Chapter 19

Mr. Simpson had Ralph, Dusty, Kip, and Fell all fed and suited up in their new harnesses in the alley behind the post office. The mail had already been put into two large sacks and strapped on the back of the new sled with the rest of the gear. Mr. Simpson stood nearby clapping his hands together, not so much to keep warm but just to pass the time. Everything was ready to go, except his lead dog, Kodi.

"Where is that dog?" Mr. Simpson grumbled as he paced back and forth on the crunching snow. "Should have kept my eye on him last night." He muttered under his breath.

"Maybe he ran off to run on Steel's team." Ralph stated hopefully. "Be better for us, and maybe for him."

Dusty shook her head sadly. "I don't think so."

"What makes you say that?" Ralph asked. "Kids nothing but a bully now."

"It's not that. It's just that I saw Balto and Jenna this morning on the way here. Jenna asked me if Kodi had come back to the boiler room last night. I said no and asked if anything had happened to Kodi."

"Why?" Ralph interrupted. "Who cares if that mutt falls in the ocean?"

"Because Balto had a black eye like he had been in a fight."

Ralph's eyebrows rose. "Balto? In a fight?"

"Yeah, I tried to ask him what happened, but before I could get it out of him they were running off to check somewhere else." Dusty pushed a nervous little pile of snow around in front of her paw.

"Do you think Kodi attacked Balto?" Ralph asked. "It really wouldn't surprise me if he did. But still…"

Dusty shook her head. "I don't know. I wouldn't think he would. But then again I've been wrong about Kodi for a while now."

"You think you were wrong about him?"

Ralph and Dusty both turned to the cream and rust colored husky limping towards them from behind the gear shed. Congealed and bloody gashes covered his face, neck, back, and legs. His left eye had begun to bruise over and close up. His upper lip puffed like a balloon ready to burst. For how terrible Dakota looked, he looked like another dog completely.

"Dakota?" Dusty asked in a bewildered and unsure tone. "Is that you?"

Dakota bowed his head. "Yeah, what's left of me anyways."

Dusty stepped closer to Dakota and inspected the totality of his wounds as if they had been put on as some poorly thought out prank. "Did … Kodi?"

Dakota shook his head. "Yeah."

"Why? How? Where?" Dusty spitted the words out in one single breath as she stepped back into line. "How could he attack his own brother? Did he attack Balto to?"

Dakota sat, his face full of obvious pain from the action. "Oh, I'm sore." He breathed for a moment. "I tried to warn him about Steel, then him and Steel jumped me and did … well, this. Only thing that saved me from a worse beating was my mom and dad showed up. I don't think Kodi liked that much since he attacked dad."

"He attacked Balto? I knew that slithering snake would." Ralph replied in a rage. "Is there anything he won't do?"

"I don't know." Dakota said shaking his head solemnly. "All I know is he's not my brother anymore. I don't care who he is now. I tried to help him, but he doesn't want help. He knows exactly where he wants to be." Dakota lifted himself off the ground with more of the same pained faces he had given when he sat. "I don't want to be here when he gets here. I just wanted to warn you guys he's not Kodi anymore. He's something worse now. Just stay out of his path and as far away from him as you can." Dakota began to amble back the way he had come.

Dusty's curiosity got the better of her. "What was Kodi doing last night when you found him?" Dusty asked, trying to sound like she really didn't care, but the concern in her tone undoubtedly bled through.

Dakota looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "I don't know what he was trying to do, but I know what he was doing."

"What was he doing then?"

"He was getting ready to go. How do you say it nicely? 'Swimming,' with some girl. Just remember to save your own hides, not his." Dakota continued walking around the edge of the post office and vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

Dusty tried not to let the hurt of Kodi's, 'swim,' onto her face. She felt betrayed again. She felt the wounds Kodi had opened before being stretched wide and prodded at with a sharp stick. But like any scar tissue, it was easier to open up a second time.

Kodi never felt so sick and tired in his entire life. Earlier he had felt powerful and unstoppable, ready beyond all doubts to take over the world. But this morning he felt queasy, sore, tired, lost, and in no mood to make a hundred mile run.

Kodi began to curse Kirby under his breath for being hurt and on the sidelines. If Kirby felt well enough to criticize Kodi about his leadership skills he should at least be good enough to run the stupid mail for a day so Kodi could get some sleep.

But something in Kodi knew he couldn't let that happen. More than anything Kodi didn't want to see another dog in his lead traces, especially after he worked so hard to get them. Kodi didn't know exactly what he would do if Kirby stood in his traces when he got there, but he knew it wouldn't be good or terribly pretty.

So Kodi ambled slowly to the post office, taking a minute or two here and there to vomit, breath, and regain his composure to stumble onwards. He knew they'd be lucky to make it ten miles outside of town before he collapsed.

Finally Kodi made it to the post office. He paused, took a moment to collect himself, and stepped confidently into the alley to his awaiting team.

When Dusty saw Kodi step around the corner of the post office she felt rage build in her heart and tempt her lips to move. But then something else happened, something Dusty hadn't expected to happen in this moment. She suddenly felt sorry for Kodi.

Underneath it all she could still see the leader she had fallen for those months and weeks ago. Dusty saw the locks of black hair coming out of Kodi's head and realized Kodi really wasn't bad at heart. Something, or someone, had gotten into him and controlled his action like a puppet. She knew somewhere under the fur and sickness Kodi's true self still lived, breathed, smiled, laughed, and loved.

She also felt a great pity for him and wanted to reach out and help. He seemed barely able to make it to his traces without stumbling over his own paws. Plus, on a side note to herself, Dusty thought the black locks made him look more dashing, mysterious, and exciting.

But then reality kicked back in and Dusty watched her sick and embittered leader silently take his place at the front of the team. His eyes bore briefly on Dusty with pure acrimony, and Dusty swore a streak of red. All the while Mr. Simpson scolded Kodi and put his harness on in a quick fashion. Then he asked aloud about Kodi's fur, but moved on since it didn't matter.

Finally done putting the harness on Mr. Simpson jumped onto the back of the sled. "Hike, hike, hike. Come on, we're running an hour late. Hike, Hike, get up there."

Kodi and the team leaned hard into the traces and pulled. The sled moved around the post office and turned up the hill leading out of town.

By the time they reached the ten mile mark Kodi might as well have been dead and just as much good at pulling. The traces dragged loosely behind him in the snow, occasionally tripping Dusty and Ralph up. The team no longer ran but simply walked along through the forest. Kodi knew at this rate it would take them three or four days to reach White Mountain. He knew he should have just stayed home, he wished he had just stayed home.

"Come on. Pick up the pace." Ralph taunted. "We're not on a stroll through the park here."

Dusty tried to stare Ralph down, to tell him to stop with her eyes. But she could see in Ralph's eyes he wanted to pick a fight and there was little to stop him.

"Our fearless leader, too sick to pull a little mail?" Ralph continued to taunt. "Maybe you should just quit and go join Steel's team?"

Kodi hadn't the spirits for this. He felt winded and exhausted beyond anything he had ever felt in his entire life. He struggled with all his might to simply keep his stomach from emptying in another violent surge, let alone run or lead. Now Ralph was going to get going on him? Kodi knew this wouldn't stand for too much longer. He knew one of them was going to go down.

"What is that new hair dew slowing you down?" Ralph continued. "Getting to much wind resistance?"

Keep running Kodi; don't let it get to you. You and him will have a talk when you stop. Kodi thought to himself as he struggled. But the thought did little to stop the surge of anger building.

"Keep up this pace and maybe we'll be there by the time the snow thaws."

Kodi half looked over his shoulder, stumbled, almost fell, but managed to recover. Kodi growled and clenched his paws. That's it, one more outburst, and I'm going to cleave his head from his shoulders.

"Hey Kodi, I saw the black eye you gave Balto th-"

But Ralph didn't have a moment to utter another word. Kodi jackknifed around in mid stride and seized Ralph's neck in his jaws. Both of them collapsed into the snow at the side of the trail as the rest of the team stopped in shock. Together they kicked up a flurry of snow around each other, snarling and tangling harnesses together while growling like wild beasts.

"Hey! Hey!" Mr. Simpson bellowed from the sled.

"Kodi, Ralph! Stop it!" Dusty yelled at the pair of them.

Then the cloud of snow began to lessen and Dusty realized the fight had turned from a brawl to a possible murder. Kodi lay on top of Ralph with his jaws firmly clenched around Ralph's neck. Ralph's eyes rolled back in his head and began to move less and less. He struggled less and less. His paws kicked feebly out and petted at Kodi's fur. Ralph was dying.

Dusty had to do something and stop this. She began to panic as she realized she might have to get in this fight.

But before Dusty could understand what she needed to do Mr. Simpson rushed up the line and stood over the two dogs with a stout club he always carried in his gear but had never used. "Break it up!" He commanded in an enraged tone. "Stop it!"

Kodi continued to choke the life out of Ralph, seemingly unaware of Mr. Simpson's presence.

Finally Mr. Simpson raised the club high over his head and brought it down on top of Kodi's head with a crack. Like a light going off Kodi jerked once, and was still.

"Mr. Conner?" Came a shout from the front of the post office.

Mr. Conner recognized the voice from the back room, but failed to understand the urgency behind it. "If you're back already with the mail it's a record?" He smiled and chuckled at his own joke.

"No. I had a problem."

Mr. Conner, curiosity spread cross his face, set the pile of mail he had been sorting aside and walked around to the front counter. "What's the trouble?"

Mr. Simpsons leaned heavily on the counter. His beaver-skin mittens and hat lay next to him in a pile. "Kodi and Ralph got in a scrap."

"Are either of them hurt?" Mr. Conner asked.

Mr. Simpson shook his head. "Ralph's going to be fine; I left him at the vet to get stitches. But I had to knock Kodi out to stop him from killing Ralph."

Mr. Conner raised his eyebrows. "Knocked out?"

Mr. Simpson shook his head and looked into his hands as if ashamed of the action. "I don't know. He's just been antsy and nippy lately. Now he's just getting violent. What should I do with him? This morning he couldn't even pull. He just wandered down the trail at a trot, and then out of nowhere attacked Ralph."

"Maybe your training them to hard?"

Mr. Simpson shook his head. "No more than usual. I could be. But I don't think I am."

Mr. Conner leaned on the counter across from Mr. Simpson. "Maybe you need to cut him from the team? Sell him and get another lead dog."

Mr. Simpson shook his head at the idea. "No I can't, not this close to the race. I just don't have time to train another lead dog."

"What about Kirby?" Mr. Conner stated blandly.

Again Mr. Simpson shook his head. "He's a good dog, but with his recent attack I don't know how good a shape he's going to be in when the race comes. The doc assures me he's going to be fit for the race. But I don't think he will be." Mr. Simpson let it trail off.

Mr. Conner seemed to weight the whole matter heavily in his mind. "You're in a pickle then." He stated finally.

Mr. Simpson shook his head. "You're telling me. I don't even know how I'm going to deliver the mail today."

Mr. Conner shrugged his shoulders. "It wouldn't be the first time it didn't get through on the day it should, or the week it should. I wouldn't worry about the mail. Just concentrate on getting your dogs in order. The mail can wait."

Mr. Simpson shook his head as he accepted the idea, but his face betrayed his shame to have to take the easy way out. "Alright, thank you." Mr. Simpson grabbed his hat and mittens off the counter, put them on, then turned and left through the door with the bell.

Balto and Jenna opened the door to the boiler room and stepped in through the blast of arctic wind. Balto quickly kicked the door shut with his back paw and the mist surrounding them dissipated. Dusty, Kip, and Fell all sat in front of the boiler silently gazing over at Balto and Jenna. Then they turned back to the fire inside the boiler.

Instantly Jenna rushed across the room to her son lying on his side on a blanket near the back corner of the room. "Kodi, Kodi, Kodi." She said dropping to her belly and prodding his shoulder with her nose. But Kodi didn't move. He simply breathed in, then out.

Dusty stood and strolled across the room to Jenna's side in a dignified way. "I don't think he's going to wake up for a while. And when he does I don't think he's going to be very happy." She said quietly over Jenna's shoulder.

Jenna looked at Dusty. "What happened? Has Mr. Simpson taken him to the Doctor?"

Dusty shrugged. "The doctor was here earlier. He said Kodi was fine, just unconscious and dehydrated. He thought Kodi might have canine flu. He said he should probably rest for a day or two. Then Mr. Simpson left with Ralph to go to the doctor's office to get stiches."

"Stiches?" Balto asked. "What happened?"

Dusty sat and related the whole story back to Balto and Jenna. "And then Mr. Simpson left him here and took Ralph to the doctors to get stitches in his neck."

Jenna shook her head and looked at Kodi with a helpless expression. She looked as if she wanted to say something to Kodi, Balto, or anyone. But nothing came to her lips and she just stared blankly around the room.

Balto on the other paw shook with rage. He had begun pacing back and forth across the floor, muttering under his breath and growling deep in his throat as if talking to someone.

Jenna finally looked at Balto. "What are we going to do?"

"Break Kodi's legs if that's what it takes to keep him safe." Balto growled out of frustration. "Or break Steel's." He murmured in an even more serious tone. "I just can't believe Kodi is so wrapped around Steel's paw. I thought we raised him better than this. I thought we raised him to think for himself." Balto continued pacing and growling. Finally Balto looked at the door to the boiler room and began walking towards it. "Stay here."

"Where are you going Balto?" Jenna asked coming to her feet.

"I'm going to go have a little chat with Steel about his legs." Balto said over his shoulder with a growl.

"He's going to be surrounded by his team. You won't get close." Jenna replied. "I'm coming with you."

Balto walked across the room to the door, opened it, and stepped through it. He glanced back at the last instant. "Anybody else coming?"

Jenna looked at Dusty. "Would you please come Dusty?"

Dusty seemed to think hard on the matter for a moment. "Sure, for you though, not Kodi."

"That's fine with me." Jenna replied.

"We will also accompany you." Fell said standing.

"I bite." Kip smiled as he came to his feet. Then he snapped his jaws as if biting something several times.

Together they all left and followed Balto out of the door.

Kodi's head never felt so terrible in his entire life. It felt like a split melon being roasted and boiled over a bonfire while electric bolts of lightning split and cracked like a hundred people splitting firewood in his head. His tongue also felt like a desert and his tongue stuck to his teeth.

Kodi opened his eyes. Everything in his vision was fuzzy and indistinct. His eyes strained to focus, but failed. Kodi knew he was in a building, possibly the boiler room but he couldn't' tell. He closed his eyes again and tried to fall back to sleep. But after a minute he heard a door swinging on its hinges and Kodi opened his eyes to try and look around. Again his eyes didn't focus well enough for him to see who was in the room with him.

"Who's there?" Kodi asked. Kodi heard the padding of paws across the wood floor growing closer to him. "I'm warning you." Kodi growled, but the growl hurt his head and throat too much and he stopped.

"How's that to treat your best friend." Steel replied sitting down in front of Kodi just within Kodi's ability to focus.

"I'm so sick Steel." Kodi replied helplessly. "I'm also so thirsty."

"That's what happens after your graduation party." Steel replied with a smirk.

"My graduation?" Kodi said looking up into Steel's eyes.

"Yes Kodi. You graduated. You're now a true leader, an alpha dog, leader of the pack. And as one leader speaking to another, you need to realize we're competitors in a race. We're friends, and we'll always be friends. I'll always help you when you're in need. But competition breeds a better friendship. I taught you everything I know."

Kodi didn't exactly know what Steel was telling him and he struggled to comprehend. "Is this about why I'm so sick, and why I got hit on the head?"

Steel smiled and leaned down close to Kodi's face. "There can only be one Alpha, one winner in this race. What I'm saying is we're friends, but we're also competitors. The reason you're sick and got hit, which was your own fault, is that I'm competing to be an alpha over you. What I'm saying is going into this race; don't expect me to help you along. But I'll always be your friend."

The lights clicked on in Kodi's head. "I think I understand." Kodi began to chuckle. "You're good."

Steel smiled. "Alright, now I need to go. But I'll see you again race day. Maybe when we reach the gold mine and have our twenty four hour reprieve, we'll hang out again?"

Kodi smiled. "But this time I'm not drinking anything you give me."

"Agreed." Steel smiled as he turned to the door. His smile slowly grew into a sadistic grin. "Agreed."

"Steel, Steel." Char said rushing to the end of his chain to greet Steel. "Balto and a bunch of others were here. Balto made a bunch of noise about getting you back for what you did to his son."

Steel strolled in an unconcerned manner to his chain. "Don't worry about him. He won't fight me as long as I'm with my team. He doesn't want to see anybody else get hurt. And I don't plan on giving him the option again." Steel bent down and picked his collar up over his nose and slipped it down over his neck with a quick shake of his head. "Besides, he's still half wolf, and if he lays one paw on me everybody in town who still distrusts him will tear him apart. He doesn't want to stir up a hornets nest."

"What about Kodi?"

"Don't worry Char. I'm going to get him when we reach the gold mine and our reprieve. Just sit tight and concentrate on winning this race." Steel smiled as he curled around three times and lay over on his side and closed his eyes.