Broken Trails

Scotch shrugged. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

She did not offer more, and Lainey was left wondering. “Now, Kaara,” she said.

“Yup. She’s the only one that can work with him. I think it’s true love.”

“Is that so, Kaara? Are you in love with Bonaparte?” Lainey asked when she returned for the animal. Kaara squirmed as she wagged her entire body in response. Lainey gave her a good scratching before leading her away from her house. “Well, far be it for me to interfere with Cupid’s arrows.”

Both Bonaparte and Kaara were swing dogs. Their purpose was to not only play follow the leader, but to keep the team in line on turns. They heard the commands from the driver, but heeded the lead dogs in front of them. As Scotch had explained things, if she called out “·¢Gee!” and every dog immediately obeyed, the entire team would take a right turn at the same time. Instead, the swing dogs kept the team moving forward until they could arrive at and move into the turn.

Next up were the lead dogs. Lainey had been given two of them. Sholo was an all black male with liquid brown eyes. He had never run a long distance endurance race before, though he had experience leading in smaller races. In particular, he had been with Rye during the last Junior Yukon Quest, which gave Lainey an edge on the next Yukon 250. She would have to run it to qualify for the Iditarod, and Sholo knew the trail from a firsthand encounter.

Trace was Sholo’s opposite in appearance, all white with bright blue eyes. If Lainey were allowed to keep him on her team, he would be the one worth his weight in gold. He had run the Iditarod with Scotch for two years, finishing both times. Only a training injury had kept him at the kennel last year.

Lainey hooked Trace and Sholo’s collars together, and stood to regard her handiwork. Six sets of canine eyes looked back at her, and she smiled.

“Who’s the lead dog?” Scotch asked, climbing aboard her ATV.

“I am.” Lainey felt anticipation skitter down her spine as she walked down the line to her vehicle.

Scotch’s team tried to pull as soon as she started the engine though the brakes were still on. “These guys are used to a more knowledgeable driver. They’ll mind their P’s and Q’s for a day or two. Expect some acting out after that.”

Lainey clambered onto her four-wheel vehicle. “Yes, ma’am,” she called over the sounds of engines and anxious barking, sending an impish grin to her mentor. Directly in front of her, Jonah redoubled his efforts to no avail, almost standing in his harness as he tried to get them moving.

Shaking her head, Scotch returned the smile. “Follow me, don’t let your dogs get too close to us. Remember your commands.”

“Are we talking, or are we driving?”

Scotch’s expression changed to amused warning at the challenge. Rather than speak, she called out, “Ready!” Her team tightened any slack on the mainline in anticipation. “Let’s go!” She released the brake, and jerked forward as the dogs did what they loved to do.

Lainey watched them go, her team barking in demand to go after them. Sudden anxiety hit her, and she swallowed. What if she could not control them?

Sholo and Trace stared over their shoulders at her. Brown and blue eyes begged the question. She could almost hear their thoughts: Why did you suit us up for the big game if we’re stuck sitting on the bench? Let’s go!

“Ready!” she called, her voice holding more confidence than she felt. Her leaders swung their heads around in preparation. She popped the brake. “Let’s go!”

Her head snapped back as the team surged forward and she clutched at the handles to retain her seat. The dogs happily barked and frolicked on their run, kicking up their feet, tails wagging madly as they towed her along. Thoughts of acquiring a neck brace in the future flew away along the wind that caressed her face.

The team followed Scotch’s out of the dog yard and along a wide path. Trees whipped by, and Lainey was amazed to see the speedometer hit eleven miles per hour. She grinned in delight, focusing on the journey. Up ahead, Scotch’s team turned right, leaving the main trail. Lainey glanced quickly at her right hand where a large “·¢G” was written in blue ink. On her left hand was an “·¢H” to remind her of the word “·¢haw.” When Sholo and Trace arrived at the turn, she hollered, “Gee!”

Her smile widened as the leaders made an easy turn onto the new trail. The rest of the team followed smoothly, and she steered the ATV after them. With a sled in snow, steering was impossible except by dog power. Here, however, it was necessary; the dogs were not strong enough to pull against thick rubber tires pointing the wrong direction.

Heeding Scotch’s warning, Lainey made sure the vehicles remained apart by about two car lengths for the entire trip. The smaller path was rougher than the previous one, and Lainey realized she might have saddle sores before the summer was out. Needing little encouragement from her, the dogs joyfully chased after Scotch. The air was thick with the smell of pine, and the sun flickered from between the trees to splash across Lainey’s face.

After a very short time, Scotch raised her hand to signal a stop. Lainey frowned, the mood of her dogs contagious. It was too early; they had hardly gotten started. Despite her disaffection, she called out, “Whoa!” With steady pressure, she applied the brake, bringing her team to a halt behind Scotch’s. The woman had parked the ATV. She now stood beside it and rummaged in her backpack for treats.

Lainey parked, as well. “Is that it?” she asked, climbing down, disappointment in her voice.

Scotch looked up at her, pleased surprise on her face. “Not enough for you?”

Refusing to be drawn in, feeling a need to be petulant, Lainey crossed her arms. “No. Not for them, either.” She nodded at her eager team.

Laughing, Scotch untied a gallon water jug from the ATV. “Boy, do I understand that. But it’s way too hot to give these guys a decent work out. It’ll be better when it snows.”

Lainey narrowed her eyes. The sun filled the small clearing, and she felt a slight haze of sweat on her face, even though she had not done anything. She looked at her team, noting the thick coats, and panting tongues. If she was hot, she could only imagine how they felt; they had done all the work. Grudgingly, she had to agree to the wisdom of stopping.

“You’d better snack them, or you’ll have a riot on your hands.”

That was when she noticed the six pairs of eyes staring at her. Lainey blushed under their scrutiny. ‘sorry, guys. Lost my head for a moment.” She removed her daypack and pulled a large, cold food storage bag from within. Starting with Sholo and Trace, she gave each dog praise, petting, and a healthy chunk of frozen white fish. Kaara waited politely while Bonaparte was served first. Lainey gave her an extra bit to reward her for her patience. Jonah was as exuberant in his snacking as he was in pulling, standing in his harness to accept his treat. In contrast, Aegis daintily took the fish from Lainey’s hand.

“Now we give them a going over to make sure there aren’t any strains or injuries,” Scotch said. “Nothing too extensive; that’s for when you stop for a few hours rest. But if you’re snacking the dogs to take a quick break, you still want to give a cursory examination.”

Lainey nodded, and went back over her team. Again she started with her leaders. She checked the leads from their collars, examined where their harnesses created pressure across their chests, and gave each animal’s shoulders a swift massage. When she was done, she said, “They all look good.”

Scotch grinned. “Yeah, they do.” She shrugged her pack over her shoulders. “Ready for the return trip?”