Chapter Four

The Train.

3,457 Words

"That day, that first day I was in turmoil. I was raised to hide from the humans, and here I was living on the edge of a town of them. My instincts screamed at me to run from here, go back to the mountains where I belonged, yet I didn't want to." I let a grin stretch my muzzle as I looked towards the town. "I was healed by a human, became friends with a dog. And now I'm even going to protect Steele's sled team on the run."

"What!?" Balto barked spinning around to face me more head on from his position on the prow. "Why?" I could see he was worried. I wasn't a runner, not like him. I would have to be careful or else I would tire easily and be lost. I wasn't used to running this like the other dogs, who would only get lost in the most extreme of circumstances.

"Well after you left to wallow in sorrow that Steele pulled an underhanded trick." Balto visibly flinched. "I decided to follow the team. I listened in as they talked about the route they were taking and found out that they were passing through a dangerous area," I didn't feel like explaining where they were passing through because really I wasn't too sure myself.

"Well I better get going, by the sound of it they're going to start running soon." I yawned tiredly, I really did not sleep to well lately. Shaking my head to rid myself of sleepy thoughts I just, hoped we didn't cross through a packs direct territory, if it's hunting territory they would be more lenient, but if it's by a den I'm going need to be wide awake.

"You're not going to tell me what's wrong are you?"

"Nope," I smirked before hopping off of the Trawler. "See you later guys. Oh, and Boris, keep Fido here safe will yah."

"Always," I heard the goose holler back.

I let out a laugh as I ran to the town before stopping when I heard barks fill the air. I watched as the sled team ran out of town pulling the sled behind them and kicking up a small cloud of snow. I sniffed the air again and could feel the frost in it as snowflakes fell from the cloudy sky.

Letting out a bark I dug in my paws and took off after the leaving sled team. "Hey Jess," I panted pulling up beside her and the other dogs.

"Cain? What are you doing?" Jess barked looking at me quickly before turning her attention back towards the dog in front of her.

"What, not allowed following you guys. Well I know when I feel loved," I snorted hopping over a large patch of ice. "I followed because you guys need me for this run."

"We don't need your help mutt." Growled Steele from the front. The other dogs muttered some words that I lost in the howl of wind. I looked to the sky eyes narrowed as the wind picked up and the snow came down thicker and heavier.

"Say what you will but you do," I yelped when I hit a deep patch of snow and fell through. When I struggled out of it I snorted and shook out my fur before running after the sled again.

I got back to the sled panting and out of breath but still alive. "God I hate running," I muttered. I heard a dog chuckle in front of me and looked up to see Star shaking with suppressed laughter. "Anyways as I was saying. You can't fight to save your life so you need me,"

"Says the pup that got beat by a girl," Steele growled.

"Hey!" Jess barked letting out a short growl of her own. I growled also and dug in my paws, running up beside Steele but staying far enough away to be safe from any tricks he might pull.

"How many real fights have you been in Steele?" I asked my voice mock sweet.

"More than I can count." He returned looking down at me as we powered through the snow and began climbing up a hill. I could hear Gunnar yelling orders that only a sled dog really knew the meaning to.

"So three than okay, less by far than I that's for sure." I grinned when I heard the frustrated growl from Steele. A laugh echoed down the line from me and I glanced back just in time to see Jess get a large glob of snow to the muzzle. I growled at Nikki who was directly in front of her and I felt the pull of my hackles rising as the growl got louder.

"Pup wrestling and girl fights don't count Shrimp." Steele mocked.

"Good one sir." Nikki praised.

"Hey Nikki is your nose naturally as brown as your coat or does it go that way from butt kissing?" I snorted despite trying to keep a straight face when I said that but it didn't work. "Pup wrestling I agree with, but if you survive a fight with a girl than you're a great fighter."

I could almost see the smug look on Jess's face but I didn't want to turn around to look, instead I was more focused on the lights growing in the distance. "No, the fights I'm talking about are wild fights, the fights that you go into too seriously hurt someone or kill them. The ones that are nothing like your dog fights were you bat someone around a bit until they're too tired to get back up."

The mutt didn't respond, instead looked back at the approaching town as the wind started to pick up sending the snow in an odd arch and into our faces.

I slowed down and started to run beside Jess. "Don't let the fight comment go to your head." I told her looking out of the corner of my eyes at her. "Now I'm goings to wait right at the engine to that train for you guys." Picking up a little speed I jumped over the leash in front of Nikki and cut off Kaltag who was on the other side and a little back making him jump in shock and let out an angered bark.

I hid by the side of the large black metal plow that sat at the front of the large train. And damn was it big. I leaned back as far as I could until finally I startled to get an uncomfortable kink in my neck and had to lean forward shaking out my neck with a loud crack. Groaning I popped my back, feeling the toll of the run, before looking back up.

The horns whistle went off just above me making me whine and my ears lay flat against my furred head. "Careful with that," I heard Gunnar order from around the train.

I slunk forward still surprised that he didn't see me running beside his sled, or at least didn't seem to care that I was there. Two men were carrying the thick box and faint tinkling could be heard from inside before setting it down on the wooden sled. "Now make sure you lash it down tight."

The second the two men had backed away from the sled Gunnar signaled for the team to run and they took off with yips of strain and groaning of frozen wood. I ran out from my spot and followed them, coming up beside the sled and leaning in close to the wooden crate now tied down to it. "Get back." Gunnar ordered swinging a hand down and over my ears.

I growled but ran faster and ran up beside Jess who was panting heavily with the other dogs. The snow was coming down harder than ever now and had no evidence of letting up anytime soon. "How…are you…doing?" I panted head low as I tried to run without getting snow in my eyes.

"Just…dandy." She panted back growling low in her throat. I chuckled before choking and coughing when a large batch of falling snow went down my throat.

I continued to choke as the snow picked up in earnest and the wind startled to howl. The sled slowed down from a heavy run to a slow trot and then eventually to a trudge as the sled dogs forced their way through the thick drifts of snow. We were all hunched over as snow started to clot up in our fur and start to freeze into chunks of ice.

I started to feel the cold bite on my bare patch of skin as the ice froze into a fine layer on the top bit of fur on my back. This was getting bad. We were blind, defenseless against this storm, and I'm pretty sure that the musher was barely hanging in there with all of this cold. My nose tingled in the cold as I took a deep breath hoping to catch a familiar smell.

The only smells I could pick up were the frigid damp smell of snow, and the smell of a hare. There was also something else, something familiar. It struck a chord in my mind and I couldn't help but try to figure out what it was. I snorted feeling the burn as the hot air that rushed out almost instantly froze and stuck to my sensitive nose.

"Steele!" I heard Star yell from his spot at the front. "Maybe we should go back. We're lost!"

"I am not lost!" Steele yelled back. I could faintly see the dark blur that was Steele shift as he went back to his original position of looking into the storm for something

"Lost? Heh-heh. Did I say lost? No see you didn't let me finish, I was going to,"

"This way!" Steele barked giving a sharp tug on the line that made all of the dogs lurch forward a step. I hopped slightly, catching back up with Jess whose fur was turning white with snow.

I couldn't remember how long we walked all I know is that the snow didn't let up one bit. The frost built up on my fur and I started to shiver as it seeped through. My coat may be thicker than theirs but there was only so much I could handle until it started to seep through and affect me.

I looked over at Jess beside me her fur a dull grey with cold and her black nose a light blue. Her body visibly shivered in the intense cold and I inched closer to her feeling her cold fur press up against mine. She shivered more and instinctively leaned towards me trying to warm herself up. "A-are you o-okay?" I asked, my chattering teeth interrupting me as I tried to talk.

She let out a low growl as her body shivered violently. "H-how a-are you n-not c-cold?"

I let out a chuckle but made sure my mouth stayed shut so the cold didn't irritate my throat. "Trust me I am…" I shivered again when she pressed more firmly against my side and my cheeks heated up with embarrassment, this was getting awkward. "But I was born in the mountains, s-so…" I coughed again as I felt the cold more firmly as she moved aside. "m-my coat i-is naturally t-thicker t-than yours."

"Steele!" Star yelled at the front again his voice only reaching us loud and clear because of the harsh wind that blew into our faces. "We're going in circles!"

"What?" Steele growled whirling around.

"Circles are a good thing," Star continued, moving around in a circle until his paws were tangled up in the frozen ties of his harness.

"Hmm circles." Nikki hummed moving up beside the now tangled dog with Kaltag on his other side.

"I mean their uhh they're circular," Star continued.

"I know where I'm doing. Its…Its this way!" Steele spun around and tugged harshly on the lines, pulling the others roughly behind him. They took off in a run and I barked in shock digging in my claws as I ran over the frozen ground hoping to keep up.

Something clicked in my head and I gasped. I quickly pushed off of the ground and picked up speed running past the struggling dogs and digging in even harder to surpass Steele. I past him hearing the annoyed growls he gave off as I did so.

I spun around, yelping as I strained my shoulder and bared my teeth at him in warning. I could feel the drop behind me, part of my hind paws hanging over the edge. "Steele stop!" I howled snapping my teeth to warn him off.

"Out of my way Pup!" Steele barked lowering his shoulder as he charged forward faster. I yipped in pain when his shoulder connected with my chest and we were both sent flying over the edge.

I spun in the air and my eyes widened. I braced myself as I felt the cold wind fly through my fur as I dropped down towards the harsh ice covered ground. Slowly my eyes shut as I neared the large rock under me. The last thought that went through my head was. Damn this is going to hurt.

XxXxXx

Jess looked around herself in a daze. The whole sled team had just crashed down the ice wall that Cain had tried to save them from. Her body ached and her head throbbed from hitting something. She whined as she got up from where she laid, the heavy snow that had covered her body from her brief time on the ground falling off of her.

"Uhh I hit my head on something," Nikki groaned shaking the afore mentioned head.

"Ya my head!" Kaltag shot back glaring at the large dog from his cocoon of snow. Jess wobbled uncertainly as she got her paws under her.

She groaned as she forced her way through the snow and looked around her. She saw Gunnar lying on the snow covered ground the sled close beside him with all of the tie offs still amazingly in one piece. She could still feel her harness around her body so that was something.

Her eyes narrowed as she counted up everyone. All of the team was here so where was Cain. "He's out like a light." Someone muttered. Jess turned to look and froze.

There stood Kaltag looking down at a dark grey pile of snow. Cain.

Jess was so shocked that she couldn't move, but somehow she did. Sprinting towards him she shouldered past Kaltag ignoring his startled "Hey!" Cain lay there, body in a loose ball and head lying on a soft patch of snow. A spot between his ears was damp with blood from where he hit something and his shoulder was bleeding lightly from where the stitches pulled on the skin.

She whimpered as she looked down at her friend. "Cain." She whined nudging his head with her snout. Nothing, not even an annoyed grumble. She plopped down dejectedly beside his body draping her upper half over him to keep him warm. She could feel the rise and fall he made as he breathed in and could feel the beating of his heart as it pumped blood, but other than that he was out like a light.

"Looks like he's hurt bad Steele." Rex, the other team dog said looking down at Gunnar. Jess looked at them from the corner of her eye not moving her head from where it rested on Cain's furred shoulders. Star stood behind him, the smaller dog looking as scared as if Steele was looming over him.

Instead the 'mighty' dog was huddled shivering as he looked around widely.

"What are…what are we going to do now Steele?" Star asked, stuttering over the words slightly. Steele just sat where he was, eyes wide as he looked at the white snow beneath his paws.

"Forget about him Star," Jess snorted. "He's in shock, he's all but useless now,"

"Well than what are we supposed to do?" Nikki asked.

"I don't know either, but I know who will," Jess replied looking down at the bundle of fur under her.

"What him?" Kaltag snorted moving closer to look at the knocked out wolf. "He's a wolf, he won't know what to do, he'll probably just run,"

"He won't!" Jess snapped the sharp clack of her teeth crashing together shocked the others into silence and scared Kaltag enough to make him back up. "I know him, he won't leave," The last part was whispered, almost as if she was trying to convince herself.

"But, he's out cold." Star muttered looking at Cain worriedly. "He can't tell us what to do till he's up, and who knows when that will be."

Like he heard Star's comment Cain shifted and groaned under Jess. Reacting quickly she shot up from where she lay and stood beside the now shifting and groaning wolf letting out a growl when a curious dog got to close for her comfort.

XxXxXx

I groaned and shifted my body as I slowly woke up. I could feel the sticky gooey mess in my fur that I took to be my blood. My head ached as much as it did when I tried something that humans call ale. Don't get me wrong it was fine at first, made me feel warm and gave me a wonderful sense of freedom, until the next morning and my head was thick and fuzzy.

My eyes opened to see white. Now what?

Lifting up my head I felt my muscles twitch in protest but ignored them as I looked up, and straight into the small muzzle of Star. "What the?!" I barked jumping to my feet and ignoring the harsh twinge of my abused shoulder. Ryan was going to kill me.

I looked around and saw the sled team standing around me except for Steele I could see him moping by himself far away from us. Nikki, Kaltag and Star stood before me, with the other team dog who I never learned his name stood beside me and Jess stood on my other side.

My memories came rushing back to me. The illness, running with the team. The train, recognizing the area we were in. Cutting off Steele hoping to stop him. And finally being tackled and a pain in my head, than nothing.

I started to panic and looked around me again. Yep definitely know this place. I growled and shook my head softly wincing as my headache increased. "Cain are you okay?" Jess asked softly stepping forward on light paws.

"My head is thick and fuzzy, my shoulder hurts and I'm pretty sure I know where we are." I growled lowly scratching at the ground while I looked at where we came from. "Now what are we waiting for?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Jess put in softly inching closer again. She acted like I would snap at her if she got to close to fast, I might have before but after she forced me to Ryan's to get my shoulder fixed up I wasn't able to, it was like something was stopping me.

"Why me?"

"You're the wolf," Kaltag put his reason in.

"Yah you're the… The…" Star stuttered frowning when he couldn't come up with anything.

"You're the only one that knows how to survive out here," Jess put in ignoring the stuttering Siberian husky.

I growled low, thinking over what I have before me, Steele useless, the rest of the team might be stubborn but if they did want to survive this storm than they will need to listen. Gunnar was my main concern, snow was already building up around him but even without that he wouldn't be able to survive out here at night, not without winding up a Popsicle.

Letting the growl die out I sized up what I have to work with. "Jess and…"

"Rex," The other team dog put in.

"Right Rex, Jess and Rex you have the most fur on you so you go and lie on Gunnar, one on his back, one on his legs, we have to keep him warm." They nodded willingly enough and instantly went over to the downed musher and lay on him, Jess on his back and Rex on his legs. "The rest just sit back and wait for day we can't do anything till then. Don't be scared to let the snow cover you it will help keep you warm,"

"But, what about the wolves?" Star asked worriedly looking up at the top of the cliff.

"Yah wha' about them?" Nikki repeated.

"Leave them to me." I growled.

Well Chapter four is done and soon to follow is the first movie. Now I know what some of you might be thinking. "Why is it over so soon?" Well let me answer. Shesh. Anyways I hate building up to something so I started right away and don't fear it may be short right now but don't forget about the large time gap between the first two movies and I'm gonna try to fill in that time as much as possible so never fear.

3,457 words 7 pages.

Now this next part doesn't pertain to this story but I think it's important too so if you don't mind lend me your attention just a little longer. I have a poll up on my Profile Page for my Pokémon story, The Second First Pokémon and I'd appreciate some votes, so please take the time.