Ok, first of all, I want to thank all the dedicated fans who have been sending me hate mail trying to get me going on this story again. Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you. Unfortunately, I've been rather busy with Air Force stuff, and while this chapter is short, hopefully it'll whet your appetites for more. I'll try to make my next update in less than 2 years...

Musings

Dusty's eyes fluttered open. It was still night time, and she wondered why she was awake when she should be sound asleep. As she lay there, she heard something; probably what had awakened her. Sitting up, she cocked her head to the side, listening carefully. There was no sound however, except for the typical creaks and groans she'd become accustomed to hearing from the old shed which was now serving as a makeshift kennel.

Nothing. She was on the verge of dismissing it as her imagination when she heard it yet again. It was coming from inside the building. She looked around to see if anyone else was awake. Seeing none of the other pups awake, she rolled her eyes and considered rousing them on general principle. Nice to have such alert future-teammates. Shaking her head, she allowed her curiosity to get the better of her and she stood and moved out of stall where she and the other pups had picked to sleep. Padding softly, she moved cautiously down the straw-covered floor. She stopped and listened again.

Sniff

She heard the distinctive sound coming from the next stall on the right. Cautiously, her adventurous mind prepared for any enemy she might encounter there, she poked her head around the wooden wall. Curled up in the far corner, she could see the low outline of the pup that their human had brought in that evening.

Sniff

Well, something had to be done or she was never going to get any sleep. "Pssst! Hey!" She whispered softly but sharply.

The pup didn't move.

"Hey! You!" she whispered a bit louder.

The pup turned his head a bit and saw her standing there. "Me?" he asked meekly.

"Yeah, you! Can you get your allergies under control or something? I'm tryin' ta sleep!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," the pup answered softly.

There was something wrong with his voice. Moving a bit closer, she quickly realized what it was and stopped in shock. "You're crying!"

"No I'm not," the pup replied defensively, his thick voice betraying him.

"Are too!"

The pup glared at her. "Just leave me alone!" He turned to face the wall, still whimpering softly.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way." Turning to leave, she looked back to make another remark. Seeing him sitting there all alone though…

Sighing, she turned again and walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

"You botherin' me, that's what," the pup shot back.

Wow…this kid speaks my language. Still, his words raised her hackles. "Don't get your tail in a knot! I was just tryin' to be nice. Forget I asked."

The pup looked over at her, all evidence of resistance gone. "I miss my mom and dad," he sniffed.

Dusty nodded empathetically. It wasn't more than a week ago when she'd been in the same situation…well, she hadn't been crying, but she at least knew how he was feeling. "Homesick, huh?"

The pup nodded.

"Yeah, but bein' away from home ain't a bad thing though," she said.

He looked up. "It's not?"

"Course not! I mean, did your mom ever let you stay up this late?"

He shook his head. "No."

"See? Things're better already."

"But don't you miss your home?"

Dusty shrugged. "Ah, after you get to know a few of the others, you get used to it pretty quick."

The other pup frowned. "I guess…"

"Tell ya what, I'll be the first one you meet. I'm Dusty. What's your name?"

The pup sniffed again. "Kodiak...everbody calls me Kodi though..."

A sudden realization dawned on her. "Hey! You're Balto's kid, aren't ya?"

Kodi nodded slowly.

Dusty shook her head at the irony of the situation. Balto was strong, fearless, and self confident. He was the hero that every sled-dog-in-training dreamed of becoming, yet here was his son sitting in the dark and crying his eyes out. This is too rich. Wonder what the other guys'll think? No more picking on the only girl anymore, that's for sure!

As if reading her thoughts, Kodi looked at her pleadingly. "You won't tell anyone about this will you?"

She started to reel off a sarcastic reply, but something about his naïve and trusting gaze stopped her. Mulling over her options carefully, she frowned. "That depends…"

Kodi tilted his head to the side questioningly. "On what?"

"You won't tell anyone that I was bein' nice to ya or nothin', will ya?"

Not sure how else to reply to this strange request, he shook his head. "Umm…I guess…"

"Okay then. You keep my secret and I'll keep yours, got it?"

Kodi nodded, staring at his paws. "Got it…"

Dusty stared at him for a moment as if to ascertain the sincerity of his words. "Good…cuz I got a reputation ta maintain."

The rust-colored pup's face twisted in confusion. "A reppa-what?"

Dusty rolled her eyes. "A reputation. Where everyone knows ya for somethin'. You know…kinda like what your dad has."

"Oh…" Kodi nodded in understanding. He looked at her curiously. "So what town you save?"

Dusty frowned, trying to decide whether this pup was for real or if he was just toying with her. Seeing that he seemed sincere enough, she rolled her eyes. "Not for saving a town, Silly. For bein' the strongest, toughest, meanest sled dog around!"

"How you do that?"

"I take care of myself an' no one else."

"What about friends?" Kodi asked slowly.

"Don't need 'em," she replied proudly.

"Oh." Kodi's eyes dropped to his paws again. He'd been hopeful that perhaps she could be his friend in this strange place. He sniffled again. "Umm…sorry for botherin' ya. I'll try not to again…" He slowly rose to his paws and started to pad away from her with his head and tail hanging low.

Despite her bravado, Dusty couldn't help but feel sorry for him in such a state. With a sigh, she spoke up again. "Hey Kodi…"

Kodi stopped walking and turned his sad eyes toward her.

With another sigh, Dusty shrugged. "Look. How about I introduce you to the others in the morning?"

Kodi's eyes lit up. "Really? But I thought you said…"

"But don't think I'm doing it to be nice," she added hurriedly. "I just wanna get some sleep tonight."

Undeterred by her bravado this time, Kodi gave her a slight smile. "Thanks."

With a shrug, Dusty waved off the gratitude. "Yeah, yeah. No big deal. Just turn off the waterworks already…" She yawned and turned to leave.

"Dusty?"

Glancing back over her shoulder, she regarded Kodi once more. "Yeah?"

"I'll be your friend too…"


The groan of metal on rusted metal forced its way into Dusty's consciousness, causing her dream to dissolve into the dimly lit boiler room. Blinking sleepily, she glanced around, eyes seeking anything out of the ordinary. With a yawn, she placed her head on her paws again, hoping to resume dreaming of her first meeting with Kodi. If only that old door hadn't interrupted her in the first place…

With a startled gasp, she raised her head abruptly as her drowsy mind suddenly made the connection. Sure enough, the spot where Kodi usually slept was vacant. Scrambling to her paws, she looked around before hurrying over to the door and poking her head outside. A quick glance confirmed what she already knew: Kodi was gone again.

Fighting her initial impulse to pursue Kodi, she turned back into the boiler room. "Hey guys, you're not gonna believe this…"

A series of annoyed groans erupted from her teammates.

"Is still our day off, no?" Nova asked sleepily.

Kip barely cracked an eyelid. "Yes. Come on, Dusty, Nova's right. What time is it anyway?"

"Just past dawn," Dusty replied matter-of-factly.

Another series of groans erupted.

Ralph tried to curl his hefty frame into a tighter ball. "This better be good…"

"If she doesn't say that the boiler room is on fire or that she's about to kick the bucket, I'll kill her myself," Kirby muttered as he slid a paw across his muzzle to further shield his eyes.

Dusty frowned in annoyance. "How about if I said Kodi's gone?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kirby replied without bothering to open his eyes. "Kodi said he'd stick around today, remember?"

"Yeah, Kodi never reneges on a promise," Kip added as he yawned and curled up again. "Right Kodi?" Hearing no reply, Kip slowly raised his head. "Kodi?"

Hearing no response, the rest of the team raised their heads one by one, looking to the spot where their leader usually slept. Seeing it vacant, they exchanged incredulous glances.

Staring at her speechless teammates, Dusty was the only one to find her tongue. "I think we have a problem."


"Kanti?" Kodi called out loudly. "You here?" A muted echo was the only response. His eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign that she was near. Glancing up at the dimly lit sky, he could tell he was still a bit early, so he sat down beside the rock to wait. Over the past two weeks, he had been faced with an increasingly greater desire to spend more time with Kanti...so much so that it had been affecting his ability to sleep. He never thought to long on the matter though, for he knew that it would lead him down paths he did not think himself ready to travel.

A sudden tingle coursed through his body, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly dropped to his belly as a shadow soared over him and landed a few yards away. "Nice try, Kanti," he said with a smirk.

Kanti snorted and tossed her head proudly. "What do you mean by that? Who is the one covered in snow?"

"At least it was done by me instead of you this time," he retorted, shaking the ice crystals out of his fur.

"Irrelevant," she said, tossing her head proudly.

Kodi chuckled and walked over to her and brushed his shoulder against hers. "It's good to see you again, too. But I'm afraid I can't stay long today. I promised my team that I would spend the day with them."

"Then why are you here?" Kanti asked, tilting her head questioningly.

"Well…I didn't want you to think I'd stood you up…"

"Stood me up? But I am already standing. I can do that on my own, you know."

"That's not quite what I meant. I meant stood up…"

"That is what you just said. And I can do that on my own." She sat down and quickly raised herself to all four paws again. "See?"

Kodi found himself squeezing his eyes shut. The literalism that seemed bred into wolves never ceased to amaze him. "I know, but….I mean promising someone you'd be someplace and then not being there."

"Like you are doing to your team?"

From anyone else, Kodi might have taken the remark in offense, but when such questions came from Kanti, they were asked out of blunt curiosity. "Well…not really. If I know them, and believe me I do, they probably won't wake up until the sun is high overhead."

"And this makes a difference?"

Kodi hesitated in his reply. "Well…kinda. Depends on if they wake up early I guess."

Kanti shook her head slowly as she tried to grasp his words. "I do not understand this. It seems dishonest…"

With a frown, Kodi shook his head. "It's just…complicated."

"Why? Whenever I come to meet you, I always tell someone in the clan what I am doing."

"Yeah but…" Kodi's brow furrowed as he realized what she had just said. "Wait, your clan knows that you've been seeing me all this time?"

"Of course," she replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Have you not told this team of yours?"

Kodi's mouth opened to offer an explanation, but quickly found himself devoid of a suitable explanation. "Uhhh…."

"Your clan?"

Under this kind of scrutiny, Kodi found himself unable to meet her gaze. "No."

Kanti sat down with confusion in her eyes. "I…do not understand."

It was quickly becoming apparent to Kodi that he was floundering. "I….look, Kanti. I'm a dog, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're a wolf."

"Yes…"

"Well…where I come from it's not….well…proper for dogs to get along with wolves…"

"So you are ashamed of your association with me?"

"Wha…?" Kodi stopped mid-word at that. He was not certain which was more vexing, the question or the complete absence of any anger from her tone. "No! No, no, no! It's not like that at all!"

Kanti tipped her head to the other side. "Then what is it?"

"It's…" Finding himself again at a loss for words, Kodi allowed his shoulders to slump. "It's just complicated is all."

"What is complicated about the truth in speaking of a friend to your clan?"

"Because it is more than that, I…it's complicated. You wouldn't understand."

"Why?"

"Because….because I like you, Kanti."

The wolf pulled her head back in further confusion. "I like you to, Kodi. Do friends not do that among dogs?"

Kodi shook his head. "No, Kanti. I mean I like you. A lot." Seeing her shaking her head in puzzlement, he tried another angle. "I mean I see you as more than just a friend."

Though his words were making little sense in themselves to her, Kanti was beginning to draw an understanding of his meaning. "I…see. You see me as more than a friend. Like a…mate?"

Grimacing at the bluntness, Kodi could not help but nod. "Yeah, I know. A dog and a wolf…it's probably the stupidest thing you've ever heard…"

"No it's not," she interjected quickly.

Kodi hesitated for a moment, making certain that his ears were not playing tricks on him. "You…don't?"

Kanti shook her head shyly.

Feeling his hopes rising, his eyes widened a bit as he took a step closer to her. "So does this mean that maybe we…?"

Kanti immediately shook her head. "No."

Suddenly Kodi found himself in an emotional freefall. Sitting back to steady himself, he tried to put his tumultuous thoughts into words. "What? But…you…don't you feel the same?"

"What I feel does not matter," Kanti responded. "It is not natural."

Kodi shook his head as well. "If it wasn't natural, my father would not be here, and neither would I."

"What would your family and friends think? What would my clan think?"

"Does it matter?"

"Certainly it matters! I cease to exist when my clan is concerned. And it matters to you as well."

"No it doesn't…"

"It must. You would not tell anyone when we were friends. You feared their response. How would your family feel if they knew you wanted to pursue a wolf's affections beyond friendship?"

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, realizing that he didn't know how those closest to him would react to such a revelation. Gritting his teeth a bit, Kodi tried the most obvious solution to him. "We could keep it a secret. No one would…"

"No, Kodiak." Her response was cold and firm. "I will not be a part of that kind of deception."

Kodi looked around, desperately searching for some solution he could pluck from the air. "What if I tell them?"

Kanti hesitated. "You would do that?"

Nodding eagerly, Kodi stood up. "That's right! I'll tell everyone about us and let them know that even if they don't approve, it does not change my feelings for you. Would you accept me then?"

Gazing steadily at him for a moment with her amber eyes, Kanti slowly nodded. "Yes, but you would have to accept me as I am."

A feeling of relief washed over him, and Kodi slowly let out his breath and stuck out his chest in acceptance of the challenge. "Great. I'll go do it right now! You'll see. Everything will be great."

He hesitantly leaned forward and touched his nose to the side of her muzzle and was elated when the gesture was returned. Putting on a brave face, he turned and began to run toward Nome. This'll be easy…too easy.