My very first fanfiction! Thanks for posting reviews, and if you have any advice I will gladly take it. It's not an open ending, but I might consider making some changes to the story. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

(Group of children circling around an old man sitting in a chair)

Have you ever heard of the story of Balto? The half wolf, half dog that lead a team of sled dogs over 300 miles through a frozen winter storm. I'm sure you've heard of him, but the tale you've been told about this wondrous creature is not entirely true. For the storytellers failed to tell you about one person in particular. A boy, who not only was an outcast like Balto, but also faced the dangerous journey along side him. That boys name is Norik, and I'm going to tell you how the story really took place. Now it all started with three little taps.

*Tap *Tap *Tap
"Pssssst! Come on Norik, I know you're in there! Psssssssssssst! Wake up!" A young girl was looking through the crack of a shed door. Inside, on a small pile of hay, lay a boy half awake. He shuffled around in the pile of hay. The boy was about the same age as the girl outside, and his name was Norik. "Come on, the sun is already up!" The girl, slightly irritated at the fact that Norik was trying to ignore her. Still lying in the hay, Norik irritatingly responded. "Rosy, you know the Director doesn't let me sleep in. Just let me sleep a few more minutes." Rosy, still attempting to get him up, responded in a playful tone. "Well if you don't want to have breakfast at my house, thats fine, more for me." Norik sighed, he was really hungry and he knew Rosy's mother was a good cook. Norik stood up from his pathetic excuse for a bed.

"Alright, you got me. Give me a minute, he boarded up my normal escape route."

"Wow, he must actually be starting too get smarter." Rosy responded with a smile.
Norik took a look around. The shack had very few things inside of it, probably because it had become his sleeping quarters a few weeks ago. There were no windows, only small cracks in the wood too let in the smallest amounts light. The entrance was a set of small double doors, which was currently locked. There was only a wheel barrel, and Norik's pile of hay, no other tools of any kind. As Norik was looking around, he noticed how cold he was. It was, after all, the start of a very long winter in the isolated town of Nome, Alaska. "Crap, its cold. Where did I put my jacket?" He searched the room until he noticed his jacket being hung up in the rafters of the shed. "There it is, I must of put it up there after cleaning the forum." Slightly angry at this statement, Rosy responded from behind the doors. "He made you clean the whole forum again? That man just makes me so frustrated!"

"It's ok Rosy, it's not like I haven't been treated poorly in the past. Hey, I found a way out, it's a bit of a squeeze, but I think I'll fit."

"Good, and I know how you're treated by the other kids, but that doesn't mean he has too add on to the already overloaded chores just because of your gift." Norik stopped climbing and responded in a serious tone. "Trust me Rosy, it's not a gift, it's a curse."

"Norik!" Rosy was clearly frustrated with him. "How dare you call your powers a curse! niu chose you to have these gifts, and you continue to ignore them. After all, if it weren't for the abilities that She gave to your parents, you would not even be alive right now!" Norik, hanging from the rafters of the shack, responds ashamed. "Yeah, I guess you're right, but still, I wish people didn't accuse me of being a freak. I just wish they could see the wonder in it like you do."

"Some day Norik, someday they will love and respect you, like I do."

"Sure, that'll be the day." He continued to climb. As she looked through the cracks of the door, Rosy tried to change the subject. "Are you out yet?" No response came, "I said-" She was cut off when Norik jumped down next to her from the roof of the shack. "Holy-, don't do that!"
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Norik asked sarcastically with a smile. Still stunned from the scare, Rosy said, "See, this is the kind of thing i'm talking about. You can climb out of this shack like nothing and quietly move across the roof without me even noticing. You are a very swift sucker!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Norik replied with a smile. "Now, too breakfast?" Rosy looked towards the direction of her house and said,"Yeah, we should probably get going, mother will be wondering where I am."

(Back to old man)
"Now kids, the town was small, but big enough to survive on its own. There were only about a thousand people living there at max. I never really bothered to count though. There were bakers, carvers, fishermen, hunters, and all of those necessary workers that the town needed to survive. But, there was specific group of men that were always looked up to, and those men were the mushers. The mushers were in charge of their specific dog sled teams. Just as you know from the story of Balto, they were the ones that got the medicine for all of the sick children, or so the story states."

"Uncle, what did Rosy and Norik look like?"

"Very good question little one, Rosy and Norik were both about twelve years old at this time. Rosy was a shorter white girl with bright red hair, and dazzling green eyes. Norik on the other hand, was a rather tall boy for his age. He had pale blue eyes and hair as white as snow. The people around town never knew why, that is accept for Rosy and her family. Now, where was I, ah yes, Rosy and Norik were heading to her house."

(Cut back too the two kids)

"I'm glad you were able to get out there before the Director came, we haven't had breakfast together in a long time."

"Yea, it's nice to get out sometimes." Norik pauses, "So, Rosy I..." Norik trails off. "What?" Rosy asks with a slightly confused look on her face. "I'm... I'm..." Norik stutters too get any words out. "Well spit it out, there's no use mumbling."

"I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've decided that I'm not going to live at the orphanage anymore." Rosy stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Norik very confused. "What?!" what do you mean? You're running away?"

"Shhh! I don't want the whole town too know. But yes, I'm going to live alone, away from anyone and everyone that lives in this God forsaken town. Especially the Director, I can't stand living in that place. It's terrible, I'd rather be out I the woods like I used to be."

"But, where will you go? How will you survive out in the wild?" Saddened, she pauses and looks down at the ground, "What about me?" Norik, feeling bad for Rosy, "I'm not leaving forever. There's an abandoned boat about a mile away from town by the shore. I'm going to stay there. I can fish, hunt, and it's close enough to where we can still hang out." Rosy looked up at him, "But, but..." Rosy was still clearly worried for him.

"I'll be fine, it's not like I haven't had my fare share of living out in the forest." He said with a smile.

"That may be true, but back then, you had your parents." Norik sighed, "True, but I'm not a kid anymore. I have to stop relying on other people too survive, and just live my life the way I want to live it. Besides, no one ever goes out there anyway, they won't think to look for me there. They will probably think that I ran out to the forest, where my parents..." he stops suddenly and looks down at the ground. He was suddenly as depressed as Rosy.

"Hey... hey," Norik looks at her as she grabs him by the hand. "It's okay, but just because you lived out in the wilderness back then, doesn't mean you have too again." Norik broke his hand free from hers and looked away.

"I'm better off living cold and alone out there," He pointed towards the shore, "than cold and alone there." He pointed towards the orphanage.

"Well, you may be right about that. But Norik, please never forget, you are never alone," She pointed her finger on his chest, "She is always with you." Norik, feeling a sense of relief, smiled and replied, "Thank you Rosy, you always knew how to cheer me up." They hug.
(As they are hugging) "You're like the brother I never had, I'll always be there for you." says Rosy. A slightly dissapointed look came across Norik's face. They stopped hugging.
"Now, if you're going to live on that boat, you'll need some supplies."

"Can we get some food first?" Norik responds with a smirk.

"Of course, I'm as hungry as you are." Rosy responds with a smile.

"Considering where I live, I highly doubt that." They laughed and continued to walk too Rosy's house.