“The Pack is in the valley!” he yelped. “Let’s go!”
He took off down the slope at a run, delighting in the freedom as his paws sped over the grass. He dived between the trees, straight into the middle of the Pack. There she was, licking an elegant paw. He started to bark a greeting when a great weight thumped down on him and his muzzle hit the earth.
“Stop right there! Who are you?” snarled a gruff old voice.
Lucky knew that thick, heavy scent. “Bruno, it’s me!”
“Lucky?” The old dog pulled back. “It really is you!” He licked his brown muzzle sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize your smell. . . .”
Lucky sniffed his own paw. Dirt, mud, and salt water caked his fur, mingling with the sharp whiff of fox. No wonder Bruno didn’t know it was me.
“You’re back!” yipped a shrill voice. A small dog sprang forward with an excited hop and threw her forepaws on the ground in front of Lucky like a pup. Her filthy gray pelt, once soft and white, hung around her head in long twists. Beneath it he could see she was painfully thin.
“Sunshine?” he asked uncertainly. She’s changed so much. . . .
Mickey stepped beside her. “Lucky! Is that really you?” The Farm Dog touched noses, his black-and-white tail thrashing. His eyes sparkled, but Lucky could see the sharp outline of his bones beneath fur. Little Daisy sprang after him with Snap and Spring. Lucky was submerged beneath their happy licks. They fell back as Sweet trod lightly between them and lowered her narrow head.
She nuzzled Lucky’s face. “It’s good to see you. . . . I thought . . . maybe something had happened to you.”
Their eyes met and Lucky’s breath snagged in his throat. She was still beautiful, though her lithe body was more bone than muscle and there were circles beneath her dark eyes. She’s so thin, thought Lucky. They all are. . . . He held Sweet’s gaze, his fur tingling. Then Sweet seemed to remember her status as Beta and stepped back, sitting by the trunk of a low tree and watching as the Pack clambered about Lucky excitedly.
Mickey’s ears pricked up. “Martha too!” Lucky and the other dogs looked around as the great black dog stepped out from between the trees. She looked more herself now, having shaken the dirt from her thick coat.
Storm, Moon, and Bella were close behind her. They greeted the Pack with excited yaps.
“Mother!” Thorn and Beetle tumbled toward Moon, burying their faces against her chest as she gathered them close and licked their ears. Their tails wagged so energetically that their whole rumps swung back and forth.
“My sweet pups, you’ve grown so much!”
Beetle pushed out his chest. “We have?”
Thorn pulled away from her Mother-Dog, looking toward the trees. “Where’s Father?”
Beetle lowered his head and looked around as the other dogs fell silent. They sniffed the air, their tails stiffening. Lucky swallowed a whine, his ears dropping sadly as he watched the young dogs.
“Yes, where is Fiery?”
The wolfish voice made Lucky jump. Alpha stalked between the Pack. He stared down his long muzzle at Moon. His musky odor fanned out around him.
Moon’s posture slackened. She lowered her head with a small whine, seemingly unable to speak in front of her pups and the gathered dogs. She looked as if she was beseeching some other dog to tell them.
None of the rescue party stepped forward. Lucky’s heart sank as he looked at Alpha and the other dogs, who waited expectantly. He sucked in his breath. I’ll have to tell them. . . .
“Fiery has joined the Earth-Dog,” he said quietly to a series of whimpers. “We found him caged by the cruel yellow-furred longpaws. They’d trapped other creatures too. We saw a coyote, some foxes, and a sharpclaw. There were rabbits too. And all the creatures were sick.”
Sweet’s jaw was set. “Why were they sick?”
Lucky shook his ears. “I don’t know. Fiery thought that the longpaws had been making them drink the shiny, green river-water, the type that made Bruno so unwell.” The old hunt-dog whined at the memory and Lucky frowned, trying to figure out what the longpaws had been up to. “Maybe the longpaws were trying to see if it was safe to drink. But it can’t have been, because even Fiery, who had once been so strong . . .” Lucky’s voice faltered and he closed his eyes, picturing the fierce, powerful warrior as he had once been—before the longpaws had caught him. He didn’t want to think about the feeble dog that he had become in the end. Lucky opened his eyes and went on. “We freed Fiery and the others, but it was too late. He was hurt on the inside; you could see it in his eyes. He died on the way back.” Sadness prickled Lucky’s whiskers and he fell silent, unable to go on.
Thorn threw back her muzzle and howled in grief. Her litter-brother, Beetle, flopped on the ground, his head on his paws and his eyes staring into the distance. “Why would the longpaws do that?” he whined to no dog in particular.
Alpha shook his head slowly. “It is a great shame to lose a dog as worthy and loyal as Fiery. He was a true Pack Dog to the last and he will be missed.” Snap and Spring whined, lowering their heads, and Daisy gazed at her paws. Lucky’s whiskers twitched. There was something about Alpha’s voice that didn’t ring true—a false note of grief that sounded insincere. Lucky searched the dog-wolf’s face. The cold yellow eyes showed no emotion. He can’t be as sad as he’s pretending to be. If Fiery had made it back he’d have challenged Alpha for leadership of the Pack.
Alpha caught Lucky staring. One pointed ear rolled back, his bushy gray tail stiffening.
“There’s more news,” said Lucky hastily.
The half wolf sat and started washing his forepaw, abandoning any appearance of grief. “Go on.”
Lucky suppressed a twinge of anger. So much for caring about Fiery.
Bella met Lucky’s eye briefly. He guessed she was thinking the same thing. Still, the Pack was all watching now, and there was no point expecting Alpha to feel anything more than relief that Fiery was dead. He cleared his parched throat. “After we freed Fiery and the other creatures, we ran into Terror’s Pack.”
Sunshine yipped, her dark eyes shining.
Snap raised her muzzle. “What happened?” Her hackles rose beneath her wiry fur.
Lucky wondered how much the Pack needed to know. Terror was dead now; they weren’t a threat anymore. “There was a fight and Terror died. He was crazy and vicious; he made his Pack fight us. We had no choice but to defend ourselves.”
Moon shuddered and whined quietly. “Terror had one of his strange attacks.”
Alpha dropped his forepaw. His ears swiveled forward. “When was this?”
Lucky started pacing between the dogs. “Before we reached the Endless Lake. But there’s nothing to worry about now, not with Terror gone.” Lucky forced away the memory of Storm standing over the mad dog’s bleeding body. “He made his Pack fight. Without him, they’re no danger to us.”
Spring stepped forward, shaking her long black ears. “What happened to Twitch? He’s in that Pack, isn’t he? Is he okay?” Her dark eyes widened and her tail gave a cautious wag.
Lucky paused to face her. “He’s strong and healthy,” Lucky assured her.
“He helped us when Terror attacked,” agreed Moon. “He fought alongside us.”
Spring’s tail started to wag. Then she looked from Moon to Lucky, Bella, Martha, and Storm. “But he didn’t come back with you?”
Bella shook her head. “He stayed with his new Pack.” She paused, a knowing look on her face. “He’s their Alpha now.”
Several of the dogs yipped at this and Spring’s eyes widened in amazement. “He’s their Alpha?”
Dart, the lean brown-and-white hunt-dog, licked her black nose. “But how . . .” She met Spring’s eye and pulled away guiltily. “He was so badly injured when he left the Pack. We all thought . . . I’m glad he made it, really glad, but the Alpha?”
“He’s a remarkable dog,” said Lucky. “And he proved something to me. There are different forms of strength.
You don’t need to be just like everyone else to succeed in this world.”
“My litter-brother, an Alpha!” yapped Spring in disbelief.
Lucky nodded his golden head. “They all respect him, Spring. He’ll make a great Alpha. He’s a good fighter and he’s fair and loyal. We wouldn’t have made it without him.”
The Pack started barking in praise of Twitch. Lucky’s ears pricked. He thought he’d caught a low growl. Glancing around, he spotted Alpha’s lip twitch, revealing one long fang. The others may not notice, but I can see through the dog-wolf. I don’t trust him. . . .
“I’m sorry I wasn’t more welcoming when Twitch found us in the town,” whined Spring, her black-and-tan tail falling low. “I should have been proud of him. I am now. I hope he’s happy in his new Pack, and I hope I’ll see him again one day.”
Dart the hunt-dog trod over to Spring, licking her friend’s nose. “You will,” she murmured.
“Twitch, leading a Pack,” yelped Snap, her short tail wagging. “Just think of that!”
“Enough of this pointless yapping about the three-legged dog!” snapped Alpha, flashing his deadly fangs. “Who cares about that motley Pack of misfits?” This quieted Snap and the other dogs. Only Thorn ignored him. The pup’s tortured howl had subsided into a plaintive whimper as Moon licked her ears and tried to console her. Now that the Pack was silent, it hung on the cool air. Lucky could scarcely bear to hear that pitiful sound.
If the dog-wolf was moved by Thorn’s cries, he didn’t show it. He ignored the young dog, staring down his snout at Lucky. “Was there anything else?”
Lucky had no choice but to speak over Thorn. “You must have seen the longpaw town back along the waterfront.”
“We saw it and avoided it,” Alpha replied, confirming Moon’s suspicions that the Pack had looped around rather than go anywhere near a longpaw settlement.
Lucky nodded. “We wanted to catch up with the rest of the Pack. To make up time, we cut through the town. And we discovered something—the location of the Fierce Dogs’ new camp.”
Ripples of anxiety ran through the Pack—Lucky could smell the fear-scent on the air. Alpha’s yellow eyes grew rounder and his hackles rose. “They’re in the town? I knew I was right to avoid it!”
“They’ve built a camp there, in a large building at the center.”
Whine, the stumpy little snub-nosed dog, shook his wrinkled face. “This is a disaster! The Fierce Dogs are close!”
Dart barked in fear.
Lucky saw Spring tense, hackles rising. “On the contrary,” he soothed, “it’s good news. At least we know where they are, and that they’re settled. They weren’t tracking the Pack. We shouldn’t go near the town, that’s all.”
“Why would we?” sniffed Alpha.
“I wouldn’t go near that town if you paid me in chew toys!” yipped Sunshine. Her dark eyes still sparkled.
Lucky nudged her with his muzzle. “We won’t make you go there.”
Sunshine’s tail thumped furiously. “Well, that’s okay, then.”
Alpha stretched his long legs, rising to his paws. “If there’s nothing else . . .” He started to strut away.
Lucky turned to Storm, cocking his head reassuringly. “There is one last thing. The puppy you knew as Lick has come of age! Her teeth have grown through and she’s been of great help to us, loyal and committed, as useful as any adult dog.”
Storm sat up proudly, her tongue lolling from her beige muzzle.
Alpha froze in his tracks and his head snapped around.
Lucky went on. “We performed the Naming Ceremony a few days ago and she chose the name Storm.”
The Pack barked in surprise, looking from Lucky to the little Fierce Dog.
Good-natured Snap was the first to step forward, her tail wagging. “Congratulations, Storm.”
Taking her cue, Spring followed. “Welcome to the Pack, Storm.”
“Welcome, Storm,” echoed Mickey and Bruno.
Alpha’s furious howl cut over them. “Stop that immediately!” The Pack fell back and Storm cringed, her small ears flat against her head. The half wolf’s eyes fixed on Lucky, then shot to his companions on the rescue expedition: Bella, Martha, and Moon. It was only Storm he ignored, as though the pup herself was of no relevance. Anger swelled in Lucky’s chest.
Alpha glared. “How dare you perform a Naming Ceremony without my permission?”
Moon carefully averted her eyes. “You weren’t there, Alpha. It felt right. Storm had fought hard to protect us from Terror. She was loyal and brave, and it was her time. She deserved it.”
“The right thing to do?” mocked Alpha. “Who are you to speak on these practices, Farm Dog?” He flashed his teeth at Moon and she fell back. Beetle and Thorn watched with their tails around their flanks, the girl-pup finally silent.
Lucky’s lip twitched and he swallowed a snarl. All those big words about Fiery, but where’s Alpha’s compassion now? It hadn’t taken long for the half dog to show his true colors.
Alpha gave his fur a haughty shake. “The ceremony means nothing without my authorization! It has not been done properly, and it doesn’t count a whisker.” Finally he eyed Storm, but with so much scorn that the little Fierce Dog cowered. Even as he looked at her, he addressed the others. “Nothing has changed. This pup remains just what she is—a wild and uneducated Fierce Dog pup. You will all continue to call her Lick, if you call her anything at all.”
“Alpha, be reasonable,” Martha began, coming to Storm’s side.
“Or you will have me to answer to,” the dog-wolf growled.
Martha lowered her head sadly and licked the top of Storm’s head. The young Fierce Dog looked crushed and she slumped down onto her belly. There was a murmur from one or two of the other dogs, but no one else challenged Alpha’s decision.
Lucky sat very still. Anger coursed through his fur and his throat felt hot. Storm’s choice of name had left him feeling uneasy, but it was her right to choose it. There’s no point saying anything. Alpha will just use it as an excuse to kick Storm out of the Pack, which is what he’s wanted to do since the beginning. Still, he wished some dog would challenge Alpha. He looked around the dogs, wondering who might take Fiery’s place to fight for the leadership of the Pack. His eyes rested on Sweet, who had been watching in silence.
She may have been thinner than before, but her sinewy body still looked strong, her eyes bright and alert. Could she be persuaded to abandon her place as Beta? Lucky wondered. If she made a bid for the leadership, the wolf-dog would be forced to accept the challenge. Then Sweet and Alpha would do battle. Could she win a fight against Alpha?
Alpha turned, then sloped back between the trees. The meeting was over.
The air was thick with tension. Sunshine skipped up to Lucky and his companions. “It’s so good to see you all!” she panted. Lucky looked down at her cheerful face, his mood lifting instantly. There was a twig hanging off her fur just under her muzzle, but she didn’t seem to notice. She was obviously still the Pack’s Omega, but the role suited her. “Follow me. I’ll show you our new pond, where you can drink and wash the dirt and sand from your coats.”
Lucky yipped gratefully as Sunshine led the way. But when he turned to look back, he saw that Alpha had paused between the trees. His broad silhouette was in shadow, but Lucky imagined the dog-wolf watching them through narrowed eyes. A ripple of unease ran down Lucky’s back. Alpha’s up to something, he thought. And I’m not sure I’m going to like it.
CHAPTER TEN
Lucky waded into the pond, sighing with relief as the sand and muck drifted off his fur. He didn’t even mind the aching cold. He watched as Martha and Storm splashed about, and was grateful to the kind water-dog for cheering up the young Fierce Dog. He added his thanks to the River-Dog. Thank you for your soothing waters, he told her.
Bella paddled over to him, nudging his shoulder with a forepaw. “I’m proud of you, litter-brother.”
“You are?” Lucky’s tail did
its best to wag under the shallow water.
“The way you led us out of the cave was amazing. A wrong turn and we might have drowned down there. You acted so decisively . . . and enlisting the help of Earth-Dog like that!”
Lucky nipped her on the nose. “Stop teasing me!”
“I’m not teasing.” Bella nipped him back. “Well, not entirely.”
He leaned closer to her. “To be honest, I didn’t know where I was going. All that talk of Earth-Dog was really to make the rest of you feel better. No one led me; it was just a lucky guess.”
“I know,” murmured Bella. “But at the time, even I was comforted by your words. Earth-Dog or not, you’re in touch with your dog-spirit.”
Lucky watched Moon from the corner of his eye. She was climbing out of the pond, being greeted by Beetle and Thorn. “You don’t think I was wrong to pretend?”
“No, you did the right thing. And Earth-Dog did protect us, in the end. I’m sure she’ll forgive you for lying about that!”
Sweet was waiting for Lucky at the bank of the pond. Dewdrops clung to the long grass so it sparkled with light, and air smelled crisp and clean. Lucky padded toward Sweet, a crackle of excitement running through his whiskers.
“It’s good to have you back,” she murmured.
Lucky nodded. “It’s good to be back. It seems like a fine camp.”
“Perhaps . . .” Sweet glanced back at the trees, toward the Endless Lake. “I want to talk to you some more about the Fierce Dogs—where they’re based and where they patrol. But we can do that later. For now, you should rest. You must be exhausted.” Her brown-eyed gaze was gentle.
Lucky shook out his wet fur and lay down in a sunny patch of grass, sheltered from the wind by overhanging trees. He closed his eyes with a sigh, picturing the swift-dog’s thoughtful face.
Maybe Ice Wind won’t be so bad here after all.
There was a noise and his eyes snapped open. Martha was approaching, Storm trotting happily at her side. They sat down on the grass next to Lucky and the three dogs watched the Pack go about its business. Daisy, Dart, and Spring were on patrol while Bruno, Mickey, and Snap formed a hunting party. The hunt-dogs greeted Lucky and the others as they passed.