Steele could hardly imagine that it had really only been three months since the day he ran away, time somehow felt so fast but slow all at once. There wasn’t a single unmemorable day.

The malamute had fit into his role as leader for the oddball group, taking care of them to the best of his ability. He certainly had his work cut out of him. Between Halftail and Tiny’s antics, and the occasional mess that Rodger would get himself into, Steele’s attention was often demanded. But it was never stressful or drained his soul like his sledding career had. There was a playfulness that lied underneath it all. This was the way they were, and Steele loved each of them for that. He could always look to Mince for the long and short of the situation, and Rodger to brighten up his day. Halftail was actually full of good, if a bit dry advice, having a lot of experience from his age. And Tiny… at the very least, he made sure there wasn’t a dull moment. The akita was also happy to have someone who ‘acknowledged’ his talents. 

As Mince had predicted, after he had gotten more sexual experience he grew into a more dominant role.
 
He and the husky enjoyed going at each other, though he mostly ended up on top, like two thirds of the time. Rodger was at times almost too eager to try and please him, Steele had tried making him a little more assertive, but it just wasn’t in the elkhound’s nature to be like that.

Halftail had hounded him a little to get him to try and top him, Steele ended up as Tiny had so colorfully put it: “knot-fucking him into oblivion”, it had been immensely satisfying, but the beardog surprised him by shyly asking if he could do that again a few days later.

Steele also managed to catch Tiny in one of his “moods” as the others had called it. Having normally submissive acts done to him in a dominant manner was definitely a new experience. It was actually...a little scary how much Tiny demanded from him while he took the lead. The Akita only stopped once he suddenly dropped from sheer exhaustion. But having the smallest of the group riding his dick while he laid on his back was definitely something he would like to try again sometime.

Little by little, Steele learned more and more ways to give and receive pleasure, eventually becoming rather adept at both. But given his nature, the malamute preferred to be on top, though he certainly didn’t mind the other way either. 

And of course, there came a few more times that Steele was called to Connor’s quarters, summoned to help the werewolf satiate his carnal lust. It wasn’t too often but those times were...something special to say the least. The werewolf was definitely the most skilled of them all, even in his “human” form. It was less intense, but no less satisfying than his wolf-form.. When not rutting, Connor attempted to educate Steele about his clan and teach the malamute new abilities. It was rather hit or miss and took a lot out of the malamute… But he managed to pick up a little trick that helped him become a better leader to the pack; he could sort of “feel” the distress of the other canines, it would radiate from them when something was wrong. It was sort of similar to what Connor himself could do, but far less acutely. 

The darn werewolf had also revealed he knew who he really was, darn near giving him a heart-attack. He calmed him down saying it didn’t matter who he had been, but that he should consider telling the others the full story. Honestly he was still gathering courage to do so.


Days would go by, just enjoying himself with the others and growing, it took a while for him to realize that, what he had so desperately wished for, he suddenly had it, he was the happiest he had ever felt. Everyday he would wake surrounded by his new packmates. This place was his home now and they were his family. 

Despite all the snow, it was a rather warm day when Mince, Steele, and Rodger decided to take a stroll outside of the gates. It was something that Steele hardly ever did, Mince felt the same. But Rodger, being the scamp that he was, was all too eager to slip between the bars and venture out into the thicket. 

“And there he goes…” Mince groaned, bounding after his smaller friend. As the husky ventured onwards, Steele felt a bit strange for a moment. But he shook the feeling off and joined his mates, figuring they were sure to run into some kind of trouble with Rodger leading them. 

“Rodger, Mince?” Steele called after his mates. He lost sight of them for a moment.

“Over here,” Mince called back. “You might wanna take a look at this.” The malamute dared to see what awaited him. There he found Rodger, somehow upside down, caught in the many branches of a shrub. 

“...I’m not even going to ask how this happened,” Steele sighed. That darn elkhound was a troublemaker on top of being a trouble magnet, he was lucky he was so darn adorable. Luckily, all it took was a few firm tugs to free the elkhound. Landing in the snow, Rodger huffed and shook himself off.

“Hehe, thanks…” Rodger chuckled. 

“I thought we were here to take a walk, not do whatever that mess you got into was,” Mince chuckled. 

“Saving me is part of the fun,” Rodger smirked. But that was short lived as the trio of canine’s all collectively heard something. Accordingly, they looked in the direction, only being met with the shadows of the forest. 

“Clearly, I’m not the only one who heard that,” Mince said. 

“Come on, let’s investigate!” Rodger said all too eagerly, but Steele held him back from bolting off.

“Fine...but let us do it [i]quietly[/i].” The malamute looked pointedly at Rodger. “Since I have no plans of fighting any potential bears in the near future.” The elkhound got the message and quietly followed him and Mince.

The husky and malamute were on high alert as they padded deeper into the forest. If there was something nearby they would have to assess the level of danger. If it was too great they would have no choice but to turn tail and maybe even seek out Connor. 

Once again the noise came about, now they were sure it was footsteps. To make matters worse, they were frequent, growing louder and louder. The fur along Mince’s spine rose and he gave a small whine. “I have a bad feeling about this…”

As they got closer Steele heard a faint sound he recognized among all the other sounds, it took him a few moments to place what it was...the dragging of a sled. Why in the world was a sled out here? He was suddenly split between immense curiosity and anxiousness of what he might actually find. Unlike Mince and Rodger, Steele was unexplainably unable to move. As the ‘beast’ before them drew closer and closer, the malamute just stood firm, as if he was waiting for something. 

And out of the shadows, into the shallow light of the forest floor came the figure of what was clearly a canine. Around their body were tattered reins, all tugging behind a damaged sleigh. On the sleigh, whatever goods that were on it were concealed by the cloth cover. In the light filtering through the treetops, Steele could see the pulling canine wasn’t in much better shape than the sled. Steele’s ingrained instinct was wanting to immediately assist the currently unfamiliar troubled sled-dog. But upon getting close enough and getting a good look at the other dog’s face, Steele was sure he could feel terror gripping his soul. 

Though the name evaded him at first, Steele was certain that it was the very canine that he used to obsess over, leading to his humiliation and downfall. Once again, they were once again crossing paths. Thankfully, it seemed the hybrid canine failed to recognize Steele, either through the passage of time or how clearly beat down and tired he was. 

“Are you alright?” Steele asked a foolish question that came about naturally, without any thought or tact at all… Even those giving a passing glance could see that no, they clearly were not alright. 

“It’s another dog?” Rodger asked, glad that it wasn’t another bear. 

“A sled-dog and wearing a collar,” Mince pointed out. “Clearly not from around here.” He looked to Steele, meeting his mate’s gaze, the malamute cleared his throat and nodded. He was still shaken up by the appearance of Balto after so long. It was like his past had sprung up to haunt him.

The other dog suddenly noticed the nearby husky and elkhound, looking at him as he was a foreign creature. “And what does wearing a collar have to do with anything?” Balto huffed in annoyance. He was tired, hungry and worst of all lost. He was in no mood for talking.

“Where we come from we don’t really wear collars unless we want to,” Mince explained. To the sled-dog that sounded so bizarre, choosing to wear a collar or not? It was up to their owner’s discretion, wasn’t it?

Steele tsk’d. “We are getting off-topic, are you okay, why are you all the way out here? In the state that you’re in, a bear could have easily picked you off.”

Balto growled, what care did he have for such lumbering creatures at a time like this? He had an important delivery to make… But at this point the cargo was likely damaged, to make matters worse Jenna was waiting for him to get back home… He huffed in annoyance and looked at the canine holding him up. 

Then a faint sense of familiarity came over him as he looked at the leader of the trio. The stance, the look on his face, even the subtle swish of his tail...Wait...it couldn’t be?!

“Steele!?” Balto calling out his name, sent shudders down Steele’s back. It would seem he would not go unrecognized after all… But then again, just how was he planning to keep such a thing unsaid.

There were many rumors about what had become of the once great Steele, ranging from the most outrageous conspiracy theories to the utterly mundane of ideas, but never had anyone been able to actually confirm anything. Soon it became the opinion of the public that Steele had either disappeared after being taken away in disgrace or he was...done away with, an elaborate cover up to make it seem as if the famous canine simply ran away… After all, someone so famous didn’t simply disappear into thin air like that.

[i]‘I absolutely hate the idea of wasting even more time talking, but surely Steele will be able to tell me how to find my way to town.’[/i] Balto swallowed his pride, he had no other options right now. He had already wasted enough time seemingly going in circles…

Steele didn’t need to focus to feel the unfiltered rage and frustration that radiated from his former rival. “If you are out this far, you have gone quite far off course…”

“Yes, I am aware of that,” Balto interrupted. The usual path had been blocked off by an avalanche and he hadn’t been aware of any other routes so he had stumbled his way forward trying to find an alternate path. But every tree and shrub in the forest looked the same.

Steele took a deep breath, choosing to look past the other canine’s rudeness. Despite changing for the better, Steele couldn’t help but feel the hybrid needed a lesson in respect. Balto was nothing like he was only a few months ago, so quick to rage and if he was this deep in the forest, it was likely he hadn’t been taught of the other routes to take if the main one was obstructed, which it was every so often. Had they really made him the lead without properly readying him for it? Just because he was bested back then did not mean Balto had the same level of experience or merit of skills as he did, but perhaps the humans didn’t see that.

Maybe they didn’t care. He could imagine their mindset was something along the lines of: “Steele’s gone and we need a dog to replace him...hmmm...Balto is very popular after what he did, he will do. Slap the reins on him and send him out.” Now here the half-wolf dog was, clearly lost and alone in the large forest. 

If that was the case, Steele actually felt bad for his fellow canine. It was only months ago that he realized how grueling the sled-dog life was, and he was trained for it from the beginning. Not having even a shred of his caliber in sledding, Steele couldn’t imagine how Balto had been fairing… The hybrid looked worse for wear, mangled fur, and eyes with deep bags underneath. He had been at it all day and refused to take a break. Steele could see it clear as day. Knowing what he knew now, the malamute put priority on the other canine’s state over whatever he was pulling. 

“Alright, I’ll lead you to a place that you can rest at for the night. But you must follow me. You don’t know where you’re going, but I do,” Steele said, aiming that later half at the wolfdog that was already sneering as if he was going to make a snide remark. The sky above them was starting to grow dark, only mocking Balto that even more time had passed, time that only made him later still. 

“Or...perhaps you would rather leave your fate to chance?” The malamute put Balto’s situation into blunt perspective: he had no idea where he was and venturing into the woods at night was not a good idea to say the least. Either he could follow Steele or take his chances stumbling around...

“D-darn it…” Balto muttered, despite only being the head of the sled team for a few months he wore the pride that came with it very well. Seeing the former lead sled dog in a forest of all places. So the rumors of his running away were true... Steele was a coward that abandoned his post and left him to take it up… 

Steele’s time in the sun was over now. As far as Balto was concerned, he was the lead sled-dog now. Why should he be the one to follow? Especially behind someone who clearly abandoned his post and everyone else in town. The day after he left there was mass confusion and chaos. The canine that had been depended upon, a guaranteed connection to getting essentials delivered was gone overnight, leaving a large space to fill. Such a space couldn’t be taken up by just anyone.
Being the canine that beat Steele out, Balto was almost immediately selected to take up the fleeing malamute’s mantle. At first, the hybrid was thrilled but he quickly learned of what his new ‘opportunity’ would entail. What started out as a dream come true became a living nightmare. And that was all thanks to him… But now that very canine was the only saving grace he might have… “Fine… Lead the way.”

Unable to resist, Mince soon padded up the sled dogs. “A real...strange one you are. Even a mutt with half a brain would know better than to just wander into woods this deep. You might as well get ‘eat me’ etched into your pelt.” 

“Mince, that’s enough,” Steele said, but silently, he had to agree. Clearly, even after months the wolfdog was hardly trained. Steele could see that with ease. Did his former owner even bother training him, even a little? Winning a race didn’t mean he was suddenly an expert. And what of his former sled-mates? Did they not give their new leader tips and advice? Or had they become dependent on their leader to the point they could no longer think for themselves? Actually...that would explain a lot if that was the case…

“So, are we taking him home?” Rodger asked, tilting his head as he looked to his mate. He couldn’t imagine this encounter was comfortable to his friend.

“Just for the night,” Steele corrected. He very much fancied the idea of getting Balto what he needed, some rest and some directions before getting back to his own life again. He left the sled-dog life behind and there was no chance that he was being roped back into it. Once the morning would come, they would go their separate ways. If Balto wanted to be bull-headed and ignore whatever advice he was given, then Steele was happy to let him be. As long as the new ‘leader’ did it away from him and his new family, since he definitely didn’t want them getting involved in the mess of his past. 

As Steele led the way he said nothing, venturing ever closer to the quaint cottage he was happy to call home. He just wanted to return home and be done with this… Soon the gates of the cottage were upon them, giving a full view of their home. 

“This is the place?” Balto huffed. “How could this...outhouse be comfortable?”

Steele bit his tongue, reminding himself that this was about helping someone. Although, it wasn’t easy. In such a short time, Balto had become extremely arrogant. But luckily for him, both Mince and Rodger were quick to jump at the defense of their mate and against the insult of their lovely home. Mince was ready to give them a piece of his mind and was shocked to see Rodger standing right behind him, looking just as angry. Seems as if that a part of the ‘boiling blood’ within the elkhound did indeed remain...

“That ‘outhouse’ is our home!” Rodger barked.

“You got some nerve throwing insults at those that try to help your mangy pelt!” Mince added.  
“What is all this commotion?” The sled-dog was surprised when a human came over to him and the other canines. Even more surprising, the trio of dogs who led him to the cottage were explaining to the human what had happened, as if a human could understand what they were saying. Soon the human nodded and actually approached him. 

“You look like you need some rest, we’ll get you out of those reigns. Please, follow me inside,” Connor said. He looked down at their new guest and gasped. For a split second, the moment his and Balto’s eyes met, the werewolf was once again taken back to his past. But as quick as the feeling came, it was over. Had he just been imagining it? Or was there more to this dog?

“You expect me to follow some human into his home? One I don’t even know?” Balto asked, the fact that Connor could even understand them didn’t register due to his current anger. 

At this point, any ounce of patience that Steele had left more than fizzled out. It reminded him all too much of how he had acted himself. He stood firm against the half-wolf dog. “You are gonna have to trust him, you don’t have the luxury of choice in your current situation. It’s either this or the bitter cold...” Those words came out through grit fangs, hoping that would get through Balto’s thick skull. 

Balto glared but knew the malamute was right. He sighed and stood down. “Fine…” He gave a final glance at the malamute as Mince and Rodger led them to the cottage. That didn’t mean he had to like it. The ‘guest’ growled as his reins were removed, annoyed that an entire night would pass before he could finish his delivery. The sleigh was left outside, covered by it’s tarp. Soon, Connor opened the front door, revealing yet two more curious canines. Immediately they could feel his hostility and noticed Steele sometimes glancing at the newcomer and looking uncomfortable.

Matching his hostility, Halftail approached the newcomer, looking him up and down. “Who is this?” the bear-dog simply said. But his stance and tone of voice entailed much more. For the first time that day, Balto thought it best to watch his tongue around the bigger, older canine. 

“This is a guest for the night,” Connor explained. “This is…”

“Balto,” the canine introduced himself. He muttered as he felt five pairs of eyes looking him up and down. 

“We found him running around in the forest like a lunatic,” Mince chuckled. “I was thinking we call him “Bear Food” while he’s here.” At that, Steele chuckled and was inclined to agree. Out of all the paths Balto could choose to run and he had taken by far the most dangerous one. He should count his lucky stars that Rodger’s bad luck now seemed to be self-contained.

“I don’t like the looks of him,” Halftail huffed. “I can smell his arrogance.” 

“You can smell arrogance?” Mince chuckled. 

“When you’ve been around as long as I have, you can pick up on these things with just a quick whiff,” the bear-dog explained as if it was common knowledge. Usually, Steele would have just shaken his head but this time it seemed his friend was very much correct. A part of him had a twisted hope that Balto would be foolish enough to cross paths with the bear-dog with such arrogance.

Connor clapped to get their attention, “There there, you can let up on him now, otherwise you will flatten him like a pancake.” To Balto’s surprise the other dogs just huffed amused and went away seemingly uninterested in him now. He flinched as the odd man turned to him.

“Best you sleep on your own, you can sleep in the living room by the fireplace, it ought to warm you up. Once you wake up, come to me and I will get you some food,” Balto just nodded dumbly, this guy was so jovial and yet he could feel something powerful from this guy, better not find out what it was and just do as he says.

It was rather late and the fireplace he soon curled in front of was more than enough to chase away the cold that lingered in his bones. 

While Balto fell asleep Steele finally told the others his full past and who the other dog was in relation to that past, he had delayed telling them for far too long already and since the wolfdog was there it was as good an opportunity as any. They seemed to take it quite well, despite the things he had regrettably done. The malamute looked forward to getting rid of the wolfdog the following morning.

That morning soon came, arriving with the rising of the sun. Connor fed them separately which they all appreciated, Balto was stunned how good the seemingly simple food tasted. It couldn’t compare to anything that came from town… That’s right, there were people that were waiting for him there… He felt guilty as he ate the amazing food and convinced himself it was just to get the strength to finish the delivery. 

As soon as he finished, the wolfdog sought out Steele. “I need you to lead me back to town.” 

The malamute in question was in the middle of his breakfast. He didn’t appreciate being ordered around, especially so early in the day. Likewise, the other canine hardly paid him any attention, focusing on their respective meals instead. Unlike Balto, none of them were in a rush, but they weren’t burdened by a delivery that was to be made. As much as Steele hated to admit it, he likely couldn’t just give Balto directions and leave it at that, given how far they were off course he was, he would actually have to guide him back.

Balto waited impatiently as he watched the other canine finish eating. Finally, Steele returned his gaze to the other canine and sighed, “Fine. I’ll lead you. Lead. As in you follow me.”

As long as it meant him getting back home to make the delivery, Balto didn’t mind what the conditions were. Sensing their departure, Connor was already opening the front door for them. They all stepped out and the human helped the wolfdog strap on the reins. 

“Please, take care out there,” Connor said, referring to more than just the forest. He feared for what could be waiting for the wolfdog upon his return but he decided not to say anymore. 

“Let’s get going,” Balto huffed, yet again annoyed. 

Steele rolled his eyes, “I don’t like this anymore than you do. Let’s get this over with.”

As he saw them off Connor thought this might actually be a blessing in disguise, Steele had a chance to face his past and grow from the experience. Once again, that strange feeling came over him, even stronger thanks to the presence of Steele so close to Balto… Hmm… Perhaps them traveling together wasn’t an act of pure happenstance. He continued to wonder as the two canines were soon out of sight. 

“We have to tread carefully, we’ll be too far away for Connor to reach us in time if something happens,” Steele advised. 

“What does that mean? He’s just a human,” Balto commented. Sure, there was something strange about him but he doubted the man could be that much of a help.

Steele just chuckled and decided some things were best left unsaid… Instead, Steele focused on what was ahead of him. Beside him, Balto carefully dragged the sleigh and it’s cargo, hoping that whatever it was wasn’t too urgent.

“We take a left here,” Steele informed aloud. Taking into account the terrain needed for the sleigh.

Balto nodded and followed. “Um…” seeing no other way to pass the time, the wolfdog attempted to make conversation. “I never expected to run into you out here.” 

“I can say the same for you,” Steele responded. “How did you manage to end up so far off course?” The wolfdog flinched a little in shame.

“T-the alabaster route was blocked by an avalanche,” Balto revealed.

Steele hummed, “Hmm...yes, that does happen occasionally…They didn’t tell you about the alternate routes, did they?”

“Alternate routes?” Balto repeated, inadvertently confirming the malamute’s suspicions. 

Rather than lecture the other canine, Steele felt another emotion overtaking him. “Balto… I’m sorry…”

The wolfdog’s eyes grew wide upon hearing such unexpected words. “Sorry? For what?”

“For leaving all of this for you to handle alone,” Steele admitted. “It’s not an easy task.” 

“But it’s a task that’s mine,” Balto added. “And I want to do it.” 

“Are you sure about that, Balto? It may seem great right now but there may be a time that…”

“With all due respect,” Balto interrupted. “I’m the leader now. And I’m sure I can manage where you left off. As soon as I make this delivery everything’s gonna be fine.” 

“You’re willing to bet your life on that?” Balto paused at the tone of the malamute’s voice “You only saw the struggle I had as a leader on the very surface level, my triumphs and glory. But you must not forget that it is only because those are the rewards the humans give you. But they are not so keen on failure.” 

“It’s only one failure,” Balto corrected. “They’ll understand one delivery going late. After all, it was an avalanche. It’s not as if I was lying around in the forest.” 

Steele almost pitied the wolfdog's naivete, unless something major had changed in the town Balto would be in for a very rude awakening. He could only imagine that the humans were already thrown off from his own disappearance, another delay from their new lead dog would not be tolerated. He knew very well that the more humans didn’t get their way, the more angry they became. And that anger often turned to violence against one they posed the blame on, and long had the sled-dogs been an easy target to pin such blame unto. 

With Steele leading the way, the two canines soon made it to the forest’s edge. The outskirts of the town was in view, much to Balto’s relief. “There it is!” he bounded forwards, out of the foliage. It was there that he caught sight of someone looking for him. 

The human had called the others over, there hadn’t been the buzz of jubilation he had expected at his arrival, but Balto was nonetheless quite proud he had made it. Better late than never… He approached the forming group of men, standing at attention before them. He expected relief that he was found okay and finally brought the cargo. But what came was a bout of angry shouts on all sides, only growing louder and all the more intense when the tarp was lifted, revealing nearly half the items were badly damaged.

 As they closed in he ironically couldn’t help but recall Steele’s words: You’re willing to bet your life on that? The words echoed in his head. S-surely whatever punishment he was gonna receive wasn’t gonna be that bad right? It was his very first major mistake, after all. But his eyes grew wide upon seeing a rather large man picking up a thick stick that had fallen from the nearby trees. He attempted to back away but the other men held his reins tight, preventing his escape. 

Steele shut his eyes as he couldn’t bear to look, not even from a distance. He didn’t know it, but Balto was once more lucky, the men seemingly had things that needed doing and so made it their ‘punishment’ brief. To make matters all the worse, they left the wolfdog but took the cargo, carrying it off like he was worthless. 

The malamute, upon seeing Balto left beaten on the streets, couldn’t get himself to just turn away. As Balto stumbled to his legs he got his attention. The former sled-dog rushed forwards, helping the other canine stay steady on his paws. He guided him into an alley so they wouldn’t be seen. He feared the men would be back if they found another issue with the items they hauled off. 

“Balto…” Steele said slowly. “I tried to warn you this might happen.” 

“N-no…” Balto winced. “They were right to be angry… I was late and the delivery was damaged… This is my fault.”

The malamute gasped and placed a paw on the other canine’s shoulder. “This is not your fault. Whether you were late or whether their human junk was damaged, you shouldn’t be beaten in the streets for it.” At the very least they had the courtesy to drag him out of sight before ‘putting him in his place’, it seemed the humans had only gotten worse since he left. 

Steele couldn’t believe what he was going to offer his former target of hate. “Balto...you don’t have to suffer like this...you are worth more than whatever nicknacks the humans make you freight...You can go get Jenna and come back with me to Connor’s place. He welcomes all.. I will explain to the others and they will understand.”

“Steele…” Balto grunted. “There’s an entire town that’s depending on me.”

“Balto, they’re exploiting and abusing you,” Steele emphasized. “They reward you when you obey them, but the moment nature or anything gets in the way of a delivery, they will do things like this, take their senseless anger out on you. It’ll only get worse from here.” Steele shuddered, he had heard stories of how some lead sled-dogs had been “retired” early. More like they were hurt so badly they couldn’t perform their duties anymore. Now the human’s fury was at an all time high. There was no telling what the next punishment would be, not if...but when Balto screwed up again. They would be scrutinizing him intensely from now on, looking for any excuse or fault. 

Balto looked to be in deep thought “I...I don’t need your advice Steele...Run...run away, that is all you seem good for…” The words hurt, but he understood why Balto was directing his anger at him. This was, in a twisted way, his fault. 

“Very well...just keep in mind my offer...it will always be open. If you need a sanctuary, come find us.” He knew that stubborn look, he wouldn’t be able to talk sense into Balto right now. But he would make sure he remembered there was somewhere he could go. Reluctantly, the malamute left the other canine behind to recover on his own and slowly left the town itself. He felt an extreme guilt at doing such a thing but Balto made his choice, and he had no choice but to respect it….

Soon Steele returned to the cabin. Rodger and Mince greeted their mate but the malamute padded right past them, making a beeline for Connor’s quarters. They were concerned, his eyes had been hollow and on the verge of breaking into frustrated tears. Sensing his distress, the werewolf was already in his alternate form, awaiting the malamute. As he had feared, it seemed the worst had likely befell Balto. 

“He chose to stay…” Steele recounted. “They beat him out in the open and he chose to stay.” Any hate he had held for Balto was long gone, he only held pity for the wolfdog who seemingly thought himself worthless, justifying what the humans had done to him as if it had been just. 

Connor said nothing, but just held him. It pained him as well to know such harm befell one of his own but there was nothing the two of them could do. Balto would have to leave on his own for them to be able to help and it seemed he was resolved to stay no matter what. A noble if foolish decision in his opinion.

But whatever thoughts Connor had on Balto he paused as he turned his attention to the malamute who needed him right now. He had never seen the usually proud canine in such a state. Poor Steele was still shaken by the sounds that he heard. Though he refused to look, the malamute had given a vivid enough image of what was troubling his mind. 

Balto...he had heard of him before Steele had found and led him to the cottage. An outcast dog since birth due to his bloodline, only ever got recognition after he saved that important supply. Of course the rewards and recognition would convince most to endure a little pain, especially if they hadn’t known such things like Balto, but the humans showed they didn’t value him at all. Who punished an important member of their sled-team cruelly like that? It was not just disproportionate, it was downright sadistic and even counter-intuitive, a wounded dog could not complete deliveries. 

But then again, there were many obedient dogs in the town, perhaps the humans were more than prepared to just replace leader after leader, one after the next, as if it meant nothing anymore. As long as there was a canine to fulfill their desires they would hold back their fury. But if what Steele had said was true, then the anger the villagers always had just below the surface had grown, soon Connor imagined they would not be able to hold it back much more. Soon they would start to unleash it on each other, fueling the fire further and then...a death spiral was the only outcome. 

In truth, poor Balto was now set up for failure. His injuries would take time to heal but it was clear the hybrid would try to power through them. It wasn’t a matter of if—but of when Balto would fail again. Steele could only hope the other canine would not be foolish enough to take up the reins right away. Failure would find him for sure with so many scrutinizing eyes looking for fault in him. With his injuries and the renewed pressure that would be put upon him… It only made the malamute worry all the more. There was a part of him that urged him to run back to town, find Balto, and drag him back to the cottage, even if that meant he would be kicking and screaming. But another gentle pat from Connor delivered a silent advisory against such an act, it would only put Balto in more danger. 

“Tiny...I know you are listening at the door,” Connor said, calling out the eavesdropping Akita. “Be a sweetheart and fetch Mince and Rodger.” Steele needed all the comfort he could get right now.

“It’s not your fault Steele,” Connor assured.

The malamute sighed “In a way...it kind of is…”

“No...you are not responsible for their cruelty. Only they are,” Connor assured. “The sad truth is; if you never escaped, this would still have happened, they would need a replacement and they would still have picked Balto.” 

Steele shuddered at what that could have meant for him… If he was lucky, some fan of his might have taken in his broken body and cared for him the rest of his miserable days...but that was the absolute best case scenario, on the flipside of the coin...he shuddered, he didn’t even want to think about it.

Before the malamute could get lost in the melancholy possibilities of what could have been there was the sound of paws entering the room. Much to his joy and relief, Mince and Rodger made their presence known. 

The two followed Connor’s example and got close to him to just be there for him.

Surrounded by so much love and care Steele couldn’t hold on to his troubled thoughts and just let himself live in the moment. He sent a small prayer to the moon that Balto got out before it was too late…