by Greyson Mann
She looks like a dog, thought Will suddenly. This wolf is just a dog, like Winston!
He lowered his arm, hoping he was making the right decision. At the same time, he raised his other hand and dropped one of the skeleton bones. It clattered to the ground inches from his feet.
The wolf ’s eyes tracked the bone. She sniffed the air and cast a wary look at Will. She licked her lips and whined, and then inched forward toward the bone.
As the wolf began to greedily lick and nibble at the treat, a slow smile spread across Will’s face. Forget Winston, he thought. He belongs to Bagley. But this dog is mine.
Will woke to the chill of morning. Staring at the shadowy ceiling of the cave, he wondered aloud: “Was it a dream?”
His answer came in the form of a whine and a tail thump. The wolf—er, dog—was still here.
“Hey, girl. Hey, buddy!” Will crouched in front of the fleece dog bed and slowly extended his hand. “Should I call you Buddy?”
She sniffed Will’s hand and gave a gentle lick. Then she stood up, stretched her legs, and let out a very not-wolf-like yawn.
Will laughed. “Wake up, sleepyhead, he said. “We’ve got lots to do today. Want to go outside?” With his new friend by his side, he couldn’t wait to get out into the snow.
Buddy wagged her tail and trotted toward the door. As Will pulled it open, fresh snow fell into the shelter. He scooped some up, thrilled to feel it pack in his hands. “Perfect for snowballs, Buddy. Let’s go!”
She bounded into the snow, crouching low and challenging Will to chase her. He did, tossing snowballs into the air—which Buddy jumped up and caught in her mouth.
“Yes!” said Will, pumping his fist. “Nice catch!” He laughed and scooped up more snow, playing with the dog until they were both panting loudly.
As Will plopped onto the ground for a break, Buddy trod down a bed of snow right next to him. Sitting beside his friend, Will gazed up at the sun and smiled.
“What a perfect day,” he said, throwing his arm around the dog. “Nothing could make this day better.” Then he remembered his to-do list. “Nothing, except maybe a snow golem. Should we get started, Buddy?”
Her tail thumped out a “yes” in the snow.
As Will looked around for the perfect patch of snow, a shadow fell over him. Something was blocking the sun. But what?
He whirled around.
Two dark figures stood on top of the hill. What were they? He squinted.
Spider jockeys!
Will sprang to his feet.
Why had they spawned in daylight? There was no time to figure it out. Those spider-riding skeletons were fast and fierce. They’d be down here in a heartbeat!
Buddy let out a low growl. She jumped in front of Will, her body tensed and ready for battle.
She’s protecting me! Will realized. But the last thing he wanted to do was put his dog in danger.
“No, Buddy!” he said. “There’s two of them and one of you. You sit. Stay.” He pointed until the dog slowly lowered her back end to the ground. She whined, but she listened.
When Will turned back toward the spider jockeys, they were heading downhill, getting closer by the second. Close enough to strike? He raised his bow and arrow, aiming at the bobbing figure riding in the lead.
But as he squinted into the sun, he blinked. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? That skeleton was riding a horse, not a spider. And she wore her hair in a ponytail. A red ponytail.
Mina!
CHAPTER 6
“You thought I was a what?” cried Mina. Her voice rang out across the valley, spooking both horses—the one she was riding and the one she was leading. “You know spider jockeys only spawn at night.”
Will laughed nervously. “I know. Sorry. But what are you doing here? I thought you were going to the desert!” Mina’s forehead creased with worry. “Seth sent me. There’s a zombie siege in Birch Grove. Seth thinks Little Oak is in trouble, too. He needs our help.”
Will sighed. “I already know about the zombie siege. But Seth can handle that, can’t he? Last night, I fought off a pack of zombies all by myself.” He didn’t mention that it had actually been a tough battle.
Mina shook her head. “You don’t get it, Will. Some of the villagers in Birch Grove were attacked. They turned into zombie villagers. Houses are already burning, and the whole town might go up in flames. Seth thinks zombies will hit Little Oak next. We can’t let that happen!”
Zombie villagers? Will had heard a rumor about them, but he’d never believed it was true. “Will the zombie villagers die?” he asked.
Mina patted the saddlebags strapped to her horse. “I have the antidotes—splash potion of weakness and golden apples. But I only had enough gold to craft a few. And they’ll only work if we can get to the villagers in time. We have to go to Little Oak. Now!”
Buddy whined at Will’s feet. He scratched her head, trying to calm her. “I—I can’t go,” he said to Mina. “I tamed a wolf, and we have all kinds of plans. We’re going to make a snow golem!”
Mina furrowed her brow. “A snow golem, Will? Really? But Seth is your brother. He needs you!”
She made it sound as if making a snow golem was no big deal. But I’ve waited so long to come to the taiga! Will wanted to shout. What if I never get the chance again?
He said nothing. He could tell by the look on Mina’s face that she wouldn’t understand.
They stared at each other in frozen silence. Finally, Mina huffed, sending a puff of white mist into the air. “I guess I can’t make you come with me. But I’ll leave the horse for you. I really hope you change your mind, Will.”
She handed him the lead rope for the second horse, a chestnut mare.
Will stared at the rope in his hand. Was he making a mistake? He couldn’t tell. He only knew he couldn’t say goodbye to the taiga. Not yet. He just couldn’t.
Will packed together a tight ball of snow. Then he rolled it until the ball was as tall as Buddy. The dog jumped backward, challenging the snowball to a fight.
Will made a second snowball, grunting as he lifted it onto the first. Then he brushed the snow off his hands and stared at the snowman. “With coal buttons and stick arms, you’ll be a handsome fella.”
The horse whinnied from where Will had tied her near the shelter.
“I know, I know,” he said. “I shouldn’t use Bagley’s coal without asking. But where is he? Why isn’t he back yet?”
Will glanced uphill, hoping to see Bagley lumbering down. Would he bring good news or bad about the zombie seige? Will hoped it would be good!
That would prove he had made the right decision to stay in the taiga. Then he could have some fun instead of worrying about Little Oak.
Will searched for spruce twigs on the ground, but there were none. “C’mon, Buddy,” he said. “Let’s look for some at the top of the hill.”
Buddy happily trotted beside him. But halfway up, she took off like a shot.
“Where are you going?” Will cried. They raced to the crest, with Buddy in the lead. Then she crouched, growling.
Will spotted it, too.
A wolf was headed toward them.
Will froze, wishing he had a bone to offer. Would the wolf attack?
As soon as the animal saw them, Will had his answer. It broke into a trot, its tail wagging.
“Winston!” Will cried, rushing to meet the dog. “Where’s Bagley?”
Winston barked. He ran toward the ice plains and back again, as if to say, “Follow me! Hurry!”
A pit of dread formed in Will’s stomach. “Did something happen to Bagley?”
The dog answered with a pitiful whine.
Will jogged to the edge of the mountain. As he looked down over the ice plains, he saw no sign of Bagley. But something else caught his eye—a pillar of smoke on the horizon.
Fire! A very big fire.
It was coming from the direction of Birch Grove—and Little Oak!
CHAPTER 7
Will half-ran, half-slid down the hill toward the shelter. He had to get to Little Oak—before the whole town burned to the ground!
Buddy and Winston raced beside him, barking madly. But by the time they reached bottom, Will had a new worry. If Seth and a whole town of villagers can’t fight off the zombies, what can I do? I’m only one boy!
As Will leaned forward to catch his breath, Buddy licked his face. She seemed to be saying, “You’ve got me.”
Then Winston nudged his nose under Will’s arm.
Will smiled. “You’re right—I’m not alone. I have the two of you. But I’d need a whole pack of wolves to fight off those zombies.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Will jolted upright.
“That’s it!” he cried. “It’s the only way to save Little Oak. But … we have to wait till night falls. And we’re sure going to need a lot of bones.”
Will was waiting in the darkness when he heard the first rattle of skeletons.
Buddy growled and perked up her ears. Will searched for the bony mob, too, but saw nothing—nothing but the shadows of spruce trees.
As he aimed his bow and arrow into the darkness, both dogs tensed up. Winston paced and whined.
When an arrow whizzed by Will’s head, he ducked and released an arrow of his own. Thwang!
The dogs sprang into action, tearing through the snow toward the trees.
He raced after them, until he heard the low groan of a mob behind him. Zombies. If he killed them, they’d drop rotten flesh. And maybe that rotten flesh would lure some wild wolves.
Please let Buddy and Winston be okay, he thought, taking one last look at the forest. Then he turned around to fight.
With every swing of his sword, Will thought of Little Oak. He battled those zombies as if they were the very mobs that had set his hometown on fire.
“This one is for SETH!” he cried, striking the first mob with a wild swing.
“This is for Mina!” he said, battling the second until it dropped with a groan.
“And this is for Bagley!” he shouted, because he was pretty sure Bagley had met up with some zombies, too.
By the time the fight was over, Will’s heart pounded with fury. Steam rose from the piles of rotten flesh surrounding him. He only hoped it would be enough.
Then he heard a whine from the woods. Buddy! Will raced toward the trees, slipping and tripping in the snow. He saw branches snap, and then a furry beast barreled out toward him.
“Buddy!”
She had something in her mouth. It was a glistening white bone, from a skeleton Will wouldn’t have to fight because his loyal dog had killed it for him.
Will buried his face in Buddy’s soft gray fur. “You’re a good friend,” he whispered. “The best friend ever.”
Something nudged Will’s arm—something cold and wet. It was Winston, who whined and dropped another bone in the snow.
“You too, Winston,” said Will, scratching his ears. “I didn’t mean to forget you.”
As an arrow struck the spruce tree overhead, Will jumped back up. There was more work to be done. But he felt stronger, now, with his dogs by his side.
Will slipped forward in the saddle. He was half-afraid he’d slide right over the horse’s head. The trail down the mountain was so steep!
But the mare was sure-footed, and if he gave her enough rope, she seemed to know what to do.
He glanced over his shoulder. There were Buddy and Winston, right on the horse’s heels. And behind them? An entire pack of wolves, their loyal eyes trained on Will.
He tightened his grip on the reins. Soon, he and his pack were racing across the ice plains, the frigid wind whipping against his face. Now that Will had decided to return to Little Oak, he couldn’t get there fast enough.
CHAPTER 8
The sky was dark as coal by the time Will and his loyal wolves reached Seth’s farm.
Or what was left of it.
The black obsidian house stood strong and tall against the night sky, but the land around it had been destroyed. The lush garden was little more than a scorched fire pit, and nearby, burnt animal pens had toppled like twigs. A few pigs and chickens roamed freely on the hillside overlooking Little Oak.
But when Will saw the village below, he felt a wave of relief. Little Oak hadn’t burned—not yet. The fire he’d seen in the distance must have been Birch Grove. So there was still time to save his village.
Meow!
The pitiful sound came from above Will’s head. “Shadow!” he cried.
Was the cat in a tree? No, there he was—perched on the stone gate just out of reach. When he saw the wolves, Shadow’s back arched and he let out a low hiss.
“It’s okay,” Will said soothingly. “They’re here to help. We’ll be back, Shadow. We’re going to get Seth.”
With that declaration, Will turned his horse downhill and raced toward the village, his army of wolves trailing behind.
From a distance, Little Oak looked peaceful. Gravel roads stretched out from the well at the center of the village like the spokes of a wheel. The flower and vegetable gardens looked lush and healthy, not burnt black. And the bushes surrounding each building were just as green and vibrant.
But as Will grew closer, those bushes took on new shape. They were moving. They were moaning. They weren’t bushes at all.
Zombies surrounded each and every home. The writhing green masses bumped against doors and climbed over one another, trying to get through windows.
As Will galloped past the first house, he caught a glimpse of the villagers inside. One of them was a child—a terrified child. And as Will locked eyes with the boy, he knew he had to do something.
He dropped his horse’s reins and drew his bow and arrow, striking a zombie in the shoulder. As soon as Will released that arrow, his wolves attacked the zombies, too.
They lunged, their jaws snapping at everything green in their path. Zombies groaned and dropped, leaving piles of rotten flesh.
Will slid off his horse and raced through town, hoping to see another human being—Mina, Seth, anyone. But all he saw was a sea of zombies.
A small cluster of them banged against the outer door of the town jail. It was an iron door, and it would never give, but it didn’t seem to matter to the zombies. Again and again, they struck the door, scraping at it with their fingernails.
Will couldn’t stand the sight or the sound. He raced at the zombies, sword drawn. But something caught his eye: their torn clothing, brown and white. These monsters weren’t wearing tattered blue pants, like most zombies. They were wearing robes, robes like …
villagers.
Buddy raced past Will in a gray blur, barreling toward the zombies with her teeth bared.
For a moment, Will couldn’t move—couldn’t speak. Finally, he opened his mouth and forced the words out.
“No! Buddy, STOP!”
CHAPTER 9
Buddy obediently stopped—just short of the zombie villagers. Then the front door of the jail swung open, and Mina’s red head poked through. “Will, come on!” she called, waving her arm. She disappeared back inside, but the zombies spilled into the jail after her.
“Mina!” Will rushed forward. How could he get to her with the zombies in his path?
Not zombies, he reminded himself. Zombie villagers. That meant he couldn’t kill them. He had to try to save them. But how?
Then he remembered that Mina had the potion—the one that might be able to heal them. He just hoped she could use it in time.
After the zombie villagers crossed the threshold, Will did, too. He saw with relief that Mina was luring the zombie villagers into a cell. As the last one staggered inside, she ducked and darted out, slamming the heavy door behind her.
“Hurry! Help me!” she called to Will. She handed him a glass vial filled with purple liquid. “Splash potion of weakness. Get as much on them as you can.”
She unscrewed her own vial and splashed it through the bars of the jail cell, hitting
one of the zombie villagers square in the face. The zombie hissed and stepped backward.
Will rushed toward the bars and took aim at another zombie villager—this one wearing the tattered brown robes of a farmer. He flung the liquid at the zombie again and again until rivers of purple potion trickled down its face. The monster hissed and shuddered.
Mina was emptying another bottle on the last zombie villager when she suddenly shrieked and leaped backward. “I got some on myself,” she said, wiping her arm on her T-shirt. “Hurry, hand me that bottle.” She gestured toward a vial of red liquid on a desk near the front door. But before Will could get it to her, she had slumped to the floor.
“Mina!” he cried. “What do I do?”
“Throw it,” she whispered hoarsely. “Throw it at me.”
He quickly unscrewed the cap and poured the red liquid over Mina. She shivered and closed her eyes tight. But when she opened them again, they were clear and bright.
“Are you okay?” he asked, squatting beside her.
“I … I think so,” she said, scooting up and leaning against the stone wall. “Splash potion of healing—it works every time.”
Splash potion of healing helps humans. But splash potion of weakness helps zombie villagers? Will shook his head. He’d never be able to keep it straight the way Mina did. She was a master brewer.
“It’s really good to see you, Mina,” he said, sitting beside his friend. Then he heard sounds from the other side of the iron door—the grunt of a zombie and the growl of a wolf. Buddy?
“I have to go back out,” he said quickly. “Buddy might need me.”
Mina grabbed his arm. “Will,” she said, “there’s something in here you should see first.” Her icy tone surprised him, like a splash potion tossed in his face. She had bad news—he could feel it.