by Erin Hunter
MAP
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Gillian Philip
PACK LIST
WILD PACK (IN ORDER OF RANK)
ALPHA:
female swift-dog with short gray fur (also known as Sweet)
BETA:
gold-and-white thick-furred male (also known as Lucky)
HUNTERS:
SNAP—small female with tan-and-white fur
BRUNO—large thick-furred brown male Fight Dog with a hard face
MICKEY—sleek black-and-white male Farm Dog
STORM—brown-and-tan female Fierce Dog
PATROL DOGS:
MOON—black-and-white female Farm Dog
TWITCH—tan male chase-dog with black patches and three legs
DAISY—small white-furred female with a brown tail
BREEZE—small brown female with large ears and short fur
CHASE—small ginger-furred female
BEETLE—black-and-white shaggy-furred male
THORN—black shaggy-furred female
OMEGA:
small female with long white fur (also known as Sunshine)
PUPS:
FLUFF—shaggy brown female
TUMBLE—golden-furred male
NIBBLE—tan female
TINY—pale-eyed golden female
CONTENTS
Map
Acknowledgments
Pack List
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Back Ads
About the Author
Books by Erin Hunter
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
PROLOGUE
Darkness lay thick in the den, with only a faint smudge of moonlight shining through the entrance. Lick tried not to shiver as she blinked rapidly. Although the den-smells were warm and comforting, it couldn’t be so very cold and lonely out there in the silver glow of the Moon-Dog . . . could it?
Beside her Grunt was still snoring, and Wiggle was making little squeaky noises, his lip quirking back as if he was dreaming of prey. How could her two litter-brothers sleep? The three of them had something to do—something that couldn’t wait!
Lick nudged each of her brothers with her nose, shoving Wiggle harder when he grumbled and resisted.
“Wake up,” she whispered. “Come on. We have to go!”
Grunt gave a tiny groan of protest, but as he woke properly he blinked hard and stumbled to his paws. Then he nipped Wiggle on the ear to rouse him.
“Hurry up, Wiggle,” he growled. “Lick’s right. It’s time!”
They were making an awful amount of noise, or so it seemed to Lick, but the adult dogs of their new Pack didn’t stir. She could hear snores and sleepy murmurs, and the occasional scrape of claws from a dog on a dream-hunt, and she could just make out furred flanks, rising and falling in the darkness. We’ll make it out of here. We have to!
There was a strange little ache in Lick’s belly as she took a last look at Lucky, Martha, Mickey . . . at all the dogs who had cared for them, who had found them and taken them in after their Mother-Dog went to sleep and didn’t wake up. This Pack had been kind to them, and Lick wished she could say a proper good-bye.
But if we wake them up, they’ll stop us from leaving.
“Come on, Lick.” Grunt’s low voice was at her ear. “Don’t change your mind now! This Pack thinks we’re bad dogs. Well, we’re real Fierce Dog pups, and we’ll be fine without them!”
“I know,” sighed Lick softly. “I know, it’s just that—”
“They’re only kind now because we’re little.” Grunt shook himself angrily and whispered, “They won’t be kind when we’re big Fierce Dogs and they’re scared of us!”
“Of course. We’ll never really belong in this Pack.” Lick gave her brother a quick nuzzle. “Let’s go. But try to be quiet!”
Wiggle was trembling with fear as the pups crept cautiously up the earth slope to the mouth of the den, but Lick and Grunt goaded their smaller brother on with nudges and gentle nips. When they emerged into the faint moonlight, all three of them froze for a moment. The grass beneath Lick’s paw pads was damp with dew, and the night air smelled sharp as her nostrils flared. She had to look strong for Wiggle, and that made Lick feel a little braver herself.
But it’s a big world out here. . . .
Slowly, quietly, the pups edged forward, huddling together and staying as low as they could. Wet grass tickled Lick’s belly and chin, and she wanted desperately to sneeze. But I can’t.
Up ahead, a large shadow moved against the tree trunks, and Lick shrank back. Along with her brothers, she held her breath as she watched the Patrol Dog Moon slink along the camp’s border, her ears pricked and nostrils scenting the air for trouble.
But Moon wasn’t scouting for three small pups within the camp itself. Her shape vanished into the shadows, and Lick breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly the three Fierce Dogs scuttled to the tree line that marked the camp’s border, their pawsteps sounding terribly loud to Lick’s quivering ears.
If the den had felt dark, the woods beyond the camp somehow seemed even blacker. Small creatures rustled in the grass, making the pups jump, and when a night bird screeched overhead, Wiggle started in terror and almost stumbled. Grunt’s head was lifted high, his jaw clenched stiffly, and although Lick reckoned his fearlessness was a bit of an act, she didn’t want to look like a coward herself. Wiggle was pressed so tightly against her flank, she was sure she was the only thing keeping his trembling little body upright.
“Where’s the rock?” asked Wiggle plaintively, when they’d padded in silence for what felt like forever.
“Not far.” But Lick was beginning to doubt herself—and she had a feeling Grunt doubted her too, from the resentful glances he was shooting her. If they could just find that oddly shaped gray lump of stone, the one that looked like a crouching giantfur, she’d know exactly where they were, and they could follow the river upstream. . . . “We’ve passed Giantfur Rock loads of times with Martha. It can’t be much farther to the river.”
“If we’re going the right way,” grumbled Grunt.
“Maybe we passed it already?” suggested Wiggle nervously.
“I don’t think so.” Lick hesitated, one paw in the air.
Grunt glanced to the left and right, licking his small jaws. “I think you’ve taken us the wrong way, Lick.”
“You’re the one who said we needed to go downwind of that big tree!” Lick snapped.
“And it was you who said we had to cross the little stream!”
Lick opened her jaws to quarrel some more, but she could hear Grunt’s breath rasp as he glared at her. His forelegs shook, and she realized he was just as scared as she was.
“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is,” she whined miserably, her ears drooping. “We’re lost and we’re all by ourselves and I don’t know what we’re going to do!”
Wiggle gave a despairing whimper and lay down with his head on his paws. “We’re lost!” he echoed.
“We’ll be all right.” Lick tried to comfort him, but she didn’t sound convincing even to herself. We can’t b
e lost. This is silly! She lifted her head determinedly and sniffed the air. “That way, I’m sure . . . maybe . . .”
The other two just stared, looking very reluctant to believe her.
“Come on!” Forcing her ears up, Lick chose a likely-looking direction and picked up a paw. But it felt heavy, and she realized her legs were aching. Miserably she set down her paw once more, and her ears drooped. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I don’t know the way.”
Silence fell around the three pups, and they stared at one another in lonely misery and terror. Even the trees’ shadows seemed to draw tighter around them.
Then, in the stillness, there was a rattle and rustle of leaves.
Lick couldn’t help giving a yelp of shock, and she spun around to face the pale shape that was pushing through the undergrowth toward them. Out of the scrub came a small black nose, quivering whiskers, and then, abruptly, a bright and friendly white-furred face.
“Daisy!” squeaked Lick. The sickening fear gave way to almost unbearable relief, and her small legs suddenly felt weak and shaky.
“Lick! Grunt, Wiggle—what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” The little white dog gazed at the pups, her dark eyes full of concern. “You could have been hurt!”
Lick and Grunt traded guilty glances, while Wiggle sniffled unhappily, staring at his paws.
“We were running away,” blurted Lick at last.
“You were?” Daisy’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But why?”
“No dog wants us in this Pack.” Grunt’s face grew surly and resentful. “We’re better off on our own.”
“Oh, Sky-Dogs, of course that’s not true—not either part!” Daisy sprang forward on her short legs and began to lick them all frantically. “Of course we want you in the Pack, pups—and of course you’re better off with us! Every dog needs a strong Pack, now that the Big Growl has changed the world!”
“But the Pack Dogs don’t like us,” muttered Grunt.
“Now, come on back to the camp with me.” Ignoring his sullen words, Daisy licked Grunt’s nose until he sneezed. “Lucky wants you in our Pack, and so does Mickey. And Martha, and me. And if any dog doesn’t, they’ll soon come around. Don’t you worry, pups!”
Lick exchanged a look with Grunt. Wiggle was clearly desperate to go back with Daisy; his eyes were suddenly brighter and his pricked ears quivered with frantic hope. Grunt looked too tired to argue anymore. And if Lick was honest, she felt very relieved indeed that they’d been found.
“All right, Daisy.” She couldn’t stop a yawn from escaping, and her jaws widened with it till her eyes were squeezed tight. She shook herself and blinked rapidly. “We’ll come. But it’s such a long way back. . . .”
“Oh, little one.” Daisy laughed fondly. “It’s not half as far as you think. You’ve barely reached the edge of the first hunting ground.”
Lick’s ears drooped and her body sagged. So much for our big escape. And no wonder we couldn’t find Giantfur Rock. It’s still far, far away.
All the same, she felt her heart lighten a little as she followed in Daisy’s pawsteps. Exhausted as she was, she only wanted to curl up in that cozy den once again, and not even Grunt’s rebellious muttering behind her could change her mind.
And I do want to belong to this Pack. Maybe Daisy’s right. They’ll get used to us, and they’ll like us in the end.
I want my Mother-Dog, but she’s gone to sleep forever.
So I want to belong. I want a Pack.
Lick glanced skyward with a terrible pang of yearning. Why can’t I belong?
CHAPTER ONE
Drowsy and content, Storm lay stretched out in the Sun-Dog’s light. The peace of the glade was broken only by the squeaks and yelps of the four pups who romped and played outside their den, as their parent-dogs, Alpha and Lucky, looked on. One eye open, one ear pricked, Storm watched them. There was a strange warm feeling in her chest. For some reason, she realized with surprise, just watching the pups’ playtime made her happy.
The little dogs were so joyful and carefree, as if the terror of their near drowning in the Endless Lake had been completely forgotten. Storm was glad the experience hadn’t affected them too badly, and she could understand why: Lucky, the Pack’s Beta, had a way of making the tiniest of pups feel secure and cared-for . . .
. . . even a pup who isn’t his own. Storm felt a twinge of gratitude as memories of her own turbulent puphood came back to her. She and her brothers had had nowhere else to go, no dog to take care of them, but Lucky had stepped in to take the place of their parent-dogs. Despite Lucky’s love and care, she thought with a pang of loss, her brothers hadn’t made it in the end. . . .
But I did. I survived, and now I live for all three of us. And that’s because of Lucky.
The atmosphere of peace in the camp felt reassuring. It was good to see her Packmates, young and old, looking so content. The whole camp felt bathed in happiness and goodwill. The Pack needed a break from the suspicion and fear that had haunted them for so long. This sun-high it seemed every dog had decided to push the problem to the back of their minds. Many of them believed that the traitor in their ranks—the bad dog who had done so many terrible things—had been Arrow, her fellow Fierce Dog, who had left the Pack with Bella. They thought that with Arrow gone, they must be safe.
It was so tempting to believe that . . . but Storm was sure that Arrow was innocent. And if that was true, then the bad dog who had laced the prey pile with clear-stone and framed the loyal Patrol Dog Moon for stealing prey had not been found. Whisper’s murder had still not been solved.
Storm suppressed a shiver at the memory of Whisper’s death. The threat was still real—she knew it, even if she wished she didn’t. The bad dog could right now be planning another attack. But even so, in this moment she couldn’t help enjoying the new peaceful spirit among her Packmates.
I just wish I could believe it was over. . . .
Storm raised her head from the ground and caught sight of Snap. The hunt-dog was padding toward her, her jaws full of soft moss. Her ears were pricked, her tail wagging.
Snap set the moss gently down beside her. “Storm! I brought this for you—I thought you looked a little uncomfortable. Here, put it under your forepaws.”
Storm blinked, grateful and surprised. She hadn’t really noticed before, but her forepaws were resting awkwardly on hard stone. Half rising, she pawed the moss onto the flat boulder beside her and sank down again. Now her stretched-out paws felt as if they were floating on air. “Thank you, Snap, that was thoughtful.”
And unexpectedly kind, she thought as she watched Snap nod and pad away. Mickey’s mate could be short-tempered—and what was more, Snap had been one of the dogs who suspected that the traitor must be a Fierce Dog. With Arrow gone, those dogs’ suspicions had fallen squarely on Storm herself. Now, though, Snap seemed to regard Storm as a hero. Every dog here knew that it was she—the Fierce Dog—who had dived into the Endless Lake and pulled Tiny out, saving the little pup’s life with a trick Martha had taught her long ago.
It’s a really nice change, thought Storm. I’m not sure I realized just how much their suspicion was upsetting me until they started trusting me again.
Sighing contentedly, she let her eyes drift shut. Spots of light danced behind her eyelids, and she observed them dreamily till they dissolved into blackness. That was when the less pleasant thoughts began to drift in: But I know we can’t afford this sense of peace. After all that the traitor dog has done . . . spreading blood and panic in the camp, killing that fox cub to cause a war between dogs and foxes . . .
She wished she could believe those terrible crimes had been committed by one of the dogs who had already left the Pack. It couldn’t have been Bella or Arrow, of course—Storm knew they weren’t capable of such evil, however much the other dogs distrusted them.
But what about the dogs of Terror’s old Pack? What about Ruff, or Woody, or Rake? Or even Dart, who had been in the Wild Pack from the begi
nning but had left it to join up with those three deserters? They’d been gone by the time the rabbit blood was smeared all over the glade, true, but they could have sneaked back somehow to plant it. . . .
Another warm flank settled down against hers, and she opened her eyes to see that Mickey and Snap had joined her in her patch of sunlight. Instantly she felt reassured again. Storm felt small paws on her back and turned her head as Lucky and Alpha’s pups began to clamber all over her, swatting her tail and nibbling at her ears. “Tiny!” she yelped at the smallest of them.
Tiny took no notice, chewing happily on one ear as the bigger, shaggier Tumble rolled off and began to attack Storm’s hindpaw. The two other female pups, Nibble and Fluff, seemed to be fighting to the death along Storm’s spine, and when she shook them off, they climbed straight back on and charged at each other again.
“I’d give in, if I were you.” Mickey laughed beside her.
Storm rolled onto her side and batted idly at Tiny, who yelped in delight. Nibble and Fluff, forgetting their tussle, threw themselves at Storm’s throat and chewed it with their small soft mouths, growling and giggling. Storm gave a dramatic groan of defeat and waved her paws in the air. Tumble jumped onto her shoulder and began to yap, tossing his small head in triumph.
“Pups, pups, I’m beaten!”
“Grrrrr!” Tiny had most of one of Storm’s paws in her jaws.
“We’ve conkw . . . conqu-wered the Fierce Dog!” cried Tumble.
“Hooray!” barked Fluff and Nibble.
Storm lay helplessly beneath them, grunting out laughs. Deep in her belly she could feel that unaccustomed warmth and affection. They’re not even a little bit afraid of me anymore. Not since I rescued them from the Endless Lake. In fact, I think they really like me. . . .
“Storm, Storm! Tell us a story!” Nibble was prancing up and down right in front of her nose.
“Yes, a story!” chorused Fluff and Tiny.
“Or we’ll beat you again!” growled Tumble, right in Storm’s ear, making her jump.