(written on January 13th, 2022)

Chapter 1: The Great Wolf Games

September 18th, 2012

The last days of summer graced Jasper Pack beautifully. Game was plentiful again, stable herds streaking under the bright blue. For the first time, the pups born from the last mating season could journey outside the family dens without adult supervision. At five months old, Humphrey and Kate's three pups were exploring the West of the United Pack. Each of them, at this point, had developed unique personalities. The oldest was Stinky, a dark grey male who was destined to become the pack leader. He was known to be a boastful brainiac. Next was a female named Claudette who had the tan fur of Kate. Everything she did she did with passion and devotion. Lastly, there was the pup who was half the size of the other two, given the name Runt, and he was assigned to become the only Omega out of the litter. Runt looked very much like his father, a light grey wolf with light shades of brown here and there. Unlike other wolves, Runt's personality was much more complex. He mostly had Omega qualities, but there were times when Alpha qualities would shine. He had confidence and curiosity, but he also had a tender side and an immature side that his siblings could never match. The three of them were at one of the best hunting grounds within the territory. A hunting party was chasing a herd through the meadow, encouraging the weakest of the caribou to separate, so they could be caught easier.

Stinky and Claudette watched from the top of a boulder. Runt, however, watched from a high branch in a tree. For whatever reason, Runt had the special ability to climb trees. He was the only wolf who could do so, and his siblings liked to exploit it. It was Runt who first spotted the herd because of the farther distance he could see.

"Whoa. Look at their stride," said Stinky.

"They're really tearin' it up," Claudette added. The hunting party was making quick work of the caribou. The herd began dividing into multiple herds that other groups of wolves were beginning to chase. "Good find, Runt!"

"Yeah, little bro!" said Stinky. "Your tree-hugging talents have done good today!" From an Omega's perspective, the herd looked more difficult than the Alphas made it seem.

"They would give you two a run for your meal, and leave me in the dust," Runt replied as he carefully got down from the tree. A modest group of caribou was moving closer to them. After the ungulates passed by, Stinky, Claudette, and Runt noticed that they were being chased by pups who were practicing their hunting skills. It would be many months before any pups were ready to bring a caribou down, but they were allowed to practice and develop their skills until the day they do. The pups that Stinky, Claudette, and Runt watched seemed to be pretty skilled at running, but when the caribou made a sharp turn, the pups slid and tripped over themselves.

"Let's show them how to do it," said Claudette. She and her siblings continued where the other pups left off. Claudette herself took the lead in the chase formation. "Okay, run them to the right," she ordered. The tan pup knew a lot from her mother who was one of the best hunters in the pack. Kate had taught her many of the complicated features of caribou behavior.

"Closing in!"

"Stinky, easy now," said Runt. Even though he was not going to be a hunter, Runt liked practicing with his siblings.

"Okay, Runt, now step it up," said Stinky.

"Coming through!" Runt informed as he began to split the caribou. The pups who were on the chase earlier now watched Humphrey and Kate's pups. One pup, in particular, was fascinated.

"Now run them to the rocks, guys," Claudette instructed.

"It's showtime," said Stinky. They hoped that pushing the caribou into the pile of boulders would break their formation. Instead, the caribou did one of their best defenses, a quick sharp turn. The three pups slid, but Claudette managed to turn her body around and go in the new direction much faster than her brothers.

"Thank you, Mom," she whispered to herself. She chased the caribou closely but suddenly quit her pursuit. That was when her brothers finally reached her. They were upset that their sister lost the caribou.

"Oh, Claudette, we could have been feasting," said Stinky

"Too young," she informed. There were hunting ethics that said, in most cases, the young could not be hunted. Despite the failed chase, Claudette appreciated the exercise. "But... let's hear it for the mom slide!" She made an elegant pose to show off her strong legs.

"Yeah. You're getting better, sis'," Stinky admitted.

"Great moves!" said a voice from a few yards away. It was from one of the other pups.

"Thanks," Claudette replied smugly.

"That turn—amazing!" It was a pup of a mix of brown and white.

"It's all in the paws," she said with pride. She turned to face the male who had complimented her. She gasped and felt a flow of interesting emotions. The brown and white pup was incredibly handsome! She remained speechless for several seconds.

"My name's Fleet," he introduced himself. "We're from the Northern team." His voice was much deeper than most pups.

"Hey, I'm Claudette." She turned to her brothers. "This is my bro, Stinky, and our younger bro, Runt."

"Yeah, younger by two minutes," said Runt, disapproving her last statement. She turned back to the wolf named Fleet.

"So the Northern hunting team?"

"No, Northern team for the Great Games."

"The Great Games? What is that?" asked Runt. Fleet then yielded a vigorous laugh. Stinky and Runt looked at each other in confusion.

"What's funny?" said Claudette. Hearing his laugh, a female pup with the same fur colors as Fleet came to the scene.

"Wait a minute. You really don't know. Where are you wolves from?"

"The Western Region," Stinky answered after clearing his throat. "As in THE Western Region." Suddenly, the female pup who just arrived started whispering in Fleet's right ear.

"Oh... right. Makes sense," Fleet said in response. Stinky, Claudette, and Runt found the overt whispering to be rude. It did not help that the whisperer had a constant smirk on her face.

"Was there something the pretty gossip girl wanted to share?" said Claudette.

"Easy," Fleet replied with a chuckle. "Magril says the Western Region took a pass at the Games."

"Took a pass?" said Stinky.

"When we hit Junior status, each Region sends in five Junior-aged Alpha wolves." Magril whispered into his ear again. "Huh? Oh. Correction, five Junior-aged critters. Doesn't have to be us Alphas. Just ends up being that way. You know... winning." Suddenly, a bunch of footsteps could be heard. Another group of pups was walking down the meadow. "The Eastern team," Fleet informed. He gave a howl to summon one of them.

"Yo, Fleet, ya gonna bring it?"

"Oh, we're gonna bring it, Ed," said the Northerner. Behind the Easterns, more pups came into view.

"And let me guess," said Claudette. "The Southern team?"

"Yeah!" Fleet answered. It seemed that part of the West's hunting grounds were being used by wolves from other packs. Only something official and important would allow that.

"Well, looks like everyone is going to bring it... except for us," said the tan pup.

"Fleet!" yelled an adult Alpha who just appeared. "Back to training!"

"Heh, heh," he chuckled nervously. "Coach is calling. Hey, since you're not in the Games, cheer for the Northern Pack!" He then joined the rest of his team.

"Did he just ask us to be his cheer wolves?"

"And as the Omega," said Runt, "I guess that makes me the water boy?"

"Come on," Claudette encouraged. "We need a serious discussion with Dad. Very serious."

Later. . .

Humphrey and Mooch were doing a celebratory ride down a hill. They were logboarding for the first time in months. Humphrey sat on the front end while Mooch was on the back.

"When the Alphas are away," said Humphrey.

"The Omegas do play," Mooch finished with a rhyme.

"Gotta love those Alpha hunting trips."

"How long is Kate gonna be gone?" Mooch asked.

"At least two moons! Woo-hoo! YEAH!" The log flew off a ledge. It crash-landed, sending the Omegas into the air. Both of them collided with an outcrop, but they were okay. To them, it was one of their softer landings.

"Humphrey, my dog, it's been too long."

"Well, Mooch, I'm a hubby and dad. Had to put the Omega in park."

"Huh. Who knew? The bachelor with a bit... of a reputation—"

"And along came Kate, and I get tamed."

"'Tamed?' More like told to sit," Mooch replied. Both of them gave a short howl to express their stress, but it was cut even shorter by one of Humphrey's pups.

"Dad."

"Whoa, pups, heh. How long have you been there?"

"You had us at... reputation," said Runt with a grin. He then winked at his father.

"Dad, do you know anything about the Great Games?" asked Claudette. Humphrey thought for a second.

"Yeah, we used to play."

"Well, why aren't we in it?" said Runt.

"Last time we checked we were all Juniors," said Stinky. "Though my skill set is more of a Senior."

"Seriously, Dad," Claudette groaned. Mooch turned to Humphrey.

"Hey, remember when Kate led us to victory?"

"Mom won that?!" said Claudette.

"She didn't win it... She killed it!" Mooch emphasized. "Remember the turns?"

"Dad, I'm feeling a little slighted here... and a bit snappy-jaw."

"Stinky, relax," said Humphrey.

"Yeah, well, I feel thrown under the stampede."

"Don't be dramatic, Runt."

"We're Juniors. We should be playing," said Claudette,

"Everyone should be playing. That's the point. The Games used to be for all critters, not just Alpha wolves."

"Yeah," said Mooch. "I did my Games with two bears, one Alpha wolf, and a squirrel."

"Huh. How'd that work out?" asked Runt.

"Not so good. The Alpha got hungry and ate the squirrel."

"Look, you know what our Region stands for," said Humphrey. "Until the Games return to being for all critters, we're takin' a pass."

"But, Dad, we're never going to be Juniors again! This is our last chance!" said Claudette. "I mean, Mom got to play."

"What can I say? That isn't how we roll."

"What if we formed a team?" Claudette suggested. "Huh? The right way. Include everyone, and show them we can compete!"

"Claudette, the Games are in a few days... and it takes five to form a team. Those Alpha wolves you saw, they've been training all summer." Humphrey and Mooch then left the pups.

"We came. We pleaded. We failed," said Stinky. The three of them lowered their heads in disappointment. They really wanted to compete. Claudette wasn't willing to give up so easily. She would find critters regardless of what their father said. But not just any critters, critters who were Juniors. The term "Junior" referred to any wolf or other animal between three and six months of age. Between six and eight months, animals were referred to as "Seniors," but only Juniors could compete in the Games. And the Great Wolf Games were set to begin on the first day of autumn.


(written on January 14th, 2022)

Chapter 2: Brent and Agnes

Claudette returned to the hunting grounds that were now secured as the official training fields for the Games. The Northern team passed by. Fleet and Claudette exchanged smiles. She jumped in the air and did a flip.

"Go Northern Pack!" she cheered begrudgingly. "What am I doing?"

"Get back here, you peckers!" said a strange voice from the other side of the field. A flock of blue jays came from behind a bush. A bear cub was chasing them, and he cleared the bush adroitly. "Oh, isn't it cute, flying around little Junior's snout?"

"'Little Junior?'"

"I'll show you cute!" The bear ran towards her before making a big leap. He jumped over her as if she was nothing.

"Whoa. Yo, Junior bear! Wait, Junior bear!" But the bear was already out of sight. He disappeared into the forest. She had to have her siblings check him out!

Later. . .

"So... tell me again," said Stinky.

"It was this little guy. You should have seen how fast he was! And his jump... Seriously, he almost laid up a flock of birds!"

"So the plan is?" said Runt.

"Have you heard of drafting? And he said he was a Junior!"

Stinky started sniffing. When Stinky smelled something, it was usually something important. He was given one of the best noses of their pack.

"Okay, wait. I'm picking something up. It's definitely a bear but not very Junior."

"I'm smelling it too."

"Yeah, it's getting stronger," added Runt. They turned around and saw three huge bears staring at them! This district of the forest happened to be a bear-owned enclave.

"Hi there," said Claudette. "Uhh, we're just here to find this cub—Junior guy." The huge bears did not give words, but they were agitated.

"We just want him to join our team," Runt explained. The bears gave a growl and charged at them. The pups ran off. They went through a bush where they discovered a cub with a chubby porcupine next to him.

"What the—?" said the cub.

"Oh, my gosh! There he is!" Claudette exclaimed.

"And there they are," said the porcupine as the three bears found where the pups escaped to. Claudette hoped that talking to the cub would stop them.

"Hi! I saw you on the field today, and I wanted to come and have a friendly chat. You're a Junior?"

"Uh, yeah," the cub replied.

"Great! My brothers and I want to talk to you about joining the Great Games."

"Hundred feet," said the porcupine, referring to the closing distance between the adult bears and the pups.

"Sis', we may need to take them on," said Stinky.

"Fifty feet."

"Aren't the Games in all-Alpha Wolf Club?" asked the cub.

"Thirty feet."

"We want to make it for the entire Western Region," Claudette replied.

"Twenty feet."

"Got it!" The cub stepped through the pups and faced the adult bears. He stood on his hind legs and silently directed the bears to go away. The special waving of his arms was apparently some sort of bear code.

"Wow. I should learn that," said Runt. Claudette continued her discussion.

"My name is Claudette, and this is Stinky and Runt."

"I'm Brent, and this is my friend—"

"And protector, Agnes," the light blue porcupine finished.

"Uh, 'protector?'" said Claudette.

"Protector, mentor, coach, agent. What's the pitch?" Claudette decided to ignore her.

"Well, Brent, I saw you running in the field today. Looks like you were chasing birds." The cub turned to Agnes.

"You see? Everyone saw it!"

"Brent, it's okay," said Agnes. The cub began having a panic attack.

"No, it's not!" He sat down and tried to calm his hyperventilation. He closed his eyes and chanted some sort of gibberish. "Ah. Okay, reset. You were saying?"

"Look, you're really fast, and from what I saw, a great jumper." The cub appeared bashful from Claudette's compliment.

"Ah, shucks. I'm just a country bear." Suddenly, the porcupine jumped and landed between Claudette and Brent.

"Is there an offer?" she asked.

"Yeah... to join our team."

"But what else?" The porcupine's voice was very flat. The pups could tell she was exceptionally cynical.

"Like what?"

"Hmm. The wolves have a nice bunch of berry bushes."

"Done," Claudette replied swiftly.

"And Salmon Falls, for fishing?"

"Done."

"Okay! We'll get back to you."

"What? I need to know now! We only have a few days of training before the Games begin!"

"Pushy, pushy... Brent, huddle." The two of them looked away from the pups and whispered to each other despite the fact that the pups could hear them clearly. "She's working you."

"I know, but I want to do it, and I'm a Junior."

"Aren't we all?" They then broke their huddle.

"Okay. I'll do it," said Brent, "but Agnes comes."

"Yeah! Great to have supporters!" said Claudette.

"No, she comes as part of the team."

"Okay. He gets worked, and I get stares," said Agnes. The pups could not believe what they were agreeing to. A porcupine had never been in the Great Games. Agnes was surely going to get the stares that she desired.

Later. . .

The five of them made it to the training fields. Before they could introduce the team to the others, Claudette stopped them. She had made herself the captain.

"Western team... Look strong." They all made aggressive poses. The Northern team then ran through them. The pups eyed Fleet.

"Huh, he's fast," said Stinky.

"But he can't turn like you, Claudette," Runt added.

"He didn't have Mom to teach him," their sister replied.

"Well, I did," said Stinky, "and I still can't turn like you." The Northerner seemed to hear their comments and circle back.

"Hey there."

"Hi," Claudette replied.

"So is this my cheering section, huh?"

"That's funny. More like kick-your-butt section!"

"And we could settle it right now if you want," Stinky said in a challenging tone. He stamped one of his forepaws.

"Whoa! Now that's a throwdown," said Fleet. Being the cool-headed one, Runt attempted to bring down the tension.

"Uh, hey, wolves. I think we'll just practice today, okay?"

"Hey, you need the field?" said Fleet.

"Well, it might be good to take a few laps," said Claudette.

"Sure. Go for it."

"Western team, we're going to take a few laps around the field. Slow build to a hunting stride!" Claudette led the team around the field as other teams watched. She passed by the Easterns. "Yo! Ed, right?"

"Um, yeah. Hi."

"We're the Western team!" she declared. She turned to her teammates. "Okay, let's kick it up a notch." The five of them increased their pace. "Let's get our legs under us. How y'all doing?" she said to another group of pups. "Uh, Southern team, right?" The Southerners giggled at the porcupine. Agnes was struggling in the back of the line.

"What?!" The porcupine shot them a dirty look.

"Ignore them," Brent cooed.

"I'll show those dogs fast!" Agnes began running as fast as she could. In no time, she got ahead of Claudette.

"Agnes, stay in line!"

"Agnes, control your speed," said the cub. "You know what happens."

"What happens?" asked Stinky. The porcupine screamed. She ran so fast that it seemed her feet were not touching the ground. The cub managed to catch up to her. He wrapped his arms around her spines, and they both rolled down in the grass. That was when the other teams burst into laughter.

"Nice catch, but get back in line, you two," said Claudette. She cleared her throat nervously as she faced the laughing pups. "Yeah, we're just dealing with some... growing pains."

"Oh, no!" Anges exclaimed.

"What now?!"

"Oh, no!" The two blue jays from earlier began flying tight circles around the cub's head.

"Brent! What are you doing?!"

"Uh, he's got bird issues," Agnes informed. Claudette made a scoffing noise before replying.

"'Bird issues?'"

"They're not birds! They are monsters!"

"Ignore them, Brent!" Claudette urged. Agnes initiated her usual calming ritual.

"Brent, the little birdie is your friend... not your enemy."

"They're always fluttering around my snout!

"Because they like you. They wanna make friends."

"They're rodents... with wings!" The birds seemed to double down their annoyance. "Oh, oh, oh! You want a piece of me?!"

"Brent, chill," said Agnes. "You're going documentary on us." One of the blue jays decided to leave.

"Order! Order on the field!" Claudette yelled. Stinky jumped in the air and caught the other blue jay with his mouth.

"Where did it go?" said Brent, scanning the skies. The bird chirped loudly in Stinky's mouth. "I hear it over there!" The cub stood on his hind legs and walked towards Stinky menacingly. "Tweet, tweet, tweet! Oh, look! It's a cub! Let's flutter around his nose!"

"Brent, time out!" Agnes stepped in front of the cub and tripped him. The chirping did not stop.

"I STILL HEAR IT!"

"Brent, calm down!" Claudette urged desperately.

"IT'S HIDING BEHIND STINKY! I CAN HEAR IT!" Stinky could not hold it any longer. He let the bird free. The blue jay finally left, and Brent finally calmed down. The other teams were laughing even harder.

"Sis', we need a coach," said Stinky. "A serious coach."


(written on January 14th, 2022)

Chapter 3: Coach Humphrey

"Incoming!" yelled Humphrey. The Omega jumped from a rocky ledge and splashed the puddle of mud below. Playing in mud was one of the most classic Omega activities.

"Shall we do the wolf pile?" asked Mooch from the ledge.

"Mooch! Mooch! No, no, no!"

"Too late!" he shouted as he jumped. The obese wolf landed on Humphrey's back. Mud flew in all directions.

"OW! We're middle-aged now! You're much heavier! Ow!"

"Dad? Dad!" The voice came from Stinky.

"This is our coach?" said Agnes.

"Apparently," Brent replied.

"I want to be traded." The porcupine was disappointed.

"Mooch, lay off the fatty portions of the caribou," said Humphrey. He pushed the plump wolf off of him. "Hey. What's up?"

"Dad, meet the Western team!" said Claudette.

"Ha, ha! Western team? Oh! You guys really want to mud wrestle against the Omegas!"

"Dad, this is team Western Region... for... the Great Games! You said it was for all the critters."

"Yeah..." Humphrey nodded reluctantly.

"So we invited everyone!"

"Wow. They are one bird short of Noah's ark," Mooch commented.

"Bird? Bird? Ow!" Agnes pricked the cub's arm before he had another breakdown.

"But, Dad, we have a small problem. We need a coach."

"Okay, another reason you can't play. Your mother is out of town as are all the Alphas." Claudette maintained her smile.

"I know, Coach." Mooch then laughed.

"What...? You want me to be your coach for the competition?"

"Well, you'd be good for the Miss Congeniality portion," said Mooch, elbowing Humphrey's back.

"Dad, we need the help. You know, the adult in the cave." Mooch then laughed again.

"Claudette, I don't think—"

"Dog, help the girl out," said Mooch. "She went to all this trouble." Humphrey sighed.

"Okay..."

September 19th, 2012

"Coach Humphrey. Huh, who knew?" It was now the morning. The Western team had been sleeping in Humphrey and Kate's den at the top of Mt. Victory. Humphrey did not know much about Alpha business, but he did have an Alpha mate. He sought to follow her example, and one of the things that Kate always did was wake up early. "Okay, sleepy heads! It's time for training! Come on now! Let's do it! Coach's orders!" The animals made it outside the den. They were all groggy as they lined up in front of Humphrey. "Today, we are gonna train and train hard! Brent, you look tired."

"Yeah, well. Actually, uh... I usually sleep until noon."

"Me too," Humphrey replied. Brent then collapsed and fell asleep. Even the Omega had trouble keeping his eyes open. In one moment, he shook his head after he nearly collapsed himself. "What is this? Hibernation season?"

Throughout the day, Humphrey introduced them to a number of exercises that he created spontaneously. One of them involved him sitting on a log while the Western team pushed it up a hill. "Come on, now! Push, push! Fight for it!"

As another exercise, Humphrey pretended to be a rabid wolf and chased the team to see how fast they could run.

"Mad wolf!" Brent yelled.

"RUN!" screamed Runt.

"RUN!" screamed Brent.

"Dad, careful!" said Claudette.

"Come on now. Lift those legs!" said her father.

"I did not sign up for this!" said Agnes. The porcupine had the worst endurance out of everybody.

An hour later, Humphrey had them run through the forest. He stayed in the back of the group to keep an eye on each team member.

"Keep the pace! Faster, faster! Show me what you got!" Suddenly, Agnes shot ahead.

"Oh, no. Oh, no," said Brent.

"What?" said the coach, confused.

"She's taking off again!" Once again, it seemed that her feet were not touching the ground, but this time, it was clear that they were not. Agnes turned into a spinning ball of spines careening through the air! The ball of spines ricocheted off an outcrop and shot directly towards Humphrey. He screamed and ducked just in the nick of time. Agnes's spines became lodged in the bark of the tree behind the Omega.

"Shake it off, Agnes. Shake it off." The Omega tried to catch his breath.

Later in the day, Humphrey had them run in the rocky labyrinth on the slopes of Mt. Victory. "Stinky, control your aggression. Runt, stop smiling. This is a competition! This is your life!"

"Dad, was Mom as fast as this when she was a Junior?" asked Claudette. She had been thinking about her mother a lot ever since Mooch said she led the West to a resounding win.

"Focus on the race, not on your mom!" Humphrey instructed.

After the mountain run, the two birds that helped Humphrey and Kate get back to Jasper arrived. The Omega summoned them to help Brent with his bird issues. Paddy had suggested using hypnotherapy. "Okay! Marcel! Paddy! Shock and awe!"

"Now come on, you migrating chirpers," said Marcel. The two birds brought with them some of the blue jays that had been getting on Brent's nerves.

"Just say when, Humphrey," said the duck.

"Okay, Brent. Control yourself," Humphrey ordered. "Charge!" That was the word to release the blue jays.

"Okay, chirpers. Attack!" ordered the goose. Two blue jays swooped down on Brent. The cub tensed up.

"Brent, look at my eyes! Look at my eyes!" said Humphrey. The cub tried his best. "Okay, Paddy, ready for the landing!"

"Storm the beach. Storm the beach!" said Paddy, giving the code phrase to the jays. One perched on Brent's nose while the other zigzagged across his sight. Once under hypnosis, Humphrey gave a suggestive sentence to influence the cub.

"Their little wings flutter around your face... but they don't bother you." It seemed to work. Brent nodded happily. "Okay, Marcel. Retreat! Retreat!"

"Chirpers, flock this way!" The one perched on Brent's nose refused to move. "I said NOW!" The blue jay flew away as Brent waved goodbye.

After fixing Brent, Coach Humphrey attempted to fix Agnes.

"Okay, Agnes. Now get your center of gravity!"

"Okay. I'm getting it! I'm getting it!" The runt was riding the porcupine. He was weighing her down in order to help strengthen Agnes's tiny legs. Unfortunately, that meant being on top of her prickly spines.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Way to take it for the team, Runt!" said Humphrey.

By dusk, Humphrey and the Western team had climbed up another mountain. They stood near the edge of the cliff and watched the sunset. "I'm starving," said Humphrey.

"Me too," said the cub.

"I saw some leaves back there," added the porcupine.

"Bones, anyone?" Claudette suggested. All of them were panting.


(written on January 15th, 2022)

Chapter 4: The First Event

September 22nd, 2012

Today was the first day of autumn. The first event of the Great Wolf Games was going to begin soon. All of the teams had assembled on the official game field, a large clearing with very little grass. There were plenty of spectators as well, wolves from across the United Regions.

The Western team gathered far from the other teams. Coach Humphrey had been waiting for the golf birds to give their report of the situation.

"We have been eyeing the competition," said Paddy after alighting. "Northern team is the one to beat."

"But get this," said Marcel. "The referees are also from the North."

"Seriously?!" said Humphrey.

"They're geese... And you can't trust geese," said the duck, implying that Marcel was one of the few trustworthy geese. They only had a few days of training, and their main opponent had control over the refs. The Northerners were famous for their athletic superiority. It would not be surprising if the Northern wolves influence their refs in order to uphold their reputation. The odds were definitely not in the Westerns' favor.

"Well, we will watch them," said Marcel.

"By the way, run Claudette last today. Trust me," said Paddy.

"Yeah?" Coach Humphrey was not going to question their judgment.

"We've got your furry back," Marcel assured.

"Okay! Formation!" A booming yell from the other side of the field rippled the air. It was the Northern team's coach, a muscular brown male wolf with white paws and a white chest and underbelly. Humphrey had never seen such a defined Alpha, a wolf who was not a pack leader that somehow commanded so much authority with his voice. The Northern team then followed their coach as he passed by the Westerns. Their coach looked at Humphrey and gave a smirk. It seemed he wanted to show the Omega what the Northerners could do. He stopped them when they were right in front of the Westerns and gave an order. "Okay! Rumble the legs!" His pups jogged in place. It was perfect synchronization. No single step stood out. They were practically clones. "Now, back rolls!" All five rolled to the left, made a single jump, rolled to the right, and made another jump. The back rolls were also perfectly synchronized.

"What is that?" Humphrey asked Marcel.

"It's called uhh... umm... a warm-up?"

"And who is the angry-looking wolf?"

"Leg rumble! Leg rumble!" the angry-looking wolf ordered. "Now, leaps!"

"Oh, that would be a sports parent," answered Paddy.

"Oh... great," said Humphrey. The Omega had a special aversion to arrogant Alphas. He turned to his Western team. "Okay, team. You heard him."

"Heard... who?" said Agnes.

"Their coach said 'leg rumble.'"

"Dad, you're our coach," his daughter reminded.

"Oh, yeah... right. Heh, heh." He deepened his voice. "Okay! Rumble the legs!" His team awkwardly stepped in place. "Come on! come on!"

"Like this?" said Agnes. The porcupine made quick haphazard steps.

"Ehh... Something like that."

"Okay! Roll overs!" yelled the Northern coach. Humphrey decided to copy him.

"Okay! Roll overs! Come on!" The pups and the cub rolled over successfully, but Anges's spines got stuck in the ground. Humphrey shook his head in disappointment. That was when the Northern coach came to him. He was twice as bulky as the Omega. Humphrey tried not to be intimidated.

"Hey, Coach! Nars here!"

"Hi there. Coach Humphrey," he replied with his deepened voice. "Put her there." He extended his right forepaw. Nars returned the gesture with a hard slap to Humphrey's wrist. It made an audible crack noise.

"Hm, you hear somethin'?" asked Nars.

"No!" Humphrey mumbled, trying to contain his agony.

"Well, great day for a game. My Alpha team is raring to go." The Northern Alpha looked dismissively at Agnes who was still upside down. Humphrey promptly nudged her back up.

"Yeah! Mine too."

"Yeah, I just love competition. I mean, I live for it."

"Clearly," Humphrey replied flatly.

"Yes. I had a dream about this day. It was so clear... Running! Sliding! The thrill of victory! You know..." Nars's eyes closed and it seemed his mind was elsewhere. The Westerns exchanged glances. "Father! I tried to win it for you... I really tried... I did! I did..." He broke into tears.

"Eh, there is one for the birds," said Marcel.

"Father, I mean... she's a girl, I know! But... IT WAS THE BEST THAT I COULD DO!" he sobbed. He then woke from his trance and reopened his eyes. "Wha—?" The two birds, the Western team, and their coach were all gone. They had left him.

Later. . .

"Okay! Teams, get ready!" yelled the lead ref. The Northern geese had black paint over their beak and neck feathers to distinguish them from other birds. The first event was a relay race, specifically one where each team lined up in a row, and a single member of each team was supposed to run a circuit before tapping the next member in their line. Whichever team got their last member to complete the course won. The first round of players included Brent.

"What are you looking at?" Anges said rhetorically. A Northerner had been staring at her.

Once the field became quiet, the lead ref gave the honk that kicked off the event. The first round of players took off.

"A bear is keeping pace with the Alphas?" said Nars. He stood beside Humphrey. Indeed, Brent was not left in the dust. He ran in the back, but he was not far behind. There was a boulder in the field that served as the marker for a hairpin turn. Brent used it to launch himself, but it was not enough to get ahead of the pups.

"You wolves ready for this?" Anges teased. "Hm? Hm? You ready for the needles? Hm? Hm?" Brent tapped her, and she sprinted forward. The porcupine easily made up ground until it was essentially a four-way tie.

"Way to go, Agnes! Watch your speed!" Humphrey warned. Suddenly, players tripped over each other, and a cloud of dirt concealed them. It was a nail-biting moment. To everyone's surprise, Agnes was the first to jump out of the cloud. The Westerns now had a huge lead to work with. The porcupine soon tapped Stinky's paw. In the third leg, the three other teams caught up significantly, but Stinky maintained the lead.

"Show 'em what you got!" He then tapped his younger brother. Not long into the fourth leg, Magril took the lead for the Northerners. Runt shook his head in frustration but did not slow down. By the time he came back to the teams, a Southerner and an Eastern had passed him. Panting furiously, he tapped Claudette who was on the same leg as Fleet.

"It's all yours!" said Runt. His sister had her work cut out for her.

"No one is faster than my son," Nars remarked. Humphrey rolled his eyes.

Claudette managed to get ahead of the Southerner and the Eastern, but Fleet had a significant lead. However, it was subject to change as the tricky hairpin turn was coming. Fleet attempted to smoothly make the tight turn, but he ended up sliding like all of the players earlier in the race. "COME ON, FLEET!" his coach shouted.

"Do the spin-out, Claudette!" yelled Humphrey. Nars's ears perked at the mention of that famous maneuver.

"What? The spin-out?!"

Claudette leaped. After she touched the ground again, she leaned her body and stamped one of her forepaws. This movement allowed her to make a controlled slide that actually helped her turn around efficiently and with ease. Claudette ran towards the end of the circuit where a ref was perched to determine the winner. Fleet had fallen to his stomach. There was no way he could pass the tan pup. Claudette passed the start/finish line and won the race for the Westerns. The ref honked. Humphrey, the rest of the Western team, and the spectators all cheered. Nars was speechless, his jaw on the ground. A cold reality was beginning to settle in him as his son looked back with a worried face. He turned to Coach Humphrey.

"The spin-out move. I... I haven't seen that since... my Games."

"She learned it from her mom!" Humphrey replied.

"Kate?"

"Yeah. You know her?"

"I lost to Kate when I was a Junior... Where is she?"

"She's on a hunting trip."

"Hunting trip?" Nars then chuckled. "Oh, so she wears the Alpha in the family, huh?"

"Yeah... I married up," Humphrey said proudly.

"Well, Kate... was a legend." He turned to the Western team. "I don't see another legend here." He smirked before walking away. Humphrey dismissed him and embraced his players.

"Hey, good job, team!"


(written on January 15th, 2022)

Chapter 5: Under Their Shadows

At noon, Claudette returned to the training fields. She thought she could sneak in some practice before the next event. When she neared the fields, she could hear panting and loud grunts. She found Fleet running strenuously. It was as if he was running to manage anger rather than to practice for the Games.

"Fleet, how long you been out here?"

"What's it to you, Claudette?" he replied with a snarky tone. Claudette felt bad. She did not want to make enemies as a player. The Games were only supposed to be for fun.

She watched him attempt to do her spin-out move. "Whoa-oh-oh! Oof!" He slid into a bush.

"You have to lean your weight."

"Mind your own race!" he snapped.

"I'm just trying to—"

"My dad says you're good... but not as good as your mom was." He stepped closer to her and gestured to the field. "All yours."

"Thanks," Claudette said softly. She wanted to say she was sorry, but she kept it in.

As the Northerner left, Claudette suddenly experienced a flashback. She was running on the same field back in the middle of summer. Alongside her was her mother. Kate then ran past her and performed the spin-out.

"Okay. Your turn, Claudette."

"Here I go!"

"Okay, chasing the caribou... gaining on them... Then... changing directions! Now! Plant your front!" Claudette leaped and stamped her forepaw, but she gripped too tight which caused her to spin in a wild arc.

"Whoa!"

"Okay. Let's try it again! You're getting good."

"Mom... I wish I could be as—"

"Oh, honey, we're going to try again, okay?" Kate and her daughter locked eyes. It transported Claudette back to reality. She realized how much of Kate's legacy hovered over the Games. The Games were for fun, right? That was what Claudette's mother often told her, yet it was because of her mother's glorious win that created so much bitterness between her and Fleet and his coach, Nars. She was not sure how long she could take the bitterness. Claudette loved competition. It was why she pushed to have the Western team compete. But she did not love this. She did not love seeing the straightforward disdain being sent towards her as Fleet purposely kept his face from being seen. His back was all he wanted her to see. On a hunch, she decided to secretly follow the Northern pup.

Later. . .

That night, she continued to follow him. As she thought, something suspicious was going on. Fleet walked alone to the border between her pack and the Northern Pack. From a great distance, she saw him stop in a small clearing. Another wolf appeared. It was a big muscular Alpha. Fleet and the stranger engaged in a conversation, but only the stranger was whispering. Claudette washed in a nearby puddle to disguise her scent before getting within twenty-five yards of the two Northerners. She was now close enough to hear every word they were saying. The stranger was the Northern team coach!

"Dad, I know!" Nars was Fleet's father! It started to make sense for Claudette why Fleet was acting the way he was.

"You have to play a little rougher tomorrow," Nars muttered.

"Why?! They have the bear and then a porcupine... I mean, come on!"

"Just do it. You know what I mean." His father then walked away. Fleet gave a long sigh before entering the North's territory. Claudette wanted to hug him. What Nars was doing was not right, but at least she was able to know that something was coming for the next event. She planned to tell her teammates, not just about Nars's potential scheme but about what Fleet was going through. She knew, underneath, he was not like other Northerners. It seemed his capacity to be himself was constantly being muted, whether by his father or the brand of the Northern Pack. She cared about him. Claudette wondered if there was a way she could make herself lose. She would give up the Games if it meant he was safe.


(written on January 15th, 2022)

Chapter 6: The Second Event

September 23rd, 2012

Today was now the second event, and the sky couldn't be more clear. The first event resulted in the elimination of the Southern team. As winners, the Northern team was allowed to choose the next type of event. The North decided on another relay race but one that was a straight course with its legs on a long hill. The first team to make it to the top of the hill won. There were many hazards. Different levels of the hill had unique terrain. Each leg was different, and the players of a team had to be in the optimal order to utilize their skills.

"This could get a little tricky today," said Humphrey, looking at the long hill ahead.

"I'm ready for whatever they've got!" said Brent.

"I double-dog dare a wolf to step on my back," said Agnes.

"Stay on the attack," said Stinky.

"We can do this!" Runt assured.

"Just be prepared," said their coach. He had listened to what his daughter told him, but Humphrey was not sure what the Northern team was capable of.

Eventually, the honk was given to start the next event. Runt took the first and easiest leg. He and a Northerner were neck and neck while an Eastern was left in the dust. The bottom leg was more spacious, so it was easy for Runt to keep his distance. He tapped Stinky who took a more challenging leg. It involved hopping from boulder to boulder, and the area was narrower. At one point, Stinky made it to the same boulder as a Northerner. The Northerner pushed Stinky before leaving, preventing Stinky from jumping after him.

"Nice," said Stinky with a scowl. It was an obvious offense.

"What?!" Humphrey and the two birds exclaimed.

"Foul! Foul!" yelled Marcel.

"Umpire!" yelled Paddy. They both flew over to where the refs were perched. The black-painted geese simply ignored them.

Stinky continued hopping through the section until he tapped Brent. Brent's leg had fewer rocks, but the area was steeper. There was a trench that cut through the hillside. Brent sprinted over one of the log bridges. Behind him, a Northerner came and pushed him off the bridge. Luckily, Brent was able to get out of the trench quickly. His leg turned into Agnes's leg. The porcupine was not willing to put up with the rough play.

"Agnes, up the log!" Brent shouted.

"Get them on the log," Nars said under his breath. There was another trench. Agnes caught up to Fleet on the log and pricked him.

"Ow! Hey!"

"How do you like it, huh?!" said Agnes, but she was not able to slow Fleet down. Fleet tapped Magril while Agnes tapped Claudette. The last leg was similar to the first. They were once again even.

"Good girl!" said Humphrey. Then, in the most flagrant way, Magril elbowed Claudette hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

"Oof!"

"Good girl," Nars mumbled.

"Umpire, did you see that?!" yelled Marcel. The golf goose was in the face of a ref goose. The ref honked at them, a signal telling them to stay back.

"Umpire, they were cheating!" said Humphrey. He and Nars walked to Marcel.

"She slipped into her," Nars protested unobtrusively. The ref motioned for other refs to stop the event and huddle together. They proceeded to whisper back and forth. Marcel was clearly agitated. He did not want to think these were his cousins.

"What are they doing?" said Marcel. "Laying an egg?"

After half a minute, the referees came to decision.

"We couldn't clearly see the play! No foul!" the lead ref announced. Paddy was taken aback.

"What?! That was as much a foul as a chicken is a fowl!"

"Resume play on my honk!" The lead ref raised a wing and honked. Claudette and Magril continued their run. There was a short rocky section before the finish line.

"Run the rocks! Run the rocks!" Nars yelled. Magril jumped over Claudette and kicked rocks into her face.

"Umpire, I can't believe this!" said Marcel. Magril crossed the finish line. Nars jumped in the air in celebration.

"YES!"

Claudette then joined Magril. Claudette was on the verge of tears. Her head was swirling with mixed feelings.

"Good job, Claudette. You played it fair," Humphrey whispered to himself. The Northern coach turned to him.

"See you in the final," he smugly remarked

He walked up the hill to meet his victors. He noticed Magril limping and Fleet carefully helping her. "Magril, are you okay?"

"She slipped on the rocks," said Fleet.

"Can you still compete?" Nars asked her. She frantically whispered to Fleet.

"No, Magril. Don't," Fleet warned her.

"What is she saying? Why won't she ever speak directly to me?"

"Dad..."

"Magril, are you okay?" He approached her with fervor. "Speak up NOW!" Magril refused to look at him in the eyes. She cowardly buried her face in her forepaws.

"She can't, Dad!" yelled Fleet.

"Why not?" Nars was genuinely clueless.

"Because she's terrified of you! She's injured... She's out of the Games..."

"Out of the Games?" If the North could not have Magril for the final, they would have to forfeit, making the Western Region the winner. The second event had just eliminated the Eastern team. Nars had to come up with an idea.

"Cheaters! That's what they are," said Agnes. The Western team had gathered at the bottom of the hill.

"And don't even get me started on those umpires," said Marcel

"We ought to get the Western Owls to take them out," Paddy suggested as a joke.

"Coach," Nars called as he approached them.

"What now?" said Humphrey. His team faced them.

"Magril is... injured."

"Oh, no," said Claudette.

"Now, we can do this two ways. Either we... default, and it's all yours... or we do a different race... Winner takes all."

"You mean four against four?" said Humphrey.

"No... One against one. My son against Claudette. A run around the mountain and then down to the field. Fleet is strong on the rocks and Claudette on the field."

"Well, uhh... let me speak to my team." All eyes were on Claudette.

"You got this, Claudette," Runt encouraged.

"Go for it," said Brent. The other teammates nodded.

"Okay. I'll do it!"

"Nars, you're on!" said Humphrey. Nars stepped closer to the Omega's daughter.

"Good. You know, Claudette... I wonder if your Games will be as good as your mom's."

"Dad, please," said Fleet. Claudette answered with her own smirk.

"I'm sure Fleet's Games will be better than your Games." Nars squinted his eyes and growled at her. He soon left afterward.

"See you tomorrow, Coach," said Humphrey.

Fleet took a step towards Claudette. They exchanged respectful nods while Humphrey was not looking.


(written on January 16th, 2022)

Chapter 7: What You're Made Of

Later in the day, Claudette practiced in the fields, the same ones where Fleet was practicing yesterday. Now it was Fleet going to Claudette.

"Hey. Sorry about today." She was stopped in her tracks.

"Huh?"

"Everything... uh... that happened."

"Were you here to practice?"

"That... is all I do," he replied with a chuckle. The two pups began running alongside each other.

"You want to warm up together?" They jogged in a straight line, but Fleet soon transitioned into running. "You just can't help yourself." She caught up to him.

"And you can't either," he replied.

"Hey, you want to learn how to do it?"

"But I'm your competitor!"

"Well... tomorrow you are."

"Hmm. Sure."

"Okay. When you come to a corner... plant your front paws, and just let your body slide!" Claudette did a demonstration, the perfect spin-out. "Your turn!" The Northerner went for it. He jumped. "Plant your paws!" Claudette shouted.

"Whoa-oh-oh! Ahh!" He slid into a bush.

"Fleet?" She went to check on him. He poked his head out the top of the bush and grinned. Claudette returned with a grin of her own.

"Fleet!" someone yelled. It was Nars. "Why aren't you training?" He was confused by the fact that his son was in a bush. It gave the impression that Fleet was fooling around. There was no time for that. "What are you doing?" he growled. Fleet exited the bush.

"What do you mean?!" he snapped. Claudette held her breath.

"Whatever that was. Fleet, you have to hate your opponent to win."

"Oh, really, Dad? And how did that work out for you?" Fleet turned his back on his father.

"Get back here! You need to train!"

"I've trained enough," Fleet protested. Nars bubbled with anger and stepped in front of his son. He brought his left forepaw up, ready to strike him. "Go ahead, Dad! Make me a champion, right?" Nars glared at his son who exposed his chest proudly. Fleet thought if he was going to be hit, he was going to take it as an Alpha and show his injury to everyone. That would expose the real truth of the Northern Pack. Nars read this and calmed himself down but not by much.

"No excuses tomorrow! You hear me?!"

Fleet looked back at Claudette. She was saddened. Fleet himself began to cry. They exchanged a nod before parting ways.

Later. . .

A few hours after the scene with Fleet, Claudette returned to their parents' den. Her teammates were there along with the two birds and Mooch, but next to Humphrey was someone she missed dearly.

"Mom! You're back!" She ran to her mother and hugged her.

"I came back early! I got word of the Games. I heard you're all doing really well."

"Well, just a few techniques my mom taught me."

"So, Claudette, we're all thinking," said Humphrey, "we have a chance to win!"

"We do," said Claudette.

"Oh, Kate, you should have seen Nars."

"Wait. Nars from the Northern pack?"

"Yeah. You left him a lasting memory with your turnout. He is so bitter cave for one."

"And the way he treats his son, Fleet," said Stinky. His sister frowned. She then walked to the stone ledge in front of the den to watch the sunset.

"You know what's going on with her?" Kate whispered to her mate. Humphrey shrugged his shoulders. She decided to have a private chat with her daughter. "My first Games, it was really important to me too." Kate sat next to her. Claudette peered into her mother's brown eyes.

"Mom... what was the most important thing to you?"

"Hmm. Well... winning is fun... but I think digging down deep and seeing what you're truly made of is what really counts."


(written on January 16th, 2022)

Chapter 8: The Third Event

September 24th, 2012

The sky was crystal clear. Today was the day when the winner of the Great Wolf Games would be decided. Animals across the United Regions gathered at a gorge where the start/finish line was at. There were wolves, bears, squirrels, porcupines, and other critters of the forest arranged on various levels. Kate overlooked them all from the den's ledge. Marcel and Paddy alighted next to her to deliver some news.

"The valley is full of spectators and... sponsors," said the goose.

"Oh, what conversations we have heard," said Paddy.

"Fleet versus Claudette, three years after Kate beat Nars," the goose emphasized.

In the cave, Humphrey addressed his lone daughter.

"However today turns out, I am proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad. I've got this."

Meanwhile, in the gorge, Nars addressed his son.

"Okay, Fleet. This is it. Keep four paces ahead. This is the big one, our last chance."

"Our last chance?" Fleet noticed his father said the word "our."

"Um, you know what I mean."

"Yeah... I do..."

Later. . .

Everyone assumed their ceremonial positions. The teams lined up near the start/finish line with the coaches behind them. Kate stood next to Humphrey. A honk was given from the refs, signaling Fleet and Claudette to approach each other. Nars glared at her and gave a low growl. When the two met in the middle, they gave supportive remarks.

"Hey, good race, Claudette."

"Good race, Fleet." But from a distance, Claudette's parents could read between the lines. The way they looked at each other seemed more friendly than Humphrey and Kate expected. It was as if they were both blushing in each other's presence.

"Are... Are those two smiling?" said Humphrey. "Wait! Are they—?!"

"Humphrey," his mate cooed. "It's okay. It happens." Kate herself seemed to blush. Claudette and Fleet then walked directly to the start/finish line. They were comfortably close, practically shoulder to shoulder.

"D-d-do you see that?! He's... He's flirting with her! That is what dogs do to throw the girl off her game!"

"Is that what you did to me?" Kate teased.

"Well, yeah... And I only scored the prettiest Alpha in the Region." He turned back to Claudette. "Claudette!" he yelled. "Stop flirting with Fleet! You're too young to date! I forbid it until you're your grandma's age!" It was loud enough for everyone to hear. Claudette as well as Kate had never been more embarrassed.

"Oh, my gosh... DAD!" Claudette screamed. Fleet lowered his ears and kicked the grass.

"Could this day get any more bizarre?" said Kate.

"Hey. I think we scored an endorsement deal," said Marcel excitedly.

"What?"

"The wolves from the Central Region," said Paddy.

"When Claudette wins... she is supposed to turn to the crowd and shout, 'I'm going to Calgary!'" The goose flapped his wings in excitement.

Meanwhile, the lead ref got into his position as Claudette and Fleet entered their running stance. The honk was given, and the two pups took off. The crowd cheered. It did take not long for Nars to insert his input. The two players were already neck and neck.

"Come on, Fleet! Four paces! Come on, son!"

"Let's go, Claudette!" yelled Kate.

"Take it to him!" Humphrey added.

The circuit was a long one, and it involved climbing out of the gorge. Claudette and Fleet remained next to each other until they began climbing. Claudette struggled to pull herself up the wall.

"Hey. Push from your back legs," Fleet instructed. She followed his direction. "That's it."

"Um, thanks?"

They ran through a forest as a ref followed them from above. They made it to the area with a long waterfall and took a sharp turn. After running through the forest again, they ran along the edge of a cliff. The spectators could see them from the bottom of the gorge. Their cheers continued. Next, there was a rocky hill they had to climb.

"Get up there, Fleet! Get up there!" Nars ordered.

At the top, the two pups stopped and panted hard. They exchanged more smiles. They let ten seconds pass before they continued running. Down the ramp, they hurried. The ramp led back into the gorge. After jumping over a few logs placed in their way, they headed for the boulder that marked a sharp turn. Later, there was another sharp turn, and then it would be a straight race to the finish line. Claudette went first and flawlessly performed the spin-out. Fleet took a deep breath. He jumped and landed but failed to plant his paw. He slid and collided with the boulder. Nars growled and came to his son.

"Get up there, Fleet! Get up there!" He spat in his face. Claudette took a look back and saw Fleet struggling to move.

Fleet's legs were aching. Eventually, he continued his run, but he was in too much pain to run faster than the Western. Claudette looked back and thought to herself.

"She's letting him catch up!" said Humphrey. "Claudette, I don't care how adorable you think he is! You take it to him!" But Claudette only moved slower. She slowed enough that she and Fleet became neck and neck for the umpteenth time.

"What are you doing?" asked Fleet.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Yes, you are."

"For the last turn, remember... Lean to the left."

"To the left? Got it."

"Here we go! Lean! Lean!" she urged. The two pups disappeared behind the boulder. A cloud of dirt appeared. The crowd and the coaches gasped.

Suddenly, Claudette and Fleet came out of the dirt cloud reinvigorated. Fleet no longer ran with caution.

"I DID IT! I DID IT!" he exclaimed. They were now one hundred yards from the finish line. Claudette looked at Fleet's legs and could tell he was the one holding back this time.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Nothing," he answered. Nars could tell that something was off.

"Fleet! Go faster!" he yelled. Claudette and Fleet took one last look at each other before they crossed the finish line. They both adjusted their speed. At the finish line, they jumped. The lead ref stood with his wing erect. As they passed him, he swung his wing down and honked.

"Tie!" he announced. Everyone in the crowd was shocked beyond words, especially Nars. The golf birds flew to the Northern refs to confirm their call.

"It was a tie?" Marcel asked. The lead ref nodded confidently.

"Oh, uh, it appears so," said Paddy.

"Fleet?! A tie?! Really?!" said Nars. He stormed to the refs. "We have to do this over!" Humphrey then stepped up to the lead ref.

"Uh, what do we do when there's a tie?"

"The Games end in a... tie!" he replied, obviously annoyed by all the wolves surrounding him.

"Fleet! You come back here!" Nars blocked his son from walking to his team.

"That was it, Dad. Those were my Games," said Fleet.

"What do you mean 'that was it?!'"

"I'm no longer a competitor, Dad. I'm gonna be the new coach of the Northern Region!" Fleet turned back to his teammates. "And I'm looking for a few good competitors for next year!" The Northern team cheered.

Meanwhile, Marcel pushed Claudette to where a few Central Region wolves had gathered. They were recordkeepers who inscribed everything on bones.

"Okay, Claudette. Now it's your time. You yell. Say, 'I'm going to Calgary!'"

Claudette decided not to give exactly what Marcel wanted. She was too tired.

"Well, we came, we competed, and... we tied."

"No, we didn't tie, Claudette," said Stinky. Her family approached her.

"Nope. We won," said Runt.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a crowd of Northern wolves approached her. They were carrying Fleet on their backs.

"Hey, Claudette! One of these fine critters is going to be on the Northern team next year. And I'm gonna be their coach! Ha, ha, ha!"

Claudette turned to the crowd of Westerns.

"Great, because we're going for gold with one of you five!" The Westerns cheered for the tan pup.

"Looks like we all won," said Kate.

"Yeah," said Humphrey. "I think it was the coaching, right?"

Claudette and Kate then hugged.

"Claudette?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"You really turned these Games around."

"Thanks, Mom..."

Suddenly, everyone noticed Nars approach Fleet. It was not in a furious manner, not at all. In fact, there were tears falling down Nars's face.

"Son..." Fleet lowered his ears. "I am... I am so proud of you." Humphrey and Kate looked at each other. Everyone was shocked that Nars could say such a thing. Fleet hugged him, his tail wagging. For the first time, he had his father's appreciation. Nars then grabbed Fleet's scruff and carried him to Claudette. The two of them began walking down the gorge by themselves.

"So, we better get working on your spin-out," said Claudette, "especially if you're the new coach."

"Yeah, when we're back for the real Great Games."

"HEY! You two stay on the field where I can see you!" yelled Humphrey. Claudette and Fleet simply shrugged their shoulders.

"Okay, Fleet, so you have to lean, then push off your opposite foot."

"Heh, heh. Wait. You never said 'push off.'"

"Well, we were competitors, Fleet."

THE END