“Did you hit your head too?”

Toby shook his head.  “It’s hopeless.  Without the chief, we’re lost.”  He sat down, letting doubt take over.  “I’ve failed you.  I’ve failed you all.”

He was so busy dwelling on his misery that he didn’t hear the crunch of snow as footsteps approached.  He wasn’t aware that anyone was coming until a voice behind him said, “Giving up?  That’s not the Toby I know.”

Toby’s head whipped up and he spun around.  There, standing in the snow, was an oh-so-familiar dog looking a little disappointed and a whole lot smug.  “Miss me?” she asked.

“Luna?” asked Toby, too stunned for the moment to be angry.  “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get you out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself,” she answered.

Toby’s ears slid back.  “I told you not to follow us.”

“And I told you I was coming with you.  Period.”

“Luna, go back to Nome.”

“Why?” she asked.  “I thought you said you wouldn’t put me in danger.”  She tilted her head to indicate everything behind her.  “I set out when Aleu showed up on the outskirts of Nome with her pack.  Most wolves are breeding this time of year, and don’t tend to trust outsiders.  So I knew that you wouldn’t get very far beyond her pack’s territory without my help.”  She shrugged.  “Since then I’ve had to get past two grizzlies and a spot that maniac covered with traps.  Now are you going to ask me to go back through that, or are you going to let me stay with a larger group where I’ll be safe?”

Toby shook his head.  “It’ll be safer than freezing to death out here.  I can’t justify letting you stay with us.  Those who want to keep going can come with me, and we’ll stop Lawrence or die trying.  The rest will escort you back to Nome.”

“There is a way you can get out of this alive and save the chief,” said Luna.  “But you can’t do it without me.”

The rest of the team began talking amongst themselves.  One dog commented, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m for anything that’ll get us out of here alive.”  The other dogs were quick to voice their support.

Exile stepped forward.  “Come on, Toby,” he said.  “Let’s at least hear what she has to say.”

Toby sighed.  “Alright, Luna.  Let’s hear it.”

She smiled.  “I thought you’d see it my way.”  She cleared her throat and addressed the whole team.  “Now listen carefully.  I am, shall we say, on good terms with most wolves.  I know what their laws are, and most of their customs.  So I’ll ask the nearest pack to help us, and then we can go and stop Lawrence together.”

There was a lot of surprised murmuring among the dogs.  “Since when do wolves have laws?” asked one.

“And how would you know them?” added someone else.

Luna smiled secretively.  “Let’s just say I have friends in the right places.”  She looked around at the group.  “So, what do you say?”

“What if your plan fails?” asked Toby.

“Then we’ll be no worse off than we are now, and at least we’ll know that your plan is the only way of avoiding a complete failure.”

Grudgingly, Toby agreed.  “Let’s get everyone out of their harnesses first.”

Finding wolves was not very difficult.  The crashed dogsled had attracted several of the younger, more curious members of the nearest pack.  Luna strode up to them, somehow managing to project an air of humility and confidence at the same time.  “Noble wolves,” she began.  “I am Luna, daughter of Copper and Taya.”  She gestured to Toby.  “This is my friend Toby, son of Rex and Terry.   We are in need of your help.”

The wolves eyed them suspiciously.  “What brings you dogs into the land of the White Wolf pack?”

Luna bowed respectfully.  “We are passing through.  We have had an accident, and our master is injured.  Our lives are in your paws.”

A brown wolf, clearly older than the rest of the group, stepped forward.  “I am Wildfire, son of Denahi and Lunau.  What aid do you ask for?”

“A safe place to get out of the cold and, if it pleases you, sir, an audience with your alphas.”

Wildfire shook his head.  “It will have more to do with how it pleases them.  Such meetings are not to be offered to every dog who passes by.”

“We shall gladly return the favor by providing information that may be of great use to your pack.”

This seemed to catch Wildfire’s interest.  “What information could you have that would be of use to us?”

“It concerns a mutual enemy of ours.”

Wildfire considered.  “If that is the case, you may come with us.”  He turned to lead them away.

“I beg your pardon, sir, but might I ask that my companions come as well?  We are cold and very tired.”

Wildfire considered, then turned to the other wolves.  “Dig them a shelter in the snow to keep them warm until we return.”  Then he turned to Luna.  “You and Toby.  Come.”

As they followed him, Luna whispered to Toby, “Now do exactly as I do and try not to talk too much.”

Wildfire led them away from their group and through the woods until they reached a large cave, full of wolves.  “Black Feather.  Strangers seeking counsel with Denahi and Lunau,” he announced to a black wolf at the entrance.

Black Feather nodded and disappeared into the cave, returning a few moments later.  “Come in,” he commanded.

Wildfire led them into the cave, which contained about two dozen wolves in all.  The members of the White Wolf pack lifted their heads to stare at the strangers.  In the middle of the cave was a sort of raised area where sat two wolves, their color impossible to make out in the dim light.  “What do you want?” asked one of them.  Toby guessed by the voice that it was Denahi, clearly the alpha male of the pack.

Luna bowed.  “We are travelers in need of assistance.  We and our companions have suffered an accident.  There were no fatalities, but our master is severely hurt and in need of a warm place.”

“You are dogs, and surely your master is a human.  Why should we help you?”

“Because we have information that could very well be the life or the death of your pack.”

The wolves were silent at this for a long moment.  “Who are you, and what is this information you claim to possess?” asked Lunau.

“I am Luna, daughter of Copper and Taya.  This is Toby, son of Rex and Terry.  We and the rest of our team have been in pursuit of a man who has sworn to kill every wolf in Alaska.  He was last seen in these parts, and may be searching for signs of your pack.”

“What is your interest in this matter?” asked Lunau.  “You are not wolves, so of what concern is it to you if someone wants to kill us?”

“You are wise to ask such a question, Lunau.  Our concern is this: first, that the man we seek is not only a hunter of wolves, but he has killed one of his fellow men.  Toby is the leader- the alpha male, if you will- of a pack of dogs dedicated to upholding justice under the laws of men.  Secondly, we seek him because he shot Toby’s father.”

Some of the wolves seemed to sympathize with Toby for this.  “But why do you not speak, Toby?” asked Denahi.

Luna answered, “If you please, sir, my friend is rather impetuous and does not know the ways and customs of your people.  I have some knowledge of the Code of the Wolf, and therefore I speak on behalf of him and the rest of our group, so as to avoid any offense.”

 Toby’s face turned sour at being called impetuous.  But Luna’s answer seemed to interest the two alpha wolves more than the matter of Toby’s silence.  “And tell me, Luna,” asked Denahi, sounding curious, “How it is that you know of our laws?”

“I am part wolf myself,” answered Luna.  “My great-grandmother was a wolf named Aniu.”

Denahi and Lunau jerked back their heads in surprise.  “Aniu?” asked Lunau.

Luna was surprised they were surprised.  “You know her?”

“Well, yes,” said Denahi.  “In a way.”  Gesturing to Lunau and himself, he explained, “Once when we were lost in a blizzard, before we had established this pack, a white wolf named Aniu found us and led us to safety.  Shortly thereafter she disappeared, and we have not seen her or heard any news about her since.  But she is the reason we call ourselves the White Wolf pack.  If she is truly your relative, then under the Code of the Wolf you are regarded as our sister.”

Luna cast Toby a smug look, then returned her focus to Denahi and Lunau.  “Does that mean you’ll help us?” she asked.

“Possibly.  First we require proof that you are who you say you are.”

“We can offer you no proof of our ancestry beyond our word and what your eyes themselves tell you, but you need look no further than our eyes to see that we are honest and truthful.”

Denahi jumped down and walked forward, his eyes locked with Luna’s.  Luna assumed as non-threatening a stance as she could.  Denahi stared her in the face and she, unblinkingly, stared back.  After a long time he turned from her and focused on Toby in the same way.  At last he said, “I believe you.”  He returned to the raised rock.  “Very well.  Since you are who you say you are, we will help you.  What do you need?”

“Only shelter for our weary members and a safe place for our chief,” she answered.  “We even have our own food at the sled, so we will be no added burden on your hunting parties.”

Denahi considered.  “Housing your team is a simple matter.  But it may not be so simple keeping a human here.  We wolves, as you certainly know, do not get along well with humans.”

“He is unconscious, and even if he wakes up, what chance would one man have against a pack as strong as yours?  I daresay that even the weakest among you would be an easy match for him in his current state.  And we will gladly help you remove his weapons, if it would make you feel better.”

“And,” added Toby, deciding this might help, “our chief is an honorable man who has committed his life to justice.  If you help him now, I can assure you he will not fail to give a good report of wolves in the future.”

Luna gave Toby a dirty look for thinking of something she had forgotten, but Denahi laughed.  “So, your mute friend finds his tongue at last.”  As the other wolves joined in the laughter, Denahi nodded.  “Very well.  You and your team may stay here until you are ready to continue, and your master shall be allowed to remain with us until it is time for all of you to depart.”  He sent six wolves to help Toby and Luna retrieve the sled, their team, and the chief.  Soon all were in the cave.  The team members were a bit uneasy about accepting help from wolves, but Toby assured them it would be fine.

“Just remember,” he said with a nod to Luna, “that if any of you needs to talk to the alphas, you’d better let Luna do your talking for you.”

The next morning Toby was well-rested and anxious to get going, but most of the team was still too weakened by the accident to leave the cave.  As for the chief, he was still out, and Luna pointed out that they would need him to handcuff Bryan Lawrence once they caught him.  “Anyway,” she added, “a little R&R never hurt anyone.”

Exile agreed.  “The team needs the rest.”

“Hmph,” said Toby, looking at the ground.

“And it wouldn’t kill you to relax for once,” Exile added.

“Quiet, Exile,” snapped Toby.  “I only brought you out here so we could tell the chatterboxes in Nome that Luna and I were never out of anyone’s sight during the trip.”

Luna sighed at the mention of Nome.  “I wish I could have told my owners where I was going, especially Connie.  She must be out of her mind right now.”

“I’m sure my boy is too, but the mission is top priority.  Thinking about people back home will only distract us.”

Luna stared at him.  “You’ve changed,” she said.

Toby lifted his head.  “What?”

“You’re different from when I first met you.  You’re not the Toby I’ve been friends with all this time.  And you’re definitely not the Toby I’ve been dating all this time.”

“Is that a fact?” asked Toby dryly.

“Yes it is.  You’ve gotten cold and tense.  Look at you!  We’re here, we’re alive, we stand a decent chance of catching the man who shot your father, and you can’t even smile!”  She scowled.  “You know what I think?  You need to lighten up.”

Toby scoffed.  “Like how?”

Luna smiled.  “Like this!” she yelled, pouncing on him.  Toby fought back, irritated at first, then slowly starting to enjoy himself.  Soon he and Luna were rolling in the snow, laughing until they were sick.

At last they stopped and lay on their backs in a snowdrift, side by side.  “That was fun,” panted Toby.

Luna nodded happily.  “Now that’s the Toby I remember.”

Toby got up.  “You were right,” he said, pulling Luna to her feet.  “I’ve been a real pain lately, haven’t I?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, I guess that’s over now.”  Toby felt as if an anvil had been lifted off of his shoulders.  “We’re going to make it.  We’ll find Lawrence and get back to Nome in one piece.”  He gently laid his paw on top of hers.  “Together.”

Luna smiled, and Exile laughed.  “Careful, you two.  I can’t tell the dogs in Nome that the rumors are empty if you keep this up.”

“Just tell them he’s undergoing medical treatment for an undersized brain and a swollen ego,” said Luna.

Toby thought about a comeback, but decided against it.  Instead he asked, “So, doc, what’s the prescription?”

Luna thought a moment.  “I’d say half an hour of this every day should do it.”

“Same time tomorrow?” asked Toby.

Luna smiled.  “It’s a date,” she said, making Toby cringe as he cast a sideways glance in Exile’s direction.

“Luna…” he warned through his teeth.

“Oh, come on,” she laughed.  “It’s just an expression.”

 “Yeah, right,” chuckled Exile under his breath.

        After staying with the White Wolf pack for about three days, the team was rested, recovered, and ready to continue the search.  When it came time for them to set out, the wolves gathered to see them off.  Denahi stepped forward to speak to them.  “You have proven while you were here that you are loyal and honorable.  May you be successful in your journey, and may you win the favor of any other packs you meet.”

“Whether you succeed or not, you may be sure that you will be welcome here if you need help,” added Lunau.  “Now go, and know that our hearts go with you.”

The pack howled in salute, and first Luna, then Toby, then all the dogs howled in reply.  When the chorus had died down, Toby nodded to the wolves.  “I will do everything in my power to see that the hunter who seeks to destroy you is stopped.  In Nome most dogs look down on wolves.  When we return there, know that I will tell everyone how you helped us, and hopefully discourage such small-minded thinking.”

The wolves howled again, voicing their approval.  As the dogs left, Luna looked at Toby.  “Nice speech,” she said.  “Especially for someone who doesn’t know the Code of the Wolf.”

The search was not easy.  They had feasted heavily on the food supplies from the sled to prepare for their journey, but even so it was not long before all their stomachs growled loudly.  Worse, it was spring, meaning that the snow was melting and made it almost impossible for even Toby to track Bryan.  But although it was getting warmer, it was still bitterly cold at night, forcing the dogs to sleep close together to share body heat.  The team, knowing that Toby’s fur was thinner than theirs, made a point of always putting him at the center of the group.  “We can’t have you catching cold,” said Exile, “Or we’ll all be in trouble.”

After five days of tracking, Toby caught a strong scent from the man they were after near a large mound of rocks.  “He must be on the other side,” he told the others.  “You four go up over the top, and you three circle right.  I’ll go around the left.  I want the first crack at him, but if I call for help, attack.  And try not to harm him any more than we have to.  He may be a rat, but we’re not.”

The dogs nodded and separated to do as he had told them.  Luna, who was part of the group of four, asked Toby if she could go with him instead.

“No,” he told her.  “I plan on being the first one he sees, and I don’t want you in the line of fire.”  Luna started to protest, but Toby cut her off.  “Please,” he said quietly, “for once, listen and do what I say.”  He turned and went around the left side.  As he crept forward the man’s scent grew stronger.  A moment later he could see the hunter, crouched by a fire and cooking a meal.  Studying him, Toby noticed there was something oddly familiar about him…

The hunter happened to glance up and jumped to his feet when he saw Toby.  “So, you’ve come for my dinner, have you?” he asked angrily.  “Well, you’re not going to have it, you bloodthirsty…”  letting his sentence trail off, he snatched up his rifle and pointed it at Toby.

Toby froze.  ‘He thinks I’m a wolf.’  He’d been hoping to succeed in a surprise assault, but now the man had him at gunpoint.  ‘If I try to run, he’ll shoot,’ he thought.  ‘If I attack I’ll be dead in an instant.  Either way I’ll be shot, just like dad.’

The man pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed.  He pulled it twice more and nothing happened.  Cursing, he threw aside the rifle and grabbed for his pistol, drawing and cocking it in one motion.

There was a blur of movement as a snarling dog leaped onto the man from the rocks.  It was Luna.  With a howl, she sank her teeth into his hand, making him drop the gun.  Releasing him, she grabbed the gun in her teeth and threw it into the bushes.

“Why, you little…” eyes blazing, the man snatched a knife from his belt with his good hand and jumped at Luna.  Toby threw himself at the hunter and knocked him off course.

“Now!” he yelled as the man turned to attack him.  There was the sound of barking, and a moment later the hunter disappeared beneath a sea of snarling dogs.

When the melee was over, Bryan lay unconscious.  Every one of the dogs bore cuts from his knife, but thankfully none were serious.  Toby smiled at Luna.  “Thanks,” he said.  “I would’ve been a goner without you.”

Luna beamed back.  “Hey, you’re my friend.  What else was I supposed to do?”

“Friend?” asked one of the team with a laugh.  “I thought he’d been your boyfriend for about the last three months.  Or was it four?”

“Oh, be quiet,” said Toby good-naturedly.  “And remember, you’re witnesses when we get back to Nome that Luna and I did not ‘run off together.’”

The team nodded, but as soon as Toby looked away several of them exchanged winks.  “It was five, at least,” whispered Exile.

“Now come on,” said Toby, ripping off the various weapons the hunter was wearing.  “Let’s get him back to the chief before he wakes up.  I wonder how we’ll keep him from escaping if he…” Toby turned to see Luna pulling her head out of the sack the man had been keeping his things in.  In her teeth, she clutched a bundle of rope.  Toby shook his head, amazed at Luna’s eerie timing.  “How do you do that?” he asked.

Luna dropped the rope and flashed Toby a smile.  “Just one of the tricks us girls know.  Want to see another?”  She returned to the sack and pulled out some dried meat.  “Who’s up for dinner?”

The trip back to the cave of the White Wolf pack was not at all pleasant for Bryan Lawrence.  Somehow the dogs managed to tie him up, and since they had no sled and he was too heavy to lift on their backs, they had no choice but to drag him over the ground, which came in two types: rocky and muddy.  By the time they got back, he was bruised, battered, dirty, and soaked.  As for the dogs, their ears felt much the same after a barrage of language I won’t repeat here.  They were happy to see that the chief was awake now and apparently none the worse for the wear.  He was a bit unnerved at being surrounded by wolves, but evidently he understood by this time that they meant no harm.  He was glad to see the dogs back, but when he saw their captive his expression was mixed.  “So, they caught up to you after all.”  He glanced at the wolves.  “I guess by now nothing should surprise me.”

“Didn’t have the guts to come after me yourself, huh bro?” asked Bryan.  “Just send in the dogs, that was always your style.”

‘Bro?’ thought Toby.  ‘What’s he talking about?’

“I didn’t send the dogs after you, Bryan.  I hit my head and woke up here yesterday.”  The chief scratched Toby behind the ears.  “I don’t know how, but they must’ve caught you by themselves.”

“What are you doing here with these monsters anyway?” asked the hunter, jerking his head to indicate the wolves.

The chief scowled.  “You’ve got a lot of nerve, calling them monsters after you shot Rex,” he said.  “Now let’s get you onto the sled.”

“Hey, come on,” said Bryan, struggling with his bonds.  “You wouldn’t arrest your own brother, would you?”

‘Brother?’ thought Toby.  A bolt of realization struck him.  ‘So that’s why he looks so familiar!’

“Sorry, but no man is above the law.  You shot someone, broke out of prison, and topped it off by stealing from the general store before you set off.  Not to mention shooting a police dog and, if I’m not mistaken, using a knife on several more.”  The chief rolled him onto the sled and tied him down.  “So brother or no brother, you’re under arrest.”

Toby smiled.  “Well, Luna, it looks like we did it.”  He looked around, but Luna wasn’t anywhere in sight.  “Luna?” he asked.  Then he saw her, hiding among the wolves.

“Pretend you don’t know me,” she said.  “My master will want to know where I’ve been, and the chief will have a hard enough time explaining everything else without being connected to my disappearance.”

Toby nodded.

“She’s got a good mind,” said Exile.  “You two make quite a pair.”

Toby shook his head.  “What is it with you guys?” he asked.  But even a blind person couldn’t have missed his meditative glance at Luna.

The group left the following day.  The entire White Wolf pack gathered around them to see them off.  Toby thanked the wolves for their help, and Denahi and Lunau thanked the dogs for ridding them of their would-be persecutor.  “You have done us a great service,” said Denahi.  “If you ever have need of our help again, you have only to ask.”

Toby bowed.  “I hope that our paths cross again,” he said.  “But perhaps next time it can be under better circumstances.  Until then, farewell.”

The chief looked at them, scratching his head.  “I could swear you’re talking to each other,” he said.  Bending over to Toby, he said, “Tell them I appreciate the ‘hotel room.’”

Denahi looked at Toby.  “What’s a hotel room?”

Toby laughed.  “He’s just saying thanks for the use of your cave.”

Denahi nodded.  “I know you can’t speak his language, but if you ever figure out how, tell him he’s welcome.”  They watched as one of the wolf cubs ran over to the chief and playfully tugged at his pant leg.  “He’s become quite a popular chew toy,” Denahi laughed as one of the wolves picked up the cub and retreated back into the pack.

The chief laughed and stepped onto the back of the sled.  “Come on, Toby,” he called.  “Let’s go.”

Toby jumped onto the sled, landing with a thud right on Lawrence’s stomach.  “Mmph!” came the grunt.  “Watch it, you dumb mutt.”  Toby resisted the urge to wave his tail in the man’s face.

“Mush!” called the chief.  And the dogsled pulled away, followed by the chorus of the White Wolf pack.

The journey back was uneventful.  Toby occasionally insisted on switching places with one or another of the dogs pulling the sled, saying that he had been sitting back long enough and no longer needed his energy for tracking.  Despite this, he spent most of his time on the sled, which was a lot more enjoyable since Luna was there too the whole time they were moving.  Granted, the mood was somewhat spoiled by the prisoner’s presence and by the fact that Luna had to stay inside one of the empty supply sacks, hidden from the chief.  But it was still nice.

When they returned to Nome, they were met with cheers as they headed through the streets, bound for the police station.  Once there, Lawrence was once more locked up while the team of dogs was surrounded by an excited crowd.  Luna, deciding that the humans wouldn’t notice her presence in the sea of canines, came out of her sack.  As luck would have it, Phoebe saw her come out and promptly asked Toby, “So, did you and Luna have an interesting time while you were away?”  Several other gossips perked up their ears, sensing fresh dirt.

Toby smiled.  “Luna followed us and negotiated a treaty between us and a wolf pack just when we needed it most.”

Some of the dogs were clearly impressed, but Phoebe remained skeptical.  “So nothing happened between you two?”

Exile stepped forward.  “Not what you’re thinking, I can tell you that.  I can personally assure you that Toby and Luna were never alone together for even a moment.  Aside from medical treatment, they never even touched each other.”

Phoebe seemed disappointed.

“Thank you, Exile,” said Toby.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s someone I need to talk to.”  And with that he hurried through the crowd, heading for the veterinary clinic.

He pushed the window open and slipped into the recovery room.  “Dad?” he asked.

“Well, well,” said Rex cheerfully.  “If it isn’t Toby, back safe and sound.  Did you catch him?”

Toby nodded.  “We got him alright.  And you’ll never believe who saved our tails.”

Rex listened with interest as Toby related the story of their journey.  When the story was over, he shook his head in amazement.  “That Luna is certainly a tough girl,” he commented.

They heard cheering from outside.  Looking out the window, Toby saw a crowd of dogs yelling his name.  He shook his head.  “Guess I’d better go out there and give them a speech or something.”

Rex smiled.  “Go ahead, son.  You deserve it.”

“Thanks, I think.”  Toby climbed out the window and stood on the woodpile.  The crowd cheered.  “Alright,” said Toby.  “I’m here.  Thank you all for your support, but I really don’t deserve the credit.  If anyone does, it’s Luna and the dogs who pulled the sled.  When I was facing Lawrence, I froze.  He would have shot me if they hadn’t come to the rescue.  And we all would have died out there if Luna hadn’t shown up in the first place and worked out an agreement between us and a wolf pack we met.”

“What sort of agreement?” asked an akita.

“And how did she negotiate with them?” added a malamute.

Toby tried to decide how much to tell.  “Well, the agreement was basically that they would take us in and look after the chief after he had hit his head, and in return we would get rid of Bryan Lawrence.”  He shrugged.  “Since he was out there hunting wolves, the pack was fairly agreeable to our offer.  As for the matter of how Luna negotiated the deal…” he saw her in the crowd, asking him with her eyes not to tell about her wolf ancestry.  “Sorry, but that’s one of her trade secrets as a diplomat.”  Over more questions, he shouted, “Now please let me through.  I am very tired and would like to go home and rest.”

Toby’s troubles were not over.  In the house he was smothered with affection from the Winters family until he could barely stand it, and every time he tried to leave the house he found himself hounded by excited dogs.  At last he agreed to speak at an assembly that was being held at the old mill that night in honor of the returning heroes.  “I can’t believe I’m actually doing it,” he confided in Luna on the way there.  “If I have to give one more speech after this I’ll scream.”

“Don’t be silly,” said Luna.  “You deserve it.”

“No I don’t,” answered Toby.  “You and the others do.  Everyone just wants me to speak because of my dad.”

Luna snorted.  “Better you than me.  Now you know why I try to keep a low profile about Balto being my grandpa.”

Toby nodded.  “Well, unfortunately it’s too late for me not to tell them who my dad is.  I’ll just have to suck it up and give the crowd what they want.”  He paused as if thinking, then grinned.  “Unless you’d consider going in my place.”

Luna’s eyes widened.  “Don’t you dare make me go up in front of a crowd!  You know how I feel about public attention!”

Toby stuck out his bottom lip and let it quiver, doing his best sad puppy face.  “Please?”

Luna laughed and bumped her shoulder against his.  “Break a leg,” she said.

“I’d rather break all four than give another speech,” said Toby.  A thought that had been tugging at the back of his mind came to him.  “Hey, would you meet me after this is over?  Say, out by the hills on the north side of town?”

Luna nodded.  “Sure.  But is this going to be with or without a chaperone?”

“I’ll tell you later,” said Toby simply.

They entered, and were greeted with loud cheers.  “Jeeze,” said Toby, “I didn’t know the guy had this many enemies.”

“After shooting a police dog?” Luna countered.  “I’m surprised there are so few.  Besides, what else is there to do in a town like this?”  She pushed Toby forward.  “Now get up there.”

As he made his way up to the stage, Toby felt like he was going to burst into flame.  ‘This is so embarrassing,’ he thought.

“Toby!  Toby!  Toby!  Toby!” chanted the crowd.

Wishing he could melt into the floor, Toby took his place next to the other police dogs.  “Friends,” said a St. Bernard named Doc.  “We are here to welcome back our police force.  As you know, they just spent a full three weeks in the brutal wilderness, searching for the vicious criminal Bryan Lawrence.”  The crowd cheered, and Doc turned to Toby.  “Since you led the team, perhaps you would be so kind as to tell us about your adventures.”

Everyone in the crowd started yelling at once.  “Tell us how you caught him!” someone yelled.

“No, tell us about the wolves!”

“Do you plan to take up tracking like your father?”

“HEY!” Toby yelled over the noise of the crowd.  Everyone was silent.  “I’ll tell you what happened, but only if you all stop asking so many questions.  First though, I’d just like to say that I wasn’t the true leader for most of the trip.  I don’t deserve the credit.”  He gestured to the rest of the dogs.  “If anyone deserves credit, it’s these guys.  But, since Doc has picked me out, I’ll tell you the story.”  And for the next hour he told them the story of the journey, skipping the part about the Northern Lights pack.  When he got to the part about the sled tipping over, he hung his head.  “I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t the least bit worried about my team.  And when I saw that the chief was down, I gave up hope altogether.”  He lifted his eyes to the crowd again.  “But then, help arrived from an unexpected source.  Someone had been following us all along.  And that someone,” he said, “is in this room at this very moment!”

Luna tried to hide herself in the crowd.  “Luna, would you please come up here?” asked Toby, holding out his paw in her direction as if beckoning her.  Actually, he was just pointing her out before she could get away.

With every eye in the room upon her and every voice calling her name, Luna came up to the stage.  She looked as if she were going to collapse.  “I told you not to call me up here!” she hissed.

Toby grinned back.  “And I told you not to come with us.”

Luna glared.  “I’ll get you for this,” she warned.

“Save it,” he whispered as the cheers died down.  Turning to the crowd, he said, “Luna followed us all the way from Nome, past grizzly bears and deadly traps.  She was the one who rallied us and managed to negotiate a treaty with the local wolf pack.  I won’t tell you how she did it, but she did.  And if it weren’t for her skills as a diplomat, or had the wolves not been as kind as they were, none of us would be here today.”

The crowd cheered for Luna, who was starting to look a little less unsure of herself.  “May I say something?” she asked once the noise had died down.

Toby extended a paw, gesturing towards the crowd.  “Be my guest,” he said.

Luna stepped forward.  “In case any of you haven’t heard by now, we have Exile here as chief witness that the rumors which sprang up in our absence are untrue.  From the moment I made myself known, there was not one second in which Toby and I were by ourselves.  So if anyone still says we ran off together, forget it.”  She turned and gave Toby a smile that he knew meant trouble.  “However,” she said, “since Toby was so kind to call me up here, I think I owe it to him to return the favor.”

Toby knew he was trapped.  There was nothing he could do as Luna stepped up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.  As the crowd uttered their various reactions, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Now we’re even.”

After the meeting broke up, Toby and Luna slipped out the back.  “Well, that was fun,” said Luna.

“Yeah, kind of,” Toby agreed.  “But kissing me right on stage?  That was just plain evil.”

Luna laughed.  “Well, let’s call it even, shall we?  After all, I was tempted to go for the lips.”

Toby laughed nervously.  “Uh, yeah.  Let’s call it a draw.”

They headed out to the hills on the north side of town, near the ice cave they had visited on their first date.  It was a clear night, with the black sky full of stars and constellations.

Luna gazed up at the sky.  “The stars are beautiful tonight, aren’t they?”

Toby nodded, but he wasn’t looking at the stars.  He was looking at his feet.  Luna noticed.  “Hey, what’s up?” she asked.

Toby blushed.  “Uh, well, I was just thinking… there’s no telling when that guy might break out of prison again…or if some other maniac like him might show up and have to be stopped.”  None of this was what he’d been planning to say, but now that it was said, he’d have to go on or look like an idiot.  “What I mean is, we may need your skills again sometime.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me come?”

Toby’s face dropped.  “Well see, that’s just it.  There’s still the rumor mill to consider.”

Luna sighed.  “Tch.  Not that again.”  She considered.  “On second thought, you’re right.  We can’t go making a habit of it.”  She looked at him.  “So, any ideas as to how we could pull it off again?”

Toby swallowed.  It was now or never.  Judgement Day.  Or Doomsday.  “As a matter of fact, yes.”  He nervously cleared his throat.  “I think I do know a way it would be acceptable…” he began.

Luna lifted her ears, making no effort to hide her interest.  “I’m listening.”

“If…oh, man,” Toby groaned.  This was not coming out right.  “Luna, never mind what I said about making it look right.  My point is that the next time I go somewhere, I want you to come.  But…” he trailed off.

Luna smiled.  “But not just as a diplomat?” she suggested, finishing his sentence.

“Yeah,” Toby agreed.  “Way more than a diplomat.”

“Okay, just so I’m clear, are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?”

“Well, I’m not asking you to join the police team.”

Luna nodded.  “I thought so,” she said.  “Well, I guess the answer is…”

Aleu, Balto, Doc © Universal Studios

Toby, Luna, Exile, Rex, the chief, Mr. Winters, Charlie Winters, Wildfire, Black Feather, Denahi, Lunau, Pete, Bryan Lawrence, Phoebe, Haley © Dragon Tamer

Flint, Ruska, Shade © redwolf03