[mochii_]

name;; gunner
age;; adult
gender;; male
owner;; Chimericect
kennel;; snowstorm runners
equipment;; ultra harness, thick booties, training collar

---

genotype;; wip
eyes color;; blue(left) & amber(right)
phenotype;; agouti wolf gray
breeding slots;; unlimited
litters;; none

---

total wins;; 0
current ranking;; 0

---

intelligence;; 7(+3)
speed;; 7(+11)
stamina;; 14(+23)
strength;; 10(+8)
total;; 38(83)

[yeena]

Name;; T'Challa
Age;; Adult
Gender;; Male

Kennel;; Artic Reins
---
Story: T’Challa dug his large paws into the soft snow, effectively leaving deep marks in the ground. His jaws were shut tight and clamped together, eyes staring straight forward at the scenery in front of him. The male let his tail swish around, brushing the very edge of the metal sled that he was tugging behind him. The sled was effectively causing Challa’s shoulders hard strain, the weight of it and the musher making it all the more harder to move through the deep snow. Though the track was clear and relatively short, he still felt like he had been working for hours on end. A hiss escaped the male’s maw, frustration coursing through him as he could feel the other teams riding on his heels.
It truly made him angry.
His partner next to him looked over at him, their blue eyes sparkling in concern before he was focusing back on the track; what T’Challa should have been doing. Instead, the brute was snarling aggressively and pushing harder against the dragging pressure on his shoulders. Everything felt rough and like it was all going too fast; the dog felt mental pressure. It was heavier than the straps on his side and the weight of the sled. It was an unshakeable pressure; he could feel it digging into him beyond the skin. He felt his whole inner workings start to snap.
Everything began to shut down for a couple of seconds before he narrowed his bright eyes and grit his teeth more harshly than before, pushing the weight of his world off of his shoulders and dragging it behind him instead, along with the sled and man.
The dark dog began to lose feeling in his legs, making his shorten his strides and slow down. The encouragement from the musher didn’t make the brute try to move faster; instead, it made some form of anger bubble up inside him. The bubble began to fester inside of him, spitting its acid around and making the dog emit a strong aura of toxicity. He shook his fur viciously while running, some spittle flying from off of his jowls in the process.
T’Challa had to remind himself that he was not doing this for anyone.
The musher behind him was not the reason that he regained his sense of mind, shaking the dark cloud from it until it vanished. The dog next to him was not the reason that he sped up, making larger leaps and stretching his legs out farther with each stride. The rival teams steadily running against his heels definitely weren’t the reason that he snapped at the air aggressively and drove his claws into the ground for a more stable footing. None of them were the reason that he excelled toward the finish line, his partner stumbling to keep match with his pace. None of them.
T’Challa felt weightless passing over the colored marking in the snow that determined the finish line. The crowd erupted around them, making the male flatten his ears down while he came to a steady halt. His partner seemed to bask in the cheering, his tail thrashing against Challa’s leg and head bobbing in time with the clapping and noise. The darker brute wasn’t as impressed, however.
They had placed first in the race and yet he could only stare around at the crowd with a stoic expression. The canid didn’t hop along to show hsi utter joy for the win, instead he grit his teeth and patiently awaited to be released from the hold that the straps still had on his sides. He felt the musher hop off the sled, there was some relieved pressure, and he carefully listened to the person’s heavy steps in the snow. They greeted his partner first, releasing him before moving to T’Challa. Challa merely stared at the person, tail not moving in the slightest.
The man looked down at the dark dog, briefly frowning before leaning down to rub the dog’s stiff ears.
“You did good, Challa. I know that Jule is proud of you.”
The dog didn’t understand the language entirely, but he heard that name and caught onto the bit of praise. Refusing to let out a sad whine, he only kept his golden eyes locked with the man’s hazel ones.
Emotion passed through T’Challa’s bright eyes briefly; a small hint of remembrance and sadness. It was only for a quick second, however, before the dog was back to normal and feeling a wave of release wash over him. The straps had been unbinded from the sled, making the weight on his shoulders go away entirely. With a quick shake of his thick pelt, the dog stepped forward and sniffed the air gently. The race had been won.

[KathrynKat]

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
name;; Ruthy
age;; adult
gender;; female
owner;; KathrynKat
kennel;; Moon Forest Kennel
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
art

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Personality;
Ruthy is a gentle and rather quiet dog. She doesn't like to
get in the way of any being or of another dog. Her favorite toy is
a stuffed lion. She carries the toy everywhere inside. When she's about
to eat or go outside, she always hides her toy. Her favorite places to
sleep are inside of any kind of box for almost closed area she can fit.
If there isn't already 1 or 2 blankets in the places she sleeps, she'll
steal one from another dog's bed, owner's bed, couch... pretty much
anywhere there is a blanket in her site.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

First Pulling a Sled
There was a larger training event, that happens every month. Any owner
of a puppy or puppies, are allowed to enter this training class event.
It's a class that requires an entire day. The training started out with some
basic warm ups. Basic warm ups range from playing fetch,
or owner & dog jogging side by side.
It was time... Time to do the training race.

Ruthy has never exactly pulled a sled before unless you
want to count a kids plastic sled. Ruthy was teamed up with Nana for a
2 dog sled race against other 2 dog teams. All dogs had around 50 or less
stat points, and haven't done many comps them selves. Ruthy and Nana
anxiously pounced around as they sat in the harnesses hooked to the sled,
at the starting point. Ruthy's focus was suddenly drawn when she saw
something on the track moving at a far distance. She squirmed and yelped.

She wanted to chase the thing and figure out what it was in her path.
Nana just looked back then back at Ruthy and just groans. The horns
and speakers go off, then the gates slam open. The dogs jump but ran,
soon as they heard the Que and saw other dogs on the run.

After the race, there was a swimming pool for the dogs. This was to cool them,
and training their muscles at the same time. There were tons of
toys for the dogs to play with, and all sorts of dogs pools. Ruthy bounced through,
all the pools, even splashing other dogs. At the end of the day Ruthy was so
tired she had passed out on the way back home in the car.
She even had to be carried in she was so tired. While Nana followed along side.


~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
(No other name but Ruthy comes to mind...
My Grandma has had so many cats, and one she used to have,
name was Ruthy and her coat was like this.
So... pretty much what fits *shrugs*.)

[wolfpack12]

name;; Laika
age;; adult
gender;; female
owner;; wolfpack12
kennel;; Northern Lights Kennel
---
art/story:

Exhaustion. That was all she could feel, as Laika ran behind her teammate. Her tongue slightly hanging out of her mouth, as her breathing started to become heavy from the strain of pulling her team's sled. What had first started off as a seemingly small race. Turned into one that felt as if they had ran halfway across the world. While Laika had been trained to be prepared for such a long run, she wasn't quite as experienced as the rest of her team. Especially Takita and Dingo. Now, that inexperience was starting to become her downfall, as she tried to keep an even pace with her teammate. The once gentle grip of her harness, that had made her feel secure and safe. Now became slightly painful as she forced her body to move faster. Beginning to dig into her chest and shoulders.

The only thing that seemed to keep her going, was her musher's encouraging words. Giving the young female spirit, as she tried to ignore her body's aches and pains. However, there was no doubt in Laika's mind, that she was going to gain bruises the very next day. The pulling on her chest, making it slightly difficult for her to breathe. Surprisingly, only three teams had managed to make it this far. Hers, and two others. One of which was now gaining on them. If the quickly approaching sound of paw steps had anything to say about it. It wasn't until one of the rival team's dogs was running beside her, that she felt her blood go cold. She knew that scent, and she knew that face.

" Well, if it isn't the little 'wolfdog', surprised to see you all the way out here", the black and white male mocked. Not nearly as tired out, as the female he was running beside. Laika didn't need to glance at him, to know that he had that little smirk on his face.

Grimacing, the female kept her attention focused on what was in front of her. She had met this dog once before. Roscoe, she believed his name was. While she wasn't surprised to see him struggling. She was surprised to see him in a two dog sled team race. Considering that will all the boasting he had done back in their youth, she had at least expected him to be in one of the larger team races. Although, on the other hand, she did find it amusing to see her childhood bully running in such a small race.

However, this time, she wasn't backing down. After all, she wasn't afraid of him, as much as she once was." I'm surprised.... you can.... still talk.... Roscoe", she replied, in between breaths. Feeling reassured, in knowing that Takita was running right beside her. The red and white female lending her strength. Roscoe simply frowned in her direction. Clearly confused at what was said." What do you mean?", he asked. Slowing down only briefly, before his musher urged him to move faster. Laika could only smile innocently, as she glanced over at him for the first time since his appearance." Well.... with all of.... that.... ego.... you have..... floating inside.... that small.... head of.... yours.... I'm surprised.... you haven't.... yet popped", she explained.

While she couldn't exactly see it, she could of sworn she saw Takita smile out of the corner of her eye. Roscoe on the other hand, seemed less than amused. In fact, he looked as if he were about to explode. Only for that anger to quickly vanish within the blink of an eye. As if nothing had happened. Instead the male gave her a sickeningly sweet smile, as a hollow laugh escaped his throat." Very funny, Laika, quite comedic, I'll admit, I'm impressed with that one, but I'm afraid we both know that's all you'll ever be.... a joke", he replied. This, of course earned the female's attention, as she glanced in his direction. No longer looking as confident as she did before.

" I mean, your just a replacement after all, someone to take Dingo's spot while he recovers from his recent injury, after that, you won't be needed anymore and placed to the side, like the unwanted runt you are, after all, no one wants a dog who resembles a wolf on their team", he added. Watching as the female fell silent, her ears slowly moving flat against her head. His signature smirk returning. He was right. They both knew it. Even if Laika would never admit it out loud. He was inside her head, and he was winning." Face it, your not a true sled dog, your just a burden, that your musher happened to come across and took pity on, nothing else", he finished.

Laika didn't respond. Instead, she kept her focus on the path in front of her. Her eyes were emotionless. Preventing anyone from being able to tell what was going on within her head. She even ignored Takita's occasional concerned glance. It was a good thing she did. She could already feel the tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. For a moment the silence just hung there. Neither team spoke. Until Laika took a deep breath." A true sled dog wouldn't be throwing their weight around, Roscoe, they would be trying to inspire others, to encourage them, so that they could follow their dreams without doubt, no matter what breed they may be, while you may be a sled dog now, you will never be half the dog your father was", she finally replied. For once, she didn't feel breathless. As if something within, had given her the strength to form a full sentence. However, her tone was dark and empty. Her stone cold eyes now locking onto his equally cold gaze. Nothing else needed to be said. For her words had struck deep. Just as Roscoe knew what her insecurities were. She knew his.

For a moment, the two teams ran in silence. Both sides stunned from what was said. Takita especially. For all her years knowing Laika, she never thought that such a sweet dog could suddenly turn. Proving that there was something more to her than meets the eye. Suddenly the silence was broken, by Roscoe's sudden snarl." Why you little.....", the male snarled. Laika didn't have enough time to move out the way, as the male lunged at her. His jaws clamping down on her back leg. A pained yelp escaped her mouth, as she tried to pull her leg free. Only to then fall forwards, as the brute released his grip. The male's muzzle slightly stained with blood. As he ran past her, he cast her a quick glance. A smirk quickly forming on his bloodstained face." What's the matter, Laika? Can't run? What a shame..... well, I guess I'll see you girls, at the finish line", he added.

Takita skidded to a stop, the moment Laika collapsed to the ground. Anger flooding through her, as she snarled after the retreating form of Roscoe." Coward!", she yelled. Her ears pinned flat against her head. Her fur bristling, before she turned her attention back towards her teammate. Their musher was already at the female's side, trying to distract Laika from the pain. Without hesitation, the red and white female was at her injured teammate's side. Head gently nudging the side of her neck." Laika, are you alright?", she asked. The female winced, as she tried to stand back up. Her injured leg shaking underneath her weight. Mustering up the courage to give a fake nod in reply. The truth was, she wasn't. she could barely put her weight on it. Let alone stand. But that doesn't mean she wasn't going to try. Releasing a pained whimper, she slowly lifted herself upwards. Nearly collapsing back to the ground, if it wasn't for her human supporting her.

" Easy, Laika, you got bit pretty badly", Karia, their musher said. Wincing, the injured female glanced at her back leg. Grimacing at the sight of the blood, that was beginning to stain the snow red. A small part of her wanted to listen. To just get away, and recover. But something within her, wouldn't let her. Her heterochromia coloured eyes, glanced in the direction Roscoe had gone. Her gaze becoming clouded, as she silently fell into thought." Laika?", Takita asked. Feeling uncertain, as she gazed into those once familiar eyes. It felt as if she was looking at a completely different dog. Even their musher seemed uncertain, as she tried to gently get Laika to move back towards the sled. So that Takita, could carry them both to the finish line, and get the help Laika needed.

However, before they could even try to do anything else, Laika snapped. Shaking out of her owner's grip, and limped back to her original position. Her blood leaving a small trail along the ground, as she went. She wasn't going to give up. Not now. She no longer cared about winning. All she cared about, was proving Roscoe wrong. To prove that she wasn't a burden." We can still do this, Takita, I can still run", she murmured. She then glared at both her musher and teammate. Her determination burning deep within her oddly coloured eyes. She wasn't going to lose. Not without a fight. Takita looked doubtful, and looked as if she was about to say something. Only to quickly fall silent, under Laika's glare." I don't care about winning, I don't even care if we either lore or end up in second place, Takita, all I do care about, is proving to that brute, that you don't need to be a pureblood to win", she added.

Takita fell silent as she stared at her injured teammate. Every instinct within her, was screaming at her to refuse. To prevent Laika from injuring herself further. But it had become clear, that the injured female had already made her mind up. Releasing a small sigh, the lead dog then gave a reluctant nod." Fine, but the moment your leg becomes too much for you, we stop, understand?", she asked. Her stern eyes leaving no room for argument. That was all Laika needed to her. A small smile forming on the young dogs face, as she nodded in understanding." Good", the lead dog murmured. With that settled, both female glanced simultaneously at their musher. Waiting for her to take the hint. They didn't need to wait long, for one look at the fire in their eyes, was all it took for their musher to understand. Without needing further instruction, both females simultaneously took off, once their musher was back on their sled. Running side by side. Well, in Laika's case, half limping, half running.

Laika didn't know what it was exactly, that gave her the strength to run. It could have been the adrenaline coursing through her veins, or maybe it had been her own inner spirit, encouraging her to keep moving. Maybe it was both. Whatever it was, it had allowed her to catch up to Roscoe, and his team. Every step was pure agony, but she pushed this to the back of her mind. She needed to stay focused. To push any thought of collapsing out of her head. Despite her body telling her otherwise. Even though the feeling of warm blood running down her leg was discouraging. She felt extremely comforted, by the fact that both Takita and their human had supported her with her choice. In fact, she felt as if Takitas own strength was flooding through her. Giving her the courage to pull up alongside her most hated enemy.

Laika couldn't help but feel smug, as she ran beside Roscoe. Finding enjoyment in the male's surprised expression. Even Takita seemed amused, as both females glanced at the rival team." What's the matter, Roscoe? Cat caught your tongue?", Laika mocked. Despite managing to catch up, she did find it slightly difficult to run on only three legs. So she was more surprised than anyone, to find herself keeping up with her childhood bully. This time however, she made sure to keep a considerable distance from the male. Not wishing to suffer from another attack." Maybe next time, think twice before running your mouth!", Takita growled. Causing Laika to smile, at hearing her friend defend her. A smile that only grew, once she spotted the finish line up ahead." Takita! Look!", she cried out. Her eyes lighting up, as she forced her injured and tired body to move even faster. Taking her teammate by surprise, before she realised what had gotten Laika so excited.

Smiling encouragingly at each other, both females pushed themselves forward. Earning a little bit of a gap, between themselves and their rival team. Laika felt as if her heart had jumped into her mouth. Not quite believing her eyes, as they made last ditch effort to reach their final destination. By now, Laika had placed her injured leg on the ground. Due to the fact that she couldn't keep in a straight line, while running on only three legs. Each time her back leg touched the ground, she felt as if a knife was being slowly driven into it." Nearly there, Laika! Just a little further!", Takita said. The red and white female, doing her best to try and encourage her teammate. Noticing how the injured female would wince, each time her bad leg made contact with the ground. If it hadn't of been for Takita's words, Laika would of collapsed from the pain. That much was certain. Her tongue once more hanging out of her mouth, as the two desperately ran towards the finish line.

Both females could sense that Roscoe was slowly gaining on them. They could practically feel his breath on their tails. They knew, that at any minute he would pass them and take the win. Summoning the last of her strength, Laika pushed her body to move faster. Despite it screaming at her to stop. This action of course had its consequences. For her fatigue was starting to return. Her breathing now becoming ragged as she ran. Her chest making it hard to breath, as the harness once more dug into her skin. Nearly strangling her. To make matters worse, she was growing dizzy from blood loss. Her head feeling as if it were high in the clouds. Her legs began to stagger. Nearly sending her tumbling into Takita, and tripping her up. Just as she began to feel like she couldn't go any further, she heard the sound of cheering. They had done it. They had managed to cross the finish line in time. With Roscoe's team coming in second.

Tired, and in severe pain, Laika finally allowed herself to sink to the ground. Doing her best to catch her breath, as she took in her surroundings. The sound coming from the crowd was nearly overwhelming. Washing over her like a giant wave. If it weren't for Takita stepping into her line of sight, she would of tried to run. Not that she could of anyway." We did it, Laika! We won!", she said. The smile that graced her lead dog's face, was something Laika made sure to never forget. It was like how mother would smile at her pup, when they did something incredible. So for Takita to look at her with such pride, it meant the entire world to Laika. If it weren't for her injured leg, she would of been jumping around with excitement. Instead she remained where she was, laughing quietly along with her teammate.

Laika then glanced upwards, upon feel two gentle gloved hands cup the sides of her head. Her head being lifted up carefully, until it rested against someone's forehead. She didn't need to catch the person's scent, to know who it was. Her tired, but happy gaze locked onto the gaze belonging to her human. A gaze that showed nothing but kindness and pride. All Laika could do, was smile as she relaxed into the embrace." You did good, Laika, you did good", her human whispered gently. Softly running her gloved hands along the dogs soft fur. Causing the injured female to slowly wag her tail in appreciation." I must admit, you both surprised and worried me, I was so worried that you would collapse, that you would be in too much pain to even move, but you proved me wrong", the female added softly. Pride evident in her voice, as she gently pulled the injured female into a hug. Laika simply rested her head on the humans shoulder. Feeling both relieved and safe. Before feeling herself being carefully lifted upwards, and placed carefully on the main part of the sled." We're going to get that leg checked, but for now, rest, you've done enough already", her human finished.

The next thing she knew, she felt the sled slowly being pulled along. Taking her further into the small town they arrived in. As she watched the different buildings go by, she felt relief flood through her entire body. Glad to finally rest, and allow her body a chance to recover. She had no doubt that she will be getting an earful from Takita later. But for now, both dogs were content with what they had done. Especially Laika. For she had done it. She had proving Roscoe wrong, and in turn proved that she wasn't a burden. That she can run just as well as any dog. But more importantly, she had finally won her first race.

Who said you needed to be a full blooded pedigree, to win a race?

[whisky]

Marking for after I register !! <3

[Kara Danvers]

Dropped out. Good luck to all.

[Chimericect]

name;; Gunner
age;; adult
gender;; male
owner;; Chimericect
kennel;; Snowstorm runners


- made with incarnate //please do not steal this idea
- Path drawn out for easier viewing, but in the race it would have been complete snow uwu <3 -

art/story ||
[ I took some artistic liberty and tried to be creative with the prompt. It's not a win like you would think, I hope that's okay! ]

Gunner twitched excitedly in his harness, tag wagging excitedly next to his teammate, Ghost. “Calm down,” She murmured coldly, looking rather unpleased. She was only slightly older than he was, but even slightly meaned more experienced. She had run races before this with another dog, who resided on the sidelines, cheering them on. She, rather obviously, preferred her other partner over him. Gunner knew this, too. It only fueled his determination, as he wanted to do well. I won't let you down, I promise. By the end of today, you'll be looking at your new racing partner. By the end of this race, you'll be looking at a champion. He thought. Confidence radiated off of the pup, he knew in his heart and in his soul that he could do that. Even his name backed his confidence. Gunner, not named because of his sharp and precise skills, but because it means battle strong. He could handle the harsh terrain, and the others who may not believe in him, but he knew he was here for a reason: to win. That's what he was bred for after all, he was a winner. He had to be. That’s why, as soon as his master yelled "Hike" for them to begin, he took off with no hesitation. No fear, no holding back. His paws hit the ground hard, even in the sinking snow it pushed him forward and forced Ghost to go too. She stared at him and was clearly impressed by the small runt for a moment, but the praise didn't last. Within moments the inexperienced pup seemed to start straying from the path. He definitely possessed some power, and quite a bit of potential. Unfortunately, the potential of being a lead dog was not quite there. “This way,” Ghost murmured. Ghost was a lead dog, and was exceptionally fantastic at her job. Wasn't bred for it, either. It took a lot of training to get where she was, and Gunner could tell that she was disciplined and focused on the task at hand. Leading, though, clearly wasn’t gunners strong point, but his determination and spirit to keep going allowed him to outshine any in other fields. He didn't need to be a lead anyway, what king of strong dog who has the most endurance one could have do with leading? No, he was most definitely a wheel dog, or a sprint runner.

“Stop pulling that way,” Ghost hissed, glaring at the smaller pup. He hadn't been paying attention, he simply ran full steam ahead and hoped that Ghost would be able to guide him. Unfortunately, he learned that it wasn't quite how racing worked, not when you're side by side. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath, immediately trying to correct his mistake by moving in a bit closer/. Big mistake. "Not there, either." Ghost snapped, growling at him and baring her teeth. Poor Gunner flattened his ears and went midway between the two positions he had taken. Ghost gave him a slight nod. This is going to be a long race. I wonder how her first race went, I doubt she was so perfect. He thought bitterly, staying silent for a bit longer.

His curiosity ended up getting the better of him, though, as the race seemed to never end. Finally, he turned to Ghost, glancing up at her for only a moment. "Stop looking at me and focus on where you're running," she scolded. Gunner immediately faced forward, his ears pinned against his head in anger. "Good, now what do you want?" Ghost asked. Her voice was harsh and it constantly felt like Gunner was being scolded. He didn't like it. Unfortunately for him, he really wanted to know where he was. "I just wanted to know where we are, erm, how much further we have left of the race." He asked, wincing slightly as she began to respond. Her response, though, wasn't too bad, and was more insightful than anything. She had run this track before, whether it was practice or other races she knew this track by heart, and it was something that she seemed to be proud of. "Well, we just passed the bridge a little while ago. We're going around the mountains, as most do, since the path through the mountains is much more dangerous. It should only be tried by advanced teams, and you," she trailed off. Gunner narrowed his eyes, awaiting what she would say. "You have no experience yet. This is your first, so I made sure that we went around. I don't believe that anyone went through, either. We're still making some pretty good time." She responded. Gunner was amazed by the memory and the intelligence she possessed, even admiring it a little bit. "You'll know we're just about there when the mountains end. We're only about halfway, if that."

Gunners mouth gaped open for a moment. Only about halfway? That's it? We've been running for forever. he whined to himself, not daring to speak those words out loud. Looks like I have to get used to the longer races.

They ran through a valley of white and green, their fur the only protection from the bitter cold that snapped at them like a hungry wolf. Given he was bred for this type of terrain, it didn't bother him too much, but his paws were starting to numb up a little. He didn't fit into the fancy gear at this time, he needed a few more months to grow. Nonetheless, he continued on. It shouldn't be too much further, could it? Where does it even end? He thought, scanning the area diligently. “How can you tell where we’re supposed to go?” He asked Ghost nervously, scared she would only snap again. Everything looked the same to him. Ghost gave a small smirk, he could only assume of pride given the hidden compliment, before her scowl came back. The small white husky was in focus mode, and focus mode means that she should not be bothered. After all, she was getting them to the finish line. “I just can, now let’s go. You’re slowing down.” She murmured angrily, not bothering to even look at him. This hit a nerve in Gunner, the one thing you shouldn't do is insult him. Gunner narrowed his eyes, not liking Ghost too much either due to this. In fact, he was personally offended by the statement, and had they not been participating in a race he would've started to snarl at her. He knew that he probably wouldn't be able to take her on, not yet at least, but the ambitious pup decided to start plotting now, deciding she probably wouldn't get any better with time. Instead, he simply mumbled “I never slow down." under his breath before speeding up even more next to the white husky. Just keep the peace until the race is over. May as well not start anything. Besides, she could eat you for dinner after this, you aren't very big right now. Later.

As the race dragged on, dark grey clouds began to roll over them and cover the sea blue sky, and soon even more freezing powder of white began to settle on the ground around them. "Snowstorm," Ghost whined, slowing for a second before continuing to go on. She looked nervous, and seeing her that way only made Gunner anxious. He had never seen her this way, even in training and at the house she was always so level headed. I wonder what could be going on with her. Hah, so much for being the best lead around. She can't even handle some snow. Gunner didn't seem to care how Ghost felt, not yet at least. He had no reason to. Ghost had been nothing but rude to the agouti colored dog. However, the musher seemed to pick up on this nervousness. Gunner noticed that the human whistled a little, trying to get attention of her. The musher then muttered some words that seemed to calm her down, although Gunner wasn't yet too skilled with the human language yet. I wonder what he said. And why. What would have happened that caused Ghost to be so anxious? He began to think, but was pulled out of his thoughts by the uncharacteristically soft and low voice of Ghost. "We have to speed it up a little more, are you good to go faster?" she asked, her voice calming, but shaky. She was terrified. Gunner gave an affirming nod, though, not allowing himself to push just yet. He made sure to keep up with her, and before long, the two gave even more effort than before, trudging though the snow in record time.

What they didn't account for, however, was sled control. They hadn't felt the teetering sled, nor had they paid heed to the musher yelling for them to slow down. The musher was tuned out. Ghost was focused on going fast, hoping to reach the finish line before the storm worsened, while Gunner listened to Ghost, and Ghost was going much to fast. Even for him. It wasn't until their sled toppled over to the side and the two sled dogs were pulled back, that Ghost and Gunner were pulled from their own thoughts. Gunner yelped, clearly surprised by this. What just happened? he thought frantically, while Ghost writhed and twisted around and eventually managed to squirm out of her harness, panicking more and more as time went on. Finally, Gunner decided it was time to speak up. "Ghost, Ghost it's going to be fine." he squeaked, his ears flat against his head. What is wrong with her? What happened that was so bad, what happ- his thought process stopped as he studied her. She had the look of pure terror on her face, loud whimpering drowning out his words of comfort. The musher unclipped Gunners harness as well, allowing him to sit patiently next to Ghost as the musher fixed the sled up. While the musher worked on what had to be done, Gunner took the opportunity to calm the nervous lead down.

"Ghost, what's wrong?" He asked calmly, trying to be as comforting as possible with this. He wasn't sure how to even approach the situation, but he decided to put her past faults against him aside to see if he could help. They were teammates after all, and he wanted to be as useful as possible. Race or not, he would do his best.

Ghost simply glanced at the pup, seeming to debate telling him or not. After a few moments, she gave a deep sigh. "Lets just say snowstorms and I don't mix. It isn't the snow itself, but.. Some things happened. It was my first race and, well, it's a long story. I can tell you when we get back, I suppose I should tell Decebal about it too. I haven't raced in a storm with him yet, I've been fortunate so far. But, I just," she trailed off, glancing down at her paws, which shifted uncomfortably under her. She was ashamed by this, Gunner could tell. He didn't know what happened, but it must've been bad if it stuck with her for this long. Finally, the husky spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm... I'm scared." Ghost admitted sheepishly, ducking her head down and flattening her ears.

Gunner thought about this for a moment, knowing that Ghost had ran some races, but he had no idea where she had come from prior. He hadn't been around the kennels long enough to have an actual conversation, he spent most of his time inside with the human, who would attempt to get him to do random things. He had a brief meeting with Ghost, but nothing more than a nod was given. Seeing as she was this nervous, Gunner moved closer to the point their pelts touched, providing the only comfort he know he could give her. It might not be much, but maybe I can at least calm her down a little.

"I won't ask what's wrong, but..." he trailed off, giving her a small nuzzle. "We can get through this, okay?"

Ghost shook for a few moments more, soon calming down a little. Is it... working? I think it is, I think you are doing fine there Gunner. Look at you, being a comfort dog. He praised himself as Ghost spoke "Okay," she sighed, her breathing slowing down a little as she regained her normal level of 'chill.' "Okay." She repeated confidently. That's the ghost I know, there we go. The two sled dogs trotted over to the musher, who was about ready with the sled. The musher bared his teeth- something Gunner learned meant they were happy. He said something too, and patted Gunner on the head. "What did he say, Ghost?" Gunner asked nervously. He hated he couldn't understand their speak yet. He just knew they liked to say the same "Sit" "Stay" "Shake" and other commands, but normal conversation? Not yet in his understanding. Ghost gave Gunner a small grin, a little wider than what he had seen before. "Nothing, don't worry about it." She said.


"Oh fine, are you ready, Ghost?" Gunner asked, already being clipped back into his harness. It was go time.

" Always." She replied, a sparkle in her eye as the two once again took off to take their place as finishers.

They pushed on, even in the storm. Ghost managed to keep her cool, even though an occasional anxious whine would emit. Seeing the mountains end, though, excited them both, giving them even more motivation than before. The two gave one another a knowing glance. He felt that he was a true member of her pack now, and further understood how she worked. She wasn't yelling at me earlier, just criticizing. She wants to be the best. I want to be the best too. He thought, glancing over at her again before quickly focusing on where they were going. Even as they continued, though, gunner kept the events of Ghost's panic on his mind, the curiosity poking at him, gnawing on his core as they pushed through. However, that shouldn't have been his focus. Their little mishap put them behind, far behind, and unfortunately they came in last. Gunner should have felt shamed, or upset. You lost your first competition, wouldn't you be upset? On the contrary, this time around didn't matter to Gunner. Not this time. He found that he had won in his own special way: He and Ghost had grown closer, and he knew that with training he would be able to be a permanent member of her team. She's going to be the best lead, but I'm going to be the best wheel. He promised to himself. This could only drive him up, only make him stronger. There was no turning back from the path of a sled dog, only motivation and thrill lined his future.

He may not have won a trophy, and he may not have won first place in a competition, but the prize of befriending the usually cold lead was more than enough for him. It was a win in his book, and the first win of many to come. [ 2,543 words ]

[mochii_]

omg this was incredibly hard to judge. all the entries were so good! ;-; I'm so amazed by your amazing writing and art skills everyone! <3

the winner is...
Chimericect!
I really loved the creativity in the unconventional type of "win"! plus your writing made me fall in love with ghost and gunner! u.u

I would also like to have a runner up though!
congrats to dave.!
your writing is beautifully done and I loved the personality of T'Challa. and the name. so I would love to award you with a custom! u.u you can create T'Challa! please pm me. c:

[Chimericect]

Bless thank you so much q A q <33 I’m going to get right to trainin him and stuff if that’s alright !!


July 20th [ 1/7 ] I want to hire a professional trainer!

Intelligence: 1
Strength: 1
Stamina: 6
Speed: 2

Total MQ Owed: 1000

[mochii_]

Bless thank you so much q A q <33 I’m going to get right to trainin him and stuff if that’s alright !!


July 20th [ 1/7 ] I want to hire a professional trainer!

Intelligence: 1
Strength: 1
Stamina: 6
Speed: 2

Total MQ Owed: 1000

[ you're very welcome! <33 yas! go for it!

1,000 MQ has been subtracted from your account and the proper stats allocated. ]