Chapter Seven

The malicious arctic frost was assembling up around the foundation of the sled and progressively slithering its way up. Sam had to shield his eyes from the whiteout antagonizing them so he could direct Yakone. This wasn't the finest model stage to challenge and rush back to Nome to save his friends' dogs and the homeless town hybrid. The sun was vanishing and he was trailing light.

Aleu kept her wounded limb tucked up alongside her frame, trying to keep it warm and to retain the blood from drying and staining her pelt. Peering through one eye, she glimpsed over at Kaltag, whom had engaged upon a fresh posture, now lying down. Her ears fell back as she looked at his bloodstained fur. It was her burden that he was like this.

The golden canine was quivering, straining to retain his body temperature up. Ordinarily, Kaltag didn't have a setback, but these exposed gashes were like a door standing wide open, welcoming in the winter. At this point, he was getting inflexible. Nothing looked accustomed and he was growing apprehensive all at the same time. Had they lost their way?

"Woah," Sam abruptly called, triggering Yakone to come to a standstill.

Sam seized this opportunity to take a gaze at their surroundings. The snowstorm had been obscuring his vision, having falling so rigid. His eyes squinted; he looked closer and harder at the environment before him. Off in the distance, he saw something that looked like Nome. He was sure that it was a township but not sure which one. It had to have been Nome. He was just back tracking the way they had come. Yes, that had to be it!

"Mush," he bellowed to Yakone.

Endurance had been constructed into these dogs for a moral purpose. Yakone took one look back to the three behind him and then took off. The blood was accelerating throughout his physique, heart thrashing, everything circulating in synchronization to contribute to him the strength to aid his friends.


They were approaching upon the town, and Sam observed for a sign, affirming the name but found nothing. At this point, it had grown shadowy and he'd put on his headband flashlight so they'd be able to see. There were no illuminations on or in the constructions, no people walking the streets. There was no indication of existence, but nothing looked like it had been abandoned either.

The group came to a break and Sam treaded off the sled, eyeing around, disordered. This place looked too nice for no one to not live here.

"Hello is anybody out there," he called into the obscure muteness. "We need some help!"

Kaltag's ears rapidly pricked up and he picked up his snow covered head, cautious not to shake it too firm as he listened. His twisted to stare to the right of them while Sam senselessly continued to shriek and search for people, taking no signs from Kaltag. The blonde dog staggered to his feet, his tail up and his eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right. A low rumble vented from his throat.

"What's wrong, Kaltag," Aleu quizzed, suspicions of her own intensifying as she looked right.

"There's someone over there," Kaltag trailed off in his answer, still weary of what was there.

Sam finally caught the dog growling and along with Yakone, he looked towards the direction. His flashlight shone into a building window. All he saw was the gleam of something. Taking a pace frontward from artless human inquisitiveness, he progressed.

There was no cautioning as something went soaring from the window, the force shattering the glass and the sound reverberating throughout the trivial town. Before any of them had a chance to react, an arrow had struck Sam though the chest. Blood soared from him, only to descent along with him to the snow. The crash was heard when his body hit the ground. Right away, Yakone, Aleu, and Kaltag could sense that there was no existence left in him. The demise had been hasty and instantaneous.

Yakone instinctively backed up towards Kaltag. He was no aggressive dog and certainly wasn't a frontrunner either. He'd never been in a situation like this one previously. His mind ran fight or flight through him. Being hooked to the sled though, he would be able to go anywhere. All he could do was rely on Kaltag for guidance in a situation like this. He was caught where he was.

Aleu got to her feet, standing beside the golden canine while doing her best not to put too much pressure down on her injured leg. None of them were in any position to combat if that was what was to come to again. What had any of them done for the world to play such a punishing pun on them?

"Stay back, Aleu," Kaltag then insisted, just receiving an irritated expression from the hybrid.

Pearl white fangs bore as he perceived a rasping sound coming from the building before them. He had to stay on guard and defend everyone at any price. What was going on? Why hadn't they been attacked yet? Sam was the only one to have fallen in a dreadful place like this. He stepped down off the sled and the fur on the back of his collar began to stand.

The only line of sight they had was to the building in front of them, from Sam's flashlight. The pack tensed as a boot came into view. Kaltag was arranged to attack at any assumed moment if he had to. Aleu and Yakone examined warily with Kaltag. Yakone had persuaded himself to do something if he had to. He just wasn't sure what that thing was going to be.

Finally, a full figure had come into sight and a human was standing there, with a bow in his hand and a quiver on his back. However, he wasn't pointing it at any of the trio. The human began to gait towards the dogs some more, but stopped on the porch of the building before hitting the snow. He made eye contact with Kaltag, knowing the dog was on brink about everything.

Raising his hand, the human made a motion. Doors around the area opened and more people walked out, surrounding the dogs and Sam's lifeless body. None of them ever stepped more than a few feet from the doorways. Behind a few of the humans stood the figures of canines, all peering out to see Kaltag, Aleu, and Yakone.


Author's Notes:

I apologize for taking so long to update this. I've been meaning to but have also gotten caught up in life. I forced myself to sit down all day today to write this. :) This isn't the first idea I had for the story, but I like where it's turning now.

Any reviews are appreciated - good or bad.