as the husky stepped outside. He was still blinking the sleep out of his ice-blue eyes when Aniu decided to make her presence known.

"Hello Steele; long time, no see."

Steele's head snapped to the side to find the pure-white wolf sitting only feet away. He blinked a few times in surprise at having a wolf in his midst, not giving any reply. While Aniu seemed outwardly calm, inside, her fury was building towards everything this dog had done to her and her family.

It took a moment for things to register in his sleepy mind, but when they did, he was almost as surly as she was. "What do you want, fleabag?"

"Come now Steele, don't you remember me?" she asked, ignoring his insult.

"Probably not - all you wolves look the same anyways."

"Well then maybe you'll remember this name - Amak. Does that help at all?"

"Amak, Amak…" he trailed off, wiggling his toes as he worked through his brain to link a face with the name. "Hang on, I did know him. He used to live around here years ago with my owners and that half-mutt Sonya," he replied. "Yeah, but then he got kicked out once I found out his dirty little secret."

Aniu had to bite back a growl as she remembered that painful day. It was right after she realised she was carrying their pups, and she went to Amak for comfort, worried what Mayak would do if he found out. Steele ended up catching them together and gave chase, cornering them in an abandoned building before banishing them both from the town. Amak was cast out and humiliated, and things would only get worse when Mayak caught them soon after. The resulting brawl cost Amak his life, and led Mayak to pursue her until both of their ends. It was because of this that Steele was one of the two she personally blamed for Amak's death. Her rage would only be compounded as she watched him bully her only son, ostracizing him because of his half-wolf heritage.

That was over four years ago, and soon everything started to click in Steele's mind. "Hang on, I do know you. You were with him - you're Amak's wild squeeze!" he stated, chuckling at the memory. His mirth grew into all out laughter as he remembered the joy he took in shaming his rival like that, forcing Aniu to stifle a growl at him. "So, where's the lobo lover himself, eh?" he continued, creeping closer to stare right into her eyes. "Didn't he want to come and show his disgraced face again?"

Aniu wouldn't take any more insults like this, so in one swift motion she raised her paw and struck him across his smug muzzle. "How dare you talk about my mate like that! Amak died that night, and you are partly to blame!" Steele grunted as her claws left small scratches on his cheek, which quickly started to burn. It was as though someone had pushed him into poison ivy, something he never expected from a few scratches. Despite the pain, he didn't cry out, refusing to show any weakness to this wolf.

"That was… years ago," he said, wincing from the pain in his cheek. "You sure… took your time… getting back here."

"I had other concerns to attend to… but now I have only one thing left to do, and it involves you."

"Heh, if you're here to avenge your hubby, then you've got another thing coming tuts," he replied, puffing out his chest. "I won't go down easy, especially to a wolf like you."

"Is that all you think about? Revenge and fighting? My, my, no wonder you got yourself in the predicament you did," she replied, having regained her calm. "Tell me Steele; how long has it been since you've worn the trophy collar that you cherished so much?"

He froze as her question caught him off guard. "How would you know about that?"

"I have my ways," she replied, a sly smile on her muzzle.

"Fine, don't tell me; but if everything goes right, I just might get it back," he added, earning a raised brow from her. "We just got the word last week – my owner's going to enter in the derby this year. I'll make my triumphant return back to the top! Mark my words, that collar will be back on my neck soon enough."

"Really? It will be yours? I thought the trophy went to the lead dog, not the swing," she mused, causing him to scowl at her. "But now that you mention it, I know about the derby too. In fact, it's the reason I'm here. I have something to tell you."

"Oh really?" he sorted, rolling his eyes. "Did Sonya put you up to this?"

"No, and if you shut up for once in your life you might actually learn something," she spat back. Her eyes briefly flashed golden fire, and the scratches on his cheek burned sharply, forcing him to bite down to prevent from crying out. "Listen up, because I think you will be interested in this. There is a way for you to regain some of your glory, but it is not the way you think. You keep on trying to return to the past, but to do so would only lead to disaster for you and countless others. If you want to have any chance of regaining what you have lost, you must learn to move on. Only when you put the past behind you will you regain what you have lost."

"And if I refuse?"

"As I said, it might not be in your best interest. There will come a time when there will be more than just the race at stake. If you do not make the right choice, then everything I have worked for will come undone… and my vengeance will be swift and terrible," she declared as her eyes glowed bright yellow. The sight made him gasp and step back as he realised that this was no ordinary wolf. "You must move beyond the past if you are to have any hope of a future."

"But how?" he asked, but she only let out a howl as a sharp wind started to blow. It forced him to shut his eyes, but when it passed, she had vanished, not even leaving tracks on the ground. He stared wide-eyed at what had just transpired, and tried to collect himself. "What are you talking about? Move on from what?" he asked, but there was no reply from the empty night.

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"I promised I would make sure our son knew who his father was, and now I will make good on that promise. Only then will I be at peace… and we will be reunited, my love."

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Chapter Two: Living an Old Dream

His chest heaved, his legs burned, and his paws were sore from pounding against the hard, icy ground. His back ached, he was panting heavily, and the harness pulled against his body with every pull.

And Balto loved every moment of it.

It was his mission to be ahead of the pack, the fastest of all of them. Ahead was clear, flat snow with a cloudless sky above. On the horizon where the white and blue met was a collection of dark dots that could only be a town, where the finish line was. A flash caught the corner of his eye, before the bang sounded. "It's the three-mile marker! We're almost home!" he called to the team behind him, but their response barely registered in his mind as he focused on pushing forward. This was what he lived for, what he was born to do. He may have been tied in a harness, but the feeling of running made him feel freer than ever before. He was free from the stigma of being a half-wolf, free from the taunting he endured in his youth. He was no longer an outcast; he was a real sled dog.

"You're so close, you can do it!" The voice was unfamiliar, but it instilled confidence in him. He looked to his side and found the source; it was another husky, running alongside him, but without a team. This husky had a brown pelt, white underside and eyes as blue as the sky above. He was obviously another sled dog, but unlike the simple ringed collar that most sled dogs wore, his was more ornate. It was a thick belt with solid gold studs embedded in it - a trophy of champions.

"Don't give up, this is what you were born to do!" the other husky called. The ground became a blur beneath his feet as he charged forward, the following signal flares going off above their heads in rapid succession. Staying neck and neck with him was the other husky, but Balto was determined to beat him to the finish. He charged forward into the city streets, the crowd roaring on either side, cheering him on. Just a few yards ahead was the finish, and above the noise of the crowd he heard a howl ring out. His eyes instinctively darted upwards, and he saw a dark shape flying above him. It didn't take him long to recognise it as a raven, one that he was very familiar with by now.

"Balto."

The voice was soothing, but it was not from the raven. It instantly put him at ease, making him feel as though he was barely running at all. A warm breeze started to blow, very unusual for that time of year, but he didn't mind. It was like a warm embrace, soothing his weary body. His cares started to fall away, replaced with thoughts of how good it felt to just lie within the warmth. His legs no longer heaved against the ground, and the world around him started to dissolve into nothing but a blur.

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"Balto…"

"Hm?"

Something soft was caressing his neck, and the blurred shapes started to refocus into the small shed he was lying in. The soft caresses continued until something settled down on his neck. He turned his head and saw a pair of deep brown eyes staring into his own amber pair. They belonged to a red husky lying at his side, the warmth coming from her body pressed up against his. The red contrasted the pale fur on her underside and muzzle, and was further complimented by a bright orange bandana hung around her neck. She smiled a moment, content just to be with him.

"Good morning, Jenna," he greeted.

"Morning handsome," she said softly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Heavenly," he replied, rolling over so he could return her nuzzle. No matter what, the feel of her fur was the same as it was almost two years ago, when they first admitted their love for each other. He took a deep breath of her scent, while she just rested her head in his thick brown pelt. It never surprised them how much comfort could come simply through another's touch, but that was part of what made them love each other so much.

"I could tell from here," she giggled. "Were you having that dream again?"

"Yep."

"Do you know who that husky is now?"

"Nope."

"So did you make it to the finish this time?"

He let out a sigh, before replying, "Nope."

She rubbed his neck a few more times, before breaking off. He was wearing a blank face now, which told her he was trying to sort through this. "I'm sure you'll pass it some day," she added, trying to comfort him.

"I know... at least these dreams are nowhere near as bad as the ones last year," he said. The dreams he was referring to were ones that had taunted him since before their pups had been born, over a year and a half ago. In them, he'd see a collapsing ice field, a pack of mysterious wolves, and the raven, the same raven from these dreams. That dream was much more unsettling, jarring him awake in the mornings and interfering with his sleep. However, that was because the message it carried was urgent, and was only understood by him just in time.

He was supposed to give aid to a pack of wolves facing starvation, which he only encountered because he was giving chase to his young daughter Aleu, who had run away. At first, all he wanted was to go home and get his daughter to safety, but when he understood the true meaning of it, he knew what he should do. When the time came, he aided the pack, and in the process, allowed his young daughter to leave and find her own place in this world.

That was almost four months ago, but there were still times where Balto would stop and wonder about her. 'Is she safe? Is she happy? Does she still think about her mother and father?'he thought, before getting up. He stretched out his over-sized paws and yawned widely, revealing his large, powerful jaws. After his stretch, he shook his thick brown fur a little to get any dust out, before trotting over for a quick drink from the nearby water bowl. It was technically hers, but she didn't mind, as they had agreed to share it long ago.

Jenna soon got up and stretched as well, just as Balto pushed the door to her shed open. He took a moment on the threshold to reflect on everything that had brought him to today, "Do you ever wonder about her, Jenna? Aleu, I mean," he asked.

"Of course, but every time I do, I remember that she's our daughter. She inherited great strength from both of us. No matter what, I'm sure she'll be fine," she replied, joining him at the door. She rubbed his muzzle with her nose, hoping to ease his worries.

"Thanks... I could always count on you to be the optimist,"

"She's living her dream Balto... and soon you will get a chance to live yours," she added. The light that streamed in was the first light of the morning, and it reflected off the small metal ring hanging from the leather strap around his neck, making it glint. It was a simple collar, but for him it was so much more. It was a symbol of how his dreams would become reality very soon.

The sky was bright orange from the sun that was barely peeking over the horizon. For many it was still too early to be up, but not for Balto. She joined him at the doorway, and they took a moment just to enjoy the peace of the early morning. It had become their favourite time of the day, as it was the time that held so much potential. It was a time where it was just them, and they could do anything they wished. But just as morning would pass, so would that feeling as they would have to get along with the routine of their day.

They left the shed and trotted along the silent streets, the orange light reflecting off the windows. Occasionally, someone would walk out of one of the buildings to fetch the paper, or to open up their business for the day. The mornings held so much potential for these people too, but in the usual hustle and bustle they often didn't take the time to appreciate it.

'Jenna's right, Aleu is somewhere she feels she belongs. She'll be fine, so I shouldn't get too hung up on it. It will only distract me from what I'm doing now, which is something that I've wanted to do since I was a little pup,' he thought. Much like the morning, his youth had held so much potential. For a time, he thought he knew what he could be after hearing stories about his father from his mother, and seeing what sled dogs could do for himself.

"They're so fast; I wanna be as fast as them! I'm gonna be a racing dog. I'm gonna be the fastest and the strongest of them all and I can be champion for you, momma, just like dad."

The stories of strong sled dogs braving the elements and competing against each other instantly captured his young imagination. He dreamed about being a racing champion and making his mother proud, but after a while, it started to look like that dream would never be realised. His mother went hunting one morning, but never returned. He was left an orphan, and when he went into town, all he met was hostility for being part wolf. He was pushed aside as an outcast, crushing his dream of ever running on a dog team, much less winning a race. His hopes were dimmed, but a small spark of them remained, sustained by the thrill he got of watching dog teams come in to Nome.

He may not have been a sled dog then, but a series of events would lead to him not only run with, but to lead a dog team. It was almost two years ago that diphtheria broke out amongst many of the town's children. The team sent to fetch the medicine had gotten lost on the return trip, so Balto rose to the occasion. He wasn't doing it for glory or fame - he did it simply to help a little girl he'd developed a soft spot for. Despite his humble intent, he was hailed a hero when he returned with the medicine, paving the way for his acceptance in the town. However, the one thing he cherished most was the place he earned in Jenna's heart. Born out of the friendship they had as pups, it gradually grew into the absolute love they now held for each other. By now, the townspeople had gotten used to seeing him accompany her while walking around the town. Even her owners sometimes joked that he may as well be their second dog. However, for the time being he was under the care of someone else for a much greater purpose.

They soon crossed the town, finding a small cabin with a large yard behind it. In the yard were many small doghouses. He and Jenna took care to walk quietly, not wanting to disturb the occupants.

"I hope nobody noticed that you slipped away for the night," she said.

"Eh, I don't think they'd mind. As long as I'm back here in time, I'll be fine," he replied.

"Yeah, we'll try to not be too jealous of you." The nonchalant voice came from one of the doghouses to their left, and they turned to find a familiar tan muzzle poking out. The speaker quickly emerged, a tan sled dog that resembled a husky, but was actually a Chinook, a still emerging breed of sled dog.

"Jealous? You? Naw, what's there for you to be jealous about, Kaltag?" Balto kidded, earning a chuckle from the other dog.

"Oh not much, just the fact that you have the greatest girl in town while most of us here are still single."

"That still sounds like jealousy," Jenna muttered.

"Ah, I'm just yanking your leash. If anything, seeing you two gives more hope to the rest of us 'average guys'," Kaltag added. "So, did you two have a good night?"

"Yep, I'm just wishing it could be longer," Balto replied.

"Hehe, well I suppose even the lead dog of the team has to have time to unwind."

"Hey, what fun is the position if there aren't any perks?"

While Balto had proved his competency with a team during the serum run, many of the townspeople were still hesitant to take him in. He was still a half-wolf, and viewed as potentially unpredictable. For a time, it looked as though he would have only that one moment of glory, but that suited him just fine. He was more concerned with keeping the peace in town and later raising the litter of pups that he and Jenna had. Life outside the public spotlight suited the humble wolfdog quite well, but the hand of fate would place him in a harness once again…

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One Year Earlier

Steele had been banished after his treachery against the team was exposed, and even though Balto had been the one to lead them home, he technically wasn't a part of the team in their owner's eyes. That meant Kaltag was next in line to become lead dog. While he could hold his own in any race, he lacked the experience that a good leader needed. Steele had always been the one to take glory for himself, which meant that very few on the team were ever given a chance to expand their own skills. Steele's domination left them all in the dust, and that would become readily apparent in the year following the serum run.

The Trans-Alaskan Derby was an event that all sled dogs and their mushers looked forward to throughout the year. It was a gruelling six hundred mile race from Fairbanks to Nome, across most of the Alaskan frontier. Held every year in January, it was the true test of a sled dog's skill and endurance. In the end, only one team would cross the finish first and be crowned Alaska's champion. Most of the material prizes went to the human owner, but the race organizers also produced two trophy collars for the dogs. The winner would receive the golden collar while a similar silver collar was awarded to the runner-up. For four years in a row, Kaltag's team had won first place thanks to the skill – and sometimes conniving tactics – of their lead dog Steele, allowing the golden collar to represent the respect and awe he received from the town's dogs. That respect would quickly collapse once his treachery was exposed, and the collar was stripped from his neck before he was sent out into the cold.

After that, Kaltag stowed the old collar away, hiding it because of how much it symbolised his former lead dog, with whom - at best - he had a strained relationship. While he was made lead dog after that, he wanted to earn the trophy instead of just taking it by default. In the year following he trained relentlessly with his team, hoping that when the time came, he would emerge triumphant from Steele's shadow.

Balto too had an interest in the upcoming race. Sled races had always fascinated him since he was young, and the fact that several of his newfound friends were running in it only fuelled his excitement. There were some mumblings that Balto might lead the team during the race, but Kaltag's owner never seemed to hold much of an interest in the stray half-wolf. He wanted to use dogs he'd trained for years instead of adding in someone new. It meant he still wouldn't get the chance to live out his dream, but he was still grateful that his friends respected him enough to want him on the team.

So Balto stayed back in Nome, eagerly waiting in the old mill for updates to be relayed through the telegraph office. Every time they heard that Kaltag was still in the running, they would cheer, no matter what position they were in. They were their home team and they knew that nothing was final until the end of the race. The mood in town became only more charged as the teams got closer to home, reaching a fever pitch on the day they were supposed to return. Everyone in town wanted to know if their team would bring the trophy home for a fifth time. The news that they were in second place when leaving the last checkpoint only increased their mirth. At the very least they would still get the silver, but they also had a shot at taking the gold once again.

Balto was so excited that he barely slept the night before. Part of it was the anticipation of seeing the team return victorious, but part of it also stemmed from imagining himself in the lead instead, racing to victory to a cheering crowd, crossing the finish line and seeing Jenna's beaming face. He would be able to show that even though he was half-wolf, he was just as equal as any other dog. It was a dream he'd held for years, but for now, he would have to watch from the sidelines once again.

He went into town the next day as the crowds gathered for the approaching racers. He wasn't alone either, as he wanted to show his eight month old daughter Aleu the thrill of a sled dog race as well. While her brothers and sisters had already been adopted, she was left behind. Part of it may have been due to her wolfish appearance, causing him to cling onto the idea that if he could pass her off as a dog, she would get accepted into a human home. He hadn't told her everything about her breeding, and tried to get her excited with things that would excite other dogs, but his efforts reaped only mixed results.

"Aw, papa, why do we have to go into town? I want to play with Muk and Luk."

"Trust me kiddo, you'll love this. The sled teams are coming to Nome for the finish of a big race. You should see how fast they can run."

"But they're just running – hide and seek is much more fun."

Try as he might to ease her misgivings, she didn't seem very thrilled as he led her through the town and up to the rooftops for the best vantage point of the finish. It wasn't long before the marker flares started to go off, and the cheers grew as the end drew nearer. The only one who didn't seem excited was Aleu, who was growing bored from sitting for long periods of time. More than once Balto had to stop her from sneaking off, trying to assure her that this would be fun. This wasn't the first time that his hopes for Aleu would conflict with her interests, nor would it be the last. Despite his wishes, she would always prefer to run free, a quality that would persist until she found out the hard way about her heritage. Upset, she ran away, wanting to find her own place in this world. She would eventually find it within a wolfpack, and only then was Balto able to let go of his daughter, and let her lead her own life.

The one-mile flare went off, and cheers erupted through the town, matched by a howl from Balto. He trained his eyes on the last corner, hoping to see a tan Chinook come around and win the prize. He could hear the barking of dogs approaching, but he let out a groan when they came around the corner. The team was led by a red husky whose fur seemed to stick out, giving him a puffed out appearance. His hope was that Kaltag wouldn't be far behind, but no one came around the corner as the unknown husky crossed the finish and took the gold, albeit to slightly muted cheers. Balto wasn't the only one who was disappointed with the outcome.

A second team crossed the finish, then a third, but neither were Kaltag's team. By now, he was starting to wonder if something had happened, requiring him to go out and rescue them - again. Fortunately, his fears would be put to rest when the loud cheering returned, and around the corner came his friends. He could tell they were on their last legs, with some looking like they were barely able to keep upright. They crossed the finish line and made it home, albeit in fourth place.

By now, Aleu was getting very restless, and once he saw them return home safely, he decided to take her home before going back to congratulate the team. Granted, it was still a good result compared to many other teams, some of whom didn't even make it to the finish, but Kaltag had been riding on his hopes for victory. It turned out that in his drive to win, he'd pushed the team too hard on the last leg. They'd taken the lead, but started to burn out shortly after, costing them the race. Their owner was disappointed with the result too. He felt his training had been perfect, but Kaltag lacked the experience and instinct of a good lead dog. There had been a few times where he noticed him acting more cautious than he needed, possibly costing them the advantage they needed to win. He needed a dog that was gutsier and more comfortable in the wilderness. He pondered and pondered this, but it wasn't until a few days later, during the commemoration for the anniversary of the serum run that he got an unconventional idea.

The only other dog he knew that could run on par with his former lead was Balto, but he'd been hesitant to take the half-wolf in. It wasn't that he bore any ill feelings towards him; he just wanted the best dogs for the team. As he thought, he was reminded of how Balto got him home safely, in spite of them being off the trail and with him knocked out. The half-wolf was able to get him home without any further direction, something that was rarely, if ever, heard of for a sled dog. He would ponder this for a good part of the spring and summer, unsure of what to do. It wasn't until the following winter, after Balto had returned from seeing Aleu off to her new home, that he decided to take the plunge. The man was quite surprised at how readily Balto came to him when called, but that was because the ears of his team were privy to his intentions, and passed the good news on to Balto.

It was exhilarating, the feeling of finally having a harness put on him. By now it was something that he'd dismissed as an old dream, or limited to that one time during the serum run. He thought his chance to become a sled dog had come and gone, but it was happening, here and now. He would not only be a sled dog, but the lead dog of Nome's champion team. As part of being on the team, their owner also set aside a doghouse and looked after Balto, making it the closest he'd ever been to having a human owner.

He quickly learned what it took to make a proper sled dog, such as finding hazards, building endurance and pacing properly to prevent the burnout that cost them the race last year. The team responded to his lead very well, his presence boosting their spirits after the disappointment of last year. They felt they could win this time, led by the wolfdog that most of them owed their lives to.

----------

Present Day

The race was only a couple weeks away by now, and it wouldn't be long before they would have to leave for Fairbanks for the start of the race. While most of the town was starting to buzz with predictions of how it would go, the team was more focused on getting their training in. They would need every ounce of skill they could get if they wanted to win this year, and Balto could feel the weight of their hopes resting on his shoulders. To him, the position of lead dog was not some privilege – it was a duty. It was his duty to lead his team well, and to bring out their full potential. Only then would they be able to run well enough to win the race. By doing so, they could emerge from the shadow left behind by their former lead dog.

"Well, I'd best leave you boys to your work. Will I see you tonight?" Jenna asked him.

"Maybe. I don't want to push my luck with getting caught, so I might just stay here tonight," he replied. While he was living as a sled dog now, he still found ways to sneak from the musher's home over to see Jenna or his other friends. He just had to be discrete; otherwise Gunnar would think he had run away.

"I agree - I just heard Kassen's alarm clock going off, so he's going to be out any second," Kaltag said. With that, he gave Jenna one last nuzzle before she turned back to her own home. The two males turned the other way, meeting with the rest of the team just in time for their owner to come out with their morning meal. Unlike the dry dog food most house pets lived on, sled dogs had fresher pieces of meat served to them while in training. The protein helped build their muscles, and for Balto, it was much better than the dry kibble or biscuits Rosy and her family sometimes treated him to.

"So how's everyone doing today?" Balto asked them as they were getting harnessed up for the morning run.

"I think we're fine. How about youse?" a stocky chow named Nikki replied. "Did youse get enough sleep, or did youse… stay up late?"

Balto just rolled his eyes as more than a few cheeky grins started to form on the team. "Don't worry, I slept like a log," he said, hoping to dispel the thoughts he knew they were thinking about him and Jenna. He turned to Kaltag and whispered, "Do you really have to tell everyone where I'm going?"

"I've got to tell them something, and I don't see what you're getting all bothered about," Kaltag whispered back. "C'mon, you're the alpha dog of the team now. You're entitled to have some time with your sweetie." Balto just shook his head; normally he considered things with him and Jenna to be very personal, but he had gotten used to how a lot of the sled dogs talked amongst themselves. There were some things they said that wouldn't be said in polite company, but that was just who they were, and they still managed to mind their manners when around non sled dogs.

Soon the preparations were complete, and as their musher took his position at the end of the sled, Balto called out, "Everyone ready?" They were ready for action, and on the call of 'hike' they were off, with Balto leading the way. There may not have been a finish line or the unknown brown husky, but it was still just as he dreamed it would be.

----------

Chapter Three: A Parting Gift

"So there we were, perched on the cliff and my buddy was barely hangin' off the edge. The line was wrapped around my leg, and I couldn't reach him myself. So, I wiggled out of my harness, and threw it to him, roping him like a cowboy would a steer. I got it looped around him, and managed to drag him up, before freeing myself. But that was just the start of our troubles, because soon we saw an angry polar bear-"

"Hang on, if this was near Fairbanks, then why are there polar bears? Don't they live near the coast?"

"It… might have been a rogue-"

"Nuh-uh, I heard Maddie say it after she learned it at school. Polar bears only live near the coast because that's where the seals are."

"Looks like Sonya's got you beat again, Steele," a third dog chipped in, causing the crowd to chuckle. The large husky whose story had been debunked just scowled at them, while the smoke-grey female who had poked the holes in his story just sat and smiled.

"Don't be so sore Steele, you were doing so well until then," she said, smirking a little. He hated it when she butted in and ruined his stories. Some of his tales may have been exaggerated, but he focused more on making it exciting than sticking to facts.

Ever since he'd been sold to his new owner in White Mountain, Sonya had always been a bit of a pest to him. Unfortunately, that pest was also his current lead dog, and he could do little or risk facing a terrible punishment. So far, she and him were the only ones who knew the full truth of how he turned against his former team just to get rid of one wolfdog he hated. She agreed to keep his secret in return for his cooperation while running on her team. Normally he wouldn't even consider running under someone like Sonya, for she was also part wolf. It was a trait that went unnoticed by her owners when they took her in, but made her lower than a purebred husky in his eyes. However, considering the alternative, he decided to grit his teeth and go along with it.

All in all, it wasn't so bad; the only problem was that it allowed him to be the butt of many of her jokes. Worse still was that she seemed to enjoy it. Since he couldn't beat her, he decided to just join her, taking every opportunity to annoy her just enough to get under her fur, but not too much that it would get him in serious trouble.

"Well if you don't think that's real enough, then how about this one? One day, Sonya screamed and ran like a scared pup all because she woke up in front of a little squirrel-"

"Hey, it was a rat!" she retorted. "Haven't you seen the teeth on those things?"

"Yeah, and I saw the bushy tail too," Steele added. "One would think such a master of the wilderness like you would know that squirrels have bushy tails."

Sonya clicked her tongue a few times, before finally conceding, "Alright, maybe it was a squirrel, but it certainly surprised me. Just imagine what it's like having some annoying thing chattering away in front of your face?"

"I don't have to – I have you for that every morning," Steele retorted. The dogs chuckled again; by now Steele and Sonya's bickering had become more of an amusement for them.

"You know, to this day I still wonder how such a lazy dog could ever be a champion. You're almost as bad as Marcus some mornings."

"Lazy? Ha! Just you wait – tomorrow morning, I'll be up bright and early for when we leave," he said, puffing out his chest. "I could probably run the race and get back before you even finish your breakfast!" It may have been another exaggeration, but his heart was in the right place. Their team was entered in the Trans-Alaskan Derby for the first time in almost five years. After months of extensive training, they were only one night away from leaving for the biggest race of their lives. For most on the team, it was only their second time that they were running this race. They may have been a little rusty, but all were determined to show their stuff and take the gold this year. That challenge would begin tomorrow, so they would spend that night sharing stories and saying their goodbyes before leaving on their journey.

Even Sonya was bitten by the competitive bug, and was glad to see everyone – including Steele – enthusiastic about the race. "You know, as much as I'd like to rebuff you… we're going to need that," she said. "How about it guys? Are we going to win this year?"

"Yes!" they all cheered.

"With you leading the way, we'll be invincible!" another husky put in.

"No need to thank me already," Steele added, before Sonya loudly cleared her throat.

"He was talking to me - nice try," she said, while Steele rolled his eyes. "But I can't ignore you guys either. We wouldn't be where we are if it weren't for you guys, and if we win, it'll be a win for the entire team. It's too bad they don't make enough prize collars for everyone – you all would look pretty good in them."

"Even me?" Steele asked, grinning his toothy grin.

"Yeah, sure… let's go with that," she mumbled, causing his grin to quickly fall into a pout. "But if we're going to go anywhere, we'll need our sleep tonight. We can't have you nodding off on the road, now can we?" All present agreed, and started to settle down for the night while she crept out the barn door towards her own home.

Steele put his head down to rest, but let a recurring fantasy slip back into his mind. He may have been disgraced after his actions on the serum run, but that was a long time ago to a dog like him. He hoped to be able to just charge in and take the win, regaining the glory he once had. He may not have been the lead dog, but that didn't stop him imaging what it would be like. Or maybe, if their team did run to victory, his old owner might notice and take him back. He could go back to being a champion and reclaim his trophies, making things like they were years ago… before Balto took that all away.

'I'll show that smug wolfdog who's a real champion.'

----------

The sea was nothing more than a vast expanse of white, while the moon above gave it a pale glow. The pale ice contrasted with the dark sky above, the horizon being the boundary between light and dark. Such a featureless landscape would have had little appeal to most, but for the two observers, the monochrome setting was not the true attraction. Instead, their attention was drawn upwards, across the dark sky before it erupted into a bright display of wonder.

The Aurora Borealis, better known as the northern lights, was one the spectacles of the north. People travelled from far and wide just to see its beauty, but for Balto and Jenna, all they had to do was walk a few minutes away from town, settle down at their favourite spot – a secluded cliff overlooking the ocean - and wait. Sometimes the lights would be out, sometimes they wouldn't, but just being in each other's company made them happy. Jenna sighed softly as she let her eyes close. Pressed up against Balto's side, the rhythm of his breathing was soothing enough to make her drowsy. It was times like this that made her thankful to have him, and as she relaxed, she let her head drift down his shoulder, coming to rest on his foreleg.

"Tired?" he asked, noticing her start to drift off.

"A bit… but I don't mind," she replied, rubbing her muzzle against his large paw. She felt his nose rub her head in return, his breath softly blowing her fur before finding a certain ticklish spot on her ear. It wasn't long before his motions made her burst out laughing. She started to squirm, trying to get her ears out of reach before finally rolling over, planting the back of her head in the snow while she looked up at his cheeky grin.

"Are you sure you're tired, 'cause you sound like you want to play now," he chuckled, while she just furrowed her brow at him.

"No, bad dog," she said, playfully swatting him with her paw. Her act wouldn't last long, as she soon joined in his laughter at how easily they could act like playful pups. "You know I don't like it when you tickle me there," she said between laughs.

"Aw, but you used to," he replied, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes. "Besides, I've gotta get as many kisses in as I can before I go."

"Alright, but just this once," she conceded, causing his tail to wag. "I just can't believe it's already here. It feels like just yesterday you started training."

"Same here," he replied as she rolled back onto her front, allowing him to rest his head on her neck. "It's amazing how quickly things can change around."

"Tell me about it. It's like I've got myself a whole new Balto… and this one's got a little more muscle than the last one."

"It just the sled training… but admit it, you like it," he said, placing one front leg across her back, and pulling her closer. "You like having a big, strong sled dog by your side."

"Maybe a little," she said, a slight blush forming under her white fur. "But underneath all that, you're still the same Balto who's always there for me… and I'm going to miss him."

"I'll miss you too," he replied. "I'll always be running my hardest because I know that win or lose, you will be waiting for me at the end of the road. I've come back to you before, and I can do it again."

"I know… that's what I love about you."

----------

The sun rose in White Mountain that morning, and for most in the tiny village, it was just another day. People were rising from their beds, and starting to emerge for their daily routine. It was only for a few that this day was a special, and most of them were the dogs that were getting ready to leave.

Sonya was one of them as she trotted down the street, humming a cheery tune to herself. To have this day arrive was almost surreal, because for the longest time, she thought it wouldn't come at all. For the past five years, her owner Jonathan had passed on racing mostly because the will to do it had left him. Before, he'd been quite the avid racer, and while he hadn't won at all, he was always able to hold his own. He owed much of this success to his lead dog Amak, who was probably one of the best racing dogs she ever knew. He was one of the few dogs who could run on par with Steele, almost beating him too, but Steele played a nasty trick that ensured they would stay second. That race was Sonya's first, and for a time it looked like it would be her last.

That was because shortly after the race - possibly even before it - Amak caught the eye of a certain she-wolf. They would meet occasionally, but kept it secret, for fear of being caught. That fear would be well warranted, because when Steele found them together, everything fell apart. He cornered them and used their relationship as an excuse to exile Amak. Poor Sonya had to witness this, but before he left, Amak had this parting wish:

"Sonya, you've come a long way since I found you. You've grown up so much… but you're a real sled dog now. You're one of the team, and I know you'll do fine without me. You're tough - no matter what, you'll always make it through."

"But what about the rest of the team? Who will lead them?"

"You will."

Amak made sure to pass the leadership of the team onto her, even giving her the silver-studded collar he won from that year's race. He did it because he knew how far she had come as a sled dog, and her performance during the race proved it further. After that, he left with the wolf he loved so much, leaving her devastated. He had been one of her few friends at that time, and would always stick up for her when Steele or any other dog tried to pick on her for being part wolf. He also helped keep her temper in check; often the teasing left her frustrated and bitter, but he always knew the best way to help her. He was always a dog of peace, and while it took her a few years, she eventually learned the wisdom of his way. Five years later, she still wore that silver-studded collar as a reminder of her friend, who always inspired her and her team to run their best.

It was because of Amak's disappearance that Jonathan stopped racing. Amak always was his favourite, and without him, he doubted his own abilities. And so, he dropped out of competing and focused instead on supporting his family. That went on until a couple of years ago, when he got a very lucky break. His old rival, a musher by the name of Gunnar Kassen, came to him with an offer after he'd found Steele in White Mountain. It turned out Kassen had lost him on a run, and was starting to doubt his old mainstay. In his view, something was seriously wrong with a dog if they got you lost, took you off a cliff, got you knocked out and then disappeared while some stray half-wolf got him home safely. Because of that, he sold Steele to Jonathan, sparking the man's racing spirit once again.

For the past two years, he'd been getting back into his paces, training up the team and getting them to work together under varying conditions. That sharpened their skills and wits, and now he felt he was ready. This time he had the spring back into his step, and maybe, just maybe, he could win the derby.

"Yep, if I win this, ol' Kassen is going to be kicking himself for years," she heard a man's voice call, followed by his hearty laughter. "He'll never forgive himself for giving up his prized dog to me!" She rounded the last corner and found her team, almost ready to go. With them was Jonathan, along with his wife Caroline and their two children, Marcus and Maddie.

"That's if - you haven't raced for years," Caroline put in. "Remember, the trophies aren't everything; don't push yourself too far."

"I won't, I won't," he conceded, probably for the hundredth time since he announced he would be in this year's race. "Though the trophy would be nice after this long," he muttered to his kids, who nodded. "Now, I think that's everything… except Sonya, where is she?" Sonya quickly dashed to him, and nudged his glove with her nose. "Ah, there you are girl! Marcus, why don't you get her hooked up and we'll be good to go."

"Alright," his son replied, before giving her ears a few rubs. She took her position at the head of team, allowing Marcus to strap the harness around her and clip the mainline to the old collar around her neck. "You be a good girl, okay," he said, giving her a few more pats on the head. "Look after dad, will you?" She gave him a quick lick in reply before he stepped clear of the sled, while Jonathan hugged and kissed his family goodbye.

"See Sonya, I was up bright and early today," Steele said to her from his spot right behind her. "I don't know where you got the idea that I'm lazy in the mornings."

"Sure, just keep telling yourself that," she muttered, remembering the many mornings where he slept in and resisted all attempts to get up. Steele may no longer have been as much of a pain as he used to be, but he still found ways to make things interesting. "How about everyone else - ready to go?" The team replied in earnest, eager to get underway. A few were so excited that they looked ready to pop right out of their harnesses.

"It's finally happening! We're getting back to the derby!" Jake excitedly cried.

"C'mon let's go already!" Steele added. "If we wait too long, we'll miss the start."

"Cool your heels - we have plenty of time," she assured him. "The last thing I need is for you to get all nervous on me before the race has even started."

"Me? Nervous? As if," he scoffed. "I never get nervous about anything."

"Really? Not even about baths?"

"Hey, you can't blame me for not liking the cold water!" The team just laughed at that, before Jonathan got into position on the sled, prompting them to focus forwards.

'Steele may still have his ego, but having him around will help us out… as long as he doesn't do anything stupid,' she thought, right before Jonathan gave the order to go, sending them jolting forward. They were on their way to Fairbanks, and once the race started, they would have to give it their all in order to win. They may have been out of practise, but she trusted her team to pull through no matter what the challenge.

Steele too was amped up for the race. He may not have liked the arrangement at first, but he still had to thank Jonathan for giving him this chance to get his glory back. 'This is it - my moment to shine. I don't care what Sonya says; I'm going to become a champion one way or another. Hopefully the memory of what I did during the serum run has faded away. If I could hide it from these clowns, then it shouldn't be much of a stretch to hide it from everyone else. I'll probably cause cheers just by being there,' he thought, 'Nothing at all will stop me this time, nothing-'

His thought was cut short as they rounded a corner, when something caught his eye. Up high, perched on top of a house was a white shape. He took a quick glance as they passed by, but when he did, his stomach felt like it would drop out from under him. It was the wolf - the white wolf from months ago that gave him a dire warning before vanishing into thin air. She watched him intently, remembering her parting words.

"Only when you put the past behind you, will you regain what you have lost."

"Hey Steele, watcha looking at?" Jake's voice cut in.

"Huh? Oh, nothing… just one last look around the town," he lied. He glanced back at the house, but the wolf was gone, spooking him as much as it did the first time.

'Get a grip, it was just a trick of the light,' he tried to convince himself. 'You've never let a wolf tell you what to do, so why should you start now? You're here to win this race, so you can't get freaked out by every wolf that you see.'

And yet, no matter how many times he told himself that, he still ended up looking over his shoulder every now and then, just to make sure no wolf was following.

----------

In Nome, the mood was much more celebratory. For the townspeople, seeing their favourite team ready to leave was only the start of an exciting event that would end right where it began. Their hopes were riding not only on their musher, but also on their local hero, the scruffy brown wolfdog in the lead spot. The other dogs shared the excitement, and more than a few were bounding around, their harnesses limiting their movements.

"It's finally happening!" Kaltag cried out. "This is the most exciting, the most electrifying, the most energized-"

"I'm so psyched!" a smaller grey husky named Star cut in, right behind Kaltag. Despite the interruption, all present barked in agreement. They were raring to go, wanting to prove their clout in the biggest race of the year. Even Balto was excited, his tail wagging fast enough that it was a blur, but he still tried to keep things under control.

"Just remember guys, it's not over until we cross the finish," he reminded them.

"But we can win this year! With youse on our side, we're unstoppable!" Nikki replied.

"I know we're all amped up, but Balto has a point. We have a whole race to run before we get to the finish, and we can't afford to get cocky," Kaltag added. "That's what cost us the race the last time, and I don't want to repeat that mistake again."

"Hear, hear," another teammate added.

"So boss, are ya nervous?" Kaltag asked him.

"A bit, but I think I'm too excited to let it get to me," Balto replied. "This may be my first race, but… have I ever told you my father was a racing dog?" Kaltag shook his head and Balto continued his story. "I never got to meet him, but my mother told me about him when I was a pup. She said he was the greatest racing dog she ever knew, and that's why I think I can do this. This is what I was born to do," he finished, echoing the words of the unknown husky from his dreams.

"Well, wherever your old man is, I'm sure he'd be proud of you," Kaltag added, and Balto nodded. It was something he hadn't felt very often in his life, but this time he wished his father was there, to see him ready to live up to his full potential.

"Looks like someone's comin' to see youse off," Nikki said, and Balto turned to see Jenna trotting up the street to see him.

"Hey there Jen," he greeted, as she gave him a warm nuzzle.

"It's your big day Balto," she whispered in his ear. "Please be careful."

"Hey, I'm always careful," he replied, breaking off the nuzzle and giving her a wide smile. "No matter what, I'll always run my hardest for you, and I will come back to you. I promise… and I'll come back a winner, too."

"You could come back in last for all I care - all I want is for you to be safe," she said, before giving his muzzle a quick lick. "Good luck."

"Hey, what about us?" Kaltag put in. "Can we have a kiss for luck too?" This caused a few chuckles with the team, but Jenna just raised her brow at him.

"Really? Nice try," she said, giving Balto one more nuzzle to show her devotion to him.

"Don't mind them, they're just excited about today too," he assured her. "I'll still miss you. It won't be the same without you around to cuddle," he said, giving her a sheepish grin, letting one ear droop to the side.

"I'm sure you'll manage, but if you want, you can have this," she said, before leaning her head down and using her paw to push her bandanna off her neck. Once it was off her, she picked it up and draped it over his head, pushing it properly into place on him. He nuzzled her chin a bit as she did this, appreciating the gesture she was making.

There was only one other time that she'd given him her bandana, and that was two years ago during the serum run. It was shortly after he'd set out to find the team, after they fought off an enraged grizzly bear. She'd been injured in the attack, unable to continue on with him. He volunteered to go on ahead alone, but before they parted, she gave him her bandana to keep warm. While his thick fur was able to withstand biting cold, he still appreciated the gift, and kept it as a reminder of why he was doing this. He was finding the medicine for her and her girl, along with all of the other children who were suffering in Nome. He was doing this to help those in need, and he let that define who he was.

That was what drove him then, but he had different reasons for running in this race. He could have turned down the offer to be lead dog, but in doing so he would be turning his back on the team that helped him during the serum run. For too long, his life had been dictated as an outcast thanks to Steele. After his great deed, things started to change, and the team moved on, but they still lived in the shadow of their former lead. They wouldn't be able to emerge past it without proving they could win without Steele. To do that, they needed his help. He was running this race to help his friends, and to discover a part of himself as well. He was descended not only from proud wolves, but great racing dogs, and now he would make that part of himself proud. His wolf half had been brought to peace, and now it was time to make his being whole.

A crowd had gathered to see them off, and it wasn't long before their musher arrived, finished his preparations and took his position on the sled. There were cheers and waves from all sides, and as the energy washed over him, Balto let out a loud howl, which was soon matched by his team behind him. They howled to announce to the world that they weren't going down without a fight, and once the order was given, they bolted off, with him rushing towards what he'd been dreaming of since he was a pup.

'Good luck Balto, and if you ever lose your way, think of me.'

----------

Chapter Four: An Unexpected Reunion

The run to Fairbanks was fairly uneventful, the clear weather allowing for a milder pace. The team wanted to make sure that they were fresh for the race, so they didn't push themselves too hard. The first leg of the journey was through land familiar to Balto, as it was the part of Alaska that he had travelled through during the serum run. They may have been travelling in reverse, but there were still a few familiar landmarks. The first was the mountain pass where they had to dodge an avalanche by ducking into a nearby cave, prompting Star to take extra care to not sneeze. That was what triggered the avalanche, and no one was eager to repeat it.

Balto glanced to the side as they passed by a large frozen lake, remembering the terrifying attack from a grizzly bear that took place there. The weight of the bear caused the ice to crumble, sending both of them into the icy water. He'd almost lost his life as well, but was pulled out by Muk and Luk just in time. The bear was not so fortunate, and its remains were probably still lying on the lakebed underneath the ice. The moment would be fleeting as they were quick to pass it, but the memories still held their power over him. He was retracing the journey that made him into what he was now. On a few trees, he could even see the faded remnants of the marks he scratched into the bark to guide himself home. Two years later they still remained, serving as signposts back to Nome.

As they started to climb into a large mountain range, he remembered the day that he finally confronted Steele. Despite everything the husky had put him through, he held onto his focus and made the medicine his priority. His determination even made him willing to reason with him, but Steele would have none of it. His ego would eventually lead to his downfall and banishment from Nome. He'd never seen him since, but Kaltag would later report that he had been sold to a man in White Mountain, the next town over. He would still be a sled dog, but he was no longer the champion that he was. All things considered, Balto thought it a fitting end for someone who didn't deserve their title anyway.

'I wonder if he's still racing, or if they have him doing something really menial,' he wondered. 'There was no mention of him in last year's race, or any mention at all for the past two years. It's as though he's dropped off the face of the earth.'

"Balto, when we pass the Nulato Hills, we're going to be in unexplored territory for you," Kaltag put in, breaking his train of thought. "Do you think you'll be okay leading on?"

"I think so, but if I need directions, I'll be sure to ask," he replied. The Nulato Hills were the farthest he'd ever been from Nome. Beyond that was unknown to him, but he had the experience of his team to back him up. "Thanks again for the heads up."

"It's no problem, boss." While Kaltag had come to enjoy being lead dog after Steele was exiled, he had little qualm being second fiddle to Balto's first. That was because unlike Steele, Balto was much more respectful towards his team, unafraid to ask for help when needed, and always willing to share the glory with the entire team. They were able to play off of each other's strengths, something Steele refused to do himself. He wanted the glory to himself and saw all others as beneath him. Orders were top down, unlike how Balto drew on everyone's skills and knowledge. "Hey, on the way back I'll make sure to tell you about all the shortcuts I know from past races," he added.

"I'll take every bit I can get – after all, we're in this to win it."

----------

The trip to Fairbanks took over a week for them, but for those coming from farther away, it was even longer. There were teams from every corner of Alaska; from Nome to the west, Anchorage and Juneau to the south, some from villages in the high north, and even a couple of teams from the east, as far away as the Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. It was the biggest sledding event of the year, and soon Fairbanks was bustling with activity.

However, most of the mood would be lost on Steele, as he was busy trying to find where everyone was supposed to meet. He'd heard that they were being put up in some warehouse, but he'd been forced to stay back with Sonya and Jonathan to make sure the sled was properly put away. That meant the two were now trying to catch up with the rest of their team, a task made difficult by the larger size of the town, plus the sheer number of people present for the race.

"Uh, this is useless. I can't get a fix on any of them – there are too many scents around here," Sonya groaned, giving up on sniffing the ground.

"Heh, I guess your nose isn't all that you make it out to be," he sneered. "Besides, I've been here before, so I can find my way."

"Alright Mr. Smartypants, then where are we supposed to go to?"

"It's… around here, just give me time to find it," he retorted, hiding the fact he had no idea where the warehouses were. He ended up taking random turns, hoping to come by them by chance. Through their wanderings, he couldn't help but notice that every now and then, dogs were noticing his presence. Normally, having attention drawn to him would be something he loved, but something was wrong. Instead of celebrating him, they seemed more surprised. Most whispered amongst each other, regarding him with curiosity instead of admiration. None even tried to approach him, and when he made eye contact, they quickly looked away. Definitely not the hero's welcome he was expecting.

Because of his focus on those around him, he was barely aware of where he was really headed. It wasn't long before Sonya was scowling at him as they turned down another street. "Steele, we're going in circles. See, this is the third time we've passed that store with the inn beside it," she said.

"No, it just takes time to get around here. After all this is a big place, unlike that small hick town we left behind," he replied, trying to ignore the two retrievers staring at him.

"Hey! White Mountain is not a hick town!" she barked. "I can't believe your guile – you just can't admit that you're lost."

"I am not lost! I never get lost!"

"Oh really? My memory begs to differ – on more than one occasion," she retorted.

"It's… just shut up," he snapped. "You don't have your buddies to back you up this time, so why don't you let a real sled dog take the lead."

"Fine – I'll do that when I find him," she growled, becoming more agitated by the second. "Until then, you're stuck with me and I'm the lead dog. Besides, is it too hard to ask for directions?"

"I don't need directions – I'm better than that," he replied, but Sonya just rolled her eyes.

'I hope we find the others soon. Then I can ditch Steele and actually have some fun. If he keeps this up, I just might leave him behind,' she thought, entertaining the idea of going home without him before spotting a lone dog walking in the street. "Here, let's ask him, maybe he'll know where to go," she suggested, before dashing away. Steele grumbled a bit, but followed, as he was growing tired of having only Sonya for company. "Excuse me! Could you help us out here? We're trying to find the warehouses!"

The dog had his back turned to them, and to Steele he looked like any other sled dog. The dark brown fur may have been a little scruffier, and he was wearing some sort of neckerchief, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he turned and showed his face, catching Steele completely off guard. That long muzzle, wolfish eyes and scruffy fur were unmistakable now. After two years, he was face to face with Balto.

Balto was more than eager to help someone in need, but when he turned, his eyes caught something else. He took a quick glance at the husky with her, but the sight made him lock up, and momentarily forget the female who'd called for his help. "Steele," he growled, as he locked eyes him for the first time in almost two years. Both rivals stared each other down, leaving Sonya a little confused.

"Balto," Steele growled, which caught her ear. She'd heard him mutter that name many times before, cursing it, but she had yet to pull the connection out of him. All words seemed to fail him as he regarded his foe. Meeting him after so long by itself wasn't the worst thing in the world, as he'd finally get to confront the dog that had ruined his life. He relished in the idea of exacting vengeance, but something made him hold back. It was the confirmation of his worst fear, and it came in the form of the bandanna around his neck. To strangers, it looked like just another piece of cloth, but it was something unmistakable to Steele. That was Jenna's bandanna.

Jenna had been the object of his affection for years, but despite his best efforts she always resisted him. There were hints that she felt something for Balto, but he refused to believe it. After all, she was the most beautiful husky in the town, so what interest could she have in a lower life form like Balto? This went on until after the serum run, and right before he was caught and exiled, he'd found them enjoying a nice evening with each other.

The very thought of them together sickened him because he saw Jenna as his and his alone, just one of the things Balto took from him. He hadn't completely given up though, as there was still a part of his mind that entertained a certain fantasy. Maybe Jenna would become disillusioned with Balto and want more. Only he would be able to meet that want, and that alone would make him a hero in her eyes. But now, even that fantasy was starting to look like quite a stretch. This new revelation only added insult to the long-standing injury, but Balto still said nothing. After staring at each other for what seemed like hours, Steele finally let out a loud huff and stalked away, leaving them behind. Balto realised that he'd been holding his breath the entire time, and let it out in one long sigh as Sonya came up to him, hoping for an explanation.

"Huh, that actually went better than I expected," he said.

"What were you expecting?" Sonya asked.

"A lot worse, that's for sure. Steele and I… let's just say we never got along at all," he replied, pausing a moment before returning to the present. "Oh there I go forgetting my manners. How are you today? The name's Balto."

"Sonya," she replied. "Hang on, I have heard your name before… a couple years ago."

He smiled a bit, before replying, "Yeah, that sounds about right. Then again, it was probably the whole world that heard my name after the serum run."

"Serum run… of course!" she cried as everything started to come back. "You're the Balto who saved those kids in Nome! You rescued the team on your own, even though you were just a stray half-wolf."

"Guilty as charged," he replied. "I just hope the whole half-wolf thing doesn't bother you as much as it does with Steele."

"Far from it - you were actually my new hero when I heard about that. I may not look it as much as you do, but I'm half-wolf myself."

"No kidding? And you're on the same team as Steele? My condolences for having to run under a dog like him," he replied.

"Who said anything about that? Did I mention I'm the lead dog of my team too?"

"No way."

"Way - now mind you, my owners don't really know that I'm part wolf, but I can still run circles around many of the sled dogs around here."

"Heh, that sounds like a challenge," he chuckled.

"Hey, that's what we're here for, right?" she said, grinning. "I may not be as famous as you, but I'm certainly no pushover on the trail."

"Uh oh, I'd better watch out then," he said. "As temping as an early footrace is, I probably should get back to my team - they'll want to know their former boss is in town."

"You're leading Steele's old team? Wow, no wonder he's miffed at you," she observed. "You have a point though, I should get back to my team too. Care to lead the way?"

"Sure, but what about Steele?" he asked, looking down the street.

"He'll come around… eventually," she muttered. "He has to - the team is his only way back home."

"I am curious though - how have you managed to handle Steele for so long?"

"Well… that's actually a pretty long story. What really matters is that I've been able to keep him on a leash, if that's what you're wondering."

"Well, I might want to hear this story," he requested. It wasn't long before the two were making their way to down the streets, with Sonya regaling him with the story behind her deal with Steele. As he listened to it, it made him wonder just how much Steele had changed over the past two years.

----------

The warehouse was scores larger than the old gold mill that dogs met in back in Nome, but the size was necessary considering how many dogs were housed here. This was their lodging before the race would begin, and there were countless sled dogs present. Dominant were the classic sled dogs such as huskies and malamutes, but there were a few of the more uncommon breeds like Samoyeds, Chinooks, and even a few that Balto couldn't name. In the mix were a few that looked like they could have been part wolf as well, but he avoided prying to avoid offending them.

He settled well into the conversation, learning about the other teams, where they came from, and some of their experiences sledding. It was from this that he started to get a true appreciation for the camaraderie between sled dogs. They would often start their training young, a group of strangers, but through that they would grow closer, trusting each other with their lives. In many ways, it was like the bond between those in a wolf pack. He was amazed at how similar sled dogs could be to their wild cousins, but few seemed to note it. He surmised that it was his unique perspective – half dog and half wolf – that allowed him to see the similarities more easily than the differences the dogs focused on.

Despite the animosity towards wolves, Balto found that many of the competitors were very civil towards him, saying hello when passed, with some wanting a quick chat to know more about him. Even though two years had passed, the story of the serum run was still fresh in their minds. The fact that he had picked up the torch after their former champion so clumsily dropped it captured many of their imaginations, and there were even a few young rookies who told him how he inspired them to work their hardest. He showed how even the underdog had a chance of winning.

It warmed his heart to see how he had impacted them so positively, but the attention soon started to overwhelm him. He'd spent the last couple of years only in Nome, so he wasn't prepared for how celebrated he would be abroad. He eventually excused himself from the crowd and stepped out into the dark street, taking a deep breath to calm his excited nerves. The sounds of the teams filtered through the walls of the warehouse, but other than that, the dark streets were stone silent. The crisp winter air made his breath come out as a fog, and he let his eyes drift skyward. It was a cloudless night, with small stars poking through the inky black sky. As his eyes scanned the night sky, he found that there was a familiar colourful display in full bloom that night. The northern lights were out, and they instantly made his thoughts drift towards Jenna. She was so far away by now, and he imagined her sitting at home, looking outside at the lights and thinking of him.

He imagined them sitting on the bluff overlooking the ocean that they loved to visit, watching the lights as they were reflected in the calm sea. The aurora was something that they loved sharing with each other; in fact it was his attempt to create a close mimic of the lights that caused the first signs of their feelings to show through. While some thought that love had no form to take, to him, love looked like the auroras, mysterious but beautiful at the same time. Lost in his thoughts, he let his eyes wander up and down the stream of light until something caught his eye near the horizon.

In the dim light it was hard to pick out the shadow down the street, but the fact that it was constantly moving made it easier. The shadow was definitely a dog's, and after a few minutes studying it, it was unmistakable who it was. The wide body and kingly gait were Steele's, but this immediately struck him as very odd. He would've expected him to be inside, trying to be the life of the party, not pacing outside in the dark, alone. Steele's presence caught him a little off guard, and the fact that he was alone put him on edge. Steele could easily charge him without any witnesses, but that was how things would have happened years ago. Part of him wanted to think that Steele had changed for the better. He was torn between optimism and caution, and as he went back and forth, his shuffling paws made the snow to crunch underneath them. It wasn't much, but it was enough to cause the shadow to stop mid-stride and stare right towards him.

Both froze, but neither made a sound or any sort of movement. Balto could feel his heart thudding in his chest, but Steele made no move against him. Part of him wanted to just turn back to the safety of the warehouse, but his curiosity begged him to step forward. Steele may have been his enemy before, but he wanted to know if anything at all was different about him. There was always the chance he might turn on him, but that didn't stop him from taking a tentative step forwards. The husky's ears twitched with his steps, but he didn't make any move to run towards or away. He took one step, then another and another, and before long he was close enough to see Steele.

Neither said a word, wearing very neutral expressions as they studied each other, each trying to ascertain what the other's next move would be. Steele looked much the same as Balto had always known him, save for the different sled collar he now wore. Steele however, thought he was looking at a very different wolfdog than before. He'd always thought of Balto as a lanky, scruffy stray, always holding his head low to avoid attention. Now he was facing someone who looked like they were taken care of and had put on a few extra pounds of muscle. Now Balto approached him with confidence, staring him right in the eye as though they were equals.

The silence started to make Balto uncomfortable, urging him to make the first move. If anyone was going to extend an olive branch, it would be him. "Steele," he started.

"Balto," Steele returned, mimicking their exchange from earlier.

There was another uncomfortable silence. "So, I wasn't expecting to see you in the race this year," he continued, hoping to get things moving.

"The feeling's mutual." It was becoming obvious that Steele did not enjoy being around him.

"Yeah… so how are you doing?" Balto asked, smiling a bit.

"Does it matter? You sure look like you've got everything wrapped up."

"What do you mean by that?" Balto asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Oh don't be stupid with me. You know exactly what you took from me. You're wearing the bandana to prove it!"

"But this is Jenna's-" Balto replied, before it started to click in. "Oh, you're going to be all sore just because I'm with Jenna? For goodness sakes, there are more important things in the world than just one girl!"

"But she was supposed to be with me!" he snapped. "It's not the only thing that was supposed to be with me too! My friends, my reputation, my honour. You even took my collar, right off my neck!"

"I didn't take them away - you just lost them because of what you did to your own team!" Balto returned, before deciding to shift gears. "Look, we can argue over who did what until the cows come home, but that's not why I'm here. We're both here in the same race, so we may as well just agree to disagree. What do you say? Can we move on from the past and just run a good race?"

Steele thought for a moment, but ended up snorting at his friendly outreach, causing any hope for a civil interaction to fade in Balto. "Look, I don't know where you get the idea that you can be all buddy-buddy with me, but you can shove it," Steele growled, baring his teeth. "I still don't like you, and I never will. Nothing has changed between us, and this race will prove it! I am the champion, and no flea-bitten wolf is going to take that from me!" With that, he trotted past Balto, making sure to shove him to the side with his shoulder.

'Well that settles that; he's still the same old Steele,' he thought. 'I suppose I should've expected some bitterness after what happened. If that's the case, then I might have to be a little more careful. If he's determined to win, then who knows what he might do. He's shown before that he's not above cheating to get what he wants.' Balto started to walk back to the warehouse, now unsure of what the coming days will bring. 'He is wrong about one thing though - things have changed, he just doesn't want to accept it.'

----------

Chapter Five: The Race Begins

From the moment the sun started to peek over the horizon, there was electricity in the air in Fairbanks. The mushers were up at the crack of dawn to rouse their dogs and put everything together for the race. Sleds needed to be taken out, supplies needed to be lashed to the sled, double and triple checked, and finally the dogs needed to be hooked up to their harnesses. Because of the number of teams competing, the race officials set the start line just outside of the town, where all the teams could be spread out at the same time. Rather than a staggered start for each team, the Trans-Alaskan Derby had all teams start at once. There was the risk that they might get tangled up with each other on the start, but this way, it would be clear that the first to cross the finish in Nome was the winner. Plus, it would provide a greater spectacle.

But, what was spectacle without an audience. Everyone in town, and even those who had travelled from far away just to see the start of the race were present. Most were in the street that opened out onto the tundra, while others climbed up a nearby hill to view the entire starting line. Balto looked back and couldn't help but smile when he saw a few humans perched on rooftops. If he were in their position he would have done the same; up there was probably the best vantage point.

In addition to the first-hand witnesses, there were countless others documenting it for those not present, or for those in future years to read about. Some of the mushers were eager to talk with the reporters, while others preferred to busy themselves with their sleds rather than be bothered by the journalists. One of those was their own musher, who was trying his best to avoid an interview.

"But sir, I came all the way from Ottawa to get this story!" The man protested, notepad in hand, but Gunnar wouldn't have any of it.

"If you wanted to talk, you should have come around last night, when I wasn't busy," he grumbled, trying to brush off the annoying reporter.

"But-"

"Hey buddy, if you want someone to talk to, I'm your man," another voice came in. Kassen turned for a moment, before starting to chuckle when he saw who it was.

"Well I'll be - I thought I'd never see you again here, Vance," Kassen greeted, heartily shaking the man's hand. "So, what's the family man doing out here."

"What does it look like - racing of course," Jonathan replied.

"Ah, it's great to see you again - I haven't seen you since… since I sold old Steele to ya. I trust the fellow's doing well with you."

"That and then some. Just you wait Kassen, I'm gonna beat you this time, and I'll do it with your dog," Jonathan boasted. "When that happens, you'll wish you'd kept him!"

"Hehe, we'll see about that," Gunnar finished, before muttering to himself, "Oh Jonny boy, you haven't changed a bit." The two men broke away to return to their respective sleds, barely noticing that the reporter had been madly scribbling down what they were saying, hoping to turn something from their exchange into a story for back home. Already it was clear that there were a few old rivalries in this race.

Looking up and down the line of dogs, Balto could see many of them were very excited, partly from the apprehension for the race, and partly because there was so much going on in the town around them. Balto however, tried his best to maintain his calm and stay focused. At the sound of the gun he would have to run his hardest through wild terrain against countless other teams in the hopes of reaching Nome first. It would be a difficult road ahead with many dangers, and only now was that starting to affect him. He tried to swallow his anxiety, and distracted himself by stretching. As he bent down to extend his front legs, he took a quick glance to his left and saw Steele a couple teams over, hooked up in the swing position behind Sonya.

The burly husky glanced towards Balto, but only for a second. He wasn't going to let a half-wolf like him steal his thunder because this was what he was born and bred to do. Unlike the crossbreeds, he was a purebred Siberian husky, a breed born to pull sleds and race. It was their purpose, and no half-wolf would supplant them. This was a matter of pride and honour for Steele, as he not only had his own reputation, but that of his fathers before him as well - and he wasn't about to let them down. This time he would take back what was rightfully his and his alone.

"Well, well, it looks like the rumours are true - we're going up against our old boss with our new boss," Kaltag mused behind him. "Are you seeing this Balto?"

"Yep, and I already did last night," Balto replied, turning to him. "He's still his old self, even after all this time."

"Lovely, that's just what we need," Kaltag grumbled. "Then again, I wouldn't mind having the chance to beat the tail off him after what he did to us."

"I sure hope you're just talking about racing," Balto said, raising his brow at him, but the Chinook gave no reply.

"Still, with him around we'll have to be careful. Who knows what tricks he'll use on us," Nikki added.

"Hey, he may be bad, but I don't think Steele's stupid enough to cheat and risk getting caught," Balto replied.

"That doesn't mean he won't do something to try to trip us up," Kaltag continued. "You've never seen him in a race. He plays like it's a life or death matter, and he'll do anything to survive. What's worse is that he's smart about it too - he'll wait until there are no witnesses and then-" he finished by snapping his teeth at the air beside him, mimicking an action he saw Steele do to other competitors many times. "He has a saying - it's not cheating if you don't get caught… and he's really good at not getting caught. We just got lucky with him that one time after the serum run."

Balto took another glance towards to Steele, and while he couldn't hear what was being said, he could tell that Sonya, the dog in front of him, was lecturing him on something. While Steele grit his teeth, he still obeyed whatever demand his lead dog put on him.

"Then again, it looks like his lead's got a good handle on him, so as long as we don't get him alone we'll be fine," Kaltag observed.

"I certainly hope so," Balto said, his apprehension becoming quite evident to Kaltag.

"Hey, it's okay if you're feeling a little jittery, but things will work out. You haven't failed us yet, and I don't think you ever will," he offered. "Besides, you've got us. We know all the tricks of the trade and can handle that old glory hound any day. With our experience and your guts, we'll be the greatest, the speediest, the highest-"

"We're gonna win!" Star cut in, causing a cheer to erupt from the team.

"Thanks guys… who cares if Steele's in the race? We're great dogs too, and we're going to prove it!" Balto continued, encouraging them further. Despite his caution towards Steele, he knew he would need the team in high spirits if they were going to give it their all for the race. If trouble were to rise, they would deal with it when the time came, but for now they were focused on running their best.

The din from the crowd suddenly silenced as the race official stepped forward to make the opening announcements. Every muscle in his body twitched in anticipation for the starting gun that would mark the start of the race. It felt like he was perched on a cliff, about to jump. There was the apprehension towards the jump, but it would only be remedied by jumping. The official finished his speech before another man raised the gun into the air. Knuckles tightened, hearts pounded and legs wound up as the gun hung in the air. It was only for a moment, but that moment seemed to last an eternity as the finger tightened on the trigger. In a fraction of a second, the trigger snapped the hammer forward and the shot echoed across the hills, finally releasing all the pent up tension.

The harness yanked back as seven dogs bolted forward, moving as one. Twenty-eight feet pounded through the snow, pulling themselves and the sled behind them ahead. The nights had been very cold so the snow was crisp and easy to slide through for the sled's runners. Their action would be reflected by every other team in the race, each charging ahead as the wide line of dogs started to narrow. All around was barking and the occasional thud as runners bumped up against each other.

There was a cry behind them, but Balto could only afford a quick glance before turning back to the road ahead. A couple of teams had gotten in too close to each other and their lines became tangled, tripping them and causing both to tumble into a heap. Both of the mushers were quick to stop the sleds to untangle their dogs, but in doing so they fell behind, allowing others to advance in the race. Despite the closeness, he focused ahead, keeping his path straight to avoid crossing another team. Kaltag had told him that the most exciting part of the race was not the finish, but the start, as it was always a mad dash of teams trying to gain an advantage over each other.

After the first couple of miles, things started to settle, as each team settled into their own pace. Balto and his team had settled on a plan of driving forward to gain an early advantage, settling into a moderate pace in the middle of the race to save energy for the last leg of the race. It was hoped the early advantage would give them some breathing room, but they were also facing other seasoned competitors and would have to find ways to counter their strategies as well.

One of those seasoned competitors was Steele, and his team was now just ahead of them. Every now and then Steele would glance back at them, shooting Balto a dirty look. They were slowly starting to gain on them, first coming level with the back of the runners, then their musher's boots, then the back of the cargo bed. Their slow advance was obviously distressing to Steele, and he pulled at his harness to try to move them forward.

"Hey Balto, I've got an idea that'll mess around with Steele's head, but we've gotta pull back a bit first," Kaltag said, and Balto gave a quick nod before letting his pace slow. Once the other sled had cleared his nose, Kaltag and Star started to swing them to the left. As swing dogs, they were often the ones who determined how sharp their turns were. Steele had been watching their actions and pulled his team to follow their movements, keeping them stuck behind the sled. After this, Kaltag pulled the sled back to the right, and Steele's team followed, staying directly ahead. A few more times they repeated this, each time with Steele and Sonya moving in to block their path.

"Kal, what are youse doin'? They're gonna keep blockin' us," Nikki asked.

"That's what I want him to think," Kaltag replied, pulling them back to the left. "Steele's probably forgotten that we know how he thinks, and we can use that to our advantage. We've gotta make it look like we're making a break to the left, but we'll just fake him out and really go for the right. If he takes our bait, we can get them to slow down enough to pass them easily."

"I think I know what you're getting at," Balto replied. They were going to turn Steele's mad competitiveness against him, and even if it didn't work, he figured Steele's constant motions would annoy Sonya enough to get him to cut it out. He waited a few minutes, and gave the sled in front of him some space before making a dash to the left. Steele saw them vanish from his view and in desperation, bolted to the side, slamming right into Jake, who was beside him. The force of his manoeuvre yanked back Sonya's harness, and disrupted the rhythm of the entire team, costing them some speed. The whole thing lasted only a second, but by the time they'd gotten themselves back in order, Balto and his team were already passing them. They could overhear Sonya tersely telling Steele to not be so stupid, while the rest of the team tried hard to not smile too much as they passed by.

The first leg of the race was smooth sailing, as it followed a well-travelled trail. It wasn't until about an hour down the road that the race went off the beaten path and into the rough bush. While the main road turned to the southwest towards Nenana, the racecourse went to the northwest, into the wild heart of Alaska. This was seen among the sled dogs as the true start of the Trans-Alaskan Derby. It was a race through the wilds with only themselves and the small outposts and towns that were set up as checkpoints. Cut off from most of civilization, it was true test of how hardy a sled team was.

Their course was almost straight towards the next checkpoint in a town called Minto. The path here was not well travelled, so their pace was slowed somewhat by the rougher snow. To counteract this, Balto purposely avoided taking the lead. That way the teams ahead would pack the snow down while they would follow, their way made easier by the trail cut ahead of them. The whole point of this was to lower the strain and save their energy for their big plan. While the main trail would curve southwards to go around a southwestern spur of the White Mountains, they'd heard their musher musing about trying something different this year. In that area, the mountain range wasn't very high, no more than some big hills. For years they'd gone around them, but this time they would go over them, staying the course and making a direct line for Minto.

They would have some good fortune when one team ahead of them decided to try the same thing, going through a pass in the mountains and cutting a trail for them to follow. A quick sniff of their scent proved that they were still a few minutes ahead, but there was a good chance they would close that gap. As they crested a hill, Balto took a quick look back. Sonya and Steele were just coming around the bend. Steele let out a couple of barks, trying to draw her attention to them. She looked up, but decided against it, keeping her team on the trail they knew.

As they continued up the mountain pass, Balto started to wonder if Sonya would be able to handle Steele during this. It was obvious he was driven to win, especially against him, and a bit of worry started to creep up. Steele was going along with things now, but how long would it be before he tried to take matters into his own paws? As much as he valued second chances, Balto couldn't deny that he didn't trust Steele, especially after their brief talk last night. With that in mind, Balto hoped that the rest of the race would be like today - with Steele lagging behind at a safe distance.

----------

Their play of going over the mountains would end in their favor. The run up the mountain may have slowed them down, but the run down allowed them to pick up speed and make up for lost time. By the time they reached the base of the mountains, their momentum was enough to allow them to overtake the team ahead of them, leaving only open space between them and Minto. Thanks to their shortcut, they could make an easy beeline to the town across the flat tundra between it and the mountains. The flat plain around the town was dotted with many small lakes, but the icy surfaces only benefited them, reducing the drag and allowing them to keep a swift pace.

Soon they saw the collection of cabins that was the town. Unlike larger towns such as Nome or Fairbanks, Minto was a simple bush village, with the only excitement for the few residents coming when the teams passed through during the derby in January. Unlike what the dogs saw as four star accommodation in Fairbanks, here they would have to eke it out in the snow around the town, while their mushers found lodging with the residents, who were more than happy to open their door for visitors.

After a long day of running, all involved were happy to get some rest. As per the official rules of the derby, the mushers had to sign in at the checkpoint before starting a mandatory rest period. In order to allow the dogs time to rest, they were supposed to take an eight-hour rest period at every checkpoint. It started the moment they checked in, and only after at least eight hours were they allowed to leave to prevent any team getting an unfair advantage over the others. That way, the rough positions of the teams during the race would be maintained along the way while still allowing them time to stop and rest. With that in mind, most mushers made sure they left after eight hours exactly - any delay would cost them time during the race.

After checking in, the team was overjoyed to find that they were already in fourth position out of fifteen teams. As the evening started to wear on, the other teams came in one by one. The next couple of teams also took the mountain shortcut, before Sonya and Steele rolled in right after sunset, back in eighth position. Both seemed to be fuming at each other by now, and after getting unhooked, Steele stormed off, as if they'd been arguing for most of the day. Balto noticed Sonya's glower as she started to dig the hole in the snow she would settle into for the night. Hoping to offer some support, he padded up to her.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked.

"Fine… I guess," she mumbled, trying to vent her frustration out through her digging.

"Is that leash of yours still holding up?"

"It actually was… until this morning at least," she replied. "I don't know what's happened, but ever since he saw you, it's like… it's like he's turning back into what he was before. It's actually a little scary to see him like that again. If he's not careful, he's going to get the team in trouble, and then it won't matter if we win or not."

"Well, I'd still say you ran pretty well today," he added. "Besides, it's just the first day - a lot can change before the finish."

"That's what I keep telling him, but he's so stubborn."

"Should we go find him?" he asked.

"Naw, it's better if you just let him vent. Besides, you should spend your time resting - you have your own team to look after, so let me worry about my egomaniac."

"Okay… well, goodnight and good luck in the race."

"Same to you… who knows, we might be neck and neck for the finish," she returned.

----------

Other than Steele fuming around, nothing seemed out of place that night. This was because very few noticed that not all the teams that started were in Minto. While having a team pull out of the race was a common occurrence, it was rare for it to happen that early in the race. After all, it was only the first day, and the race's toll wouldn't be seen until later on. Whatever the cause, one team was running very late, but just being in last place would be the least of their worries.

The first indication that something was up was the sound that woke Balto up in the middle of the night. He'd just been enjoying his dream, almost at the finish line again when the barking of an approaching team reached his ears in his little cubby in the snow. While it roused him awake, he elected to just roll over and doze off again. Nothing at all was out of the ordinary, so there was no reason for him to be concerned.

"Holy hell! What happened here?" The cry pulled him out of his doze, and his head snapped up, looking towards the source of the exclamation. It was definitely from a human, and judging by the tone, something very out of the ordinary had just happened.

He got up and saw the team that had just come in. The dogs hooked up to the sled looked exhausted, and some were lying on the ground, whining. However, their whine was not out of exhaustion - it sounded more like fear. Around the sled were a group of humans, all looking at the cargo bed. They muttered between each other, and the general mood was more of shock than anything. Balto trotted over and poked his head between two sets of legs to see what had captured all of their interest. Once he saw it, he knew that there was very good reason to be concerned.

In the cargo bed was another dog, covered in wounds. While injury was a real possibility during the race, this dog had not been injured in an accident. The scale of the wounds was too great, and it looked like a couple of his legs had been broken. He moaned softly from the pain, but the severity of the injuries was not the main thing that concerned him. What worried him was that he instantly recognised what made them.

The dog was covered in bite wounds from an attack, and he knew that only one thing could make wounds like that - a canine, like a wolf… or even another dog.

----------

Chapter Six: The First Casualties

"What did this to him?" a man asked, but the injured dog's owner only shook his head.

"I don't know, it all happened so fast," he replied.

"Oh my, the poor thing."

"C'mon, let's get him inside. This feller needs to have his wounds looked after."

"But the nearest doctor is back in Fairbanks!"

"We'll do what we can here."

"Hey, what happened to you?" Balto asked, but the injured dog only let out another moan. His eyes were barely open and unable to focus on him – whatever attacked him left him in such a rough shape that he was barely aware of his surroundings. "Hey, c'mon buddy, can you hear me?" he queried. "Just give me a sign you're okay."

"Balto, leave him be." Kassen's voice cut in, gently nudging him away with his gloved hand. "Go on, shoo. This doesn't concern you," the human continued, before joining a few others in lifting the dog out of the cargo bed.

'That's where you're wrong,' he thought as they tried to gently to move the wounded dog. Despite their best efforts, there were still a few times where he let out a loud yelp of pain. They gingerly moved toward a nearby house, leaving Balto with the frazzled team. A few of them were licking fresh wounds while others just quivered in terror; whatever had happened was very sudden and devastating. Despite his musher's wishes, Balto was going to get to the bottom of this because he could do something they couldn't – he could talk to the only witnesses.

"What's going on here?" another voice called. It was Kaltag, accompanied by Star, Sonya and a few dogs from the other teams.

"One of the teams got attacked," Balto replied.

"Attacked? By what?" a burly malamute demanded.

"We don't know, but the team's right there so we can ask them," Balto added, before turning his attention to the team. "Are you guys okay?"

"You tell us," a dog with a gash on his shoulder replied, his face solemn. "We're just glad that we got here in one piece."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Sonya asked. "Start at the beginning."

"I suppose our troubles started when we took a wrong turn shortly after the race started. We ended up lost and off the trail for hours before we finally found the tracks of the other teams," the same dog explained. "By then we'd lost so much time that it was dark when we cleared the mountain spur. We thought that falling behind would be our only problem, so our musher didn't mind stopping us near a grove of trees. He just had to… well you know how humans sometimes get on long trips… nature calls." A few dogs nodded in agreement, allowing him to continue his story.

"He just went off to find a good tree, but no sooner was he out of sight, then wham! Something clear jumped out at Mickey," another dog added. "We had no warning and the fact it was dark didn't help us any. It came out of nowhere, dark as the night around us."

"By the time we knew what was happening, our lead was already down and it was bitin' into the next one," a third dog added, this one with some scratches on his muzzle. "A few of us tried to help, but we were still tied up in our harnesses. We were practically sitting ducks out there."

"Fortunately, it didn't take long for our human to hear our barking, and the second he arrived, the… whatever it was, just took off and ran," the dog with the shoulder wound continued. "It ended as quickly as it started, but not before it did some serious damage."

"Did anyone get a good look at what it was?" Balto asked.

The members of the team mumbled a bit between themselves before giving their answer, "Not really. As we said, it was dark by the time it happened, and whatever it was had dark fur too, allowing it to blend into the night," one of the unhurt dogs replied. "It certainly didn't stay around long enough for anyone to get a good look."

"Good thing, because I don't think we'd have lasted much longer than that," the dog with the shoulder wound added, before shuddering a little. "I don't think I've ever seen a creature as vicious as that. It was like it had no soul."

"We were still able to run, but with one dog down and the rest of us banged up, the going was slower than we would've liked," the second dog continued. "If that thing wanted to get us again, it wouldn't have had any trouble. We're lucky we got here in one piece."

"What should we do? What if whatever attacked them follows them here?" Star asked, his head darting back and forth in apprehension.

"I want everyone to go back to their teams, make sure that all are accounted for, and spread the word," Balto urged, before turning back to the team. "You guys can stay here and try to get some more news on your friend. I'm sure most of us will want to know how he's doing."

"You can count on us," the first dog affirmed. With that, Balto and the group broke off to return to their own teams.

"I think you should know I couldn't find Steele before I went to sleep," Sonya said. "I don't know where he is."

"If he isn't back with the team by now, then we'll go looking for him. He can't have gone far - he'd have no reason to," Balto replied.

"Do you really think the other teams are in danger?" Kaltag asked.

"I don't think so, but I'm not leaving anything to chance here," he replied. "It's very likely that this is just a one off event where some lone wolf reacted defensively."

"Biting and snarling are one thing defensively, but that's not how they described it. They said it attacked them without any provocation," the burly malamute added.

"You know as well as I do that sled dogs can exaggerate with their stories, and their fear probably isn't sharpening their memory either," Balto countered. "If this is a one-off thing, then we're probably already safe just by being here and past the wolf's territory. That means we can continue the race without any more trouble."

"But what if there is more trouble? Even if what attacked them doesn't follow us, what if there are other wolf packs along the way?" a younger husky asked.

"Now hang on, I've been running in this race for years and we haven't had any trouble with wolves attacking teams before," Kaltag pointed out.

"Even if there were, it's unlikely you would see them," Balto continued. "When faced with dogs, wolves are more likely to lay low and play it safe. Contrary to what you might think, wolves actually don't like picking a fight unless they feel they have no choice." Another dog was quick to open their mouth, but Balto quickly cut him off. "Just trust me on this one - I know what I'm talking about when it comes to wolves. I know them."

"Yeah, the mutt here knows them so well he could probably call them for a big party," A snide voice cut in. Coming around a cabin was Steele, a smirk on his muzzle.

"Where were you?" Sonya barked. "You shouldn't run off like that."

"Who are you, my mother?" he retorted.

"No, but I'm your lead dog, and it's my job to make sure everyone of my team is safe."

"HA! You think I need you to keep me safe? Wow, not only are you a nag, but you're delusional too." Sonya raised her hackles, but Steele refused to flinch. "What's everyone doing up? Having a late-night class about how wonderful and special wolves are?"

"No, it's actually something more serious. One of the teams got attacked on the trail. We think it was a lone wolf they crossed paths with," Balto explained.

"You don't say? Well I guess it goes to show that not all wolves can be trusted."

"Oh shove it Steele. Balto and Sonya ain't anything like that," Kaltag spat.

"Whatever - I guess it was these stupid dogs' fault for being so careless anyways."

"Just where do you get off saying things like that?" the malamute put in. "Their lead got hurt badly and they might have to pull out of the race. Don't you care about that at all?"

"Why should I? They're not on my team, and if they have to go, then it's just one less competitor to deal with," Steele snidely replied. "Just shows how lame a team is if they can't even last a day out here."

"Hey, it's not their fault they got attacked," Balto countered. "We can't change what happened to them - all we can do is stay vigilant and keep each other safe."

"Yeah, you'd better watch out, because the boogeywolf will come and get you too!" Steele cackled, letting out a mock howl before darting away, laughing his head off.

There was a pause after that, before Kaltag asked, "Can I beat him up? Please?"

"No," Balto replied.

"Aw c'mon; just one good sock across the face?" But Balto held firm - he didn't want anyone to lash out at Steele if they didn't need to. The other dogs returned to their teams, and as Balto and Kaltag settled, there was something troubling the Chinook's mind.

"Hey, Balto, is it just me or did Steele seem more callous than usual?" he asked. "I don't think I've ever seen a dog have such apathy towards another team."

"Except this is Steele we're talking about, remember?" Balto replied. "The only time he'd be interested in someone else was if they were wearing a mirror."

"Yeah, but it was like he wasn't even surprised or had any interest in how another team was savagely beaten."

"I know, but that's just who he is," Balto said. "Besides, it's not like Steele could actually go out and pull something like this himself - he'd easily get caught."

Kaltag was silent as he thought Balto's words over, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else with Steele. The husky had just wandered off and only showed up hours later, not caring about what had just happened. All that together just rubbed him the wrong way and started to raise his suspicion. 'Not to mention that he's gone out of his way to derail a team before,' he thought. It was only a hunch now, but it was frightening enough to the Chinook to make him wish it were wrong.

"Are you sure you don't want me to beat him up?"

"Go to sleep, Kal."

----------

The next morning brought some sobering news. The lead dog suffered two broken legs along with a possible fractured rib. He was unable to run and it would take far too long for him to heal. He needed immediate medical attention, and that meant his team would have to return to Fairbanks to get it. Turning back with their lead unable to run would leave them unable to catch up to any of the racers. The only option left was forfeit, destroying their short-lived dream of running in the derby.

The news came just as Balto was gearing up with his team. The three teams ahead of them had already left, and a race official stood nearby, pocket watch in hand, timing their departure down to the second. As the final straps were tightened, Balto mulled over his thoughts about the previous night. He knew there was always the risk of getting hurt. There were scores of natural hazards out there, and if they weren't careful, they too could find themselves in a tight spot.

He spotted Sonya walking down the street, taking a brief morning jog before her team's time to go. "Hey, Sonya," he called, and she came over to him. "Did you hear the news?."

"I did; it's terrible that they only got a day in before they had to pull out. Hopefully no one else will get hurt," she replied.

"With a race like this, things are bound to happen. Trust me, they won't be the last to forfeit," Kaltag added. "But you are right, it's not fair that they only got a day in."

"But that doesn't mean we can't be careful," Balto continued. "I want you to look after your team. Watch out for anything and keep them close - even Steele."

"Why him? I'd rather keep my distance from him if I can."

"I know, but he's still a part of your team, and he can get hurt in this."

"Okay… I'll see what I can do," she replied, albeit a little hesitantly. While she didn't like having Steele around if she could avoid it, she still decided to take Balto's advice. With something like this, it was always better to play on the side of caution.

"Fifteen seconds!" the official said, and Sonya cleared the way for them. At the call of the official, their musher called 'hike!' and they were off, racing ahead to catch up with those ahead of them, leaving Sonya in the street to watch them fade towards the horizon.

"You be careful too, Balto. I'd hate to lose another friend."

----------

The route to the next checkpoint in Tanana was a lot more straightforward than yesterday's leg of the race, but that was offset by the slightly higher risk involved. Part of the route was a valley in between two steep mountain cliffs. The fact that it was a straight road made it easier, but every now and then they would glance nervously at the cliffs above them. Heavy snow and ice hung precariously from the edges; it wouldn't take much to knock it loose and send a surge of snow cascading down on them. A narrow channel like this would only focus an avalanche further, giving them no room to escape. Even if there wasn't an avalanche, the high cliff would be the perfect perch to launch an ambush. It was places like this that made the derby so dangerous, and Balto kept his ears tuned at maximum, listening for any possible danger.

"Now this is a great day for sleddin'. We're makin' great time too. Hey Balto, are we catchin' up to the next team?" Nikki cut in, briefly breaking Balto's focus. Despite his attention, Balto had been barely aware that they were in fact making significant headway in the race. Taking a quick sniff of the ground, he found the trail left by the team ahead was much fresher than that morning; they were getting closer.

"Yep, I'd say we're no more than a few minutes behind," Balto replied, earning a few excited barks from the team. Their mirth helped break his gloomy mood, and he decided to let himself enjoy the ride. 'What happened last night has got me jumping at shadows when I should be focusing on just having fun with the guys out here. Teams sometimes get into trouble; that's a fact of the race. We all knew the risks when we got into this, but there can't be any boogeywolf following us.' No sooner had that thought formed than something caught the corner of his eye. It was only for a fleeting moment, but there was something dark perched on the cliff. Balto snapped his head to the side, but by the time he did, nothing was there.

"Hey boss, you okay?" Kaltag asked. "What is it?"

"I thought I… nah, it was nothing," he replied, returning his focus to the road ahead. He tuned his ears and tried to pick something up from up there, but all he heard was the clinking of their harnesses and the crunching of their paws in the snow. Nothing at all was out of the ordinary, so he decided to just brush it off and move on. 'You're okay out here. You've got your friends to back you up so nothing can hurt-'

"WHOA!" Star cried, just as he heard a crack above him. Balto only had a split second to see the falling ice and swerve away from it. However, the narrow pass left little room for their manoeuvre, which meant that when the ice fell, it was close enough that Balto could feel the burst of air as it impacted only a few inches beside him.

"Did youse see that!" Nikki exclaimed.

"That was the most sudden, the most surprising, the most unexpected-"

"It almost squashed Balto!" Star cut in. He was right; had they not swerved, it was very likely the heavy piece of ice would have crushed his back.

"Holy… that was… good eye, Star," Balto gasped, the surge of adrenaline brought about by the near miss making his heart pound in his chest.

"Let's just hope that's the only excitement for today," Kaltag put in, a thought that was unanimously agreed on. Balto took another look up the cliffs, but just as before there was nothing. He turned his focus back to the trail, and urged them forward a little quicker, eager to get out of this valley. Even though it was likely a freak accident, if there was something out there, he sure didn't want to stick around to give it a chance to try again.

----------

Reaching Tanana was a huge relief for them, and they were glad to hear that none of the other teams faced any incidents like they did. They were still in fourth position, but had closed the gap on the team ahead of them. As long as they kept their pace, they could take the lead by the time the race was over.

One by one the remaining teams came in, with Sonya and Steele coming in shortly after them, having moved up to sixth position. "Yup, just give us a few more days and we'll show you who the real champion will be around here," Steele boasted.

"You mean champions - the whole team gets to share the win you know," Sonya put in.

"Yeah, but you guys wouldn't have gone anywhere near as far as you would have without me," he returned. "Don't worry, there's no need to thank me. I already know how much I've given to this team."

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that," she muttered as he started to trot off to brag about his gains that day. She glanced over at Balto, and he gave a little nod towards Steele, reminding her of his request. Nodding back, she turned and stayed with him, an act that she hoped would be unnecessary as the race went on.

Balto meanwhile, waited near the edge of town, watching the other teams come in. While he'd always had a fascination with watching sled teams and racers come into town, this time, it was more out of practicality. He counted off each team, making sure to have a quick chat too. While on the surface it seemed like he was making small talk, he really wanted to make sure that no one else had any incidents. One by one they came in, each reporting nothing strange. When there was only the last team remaining he started to become anxious. The last team was probably the easiest target, because no one else would pass them. Minutes seemed like hours, which only increased his fear that something else might have happened, but when a dot appeared on the horizon, those fears could finally be put to rest.

The last team came in running full steam and without reporting anything strange. All teams were accounted for, and now Balto felt like they could safely write this off as a one-off incident. He could focus less on looking over his shoulder and more on getting ahead in the race and running his hardest. His mirth pushed him to give the team an enthusiastic pep talk that evening, and the audience even included a few of the rookies who just wanted to hear him talk. The mood was much more jubilant, and it ended with them shutting their eyes, raring to go for tomorrow.

None of them had a care in the world, but when the last dog closed their eyes, there was no one awake to notice the dark shadow creeping behind around, moving as stealthily as a wolf on the hunt.

----------

Chapter Seven: Another Day, Another Mystery

The ground beneath his feet caved at the mercy of his paws, the land racing by him as the wind blew his fur. He panted from the exertion, but he didn't care. He was running and it made him feel alive. Balto felt more alive than at any other time in his life. This time he had no harness around him, no sled to hold him back - he was truly running free.

He wasn't alone either; there were many dogs running with him, free of their harnesses too. Nikki, Kaltag and Star were there, and so was Sonya and many of the other dogs from the race. All were running with him, and all wanted the prize just as much as he did… but he wasn't going to lose his dream without a fight. His legs surged him forward, his front paws extending until they met the ground, pulling the rest of his body forward until his rear legs caught up and planted themselves in the ground, before springing forward and repeating the cycle again. It was a very graceful and efficient motion, mirrored by all the dogs around him - including the stranger.

To his right was the brown, blue-eyed husky with the golden collar again. He stood out the most because he was the only one whom Balto hadn't seen in the race.

"Who are you?" he asked. The stranger looked towards him, but didn't reply. Instead, he just smiled at him - a warm smile like the one a proud father would give to his son.

Balto wanted to know who this stranger was, but before he could ask again, a cry sounded behind them. He looked back and saw something beyond belief. A form that was unmistakably a wolf's was chasing them, but it looked like nothing more than a shadow. It effortlessly bounded across the land, black as the night with glowing gold eyes. Another cry was heard as the shadow bore down and struck another to the ground with one blow from his fangs. The others started to panic from the shadow's presence, but no matter which way they ran, they couldn't escape it. Balto pushed himself faster, trying to stay ahead of the shadow that was quickly gaining on him. Cry after cry sounded behind him, and soon there was no one left standing except him and the stranger.

He glanced over at the husky, who called to him, "You keep going! I'll hold it off!" right before skidding to a stop and turning to face the shadow.

"No! Don't!" he cried, stopping a dozen yards ahead to watch the stranger face the growing shadow.

"I won't let you hurt him!" the stranger declared, baring his fangs while his eyes burned with blue fire. The shadow regarded him with surprise when he stood up to it, but quickly smirked before charging. The stranger jumped to meet his quarry, but with only a few blows that seemed effortless for the shadow, he too was struck down, leaving only Balto to face this monster.

With no one else to back him up, Balto was overwhelmed with fear. This creature had power that far outmatched its own, and it exuded a dark aura that smothered his courage. As he faced it down, the skies darkened and the air itself started to chill his bones. It was as thought this thing was sucking the life out of the entire world. It let out a deep laugh that resonated in his ears, baring its fangs as it prepared to finish the last of its prey.

"I've been waiting for this moment a long time. You can't run from me any longer," it spoke, its voice as deep as its laugh and carrying a demonic quality. "You got away from me once wolfdog, but not this time." It laughed its cruel laugh once more, but Balto was rooted to the spot out of fear. This creature wanted him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. In a flash the shadow was on him, tearing his life out of his very body as everything went black.

----------

His whole body jolted up as he let out a cry. His eyes darted left and right, but the only thing he saw around him were the sleeping forms of his teammates, safely nestled in the snow and still dozing in the dim, early morning light. He was back in the real world, but the dream still left him unsettled.

'That one was definitely different,' he thought. 'It had all the racers and the unknown husky… and that shadow. Why did that shadow appear?' He took another deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to recall the dream. Unlike the other dogs, the shadow was less defined, leaving little clue to who it was. He remembered the unknown husky turning to face it down, trying to hold it off for him. 'Why did he do it? I'm nothing more than a stranger to him. Then again, it could just be a case of one dog wanting to look out for another… but it felt like he wanted to protect me above all.'

He shut his eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but his unsettled mind kept him awake. 'I know that all of the dreams before were some message for me, so what kind of message could this be? Could there be something else I have to watch out for? I hope not – whatever that shadow was, it was able to overpower anyone in its path and take them by surprise… just like the attack two days ago.'

Immediately, alarm bells started going off, warning him of impending danger before he heard the sound of boots crunching in snow. It was Gunnar, coming to rouse the dogs for the morning. The sun was barely over the horizon, but they would want to start early if they were to maintain their position in the race. One by one the rest of the team woke up and stretched themselves out.

"Is it mornin' already?" Nikki asked, finishing with a very loud yawn. "It feels like I just lay down."

"Better get used to it Nik, we're going to be running low on sleep for the next little while – more time on the road that way," Kaltag replied, stretching his back and hearing a few pops as everything loosened up back there. "Why can't you be more like Balto over there? He's already up and ready to go."

"'Cause I like my beauty sleep."

"In that case, you definitely need more of it," Star quipped, causing the rest of the team to burst into laughter, while Nikki just grumbled at him. Balto however, was barely listening to his friends' shenanigans. He was anxiously surveying the area, trying to see if there was anything out of place. A quick headcount proved his entire team was accounted for, and looking at a few of the other teams showed nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hey Balto, watcha lookin' at? Youse look like youse ate some bad kibble," Nikki asked.

"I'm just seeing if… did anyone see or hear anything strange last night?"

"Well, Kaltag's snoring was probably loud enough to wake the dead, but other than that, no," Star replied, right before the Chinook cuffed him with his paw.

"What's up, Balto? You look like something's wrong?" Kaltag asked.

"I don't know if it is… it's just a feeling I'm getting," he replied. "Maybe we should take a look around-"

"But we're going to be strapping up and leaving soon!" Kaltag protested. "I know the past couple of days might have freaked you out a bit, but there's nothing wrong today." No sooner had those words been uttered than a yell erupted a short distance away.

"Wanna bet?" Balto replied, before dashing off to investigate. His musher noticed him break away, and called for him to return, but he refused, leaving the man to give chase. He ran towards the voice and found a man holding a tangle of sled harnesses while cursing every nasty word found in the English language. The man's dogs watched him anxiously, and a couple of the harnesses fell from the man's hands to the ground. A quick glance at them showed that they were heavily damaged.

"There you are you crazy mutt! What's gotten into you?" he grumbled, grabbing onto Balto's collar before noticing the other man, who paused his frustrations to watch. "Sorry, my dog just got away on me," he explained.

"You're lucky – by now a runaway would be the least of my problems," the other man replied. "Look at this, what do you see?"

With his hand still on Balto's collar, Gunnar looked over the harnesses. "It looks like those harnesses are all cut up there."

"Not just cut up, look closer," the other man continued, showing one of the breaks in the line. "You see these teeth marks? Something chewed through them – all of them. The lines too – these things are useless now!" Sure enough there were tell-tale marks in the leather lines that looked like something bit down on it – and it definitely wasn't a human. "I don't have any spares and without them, I can't hook my dogs up!"

"Hang on, maybe there's something we can do for ya," Gunnar put in, letting Balto go to help in any way he could.

The news greatly unsettled Balto, as it confirmed his worry. Something else had happened in the night, right under their noses. The storage shed was only a few yards away from where they had been sleeping, so it wouldn't have been much of a stretch for whoever did it to come over and sock them in the night.

"What's with all the hollering?" a voice called behind him. It was Sonya, and judging by her yawn, she had been abruptly awoken by the raised voices. A few other dogs followed, including some from his team as well, all curious to find out what was going on.

"What happened is that someone or something destroyed our supplies," one of the dogs from the affected team replied. "If our owner can't pull together some replacements, then we won't be able to hook up to the sled for the race."

"Surely there's got to be some spares hanging around. You guys will be up and running in no time," a young malamute piped in, but a few dogs shook their heads.

"A small town like this wouldn't be as well equipped as some of the bigger towns. I doubt it if there are any to spare around here," an older dog put in. "I also doubt that the other teams will be able to donate spares because we don't usually carry them – we've got to save as much weight as we can for the race."

"But who would chew up sled harnesses? They certainly don't taste that great," Star asked.

"Yeah, but whatever did it destroyed all of the harnesses," Balto said. "And if all of them are destroyed, then the team can't run… which is probably what they wanted."

The street fell silent with that, with everyone starting to think the same thing before Kaltag broke the quiet. "Are you saying… it was sabotage?"

"It's starting to look that way," Balto affirmed. "The fact that all the harnesses were destroyed shows that this was deliberate. Someone wanted to stop this team from running the race."

"But why?" Sonya asked.

"Isn't it obvious? To knock them out of the race of course," another voice put in. It was Steele, once again late to the scene.

"And to not just knock anyone out of the race, but us, the guys who are currently in first," one of the dogs from the affected team continued. "If we can't run, then all the better for the rest of ya."

"You don't think one of the other dogs here did this, do you?" Sonya asked.

"Heh, it's certainly possible," Steele replied. "These races can be quite competitive, and some might do anything to win."

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd know all about that," Kaltag snidely added, catching Steele's attention.

"And just what do you mean by that?" he grumbled.

"Nothin', nothin'… it's just that I know you well enough to know what you've sometimes done to win," Kaltag added, his expression neutral.

"What, you think I did this?" Steele snapped, baring his fangs. "Why you miserable little fu-"

"Hold it, we don't know for sure that it was one of the dogs here, so we can't start pointing paws at each other," Balto cut in, sensing the tension forming between Kaltag and his former boss.

"You may think that, but the way I see it, anyone here could be a suspect… even you, half-breed," Steele replied, pushing his face right up against Balto's.

"You seem pretty sure about that Steele, but do you have any proof?" Balto countered, not letting Steele's accusation rattle him.

"I don't need any proof; I've never trusted wolves and I never will," he muttered, pushing Balto back a bit before storming off. He made sure to give Kaltag a good shove to the side as well, before stalking off down the street. With that, the rest of the dogs departed, some glancing at others with suspicious eyes. A couple of those suspicious eyes fell on Balto as well, discouraging him. Sonya however, stayed behind, her expression neutral

"Great, it's almost like Steele's wanting to start a witch hunt here," Balto grumbled.

"It's the way he's always done things," Kaltag continued. "He gets everyone worked up to win them to his side, and then uses those who are with him to push back those who aren't. He's probably behind this - doing things to scare dogs and keep them in line."

"Weren't you listening when I said pointing paws won't help us out at all?"

"But it makes sense. He was probably behind the attack two days ago too - why else would he have vanished for so long?" Kaltag retorted.

"There's no way to know if this is related-"

"But we can't trust him! You only know a part of what he's done," Kaltag exclaimed.

"Then why don't you tell us," Sonya added. "If you know Steele the best, then tell us what he's done."

"Lots of things. He's snapped at dogs when they come too close, sometimes he even rams them from the side. Once he forced a team right into a tree, just to get them to back off. And then there's all the stuff he did to you," he explained, turning to Balto. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you how nasty he could get."

"You don't, but when I look back, it doesn't quite fit this," Balto added, taking Kaltag by surprise. "Yes, he could be a bully and yes, he could turn nasty, but a lot of what he did was often spur of the moment. You know as well as I do that Steele was often impulsive – even when he turned on us in the serum run, he was acting only out of anger towards me," he explained. "This… doesn't quite fit him. This required a little thought."

"He's smarter than he looks, though," Kaltag said.

"You both have good points," Sonya added. "He acts before he thinks, but he's not completely stupid. My thinking is that he'd probably be smart enough to not cheat because he'd risk getting caught."

"You never know," Kaltag mumbled, still unconvinced.

"The big question I'm having is whether or not this is connected to what happened the first day of the race," Balto said, shifting gears.

"It might be - that would make this the second team to have to pull out of the race," Sonya said. "The motive's there… but this is a completely different attack. Instead of hurting dogs, it was just supplies this time."

"And since we were all asleep, they certainly would've had the chance to take an easy bite out of one of us," Kaltag continued.

"So we've got a situation where it's either two separate attacks, or they are connected. If they are connected, then it could be anyone around here-"

"Like Steele," Kaltag cut in.

"Hold on, if it is a dog pulling off these attacks, it could just as easily be another one of the dogs running the race," Sonya added.

"Or it could be some wild wolf who's really got it in for sled dogs," Balto continued. "I know it sounds weird to have someone like me saying it, but I've met enough wolves who don't like dogs to know it's possible. Or, these incidents could be completely unrelated, which brings us back to the first question: who destroyed the harnesses?" Kaltag opened his mouth, but Balto was quick to cut him off. "Kal, I know what you're going to say, and we have no proof. Whether it's Steele, or another dog, or something else, we need evidence before we can pin it on something." Kaltag shut his mouth, before slowly nodding.

"I'm sorry to have this trouble happen to ya," they heard Gunnar's voice say a short distance away. He was walking with the musher of the affected team, who looked definitely crestfallen. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do for you?"

"No, you've done all you can. Thanks anyways, but it looks like we'll have to pull out early," the man said. "I just can't understand how this could have happened."

"I wish I had an answer for you too, but for now it looks like it will remain a mystery."

"Yeah… well you should get going, you don't want to lose any time in the race, now do you?"

"Alright, take care," Gunnar finished, before noticing Balto and Kaltag nearby. "C'mon you two, lets get going."

They followed his request, leaving yet another team behind. They may have been competitors, but that didn't mean they were enemies. Rivals maybe, but sled dogs rarely bore ill will towards each other if one ran a better race. The only one that either of them knew that thought that way was Steele, whose drive to win pushed him above all else. He was the type to be the alpha dog in any way he could, and that was why Kaltag was suspicious of his former boss. 'I know you don't want to think Steele's all bad, but it make the most sense!' he thought to himself as the harness was put over him. 'I don't think it could be one of the dogs here. I've talked with them, and even know a few of them from past races. They aren't the types to pull something like this. They're in it more for the thrill than the prize.'

He looked forward as Balto stretched himself to get ready, before being hooked up last. 'Then again, Balto may be right. It could be some wild animal that's doing this… but Steele is much more likely.' Their musher got on the runners of the sled, and Kaltag knew it would almost be time to go. Right before the order was given, he noticed Steele in the corner of his eye, watching them depart. Both dogs looked at each other with a cold expression. The memory of his old lead's betrayal burned fresh, and if he wasn't tied up, it was very likely that he would've charged at him. He'd vowed to never let anything like that happen again, because a lead dog should never turn their back on their team like Steele did to them.

'I don't care if there's proof or not - if there's any chance Steele is behind this, I'm going to stop him. We almost lost our lives two years ago because of him, and that's something I won't ever let happen again.'

----------

Chapter Eight: Tempers Flare

"Could you at least pretend to care about what's going on?"

"It was just a bunch of harnesses."

"But the team needed them to run. Without them, they'll have to pull out of the race too!" Sonya exclaimed, trying to make Steele understand how serious this issue was.

"So? It's just one less competitor to deal with," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Considering how easily you say that, it's no surprise that some suspect you."

"Yeah, I'm actually wondering when Kaltag finally grew a pair big enough to get him to say that to me," he said. "He's probably getting it from Balto - that mutt never did know his place."

"Her-hem," Sonya coughed loudly, shooting him a nasty glance.

"I wasn't talking about you," he protested, but she was still frowning. However, by now he'd grown tired of constantly kissing up to her, and didn't bother with an apology. "Balto's probably doing it just to slander me."

"Actually, it's just Kaltag; Balto still isn't sure himself," she corrected. "Besides, he seems like too nice a guy to do something like that. You'd know that if you actually sat down and talked with him."

Steele just snorted, before mumbling, "Yeah, I'll get right to that when pigs start flying."

There was a pause as the team continued running along the trail. The road to their next checkpoint in Ruby took them along the frozen Yukon River, with a high rising mountain range on one side, and flatter tundra plains on the other. It was truly a sight to behold, with the rugged peaks gradually rising up from the river valley. It was seeing places like these that made Sonya feel truly in touch with her wolf side - this was as untouched as the wilderness could be. Steele on the other hand was more focused on the road, and getting to his eventual prize. A mountain to him was just that - a mountain. He either went over them or around them.

"Are you sure you didn't see or hear anything last night?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Anything at all?"

"No," he stated. "What, don't tell me you think I had something to do with it too?"

"No, I'm just asking because if you did see something, it could help us find out what happened."

"Well I'm sorry, but I didn't. Happy?"

"Happy enough… though I'm wondering why you accused Balto like that."

"I was just thinking out loud," he replied. "Personally, I don't care who or what did it, but if I can make that wolfdog squirm, then why not?"

"So you were just saying it for kicks?" Jake, another husky on the team put in. "Man, that's cold. You know, it looked like a few other dogs believed you too."

"Whatever," Steele said. "As I said, if I can make it harder for him, then all the better for me." No one else said another word, though they were all thinking the same thing. None of them approved of Steele being purposely divisive for his own gain, but the best they could do by now was to simply minimize the damage already done, and hope he wouldn't do anything worse.

The thin layer of snow on top of the frozen river provided enough traction for them to easily grip with their strides, but was also thin enough for the runners of the sled to easily skim along the surface, reducing drag and allowing them to keep an easy pace. This benefited not only them, but every team running that day. Steele knew that somewhere ahead of them was Balto, and wanted nothing more than to charge ahead and shoot past him. Unfortunately, that was impossible for the moment, as Sonya was setting the pace. The best he could do was to make small, almost imperceptible increases in speed that would pass under the radar.

Another team taking advantage of the good trail conditions was close by, and they'd since gotten a second wind, allowing them to make great gains that day. Steele heard them approaching and it instantly made him want to step into overdrive. His first reaction would be to floor the gas and prevent anyone from ever passing him, but that would only happen if Sonya allowed it.

"Sonya, heads up," he said, bringing her attention to them.

"Yes, I see them."

"So… aren't we going to do anything about it?" he asked, his legs itching to work to their full potential.

"We're fine Steele - they may have a bit of a boost, but it won't last," she said as the team inched closer and closer, making him more anxious by the second. He never let anyone pass him before and he wasn't about to start now. His breathing became low growls as the team inched closer and closer, something Sonya quickly noticed. "Don't you dare think about it," she snapped.

"Think about what?" he said, taking another glance at the other team.

"You know what I mean - keep those jaws away from them," she said. He knew she was referring to his tactic of snapping at other dogs in order to trip them up and give him an advantage. She herself had fallen victim to this trick once before, and didn't want that to be repeated. Steele pouted at her resistance - after all, it would give them an advantage - but he didn't want to think about what she might do if he went against her.

The team came up alongside them, but slowed a bit so they could remain level with them. Even though they could have kept going, the lead of the other team instead decided to stick around and chat with Sonya. Steele paid no attention to the conversation; all that mattered to him was that the other team was not taking advantage of all of their speed - a mistake he would make them pay for.

Strewn along the ice were small bits of debris - ice, pebbles and other items pushed around by the gales of winter storms. Sled dogs had to be careful of these because they could be accidentally kicked into another teammate - or a rival team. Seeing them gave him a clever idea. Carefully adjusting his stride, he started to kick whatever he could off to the side. At first all he got was some snow spray, but then he hit the moneyshot - a good-sized piece of ice flew back and hit one of the wheel dogs right between his eyes. The projectile's impact made him lose focus, upsetting their balance and causing them to lose speed. In the distance, they could hear him cursing at another teammate for kicking it up, and the resulting argument persisted as they continued to lag behind.

Sonya looked back, bewildered, but Steele just shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you were right - their boost wouldn't last," he mused, keeping his expression neutral. She gave him a few more curious looks before turning back to the road. It was only when she stopped looking that he broke into a wild grin.

----------

Pulling into Ruby was a welcome sight for the teams, and whenever the sled dogs met, the topic was always the same - the mysterious sabotage of the supplies the previous night. Theories and rumours bounced off each other, some becoming quite ridiculous. No matter what variation you listened to, the same two questions remained: who did it, and whether or not it was connected to the attack on the first day of the race. Because of the multiple rumours going back and forth, everyone was on edge. Dogs watched over their supplies like hawks, making sure no one got too close. Even Sonya's team was taking extra care with their gear. With everyone so tense, Steele knew it would only take a little nudge to set everyone off. All he had to do was cry wolf and everyone would panic, scurrying around like ants. 'Oh that would be fun,' he thought, imagining dogs running into each other, screaming like little pups. They'd probably turn on each other too, accusing each other of being the culprit. It would be chaos and anarchy, and all he would have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.

As tempting as it was, now was not the time for him to start a riot, as he had a slightly more pressing need. Once no one was looking, he darted off and around a building. It had been a long day of running, and he needed something like a tree - really badly.

"Well, well, what's this?" a voice called. "Sneaking off again, are you Steele?"

Steele only wanted to relieve himself, but the tan Chinook was intent on keeping him from that. "Buzz off Kaltag," he replied. "It's a free country - I can go where I want."

"Wow, you're still acting like you own whatever town you're in - it's a wonder I didn't notice this earlier," Kaltag mused, eyeing Steele suspiciously. "But this time, you've been going off on your own quite a bit, and often when something else happens."

"What about 'buzz off' do you not understand?" Steele snapped, his posture becoming more aggressive.

"Alright, I'll go - when you tell me why you're sneaking off like this."

"Oh for goodness sakes, can't a dog take a leak around here, or is that a crime too?"

"I don't know - you're getting awfully defensive-"

"You'd be snippy too if you had to go as much as I do," he grumbled. "If sneaking off is so suspicious, then what about you? What are you doing wandering around yourself?"

"Hey, I was just asking a question – there's no need to turn nasty on me," Kaltag said, his expression still neutral.

"Well you have your answer, so why don't you buzz off and tell your mangy wolfdog friend!" he snapped.

"Alright, I'll go… but I don't want to hear any more lip about him from you," Kaltag retorted. "You'd better smarten yourself up soon, or you might be getting another visit from me… and I won't be as nice as I am now."

"Oh, so that's it now - you're Balto's personal goon! Well why don't you tell that snivelling, cowardly excuse for a mutt that if he wants to take me on, he should do it himself, like a real dog!" Steele challenged, stepping towards Kaltag so that their heads were almost pressed up against each other.

"You shut up! Balto's twice the dog you'll ever be!" he exclaimed, the hair on the back of his neck starting to stand on end.

"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it," Steele continued, deciding to shift gears. "You're just so eager to defend your buddy because you don't want to admit the truth - you're nothing without him."

"What?" Only now did Kaltag's stoic expression break, and Steele knew he'd finally found the right hot button.

"I may not have been in the race last year, but I still know how it ended. You blew it Kaltag," he told. "You blew an easy race, and you know why? Because you're useless!"

"Why you-"

"Yeah, you're useless without me! You always were and you always will be," he continued, hoping to provoke him. "What happened last year just proves that it was always me that won those races, not you and not the team!"

"That's not true - you wouldn't have won those races without our help," Kaltag said, shaking his head, his voice wavering as he tried to maintain his calm. It was as though a smothering cloud was cast over him, making him replay his defeat over again. He remembered how crushed the team was… all because of a bad call he made. Through it all, he imagined Steele laughing at him, mocking him as he always did when he was in Nome.

"I have to admit, Balto's probably trying to be the nice guy by saying that it's all a team effort… but that's because he doesn't want to tell you the harsh truth. He knows it too, he just doesn't want to say it."

"You're lying - he's better than that!"

"You're going to lose Kaltag, and it will be because of you. Mark my words, I'll be the one crossing the finish first, and then they'll see who the real champion is. They'll see that I'm not some has-been; that I'm still the greatest sled dog in Alaska. Even my old owner will see that and when he does, he will take me back. Everything will be back to the way it was, just you wait," he continued, before turning away from him. "And when that happens, not even the wolfdog will be able to save you." With that, he slapped his tail across Kaltag's muzzle, in one of the most humiliating gestures one dog could do to another. And that is what set him off.

With a roar, Kaltag jumped and sank his fangs into Steele's hindquarters. He was going to make Steele pay for everything he put him through, especially for abandoning them on the serum run. He didn't care what anyone would think of him right now – the idea of having Steele return filled him with so much fear that he was driven to do anything to stop it. He would never go back to those days where he was nothing more than expendable to his lead.

Steele anticipated this, and when he felt the sting, he kicked out and caught Kaltag right in the chest. The Chinook coughed after being knocked off, allowing Steele to wheel around and strike back. The blows soon devolved into an all out brawl between them. Snarling, biting and growling filled the alley as the two dogs rolled around, each trying to gain the upper hand.

Despite his strength as a sled dog, Kaltag was not much in the fighting department. Steele easily outweighed him, plus the husky was much more cunning, able to put two strikes in for each one of his. The only thing keeping him going was his unfiltered rage, and after Steele kicked him off once again, the two dogs faced each other down, fire burning in their eyes. Kaltag would make the next move, but as Steele braced himself to meet his charge, a brown blur darted in between them, halting Kaltag's advance.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, stopping both fighters in their tracks, and even scaring a few birds off the roofs of some buildings. It was Balto, his jaw locked and ready to break this fight apart. "What is going on here?"

"Kaltag's nuts! I was just minding my business when he jumped me!" Steele exclaimed.

"Liar! You started it and you know it!" Kaltag retorted.

"I don't care who started it, I'm ending it!" Balto exclaimed, fire in his eyes as he turned his attention to his teammate. "C'mon Kal, we're leaving."

"But - he-" Kaltag's protest was cut off by a stern look from Balto, and that's when he knew the fight was lost. His face fell as he held his head low, following his lead away from the scene, while Steele took in his new victory. He knew that Kaltag was going to get in trouble for this, and that was what he wanted in the first place. 'That dumb dog is going to get it this time - and I get away scot free! Should I go watch him have the riot act read to him? Nah, I've had enough fun for one day. Then again, it serves that idiot right. Going off and trying to slander me like that - maybe now he'll remember to shut up and mind his place in things.'

----------

It was happening again; he was running with everyone across the land, including the stranger. This time, the unknown husky seemed to be trying to tell him something. His mouth was moving, but Balto's ears could barely pick up what he was saying, as though the stranger was talking to him from far away. He tried hard to focus the unknown dog, but his attention would be broken by screaming in the distance. He glanced back and saw the shadow, striking dogs down with impunity. The nightmare had returned, claiming one dog after another. The mysterious husky leapt to defend him once more, but he was no match. Balto was alone again, alone against this terrible threat. He shut his eyes in fear, but the screaming continued, ringing in his ears.

'No, it can't end like this. Help me! Help!'

----------

"Help!"

Balto's eyes snapped open, but the yells were not his own. It was someone else, screaming, begging for anyone to come to his aid. The reaction was instantaneous; he bolted up and charged ahead, determined to help. His sudden movements jolted his teammates awake, and when they heard the yells they leapt into action. They didn't need to ask to know what was going on. They knew another dog was in trouble, but this time would be different. This time they wouldn't be caught unprepared; they would charge ahead and stop the madness once and for all.

'It's happened again,' he thought as he ran, his legs surging him forward, hoping to reach them in time. They expected to arrive in the middle of a fight, able to see who their attacker was, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. The assailant was gone, leaving a trashed team in its wake. Dogs were lying in the ground, moaning in pain and nursing fresh wounds. Somehow, their attacker had snuck up on them, before delivering quick, but damaging blows to them. Deep cuts and bites oozed on several of the dogs, mainly around their necks. Several had leg wounds as well, and a couple looked like the bone had been broken too. Those that didn't have any wounds to lick were either trying to help the injured, or were too scared to do anything. Who could blame them - they'd been attacked by something that came out of nowhere, inflicted serious harm and then left just as suddenly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It… went… that way," one dog said, wincing from the pain in a deep shoulder wound. "It's… still close." With that, a surge of adrenaline pumped through his body. The assailant was nearby, and they had to take a chance to catch it. Three incidents were three too many in his book, and they would have to be stopped one way or another.

"Alright, Nikki and Dale, you're with me! Everyone else, try to help the team, and see if you can get any more clues," Balto instructed, and they all nodded. The Chow and malamute were the two biggest dogs on the team, meaning he'd have all the muscle he needed to catch the assailant. They started down the alley, and he couldn't help but smile when lights started to come on in the houses. More people awake meant more light to see, and more eyes to search with.

Turning a corner, they heard the voices of a few other dogs. They were also taking part in the search, but seemed to have hit a dead end. "He's got to be somewhere around here," one voice said.

"Can we help?" Balto offered, catching their attention.

"I don't know, the scent trail here is all messed up," the malamute replied. "It was definitely here, but it's like the trail vanishes."

"Hang on, maybe I can see something from higher up," he suggested, before heading towards some crates. The boxes were stacked against a wall, arranged such that they formed a rough staircase to the roof. Most dogs wouldn't think about anything like this, but Balto was one who thrived running along the rooftops of Nome. He scaled the boxes before peeking along the surface of the roof. His eyes panned to the side, when he found that there was someone already up there. He almost missed it, but when the double-take hit, he saw how the trail had suddenly vanished.

Perched on the roof was an unknown figure, the dark obscuring everything except its outline. When his gaze locked onto it, both froze. Neither expected to see the other, and as the shadow went on alert, Balto's heart jumped when he saw it had a very similar profile to the shadow from his dream. It didn't take him long to realise that he was staring down the one behind all of these attacks, and it had been right above his head only moments ago. It easily could have jumped them if it wanted to.

The moment only lasted a moment before the shadow darted away, flying along the rooftops to escape him. "Hey!" he called out, before pursuing the shadow, clambering onto the roof to give chase. The other dogs heard his cry and tried to follow him from the ground. The assailant would have to climb down at some point, and they hoped to catch him when it did.

Across snow-covered rooftops and the gaps between them, Balto and his quarry sailed along. All that mattered to him was catching the assailant, an instinctual drive similar to the one felt by a wolf on the hunt. This shadow was his prey, and if it slipped away again, who knew what it would do afterwards. It swerved and zigzagged along the rooftops, trying to throw him off, but he still gained on it. He was getting so close, his heart racing as he anticipated the moment where he would catch it, ending the hunt. Up and down the sloping surfaces of the roofs they went, with his prey appearing and disappearing with every peak they cleared. Seeing his prey disappear sent a jolt through him that was only relieved when he saw it reappear on the other side. This went on for longer than Balto kept track of, his sense of time lost with his determination to catch the culprit. He jumped another gap, his claws digging into the shingles as he scaled yet another slope, but… his quarry was nowhere to be found. He saw no prints on the next roof, or any sign of its retreating tail.

Once again, it was gone as soon as it'd arrived. Balto initially feared a surprise attack before reason hit him - it had jumped down in a bid to escape. They'd long left his backup behind, meaning it would have a clear dash to escape the town. His eyes darted every way, desperate to catch the suspect. He scanned up and down streets and alleys, before he saw it, a dark shadow right below him. Without a second thought, Balto lined himself up and jumped. This was the make or break time, when he would either catch the fiend or let him get away. He made no sound on his jump, only braced himself for the impact that the one below never saw coming.

The fact that he landed on something soft told him he'd hit his target, which let out a startled yelp on impact. He quickly got up and looked at what he'd caught, but he was in for a surprise, and feared that he'd jumped the wrong suspect… or that the real culprit was someone he didn't want to suspect.

That was because, lying on the ground beneath him, was Steele.

----------

Chapter Nine: Keep Friends Close, and Enemies Closer

The barking and howling of the dogs was enough to wake the entire town, and there were even a few who swore something had been running across their roofs. It didn't take then long to find the wounded dogs, and as the humans tended to the injured, the others gathered to spread the news. As before, rumours and stories started bouncing back and forth, with many conflicting reports. Some thought one attacker, some thought many. Some thought it escaped into the wilderness; others thought it doubled back and was hiding in town, while one thought the culprit was sitting right with them.

They gathered in an unused harbour station by the frozen river. Ruby was another town in Alaska that sprang up due to the discovery of gold in the north. Its position on the Yukon River meant it was a vital supply stop for ships going between the other river towns and the end of the rail line in Nenana. However, much like Nome's harbour, the winter ice locked up the river, shutting it down until the spring.

Balto was trying to take accounts from two different dogs, a task made difficult by the fact that they were arguing with each other over whether it came from the east or the west. Beside him, Kaltag lay down, silently staring across the room. His eyes were locked on Steele, who was telling his own account to his team. Through the background noise, only snippets of what was saying reached his ears, but he distinctly remembered him describe 'some dumb wolfdog jumping him' and growled a bit.

'You're just trying to cover your ass because you got caught,' he thought to himself. 'If it was me, we wouldn't be wasting time with this discussion. We'd be getting right to the point – why you got caught in the act.'

Realizing he wasn't going to get anything more useful from these two, Balto dismissed them before getting everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone listen a moment," he called, and the room fell silent. "I know we've had a rough night-"

"That's putting it lightly."

"But luckily for us, the dogs that got hurt were the only ones who were. Everyone else is safe and accounted for," he continued.

"How do you know? What if the attacker is still in town?" a scruffy looking husky-cross asked. "No one knew where it went."

"That's because it was running on the rooftops, not the streets," Sonya replied. "Balto saw it up there, and when it ran, it was running towards the edge of town, right?" she asked, and Balto nodded. He'd been only a block away from the outskirts when he jumped down and accidentally landed on Steele.

"That's right, and you can also rest easy, because everything indicates that it was only one attacker, acting alone," Balto continued. "Any rumours of a whole pack of wolves charging in have been greatly exaggerated."

"I can vouch for that too. Trust me, we've seen what a whole pack can do, and what's happening here is nowhere near as bad as that," Kaltag continued, remembering the time when he and Balto had to defend Nome from a pack of wolves after a sled team had unwittingly violated their territorial boundaries.

"I heard Balto caught someone!" a younger Chinook piped in, and the room was soon filled with excited muttering.

"Yeah Steele, what do you have to say about that?" Kaltag continued, eager to see his old boss put under the microscope.

"Hey, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time!" the larger husky replied. "I was trying to chase down the culprit like everyone else, and I would've succeeded had some dumb mutt not jumped on my head."

"I told you before, I'm sorry. It was dark, and I didn't have time to judge whether or not it was you or someone else," Balto shot back.

"But what if it is Steele?" the husky-cross piped in. "What if he's doing this to cheat!"

An uproar started to form as the thought of a former champion cheating started to spread like wildfire. Not everyone knew the full story of what happened with the serum run, or some only knew bits and pieces, and the different stories started flying around, crashing into each other on the way. Balto knew if he didn't restore order soon, things could get ugly very fast. "QUIET!" he howled, regaining their attention. "I know it looks bad, but we can't start laying blame unless someone actually saw Steele do something," he urged. "So, does anyone want to speak up, because I'm all ears." The silence that followed only proved his point further. Satisfied he'd calmed things down, he decided to continue with his speech. Kaltag on the other hand was a little disappointed – he wanted to see Steele put on trial not just for this, but for everything he'd done in the past.

"Now then, we know it's one attacker, and it probably isn't one of us," he said, making a quick glance towards Kaltag. "The chain of events during the race is also making me think that they're all related," he continued. "The first attack, the destroyed harnesses, and now this – one or two incidents can be brushed off as random, but not three. These are connected – the same wolf or whatever it is was behind all of them."

"Are you saying that something's targeting us?" the young Chinook asked. "Why?"

"I don't know," Balto sombrely admitted. "I haven't heard of anything like this before. The pattern suggests it's a lone wolf, acting without a pack, but to do this would require them to follow us for a hundred miles each day just to make a quick strike. While wolves are certainly capable of running that distance, it's very unusual for them to do so. Even lone wolves prefer to stay within a home range because that's where their food is; they'd only leave if they needed more prey to hunt."

"How could one wolf do all this, without anyone noticing until it's too late?" Jake asked.

"Well, they'd have to be strong, fast and smart, all of which are qualities you'd need if you had to survive alone," Balto replied. "This wolf is certainly able to take down sled dogs quickly and easily - which I've seen before - and it's certainly clever enough to know how to move quietly and even get onto rooftops."

"So you're absolutely sure it's a wolf, then?" the older dog queried.

"It's the best explanation I've got. I couldn't see much either, but what I saw was definitely a large canine. If anyone has a better idea, I'm open," the room was silent, meaning that for now the wolf theory was going to stay. "Look, I know we're all rattled, but we're going to need our sleep to continue the race," he urged. All present agreed, and started to mill out one by one. As if reading each other's minds, Kaltag and Balto both stayed behind, waiting until everyone else was out of earshot.

"I know you have your doubts, and I'll admit I have mine too," Balto started. "But inciting a riot is not the best way to deal with this."

"Well how else do you think we should deal with it?" Kaltag shot back. "So far all you've done is dance around when everything's pointing towards Steele. I mean, he's always missing when the attacks happen, and something like this is right up his alley. Don't you remember what he did to us on the serum run?"

"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just look the other way while you try to satisfy some personal vendetta," he said.

"But this is Steele we're talking about! You said yourself that he hasn't changed much," Kaltag said, starting to pace around the room. "And then - and then there was everything he said about us yesterday. He said we were nothing because of how we lost last year."

"Kal, you can't let a little trash talk from him rattle your nerves-"

"Easy for you to say - you weren't the one with everyone's hopes on your shoulders," he retorted. By now his breathing was rapid, and Balto could tell that there was much more behind this than just the attacks.

"No, but what happened last year has nothing to do with what's going on today. I'm not disputing that it could be Steele, but we can't do anything until we have proof," Balto said. "We shouldn't act rashly before we know for sure."

"Really? What will it take for you to be sure?"

"The only sure way is to either have more than one dog see him doing something fishy, or to catch him in the act ourselves," Balto explained, maintaining his calm.

"But at what cost?" Kaltag countered. "How many more dogs will have to suffer before we finally do catch him? You've seen how sneaky the attacks have been. Even if we wanted to catch him, he could go through a dozen teams before we finally do. We can stop a repeat of the serum run, here and now."

"I understand you want to protect everyone else, because that's what I want too-"

"Then why don't we just do it? We grab Steele, and hammer what he knows out of him."

"Are you listening to yourself? If we did that, we'd be no better than common thugs!"

"The moral high ground isn't going to win this against Steele - it never did!"

"But what if you're wrong?" he countered, catching Kaltag off guard. "What if we do what you say, take Steele down, but it turns out it isn't him? What then? The attacker would still be out there, and it'd still be able to hurt other dogs." That rendered Kaltag speechless, and Balto knew that now he was finally getting through to him. Now he could try a much gentler approach to win him back over. "Kal, c'mon, it's me; your best friend. Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice soft, but easy to understand in the silence.

"I do… but I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Kaltag replied, his voice low while he looked down at the ground. "I don't want what happened to us to be repeated. I don't want any other dogs to suffer because of some sleazy, cheating, low-life scumbag."

"I don't either, but laying blame won't solve it," Balto continued. "It never has, and I know because I've been on the receiving end of it. Don't you remember what Steele used to do to me? He always blamed me for every little trouble in Nome, and that left me so bitter and frustrated I almost lost it. Doing the same to him could actually make him more dangerous than he already is. I know you want closure, but persecuting him could just end up repeating another mistake from the past instead of avoiding it."

There was a pause, as Kaltag screwed up his face as he thought it over. It looked like he might finally turn, but his muzzle soon curled into a frown, as he glared at Balto. "Is that how you see me? Just using him as a scapegoat, like I'm no better than him!"

"No, I-"

"Save it! I thought I'd earned your trust, that'd you actually listen to me, but I guess I was wrong!" he snapped. While his voice was trying to convey mostly anger, his slight waver told Balto he was just using that to hide the pain and hurt underneath. "Maybe Steele was right - I don't matter because you're the lead now. You get what you want, no matter what… but when Steele comes after you next, don't come crying to me!" Without another word, he stormed off, leaving behind a very defeated Balto.

'As if the attacks weren't enough, now I've got a potentially mutinous teammate on my paws. What am I going to do now?'

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Sleep was of little comfort that night, and the morning after between Kaltag and Balto was quite subdued as well. Neither said a word to each other, and the team thought it best to not get involved. Kaltag was still fuming when they got the harnesses on, but Balto wanted to wait until he'd had cooled off. That way, any olive branch he extended would be accepted instead of possibly swatted away.

The next leg of the race would be the last on the Yukon River before they hit the town of Nulato. Their path wound side to side with the river, the winter chill forming a thick layer of ice. Despite the rigidity of the ground beneath their feet, Balto still kept a keen watch out for any holes they could become mired in. The last thing any of them wanted was to be dunked into ice-cold water. Despite the attention needed on the road, his mind still wandered. 'There's got to be some way I can mend this. I can't have one of my teammates angry with me; that's not how a team is supposed to run,' he thought as they ploughed ahead, circling around a small island in the river. 'Or maybe I'm in way over my head. I'm trying to shoulder too many burdens at once again. Can I deal with everything at once, or is this something that really is beyond what I can handle?' he wondered. His mind went in circles trying to find an ideal solution, but nothing came up that could solve everything.

'I'm fighting on too many fronts here, one of which is one I shouldn't have to fight at all,' he thought, looking back at his team. Normally by now they'd be making small talk, or swapping stories of past runs, and just having a blast together. Now, there was only uncomfortable silence. Kaltag just focused on the road ahead, not even looking directly at him as he eased them into turns around corners and other obstacles. Their solid, early advantage, combined with the fact that some teams had already pulled out, meant that they were now in third position, and closing in on second. They needed only to maintain this pace, slide behind the leader, before putting in the burst of speed they'd been saving their energy for in order to take first. However, that was assuming that they would all be running their best, which wouldn't happen if this foul mood persisted. The rest of the team were much more subdued around Kaltag, as though they were afraid he would snap at any provocation.

'Normally, I'd tell them to leave their bad mood at home, but I don't think Kaltag's in the mood for a pep talk,' he thought. 'It's not like I'm not concerned about this, but he's letting his anger towards Steele cloud his mind to any other outcome. He won't be satisfied until his former boss is put in stocks, but I can't let him loose on Steele. I mean, he's saying we should beat it out of him, when all we'd really need to do is just watch him and see what he does-' At that moment, a new thought popped into his head. It was something so brilliant and simple that it actually excited him enough to speed up his running a bit. He now had a plan that would not only keep the dogs safe from a possible attack, but could also help prove whether or not Steele was truly behind this.

----------

"A neighbourhood watch?"

"Yes – we shouldn't just be lying around in case the attacker comes back again tonight," Balto affirmed. He'd just explained the idea to the dogs after they all arrived in Nulato, and while most seemed keen on the idea, there were a few who seemed sceptical. "We'll work in pairs and keep a watch on every entrance to the town. That way, we'll know when it's coming, no matter where it comes from."

"Now hang on, if we only have teams of two, that might be spreading us a little thin. I mean, this wolf was able to take on an entire team. What chance will two have?" one of the older dogs asked.

"I know it's risky, which is why we'll have a multi-layered defence; an outer layer to watch the outskirts and an inner layer to protect those who don't want to be part of the watch," he explained. "It helps that we're in a small town, which means less ground to defend. That, and the job of the watch is not to fight, but to raise the alarm and signal for backup. We can only take on this attacker if we're all alert and together."

"I won't lie to you – even with this, there is still a danger to yourself," he cautioned. "You don't have to volunteer if you don't want to. The way I figure it, we'll need only two to three from each team. You can pick your partner yourself, and choose a watch point. Remember to watch carefully, and if you see something coming, howl as loud as you can, but don't try to be a hero. Raise the alarm and retreat to where backup is – I don't want anyone else getting hurt if they don't need to be."

With that, volunteers started to trickle in. Most were the bulkier of the dogs, able to hold their own in a fight, but there were a few lean ones who could sprint away quickly if needed. As expected, Steele quickly stepped forward, holding his head high, ready for anything, while Sonya accompanied him. "I've gotta hand it to you Balto, you sure know how to rally the troops," he said. "At least someone's bothering to do something about this – instead of just spreading slander," he growled, leering at Kaltag. The Chinook snorted back, refusing to dignify that comment.

"So, I suppose 'Captain Amazing' and I will take one of the outer watches, right?" Sonya asked, causing Steele to scoff.

"Actually, if it's okay with you, I was hoping that Steele and I could work together on this," Balto asked.

"Really?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him, before adding, "Well, if you want him to be your problem tonight, then be my guest." While Sonya was eager to have some time away from Steele, not everyone was eager for this arrangement.

"What? Why him?" Kaltag exclaimed. Balto knew there would probably be some confusion, so he took him aside to explain himself. "Look boss, I know you want to catch the culprit, but why work with Steele? If he is behind this, he certainly isn't going to do anything when he knows everyone's watching."

"Which only benefits us – that would mean that there wouldn't be any attack on the town," Balto replied.

"So now you finally believe me?"

"I didn't say that. I still want to find some concrete proof, but I'm not going to get it without covering all my bases," Balto said. "I still think it's a wild wolf, and hopefully this way we can catch it."

"Even if Steele isn't behind this, he might still sock ya just for kicks," Kaltag said. "C'mon, you're the lead dog, and shouldn't do something so stupid, so foolish, so risky-"

"Yes, it is risky - which is why I would never ask anyone else to put themselves in the line of fire like that," he replied. "I admire your concern, but I have my reasons for this. All I'm asking is that you trust me on this one."

"Fine… I suppose I can work with Sonya then," Kaltag said, albeit reluctantly. "Anything else?"

"Just one request. I'd appreciate if you gave Steele and us some space. I don't want to risk you two getting into another scuffle," he said.

"Fine," he said, turning back to join Sonya. As he did, Balto couldn't help but overhear him mutter, "Doesn't even trust me to watch his back anymore."

'It's not that I don't trust you Kal, but I need Steele alone if I'm going to get anything out of him,' Balto thought, turning to face Steele. 'Alirght, let's see what's going on in that head of yours.' Steele had accepted the arrangement, but judging by the frown on his muzzle, he didn't enjoy it. "So, what do you say we go to that small hill just outside of town? It'll give us a good view of the river if anything comes down it," he suggested.

"Sure, whatever," Steele shrugged. While Balto was relieved with Steele's compliance, it still intrigued him. He didn't think him one to take orders from a half-wolf so easily, but he suspected his time with Sonya might have something to do with it. They walked quietly before finding the hill, and Balto lay down on his belly, resting his legs after a good, long day of work. Steele however just sat upright, refusing to relax around Balto.

"So, you've been running with Sonya for a couple years now. What's it like?" Balto asked, hoping to break the ice.

"It's okay. She can get annoying sometimes, so I just annoy her back," he grumbled. "I don't like it, but it's all I've got thanks to you."

'He still blames me for what happened. Then again, I probably should've expected that,' he thought, deciding to switch topics. "Look, we can argue about who did what all night, but that won't get us anywhere. What happened, happened, and we can't change it."

"That's what you think. Just you wait, I'll win this race and be on top again. Right now, that's what's most important to me."

"Alright… may I ask why?"

"Excuse me?" Steele snapped, looking at him incredulously.

"I'm just curious about you, that's all," Balto said. "Everyone's got a reason for running in the derby, so what's yours?"

"Just where do you get off asking things like that?" he barked back. "Why do you always have to stick your nose into things that don't concern you?"

"Just because they don't concern me doesn't mean I can't try to help," Balto replied calmly. "I can understand wanting to stay out of things that don't affect you, but sometimes you can't just stay to the side. Sometimes, you have to jump in because if you don't at least try to help… things could get bad very quickly, to the point where they will start to affect you," he explained, before adding, "And you still haven't answered my question."

Steele thought his words over, racking his brains for a good reason. "Well… why wouldn't I? I mean, I'm the best racing dog out there. I can run circles around any dog in the world," he replied. "From the start I've always been the best. I was the first of my siblings to get on a team, then the youngest lead dog in town. I won my first race, and all other races after that. I've never had anything else than best."

"It sounds to me like being a champion is the only thing you've ever known."

There was a pause, before Steele started to chuckle. "Heh, you think you're so clever don't you? Although… I suppose you're right. No matter what, I got what I wanted as long as I focused and kept at it. There, does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Balto nodded, while thinking, 'In more way than one. None of these words sound like they're from a deliberate cheater - just someone determined to get what they wanted, and I think most of us here can relate to that.'

"So what about you, wolfdog?" he asked, breaking the silence. "What brought you out here?"

"Puppyhood dream," he replied without hesitation. "I've always wanted to run in a sled race like my father used to, and now I got the chance to live it out."

"Alright… but after you run the race, what then? You'd already have lived your dream."

Now it was Balto's turn to be stumped. "You know, I really don't know. I haven't thought about it much… I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

The two were silent after that, with Balto starting to wonder what he could do with himself after this race. The night wore on, and the featureless landscape started to wear on them. Steele let out a yawn, but refused to fall asleep. He took a quick look at Balto, and saw the wolfdog's eyes were shut, and he was snoring softly. 'Wow, here he is being such a bigshot hero, and yet he's asleep on the job,' Steele thought, and the fact they were alone stoked a very tempting thought in him. 'Stupid mutt - I should kick his tail for lazing about on the job. Or even better, I'll get back at him for everything ruining me. There's no way I'm letting a wolfdog like him take my prize.' As the anger built, he stood up, towering over the sleeping Balto. He growled softly as a whole multitude of violent ideas sped through his head, but at the last second, he wavered. No matter what, if he did anything they would know it was him. They'd turn on him, and Sonya would probably tell his team his secret. He'd be torn apart, cast out, and would lose any chance of regaining his glory.

He didn't like to admit it, but he was no longer the top dog around here. He couldn't turn a crowd around like before, nor did he have as many friends to back him up. Even if he did get away with it, he would still be the second dog on the team. Nothing would change for him. He sat back down, and turned back towards the river. 'What's the point? Sonya's going to get the prize anyways if we win… no, we will win! They have me around, and I'm certainly not going to let that smug Balto take it. The champion collar is the one thing he didn't take from me, and I'm not going to let him have it!'

He failed to notice it, but beside him, a small smile started to form on Balto's muzzle. The half-wolf was quite aware of what was going on, and when he heard Steele calm down instead of striking him, it helped prove something he thought right. 'Good boy Steele. Now let's see if you can stay through the entire night.'

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Chapter Ten: A Victory on the Home Front

And so through the night the dogs waited, waited and waited. Some were kept alert by their anxiety, while others started to doze from the monotony. Balto was part of the former, and while his eyes were close, his ears were carefully trained on Steele to see how he would act. The minutes ticked by, but Steele stayed rooted to the spot, watching and waiting through the dark night. Finally, the morning sun started to rise, and another day began without incident. Going the whole night without any attack was a huge relief. A quick check showed that all of their supplies were accounted for, and for the first time in days, the teams were less on edge. The danger had passed and now they could go back to focusing on what was important - running the race.

"So what do youse think? Did we finally shake whatever was chasin' us?" Nikki asked.

"Unless it decided to take the day off, we might have," Balto replied.

"Or maybe the culprit just knew they were being watched," Kaltag added. "C'mon boss, you have to admit it - the one time nothing happens is the one time you've got the prime suspect under your eye. Doesn't that strike you as fishy at all?"

"Are you sure he was under my eye? After all, it was a long night, and I may have… nodded off," he replied with a wink.

"Wait a minute - youse actually let your guard down around him?" Nikki queried.

"No, but if I was going to catch him doing anything, I had to make him think I was," Balto replied. "It's actually quite easy to pretend to fall asleep; even though my eyes were closed, my ears heard all. I gave Steele the opportunity he would need to pull something off, but he didn't take them. He stayed at his post all night, never making any move against me or anyone else," he explained, turning to Kaltag. "So, what do you think about that?"

"It does weaken my case a bit, doesn't it?" Kaltag admitted. "I don't know… it just seems too easy. He could've seen through your bluff or something like that. I know what you're trying to do, but even if he stayed up every night, I don't think I'd trust him."

"I never said you had to," Balto replied. "All I ask is that you have a little more faith in what I'm saying."

"Okay… at least you tried to see if it was him," he conceded.

"That's right, and for the record, I do not think you're as bad as Steele," Balto added. "At worst, you leap before you think, but that's just because you follow your instincts. There's nothing wrong with that."

Kaltag gave a few glances towards him, but didn't respond. He was torn between his frustration with Steele, and wanting to make amends with Balto. He knew he shouldn't have blown up like he did two nights ago, but he couldn't ignore that he still suspected Steele of wrongdoing. Balto could tell he was still making up his mind, and decided against pushing him further. If Kaltag wanted to apologise, he would let him do it when he was ready.

Still, the truce between them was enough to improve their moods, which was a victory in Balto's book. He needed everyone firing on all cylinders and running as one if they were going to conquer their next challenge. As they got into their harnesses, they saw the mountains looming in the distance - the Nulato Hills. In spite of the name, they were anything but - the mountains towered over them and stretched father than any of them could see to the north and south. They acted as a natural barrier between the Alaskan Interior and the Seward Peninsula, and were known for their fierce storms. Balto himself remembered the storm he had to run through to find the team on the serum run. Once again he would be running through this pass, but now he trusted his wolf senses; they wouldn't get lost this time.

Once they were together, the call was given and they bolted forward. They passed by Steele and Sonya on their way out, with Kaltag glad that they were still ahead of them. To lose again would be one thing, but to lose to his former boss would probably have been too much to handle. Their path took them straight across the flat plain surrounding Nulato towards some foothills. They aimed for a valley, one of many that snaked through the range. It was these valleys that were the hardest challenge of the Derby - they formed a natural maze in the mountains, and one wrong turn would easily send them way off course. They'd heard a story of one team that had become so turned around in the mountains that they emerged too far south of where they supposed to be. What they thought was the land past the mountain range was actually the frozen sea ice of Norton Sound. Fortunately, their path took them back to land - but they ended up in the town of Stebbins instead of Nome, clear on the other side of the sound.

It was here that Balto focused as much as he could, keeping track of their heading like a hawk. They needed to be heading roughly west towards the town of Koyuk without straying too far south or north. For the moment, he was using the scent trails of the two teams ahead of them for guidance, but he knew he couldn't rely on them forever. There was the chance that they could pass them and take the lead, along with the chance that the other teams could stray off the path. He couldn't get caught in a false trail, so it would end up being a game of whether or not to trust the signs in front of him.

There was almost no sound in the mountain pass until about half an hour into their journey, when something caught his ears. "Hold on, what's that?" he said, perking his ears up to catch the sound.

"What is it?" Star asked.

"Hang on, its-" Balto said, focusing on the noise until it made his stomach jump. It was the barking and yelps of dogs in distress. 'No, it can't be. Please don't let it happen again,' he thought as he dashed forward to follow the noise. "C'mon, it's this way!" he called, taking them down a new pathway. Despite their musher's attempts to get them to turn around, the team refused, charging towards the cries for help. Applying the brakes didn't help, because the dogs just pulled against them. 'Please don't let it be another attack,' Balto pleaded. 'I can handle it if they're just caught in a ditch or got hurt in a fall, but if it's yet another attack… then we're not even safe in the daytime.'

The path gave way to a clearing, surrounded by hills on all sides. Kassen finally stomped on the brake hard enough to wrench them to a halt, but they were now close enough to see the scene before them. On the other side of the depression was another team, and at a glance it looked like two of the dogs were simply fighting with each other. Fights between sled dogs were not unheard of, but a second look revealed that one of the attackers was not a dog at all. It wore no collar, and was much larger than any of the other dogs. It was clearly not one of the team, and even though they were at a distance, they could tell it was a wolf.

After days of chasing, questions and false trails, they finally got a good look at the cause of all their grief over the course of the race. The wolf had jet-black fur, confirming previous descriptions, and was definitely stronger. Balto's theory had been right - this wolf was definitely a loner, it's strong body honed in order to survive without the aid of a pack. It exchanged blows with the dog it was grappling with, the two of them on their hind legs as they locked onto each other with their jaws, each was putting up their best fight. The wolf had the dog's neck locked in its teeth, and the lack of air was starting to weaken it. Soon the dog fell as well, joining another comrade on the ground who had probably been taken out on the first surprise attack.

The rest of the team was still fighting against their harnesses, some trying to charge at the wolf, with others trying to flee. The wolf continued its assault on the dog he'd knocked over, obviously intent on finishing it off, but it didn't count on one thing. The team's musher was still present, and was not about to let his dogs fall if he couldn't do anything about it. The attack had happened so fast, that by the time he'd gotten into his supplies to find something to defend himself with, the second dog had already been felled. Just as the wolf tried to rip out its throat, the human pulled the thick club from the cargo bed. In one motion, he struck a hard blow across its head, knocking it off.

Through all this, Balto and the team were barking their heads off, straining against their harnesses in an attempt to charge forward. They wanted to help the stricken team, but the foot on the brake held them back. The wolf was dazed by the blow, but was quick to recover. Snarling, it turned its attention right on the human. The man reared up for another strike, but that only gave the wolf an opening to lunge and sink its fangs into his forearm. Sharp teeth pierced right through his coat and into his skin, causing him to cry out in pain as the jaws threatened to crush his bones. The wolf had locked onto the arm with the club, rendering the man unable to strike back with it. His only option was to punch at the wolf with his free hand, but that had little effect. The wolf's greater power meant it could pull the man down with it, and soon the two were rolling around the snow, the man trying to get the beast off him.

It was obvious this wolf was much bolder than average, but even when a wolf did turn on a human it was only when provoked. Instead, this wolf was attacking first, making it far more dangerous than expected. The attack on the human finally snapped Kassen out of his daze, and he started to rummage through his own supplies. Despite their wishes, he was not about to let his own dogs loose for fear they might get hurt, or run off and never return. Fortunately, he was a little more prepared than the man with just a club. It took him only a minute to pull out the silver revolver, already loaded, and cock the hammer. The way the wolf and the other man were rolling meant it would be too risky to aim for the wolf, so his first shot was aimed high. It went off into the air, the thunderous crack echoing across the hills around them.

While the wolf obviously had no fear of dogs, men or clubs, it bolted up at the sound of the gunshot, releasing the man from his hold. It's head snapped towards them, and briefly locked gazes with Balto. From the distance, he could tell the wolf was snarling at him, a gesture he returned as Kassen took aim. The gaze lasted only a second, before the wolf turned tail and ran from the gun pointed at it. The second shot just missed it, sending a spray of snow up behind it, but just before it turned a corner, a third shot was fired. This one managed to graze the target, not enough to harm it, but still enough to sting its hindquarters before it disappeared down another valley. The danger had passed, so now their attention could turn to the injured team. The brake was released and Balto trotted forward, wanting to know more behind this latest attack.

"Hey, shouldn't we be trying to track that wolf down?" Kaltag asked. "If we went after it now, we could probably chase it down and end this once and for all."

"We might not be able to with a fully loaded sled behind us," Bato replied. "We'd need to be out of the harness to have any hope of chasing it. Right now we should focus on the hurt. They need the help more than we need to catch this wolf," he explained as they came up alongside the team. The dog whom had grappled with the wolf was slowly getting up while his teammates tried to rouse the other one who'd been knocked out in the attack.

"Here, let me help you out there," Gunnar said as he got off the sled and extended his arm to the other man.

"Thanks. It's good thing you came otherwise I don't know what would've happened," the man said, cradling his injured arm.

"You can thank Balto for that one - I guess he heard your dogs and decided to come to the rescue," Gunnar said, patting Balto's head. "Yeah, that's a good boy."

"And not a moment too soon. It all happened so quickly. One second we're running along the trail, and then bam! It jumps right on top of my team and tears through them before I can react. The dogs are one thing, but coming after me? I just hope that thing isn't rabid!"

"Well here, let me look at your arm," Gunnar offered, and the man pulled up his sleeve to examine the wound. "It's not too deep, and I'm not seeing any foam or anything else. It looks like your coat took most of the teeth," he said, noting how the sleeve was now in tatters. "Having something that strong bite ya is sure to smart for a while, but it could have been a lot worse. Still, I'm no professional, so you probably should get that looked after by a doc."

"I know… the team needs some care too… so much for the race."

"Hey, just be glad you got out of here with your life," Kassen offered him, "There's always next year."

The man nodded in agreement, before starting to look over his team. While the men had been talking, Balto was quick to ask the dogs what they saw, which turned out to be nothing more than what their musher did. The wolf came from nowhere and was able to dispatch them quickly before being scared off. They were beaten, but not broken; however they would still have to turn back to get medical attention for their human. It wasn't as bad as other attacks, but it still meant that there was another team that had to pull out of the race because of them.

As they started to limp home, Balto's attention could now turn back to the race. Their musher didn't know everything they knew, so his main concern was getting back on the road and making up for the time they lost. The order was given and they bolted forward, their energy hiding the fact that they were all troubled by the attack. Along the road, Balto could smell faint traces of blood, which came from the small red dots in the snow. The trail gave him a boost; they now had an easy way to track the assailant and find it. He wasn't going to let another attack happen again. The team felt his pull through the harness and joined in, each eager to end the threat to their fellow sled dogs.

However, the wishes of his dogs went unnoticed by their musher. He knew the path he wanted to follow, but that path would not be the one the assailant took. That fact would become evident when they stopped at a fork in the road, and Balto took a sniff. "C'mon, Haw boy!" he called, ordering them to the left. The scent however went to the right, and at this Balto whined, facing that way. "C'mon, get on by that, and haw!" he yelled again, more insistent this time. Despite his doubts, Balto knew better than to disobey the directions of their musher. So, they took the left, losing the trail, but that only strengthened Balto's resolve to find it again.

----------

"He's gettin' bolder that's for sure," Nikki said. "I mean, attackin' in broad daylight isn't exactly subtle."

"And going after a human too – this guy obviously has no fear," Star added.

"He's definitely stepping up his attacks, but if there's any silver lining from today, it's this," Balto continued. "We now have a clearer picture of what's doing this, and I got his scent off the blood from his wound. If he shows up again, not only will we know, but if the wind is with us we'd have some advance warning for when that wolf comes."

"So I guess it's official, huh?" Kaltag added. "It's not Steele, or any of the dogs doing this - it's that wolf and it always was."

"That's right," Balto affirmed. Kaltag was quiet as he shuffled his paws, before he started to say what he knew had to be said.

"Look, uh, I'm sorry if I got a little snappy with you earlier," he apologised. "It's just… I suppose it was just having Steele around and it opened up some old wounds-"

"No need to say anymore," Balto cut in. "I know that you and Steele didn't have the best relationship before, and if I was I your position, I might've thought the same."

"But I took it out on you when you were just trying to be careful," he said. "I wanted so badly to turn things around on him, but that just made me lose focus, didn't it?"

"Maybe, but truth be told, I'd rather have you share your concerns with me than keep them bottled up. I'm glad you felt secure enough to tell me your thoughts. I may not have agreed entirely, but I was listening to you. I just didn't think the action you wanted was the right one," he replied. "And the same goes for everyone else here, too."

"In that case, then can we do something about Kal's snoring - it's starting to give me nightmares," Star quipped, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Kaltag just gave him a playful shove, but the collective mirth helped break the hold of what had been a very stressful few days. Balto was glad that no matter what, he, Kaltag and the team were always able to pull through together. The Chinook had practically become his right hand dog over the past couple of years, after Steele had been exiled from Nome. This was not the first time they had butted heads, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but Balto was secure in the knowledge that they would always be able to work it out in the end.

"It's too bad we couldn't follow the trail," Kaltag added after the laughter died down. "He's still out there and could be anywhere by now."

"Yeah, he could even be… right here!" Nikki added, leaning in and nipping Star, causing the smaller husky to yelp in fright. There was another round of laughter from the team, proving that things were finally started to go back to normal between them.

Their progress through the mountain range would be slowed by the ascent, so sled teams often made camp in the bush, getting some rest before continuing to Koyuk the second day. Their owner was quick to build a fire and was now snoozing nearby, with one hand planted underneath his pillow. They knew that under his head, his hand was clutched around the revolver that had been used earlier, cocked and loaded. At the slightest sign of trouble, they wouldn't be caught defenseless. While the rest of the team started to settle for the night, Balto was at attention, scanning the dark bushes for sign of any trouble, occasionally sniffing to catch any odd scents. His ears were tuned as well, listening for anything coming towards them, or for the cries of any other nearby teams that might be in distress. Kaltag noticed his attention, and went to his side.

"Anything?"

"Nope, and I hope it stays that way," he replied.

"Yeah. It's scary, but it's a bit of a relief too, knowing what we're dealing with. Then again, I suppose you knew what it was all along; this was just the proof you needed."

"It's too bad another team had to attacked to get it," he mused. "It's strange though, a wolf - even a loner - doing something like this is almost unheard of. It's pursuing us and taking us out one by one, but why? This is really bizarre, and that's why I don't like it… there's something more to this and we have to find it out before the wolf strikes again."

"Yeah, but if we do, we can't do it without any sleep," Kaltag added. "C'mon boss, it's been a long day. You need some rest."

"Yeah, I know," he conceded, reluctant to break his watch. "Thanks."

"Hey, that's what teammates do – we look out for each other."

Balto nodded, but didn't reveal that there was something else troubling him. 'I can't shake this feeling that something about that scent was familiar. It's like I know who it is, but I can't remember. The attacks seem like something I've seen before too, but can't put a pin on it. There's something else I'm missing here.'

----------

The grand race, the thrill of competing, the joy of being first, all shattered by the shadow. Relentlessly pursuing them, hunting them down one by one. Balto and the stranger raced to stay ahead, but even he fell, leaving him alone with the monster once more. 'No, not again! This can't happen again! I'm so close!' Balto thought as he faced down the shadow, his fear consuming him.

"It's just you and me now… there's no escape this time." The shadow reared up to pounce, but a cry came from above, catching both off guard. The shadow shrank in fear as the raven swooped in, striking from above. The shadow tried to snap back, but on the next pass, the raven became a wolf surrounded by blazing white light. The wolf lunged, and with one strike, it beat the shadow back, the light causing it to fade into the ether. The blazing light faded, revealing a wolf that was all too familiar to him.

This was his mother, Aniu. Balto had been separated from her when he was just a pup, but she'd always been watching over him, as a spirit guide bound to the world. He had a feeling that she was behind these dreams, using them to try to convey some sort of message to him, but he hadn't quite figured out what they were yet. However, instead of turning to him, she turned towards the stranger, standing over his body with a sort of reverence. Balto joined her, and was surprised to find tears in her eyes and down her muzzle. It was obvious the death of this husky moved her, but he didn't know why.

"Mother?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"He always was so brave," she whispered.

"Who? Who was he… how do you know him?"

"His name was Amak," she answered. "As for how I knew him… that story will have to wait until the time is right," she finished, before starting to turn away.

"Wait, come back! I need your help! Sled dogs are getting hurt, but I don't know how to stop it," Balto pleaded. "Please, I need your help."

"My son, the greatest challenges you have faced you have always surmounted without my direct help," she said. "Besides, as a guide I cannot interfere directly. I can only advise you by telling you this: when the enemy reveals itself again, you must make sure that the past does not leave you without allies. Only when your rival can move on from his defeat will you prevail over this dark terror."

"Wait… what?" he asked, but she just let out a howl, before fading into the wind. "No! Come back! Who's doing this to us? What can I do? Who's Amak?"

"When we meet next, after you have lived your dream, I will tell you everything. Once I fulfil your father's last wish, then I will be at peace… and my time on this world will come to an end."

----------

Chapter Eleven: The Enemy Revealed

"Did you hear that another team got attacked in the mountains?"

"Yeah, and in broad daylight too!"

"Did Balto really fight the wolf off himself?"

"I heard he chased it halfway through the mountains!"

"You're both wrong - the second the wolf saw him, it ran away with its tail between its legs. It knew better than to mess around with a hero like him."

News of the encounter spread like wildfire when the teams pulled into Koyuk. The second the team mentioned seeing the perpetrator behind the attacks, all eyes and ears were instantly on Balto. He did his best to explain the situation, but as most stories do, once others started passing it along, some parts were altered along the way. By the time it reached Steele's ears, there were so many versions that he didn't know what to make of it. Granted, hearing heroic stories was nothing new to Steele, but there was something putting him off about these ones: they weren't about him.

All attention was on his biggest rival, supplanting the story that was big in his mind. The runner-up team had been attacked, and the lead team suddenly had a few of their dogs give out due to exhaustion. Another passing team helped them limp to Koyuk, but they were in no shape to continue on. That would have put Balto's team in the lead, but they wouldn't be the first to run into Koyuk. Thanks to some chance shortcuts, and good navigating on Sonya's part, Steele and his team had squeaked by Balto, pulling ahead of them. Normally the race positions were the hot topic of conversation, but thanks to Balto, his big achievement had been reduced to nothing more than a footnote in the gossip mill. Because of that, Steele felt like a pup who'd just had their favourite toy taken away. 'It's not fair. Throughout this whole race, it's been Balto this and Balto that. It's like everyone's forgotten that a previous champion is also running the race - and has just taken the lead too! Then again, I suppose it would only matter if I actually was the lead dog… but even then, he's still getting more attention than me. Stupid wolfdog; he took my glory before, and he's taking it again now.'

Some relief came to him as the teams finally settled down to sleep outside, but there were still a couple from his own team still whispering between each other about it.

"Is it true that wolves can summon other animals to help them?"

"I don't know, but I did hear from a friend of a friend that Balto howled out and called a bear to help them fight the wolf."

Steele grunted and rolled over; by now the stories were really pushing the limits of reality. His grumblings caught Sonya's attention, and she looked over to see the large husky trying to bury his head deeper in the snow.

"Hey, can't sleep?" she asked. He grunted again, which she took as a yes. "Me neither; hearing about what happened in the mountains has gotten me all excited."

"Ugh, not you too," he grumbled, rolling again so he was facing away from her. "I've heard enough about that wolfdog to last a lifetime."

"Well sorry," she shot back. "Out of all the dogs, I thought you'd be the happiest - it means you're off the hook."

"True… but it doesn't change the fact that Balto's just slid himself in and took all the glory he wants for himself."

"Is that really all you think about? Who's the most famous?"

"What else is there in these races?"

"Much more. Take a look around you; are most of the teams stressing out because they aren't in first?" There was only silence from him, so she continued, "Do they act like winning is the most important thing? Well, it is at least a little important, but if they don't win they don't mind either. They can swallow their loss and move on. The most important thing is not to win everything, but to do their best," she explained. "IN all honesty, even though you're a stubborn jerk sometimes, you still run your best every single day, and I've always appreciated that. I'm sorry you're not getting all the attention you used to, but a lot of us never got any of it in the first place."

Steele thought her words over, but no matter how he tried to resolve them, nothing improved his mood. He still felt like he was being pushed to the sidelines, ignored by those who used to care about him. They'd already moved on to the next big thing, while he was left behind, nothing more than a swing dog. 'Even if we keep the lead, win and they finally pry their eyes away from Balto, it still won't help,' he thought. 'Sonya will be the one who will get the prize. No matter what she says, I know that it's always the lead dog that gets the most attention. It's far easier to focus on one rather than half a dozen. No matter what, I'll still be just a swing dog, and not even my old owner notice if I'm not the one leading.' That thought caused an idea to pop into his head. It was a simple idea, but the hope it gave him helped boost his spirits.

"Hey, Sonya, you really think I run my best every day?" he asked.

"Of course - you may get tunnel vision sometimes, but it gets the job done," she replied.

"In that case, then maybe I could help the team in another way," he continued, before uttering the words he never thought he would get to say again. "It's just that… maybe I could… be lead dog of the team for a bit?"

There was silence as the gravity of his request washed over Sonya. Sure, there had been many times before where he'd boasted how it'd be better if he was in lead… but never before had he actually asked about it, much less asked as nicely as he did then. Despite that, alarm bells immediately started going off in her head. 'Can you really trust him with the lead position? I mean, I would still be there, but who knows what he might pull,' she thought, before trying to think of a reply. "Um, I don't know… I haven't really given something like this much thought."

"Oh come on, I can do it. I have the experience, and it's not like I haven't led your team before," he protested. "It's just because you don't trust me, isn't it?"

"I didn't say that," she said, even though she certainly was thinking it. "I just said I haven't thought about it much. Besides… these things are Jonathan's decision anyways," she said, hoping that would deflect his frustration away from her.

"Yeah, sure," he grumbled, making it clear he didn't believe her. "I should've expected as much - you're no better than that other half-breed," he grumbled, before rolling over and fuming in silence. Not wanting to drag the issue further, Sonya shut her eyes to try to fall asleep, but his new request only added to her already buzzing mind.

'Even though I've worked hard for this, would it be so bad if I let him do it? Would it really help him… or would it just open the floodgates for the old Steele to return?'

----------

There was an added spring in their step as Sonya and her team departed Koyuk that morning, because their next stop was none other than White Mountain. They were eager to get back home after so long away. Their mirth was only boosted by their position in the lead, which gave them a good chance of winning when they finally pulled into Nome. Already they were starting to become sore from the long days of non-stop running, but for most, it was easily ignored because the end was in sight. As long as they held on, they had a chance to win for the first time in their lives.

Despite the excitement, there was still something missing for Steele. The recent hoopla surrounding Balto, combined with Sonya turning down his request to be lead had soured his mood. Reality was starting to close in on him, and his hopes for what victory in this race would bring were thrown into doubt.

"Mark my words, I'll be the one crossing the finish first, and then they'll see who the real champion is. They'll see that I'm not some has-been; that I'm still the greatest sled dog in Alaska. Even my old owner will see that and when he does, he will take me back. Everything will be back to the way it was, just you wait."

Steele hadn't just been trying to rattle Kaltag's chain. He actually hoped that victory would get him noticed enough to allow his return to Nome. In his mind, that was where he belonged, and would still be had Balto not intervened on the serum run. However, recent events had somewhat dulled his hopes of that happening.

Their path took them through a trail that was very familiar to them. The Darby Mountains were a small range that sat between White Mountain and Koyuk, not usually a challenge for sled teams as long as the weather was good. It was only in a storm that there could be trouble, and the possibility of getting lost was very real. It was in these mountains that Steele had his first run with his new team, but that run almost ended as badly as the serum run. He'd been placed in lead, but gotten lost, requiring Sonya to go out and guide them home. Since then, he'd never had another chance to run as lead, making him wonder if Sonya still held it against him. However, he wouldn't get the chance to ask, because on the downhill side of the mountains, Sonya went on alert. Immediately she started sniffing the air, as some scent had caught her attention.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "It's not one of the teams…"

"I can't smell anything," Steele added, which was affirmed by the rest of the team. "Are you sure something was there?"

She took a few more sniffs, before replying, "Hm, it's gone now. It's strange though, I could have sworn there was something around here." With nothing else to go on, Sonya decided to just shrug it off. They were deep in the Alaskan bush, so she was bound to pick up more than a few unfamiliar scents.

They soon emerged from the woods and onto open tundra, the land clear in every direction. Even though they were already in the lead, they still stepped up the pace a bit. They were so close to home, all eager to see their friends after all this time away. Like everyone else, Steele kept his eyes forward, focused on their goal… until something flashed in the corner of his eye. The dark shape contrasted with the white land, and when he looked to his side, he found something else running across the tundra with them. It looked quite a bit like a wolf, with jet-black fur; a solitary hunter running across the land. It ran parallel to them, glancing towards them for a moment before continuing on its way. From the distance, he couldn't make out any details of it, but he couldn't ignore how it resembled the wolf from Ruby… 'Wait a minute-'

"Hey Steele, what's got you so interested?" the question from Jake snapped him out of his trance, and glanced over at the curious swing dog.

"Huh? Oh, it's-" he glanced to the side again, but the wolf was gone, as though it was never there in the first place. "It was… nah, it was nothing," he fibbed.

"Are you sure? It could have been whatever Sonya smelled earlier," Jake offered, but Steele shook his head. Despite the sighting, he was reluctant to raise the alarm for something that had vanished so quickly.

'Should I tell them what it was? It might've been the attacker again… or it might just be another wild lobo. I've always thought there were too many of them running around. Even if it was the attacker, then wouldn't it have gone after us? Besides, we haven't seen any sign of it for days. We probably left it behind in the mountains,' he thought, turning his focus back on the road. 'Would it hurt to mention it? They might need the warning… or Sonya might think I'm just trying to cause a panic. Not to mention if I'm wrong, then I'd look pretty stupid, wouldn't I? That smug Balto would just love that, or even worse, he might take the credit for himself... and I'm not going to give him that satisfaction.'

----------

Arriving in White Mountain that evening was like receiving a hero's welcome for them. Friends and family greeted them warmly, and the fact that they were in the lead only added to their mirth. The end was in sight, and as Balto and his team rolled in, Jonathan and Gunnar simply nodded at each other, knowing that the final dash would decide who was the better of the two racers.

It wasn't long before the dogs were trying to cram into the boiler room beside the post office. There was only so much space to go around, meaning those who didn't arrive in time had to find somewhere else to meet. Despite the number of dogs inside, the mood was quite festive. Many of the town dogs wanted to know what it was like first-hand, and the teams present were more than eager to share their stories. Steele himself tried to spin a tale about how he once had to outrun a stampeding herd of moose, but after Sonya mentioned something about moose actually being solitary animals, he settled on just sitting and listening to other dogs talk.

To his side was another group of dogs he recognized from town. They were the mail team, tasked with delivering letters between the remote towns in Alaska. He'd seen them a few times, but there was also a newcomer with them: A lean red husky, young and still in training, but eager to run with them. All their attention was drawn to one dog, but when he heard whose voice it was, it made him scowl. It was Balto, giving them tips for running a race.

"But which is better: Pacing yourself or getting an early advantage?" the young one asked. For Steele that was an easy answer - get the lead and never give it up - but Balto had something different in mind.

"Ah, that's a really good question, Kodi," he replied. "The things is, each method has its pros and cons, and works differently for each dog. Personally, I prefer a balanced approach with a slight twist. You try to get an early lead first, but then pace yourself later on to avoid tiring out. That way, you can be fresh for a final dash at the end, and if your early lead was good enough, it could win the race. In fact, it's what I'm doing right now."

"And yet you're still only in second place," Steele smirked, loud enough to catch their attention. Balto glanced over to Steele, but wasn't about to be rattled by his comments.

"I'm in second - for now," he countered. "A lot can change on the last day."

"Oh? Just admit it - you're going up against a former champion. I'm probably the bravest and most brilliant dog out here, and- "He stopped when heard a quiet snickering beside him, and found it was the smaller husky, who seemed to think his words were quite funny. "And just what are you laughing about, pipsqueak?"

"Oh it's nothing - it's just what I've heard about you is true after all," he said.

"Really? So you have heard about how brave and brilliant I am?"

"Not exactly - I've heard a lot about how you tend to exaggerate about yourself, though," he replied. "Isn't that right guys?" It wasn't long before a few of the team were chuckling in agreement. Steele grumbled at having everything turned around by this annoying pup, and needed a way to salvage the situation.

"Oh yeah? We'll I'd like to see a little pup like you run a race like this!" he snapped.

"Hey! I'm not a pup! Just another year and I'll be running with a team too!" the young husky protested. "Who knows, we just might be running in this race next year!"

"There's no need to get snappy here," Balto urged, but the two dogs ignored him.

"Ha, fat chance! You'd never be able to run in any race - you're nothing but a little runt!" Steele barked, caused the young pup to flinch. Kodi looked down at the ground, ears flat, making Steele think he'd finally achieved victory.

Balto could tell Kodi was shaken by those words, and was quick to intervene. "I wouldn't be too quick to say that. You may not know this, but Kodi's actually come a long way from when he was smaller."

"Oh really, and how would you know that?" Steele asked, but Balto ignored him, instead turning his attention to the crestfallen rookie.

"Don't listen to him - he doesn't know what you're fully capable of," he comforted. "I know that you're just as good as him or anyone else here."

"No, it's okay," Kodi mumbled, trying to piece together his courage. "I know Steele isn't all he's cracked up to be anyways. I know that under all that is nothing but a big liar!"

"Why you little - I'm better than that," Steele growled.

"No you aren't! I know what you did to your team. I know you're a cheat and a sneak! Ever since I was small, I heard about what you did, and how you turned against your own team just because they did something you didn't like," Kodi continued. "I know how bad of a dog you are, and I'm going to make sure everyone else in this town knows too!"

"Kodi, don't! Let me handle this," Balto urged.

"But dad, I thought you said that Steele shouldn't be trusted at all!" Kodi protested, albeit a little too loudly. Most of the room ended up overhearing it, and fell silent.

All eyes were now on them, as Steele glared at the husky, then to Balto, who looked a lot like someone whose secret had just been spilled. For Steele, this indignation only confirmed something he'd long felt towards the half-wolf. "So that's how it is. You claim to want to make things better, but at the same time you've been telling only the worst about me to your little mongrel spawn."

"It's not that simple," Balto protested. "Just… stay out of this for a moment, could ya?" he said, before turning to Kodi. "Come on, we're taking a walk," he said, turning to leave. Kodi opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp glance from his father compelled him to comply. The two started down the street, with Kodi acting a lot more subdued now. While what Steele had said was certainly uncalled for, Balto certainly didn't condone the way his son reacted to it either.

"I know what Steele said was harsh, but there are always better ways to deal with it," he lectured. "You put me in a very awkward situation back there."

"But I thought you said it was always good for others to know the truth," Kodi innocently protested.

"Yes, but there are some cases where the line between being truthful, and revealing too much is very thin. Steele is one of those cases," Balto lectured. "You know how I taught you and your siblings that there are some times where you know something embarrassing about someone else, and that it's rude to say it out loud." Kodi nodded, allowing Balto to continue his lesson. "Well, this is one of those times. Yes, what Steele did was terrible, but that was years ago. It's time to move beyond that."

There was a short pause, before Kodi mumbled, "He called me a runt," his waver speaking volumes of how that word hurt him so much.

Balto could only sympathize with him, because he knew how hard it had been for him. Kodi was the smallest of the litter, and was often left behind because he couldn't keep up with his siblings. It left him feeling like he would never be good enough because of his size, something his father always tried to help him with. At every chance they could, they would run along the beach, with Balto slowing his pace so Kodi could keep up. This helped instill confidence in his son, and as he grew, so did his speed. Bit by bit, Kodi would run ever faster, and soon it came to the point where his father didn't have to restrain himself to allow him to keep up. All he needed was a little nurturing, and Kodi was able to move beyond the limits he thought his size put on him, just as his father had moved beyond the limits his wolf side gave him.

However, that didn't mean that Kodi was immune to what that word once meant to him, and having Steele say it only made the sting worse. "Why is it so important that we let him keep his secret here?" he asked. "Everyone in Nome knows what he did."

Balto sighed, but instead of just brushing things off, he knew it was probably better to help Kodi understand. "Yes, but not everyone here does, and that's part of why he's done so well in White Mountain," he started. "I talked with Sonya - his lead dog - and she said that most of her team doesn't know the whole story because it was the only way to get him to cooperate. That allowed him to have a fresh start, but if the secret gets out, it could ruin everything for him, and leave him with nothing… and trust me, nothing is more dangerous than a dog with nothing to lose. Do you understand now?"

"I think so… you don't want me to tell everyone so that Steele won't get in any more trouble than he already has," he stated, and Balto nodded.

"That's right, and if you're going to be doing this run to White Mountain, you're going to be seeing much more of him. If that's the case, then you may as well try to be civil with each other," he suggested. "I don't want you to get in a situation where you might get hurt. Steele already got in a scuffle with one of my teammates, and the last thing I want is to have it happen to you."

"Okay," Kodi replied softly, holding his head low. "Do you want me to apologise to him?"

"It might not hurt… though it might also be better if you two just don't cross paths for a while," he suggested. There was silence after that, as a slight breeze blew by. Balto took a deep whiff to see if the winds held any sign of bad weather approaching. At first it seemed clear, but then something else came up - something familiar.

He stopped and continued to sniff the air, trying to draw in as much of the unknown scent as possible. Kodi noticed his attention and grew curious. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," he mused, trying to link the scent to something else. It was a wild musk, and through it he could smell a faint tinge of something sharp… like blood. 'That's strange, the only blood I've smelled recently was from… oh no.' The blood was the final key - the scent was from the wolf, the same wolf that had been terrorizing them for the past week. Its scent was upwind of them, and as he turned his gaze down the road, he saw it, just peeking around the corner, watching them. In the middle of the road, he knew they'd already been spotted, which made the next minute crucial to their safety.

"Dad, what is it?" Kodi asked, noticing his father grow nervous.

"Kodi, just stay quiet and follow me. Whatever you do, don't run unless I say so," he said, starting to urge them back the way they came, constantly looking over his shoulder. The wolf had come around the corner, trotting towards them and quickly closing the gap between them. "Is there a shortcut back to the post office?" he asked.

"Yeah, that alley right down there," Kodi replied.

The wolf was only thirty feet away now. 'We won't make it in time if we run, but we need help,' Balto thought, before making his final decision. "Okay, when I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can and get help. Whatever you do, don't look back, and don't come back for me without help," he urged. The wolf was jogging now, bearing down on them while making barely any noise. Kodi tried to protest, but his father was adamant. "I said now! RUN! NOW!" Not needing any more encouragement, Kodi darted off, giving Balto just enough time to turn and see the assailant jump at him, fangs bared.

The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he shut his eyes, bracing for the sting of teeth tearing into him, but nothing came. Instead, he just heard cruel laughing that made his fur stand on end. "Oh how noble… it's too bad, I was hoping to meet your young son… and settle that score I have with you."

The voice, the vile, murderous voice was one he hoped to have long forgotten. His suspicion in the mountains was confirmed - this wolf was someone he knew. The voice above him was from someone whom he knew had no remorse, and who provoked much more fear than Steele ever did. It was someone who wanted not only him dead, but his family as well. Now that voice was back, and when Balto opened his eyes, he knew he'd be staring right at the most dangerous enemy he'd ever faced.

"Tikani…"

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Chapter Twelve: A Fateful Decision

Kodi ran his heart out, desperate to find help. His father was bravely fighting a wolf that wanted to hurt them, but he couldn't do it alone. He ran until his legs burned, determined to get help before it was too late. The post office was still a few blocks away, but he would have some good fortune when he saw two dogs just across the street. "Hey! I need help here!" he cried, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that one of the dogs was Steele.

"Ah, shoo you little mutt," he grumbled. "If you need help, then why don't you go cry to your daddy?"

"Hey, don't be so cold. Can't you tell he's scared?" his companion interjected. Steele scowled, but Sonya wouldn't have any of it. "C'mon, what's your problem with him?"

"My problem is that he's Balto's pup - after what happened tonight, I'm done dealing with that wolfdog," Steele growled.

"But he's the reason I'm here - he's the one in trouble!" Kodi cried, catching both of them off guard. "This wolf snuck up on us, and attacked my dad. He told me to run and find help," he explained, very quickly out of anxiety.

"A wolf…" she mouthed, realising that the attacker had made another appearance, and was going after none other than Balto. Steeling herself, she replied, "You can count on us - we'll gladly help your father out, and catch the wolf that's been causing all this trouble too. Isn't that right, Steele?" Her declaration was bold, but it only took a moment of silence to show how her teammate didn't share her enthusiasm. Turning to him, she asked. "Steele - you are going to help, right?"

Steele wore a neutral expression, and while the offer of a chance to catch the true culprit was tempting, his feelings about Balto were far stronger. "As I said, I'm done with that wolfdog," he replied, without an ounce of emotion.

Sonya just looked at him in shock - out of all the nasty, hurtful or selfish things he'd ever said, that one sentence topped them all. "What? But he needs help, now! If it's the same attacker as before, we have to do something!" she cried. "Don't you care at all?"

"Please, I don't want my dad to die!" Kodi cried, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Please don't leave him behind."

"He left me behind," he coldly stated.

There was another pause as his position finally sank in. Sonya wore a look not of anger or fear, but disappointment. "Steele… he'd go to help you, you know." However, even this was not enough to sway him. Time was running out, and she knew they had to act quickly, with or without Steele. "Fine. I'm going to help him anyways, and if you decide to stop being a petty egotist, you're free to join me. If not… you'll be on your own if you end up needing help," she said, before turning to Kodi. "You should go get everyone else. We'll need them to take this maniac down," she said, before dashing away. Steele stayed rooted to the spot, while Kodi just glared at him.

"I guess I was right about you all along - you can't be trusted to help anyone at all unless it benefits you," he said, before darting off.

Steele was now alone in the streets, still unconvinced. 'Say what you will, I will never concede to that wolfdog. After everything that's happened, everything he did to me, I will never fight side by side with him. He took everything from me, so why should I help him? Why should I get involved?'

"Sometimes, you have to jump in because if you don't at least try to help… things could get bad very quickly, to the point where they will start to affect you."

"You should heed Balto's words Steele; they come from experience." The ethereal voice made him stop dead, and when he turned, he saw a very familiar white wolf.

"You," he whispered.

There was a moment where she just regarded him with curiosity, before delivering her final ultimatum. "Time runs out not only for him, but for you as well. Now is the time for you to choose your path. The choice is yours, but remember - the road you've travelled so far may not be the one for you. You have the chance to take a different road… and regain some of your lost glory."

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Fighting was not exactly Balto's forte, especially in the close quarters of an alley. His first instincts were to dart away, avoid critical hits and buy enough time for help to arrive, but the alley left little room to manoeuvre. When he tried to jump to the side, he bumped right into a wall, allowing Tikani to latch onto his shoulder. It wasn't a deep bite, but the wolf's fangs stung as they pierced his muscles. He shook his head as if trying to tear his leg off, but when pushed against a wall, Balto had little room to pull himself free. Desperate, he bit down on the nearest exposed area, which ended up being the wolf's ear. Tikani's jaws sprang open as he cried out in pain, finally releasing Balto from his hold.

The street was nearby; once there, he would have a little more space to move around. While Tikani shook off the sting from his now mangled ear, he sprang forward towards the open ground. He got two strides in, but was painfully yanked back by his tail. With a massive tug, Tikani painfully wrenched Balto backwards, pulling him to the ground before moving to hold him down.

"First you fight dirty and then you try to run - I expected better of you, half-dog," he snarled.

"You're one to talk - sneaking up on innocent dogs who are just here to compete in sport, and attacking them before slinking off."

"Innocent? After what you did to my mate, no dog is innocent in my eyes!" he snapped, grazing Balto's muzzle. "Because of you, I lost everything I held dear! I was nothing, forced to wander the land for what felt like a lifetime. I though it was all over, until I saw you by chance, leading your team towards a large town. That was when I knew I would have my chance to avenge my loss… and to stop as many dogs as I could, too."

'So that's how he found me. He'd probably wandered almost to Fairbanks over the past couple of years. If only I'd known, then I would've been more careful. Had he not seen us, he would still be way back there, and none of the teams would have gotten hurt.'

However, Balto would have little time to dwell on the what-ifs, as Tikani tried to snap at him, which he returned in kind. Both tried again and again to land a hit on the other, with Tikani trying to deliver a fatal blow, while Balto wanted to knock his foe off. Their teeth snapped over and over, but neither was able to get a clear hit on the other. Balto was able to force him into a stalemate - but no stalemate would last forever.

"You have one chance Tikani. Help will be here any second, and if you want to keep your hide, you'll want to get out of here before they arrive," Balto declared, trying to bluff him into surrender.

"Oh really? Where are they then?" he taunted, and even Balto was becoming discouraged by the noticeable lack of support. "You have nothing! The only reason you beat me before was because of your friends, but where are they now?"

"Right above you!" the voice cried. Tikani only had a second to glance upwards before the grey blur jumped from the nearby crate, slamming him right off of Balto, and allowing the battered hybrid to stand.

"Sonya?"

Tikani was dazed from her strike, allowing her a moment to reply, "I got your message - the other's should be right behind me if Kodi was quick enough." Not wasting any more time, both hybrids retreated to the street as Tikani regained his senses, levelling the playing field somewhat.

"That's it? Just one girl? My my, you continue to disappoint me," Tikani taunted, following them out to the street. "By now you should know that two won't be enough to take me down."

"No, but we can still try," Sonya declared, charging first. It looked like both would jump and meet each other, but right before she made contact, he reared back a paw and struck her across her muzzle, knocking her to side. Balto was next to spring in, but Tikani grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and rolled him off. Sonya and Balto tried alternating strikes, but Tikani effortlessly countered them.

"We have to strike at the same time. I go left, you go right and follow my lead!" Balto declared, and he and Sonya charged at once. Balto bit into Tikani's left shoulder, while Sonya got the right. Trapped in the two-pronged hold, Tikani was unable to stop either of them as they started to push. It was a tactic that Balto and Jenna had used on him once before, but he didn't anticipate that Tiknai would have learned from that encounter.

Tikani reared up on his hind legs, forcing his quarry up with him, before suddenly rolling to the side. On only two legs, a dog's balance would be hindered, which was exactly what he would use against them. The sudden shove made Sonya lose her balance, and she toppled over, with Balto pulled to the side with them. She yelped when he fell on her, and the impact caused both of them to lose their grip, allowing Tikani to roll away. Balto tried to snap at him, but a hind foot shot out and kicked him right in the head, causing him to see stars while Sonya tried to push his heavy bulk off of him.

"Agh, what did you have for lunch, cement?" she groaned while Tikani just laughed.

"You never thought I would have learned from our last engagement did you?" the wolf taunted. "You've become soft, wolfdog."

"How does this guy know you?" she asked as Balto shakily got up. "What's going on?"

"It's a long story, but what matters is we stop him. It's not just us that's in danger, it's my family too!"

"That's right! Once I'm finished with you, I'll make sure to pay dear Jenna a visit. And then I'll hunt down every single one of your offspring, until your legacy has been eradicated from this world. I will, even if I have to run to the ends of the earth to do it!"

"You're not taking another step, ya flea-bitten sack of fur!" the booming voice declared. Tikani turned and saw the large black and white husky standing firm in the road.

Both Sonya and Balto's mouths were agape when they saw who it was. "Steele?"

"After everything you've done, you're not getting away this time!" Steele declared, his fur on end as he faced down Tikani.

"You think you can stop me?" the wolf bellowed. "You and who's army!"

"This army," Steele answered, before arching his head back and letting out a powerful howl. The howl was answered by countless others, as dogs emerged from every alley, every road, and behind every object around the street. Tikani's courage failed as he faced down countless snarling dogs, all focused on him.

"You're lucky your son found me first, because I don't think he would have been able to rally everyone as quickly as I did," he said to Balto, a wide grin on his muzzle, before turning his attention back to Tikani. "Now you listen up, wolf and you listen well. You may not know this, but this town is my home now, and you're not welcome here! You've gone and hurt many of our fellow sled dogs and that stops now! This is the end of the line for you," Steele declared before bellowing, "CHARGE!"

As one, the mob charged forward, a solid wall of teeth and fur bearing down on Tikani. To say the wolf was surprised at the sudden turn would be an understatement, as this was far more than he expected to handle. Cursing, he turned tail and ran, desperate to keep ahead of his pursuers. Steele led the charge, determined to end this nuisance of a wolf once and for all. As they passed them, a few dogs helped Balto and Sonya to their feet, allowing them to join the chase.

"Glad to see he finally changed his mind; for a moment it looked like he wouldn't help you at all," she said to him.

"Well, he certainly didn't seem reluctant when he barged into the boiler room. He just said we had to go and stop the wolf that was sighted in town," Jake explained.

"I can't believe that after all this time, it's Tikani… but it makes sense now, doesn't it? I mean, he used the exact same tactic against us when his pack was raiding Nome. He'd attack dogs and supplies to prevent them from running," Kaltag continued. "How could we miss this?"

"Simple – we thought we'd heard the last of him two years ago," Balto added. "Then again, I suppose it would have been too easy to have him just give up. He still held onto his rage towards me – and that's why we can't afford to let him get away again."

"I hear ya. It's strange though - if he wanted to get you, then why bother with any of the other sled dogs?" Kaltag asked. For that, Balto had no answer, and instead pushed himself forward, coming in line with Steele.

"Oh, I guess you decided to join us anyways," Steele said. "You don't have to worry though, I have everything under control."

"No you don't, and you won't until we catch that wolf," Balto said, noticing that they were now passing outside of the town limits, onto the open tundra surrounding the town. "Long story short, he has a vendetta against me and my entire family. We won't be safe as long as it's alive."

"This monster wants to hurt Jenna too?" Steele growled. "Geez, Balto, what did you do to make this guy hate you so much?"

"It wasn't exactly under my control; things got away on me. As I said, it's a long story," he replied, before adding, "So, I hear you were reluctant at first to come and help."

"Maybe… let's just say that I think I can put up working with you if it means saving the day," he replied.

"Well, whatever your reasoning… I'm glad you came around," he conceded, but Steele didn't reply, keeping his focus on Tikani as he darted into the woods beyond the town. The dogs stayed with him, charging into the dark forest. There was no moon that night, meaning the dogs were practically searching blind.

"Hold up," Balto called, bringing everyone to a stop. "We can't just run in one direction all night – he'll get away, and we can't let that happen again."

"We could cover more ground if we split up," Steele suggested.

"But splitting would just make us more vulnerable," a younger dog protested.

"I know, but at this point we need to cover as much ground as possible," Balto affirmed. "You can make your teams as big as you want to stay safe, but the second you see something, I want you to signal, then pursue. This wolf is a lot more dangerous than you think," he said, before turning to Sonya. "C'mon, you and I can work as a pair. We're probably the best trackers around." Sonya nodded, and the dogs split up, tending to follow the lines of their teams with their groups. They each went in different directions, radiating out to cover any direction Tikani could have gone in.

"Can you at least tell me what's going on here? One second you're the most level headed dog in the world, and the next you're calling for a headhunt," Sonya asked. "What is it between you two that's behind all of this?"

"The thing is, this isn't the first time that I've tangled with this wolf. His name's Tikani, and he's probably the most dangerous wolf I've ever met," he started, before telling her the entire story. He told her about the skirmishes with the sled dogs and how that led to him trying to negotiate a truce between them and Tikani. He explained how they were going to exchange his mate - who had been left behind in one of the raids - with a dog that had been taken, but that only led to disaster. "Unfortunately, Kari's brother Spitz wanted to take matters into his own paws. He broke Kisa out, but that only led to disaster," he continued, telling her how Kisa was shot by humans, and how Tikani reacted when he saw his mate had been killed.

"He broke the deal off and vowed to avenge her death," he continued, telling how Tikani later came back, and tried to lure Jenna into a trap to kill her as revenge. They narrowly escaped, but were pursued for almost three days, where it wasn't only their lives in danger. "Jenna was carrying our pups at the time, but that news would also turn out to be our salvation." He continued on with how a group of three wolves learned the truth, and how it conflicted with one of their rules of engagement. Wolves were forbidden from harming a mother carrying pups, and when the pack learned the truth, they turned on Tikani, ousting him and finally making peace with Balto.

"After that, we never heard or saw from him again," he finished. "I thought that he might've given up, or died by now, but I guess I was wrong. He's here, and he's going to try to finish what he started two years ago."

"I guess to say your life had been eventful would be an understatement," she added. "And to think I thought the serum run was the only action you've had to deal with."

"Oh, I've had plenty of excitement in my life… some of it you might not even believe." They had been running through the woods for almost half an hour by now, following the faint traces of Tikani's scent. They stopped and took a moment to catch their bearings, both of them sniffing the ground. Tikani had definitely passed by here, but there were old scents mixed with new, almost as though he had doubled back to try to confuse them.

"I can't get a good fix - maybe someone else has spotted him?" she suggested.

"No, we would've heard something by now," Balto said, his ears twitching as he tried to pick up any sound from the quiet wood.

"You don't think he's gotten away again, has he?"

There was a pause, before he replied, "No… he's here. He's just biding his time." While there were multiple scents, he could still pick out the freshest, and it was only a few minutes old. His attention focused on a certain grove of bushes where the most recent scent trail ended. He started to creep forward, his body tensing up as it anticipated an ambush. "Just stay back a moment - he's close."

"Wait, what if it's a trap?"

"If I'm the one he wants, then who better to spring the trap?" he replied, before continuing to creep forward. Each step brought him closer, his heart pounding as it tried to ready himself for the next round with Tikani. He was almost there, his nose brushing up against the branches, before he heard a cry that made him jump. However, it was a cry from behind, and turned in time to see Tikani on Sonya, the two of them rolling on the ground and right down a small hill.

The attack had come so suddenly, Sonya was already rolling down the hill before she even knew what was going on. The world was a blur of snow, trees and fur during the tumble, but when she finally stopped, she saw only a gaping abyss. The attack had taken them right to the edge of a canyon, with her staring down a never-ending drop.

'A cliff… why does it always have to be a cliff?' she thought, springing up to face her foe. Tikani charged to knock her off the edge, but she sidestepped him. She latched onto his flank to avoid his jaws, but that just resulted in him bucking madly, like a steer trying to fling a cowboy off its back. One of his back legs caught her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and breaking her hold on him. She coughed and gasped from the blow, and heard Balto howling out for help, while trying to run down the hill to her. She knew she couldn't handle Tikani alone, and tried to dash back to him, but Tikani was quick to take advantage of her flight. Sonya was only a few steps up the hill before she was yanked back. Her leg stung, and she saw that the wolf had bit down on her leg, before starting to squeeze with his jaws. Balto heard her yelping as she tried to pull free, but Tikani didn't let up until a loud snap cracked through the dark night.

Sonya didn't think she'd ever screamed as loudly as when Tikani broke her leg, the pain becoming a white hot fire that burnt her body, making her see stars. The shock weakened her, and with a swing of his head, he sent her flying right into a nearby rock. She impacted with a dull thud, before landing in heap, out cold. Tikani would only get a moment's reprieve though as Balto set himself on him, going right for the wolf's neck. Tikani had hurt another dog, and for Balto, the time for mercy had passed. Now was the time to stop this mad wolf once and for all.

Tikani turned enough so that his attack would be just a glancing blow, but Balto still held firm. The wolf thrashed and bucked, but his jaws held, his fangs locked into the flesh of his neck. Tikani snapped, but couldn't get a good enough angle to strike Balto. Finally, he elected to roll to the side, bring the attached wolfdog with him, trying to crush him under his own weight. They were both on the ground now, rolling in the snow, and it was only when Tikani landed right on his chest that Balto was forced to let go and suck in air. However, that brief opening would cause everything to turn around, and Tikani took the opportunity to lash out. This time, it was him with Balto's neck in his jaws.

Balto tried to push him off, but the wolf was far too heavy, and had his fangs locked around his neck. Tikani's jaws pressed painfully around him, constricting his windpipe, and threatening to pierce his jugular. Once that vital vessel was punctured, it would all be over in a matter of seconds. 'No! It can't end like this,' he thought as he tried in vain to free himself from the death grip. Despite his efforts, the wolf held firm, and he knew he couldn't wrench himself too hard, or risk doing more damage to himself.

"This is for you, Kisa," Tikani growled, as Balto's vision started to darken at the edges. He was so close to finally avenging his mate's death; he just needed to find his vital vein and tear his throat open, ending his vengeful quest. Only a few moments away from victory, he would have it ripped away as quickly as Kisa had been from him. Something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, making him gasp and break his hold on Balto. Whoever it was, they were easily as strong as him, as it didn't take much for his assailant to fling him away from Balto, sending him skidding across the snow until he was right beside the cliff's edge.

"Oh no you don't you damn, dirty wolf! You're not hurting another dog here!" the voice bellowed as Balto sucked in the sweet air. As his vision started to return, he saw his saviour was a very familiar black and white husky. Steele and Tikani squared off, growling and bristling at each other.

"Stay out of this, dog! This doesn't concern you, so I'll give you a chance to step aside and save yourself," Tikani growled, but his offer was only met with snide laughter.

"Oh that's rich - did you say that to the other dogs you attacked too?" Steele returned.

"They were necessary casualties," Tikani said. "When hunting, you always try to thin the herds before going after your real target."

'So that's why he went after them - he was eliminating as much potential resistance to make his final strike against me easier,' Balto thought, before their snarls met his ears. The two combatants lunged, meeting each other halfway. Steele and Tikani savagely exchanged blows, biting and slashing at each other, each trying to do the most damage. Balto shakily tried to get up to aid Steele; even though they were rivals, he wasn't going to let Steele fight alone on this one. Despite it being his third foe in a row, Tikani held his own against the husky. It wasn't long before they were rolling on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. Their rolling brought them dangerously close to the cliff edge, but that gave Steele the opportunity he was looking for. He had Tikani pinned, but the wolf was trying to flip them back over. So, he decided to let him, going down and letting Tikani roll to the top, before swinging around, using Tikani's momentum to fling him around, right towards the crest of the cliff.

Tikani was caught off guard by such a gutsy move, and couldn't stop his rear from going over the edge. Steele sprang up, and on seeing Tikani start to slip, readied to kick him off with his hind feet. Tikani saw the blow coming, but had one more trick to play. He avoided the kick before lunging forward and biting onto Steele's thigh. His weight yanked them both back, pulling Steele until he was hanging off the cliff face, Tikani securely latched onto his rear. He dug his claws into the snow, but even he was starting to slip with the weight of a wolf pulling him down.

Balto had finally risen to his feet, just in time to see Steele hanging on the cliff, starting to slip. The husky was struggling, and it didn't take a second thought for him to take action. He dashed forward, and right as Steele was about to lose his grip he grabbed onto his shoulder, biting down to halt his fall. "Gotcha!" he cried as Steele grunted from his bite. It was enough to stop his fall, but already he was starting to strain from their weight.

Still, his actions had bought the time Steele needed. With Balto holding him in place, Steele now had the leverage he needed to do something about the wolf hanging off him. He swung the lower part of his body, but Tikani held firm. He would need a lot more coaxing to get off, so Steele swung in such a way that he slammed the wolf against the rocks. The first hit wasn't all that hard, but the second much more forceful, and he felt Tikani slide a bit. However, his swinging was translated up to Balto as well, and the torsion was making it increasingly difficult to keep his grip.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it fast! I can't hold on much longer!" Balto cried, his voice muffled from hanging on. Steele saw his paws start to slip, and knew they were only seconds away from all going over. Tikani was still biting into his one leg, but the other was free, dangling in the air right above the wolf's head.

Snarling, he reared up his free leg, aiming it square between the wolf's eyes. "GET! OFF! ME!" he bellowed, delivering a kick after every word. Despite his efforts, the first two ended up being just glancing blows. The third was more direct, smashing his nose and causing him to slip once more. Tikani's eyes widened in terror when he saw the leg rear up again, and this time, Steele landed a direct blow to his neck. The reflex was instantaneous, making Tikani choke and springing his mouth open.

His last lifeline was cut, and he seemed to hang for a moment in the air. Time itself slowed down as he began to fall away from his enemy. Right up until the end he didn't express any shock, regret or sadness - only the rage that had fuelled him for the past two years. His rage exploded into a yell, cursing at Balto and the husky who had felled him. His cries grew distant as gravity did its work, pulling him faster and faster through the air. Never once did Tikani break his gaze with his foe, his screams of rage echoing off the canyon walls, even after the sharp rocks below silenced him for good.

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Chapter Thirteen: The Endgame

"Hang on, I've got you," Balto said as he strained to pull Steele back over. Even without a wolf hanging on him, he was still a heavy dog. Without Tikani hanging off him though, he could now get a better grip with his feet. It took a couple tries, but he managed to find footing on the rock face, giving him the leverage he needed. With Balto's help, it wasn't long before he was back over the edge, safe on solid ground. They just took a moment to catch their breath, and recover from the ordeal they had been put through.

"Thank you," Balto gasped. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't come."

"You probably would've died," Steele said bluntly, but even Balto had to agree.

"True… but I wouldn't have been the only one," Balto admitted, before standing up. "You've helped keep every sled team, and my own family safe as well."

"So what? Are you saying we're even now?"

"Well, I did save your life here too… but why not?" Balto admitted. "Some things are still the same with you, but you changed where it counts, and that's what's important."

Steele opened his mouth for a witty retort, but a moan from nearby distracted him. It was Sonya, barely starting to recover from the beating Tikani had given her. Steele was quick to check on her, and while she didn't have any serious wounds, her broken leg wasn't very encouraging.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"Steele?" she asked. "What happened? Where's Tikani?"

"At the bottom of the canyon," Balto replied.

"How's the leg? Can you stand up?" Steele continued.

Sonya tried to move her leg a bit, but a jolt of pain made her yelp. "I guess that's a no," she admitted, her expression falling.

"C'mon, we'll help you up. You need to get that leg looked at," Steele said, but was surprised when Sonya cracked a smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were actually worried about me," she quipped.

"Wow, you must be hurt really badly – you're getting delirious," Steele added, causing her to smirk a bit more. She still had three legs fully functional, she just needed some help getting up. Balto and Steele were more than happy to assist her, and it wasn't long before she was on her feet, her broken leg tucked in while Balto let her lean on him as a living crutch. They were just about to start up the hill when they heard voices above.

"He went this way," they heard, before dogs from both Balto's and Steele's team appeared. "Look! It's Balto and Sonya - Steele too!"

"But where's Tikani?" Kaltag asked, skidding down the hill.

"Come see for yourself," Steele invited, bringing Kaltag to the cliff's edge. When the Chinook saw the drop, he whistled.

"He's definitely not getting up from that," he mused, before joining everyone else on their way back home. They had won a major victory that night, but right now, their minds were on getting everyone home safely.

----------

The walk with Sonya limping alongside Balto meant slow going for them, so a few dogs went ahead and tried to rouse the human's attention. Luckily for them, Jonathan had noticed them bolting off, and was already out looking for them. It was a simple matter of Steele pointing him in the right direction before he found them. The going was much easier once he had Sonya safely scooped up in his arms, and it wasn't long before everyone was safely back in town, where the entire story could be told.

Balto told them everything about who Tikani was and why he was doing this before finishing with how Steele delivered the final blow, ending the threat. The reception to that was like something out of the good old days for the husky: pats on the back, cheering and thanks for his great deed. It didn't matter that he'd done it with Balto's help, what mattered to them was that he'd gotten rid of Tikani once and for all. Balto watched on from the side, but didn't mind. If it meant having a little more peace with him, then he was glad to let Steele have his day. And yet, despite the attention, there was something else on Steele's mind. The first chance he got, he broke away from the crowd and made a beeline for the Vance's home.

It wasn't long before he was sitting in the front room, anxiously listening to the conversation in the kitchen. Sonya was nearby, resting on the couch. Her leg had been bandaged up and put in a temporary splint; a visit to the vet for a cast would have to wait until morning.

"So how's Sonya doing?" Marcus asked.

"She'll be fine - broken legs can heal, but she won't be able to run in the race tomorrow," his father replied, sounding sullen.

"What did this to her?" he asked, more concerned this time.

"I heard it was a wolf that was spotted in town. Several of the dogs went after it, which is why everyone's been up trying to round them up," Caroline replied.

"Good thing too - hopefully they chased that wolf so far away it's halfway to Siberia by now," Jonathan added. "It's strange though - there have been a lot of dogs getting hurt through this whole race."

"Maybe it was the same wolf?"

Jonathan just chuckled a bit. "Unlikely - I doubt the same wolf would chase us over several hundred miles," he said, completely unaware of the truth his dogs knew. "Whatever the cause, the result was always the same - several dogs would get hurt and that team would have to pull out of the race," he said, causing everyone's spirits to fall.

"You don't think you'd have to pull out too, do you?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know. I'm only down one dog… but that dog happens to be our lead. You can't just put any dog in the front and expect them to do the job," he explained.

"But you're so close to the finish," his wife added. "Are you sure you can't make it with the rest of the team?"

"I could, but the question becomes, would I make it quickly enough?" he countered. "I may be in the lead now, but who knows what will happen if I try to run with one less dog. Kassen's already bearing down on me, and that Balto of his is one heck of a speed demon," Jonathan let out a sigh, before adding, "I don't like it, but forfeit might have to be an option." Steele gasped, but Sonya was quiet - she had a feeling that this might happen, but didn't want to say anything to discourage the team. In the kitchen was the sudden sound of a chair scraping, and when Steele peeked inside, he saw Marcus had bolted out of his seat, fists clenched at what his father had just suggested.

"No, you can't give up without at least trying! It's only one more day!" he cried. Steele shared Marcus' sentiment, wishing that the humans would understand him too if he wanted to protest. He'd come so far and was so close to reclaiming the glory he lost years ago, but this man was going to throw that all away just because one dog was hurt. In desperation, he barked out to vocalize his own protest.

He managed to catch their attention, and when Jonathan saw Steele standing there, and idea started to form. It was so simple and obvious, he smacked his head with his palm for not immediately thinking of it. "Oh, I'm such an idiot… I'm so used to Sonya leading… but I've got a solution standing right in front of me!" With that, he started to chuckle, and that was when Steele started to catch the man's meaning.

"Wait, he's not actually going to, is he?" the husky asked in disbelief.

"I think he is," Sonya replied, a smile on her muzzle. "Congratulations hotshot, you're going to get your wish… just don't blow it."

----------

Balto was just getting his harness on, eagerly anticipating what was to come. This was it - the final dash. No more checkpoints or rest stops, just the finish line waiting for him in Nome. He pictured the whole town waiting for them; Rosy would be bundled up with her own musher's hat that was still a bit big for her, with Jenna by her side. They would be waiting at the finish, anxious until they saw him running into town, leading the way. Jenna would cheer for him, and the second he crossed the finish, she would probably tackle him and cover him with licks and nuzzles. He stretched a bit and felt the soft fabric of her bandanna along his neck. Even though he'd been wearing it for the past week, it still held a bit of her scent, reminding him of who had inspired him, who he was running for, and who he would return to very soon.

"This is it, the end of the line," Kaltag said behind him. "We may be in second, but we're so close!"

"Yeah, I can't believe Sonya's team got the lead from us," Nikki added. "Then again, that may change dependin' on if they can run today."

"That's true. I heard Sonya won't be able to run for weeks, and she's the lead," Star continued.

"But they could still run if they… nah, they wouldn't, would they?" Kaltag asked. "I mean, would they actually trust Steele enough to put him in lead?"

"Kal, you might want to think twice about that," Balto said, looking back with his mouth agape. The rest of the team looked back, surprised by what they saw.

"No way," Kaltag said, as the team came up beside them. It was Sonya's team, but up front was none other than Steele, who made sure to put on the widest smile he could as he came up alongside them. They may have been one dog down, but all were raring to go, eager to show their stuff despite the absence of their usual lead dog.

"Yep, I bet you all thought I was nothing more than a washed-up has-been by now, but I'm back boys," he said, holding his head high.

"I can see that," Balto replied. "How's Sonya doing?"

"Ah, she'll be fine. She's a lot tougher than any of you clowns," he replied, causing Kaltag to scoff. "In the meantime, I'll be in charge. It'll be just you and me, Balto; the way it was supposed to be."

"I look forward to it," he replied. "May the best dog win." For the first time that Balto had ever seen, Steele did not reply with any snide remark. Instead, the husky just nodded, accepting the challenge. Ever since the serum run, Steele wanted some way to have a second round against Balto, and now would be his chance. No more sneaking or plotting - just him and his rival, fair and square. Only one of them would emerge victorious, and he intended to be that one.

Once the official cleared them, the call to move was made, and Steele's team bolted forward, tearing through the snow on their way to Nome, determined to leave them behind in the dust.

"Just when I thought we'd seen all the surprises for this race," Kaltag mused. "What do we do now? Should we be worried?"

"No, I'll tell you what we're going to do," Balto countered. "We are going to win. We've come so far and faced everything this race can throw at us, but it's not over yet. The whole reason we've run so hard is because of Steele. We're doing this to show that we don't need him to win. I'm not afraid of Steele, and that's why I'm going to run my hardest to beat him, fair and square. This is our chance guys, our time to shine… our destiny. And even if we don't win the day, I can still say that it has been a privilege to run with dogs a great as you… and to call you my friends. So who's with me?" The team erupted in barks and cheers, showing the overwhelming support for him. Win or lose, they would do it together, as a team.

"Mr. Kassen, sixty seconds!" the official called, signalling that it was almost time. Their musher took his place at the end of the sled, while his dogs wound up, ready to charge ahead. The end of the road was in sight, and once the order to go was given, they held nothing back, moving as one.

At once, he felt the wind in his fur, the strain of the harness, and the pounding of his feet against the snow beneath them. His muscles burned as they tried to squeeze out every once of speed they could. It was just like his dreams; he would become a champion, and then he would know how his father felt when he became a champion. He'd never known the dog, always having his wolf mother to watch over him, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he was there too. Both of his parents, wherever they were, were watching over him, encouraging him as he ran to make them proud.

"You're so close! You can do it; don't give up, my son."

"This is for you mom, and you too dad," he muttered, his determination absolute.

The road ahead was gentler than other segments of the racecourse, but it was not without its own challenges. They quickly found themselves on a winding trail through a spruce forest, ducking left and right around trees and boulders. Fallen logs also obstructed the path, meaning they would either have to go around, over, or try to duck under the ones that weren't completely on the ground. Such things were easy for the dogs, but their musher would have only seconds to duck down or risk being knocked off his sled. There was one close call where a tree was so low, it grazed his head, almost taking his hat off. However, he didn't hold it against the dogs - they were running the best they could and the only way to catch up with their rivals was to take some risks.

Every now and then, Balto would see a tree with a marked up trunk. The sight of them boosted his spirits - these were the same marked trees that he used to guide the team two years prior. They pointed the way towards Nome, and their sight only made it feel more like they were coming home. The only dent in his confidence came when he realised that Steele was also on the exact same path. 'Of course, since he tried to sabotage them, he would know about them as well. There's nothing stopping him from using the same trail I did to get back to Nome.'

Their path soon took them up a hill, onto a narrow path carved into the side of the small mountain. The narrow path made delicacy necessary, as straying too far to either side would be disastrous. On one side was a sheer rock wall that would stop them in their tracks if they even grazed it, while on the other was open air, and a terrible tumble if they went over the edge. It didn't help that the path curved and twisted along, and if they didn't turn sharply enough, their momentum would send them flying off the edge. They were smart enough to slow down on the curves, but their determination to win meant that sometimes they were skirting along the edge.

The path gradually started to slope down, before returning to the level ground within the woods. Every step brought them closer and closer to home, but it wasn't bringing them closer to catching up with Steele. To counteract the fact they were down one, the husky was pushing his team as far as they would go, determined to stay ahead of them. Now was the time where Balto needed to draw on his teammates experience, and they would have just what he needed.

"C'mon, where is it?" Balto heard Kaltag mutter.

"Where is what, Kal?" he asked.

"Somewhere around here is a shortcut," he replied. "We used on our first race in the derby. It's a frozen riverbed that goes directly west, while the trail goes around it. It got us to first place that time, even though Steele wanted to take the long way around."

"That's perfect, we need something like that," Balto said.

"But what if Steele remembers it too?" Nikki asked. "It may have been your find, but he was with us, and might know where it is too."

"Well, we'll just have to see when we get there," Balto said. They continued to run through the woods, keeping an eye out for the riverbed. Balto focused on following the trail before them, the marks in the trail moving straight ahead, past a small break in the trees that had some ice underneath the snow.

"There it is!" Kaltag cried. "And what do you know; it's all clear. Steele completely forgot about it!"

"All the better for us. C'mon, let's go!" Balto cried, taking them off the trail and into the shallow ravine that the riverbed lay in. A quick look showed that there were no marked tress here - Steele was taking the long way because of them. 'Hm, poetic justice, maybe?' The snow underfoot was fresh and untouched, but was fluffy enough that their runners sailed across with ease. The straight but narrow depression made travel much easier than the winding they had to do in earlier portions of the trail. The river was shallow enough that it was all solid ice, leaving no threat of them falling into icy water. The ravine walls started to even out, but even when they started to see the opening from the treeline into open tundra, they were unsure of how their gambit had helped them.

"We're almost back on the main path - can you see Steele anywhere?" Star asked.

"No, but I can't see his trail either," Balto said.

"Maybe we passed him already?" Kaltag asked.

"Maybe, or maybe he - woah!" Balto cried as they emerged, back onto the main path, almost sideswiping Steele's team. The other husky jolted to the side when he saw them, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Oh, there he is."

"Where did you come from?" Steele demanded.

"Aw, Steele, don't tell me you forgot about the shortcut we used a few years back," Kaltag replied. "Remember? It was from the first race Nikki, Star and I ran with you."

The mention of that clicked the memory back into place, and Steele cursed under his breath for forgetting it. He thought following Balto's marks would give him an edge, but they instead led him down a less desirable route. Now the two teams were pulled up side-by-side, neck and neck with each other. While he preferred having a comfortable lead, he had to admit he enjoyed having them so close. The thrill of the challenge made him feel more alive than anything, and he knew that no matter how close it was, he only needed to cross the finish first by a nose to win.

Across the tundra they went, pumping their legs as hard as they would go. Steele may not have run competitively for the past couple of years, but his years of prior training still remained. Balto, meanwhile, may have been less experienced, but he made up for it through a combination of natural skill and tenacity. As they ran, sometimes one would inch ahead before the other would step up and inch forwards. The two constantly traded places in the lead, proving just how evenly matched they were.

Up ahead were two cliffs that rose up, with only a narrow pass between them. Some common names for this were 'The Bottleneck' or 'The Gates of Nome' because of how they forced racers through them. The pass was only wide enough for one team to traverse safely, meaning one of them would have to pull forwards or behind to prevent them from slamming into the hard rocks surrounding them. Both teams didn't show any signs of slowing, which meant that the pass was going to turn into a game of chicken. Both wanted to wait until the last second, but with the cliff walls closing in on them quickly, time was running out. It wasn't long before both teams pulled closer and closer to each other in the narrowing space, until the sled runners were bumping up against each other. Shoulders rubbed against each other, while even the mushers were bumping elbows, but neither wanted to yield, even in the still-narrowing space.

Balto knew he would run out of space soon, and planned on waiting until the last second before pulling back. He was sure Steele wouldn't, but even the husky would surprise him that day. Right before the narrowest part of the gap, Steele pulled back, settling into a position directly behind them. As they emerged from the pass, a thunderous bang blew above their heads. It was the three-mile marker - the first sign that they were on the home stretch, and in the lead too. Looking back, Balto noted that Steele was still behind them, seemingly trying to return back to the head position, but now that he had this advantage, he intended to keep it. He matched all of their course changes, keeping directly ahead of them and blocking any attempt for Steele to pass. This went back and forth a few times, with Balto keeping ahead of them.

What he didn't realize was that Steele was actually being quite clever. Being in their wake allowed his team to recover a bit of strength, and he'd proven that Balto was going to follow every turn of his. Finally he spotted what he wanted too, and made a dash to the left. Balto matched his turn, but because he was watching Steele, he failed to notice the snowdrift in front of them until they were almost on it. A yell from Kaltag caught his attention in time, but they still ended up grazing the drift, slowing them down and allowing Steele to swing right and get back alongside them.

"You're not the only one who knows some old tricks," he said, causing Balto to mentally kick himself. His own team had used a similar fake out on Steele the first day of the race. It had only been a week ago, but the race had been so long and arduous, he'd almost forgotten about it. Now the two rivals were back to being neck and neck, as the second bang from the two mile mark flashed above their heads. The town was in sight, and they were almost to the finish, where one of them would be crowned the fastest dog alive. By now their breath came in gasps, each determined to get ahead. The one mile marker flashed soon after, and they could already see the lines of people gathered on the streets, awaiting their return. This was it - the make or break moment.

The crowd was already cheering them on as they entered the town. Most would only get a fleeting glimpse of the teams as they screamed past, but they were more excited with how close of a race this was going to be. They rounded the final turn, and right ahead, at the end of the road was the red banner that marked the end of their journey. Hundreds of miles and days of travel would all culminate in the final dash to the end.

So many faces lined the road; some he recognized, some he didn't, but all were cheering them on. The sound became a deafening roar in his ears, but then it seemed to dull a bit, before being punctuated by a sharp howl. No one else reacted to it, and when he looked up, he saw her. The snow white wolf that had watched over him throughout his life. His protector, his guide, his mother. Aniu was there, perched on a rooftop, watching the action unfold. He only heard her howl before the background shouts returned, but he could see her yelling, urging him to not give up like every other spectator on the street. He turned his focus back to the road, and that's when the teams pushed themselves beyond their limits.

Up ahead, he saw the brilliant red fur that could only be Jenna's. She was jumping ecstatically by now, along with the young girl by her side. This was it - he would rise higher than he ever had in front of the two he cared about the most. The finish line closed in, but neither team had a clear advantage. For Steele, this was not the time for any trick or slight of hand. He was going to beat Balto fair and square today, to show that he was better than him. They were on equal ground now, so it was only a matter of who would cross the finish first.

The teams closed in, and to many it looked like it would be a photo finish. Twenty feet, ten feet, five - their paws pounded through the snow, and just as they hit the finish line, both dogs lunged toward the prize. Their bodies shot forward, straining against the harnesses while they both let out a loud yell. The cheers reached a fever pitch as the dogs lunged towards victory, but only one would have the distance needed to cross first.

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Chapter Fourteen: The End of the Road

Balto's feet madly flew through the air. He'd put everything into his final lunge, but that meant there was little left for the landing afterwards. Where his legs had been as precise as a dancer's before, now they suddenly failed him. The first couple of strides were clumsy, but he still was upright before his legs finally gave out beneath him. His team was quick to spot his trouble and ground to a halt right before their lead slammed to ground, completely spent. Beside them, Steele's team skidded to a stop, and even the husky was soon on the ground from the exertion of the race. Soon, scores of people were approaching; many of them hadn't seen dogs run that hard before, leading to some concerns over whether they were alright.

"Balto!" he heard a voice cry, before a familiar red body entered his field of vision. "Oh Balto, are you okay?"

"Jenna… I'm home," was the only reply he could muster between his gasping breaths. His heart slammed against his ribcage, every muscle in his body burned, and his whole body trembled at the exertion he'd just put himself through. To Jenna, he looked like a complete wreck, having pushed himself much harder than any other dog would have.

"Don't crowd him, give him some air," Kaltag cut in. "Balto, slow it down. Take deep breaths or you'll give yourself a heart attack."

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"Who won the race?" someone on Steele's team asked.

"I don't know… it was so close," the husky said, panting. The audience shared the sentiment, as it wasn't clear over who was the winner. Even the officials were debating with each other as they tried to work out whose nose crossed first. They asked anyone who was right at the finish to help them out as they tried to piece together the events at the moment the race ended. The other competitors from the day started to trickle in as well, all surprised when they head about the close finish. As they awaited the result, some fetched things to tend to the exhausted dogs. Balto himself guzzled down two whole dishes of water before lying down on the ground to rest. While most of the team was more excited about who had won, he was just happy to be back home. Jenna soon lay down beside him, nuzzling into his side and warming him with her touch.

"I think you'll want this back," he said, pushing her bandanna off and returning it to her.

"Did it help at all?"

"A bit. It helped remind me who I was returning to… but it certainly couldn't replace having the real you around."

She just smiled, before nuzzling into his chest, adding, "You're too sweet - I'm so glad you're back."

"Hey, I always come back to you, don't I?" he asked, and she smiled in reply.

Her attention was then drawn towards Steele, his presence bringing back the memories of everything he did. All the times he made unwanted advances towards her… all the times he picked on Balto. "Now that's a sight for sore eyes," she muttered.

"Don't worry, he isn't as bad as he was before," he added. "In fact, he-"

"Look, I think the judges have made their decision!" Kaltag exclaimed, cutting him off. Knowing this was it, he pulled himself to his feet and stood with his team, ready for the final verdict. Right beside him was Steele, wearing a neutral expression. He knew as well as anyone that this race was up for grabs. One of the officials finally stepped onto the street, and the crowd suddenly silenced in anticipation of the final call.

"First, I just want to say that all of the racers here have performed exceptionally in what has probably been the closest finish in the history of the Trans-Alaskan Derby. These racers have shown great endurance, true fidelity and boundless intelligence to reach-"

"Oh just get to the bloody point already," Steele grumbled, but Balto was more content to let the man talk.

"- and after running their best for days, it has come down to this," the man said, almost at the end. "After careful consideration, we have come to a conclusion. The winner of the Trans-Alaskan Derby for nineteen twenty-seven is," the man paused to catch his breath, keeping everyone in suspense for a moment longer before he made the final call, "It's, by only an inch… Mr. Kassen and his lead dog Balto!"

The team erupted in cheers, but for Balto all he felt was a soft calm. He'd done it, he'd lived one of his greatest dreams, and that brought not excitement or mirth, but more of a serene peace. It was the same peace he felt when he returned from the serum run, drawn from the feeling that he'd accomplished something wonderful.

"For his accomplishment, the victor is awarded the golden collar," the official continued. "While Mr. Vance and his lead Steele, for running such a tight race, will get the silver collar." The two prize collars were presented, with the gold studded collar placed on Balto's shoulders while Steele - with a slight pout - accepted the silver one. While Balto thought anyone would be glad to get second place in a race as big as this, he remembered how important this race was to the husky.

Above him, his musher was laughing heartily before rubbing Balto's head. "Oh, you're a damn fine dog, Balto. Good job, boy," he said. Despite the affection, Balto's mind was still on Steele as he wondered whether living his dream might have cheated someone else out of theirs as well. There were handshakes all around before the crowds started to disperse to celebrate the end of the race indoors. All were happy for the result except Steele, who decided to wander down an alley on his own.

"Hey, Balto, we're heading to the mill! Come on!" Kaltag called, but his lead had something else on mind.

"Hang on, I'll catch up with you," he thought, before an idea popped into his head. "Actually, could you do something for me?" he asked, and the Chinook nodded. "There's something I need you to pull out of storage…"

----------

He'd been so close, but it wasn't enough. After years of only getting the best times, the quickest runs, and always getting first, Steele had been bumped down to second after missing the target by just a hair. This was his one chance, but he blew it. He tried to find some excuse or reason behind it, but nothing came up. It was something he never thought he'd have to face, but all signs were pointing to the same thing - he'd been beaten. For the first time in his life, there was a dog out there who could outpace him. He'd been bested in a race, but he felt neither sad nor angry. He just felt empty - being the champion was all he had before, but now he didn't even have that anymore.

"Steele, wait." It was Balto calling for him, but the he didn't stop walking. It wasn't until he dashed ahead of him that he finally stopped. "C'mon, I just wanna talk."

"What's there to say? You won and I lost - end of story."

"You didn't lose - second place is not a loss. Look, I know you wanted to win, but think about it. Second place means you were still good enough to beat every other team."

"Easy for you to say - you're the one with the gold around his neck!" Steele barked. "Why do you care anyway? Second is nothing to you now."

"I guess… the life I've lived has taught me to appreciate what I have," he said. "There was a time where I would have done anything just to be in a sled race. It didn't matter if I came in first or last, just as long as I got to run as a sled dog. Getting anything would have made me happy… and I'm sure there are a bunch of dogs who would love to be in your position right now, because they aren't going home with a prize collar."

"But… it's not the same."

"I know, but if it means anything to you, I've got something else for you," Balto said. "Now where is Kaltag? I told him to come here and - ah there he is." Soon the Chinook entered the alley, with something resembling a belt in his mouth. He laid it on the ground, before Balto let him rejoin the others. The leather on the belt was slightly worn, but still in good shape. Balto blew some of the dust off, before beckoning Steele over. "I know it may not change what's happened now, but maybe this might help you with some of your old glory," he explained.

"How? It's just some old collar."

"Actually, this isn't just any old collar," Balto said, before flipping it over. "It's yours."

Steele gasped when he saw the solid gold studs. It was a picture perfect copy of the new collar Balto wore around his neck, just a few years older. It was the same collar he used to wear before being stripped from his neck after his treachery against his team was exposed. For so long, he'd gone without his favourite trophy, always feeling as though Balto had stolen it for himself.

"You kept it," he said.

"Sort of. None of us felt really right wearing it, so we had it put away," Balto explained. "But after everything you did for us, and for me over the course of this race, I think it should be returned to you."

Steele was speechless, and gingerly extended a paw to touch it, as if expecting it to fade away. The metal studs were cold to the touch, but still as tangible as the silver around his neck. Not needing any encouragement, he took one end of the belt in his mouth. With just a flick of his head, he swing the open belt across his neck, directly covering the new silver collar he wore. It just needed to be done up, but the old one still fit him perfectly.

"It still fits… I - I don't know what to say… why?"

"Because a true champion knows that humility is just as important as victory," an ethereal voice replied. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, catching them off guard. The voice was soothing to the ear, and from around the corner came a snow-white wolf that by now was familiar to both of them.

"You!" Steele barked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to congratulate the victor… and to thank you as well," she replied. "You made the right choice last night, and in doing so you not only showed that you are capable of leaving the past behind, you kept Balto and his family safe."

"Thanks, but I didn't exactly do it for you," Steele said. "That wolf needed to be stopped, and it certainly made me the hero of the day."

"Whatever your reasoning, you still did it and your good deed should not go unthanked," she continued, bowing her head slightly. "You protected him, and that meant that everything I've worked for was not in vain. And, just as I promised, you have regained some of the glory you once held," she said, looking at his prize collars before turning to Balto. "Congratulations, you've done it. You became a champion and have honoured your father's memory well."

"Eh, question," Steele cut in. "What makes him so special? Why was it so important for him to win the race?"

"I had a feeling you'd ask that, and it's actually one of the reasons I remained here, watching over him," she started. "It was important for him to win this race because it would correct a wrong that was made years ago. It was a wrong perpetrated by you, Steele. Returning that collar may be an act of good faith, but the way I see it, you never deserved it in the first place."

"What are you talking about? Of course I deserve it! I first won it five years ago, fair and square!" he protested.

"Did you? You may not know this, but I was present at that race as well. I saw the trick you pulled on Amak's team, and that was what cost him the race. You cheated Steele; you took the trophy that should have been Amak's in the first place."

"Hang on, Amak? You've said that name before," Balto put in, remembering it from one of his prior dreams. "Who was he? How did Steele know him? And… how do you two know each other?" he asked, wondering how on earth a dog like Steele would know a wolf like his mother.

"Amak was another racing dog I knew years ago," Steele explained. "Come to think of it, he was a lot like you, Balto: overly righteous, always thought he had the moral high ground, and never knew when not to stick his nose into something."

'He was a racing dog…' Balto thought, starting to put the pieces together.

"That's what you think, but the way I saw it, Amak was honest, humble and caring. He always put others before himself - you were just too selfish to see it," she countered.

"As for how I know this lobo," Steele continued, completely ignoring her protest. "I caught her and Amak sneaking around the town together. Yep, it turned out Amak liked his girls on the wild side, if you catch my meaning."

'Amak was her lover?' Balto thought. 'If that's so, then… can it be?'

"You laugh, but that's because you could never understand the beauty of how we felt for each other. In your ignorance, you decided to shame Amak away from the town," she countered. "You may have defeated him then, but after today, that wrong has been righted. While Amak fell to your madness - his son would pick up his mantle."

"His son? What do you mean - and… today?" Steele said, trying to make sense of this. "But the only thing that happened today was…" his gaze shifted towards Balto, who remained silent, almost as surprised by this. "No way," he gasped, shaking his head. "It's impossible."

"Oh I assure you it is," she replied. "Look at him, can you not see the resemblance? Even his character he shares with Amak."

Another look at Balto, and the most curious thing happened. For a brief moment, he saw not a wolfdog, but his long-gone rival, in Balto. He'd never made the connection until now, even though the resemblance had been staring him in the face for years. "But the chances… this can't be-"

"It all makes sense now," Balto whispered, as every piece finally fell into place. His mother, his father, Steele, and everything behind what his mother had done for him. It was the last mystery from his life, finally revealed, and the peace that followed allowed him to utter the words he'd wanted to for years, "Amak was my father."

There was a pause, as Steele just shook his head as he tried to comprehend this. "Don't try to deny it Steele, you had this coming," Aniu added. "Amak may be gone, but part of him still lives on in Balto. That part allowed him to defeat you today, which is how it should have been with Amak five years ago."

"All this time… it was always him… but that's… that would make you… no way… no effing way!" Steele stuttered. Balto stepped forward to try to help him, but Steele now regarded him like a rabid animal. "No, no! You stay away from me!" he cried, before finally dashing away in shock. All this time, the one wolfdog who he'd always picked on, was actually the son of his oldest rival.

"Well at least you're handling it a little better than he is," she quipped, before smiling at him. "Now you know the last missing piece of your heritage. You are the son of Aniu, a wolf who is now a spirit guide, and Amak, a great racing dog who had what he earned stolen away from him."

"It's amazing… who would've thought this whole thing with Steele dated back to before I was born… but if my father never did win the race, then why did you always refer to him as a champion when I was a pup?" he asked.

"He may not have been the official champion, but in my eyes, he was the rightful one," she replied, before giving him a soft nuzzle. "Champion or not, he still inspired you, just as he inspired those on his team. Even just remembering his image was enough to sway dogs, who, like you, were inspired by his courage and humility."

"His image… the husky in my dreams. That was him!" Balto exclaimed, recalling the unknown husky from his recent dreams that always encouraged him.

"Yes. I thought it would be best if you knew what he looked like too, because you never got the chance to see him in life," she replied.

"That's the last thing - why didn't I ever get to see him? What happened to him?" Balto asked. "Why isn't he here?"

Aniu bit her lip - this was going to be hard to tell, but her son deserved to know the truth. "He's not here because he's… already passed on," she started. "Steele wasn't the only danger to us when we became mates. There was a wolf I knew named Mayak who wanted me as well. After Steele caught us together in town, he exiled us, and because of that, Mayak found us soon after. He saw me as his alone, and when he found out that I was bearing our pups, he saw it as a betrayal. Your father fought bravely… but it would not be enough. Mayak murdered your father before my very eyes, and I barely escaped myself," she explained, pushing her nuzzle a little harder. Balto was very quiet, as a few tears rolled down his muzzle.

"I was alone in the world, but alive thanks to him," she continued. "I eventually found my way to Nome, where you were born, and where I thought we would be safe… but I didn't anticipate Mayak's ruthlessness. He still pursued us, and when I knew we'd been found, I had to make one of the hardest choices in my life," she continued, taking a deep breath. "We couldn't run or hide - all that was left was to fight. I couldn't tell you why, but I had to leave you in order to protect you."

"That day… the day you said you were going out hunting-"

"I was actually going to engage Mayak, to keep him from hurting you," she continued, remembering the last, painful day her son ever saw her. "I'm so sorry I lied to you my son, but it was the only way to keep you safe. I fought my hardest, but Mayak was too strong. He struck a fatal blow to me, so I had to use the last of my strength to send both of us over a cliff. Victory that day came with great sacrifice, but in the end, you were safe, and that's all that mattered."

"But because of the bond you felt, you stayed as a spirit guide," Balto added. The previous year, after he'd safely seen Aleu off to her new home, his mother appeared to him, revealing her identity to him. He'd seen her many times before, but it wasn't until then that she told him her name… and how she was his spirit guide. She stayed behind to watch over him… but his father was still absent. "What about dad?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, he'd already gone on to the next life. I haven't seen him in almost five years… but I will see him soon enough."

"What? How?"

"My son, you must know that much like a parent to their child, or a teacher to their student, a spirit guide cannot stay in this world forever," she started. "There must come a time where the one being guided has learned all they need to forge their own path in life. For you, that time is now."

Balto broke away, tears streaming down his face as he realised what she was saying to him. "You mean… you're leaving?" he whispered.

"I must, because I do not belong here. My time already came, and the only reason I stayed was to make sure you would be able to walk your own path," she replied. "You have accepted who you are, come to understand your wolf side, and now your dog side too. I have accomplished everything I wanted for you, which is why it is my time to move on."

Despite her assurances, Balto just shook his head. "No, no - you can't leave now!"

"I'm sorry, but this is how it must be."

"No no no no no!" he cried, leaning into her and sobbing into her chest, and she stroked his back with her paw to comfort him.

"I know it hurts, but I won't be completely gone," she comforted. "You will still have the memory of me living in you, and I may still be able to watch over you." He looked up at her expectantly, and she gently licked the tears from her eyes as though he was a little pup again, before launching into her last story. "There was a story I heard, and it helped me on nights when I was alone, after your father died. You know the northern lights, right?" He nodded, making her smile. "Of course you do - I showed you how to make them when you were small. Now, the story goes that the northern lights are actually the spirits of those who have passed, watching over us in this world. On nights when I saw them, I imagined Amak was there too, and that helped me so much. I didn't have to feel alone, and neither will you."

"It's just… it feels like I just found you, but you have to leave me again," he said.

"I know, but know this as well - you are my son and no matter what, I will always love you," she said, pulling him into one last nuzzle. "You'll always be my little baby."

"And I'll never forget everything you've done for me… at least this time I get to say goodbye," he continued. It was strange, but she no longer felt a solid as she used to. She was still there, but it was as though she was falling away at the same time.

"That's true. Goodbye, my son, and if you ever feel alone, just look to the north and I'll be dancing with the lights," she said, her voice sounding more distant as she felt herself fade from this world.

"I love you momma," he said, trying in vain to grip what still remained of her. "Thank you for everything."

"I'm so proud of you… and so is your father."

The last echoes of his mother faded away, and soon Balto was standing in the alley alone, his mother having passed on after completing her duty. It was a hard blow, to have his mother leave again, but in a way, it also made him happy. Now he knew the truth of his heritage, where he came from, and what happened to his parents. He was here because of their great sacrifice, and for that, he would always be grateful. They did everything because of their love for him, and for each other… and now his mother and father would finally be reunited, forever dancing with the auroras.

"Thank you, mom and dad," he said, looking up to the sky. "I'd be lost without you."

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Epilogue: An End and A Beginning

Three Months Later

"Aw c'mon, Balto, I like seeing it on you. You should be proud of it."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I have to wear the darn thing everyday. It's a lot heavier than it looks, and it strains my neck after a while."

The voices came from the two dogs walking along the beach. The setting sun cast an orange glow across the sky, matched on the ground by what snow there was left. Their paws sloshed through the slushy mix as a warm breeze brushed their fur. The longer days of spring brought warmer air, freeing the town from winter's grip. The snow was softer, and even the sea ice had puddles forming in it. It wouldn't be long before the snow would vanish and the ice would crumble, giving way to spring. Flowers would bloom, and the trees would grow through the summer before autumn slowed their progress, in time for the snows of winter to return. The end of one made way for the beginning of another.

"Aw, could you do it for me? Please," the red husky said, putting on her best puppy eyes.

"… Oh, alright Jenna, but I'd have to go back to the boat to get it," Balto conceded.

"That's okay, it can wait," she said, nuzzling his side. The soft fur of his neck bore no collar anymore, a sign of his regained freedom. After months of living as a sled dog, Balto had started to miss some of the freedoms his older life allowed. He talked with the team and they had no issue with him taking his leave, returning to the life of a stray. Kassen may not have expected it, but decided to let it be. Balto was still partly wild, and knew better than to force the issue. If he was desperate, he could always find Balto and call on him again if needed. Despite that, Balto still kept the gold studded belt he'd won, tucked away somewhere safe.

"I still think you look quite dashing with it on," she said, earning a sigh from him. As much as he enjoyed the feeling of meeting a lifelong goal, all Balto wanted to do now was enjoy his time in peace. Winning the golden collar turned out to be much more of a draw than he anticipated, and after a while he stopped wearing it in public, to try to avoid much of the attention brought onto him. He always wanted to see himself as equal with the town dogs, and the reverence the prize collar came with actually made him uncomfortable.

"Although, you still haven't told me what you plan on doing with yourself next year," she continued. "Are you thinking of racing again?"

"I have thought about it… but this time I think I'd rather pass," he replied, catching her off guard.

"Really? Why? You've put so much effort into being a sled dog," she said.

"I have, but that's because I was always wanting to improve myself, to do better than the last time, but now… there really isn't a way to go higher than the top, is there?"

"No… but you could easily win again."

He shook his head. "It wasn't just about winning. It was about understanding a part of who I was. I've lived the wolf part, and now I've lived the racing dog part too. I've walked the path that was laid before me… and now I understand everything about my past. I've reached the point where I can start making my own path."

"Well then, where will that path take you?" she asked. "Do you think you'll ever step into a sled harness again?"

"I don't know. I mean, if something important comes up, or I'm called on it, then I would gladly lead a team again," he replied. "Until then, I'm content to be left to my own devices. I want to spend time with what's really important to me - my family. Our pups are already getting their own start, and I want to help guide them when they need it. Speaking of which, have you heard anything new from Kodi?"

"I heard his team is going to have a break through the summer, but by next winter, he'll be doing full mail runs with them," she replied. "I just hope that Steele doesn't give him too much trouble when he's in White Mountain."

"He'll be fine," Balto assured her. "I got word that Sonya's going to make sure he's looked after, so I don't think we'd have to worry about Steele. Come to think of it, he's done nothing but avoid me since the end of the race. No mean glares, no insults, no snide remarks... nothing," he explained, while thinking, 'Though I can't blame him for being spooked. Finding what he did about me was probably the last thing he expected.'

"Thank goodness for that. The less I see or hear of that glory hound, the better."

"True… besides, Kodi's a sharp pup - he knows how to avoid trouble. He's come such a long way, and who knows, he might be lead dog soon enough," he said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself - he already feels enough pressure to do well as it is," she countered. "If anything, your win this year has just left a bigger harness to fill for him."

"I know, but he shouldn't feel like he has to fill it. Just because his dad won a big race doesn't mean he has to do the same. I'm already proud of him for getting on a team so quickly," Balto said. "It's actually part of the reason I want to let this pass. I don't want to be overshadowing him or any one of our pups. They deserve a fair chance on their own, and I think the best way is to step down graciously."

"You'd rather pass the torch on than keep running with it," she summed up, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I've done all I wanted to do with this, so there's no sense keeping it for myself," he continued. "This way, I can let a new generation follow in my footsteps. They may do better than I did, they may not, but what's important is that they get the chance to run on their own, with a clear road ahead for them."

"What about Kaltag and the team? Have you told them about this?" she asked.

"I have, and they were quite accepting of it. I told Kaltag that now he could take another crack at leading himself, and he seemed more than eager," he said. "Nothing lasts forever, which is why it's best to let things pass on gracefully than trying desperately to cling to them. This way, I can do things on my own terms. I've completed the path that was laid out before me… and I'm now on the path I choose for myself."

Their walk meandered down the coastline, before they found a familiar bluff rising from the shoreline. They climbed up, and were soon perched on a spot they had come to many times. It was a spot where they could have an unobstructed view of the ocean, now a sea of red and orange from the setting sun. Both sat down just to enjoy the beauty of the scene, with Jenna leaning into his side. He nuzzled her head with his chin, perfectly content. Being here made him reflect on all the ups and downs of his life, and how they shaped him into what he was now. He was a friend to many, and a rival to a few. He was a son, a parent, and a mate to a beautiful husky. He was a stray, with nothing and with everything. He was a racing dog and a wild wolf. All of these things made him who he was, and he wouldn't change any of them for the world. He knew who he was, and where he came from.

All he had to find out now was where he would go from here...

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Final Postscript

As I sit here, looking over the final words of this series, I am met with mixed feelings. I am proud to have been able to complete this great work, which is the product of almost two and a half years of work and patience. When I started, I didn't really know it would end this way. I just thought I'd write until I ran out of ideas. As time went on, and the ideas started to develop a little more, things started to take shape. They were very rough at first, vague ideas, but as my narrative continued, the rough ideas became smoother. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it was dull, but I persisted, able to build more depth as the series unfolded. There's no joy like that which comes from creating something, and seeing it develop and mature before it finally goes out into the world... but now my work is finished. It is time to move on, which is why, as happy as I am to have finished it, I'm also a bit down over how it's over now. I have finished what I wanted to do, leaving me wondering, "Where do I go from here?"

Fortunately, I'm able to see the silver lining in any situation, so any gloom from my series being over is quickly squashed by optimism. Since I'm not writing near-constantly anymore, I have time to take a rest, and let my mind refresh itself with great new ideas. I'm going to enjoy a good break from writing, and focus on the next big change in my life. As I write this, I am only days away from starting university. There are already a few boxes packed, ready to be shipped off when I move away from home to live on campus. It will be a time filled with new freedoms and new responsibilities. When I look at the road ahead of me, the scale seems daunting. However, I still say what I always say when faced with something completely new to me (like writing a whole fanfiction series and posting it for public scrutiny): Challenge Accepted.

A new chapter in my life is about to dawn, but I will never forget the great support that has been shown towards my work. I may not be able to be as active within the fan community due to my studies, but I will still try to pop in every now and then. At the very least, I will have left my stories, available for anyone to enjoy in the years to come... as long as the internet doesn't break :( . Who knows, someone else may come along in a few years and be inspired by them, just as I was inspired to write by the other great writers around here. Time will move on, new stories will come and go, but the memories of today will last forever... and that is probably the greatest gift that anyone could have.

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Amak, Sonya, Jake, Jonathan, Marcus, Maddie, Caroline, Tikani, and Mayak all belong to iWolf231 and may not be used in any way without my direct permission.

Aniu, Steele, Balto, Jenna, Kaltag, Nikki, Star, Rosy and Kodi all belong to Universal Studios and Amblimation.