In another part of Nome, not far from the racetrack, even though the race was going on, a young girl was in a carpenter's shop with her mother and father who had told her a surprise was waiting for her. She had her eyes covered, but nearby, the family husky Jenna was standing. From her gorgeous scarlet and white fur, she was clearly well bred and just about every dog in Nome knew it. Even the orange bandana she usually wore helped add more beauty to her appearance. But Jenna waited as the carpenter set a small sled in front of the little girl known as Rosy as the girl's father patted her head.
"Okay, alright, you can open your eyes now."
The girl did and once she had eyes on the sled, excitement and joy flooded her face and Jeanna could feel it. She was clearly grateful and more than eager to try it out.
"It's a . . .", she started before going to it eagerly, "I love these rudders, I love this brush brow, I love this sled!"
Jenna barked a few times to show she was happy for her when Rosy looked to her.
"Jenna, Jenna, you're lead dog!", Rosy said still excited as she got a harness on Jenna, "Okay, just a minute. Come on mush!"
Jenna noticed Rosy's mother giggle a bit before pulling out a musher's hat.
"Then you'll need this.", she said setting it on Rosy's head.
The effect was instant as Rosy grew excited all over again.
"A real musher's hat!", she squealed as she looked Jenna's way again, "We're a real sled team now."
She hopped on her new sled and Jenna didn't have to wait until she gave the word to know what Rosy would say. They were that close as she pulled the sled out the open door as Rosy gave the word. Inside, Rosy's parents talked with the carpenter.
"Mr. Johonssen, the sled is beautiful.", Rosy's father said as he pulled out some bills to pay the carpenter.
"We're very grateful.", Rosy's mother added.
Rosy came back in and hugged her mother.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.", she said before heading out again.
"Rosy's grateful too, huh?", Rosy's father asked jokingly.
"Yeah, so I gather.", Mr. Johonssen said as he accepted his payment.
"Watch this!", Rosy called into the shop clearly towards her mother.
"Coming sweetheart.", her mother said as she headed toward the door.
Once there, her husband came up to her.
"I don't know, honey.", he said to her, "I think we should've gotten her the dollhouse."
Just then another flare went up and descended getting all of their attention.
"It's the one-mile marker!", Rosy called out turning to Jenna, "Mush, Jenna, mush! Let's win this race!"
As her parents watched her pass, they knew she was content.
"I think she'll learn to like it.", Rosy's mother said before giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.
/
Jenna pulled Rosy close to the track where Rosy decided to take it easy.
"Whoa Jenna.", she said still in character of being a musher, "Easy girl."
Jenna soon was joined by two other dogs she knew too well. Dixie who was a light purple Pomeranian and Sylvia who was a yellow and brown Afghan hound. They often hung out with her and she had gotten used to them, but while Dixie seemed eager to show off a bit, Sylvia was clearly more self-restrained.
"Good morning Jenna. Outta be a close race don't you think?", Dixie asked clearly excited to watch the event, "Maybe even neck and . . . neck?"
Sylvia rolled her eyes. If she didn't stop Dixie now, she wouldn't stop talking until the whole race was over and the teams had gone home for the day.
"Say something about her new collar before she gets whiplash.", she advised Jenna hoping that her friend would take the hint.
Luckily for Sylvia, Jenna did so as she looked Dixie's way.
"Um, Dixie, what a pretty collar.", she said trying to sound nice, "Is it new?"
"What this old thing?", Dixie asked pretending to just notice before going back to her usual tone, "Yeah. Do you think, um, Steele will notice?"
Sylvia and Jenna both knew the answer and while Sylvia rolled her eyes at the idea of a sled dog of Steele's caliber noticing someone like Dixie, Jenna tended to speak her mind.
"I'm afraid the only way Steele notices anybody is if they're wearing a mirror.", she said plainly.
That comment brought up a lot of bad memories Jenna had. Ever since Steele first laid eyes on her way back, it was obvious to anybody he had been smitten with her. Jeanna had thought about considering his offers, but something about him rubbed her the wrong way and she wasn't one to deny how she felt. As she and her friends made their way to a good viewing place, a sudden gust brushed behind Jeanna and it made her turn enough to see a flash of gray and white move through the alley far behind her. Sylvia paused too as she noticed Jeanna's expression.
"You okay?", she asked.
"Thought I saw something back there.", Jenna answered.
"Probably nothing.", Sylvia told her calmly, "Maybe a trick of the light or something."
Jeanna decided that maybe Sylvia was right. It probably was nothing.
/
Cole managed to keep up with Balto as they got to a good viewing point a ways on the track with a view of the finish line.
"Any idea who's in the lead?", Cole asked as he and Balto looked over the track.
"Must be Steele.", Balto answered.
"Who?", Cole asked with a raised eyebrow.
As if to answer him, he heard the sound of dog feet on the snow and turned as a sled team made its way around a corner and headed towards the finish line. In front was a black and white malamute which Cole guessed was Steele. As Steele made his way towards them, Cole saw the dog flash a proud smile at a trio of swooning dogs not far from them and rolled his eyes.
"Show off.", he thought.
He then recalled a similar kind of person back in his old track and field days. It was his third year running and an opposing team member acted like he was all that cause he could run fast. He was good, but Cole had been better. Still, the guy clearly didn't like being bested, but the results were the results.
"Jenna."
Cole came back to reality and noticed Balto looking down toward the finish line. He followed and saw a red and white husky with a little girl hugging before looking Balto's way and noticed his smile and looked back at the girl and husky who Cole guessed was Jenna and couldn't help but smile too.
"Come on Steele!", Rosy shouted waving her hat in the air before a gust of wind pulled it off her fingers, "Oh no!"
The hat landed right in the middle of the track! Rosy and Jeanna were in shock as Balto looked back and forth between the hat and the approaching team. Cole felt like he was planning something.
"My hat!", Rosy yelled as she started to get on to the track.
Jenna quickly grabbed her sleeve and held her back to protect her. As the team passed, Balto's smile told Cole that he was going for it. Cole recalled his old teammates telling him that he was like that when he first started. He then saw Balto sprint after the team which caught him off guard.
"Hey, wait for me!", he yelled as he bolted after him.
As he caught up with Balto, he heard remarks coming from the people around him.
"It's that stray dog!"
"He's gonna ruin the race!"
Did these people know Balto? Cole didn't have time to think cause remarks were aimed at him too.
"What the- another one?!"
"No, he's wearing a collar so he's owned."
Boris meanwhile had finally caught up and managed to squeeze himself through the crowd before seeing Balto and Cole running towards the team and gave a scream of terror. Balto and Cole meanwhile had caught up and while Balto stayed on one side, Cole took the other and it wasn't long til they were neck and neck with Steele, but needless to say, the malamute didn't take it too well when he noticed Balto.
"Hey!", he sneered, "Outta my way lobo!"
Cole knew Balto wasn't listening and saw the musher's hat getting closer. He was getting further ahead of Steele along with Balto, but needed to do something to get Steele's attention.
/
"Hey Steele!", he yelled making the dog look his way angrily, "Eat my dust!"
While Steele was a bit surprised to see yet another wolfdog, he wasn't about to let a couple dogs get ahead and tried biting their legs like he did with the lead dog before, but luckily Balto and Cole nimbly avoided his gaping jaws. Rosy and Jenna gasped with surprise as Balto finally grabbed the musher's hat and avoided the team trampling him in the nick of time and noticed Cole move to the side alongside him. Boris was surprised as well, but wasn't too happy about Balto's display of cockiness.
"When will you learn to stay on the sidelines?!", he scolded before even starting on Cole, "And why can't you-"
He was interrupted cause the passing sled drenched him with snow making Cole slightly laugh at his snowy shape. He stayed by Balto as Steele and his team continued with the praising crowd. After getting unhitched from the sled Steele strutted while the main three of his team started kissing up to him.
"Congratulations, there, boss, there.", Nikki praised, "It was a pleasure runnin' behind youse. Of course, the view got monotonous."
"Y-you are the most amazing, the most exalted, the most preeminent, the most top drawer . . . ", Kaltag rambled.
"You won!", Star interrupted, giggling a bit.
Kaltag didn't approve of the interjection and bonked his teammate on the head which caused Star to fall flat in the snow. Steele was alongside his musher still smiling proudly and standing straight. The photographer nearby got his camera on its tripod and had a brief talk with Steele's musher.
"I don't know.", his musher said plainly, "You think Steele is losing his edge?"
"Yeah, it looks like just about any other dog can outrun him.", the photographer agreed.
Steele's smile melted into a look of anger as the words wounded his pride. He had just won the event and sure it had one slip up, but what would've happened if Steele hadn't done what he did? How could they say he was losing his edge in what defined him?
"Balto."
Steele jerked his head in the direction of the sound to see Balto handing back Rosy her musher's hat which only made him envious. That was his opportunity and Balto of all the dogs in Nome had to steal it right out from under his nose! Then he saw the other dog that had said that nasty remark when he was running right beside him! A nasty comment he could stomach (not really), but beating him in a sprint? That was just plain wrong! Still, he kept his distance as he observed Balto interacting with Jeanna and Rosy alongside the new guy.
"What a crazy thing to do. Just to show off to a pretty girl.", Rosy teased playfully.
Balto and Jenna were face to face and Balto grinned sheepishly while Jenna was a bit speechless and bashful. Rosy then noticed Cole and looked interested at Balto.
"Wow Balto, I didn't know you had a brother.", she said as she examined the tag on Cole's collar, "Togo? Is that your name Togo?"
Cole's ears perked up as he looked surprised.
"My dog name is Togo?", he thought to himself.
Steele tensed. Even the name was enough to spark his anger further due to it sounding like Balto's. So this guy may wear a champ's collar, but here in Nome, he was top dog and silently prayed that something would drive those two away from Jenna so he could make his move.
/
Fortunately for him, he got his wish when Rosy started putting the harness from her sled on Balto.
"I'm sure Jenna would love to have you on her team."
Steele noticed Rosy's father rush towards her which helped put his mind at ease. Rosy's parents didn't really like Balto due to his wolf heritage and he knew it. Seeing Balto chased off always helped him feel better.
"Hey! Hey! Rosy! Stay away from him!"
Steele saw "Togo" flinch as Rosy's father grabbed her and kicked some snow Balto's way to scare him off. "Togo" however jumped in front of the snow so it hit him instead and now he was crouched looking at Rosy's father with his fur standing up and his teeth bared which hinted to Steele that he must be part-wolf also. Still, Balto was still cowering away with misery in his eyes though it looked less than it usually was.
"Dad!", Rosy whined.
"He might bite you, honey. He's part wolf.", Rosy's father warned while not taking his eyes off the other wolfdog, "And that one almost did."
"He did not!", Rosy protested, "Togo was just protecting Balto."
Rosy's father paused as he noticed "Togo" calm down enough to not growl or bare his teeth, but backed up with Balto as the last word he spoke made Balto flinch and stare back with sadness which Steele delighted in.
"Now you hurt his feelings.", Rosy said with dismay as her father continued to urge her away.
Steele felt comforted as he noticed the perfect opportunity to woo Jeanna, but while Balto was off, "Togo" was now heading towards Jenna. That made his blood boil under his fur and he started over, but was blocked by Dixie and Sylvia which made him quickly change moods. He had to keep up appearances after all and a top dog wouldn't act mean in the presence of the humans. Luckily "Togo" was gone before he got too close to Jenna.
"Congratulations and felicitations, Steele.", Dixie commended him.
"Ladies.", Steele responded using the best voice he could muster in the moment.
He headed towards Jenna again ignoring the fact that Dixie had fallen on the ground with her limbs spread out and moaning with pleasure. His focus was on Jenna now and even "Togo" wouldn't interfere.
"Hi there, Jenna.", he said persuasively, "Enjoy the race?"
"Yeah.", Jenna answered backing away from him, "Almost as much as you did."
"Thanks.", he responded, "Jenna, let's go celebrate. I know where all the bones are buried."
Jenna just sighed in annoyance which Steele wasn't planning, but he didn't show his surprise.
"I don't know, Steele.", she said doubtfully as she pulled further away, "Suddenly, I lost my appetite."
Steele was taken aback, but knew something that would make her think twice about his offer.
"Ohh.", he answered as he rolled his burly shoulders back with a crackle, "Well, maybe your taste runs more toward . . . wolf."
As he expected, Jenna did pause, but then Rosy called out her name.
"Sorry Steele. My girl is calling me."
Steele wanted to go after her, but Dixie got a little too close for his taste.
"On the other hand, my girl is away at boarding school, "she offered as she pawed his collar.
As much as Steele wanted to tell her to get lost, she wasn't worth it. He gave her an uncomfortable smile and stepped past her making her fall on her back not that she minded. First his musher doubts he's not good enough and Jenna refusing a date with him? He didn't plan on any of this. Not to mention he was still sore from being outpaced by a couple of wolfdogs which made him feel all the more hateful. That other wolfdog caught his eye as he looked back. Why would he hang around with Balto of all dogs? Then, Steele gave a ghoulish smile as an idea came to mind. Sneakily, he followed and knew the three dogs he would need for what he had in mind.
