Intermediate Short Story - First Place

I stood there frozen. Unmoving.
"Do it now!" my commander barked at me. I looked down at the uneasy sled dog. The gun shaking in my hands. "Fine, I'll do it," grumbled my commander. Before I could respond, he snatched it from my grip and shoved me to the side. Cries from the Qikiqtani community added to the sounds of the gunshot echoing through the frozen air.
My commander shoved the rifle back into my frost covered hands.
"You got the next one". I shivered, not from the cold, but from the unsettling way he sneered at me as he pushed me forward.
I pushed aside all my feelings and looked down to the target. My eyes widened as I looked to see a small, shivering puppy being wrenched out of a poor boy's arms. To my horror, the puppy was thrown on the icy ground as the boy pleaded with the officer.
"Ma'iingan" the boy repeatedly cried, "Ma'iingan!!" The puppy tried to run back to the little boy, but an officer kicked him back towards me. I looked at my commander who nodded, indicating to fire. I pointed my trembling gun towards the dog, but as I was about to shoot, the boy ran ahead to his dog.
"Please don't shoot Ma'iingan", the boy cried. The officers murmured amongst themselves in shock.
"He knows English?" one muttered quietly.
"Well he must" said another in a hushed tone.
"How? "asked a third, dumbfounded.
I ignored the comments of my co-workers, staring down at the boy. He seemed to be older than I had thought at first. He looked to be about fourteen, and his long hair wiped around in the frigid wind. His eyes pleaded for the gift of mercy, and slowly, I lowered the gun.

"Ma'iingan", I said. "Is that his name?"
The boy nodded.
"Ma'iingan", I breathed. Suddenly, my commander stormed in, his face flushed with anger
"Move", he grunted, trying to grab the rifle. But I didn't. "Give me the gun!" he screamed at me. I snatched it back from him as he reached for it again. He cursed at me as he ripped the gun out of my grasp. As he aimed for Ma'iingan, I ran for him, knocking the gun out of his clutch. But I was too late. The bullet shot through the air, straight towards the whimpering puppy.

The boy reacted fast, jumping in front and shielding his companion from the blow. He crumpled to the ground, blood pouring out of his open wound.
"Yuma!!," a woman screamed. My commander, unhinged by the scene, quickly picked up the gun and proceeded to shoot the dog. Right through the heart.
"Fast, painless death for both the child and dog", my commander chuckled
At that moment, the rest of the Qikiqtani people cried out, running towards us all, ready to attack. The other officers and my commander ran quickly, trying to escape what was about to unfold. I, on the other hand, stayed put.
I held my hands up, showing I would not strike back. Gradually, I inched towards the boy, whose name, I guessed, was Yuma.
Slowly, with my hands still raised, I knelt down towards the boy, checking for a pulse. As I reached for his wrist, a woman cried angrily. I raised my hands again, showing that I would not hurt him. The woman cautiously nodded her head slowly as I gently reached for the boy's wrist again.
Suddenly, Yuma's eyes fluttered open as he gasped for air. I sighed with relief, realising the bullet had hit his leg. He winced in pain as he turned his head towards me.
"Thank you" he whispered. I nodded, unsure what to do.
"O-of course, I'm- I'm sorry" I stuttered. "Um... is your puppy okay?" I asked him hopefully.
His eyes widened as he turned towards the puppy. He let out a piercing scream at the sight of Ma'iingan. His dog lie limp, not breathing
"Ma'iingan" the boy cried, cradling him in his arms. He held him to his chest, praying that the puppy would wake up. He never did.
Living with the Qikiqtani was different, but I grew accustomed to their way of life. Several months later I presented Yuma with a gift.
"Meet Myeengun," I said, smiling. Yuma cried in delight, dropping to his knees. A small puppy excitedly ran towards the boy. Together, the three of us walked off into the beautiful sunset, ready to begin our next chapter.