Nekai let out a sigh as she watched Kafka triumphantly cross the clearly marked finishing line, followed closely by her older brother, Colton. The weather was beautiful, and the musher’s of Nome had a race planned for today. As always, it was won by Kafka. One of the youngest but swiftest sled dogs in training at that time, who was being trained by the same master as Nekai, named Jonathan.

It had been more than a year since Nekai had started training to be a sled dog and during her training she had grown close to her dear friend Kafka. He defended her whenever the older and much stronger dogs on the sled team tried to steal her share of food,despite being a puppy himself. And unlike the other dogs he knew when he first met her that she would grow up to be one of the fastest dogs in Nome. Nekai was more than capable of defending herself now that she had grown and gained more skills, but still she couldn’t keep a smile from spreading across her face whenever Kafka won a race.

On the other hand, Nekai felt somewhat obliged to feel sorry for Colton considering the fact that he was family. (And despite the fact that he was one of the puppies who bullied Nekai during her life with her parents and littermates. And was in desperate need of an attitude adjustment)

It was during these situations when one friend won and the other lost, that she felt torn between two loved ones. And the fact that Kafka and Colton were rivals didn’t help at all…ever since the two both one first place at a race a few months ago they had become sworn enemies…

Nekai trotted up to Kafka’s side and congratulated him for winning the race. Together they began to head towards the barn where the other dogs being trained by Jonathan were expecting them.

“You were great today!” Nekai complimented her friends speed.

Kafka smiled back at her, “It was nothing. You should see me running once I’ve had a chance to warm up! I can run re-..”

“Nekai!” The red dog turned her attention to her brother who marched up to his sister angrily. “Why are you wasting your time talking to him? You know Mom and Dad are expecting us!”

Not again…“Colton…” She sighed. “Mother and Father are expecting us in more than 2 hours, there’s more than enough time for me to-”

“The quicker we get there the better! Now come one!” He wasn’t going to stand for his sister associating herself with his rival.

Colton began to herd his sister in the direction of their father’s boat. Nekai hated it when he acted like this, and Colton should have known by now how little it can take for the smaller dogs to snap and lash out.

It was unfortunate that this trait ran in their family, their father was half wolf and it didn’t take much for the siblings’ more aggressive side to come through. Nekai, at least, tried to control it. But the majority of the dogs in Nome were sick of Colton’s attitude, and all of them daren’t start a fight with Nekai. They had all seen how aggressive she could be, and it wasn’t pretty.

Nekai managed to glance back at Kafka, the only real friend she had. He smiled and stared after her until she disappeared ‘round a corner. Then trotted back to the barn where we was warmly greeted by the older dogs.

Minutes passed until Colton broke the silence.

“Why do you hang around him all the time? Why don’t you hang out with Saba and Aleu?” He didn’t understand how his sister could be friends with someone he hated.

“What musher with half a mind…would want a small, slow, WEAK runt on their team?!”

Nekai stopped, dead in her tracks. She forgot about winning the race, and kept her head low, it was hard to tell how she was feeling. And it made Colton feel uncomfortable.

“N-Nekai?..” The dog bent his head down and tucked his tail between his legs. He’d done it now, he had gotten Nekai mad. And made a huge mistake. Slowly…cautiously… still in a submissive posture, he walked up to his sister. Afraid of what would come next, yet smart enough to know that running away was the most foolish thing to do. It would only provoke the red canine to give chase.

“Do not ever…EVER…mistake my size for WEAKNESS!!!” Nekai pounced on the larger male, knocking him over. Colton looked up at her, her eyes were mad, her fangs were bared, she sunk her teeth into his leg as he tried to escape to the boat. And clamped her fangs onto his neck.

Colton gasped as his breath escaped him. “Dad! Help me!” The terrified dog prayed his father would hear him and come running, but even then, it would be hard to get Nekai to stop.

“What makes you think that you are better than me?!” Nekai tightened her grip on his neck. Her fur bristled and a loud, vicious growl could be heard.

“Be-…because I’m bigger than you.”

“IDIOT!” Her grip tightened again, and the tasted blood in her mouth. “Don’t EVER say that to me!” The blood tasted good, so much that is almost frightened Nekai. Why was she acting like this?

The life was escaping Colton, but he wasn’t planning on dieing yet. He put up a struggle, with the last amount of strength he had left the dog got to his feet, with Nekai still clamped onto his neck, and shook his head frantically. Trying to shake her off, he succeeded. Further away, Balto could be seen rushing to the scene.

“Colton! Is that you?” he called. All he could see were two dark figures tearing at each other, silhouetted by the sun. Though he was sure he had heard his son calling him, pleading for help.

Nekai froze, her ears detected the sound of another animal running. Colton heard it too, knowing that his father was coming, he collapsed. She looked up, and saw her father rushing towards the scene. She came to her senses, but panicked. If she was caught trying to kill her brother, her father would never forgive her. She looked down at him, he was unconscious, but alive and breathing. The wound on his neck was deeper than it looked, but due to the colour of his fur it was difficult to see the blood.

Her father was getting closer, but was still too far away to see who the attacker and victim were. There was only one thing Nekai could do…run…run away from what had happened. From what she had done. And maybe, run away from Nome.

She turned and ran, kicking up more sand behind her and accidentally getting sand in Colton’s wound. She sprinted across the beach at an amazing speed, eventually reaching the grass and finally disappearing into the woods. Nekai stopped, looking behind her she could see that her father had reached Colton.

“Goodbye father…”

She turned and disappeared into the forest, but little did the red wolf know...that she was being followed.