Beginnings

It was late evening, since it was still summer, the sun was still hovering above the horizon, bathing the land with a golden gleam. But this went un-noticed by the three pups playing in the boiler room beneath the post office. They didn’t know why they were there; their owner had brought them there and motioned for them to stay until he returned. They didn’t mind, it was a nice place to play since there was nothing they could break by accident, which happened a bit too often in their owners house.

“Not that I mind, but why are we here?” Ralph said, he was a grey, chubby malamute but he was a nice and caring dog.

“How should I know?” a brown malamute named Kirby answered with irritation. He was Ralphs best friend, even though he kept teasing him whenever the chance offered itself.         

“Calm down guys, he will be back soon and then we will know what’s going on.” This time, the voice came from the third pup. A grey husky called Dusty. Being the only female of the three, she was also the most sensible, and often had to keep the two malamutes from fighting when they became too excited.  

“Yes Dusty…” they both did as she said. They had only known each other for two weeks, but Kirby and Ralph had quickly learned that when Dusty says something, you are wise to listen.

“Good” she exclaimed.

A few minutes were spent in silence, then, they heard someone walking outside towards the door. They recognized their owners scent, but there was something else there. A dog, more exactly a pup, but there was something odd about his scent. They didn’t have much time to think about it though; their owner entered the boiler room. All three gathered at his feet, wanting to get a look at the newcomer.

“Easy now, let him have some air” The man said while putting the pup down, making sure the others were at a distance. “This is Kodi, like you, I'm going to train him as a sled dog, so be sure you treat him well. The musher, for that’s what he was, went outside to let the dogs get to know each other.

Kodi suddenly found himself on the floor; the human that had adopted him had left the room and he was now standing face to face with three pups he had never seen before. It terrified him so much that he became paralyzed, and therefore he was startled when the brown one started talking.

“Hi, it was Kodi, right?” Kirby asked in his most formal tone.

“Y-Y-Yes…” Kodi stuttered, having trouble finding words.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Kirby. And this is Ralph and Dusty.” Kirby raised his paw towards the other two.

“Hello” Ralph said.

“Nice to meet you Kodi” Dusty said.

Kodi just stood there speechless. They were very nice to him but he had never been any good with strangers. They looked at him like they expected some sort of reply, but they were disappointed. Kodi just looked at them and trotted off to a corner with his tail between his legs and head bowed down. He settled down facing the wall and stayed there.

Kirby was going to go over there to ask why Kodi was so rude, but Dusty stopped him.

“Give him some time; he just got separated from his parents.”

Kirby looked like he was going to protest but Dusty gave him a glare that silenced him.

A few hours later, Kirby and Ralph were running around playing tag. Dusty however, was sitting by the wall, looking secretly at Kodi. She wasn’t sure what to think of the newcomer since he didn’t say much. She wanted to go talk to him about it but followed her own advice and decided to wait a little longer.

Right after the sun set, the musher came back with four bowls of food. He sat them at the floor by the door. Kirby and Ralph ran over and devoured their share in a matter of seconds and went back to playing. Dusty took her time eating, she noticed that Kodi was looking at the food but he didn’t dare going near them while she was still there. She sighed. Now may be a good time… she thought.

She left her half eaten food and lifted Kodis bowl and brought it over to him. He stared terrified at her as she got closer. She dumped the bowl in front of him and laid down in front of him.

  “Eat” she said with a stern yet kind voice. Kodi understood that this was not a girl that would take no for an answer and started to eat, constantly stealing glances at her. He was slowly getting over his fear of strangers and was mesmerized by the kindness of the female pup named Dusty.

After he was done, she eyed him up and down as if to make an opinion of him. Kodi shrank under her gaze.

“So” she exclaimed. “Why don’t you start by telling me about yourself, that way we can get to know each other.” She said this with a kind though inquisitive voice and curiosity in her eyes. Kodi was instantly blushing and looked down at his forepaws. Dusty just remained in place, determined not to leave until the newcomer would talk.

After a little while, Kodi started to talk, first low and hesitantly then stronger and more confident.

“My name is Kodi” What the... She already knows this! Nice work, that made you seem smart he thought to himself.  He went on anyway. “Though my parents named me Kodiak, my father got tired of the long name and soon started to shorten it and it just stuck with me.” He felt more at ease now that he was able to talk.

“I think it’s a nice name no matter which version you use” she said, surprising Kodi.

“My parents are Balto and Jenna; I have five brothers and sisters.” He was cut off by Dusty.

“Wait, you're saying THE Balto is your father? THE Balto who saved the town a few years ago?” Dusty was amazed, eyes wide open and mouth agape.

“Well yes, my dad told me the story but to me he is just my father, though I am proud of him.” Kodi was embarrassed at the praise Dusty awarded his father. Dusty nodded, letting him continue.

“By the time the musher and his son picked me up, most of my siblings had already been adopted. Only my sister Aleu remained…” His face acquired a worried look. “And to be honest, I'm not quite sure if she will be adopted…” Genuine concern for his sister emanated from him.

“Why is that?” Dusty asked, her head rotated a few inches to the side, giving her a quizzed look. 

“She looks more like a wolf than anyone in town.” He hesitated, deciding that he should keep nothing secret, it would all come to light one day anyway. “I'm not sure you are aware, but my father is half wolf, that makes me and my siblings a quarter wolf.” He let the statement hang in the air for a few seconds and observing Dustys reactions. There was none that he could point out. He went on. “But the only one in the litter that really showed it was Aleu, she looks more wild that my father. But she is one of the kindest pups there is.” He added the last part as if to ward of any negative thoughts Dusty might get from this information.

“I can see why that may be a hindrance for her chances of getting adopted, but if she is as kind as you say; she will find a family in the end.” She said matter of factly.

Kodi was surprised at Dustys understanding in the matter. But then he suddenly remembered something his father had told him right after he had told him about his wolf heritage. “Dusty, what I have told you now, must stay a secret. Aleu does not know she is part wolf, and my father wants to tell her at the right time…I'm actually not supposed to tell anyone about this…” He trailed off; he was blushing at his own mistake.

Dusty was flattered by the fact that Kodi had trusted her with this information. “Of course” She said in a low, grateful voice. “But why did you tell me this, if a dog has wolf blood in him, he usually hides it from others, why did you tell me?” she wondered.

Kodi acquired an insulted face. “I'm not going to be ashamed of my father!” He said rather loudly.

Ralph and Kirby stopped in their tracks and looked over at the two talking dogs. They soon lost interest and reassumed their playing.

“I'm not saying you should” Dusty said quickly, noticing Kodi was on an aggressive defense, a new part of him showed that did not fit his overall character. “I'm just saying I'm surprised you trust me with the knowledge. Personally I don’t mind, having a bit of wolf blood in you might just prove useful someday” she finished with a smile.

Kodi got back to his calm self. “Sorry I snapped at you, I usually don’t lose my temper like that” he lowered his head in shame.

They both laid the subject to rest.

Wishing to keep the conversation up, Dusty asked Kodi the question she originally came to ask him. “Why did you go to the corner of the room while Kirby talked to you?”

To Dustys surprise, Kodi started to laugh. “I was never really good with strangers; I would always hide behind mom or dad when we met someone I didn’t know.” His laugh subsided.”This is the first time I'm away from my family…”

Hm, polite, strong willed, shy, a nice laughter. I'm starting to like this one. Heck, he even looks pretty good, she thought with a smile.

She understands meKodi thought. She does not care that I'm part wolf, in fact, she admires it… She is also kinda pretty.

Any continuation of the conversation failed, as the musher came back to collect his dogs and take them home.

They arrived at the house right after the sun had disappeared behind the mountains. Inside there was a pretty ordinary household. The Musher left for the kitchen.

“This way Kodi.” Dusty waited for him to follow. She lead him to a warm room in the basement and to a rather large basked padded with blankets. All four except Kodi jumped in, exhausted. Ralph and Kirby lay down in one corner, Dusty in the back. Kodi moved to the remaining corner and settled himself down alone. Right before he fell asleep, he felt something touching his side. He raised his head in shock, only to see that Dusty was sleeping besides him. This puzzled him, but sleep overcame him and he laid down, head between his paws. He was scared at the contact with Dusty, but he enjoyed it, and something else stirred within him, but he didn’t have time to ponder over it since Dusty had put her head on his neck in her sleep. Kodi fell asleep with a broad smile across his face.

One year later

The mild wind carried with it the scent of summer, flowers and grass. Outside Nome, on the grassy plains, barking could be heard. A group of six dogs were running around, simply having fun, and enjoying the time outside together.

“C`Mon guys, is that all you got?” A red and cream colored husky was running ahead of the others.

“Give us a break Kodi; you know you are faster than any of us.”  A light brown malamute protested.

“So you admit it then Kirby” Kodi said playfully.

The other dogs; namely Dusty and Ralph started laughing, accompanied by Mike and Jason, two almost identical black and white huskies who had joined the group a few months earlier.

Kirby started chasing Kodi while the others stayed back and watched and laughed.

Dusty was looking at Kodi, admiring the speed of her friend. So much have changed from the day we first met. Back then he was just a shy pup afraid of anything new. Now look at him…she thought. She couldn’t help admiring the way he moved through the air. So handsome and strong...wait…did I just think that?  She shook her head and convinced herself that she was just happy that her friend had grown up the way he had, but she wasn’t completely convinced, there was something special when it came to Kodi, she cared for him in a way she couldn’t describe. She didn’t get a chance to mull this over though; suddenly she was snapped back to reality by a voice calling her name.

“Hey Dusty, are you ok?” Dusty suddenly found herself face to face with Kodi, he having a worried look; she obviously was staring into empty space.

“Hello? Kodi to Dusty, are you there?” Dusty suddenly started blushing. Not surprisingly, considering the fact that Kodis nose was nearly touching, his innocent brown eyes shining with concern.

“Y-Yeah” she stuttered. “Just drifted off for a second” She noticed that they were alone.”Hey, where is everybody?” she asked.

“That’s kinda what I was going to tell you” Kodi said annoyed, eyes rolling. “It’s getting late, the others are heading back to the boiler room, and unless you want to miss dinner, I suggest we follow suit.” Dusty nodded in agreement, still a bit blushed, she backed off a few inches and started running towards the town, leaving Kodi baffled and confused. He shook it off and followed her.

Half an hour later, the dogs smelled the musher coming with their food. They lined up in front of the door and waited for him to put the bowls down.

“There you go guys.” He said. At this, Dusty gave him a mean glare. “And girl, sorry Dusty.” He could almost swear that sometimes, it seemed the dogs understood what he was saying. He walked over to the wall and waited for the dogs to finish their meal.

“Why is he still here?” Jason asked between mouthfuls.

“I don’t know, maybe there is something he wants to tell us.” Kodi answered.

Their question would soon be answered, as they were all finished, the musher stood up and stood by the door.

“Well guys…and girl” he received another evil glare from Dusty. “Hope you enjoyed your meal, because tomorrow we are going to start training for the mail run.” His eyes filled with pride and excitement. “So get some sleep now” he exited the room.

The dogs looked at each other in amazement. Finally they day had arrived.

Expectations

“Some dreams come true,
while others
remain in the void of
the night.”
Silwer-Paw

The morning sun licked the rooftops, the air was silent. The world prepared for a new day.

Kodi woke up with a jolt. He found himself sitting upright in the boiler room, which now served as their new home, since the mushers’ house was too small for six energetic yearlings.

He didn’t have to think twice about what day it was. It had been his most precious dream to follow in his fathers paw steps as a sled dog. Over the years he had come to really cherish the deeds of his father, which seemed trivial and only mildly entertaining in his younger days. All he wanted now was to be a mail-dog, the toughest kind of sled dog there is. He decided to wake up the others.

“C’mon people, rise and shine!” No response. He went over to Kirby and nudged him in the side to get his attention.

“Kodi, unless you're on fire, get lost!” Kirby muttered sleepy. Kodi rolled his eyes and went over to Dusty instead. She was already half awake from the ruckus. When she noticed Kodi walking towards her she raised her paw to silence him.

“I know what day it is,” she said. “Just give me some time to wake up.”  She yawned, eyes sleepy and voice low. “Besides, the musher won’t come to pick us up for at least an hour or so, the sun has barely risen.”  Kodi was going to protest, but Dusty cut him off before he could. “So just lie down and relax for a bit, ok?” She was calm in voice and kind in eyes, but Kodi still knew it was pointless to argue, knowing Dusty for a year made sure of that. Besides, he didn’t really feel like it for some reason, almost everything she said made sense to Kodi once she had said it. He sighed.

“Ok Dusty” he replied in a `yes mom` kind of tone. Dusty giggled and then surprised both of them by giving him a quick lick on the cheek. Kodi was stunned, but soon shrugged it off, like the lick was merely a friendly gesture. He didn’t think of Dusty that way…or did he?

Dusty was just as surprised. She didn’t think about doing it, it just felt right… Could it be… she started thinking. No, it can’t be, me and Kodi are just friend, team-mates, a family of sorts. Neither of them knew that they thought almost the exact same thoughts. In addition, it was the first time since the day they met that they were able to have a private talk. They contemplated each other in silence, drifting off into each of their own daydreams.

From another part of the room, Kirby had woken up and was watching the two with a sleepy smile. He mumbled something along the line of; “Fools in love…” before drifting back to sleep.

The musher arrived about thirty minutes later. In the meantime, Kodi and Dusty had stopped staring at each other and had started talking about random subjects to pass the time. A little while later, all six dogs were lined up on the plains outside of town. The musher had marked up a trail for them to run, to test not only their speed but also their stamina, for when it came to sledding, the placing of the dogs were crucial. If you put a fast but easy tired dog in the lead, the rest of the team would have to slow down. Yet if you put a slow but amazingly enduring dog in the lead, the speed of the sled would stay generally low.

 “Okay everyone, on your marks, GO!” The musher yelled the last word so the dogs would get the message. He followed the dogs on a rusty old bike and took a few shortcuts so he could keep an eye on the dogs and how well they did.

Almost right after starting, Kodi took the lead. The others were following close behind. Kirby and Ralph side by side, Dusty a tail length behind and lastly, Mike and Jason just behind Dusty. At first, Kodi thought this would be easy, but they soon encountered a steep hill. He winced at the sight but shrugged it off as he kept on running. Half way up, he was shocked to see, not only Kirby, but also Ralph, both passing him. He couldn’t understand why, but then he remembered that though he was the fastest of the group, the two malamutes both had more stamina than him. He was even more surprised, no, let’s say horrified, when he noticed that Dusty also was catching up, she advanced to the place right next to him. He looked over and their eyes met. She flashed him a smile and a wink, he returned the smile and noticed his face and ears getting hot, though if it came from embarrassment or from the fact that he was exhausted, he didn’t know.

They both gave it their best, but stayed beside each other until, finally! Kodi thought, they reached the top, and the finish line. He fell exhausted to the ground. “Jeez, my legs are killing me,” he panted.

“Maybe you should spend a little less time fooling around in our spare time and more on practicing.” Dusty said with a grin. She was tired to, but not as smashed as he was. Kodi only responded with a grunt, he sat up and turned away from Dusty. She noticed that what she said upset him, and she panicked. She didn’t want him to be angry at her. “Aw c`mon, I was kidding, were not fully grown up yet anyway, so what did you expect?” She asked with a calm yet a bit distressed voice, eyes frowning with concern. Kodi turned back towards her and sighed with a faint smile.

“Still, Kirby and Ralph beat me up the hill…” he started, but Dusty cut him off.

“And they are even more bushed than you!” She said, pointing over at the two malamutes lying half-conscious on the ground. “They managed to pass you because they never sit down except for when they sleep, so it’s only natural that they are a bit more enduring.”  She smiled at Kodi. He chuckled at her remarks.

“Thanks Dusty, you really know how to make me feel better.”

“You know how I roll.” She replied with a grin.

After the dogs had caught their breath, the musher took them back to the town. He decided that it was time to call it a day, it was only noon, but the dogs could barely walk. The exhausted dogs laid down on their usual spots in the boiler room and didn’t move an inch. But after half an hour or so, Kirby and Ralph were back on their feet, chasing each other around the room, annoying the others to no end, until the musher came back with their food. All of them ate without a word and went to sleep even if the sun was still licking the horizon.

The next few months went on in a monotonous way, every morning they would get up; follow their musher to the beach or the plains, training on different terrain to prepare them for the winter and the sled runs that would follow.

Although Kodi tried his hardest, he still didn’t manage to pass Kirby and Ralph when they first caught up with him, especially on the hills.  

Still, Kodi felt that he was improving at the same rate as all the others. He couldn’t wait until the snow came and their real job would start.

A bad first day

The morning wind carried with it tidings of the upcoming winter, snow had begun to fall on the remote city of Nome. Patches of ice had been formed along the coastline.

Five months had passed since Kodi and his team had started training, and the time had now come for them to be tested with a real sled, with real cargo. They were to transport mail and some minor supplies to a mining project about four hours north of Nome.

Kodi sat on the top of the mountain that overlooked the town. His parents had brought him and his siblings there many times before, and he had grown to enjoy the view. He sat there, taking in the sparse morning sun, deep in thought. Suddenly he heard someone closing in from behind.

“Enjoying the view?” A calm voice asked. Kodi snapped out of his thoughts and spun around, muscles tense. He relaxed when he saw it was his father.

“Oh, it’s just you…” Kodi said, turning back towards the rising sun.

“Is that any way to greet your father” Balto asked, faking an insulted voice. Kodi chuckled at his father’s tone.

“Good morning dad” He turned towards his father and gave him a half-heartedly smile.

“That’s better” Balto replied. “Now, tell me what’s bothering you”

“Huh? What makes you think something’s bothering me?” Kodi asked quizzically.

“C`Mon, I'm your father, I can read you like a book. When you need to think, you always go somewhere remote, more than once you have gone up here, that’s how I found you.” Kodi sighed.

“I should have known better than trying to hide anything from you.” He said with a sad smile. “But since your perceptive abilities are so great, what do you think is bothering me.”

“Yes, I'm perceptive, but I'm no mind-reader.” Balto sighed. “But if I had to guess…I’d say that you’re worried about your first real assignment as a sled dog.” A gleam in Balto's eyes told Kodi that his father had no problem guessing.

“I'm not scared!” Kodi exclaimed, with anger rising in his voice. 

“I did not say that, neither did I expect it.” Balto said with a calm voice, walking to Kodis side, watching the sunrise. “But I know that you are nervous.” He let the statement linger in the air, almost expecting another protest. But none came.

“I guess…” Kodi looked down at the ground. But it’s not only the assignment I'm worried about… He thought to himself.

“Then I guess the question is; why are you nervous about your job?” Kodi looked at his father.

“I-I don’t know…” He stuttered. His father smiled.

“Then what is there to be worried about?” Balto turned to face his son. “As long as you give it your best, I will be proud. As long as you do what you love, I will be proud.”  

Kodi just stood there, speechless at the words of faith coming from his father. “Thank you dad.” He finally managed to say.”It helps, it really does.” His eyes met his father and they both smiled. Kodi felt some of the weight on his shoulders had lifted. Balto felt that his son was not fully depressed anymore, but he knew that something entirely different was bothering him. He decided to play it safe, not wanting to ruin the father and son moment.

“So, is there anything else you want to talk about?” Balto asked, hoping to be able to lift his son’s spirit a bit more.

Kodi realized that his father could still feel distress in him. He considered confessing his confused feelings about Dusty, but decided not to. He was not ready yet.

“No, I'm fine, thanks.” He answered in a low and calm voice, as if to ward of any questions from his father.

“Well” Balto sighed. “Then I guess you better head back to town, it’s almost time for you to leave with your team. “

“WHAT!” Kodi exclaimed loudly. “Is the sun that high already?” He spun around and jolted down the hill. “See you later Dad!” He yelled from over his shoulder.

Balto was left alone on the mountaintop, he watched his son run towards town. Good luck son. He thought to himself.

“He is growing up…” A voice stated from behind a boulder. Balto turned around and saw Jenna coming around the boulder.

“Yes he is…” Balto replied with a smile.

“And in more than one way.” Jenna said with a chuckle.

“How did you…” Balto said with wonder in his eyes.

“You’re not the only one with perceptive abilities you know.” Jenna walked over to her mate and stood beside him, both contemplating the sun rising over the snow covered landscape.

////\\\\

Dusty was standing outside the mail-office with the rest of the team. The only one missing was Kodi.

“Have anyone seen Kodi?” She asked the others.

“Not since yesterday.” Jason replied.

“Perhaps he ran away because me and Ralph got the lead positions” Kirby said with a smirk.

The day before, the musher had placed all the dogs in front of the sled in the positions they would be in for next day’s run.  Kodi was deeply disappointed when he realized that Kirby and Ralph got the lead. Dusty was next to him and Mike and Jason was at the back, but Kodi paid this no heed. Through the rest of the day and the evening he was in a rather sulky mood. Dusty and the others did what they could to cheer him up, but their words of comfort fell on deaf ears.

“Kodi`s not like that!” Dusty defended her absent friend. A touch of anger washed through her face.

“Hey, calm down girl, I was just kidding.” Kirby said taking a few steps back.  Mike came to his rescue.

“Look Dusty, I'm sure he is fine, he probably just lost track of time and is on his way right now.”

As if to prove him right, an exhausted Kodi comes running around a nearby corner.

Mike saw Kodi in the corner of his eyes. He smiled. “Speak of the…” the rest of the sentence was lost. As Kodi tried to brake, he slipped on the snow and went crashing into the unsuspecting Husky.

“Sorry I'm late.” Kodi panted.

“Where have you been? “Dusty asked sternly. “We are heading out in half an hour”

“I'm fine, thanks for asking.” Mike muttered, stumbling up on his feet.

“What does it matter?” Kodi said happily, ignoring Mike’s mutterings with ease. “I got here on time didn’t I?”

Dusty was baffled by Kodis change of mood since the day before. “What happened to you this morning? Yesterday you were all gloomy and depressed, now you look like you just found a fresh bone.”

“Well, I had some thinking to do.” Kodi started explaining. “So I went up on the mountain that overlooks the town. I met my father there, we talked, and then I came here.” He purposely left out the subject of conversation, and Dusty suspected that he was hiding something.

The group chatted about random things regarding their upcoming ordeal. Some thirty minutes later, the musher arrived with the sled from behind his house. The dogs went quiet, tense with excitement. They were strapped up to the sled; the supplies were loaded onto the sled. And suddenly the dogs ran off, heading towards their destination.

The mining camp was not too far away; the journey went without incidents, they arrived at noon and delivered the cargo to the awaiting foreman. The team got their bowls filled and they ate in silence. An hour or so later, after the dogs were rested, they headed back for home.

But half way there, the wind started to pick up. Not to the point where it was dangerous, but the visibility degraded so much that the dogs had to slow down.

“Why are we slowing down?” Kodi asked Kirby.

“We have no choice, unless you want to us to crash into a tree or a boulder, this is the speed we will maintain.” Kirby answered with an annoyed tone.

“Oh, don be such a worry-wart” Kodi chuckled.

“Hey don’t call me…” Kirby started, but was immediately cut off by Ralph.

“Hey! Watch where you're going!” He yelled.

Kirby had been too concentrated on the conversation, and therefore he didn’t see the tree in time. Ralph had tried to turn them away from it but he couldn’t do it alone. Kodi saw that the tree was going to hit Dusty. Without thinking, he pushed her out of the way. They both avoided the tree, but instead of hitting a dog, the tree now caught the line connecting the dogs, and the sled stopped in an instant.

Dusty heard moans and grunts all around her. Slowly the team managed to get up, pretty shaken but unharmed. “Phew, that was a close one.” She said with a sigh.”Thanks for pushing me out of the way…Kodi?” She noticed that Kodi was not in his harness beside her. “KODI!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

What she didn’t know, was that Kodi was in fact just a few meters away from her, knocked out from the impact. He had somehow slipped out of the harness when the sled came to its abrupt stop, and then hit the ground.

Dusty quickly got up and started looking for Kodi. It didn’t take long before she saw her red friend laying the snow. She got up and ran the few steps over to him, fearing the worst. But just as she got to him, Kodi started to wake up.

“Ugh… Anyone got the number on that train?” He mumbled. Dusty let a smile cover her worried face.

“Glad to hear you're ok” She said sarcastically.

“Yeah, I'm just a little shaken that’s all.” Kodi assured her.

“Then why are we sitting here, let’s get home before nightfall.” Dusty said while walking back to the others. Kodi snickered and got up to follow her, but when he tried to get up, he fell back down screaming. His left side was searing with pain. Dusty heard him and jolted back to his side.

“I thought you said you were alright?” she berated him.

“I thought I was…” It was tough to speak between the seizures of pain. “Must`ve broken a rib or something.”

“Then stay down, Il get the musher.” Dusty spun off towards the sled.  As she got to the sled, a concerned Jason wanted to know what was happening.

“What's going on over there? We heard Kodi scream like he got his leg chopped off.”

“He got hurt while saving me from hitting that tree. I-I think his hurt pretty bad and he can’t get up.” Dustys eyes were close to tearing up as the shock from seeing her friend wounded on the ground warped into an unfathomable panic. She ignored Jason’s dumbstruck expression and started barking at the musher, signaling him to follow her. He caught the message and followed her to the place behind the tree where Kodi was.  By the time they arrived, some of the other dogs were standing around him, looking concerned. The musher got over there and examined the wincing husky. His hands soon found the location of the problem, as he touched Kodis left side, the dog let out a pained howl.

“Yup, looks like a fractured rib. I don’t think it’s completely broken, but he is in no shape to be moving around, let alone run.” The musher carefully lifted his wounded dog and carried him back to the sled and put him where the cargo usually was, but seeing as they were on their return trip, it was mostly empty, save from some necessary supplies. Kodi was gently tucked in a blanket. The dogs were strapped back up in their harnesses and soon, Nome was coming into view. 

When they arrived into town, it went straight to the vet’s office. He released the dogs so they could head home before he carried Kodi inside the office. All the dogs went for the boiler room, all except one; Dusty remained, sitting outside the door to the vet, trying to hear how Kodi was doing. She didn’t hear anything, and soon she laid down on the porch and waited. A tear fell from her eyes.

This is all my fault.

I’m sorry

”Sorry.” The substitute
for longer words.

Dusty walked the streets of Nome. It was the morning after their dramatic return from their first run. Kodi was still behind closed doors in the vet’s office. Dusty had left the porch as the sun started creeping over the rooftops, she had to get warm and eat something.

From the moment the vet’s door closed last night, she felt guilt eating at her heart. She couldn’t explain it, but it was there. She eventually arrived at the boiler room; she dodged a myriad of questions from the team as to where she had been and how she was doing. She ate the food that was left for her and lied down at her spot near the roaring fire, pretending to be asleep.
Why do I feel so sad? She asked herself. I know that he will be okay…but still.

Dusty suddenly realized that Kodis parents didn’t know what had happened yet. She jumped to her feet and ran through the door, ignoring the quizzed looks her teammates gave her.

She didn’t stop until she arrived at the shed which Kodi had once mentioned was his parent’s home. She looked at the sky; the sun was getting higher, so they would probably be awake now. She raised her paw to scratch at the door to signify her arrival, but she stopped herself.
Wait, what should I say to them? “Hi, I'm Dusty; I'm on Kodis sled team. I just wanted to say that your son is currently lying unconscious in the animal hospital with a damaged rib and is in a lot of pain.”

She shuddered at the prospect of being so forward.Yeah, that won’t make them panic at ALL! She shook off the thoughts of Balto and Jenna’s reaction to the news, and decided to improvise. That in mind, she tapped the door with her claws. She instantly heard someone coming to the door.

“Kodiak?” It was Jenna. “Oh, sorry.” She apologized. “I thought it was my son knocking.”

Dusty felt her heart sink. “Well, he’s the reason I have come here…” She took a deep breath. “Is Kodis father here? He should hear what I have to say to.”

Jenna nodded. “Balto, can you come to the door please?” Dusty had to fight the tears as she heard the fear in Jenna’s voice. Here we go… she thought.

“Yes dear, what’s the matter? Balto came running to the door, hearing Jenna's distressed voice. Jenna simply nodded her head towards Dusty.

“Hi…” Dusty found her voice very weak. “My name is Dusty; I'm on Kodis sled team.” Her voice was picking up. “Last evening, when we were on our way home from the mining camp north of here, a storm was picking up while we were still in the forest.” Dusty tried hard to pick the right words, but the worry building up in the listeners faces made it difficult.

“We didn’t see the tree in our way until it was too late, we tried to avoid it, but couldn’t. Right before the tree hit me; Kodi jumped and pushed me away from it. But the tree caught the line and stopped us so fast that Kodi was thrown out of his harness.” She took a breather, trying to control her shaking voice. Balto and Jenna were staring at her, eyes wide open.

“Is…Is he okay” Jenna managed to force out with trembling voice.

“He will live, but I think he landed on a rock or something, because he broke a rib, or at least fractured it. He's at the vet’s office right now; I haven’t seen him since last night… I'm sorry.”

An awkward silence broke out. Balto looking at Jenna, Jenna looking at Dusty and Dusty looking at the ground, head bowed.

Balto broke the silence. “Well, at least he will be alright.”

Dusty kept looking at the ground.”Yeah, I guess...”

“Then why do you look so down?” Jenna asked with a comforting smile, trying to get eye contact.

Dusty avoided her gaze.”Because somehow, I feel like it’s my fault…” She broke down in tears, covering her face with her paws.

Balto cleared his throat.”Il go check on Kodi.” He whispered to Jenna, and walked away.

Jenna walked to the sobbing Dusty. “It’s not your fault.” She said flatly.

Dustys crying ceased. “B-B-But, if it wasn’t for me…”

Jenna cut her off. “No. Il say it again; It’s NOT your fault.” Dusty lifted her head to Jenna's eye-level. “Now, come with me. You look like you haven’t slept in days.” Jenna led Dusty into the shed and onto a blanket in a warm corner. Dusty was surprised at how tired she was. She fell asleep before she hit the floor.

Jenna watched the sleeping husky. Oh Kodi, please don’t let this break you spirit…

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Balto arrived at the vet’s office by noon. He knew the front door would be closed, so he went to the doggie door at the back to gain entrance. He walked inside on silent paws, but was startled by a voice from behind.

“Hey there boy,” it was the doctor, he didn’t look angry. “You come here to check on your son haven’t you?” Balto wagged his tail and let out a soft bark in response. The doctor laughed. “Well Il be damned. I swear, sometimes I think these dogs understand more then we give them credit for.” He let the subject be, and opened a side door for Balto. “Here, Kodi is in there, he should be awake by now.” Balto licked the doctor’s hand and walked in.

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Boring…yes, boring is the word for this. I can’t walk, I can barely sit…

These thoughts and many like it had bothered Kodi the entire morning. He had woke up with a headache from hell, he was hungry, thirsty, and to top it all off; his chest was covered with a leather shirt that was itching. He figured it was to protect his ribs, but he still wanted to tear it to shreds.

His mulling was interrupted by a door opening into the room and the doctor’s voice. Someone walked in on four legs. Kodi forcefully made his aching body turn to see the newcomer.  His feelings mixed when he saw his father walking towards him. Part of him was happy to see his father, since that happened not too often. But another part of him was shameful, shameful at the fact that he in his own eyes had failed his father’s trust.

“How you holding up son?” Balto asked his wounded offspring.

Kodis answer was distant, like he wasn’t paying attention. “Not so well… I can barely move and it hurts like heck.”

Balto nodded, he then looked around the room. It was a simple one, a few lights on the roof, a cast iron stove in a corner, and several dog-beds like the one Kodi was lying in, but they were all vacant.

“Look dad, I'm sorry I let you down.” Balto was surprised at the guilt in Kodis voice. It sounded too much like the one that came from Dusty.

“What on earth are you talking about? You haven’t let anyone down.”Balto's voice was that of one who tries to convince someone they judge themselves to hard.

“Yes I did!” Kodis voice turned close to growling.”It was my fault we hit that tree, I distracted the others. It’s nothing but a miracle that no one else got hurt…”

“Your right, it was a miracle.” Balto's voice turned harsher.”And that miracle is YOU”

Kodis anger was switched with confusion. “What do you…?”

Balto interrupted him. “You pushed Dusty away from the tree. Yes, maybe you distracted the others, but you made sure that no one else got hurt.” Balto sighed and calmed his voice.”And in regards to failure; there is none as far as I see. You got the job done and all are alive, and that is a success in my book.” He turned around and walked towards the door.

He…He's right…

“Thanks dad…” Kodi was whispering but Balto caught it. He turned and smiled.

“You're welcome son. Now, get some rest; Il be sending Dusty over here in the morning. She is worried sick about you.”

Kodi felt a slight blush. “How do you know?”

“Who do you think told me you were here?” 

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The town of Nome was silent. The moon cast a dim light on the streets and houses. In a shed next to a red house, Dusty woke up. It was still a few hours until morning, but that didn’t matter. She had slept through most of the day before, and felt rested, but she was still uneasy at mind. Earlier, Balto had come back from the vet, and after assuring Jenna that Kodi was alright, he told Dusty to go see him when she had rested. She was fully rested now, but didn’t want to wake up Kodi in the middle of the night.

She sat by the window, staring at the moon and the stars, lighting up the black sky. This reminded her of the first weeks after she got adopted. She and the others would sometime sneak out at night to watch the stars. And when Kodi arrived, he also joined them. They would just sit outside the house, gazing upwards and try to see pictures in the stars. She giggled, Kodi still insisted that he could see a dog sitting up there, but to this day; Dusty was unable to see it. And then they would get busted by Mr. Simpson and was chased back to their room.
These memories made Dusty think. She began to see that she worried more about Kodis injury than for example Mike or Ralph. Of course she would make sure they were okay, but then she would make use of any opportunity to make fun of them and teasing them. But for some reason, she didn’t feel like it in Kodis case. She just wanted to be with him, making sure he was getting better, to help him.

Why do I feel like this! She yelled mentally. He's going to be alright, I shouldn’t worry, it would only make it harder for both him and me. But, this feeling...  A sudden voice rang through her head.
“You know why you feel like this. It’s because you…” No! She cut herself off. That can’t be it… can it? Could it be that I…love him? As she thought those seldom words, it was like a puzzle came together. It all made sense, her worrying, her wanting to treat him different from the rest of the team.

The more she tried to deny this discovery, the more it convinced her. She pictured herself with the team, and she felt happy. She pictured herself with Kodi alone, and she felt something more…
Kodi…I think I…Love you… Admitting it to herself made it feel like a stone lifted from her heart.
She resumed gazing at the moon and stars. She would go to Kodi as soon as the sun rose, she still felt like she needed forgiveness, this time, from Kodi.

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The morning sun shone through a window and landed on the face of a sleeping rust-red husky lying in a basket on the floor. The bright light made Kodi wince and wake up.

“Darn whoever placed my basket here.”He muttered to himself.”It’s impossible to sleep past sunrise here”

He carefully raised himself to a sitting position, expecting the burning pain in his chest to flare up, but felt little of it. It was more of an annoying scratch beneath the protective shirt he wore.
Look like I'm gonna be on my feet sooner than I thought. He thought to himself. He tried standing up to stretch, but was forced back down as the pain flared back up.Or maybe not…

As he sat and observed the room, he noticed a couple of bowls on the floor beside him. And on cue, his stomach began growling like beast. He smiled and started eating from the bowl containing food, grateful for it. He then sat and stared into thin air. There was nothing else to do, he was all alone and movement was out of the question, which bothered him even more than the sun. Oh what wouldn’t he give to run around outside, or at least someone to talk to…

Suddenly he heard the doggy door at the vet`s office carefully being opened. Ears perked, he turned his attention to the slightly open door. Expecting one of his parents, he was at first surprised to see none other than Dusty walking in. He then remembered his father saying something about her coming over. He smiled at the opportunity of talking to someone, but the smile faded as he saw the state Dusty was in. Her head hung low, tail tucked between her hind legs and her eyes refused to meet his.

“Hey Dusty, what’s…” He fell silent as he saw tears on her cheeks. She slowly approached him and sat down in front of him, head still hanging.

“Kodi, I…”She started. Words lingering in her mouth like bars of lead. “I…I…I'm so sorry!” She cried out, breaking down into a heap. Kodi sat there, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“What are you talking about?”He asked.

“It’s all my fault.” She stuttered.

“What are you talking about?” He repeated.”What's your fault?”

Dusty finally looked Kodi in the eyes, he was shocked to see them full of sorrow and fear. “I mean you lying there, hurt. It’s all my fault.” Her voice was shameful.”If I had only taken care of myself instead of you having to save me…”

“No.” Kodi interrupted her.”It’s not your fault, it’s no one’s fault.” His voice was stern yet friendly. “What happened happened. And it was not something you did wrong.” He lowered his head to Dustys level. “I don’t blame anyone for this.” He whispered.

Dusty was baffled. She had expected him to point out what could have been done differently to prevent the accident like he usually did when something went wrong. Instead of forgiving her, he had claimed there was nothing to forgive, like nothing had happened.

“You…you sure?” She asked carefully.

“I'm sure.” He whispered with a soft smile.

Dusty couldn’t take it. She once again broke into crying, her head between her paws. Kodi sighed and placed his paw on hers, trying to comfort his shaking friend. The room was filled with soft whimpers as the morning sun traveled past the window, leaving them both in a dim light.

Forgiven

Dusty was trotting the streets of Nome. The sun was reaching noon, but she had yet to notice. Earlier that morning, she had come to Kodi for forgiveness, but he had refused her guilt as nonsense, rather than blaming her for the incident that hurt him, he had put the blame on himself. When she broke down into tears, he had been there and comforted her; he had kept telling her there was nothing to forgive on her part. Before she left him, he had actually gone and apologized to HER for worrying her. She had trouble comprehending the concept, but as the sun continued its journey across the sky, she began to accept how he felt. And rather than protesting, she decided to let him have his way. It actually made her want to laugh; the whole thing seemed funny when it was put like that.

She kept smiling as she arrived outside the boiler room; she walked in and found a sleeping Ralph and a yawning Kirby. She sighed as she entered.

“Seriously boys, it’s almost noon and you’re still snoozing?”

Kirby choked another yawn. “C`Mon Dusty, we have the day off, enjoy it. Ralphy here got it.”

Dusty remained silent for a moment. “And even though you have the day off, you didn’t even consider visiting Kodi” Her voice was accusing.

Kirby blushed a bit at her remark.”Well, we figured we get the details from you after you got done visiting him, we also thought you’d like to do it alone.”

“Oh that’s just…”  Dusty froze. “Wait, how did you know I've already been there?

Kirby chuckled a bit. “You didn’t come back after you ran out last night; we figured you went straight to him. So, you two had a nice night?”

If looks could kill, Kirby would have been dead and buried. “If you must now, I just went to him this morning, so don’t get any ideas.” Her voice a defensive growl.

Kirby tried his best to ignore her anger. “Then where were you last night?” He asked somewhat shaky.

Dusty was about to explain as she realized something. If they think I have a thing for him…all though I may have… sleeping over at his parents’ house isn’t going to convince them otherwise…                   
“Well, someone had to tell Kodis parents about what happened to him, and afterwards…they were kind enough to offer me shelter for the night.”

Kirby simply nodded.”And then you visited Kodi in the morning?”

Dusty was relived that he refrained from any more comments about her and Kodi. “Yes.”

Kirby scratched the back of his head.”Soo…will he be alright?”

“He will have to be careful for a while, but yeah, he's going to be fine.” She replied.

Kirby shook his head.”I didn’t expect anything else, but I meant, how is he doing mentally? I know accidents like this can break a dog’s will.”

Dusty took her time answering. “Well…basically, he blames himself for the whole thing.”

“Hehe” Kirby chuckled.”Can’t say I'm surprised. And I guess you tried to convince him it’s your fault?”

“Well of course, it was…” She started.

Kirby raised his paw to silence her. “I don’t know what Kodi said, but I would listen to him for now, he has a good sense of justice, you know that. Even though it’s no one’s fault. He will come to see that”

Dusty was baffled.”Who are you and what did you do with the simple-minded Kirby I know”

Kirby shrugged his shoulders. “You just go get some food, you look starving.”

“Food? Where?” Ralph suddenly jumped up and looked around with droopy eyes. Dusty rolled her eyes and went out the door, heading towards the butcher. “Just make sure you visit Kodi.” She said over her shoulder.”He should be bored to death by now.”
As she walked out, she was annoyed at Kirby for hitting the nail on the head on everything, but he had some good points.

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“BAH!” Kodi exclaimed. He was bored beyond comprehension. He had already counted the twig holes in the ceiling twice now. If it hadn’t been for that stupid fracture, he could be outside, with the others, racing, working, playing, visiting his parents, ANYTHING. When Dusty had come over, even though she cried most of the time, he at least had someone to talk to. He turned around in his bed so he faced the window. The sun had moved on and a comfortable light came in through the glass.

“Nice outfit” a chuckling voice said.

Kodi turned towards the door and smiled. “Yeah, the leather really brings out my color, doesn’t it Kirby?”

Kirby walked in the door. “Not really.” He snickered. “So, how you holding up?”

Kodi sighed.”Good enough I suppose… It hurts like heck to move but ill survive.”

Kirby nodded.”Glad to hear.” He sat down next to him. “So, how are things going with you and Dusty?” He asked nonchalantly.

Kodi cocked his head to the right.”Huh? She's fine I guess… a bit shaken but…”

Kirby stopped him.”You do understand what I mean don't you?”

Kodi put on an annoyed face.”Can’t say I do”

Kirby sighed.”Then let me put it this way, how do you feel about her?”

Kodi instantly blushed and refused to answer.

“That bad huh?”

“N-n-no! It’s not like that.” Kodi replied.

“Oh stop lying to yourself!” Kirby almost yelled. “Look, I've known you almost my entire life; I can see when you like someone. Think about it, you never make fun of her, you always agree with her, you’re always nice to her, and you…I can go on like this forever. And don’t try to say you’re like this towards any girl, because you're not.”

Kodi was shocked. He had never thought of Kirby as a being of such…intellect. What he said had hit him right in his heart. There was something about Dusty, he could admit that much, but his feelings becoming something more than that of a close friendship…maybe. When he last thought about it up on the mountain, he was more confused, but having Kirby say it got rid of that. Now he was unsure. But there was something…Dusty…more than a friend? He thought. Hm, I guess it’s possible…huh, who’d know. Well, Kirby obviously saw it…

He sighed. “I guess…you have a point.” Kodi muttered.

Kirby smiled proudly.”I usually do”

“Just one question though.” Kodi smirked. “Who the heck are you and what have you done to Kirby?”

Kirby shook his head in annoyance. “What's with people today? I can be deep if want.”

Kodi started laughing but stopped quickly from the pain.

“Anyways, I got to go now. Get better soon” He started walking towards the door.

“Wait!” Kodi said.”What about Dusty? Even if I may have some feelings for her, she probably won’t have any towards me.”

Kirby just kept walking.”That’s for you to find out, my advice: ask her.” He walked out the door.

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Over the next few days, Kodi felt better and better. Soon, he was able to take a few steps around the room without too much agony. Dusty always dropped by at least once a day. But even though she was there, he never had the guts to ask her his most burning question. But still, he noticed he was paying more attention to her as a whole. He would sniff in her scent when she walked in, admiring her voice when she talked, and he concluded that she definitely was easy on the eyes. All this slowly made him accept that; yes, he did have certain feelings for her. But it just made it harder for him to confess it to her. If she rejected him, all this new gained affection would crush him.

On the other side of things, Dusty was slowly, day by day, inching closer to him when they sat talking, he didn’t seem to mind, and she hoped it was because at least some of her feelings were returned.

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A week had passed since the accident. Kodis leather shirt had been removed, and he was free to go outside. He would now sleep in the boiler room at night, glad to be around friends again.
Even though they had an accident on their test-run, the postal office had decided to give them a job when one of the other mushers in Nome retired, but that wasn’t until next season, so they basically had a one year long vacation. This annoyed them, but they accepted it as an opportunity to polish their skills for next season.

On sunny days, most of the team would run around on the outskirts of then town. As much as he hated it, Kodi had to stay in town. “No running.” His mother had said.
Some times, Dusty would skip practice to keep him company. These days went by in merriness. They talked, joked, laughed and otherwise had good times. But they both hid their true feelings. When Kirby saw this, he got filled with a mix of anger and pity. How can they be so blind? Kodi, why don't you just tell her? These and other thoughts ran through his mind at times like these. He wanted to help them, but it really was none of his business. No, they would have to figure it out themselves.

On another sunny day, Dusty decided that today she would stay in town with Kodi. The rest of the team had already gone outside. Dusty looked around for Kodi, and she found him in a corner with a sad face.

“Hey, what's wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing” He muttered.

Dusty sighed. “C`Mon, I know you better than that. Now spill it.”

Kodi remained silent for a while.Perhaps now is the time to tell her…I can’t go on much longer without knowing. But what if she doesn’t like me back? What if…No, I HAVE to know.

Dusty looked expectantly at him. Kodi sighed and avoided her gaze.

“There is something…something I've been holding in for a while, and its eating me from inside.” Kodi looked at the wall while he was talking, he did not dare look her in the eyes.

Dusty got worried. “Then tell me, what is it?”

Kodi felt a lump in his throat and his heart racing.”A few weeks ago, I started noticing something about…you.” He tried to calm himself.”I started to look at you in a different light. Dusty…”Here goes nothing.”I love you!”

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“Dusty…I love you!”

As soon as those three words reached her, she froze. Her mind went numb. It took her completely by surprise. It was those words she had dreamt of hearing for so long, and now they came from the one she cared about the most. She noticed that Kodi was now looking her in the eyes, and she saw fear. Fear of being rejected. She realized how hard it was for him to confess, because he was afraid she would turn him down. She smiled inside. Heh… were we both that afraid? Yet, he took the first step, now it’s my turn to take the next…

“Oh Kodi, I'm so glad.” A tear formed in her eyes. It was easy for her to tell him now that she knew. “I've always wanted to hear those words, and you were the first one I wanted to hear it from.”

Kodi opened his eyes wide.”So…you mean…”

Dusty smiled. “Yes Kodi, I love you to.” Happy tears streaming down her face, like her worries and doubt, they fell to the ground. She sobbed and buried her face in Kodis neck. Happy to be close to him.

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She's crying…but she happy. Wait, she loves me? Yeah, that’s what she said. Kodi was in shock, but woke up when he felt something press against his neck. It was Dusty. He nuzzled her head and licked her neck. He didn’t know why, it just felt right. Everything felt right. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace, he felt like there was nothing he couldn’t do.

“You know, there's one good thing with the delay in our job.” Kodi smiled.

Dusty looked curiously at him.”What?”

“We get more time together.”  Kodi whispered.

Dusty blushed.”I guess you’re right, it’s a good thing after all.”

The rest of the day, they walked around town, much like they did earlier, but know they walked closer to each other.
When night came, they went outside and looked at the stars, like they did long ago.

“Do you remember what you always tried to show me when we did this?” Dusty asked.

“Yeah, I used to say I saw a dog up there…not anymore.” Kodi answered.

“You don't”? 

“No.” Kodi looked her in the eyes. “Now I see you.”

Cold and loneliness

Three weeks had passed since the slightly teary confession between Kodi and Dusty.  Much to Kodis joy, his ribs had healed almost completely. He was now able to run around without any pain to talk about. Even though Dusty kept telling him to take it easy, she still found herself racing him here and there just for the fun of it.

The entire team had by now figured out that the two were a couple; still, they would both blush when they were caught nuzzling or kissing or anything like that. They didn’t deny their relationship, but they didn’t show it off either. Kodi wasn’t even sure his parents were aware of it. As for Dustys parents, they figured it out almost at once, and even went as far as to “check the boy out” as her mother put it. Kodi passed, though he had to endure a talking to from Dustys father. But after all that, they mostly left the two alone. Kodis own parents had yet to see the two together, but that would change faster than they’d expected.

One evening, Kodi and Dusty was sitting on the mountain overlooking Nome, watching the sunset. They had only been there a short while before the cold crept in on them, and they sat as close as possible. Dusty was leaning her head against his neck for comfort. As they admired the falling sun, a sound startled them. Kodi spun around, almost knocking Dusty of her feet.

“What was that?” Dusty asked nervously.

Kodi offered her a crooked smile. “Not what, who.” He sighed and walked towards the big rock behind them.  “Mom, Dad. Come out would you?”

Out from behind the rock came a slightly blushing Jenna and a grinning Balto. “How did you know we were there?” Balto asked.

Kodi sighed.”First off, we heard you. Second, I've known you long enough to recognize your scents.”

“I told you we should have gone back.” Jenna whispered.

Balto ignored her.”So, when were you going to tell us?” Balto snickered.

Kodis faced turned hot as he realized that his parents had seen them. He lowered his ears and voice.”Sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s not something you just come up and tell somebody…especially you…” Kodi then heard Dusty grunt.

“So, you think me being with you is embarrassing? I know we don't brag about it to everyone, but I still told my parents as soon as I could.” Dustys voice was sad and hurt.

Kodis heart skipped a beat.”What? You told them? I thought they just saw us or something.”

Dusty started walking away.”Of course I told them, they’re my parents.”She said over her shoulder. She continued walking back towards town.

Jenna and Balto felt awfully out of place.”That was badly handled.” Balto commented.

Kodi grunted and walked away.

“Should we do something?” Balto asked Jenna with a distressed voice.

Jenna shook her head.”No, it’s something they must figure out on their own.”

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Dusty was sitting in an alley back in town. The sun was almost down, and it was getting rather cold. She sighed and got up. Just as she got out of the alley, she was blocked by a rust colored dog. “I don't want to talk to you right now Kodi…” She stopped herself when she saw it wasn’t him.”Oh, sorry. I thought you were Kodi.”

“Hehe, no problem. I get that a lot.” The newcomer said.

Dusty took a closer look. He was so like Kodi in so many ways. The biggest difference was that this dog looked more like a pet rather than a sled dog. “Wait.” She said.”I know you, you're Kodis brother Dingo. Right?”

Dingo chuckled.”You got that right. But tell me, why don't you want to talk to Kodi? I thought you were a couple?”

Dusty sighed.”I guess you can call us that. But he basically said he's embarrassed at being with me…”

Dingo grimaced.”Ouch, sounds like a screw up I could have done…”

Dusty couldn’t help but laugh at this.”Oh really?”

Dingo blushed.”Yeah, I actually did that once…but I put myself together and apologized to her. Blabbered about how I was just insecure about myself and so on, really pouring out my soul.”

Dusty listened, interested.”So, what did she do?” She asked.

“She slapped me and told me to get lost.”Dingo said indifferently.

At this Dusty cracked up and fell down laughing. Dingo soon laughed with her.

When both had regained their breath, Dingo excused himself that he had somewhere to go. But before he went he said.”Don't judge him too hard, you know Kodi, he's not ashamed of you or anything. He's just shy.”

Dusty stood there, lost in thought. Perhaps he's right. She thought.I just over-reacted. Il make it up to him when I see him. She walked back to the boiler room.

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While Dusty was in town, waiting for him. Kodi was wandering the forest line outside town. He had no desire to return to the warm and comfy boiler room quite yet. He wasn’t sad, angry or regretting anymore. He just wanted his time alone.
Since he's mind was distant, he didn’t notice either the cold night approaching, or the wind picking up, carrying with it increasing amounts of snow. When he finally became aware of his surroundings, he had wandered so far away from Nome that he could barely see the glinting lights from the town in the distance. He cursed himself from being so stupid as to wander around alone this late. He looked up at the sky, seeing the contours of clouds starting to cover the moon. Realizing he would soon be as blind as a bat, he decided to seek shelter in the dark forest. He soon discovered a fallen tree with its roots flipped over so that they created a small cave like hut. He squeezed himself in and curled up, trying to be comfortable through the fear that was rising in his chest. No one knew he was there, it was cold, and the wind carried with it the scent of rough weather ahead. Loneliness grasped him, and in desperation to hear a voice, he used his voice for the first time in hours.

“Well Kodi, you’ve certainly messed up big this time…” His voice was a like a high pitched whisper. “Wandering about in the wilds at night, getting caught by darkness and bad weather. Yeah, this isn’t going to be fun…”

For some reason, his own stupidity amused him. He had more than once had his fair share of laughs when hearing and seeing someone trip on the ice, get hit by snow from roofs or trees, and having other slight mishaps. Being that it was he himself that had messed up like this; he allowed himself a slight chuckle on his own expense. He would never be amused if anyone else ended up like this, quite the opposite. He would be worried sick.
Thinking this, he realized that his disappearance would surely cause a ruckus next morning. He had to get back to time as soon as the weather allowed it and the sun rose.
If I survive the night that is…

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Back in town, Dusty was awoken from her deep slumber by a voice whispering her name. Whoever it is better have a bloody good reason to wake me…
She opened her eyes, expecting to see Ralph or one of the other guys. She was surprised to see Jenna standing over her, her face expressed deep worry.

“Jenna.” she muttered. “What's wrong?”

“Kodi hasn’t come back yet. Have you seen him?” Jenna's desperate whispering unsettled Dusty.

“No” she answered. “I cannot say I have, not since I left him with you guys.”

Jenna frowned.”Then he' has to be out there somewhere. We got to go looking for him right now!” She walked towards the door.

“Wait!” Dusty said, louder than she intended, causing Mike to stir in his sleep. “Didn’t you see the weather out there? We don't have a chance to survive out there, not to mention finding Kodi.”

Jenna looked like she was going to protest but Dusty stopped her.

“Look, I'm just as worried as you, believe me. But getting lost won’t help Kodi a bit. Not even Balto could have any hope to find him. We have to sit out the storm head out as soon as clears.” It hurt Dusty immensely to condemn Kodi to a night alone in the deadly cold, but she knew what she said was true.

Jenna fought back the tears gathering in her eyes.”Y-you’re right. I have to go meet Balto; he's looking all over town.” Without another word, Jenna stormed out the door and into the freezing darkness.

Dusty closed the door after her and went to sit by the window. She looked out at the few flying snowflakes she could see from the dim light the fire provided.

“Oh Kodi, where are you?” She whispered to herself. “If something happens, this time; it really would be my fault…”

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Wind…snow…darkness…the howling of the storm. These were all the things a freezing Kodi cold percept from the world outside his make-shift den. He was trying to keep himself awake. He knew that if he fell asleep, he may never wake up again. An hour passed and he started to black out. Is this the end…? This was the last thought that raced through his mind before his eyes shut.

The snow crunched as large, silvery paw appeared in the narrow hole that served as the entrance to where Kodi had taken shelter. The owner of the paw looked at the blacked out husky. “Now what do we have here?” A deep voice whispered.

Is it real?

All dreams have roots in
both the real
and spiritual world

The sun rose over the horizon to warm up the frozen world left by the nights grasp. Or at least it would if the dark grey clouds would drift away. The landscape was of a cold and depressive grey shade.

Life stirred within Kodi. He knew deep down he should be frozen to death, yet somehow, he was alive. The fact that he was still cold confirmed it, but there was something else, something warm, close. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was a blur. The dim, grey light was enough to blind him, but he could still glimpse a silvery figure next to him. His eyes shocked open; he stumbled on his feet and backed away a few feet until he hit the wall, too scared to talk.

“Well, look who’s alive and kicking.”The silvery figure spoke with amusement.  “Good morning to you to, I was beginning to think you had passed on to the eternal plains.”

Kodi was still in shock and only managed to stutter.”Who…what…where…”

The silvery one raised a paw to calm him.”Relax; I'm not going to kill you. Besides, you nearly managed to do that yourself yesterday.” The last remark was spoken as if it was an obvious fact.

Kodi stared at the stranger.”Y-you saved me? Why? Who are you?”

The stranger rolled his eyes.”So many questions…”he muttered.”In that order: Yes, I felt like it, and I am…call me Anuk.” His ear twitched slightly like he was hiding something.”And yes, before you ask, I'm a wolf. But now, I would like to know the name of the one I stayed up all night to save.”

Kodis fear had somewhat lessened.”Kodiak, but my friends only call me Kodi.” He said wary.

Anuk chuckled.”Seems like your parents graced you with a name too long for your liking.”

Kodi gave him a glare.”I'm proud of it.”

Anuk raised his front paws diplomatically and chuckled.”Didn’t mean anything bad about it Kodiak.”

Kodi looked at him quizzically. “Why do you call me that?” he asked.

Anuk looked confused.”What? Kodiak?”

“Yes.” Kodi answered.

Anuk smiled.”I would never be so arrogant as to presume were friends.”

Kodi sighed.”You saved my life.” He lied down, relaxing.”In my book, that makes you a friend.” He then chuckled.”Besides, the only time I hear my full name; it’s usually one of my parents giving me a lecture or something.”

Anuk smiled humorously.”I can see why you prefer the short version.”

The conversation hit a halt as both ran out of subjects to talk about, and instead contemplated each other, trying to figure the other one out. While doing this, a question came to Kodis mind.

“Hey Anuk.” Kodi asked.”You said you saved me because you felt like it. I'm not sure I believe you.” He finished with a grin.

Anuk looked at him without expression.”At first, when I walked by around fifty yards from here, I smelled a half dead dog. Curious as I was, I checked it out. But when I got closer, I smelled something more. I got even more curious, and decided I should at least try to help. I stayed by your side and tried to keep you warm.”

Kodi chuckled.”So you saved me only because I smelled interesting? Gee, thanks.”

Anuk sighed.”Ok, so I cared! Not all wolfs are heartless you know.” He raised an eye-brow.”In fact, I think you DO know that.”He sniffed the air around Kodi.”From what I can tell, you have wolf blood in your veins.”He sniffed again.”But not too much… I guess one of your parents is at least half and half.”

Kodi chuckled. “Hit the nail on the head there.”

Anuk tilted his head.”What?” He asked confused.

Kodi sighed.”Sorry, human expression. It means that you are right. My father is half wolf.”

Anuk nodded affirmatively.”As I thought…” He stopped.”Wait, what's your parent’s name?”He asked curiously.

Kodi gave Anuk a confused glance.”Balto and Jenna” he answered.”Why do you ask?”

Anuk grinned and mumbled something inaudible under his breath.
”I see I'm in the presence of someone notable.” he said after a while.

Kodi just looked confused at him.”What in the world are you talking about?”

Anuk chuckled.”Surely you have heard what your father did a few years back. And then the incident with that wolf-pack crossing the great waters.”

Kodi scratched the ground with a claw. “Yeah, I've heard about that, he saved the town and…wait, you’ve heard of my sister?”He got up on his feet.

Anuk smiled.”Most wolfs in the surrounding territories have heard, one of them came back some time ago”

Kodi cut him off.”My sister?” He asked hopefully.

“No, I'm afraid not.”Anuk replied sorry.

“Oh…”Kodi said and sat back down.

“But then again, he did bring news.” Anuk said optimistically.

Kodi looked at him expectantly.

“It seems that your sister was more successful in her leading the pack than anyone expected. The clan eagerly accepted her as alpha. They are doing quite well.” Anuk finished with a smile.

Kodi sighed relieved.”I'm glad Aleu is alright.” He looked at the sky. “Oh no!” He exclaimed, startling Anuk.”It’s almost noon, I have to get back to town before they begin to worry.” He got up and trotted outside. “Thanks for everything Anuk, I’ll see you around.”

Anuk smiled.”Your welcome, but I won’t be around much.”

Kodi wanted to press the subject, but the urge to get home won. He nodded and started running back towards Nome.

Anuk got up slowly and walked deeper into the forest.

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“Where is he?” Dusty mumbled. She ran around in the forest, searching everywhere.”Kodi! Where are you?!”

Dusty and the others, namely; Kirby, Ralph, Jenna and Balto had split up to cover more ground as soon as the storm went on and the sun came up. Dusty didn’t know why she chose to look for him in that exact part of the forest, she just went with her instincts.

She had run around for what seemed like hours when she spotted something. “Kodi…? Oh my god no…KODI!”

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Kodi ran towards the voice, but it became muffled and hard to determine where it came from. Suddenly, his eyes went blurry, his legs cramped and all went black. He went from warm and energetic, to feeling stone cold and half dead. He tried opening his eyes, but couldn’t. He heard a voice scream, and then a crying sound, and something warm. He forced his eyes open and blinked confused.Wait…where am I? I was running… why am I back… under the roots again…

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Dusty ran towards the fallen tree roots where she had spotted something red. She ran into what looked like a cave made of rotting wood, and towards the motionless Kodi.

“Oh, Kodi. Please, please be alive” she cried. “Don't leave me alone…” she finished with a whisper. She tried to warm up his frozen body with her own warm one. He was ice cold, his body barely rising and falling from breathing. He was alive, but only just. Dusty held her breath as she listened to his breathing. She released a sigh of relief. At least he lives…for now… she shuddered at the thought.
She watched his back rising and falling, counting the seconds between every breath he took. Suddenly, a noise from below her startled Dusty.

“Mmmmhhh.” It was almost inaudible, but it was there. Dusty perked her ears. “Kodi?” she whispered. Unsure if it was her imagination.

“Whu…what…where…am I?” Kodi whispered hoarsely.

Dusty broke into a teary smile.”Oh Kodi! I'm so glad you're awake!” She dug her face in his neck fur and nuzzled him.

Kodi blinked his eyes and tried lifting his head.”Dusty…? What are you doing here? What happened to me?”

Dusty lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.”I came here to find you. You didn’t come back last night. I almost thought that you…” She broke back into tears, unable to finish her words.

Kodi shook his head confused.” No, this is all wrong. I was running towards your voice…then I fell.

Dustys tears stopped. She looked at him confused. “I was calling out to you, but when I found you, you lied right here, and from the looks of it, you haven’t been moving for a while…” Her voice was low and cautious.

Kodi looked at her dumfounded.”Then…”he mumbled.”It was all a dream?”

Dusty nodded slowly.”I think so.”

Kodi sighed. The two stayed silent for a while, as Kodi was warmed up by Dusty.

Kodi was the first to break the silence. “So… you still mad at me?” he asked meekly.

Dusty looked confused at him, not remembering the day before at first. “What do you…? Oh. That.” She blushed a bit. “I guess I just overreacted. I met someone who did about the same thing as you and got some inside info on how you boys think.”

Kodi chuckled.”Dingo?”

Dusty raised an eyebrow in surprise.”Y-Yes… how did you know?”

Kodi smiled and tilted his head forward. “I've heard that story to, or one like it. He has had some…Uhm…unfortunate relationships.”

Silence fell yet again.

Kodi got up on wobbly legs.

“Careful” Dusty warned.

Kodi smiled and gave her cheek a lick.”Thanks for your concern, but I feel better now.” He slowly walked outside.”Hm, it must have been a dream…”he mumbled.”No footprints aside from yours.”

“What are you talking about?” Dusty asked concerned.

Kodi shook his head in defeat.”In my dream…or whatever it was, a wolf saved me”

“A wolf?” Dusty startled.

“The nice kind.”Kodi assured her.”Anyway, he found me, freezing to death, and saved me. Easy as that.”

Dusty was scratched the back of her head.”Much good that did you” she commented. “You were almost gone when I found you.”

Kodi smiled and turned to her.”You’re right.” He said as he gave her a quick kiss.”It was you who saved me.”
Dusty blushed at the kiss. Even though they had been a couple for some time, kisses were something that Kodi didn’t give often. But that just made it all that better when he decided to give one.

After a few minutes of looking at each other, they decided to make the journey home. They were greeted by the sled-team and Jenna. Balto soon returned from his own search since he insisted to keep looking as the others went back to town to look for him there.
After a verbal beating from his mother and stern looks from his father, Balto, Jenna and Kodi embraced each other.

“Hm…” Kodi said. “Something’s missing…” He looked at Dusty and grinned.

“Wha…” was all Dusty could utter before Kodi included her in the group hug.

When the hug ended, Kodi looked her in the eyes. “You know I love you, right?” he whispered.

Dusty smiled softly.”I know.” Suddenly she grabbed his neck and pulled his face to hers and kissed him deeply. When the kiss broke, Kodi looked towards the ocean and sighed happily.

“You know,” he said.”I'm still a little chilly. Why don't we go to the beach and enjoy the sun?”

Dusty smiled.”Sounds great” she whispered. They walked together towards the ocean, closer than ever.

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Anuk sat at the top of the mountain overlooking Nome. “It’s done.” He whispered to the air.
The wind picked up and brought with it tiny flakes of snow.

“You have done well” a bodiless voice spoke.

“But why only help in his dreams?”Anuk protested.”Why wouldn’t you let me save his life if he was who you said? What if his girlfriend hadn’t come along when she did?”

The wind gathered the snow in front of Anuk. Suddenly the snowflakes disappeared and left stood a white wolf.”Because I knew that she would make it in time to save his life. And wasn’t it your wish to stay hidden from the world?”

Anuk sighed.”That was my wish, yes. But perhaps…I've changed my mind…” Those last words were spoken more as a statement than a speculation.

The white wolf smiled softly.”You now wish to see your brother again.” She stated.

Anuk stayed silent for a moment. He lifted his head and looked into the others eyes. “Yes.” He whispered.

The white wolf nodded approvingly. “I see.” She touched his forehead with her nose.”I'm glad you finally learned how important family is…my son”

A smile flickered in Anuks face. “I love you mother.” He whispered.

“And I you Anuk.” She withdrew her head and smiled.”Before you go” she added ” be careful, Kodiak might be a bit surprised to see you now, since he thinks that you were a dream.”

Anuk lifted and eyebrow.”You really think he would recognize me?”

The white wolf chuckled.”He is just as clever as you are. He is my grandson you know.”

Continiuation intended.