Chapter 3: The Race
"WELCOME RACE FANS! TO THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL RACE TO THE NORTH POLE! I AM KREG GUNGNSNER, YOUR FRIENDLY NIEGHBORHOOD ANNOUNCER!" said the voice over the loudspeakers.
"ALL TEAMS TO THE STARTING LINE."
Balto looked out at the crowd; the whole town was here, as well as photographers, journalists, and race fans from all over. Of course Steele was posing the entire time, drunk on fame. Balto also caught a glimpse of Boris and Stella flying in. And even his children on the sidelines, but he couldn't see Jenna at all. Then he felt a tap on his back he turned and saw Jenna holding his scarf in her mouth.
"For good luck; and for Pete's sake be careful." she said slipping the scarf over his head. "That goes double for you Kodiak."
"Ya mom I know."
"Keep an eye on Steele. I don't trust him any further than I can throw him"
"No kidding, but you don't have to be a scientist to know he is nothing more than a dirty, lying, cheating, rotten son of a-"
"Balto!" Jenna intercepted.
"Hey wolf boy," Steele cut in, "Tell me, was that the wind howling last night or where you just homesick?" Steele's team burst out laughing.
"Did you spend the last three years on that Steele?", Balto retorted "Because if thats all you have, then this time when we send you with tail between your legs, I'll be sure to give you a better joke book." This caused everyone in earshot to burst out laughing other than Steele's team. Steele shut up rather quickly after that, anyway, for at least a couple of seconds.
"Oh, by the way, since the next time you see us it will be in the Winner's Circle, I think we should introduce ourselves. Meet Buster, Chip, Rowdy, and Hunter, and yours truly, the names will look even better in gold on that big trophy we're gonna win."
"The next time we see each other it will be in the Winner's Circle alright, but it won't be you guys in it." Balto shot back.
"Balto are you ready for this?" Boris asked, landing in front of him.
"Of course, we've trained, practiced and we know the terrain."
"Good, because I don't want to go out there looking for a frozen Baltocikle in the middle of nowhere!"
"Boris!" Jenna and Stella chastised simultaneously.
"Don't worry; I'm not the one around here that is worried about getting lost, right Steele?"
"Put a lid on it howler." Was all Steele could come up with in response.
"Can dish it out but can't take it? Ha!" Boris laughed out, jumping into Steele's face. Stella was rolling into the snow laughing, then she remembered that there where cameras around and composed herself.
"I don't know what to do with you guys."Jenna said shaking her head." Good luck Balto, and remember that I love you."
"I'll take whatever I can get." he gave her a quick nuzzle "I love you too." Balto stared into her eyes until Kodi broke in
"Hate to spoil the moment, but the race is about to start."
"Right."
"I better get back to the sidelines." Jenna said as she turned toward the stands, Balto just nodded confirmatively. Duke walked out with his flight jacket and cap on as he mounted the sled and gazed up and down the line of teams seeing the flags flying over each, then looked up at the Stars and Stripes above his head. Then he pulled down his goggles and pulled up a bandana covering his face. Some of the mushers gave him a sidelong look but dismissed the silly American. Pentrofski however was less cordial and he loudly said.
"Hey, flyboy, you lost? This is sled race not airport!"
"Ha, ha. You'll be laughing though all the bugs you catch in your teeth."
"Is winter, no bugs in winter, what have you to say to that, smart guy? Ha!" Stella thought she would prove Duke's point with a little dive bombing run.
"Eah, disgusting!"
"It helps with that too, " Duke said with a smile, he was glad the annoyance was gone. Now he could focus on the impending race. The loudspeaker began to count down.
3
"Ready" Balto poised himself
2
"Steady"
1
BANG
"Go!" Balto and the rest of the team sprang forward, launching the sled as if it had a rocket attached.
"Go Balto! Go!" Boris shouted over the crowd.
Many other teams got off to a good start, but a couple ran into each other and where caught in a heap, causing a terrific mess. The photographers where not very happy their shots where ruined, but Balto saw three less teams in his way. That kind of math he could agree with.
The team ran over hill and dale, crossing snow banks the size of a building. The American team shot forward, passing the British and the French teams. The Russians came and went. The familiar terrain was a help, and the strength of the team kept them ahead of the pack. It all seemed terrific, then Balto looked over his shoulder and saw a Canadian flag catching up to them.
"Come on guys, don't let that fleabag catch up with us!" Balto encouraged and he felt a little more speed come out of them, but Steele was still closing in. Soon Steele and Balto where neck and neck, and they found themselves in a growing stalemate. 'I need to ditch Steele before the sawmill turn to he might pass us' Balto thought to himself. Steele must have thought along similar lines as he employed one of his classic dirty tricks, trying to bite Balto's back leg to trip him up. Balto saw it coming and 'accidentally' kicked Steele in the nose. Sending the cheat way off course, the Canadian team ended up in a snow bank. Giving Steele a mouthful of snow and humble pie.
"That's what you get for cheatin." Kodi piped up.
"Enough, let's cut the chatter and keep this lead." Balto said sternly.
"Yes sir!" Kodi responded. Balto couldn't help but smile at the thought of Steele having a taste of his own medicine. The team came into the turn, Kirby was nervous after the fiasco the other day.
"Keep it tight." Balto said from up front. Kirby felt his paw slip and he thought it was over; Then Ralph came to his rescue.
"Gotcha." He umfed out has he dropped his body up against Kirby's.
"Good work guys. Now let's get a move on!" Balto knew his team was fast, but these other teams would eventually close on them, he had to take the initiative while he was in familiar territory. Miles began to streak by; Balto would look over his shoulder and see dozens of flags in the wind, a mile behind them. He had to admit that the felt proud of his team. All of a sudden the ground under his paws began to tremble. "What is that an earthquake?" Duke asked. The team came to a halt.
"Look!" Kodi pointed of towards the tree line to the right and outpoured hundreds of caribou; they spilled over the path like freight train, but then slowly came to a stop, right in the middle of the path. Balto did not know what to do. He knew going through them was suicide if they spooked one they could stampede on their hands, and the other teams where closing the lead they had to make matters worse. Balto for one, would have rathered the earthquake. All he could do was just growl to himself. But when he growled he noticed that some of the caribou gave him some birth. An idea popped into his head.
"Everyone, growl, bark and howl!" Balto told his team. He got four confused looks in return. "They might mistake us for wolves!"
They did as he said, with each sound the caribou made a gap for them.
"Hurry, go!" Balto shouted, he and his team surged through the gap and made it to the other side, and then all of them started back up again. But why? Then he saw the reason, a real wolf pack began to run out of the woods and chase them. The dozen wolves chased and herded the caribou like it was second nature. One of them looked just like, no that's impossible. Balto chalked it up to seeing things and continued to run ahead. After running the rest of the day they made camp in a cave they found just off the trail. The wind softy whistled outside and the five dogs finally relaxed for the first time that day.
"Nice work guys, we got a more than admirable start, good work." Balto congratulated his team
"Ya we showed Steele didn't we." Kodi felt pumped up.
"We sure did."
"Hey dad, what was with those caribou today, I thought you said they were gone when Aleu left?"
"I don't know, maybe they came back" Balto decided to keep what he saw to himself for now. "Alright folks get some chow and some rest, we'll need every ounce of energy we can get tomorrow." The night was cold, but the team grew up in it, they huddled together to keep warm. Right now all Balto cared about was getting some sleep. He envied Duke in his tent, but it was so cramped, every time Duke shifted his large frame; the minuscule thing looked like it would fall over. The wind picked up and the soft melodic whistle was replaced by a high pitch shrill. Snow began to blow in through the mouth of the cave, lowering the temperature even more. Kodi subconsciously crawled and huddled with the nearest heat source, which just happened to be Dusty. Balto closed his eyes and tried to dream of someplace warm and happy. Morning could not come quick enough after that night and when it did they set back out, albeit groggily.
"Team we earned a healthy lead yesterday so let's keep it." Pep talks were not Balto's forte, but they got the message and set
off on the next part of thier journey. As the wind would attest, a storm came in the night, as there were scores of broken trees and mounds of fresh snow all around them, and a light snow persisted. It gave the landscape a picturesque feel, but that beautiful snow hid rocks and fallen trees. Balto ignored the weather and dodged anything that looked like a hidden danger, it seemed like nothing would stop his team. Nothing but the sign that was coming into view:
CAUTION AVALANCHE ZONE
"Well that's just great, slow down guys. The last thing we want is an avalanche out here." They all followed the command. High above them, the mother of all mouse traps was waiting for the slightest change in temperature of pressure to snap on them. Kodi remembered the anti-toxin story his dad always told him and how Balto was almost turned into a chew toy by an avalanche. A snowflake fell and landed on Kodi's nose and he started to sneeze but Dusty stopped him with a flick of her tail.
"Doesn't sneeze or that whole mountain could drop." She calmly whispered.
"I got it under control."
"Good, now keep it that way."
"Keep it quiet back there." Balto ordered. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Russian and the British teams closing, but slowing down to a crawl when they saw the sign. Another team crested over the hill, waving a Canadian flag above it. Unlike the others it did not slow down, if anything it was accelerating. The sled shot past both the Russian and British teams and closed on them.
"Steele, that stupid fool! He'll get us all killed!" Balto growled out. Just as he said this he saw part of the snow cap above start to give way, then more, and more. A roar came from above and the sound of pine trees snapping like toothpicks echoed though the pass.
"Avalanche! Guys run for it! If we make it to the Bear Rock Pass we can hide in a cave! Come on!" The other two teams also sped up and where trying to outrun the avalanche. The shape of the canyon was concentrating and focusing the avalanche down behind them. And it was quickly gaining on them. This was a situation with almost no good scenarios, and even less margin for error. The snow covered sign for Bear Rock Pass came into view and so did the one for Devil's Point.
"Keep it straight boys and girls. We don't want to end up in Devil's Point, it's a set of steep slot canyons, and this time of year it is covered in ice." The paths came closer; suddenly the Russian team came up from behind and collided with Balto's team as they jockeyed for the narrow escape route. The greater mass of the Russia team hit them like a tank, sending them off course and into Devil's Point.
"Oh no!" Balto almost lost it. The other two teams disappeared into Bear Rock Pass. Pentrofski apologetically waved away, and Duke shook his fist back at him.
"We have to go back!" Kodi exclaimed. Balto looked over his shoulder and the avalanche was coming in fast.
"No time, now would be a good time to hang on to something, this is going to be a wild ride!" As Balto readied his team he felt the cold, steely ice on his paws. He slipped and slid, the others following suite.
"Holy crap." Duke muttered in a tiny voice. The whole team fumbled down the canyons and where going extraordinary fast, Duke felt like he was in his plane it was so fast. Balto did everything he could to stop his team from crashing into the rocks, nevertheless, they where slammed into the canyon walls and their harnesses loosened. Eventually they got separated and parts of the team took different turns through the slot canyons. A three-way fork in the thrill ride broke the team up entirely as they took different paths. Dusty and Kodi in one Ralph and Kirby in the other. Balto could not believe what was happening until he and Duke where the only ones still together, then they where spit out the end of the ordeal. Both tumbled into a snow drift and Duke was knocked out. Balto hit his head on something hard and felt a dull pain all over. He saw what looked like caribou off in the distance and something else coming closer, he couldn't make out what it was through his blurred vision, another dark blob appeared in front of him and Balto blacked out.
