The Broken Path

by Erin Hunter

  DEDICATION

  For Rachel Mansfield and Lucy Philip

  SPECIAL THANKS

  Special thanks to Gillian Philip

  Contents

  Dedication

  Special Thanks

  Map

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Back Ads

  About the Author

  Books by Erin Hunter

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  MAP

  PACK LIST

  WILD PACK (IN ORDER OF RANK)

  ALPHA:

  huge half wolf with gray-and-white fur and yellow eyes

  BETA:

  small swift-dog with short gray fur (also known as Sweet)

  HUNTERS:

  FIERY—massive brown male with long ears and shaggy fur

  SNAP—small female with tan-and-white fur

  SPRING—tan female hunt-dog with black patches

  LUCKY—gold-and-white thick-furred male

  BRUNO—large thick-furred brown male Fight Dog with a hard face

  BELLA—gold-and-white thick-furred female

  MICKEY—sleek black-and-white Farm Dog

  PATROL DOGS:

  MOON—black-and-white female Farm Dog

  DART—lean brown-and-white female chase-dog

  MARTHA—giant thick-furred black female with a broad head

  DAISY—small white-furred female with a brown tail

  WHINE—small, black, oddly shaped dog with tiny ears and a wrinkled face

  OMEGA:

  small female with long white fur (also known as Sunshine)

  PUPS:

  SQUIRM—black-and-white shaggy-furred male (pup of Fiery and Moon)

  NOSE—black shaggy-furred female (pup of Fiery and Moon)

  LICK—brown-and-tan female Fierce Dog

  FIERCE DOGS (IN ORDER OF RANK)

  ALPHA:

  sleek black-and-brown female with a white fang-shaped mark below her ear (also known as Blade)

  BETA:

  huge black-and-tan male (also known as Mace)

  DAGGER—brown-and-tan male with a stubby face

  PISTOL—black-and-tan female

  BRUTE—black-and-tan male

  RIPPER—black-and-tan female

  REVOLVER—black-and-tan male

  AXE—large black-and-brown male

  SCYTHE—large black-and-tan female

  BLUDGEON—massive black-and-tan male

  MUSKET—black-and-brown male

  CANNON—brown-and-tan female

  LANCE—black-and-tan male

  ARROW—young black-and-tan male

  OMEGA:

  smaller black-and-brown male (also known as Bullet)

  PUPS:

  FANG—brown-and-tan male

  LONE DOGS

  OLD HUNTER—big and stocky male with a blunt muzzle

  TWITCH—tan chase-dog with black patches and a lame foot

  PROLOGUE

  “Give up, Yap! I’m your Alpha!”

  Squeak’s bark was breathless as she tumbled over Yap, sending clouds of dust billowing around them both. The neatly clipped grass was dry from the long, hot days under the Sun-Dog, and both pups rolled together into the row of bright flowers the longpaws had planted. This small territory within the fence was so ordered and safe! A messy battle was exactly what it needed.

  Kicking with his small legs, Yap wriggled out from beneath Squeak’s weight and flung himself onto his litter-sister.

  “No, you’re not. I’m the Alpha!”

  Sneezing out a noseful of grit, Squeak gave a high-pitched growl. “Just you wait, Yap.”

  As she sprang clumsily for his scruff, Yap rolled backward, letting her stumble over him, and grabbed her foreleg in his puppy teeth.

  “Yow. Yow!” whined Squeak.

  “Am I hurting you?” gasped Yap through a mouthful of leg.

  “Ha!” Taking advantage of his guilty shock, Squeak twisted away and bolted. “Tricked you, Yap!” she barked back at him.

  “Why, you—” Yap bounded to his feet and gave chase. “I’ll get you yet, Omeg—”

  He skidded to an awkward, startled halt. His nose twitched. What is that smell?

  Squeak had vanished around the side of the longpaw house, her yelps fading, but suddenly Yap no longer cared. The strange odor tingled unpleasantly in his nostrils, making him cough. He pawed at his muzzle and shook his head, blinking.

  Once again, Yap sneezed. Still out of breath, he had no choice but to take a big gulp of the tainted air. He whimpered in distress.

  It was horrible. What could it be? And where was his Mother-Dog? Yap crouched miserably, shivering.

  Wait a minute, he thought. I’m a big pup now.

  Yap got to his paws and shook himself. The smell was very strong, and he was an excellent tracker—he was going to be the best ever! I can investigate this by myself. Yap sniffed the air and followed the odor, trying not to sneeze or cough again. The air burned his throat. . . .

  There! A door to the longpaw house stood open, and Yap nudged it wider with his nose. The smell was especially strong in here, making his eyes water. But I’m investigating. I can’t turn back. . . .

  Tentatively he crept into the house, his claws clicking on the hard floor. There in front of him was that longpaw pup, the smallest one—the one with long, yellow hair twisted into a kind of tail. Yap liked her. She often barked at him, asking him to play, but she wasn’t doing that now.

  She was engrossed in a new game; she’d clambered up onto a sitting-box and was leaning over that shiny metal tower the longpaws used to singe their food. Yap wrinkled his nose and cocked his head to one side, perplexed.

  The longpaw pup had something in her hands; Yap’s ears caught a dry rattle as she shook it and pulled out a stick. So it’s just a game? he thought. She’s playing with a new toy. Maybe I could join in!

  But something about the stick didn’t smell right. Yap could catch its scent even at this distance. It had a red tip, as if it had been dipped in blood, and there was an acrid tang to it. And now he could hear a dreadful hissing, like a snake . . .

  This isn’t right. . . .

  Suddenly Yap didn’t care if he got in trouble with the longpaws. The smell and the noise and the strange stick were more than he could bear. Stop that game, small longpaw, stop it! Tilting back his head, he barked as hard as he could.

  Startled, the yellow-haired longpaw dropped her toy. As it struck the ground it spilled more of the sticks in a scattered heap. Yap barked again, pawing the shiny ground, so scared of the little sharp-smelling sticks he couldn’t bear to turn his back on them. And all the time, the hissing grew louder and louder.

  The small longpaw’s face creased in shock and upset, but that only made Yap’s barks more frenzied. He didn’t know what was happening, but he had to call his Mother-Dog.

  It wasn’t Mother-Dog who arrived, though. The room suddenly filled with bigger longpaws, shouting and gasping. One of them, the female one, gave a sharp scream and scooped up the yellow-haired one in her arms. She was making
scolding noises and for a moment Yap stopped barking, wondering if he was in terrible trouble.

  But the longpaws didn’t take any notice of him. The male one raced to the clear-stone in the wall, flinging it open so that the horrible, choking smell could get out. Another male, smaller than the grown longpaws but taller than the little female, fell to his knees beside Yap, scooping him up in his arms.

  Yap shivered, terrified, but the young longpaw didn’t seem to be angry. He was making soothing noises, cuddling Yap against his chest and tickling his chin. “Good boy,” was the sound he made over and over as he carried him outside. “Good boy!”

  They were in the open air now, the smell fading, and the other longpaws were crowding around Yap, stroking his head and tickling his ears. That older female was cuddling the small one tightly in spite of the stern words she’d barked at it, and there was water in her eyes.

  Yap gazed up at the longpaws, his tail tucked firmly beneath him, but none of them were scolding him for his outburst. “Good boy,” they growled over and over again, and then, “Lucky. So lucky. Lucky . . .”

  It was all too much. Panicking, Yap wriggled and squirmed until the young male longpaw set him on the ground. As soon as he was free he bounded for the shed.

  Mother-Dog met him before he’d gone halfway, wagging her tail hard and watching him with bright, proud eyes. Yap skittered to a halt between her forepaws, and she licked his head fondly.

  “Well done, Yap,” she murmured. “You alerted the longpaws to something very important.”

  “Oh,” he whined. “I thought they might be angry with me for barking, like before. But not this time?”

  “No,” Mother-Dog agreed, washing his ear with her tongue. “And I think they’ve found your name, too, for when you’re a grown dog. Lucky.”

  Yap wrinkled his nose. He couldn’t help the feeling of slight disappointment that crept in with the pride. “I thought I’d be able to choose my own name.”

  “Well, Wild Dogs do that.” Mother-Dog looked a little disapproving. “And there are some Leashed Dogs who don’t accept their longpaw names. But the name they’ve given you is a fine one—you should be proud of it.”

  “Lucky,” Yap muttered, half to himself. He gave a last glance back toward the longpaws, but they were already retreating to their home and closing the door. “Lucky.”

  Mother-Dog nudged him gently. “It’s a good name, Yap—Lightning was lucky when the Sky-Dogs saved him, and the Forest-Dog has always been said to be lucky.” There was a hint of laughter in her voice. “It’s a name that will keep you out of trouble, little one—and I have a feeling you might need that. Look on it as a gift from the Forest-Dog.”

  That made Yap’s small rib cage swell with pride.

  “Lucky.” He licked his chops, tasting the name on his jaws. “Yes. If it’s from the Forest-Dog, it must be a great name.”

  Mother-Dog whuffed with laughter as she nudged Yap back toward the shed where he slept with her and his littermates. The low sun glowed against its walls, and already Yap felt sleep stealing up on him. It had been a tiring day, and he longed for the soft sleeping-furs the longpaws had given them.

  A home, and warmth—and now they had given Yap his dog-name, too. The longpaws were good. They had always been kind to him. Yes, he knew he could trust them.

  I am Lucky, thought Yap, nestling sleepily against Mother-Dog as she settled herself in the shady coolness of their shed. I hope I always will be. . . .

  CHAPTER ONE

  Lucky’s paws crunched on the forest floor as he ran. Dappled bronze light, scattered by the branches above him, burnished the fallen leaves beneath him. Just ahead, he could see Fiery’s powerful haunches as his huge Packmate bounded through the forest.

  Lucky increased his pace, stretching his muscles to keep up. Somewhere behind him, young Lick ran too, and he had to trust her not to fall behind, because he didn’t want to slow down. Heart pumping, tongue lolling to taste the cold Red Leaf air, Lucky felt stronger and faster than he had in many journeys of the Moon-Dog. He felt as if he could run forever.

  It’s good to be in the wild, he thought as bars of sunlight flickered across the rough track. It’s a long way from my old life, scavenging on the city streets, but this is a fine life. . . .

  There had been a time when he would have growled in disbelief at this change inside him. He had loved his time as a Lone Dog, roaming the city streets and foraging for longpaw scraps. Once, he’d have been proud to sneak an old, half-eaten chicken from a Food House spoil-box.

  And now here I am, far from the streets, under the eye of the Forest Dog—using all my senses to hunt down the fastest of prey.

  Leaping over a fallen log, Lucky felt a surge of wild pride. Not so long ago he had been forced into the role of Omega as punishment for joining the Pack as a spy for his litter-sister Bella, and the Leashed Dogs she’d led out of the broken longpaw city. He’d hated being Omega, but he had to admit that demotion had taught him a lot about loyalty, and humility, and how it felt to be an underdog. He was a braver dog for the experience. And he valued his new rank so much more now. To be Omega was to be lowest of all the Pack, and it had been a shock to fall so far from his position as a valued hunter and patroller.

  Every Pack needed an Omega, of course, to fetch and carry, to do the dirty and unpopular jobs. It was an important role; Lucky knew that.

  It was just never going to be his role again.

  Now that they were traveling, there was less need for Patrol Dogs, and more for hunters to feed the Pack. It had been hard work, fighting his way back up the ranks, but Lucky had been determined. He had done every low-down job that was asked of him, but he had kept alert for his chance, demanding the opportunity to prove himself in ritual fights against other dogs. Lucky still felt the sting of his first defeat—by the tan-and-white hunter Snap—but he had made it in the end. Now he too was a hunter, a dog of high status, valued and respected by his Packmates. He was seeking out prey again, providing for the Pack, who waited in their newest camp in the forest.

  The narrow gorge wasn’t the perfect home their old camp had been—that one was far back on the other side of the white ridge, between a low, protecting hill and a flower-dappled sweep of meadow. But for now the forest valley was a safe place to break their journey, and a comforting distance from the Fierce Dog Pack that threatened them.

  This forest was unfamiliar, but Lucky was happy to trust his sharply honed instincts and his faith in the Forest-Dog. It stung his pride that Blade’s attack had forced the Pack to move on yet again—but on the whole, Lucky was glad that they had. For the last few journeys of the Sun-Dog, life had been good. Lucky wanted that to last as long as possible.

  “Lucky!” The huge, brown dog Fiery turned to bark over his shoulder. “Remember—keep your nose alert for Blade and the others.”

  “Don’t worry.” Lucky wasn’t about to forget the savage leader of the Fierce Dogs. He felt his hackles rise as he pictured her snarling, arrogant face. Lucky sniffed the frosty forest air for any trace of their enemy, but all he could detect were dying leaves, running water, and tiny creatures of the earth.

  Blade won’t get near the Pack while I can stop her. . . .

  “Good. Just stay alert, and make sure the others do too.” Fiery swung his great head to scan the forest. “Alpha’s certain Blade will be back for revenge.”

  “I think Alpha’s right.” Lucky increased his pace until he was running closely at Fiery’s flank. “And he’s right not to let any dog go out alone.”

  Fiery’s muscles bunched as he slowed his pace to a trot. “Let’s move carefully now,” he growled. “We’re almost at the hunting ground.”

  The half-wolf Alpha had insisted that Fiery go out with Lucky on this first hunt of his new status. Lucky was fairly sure that was for strength in numbers, and not an indication of his leader’s lingering distrust of him. It felt odd that Alpha should care about Lucky’s life after all that had happened between them, but Lucky and
the half wolf seemed to have reached a kind of peace.

  For now.

  Lucky didn’t think he would ever trust Alpha completely, but that wasn’t a thought he could share with Fiery. He was the Pack’s third-in-command after Sweet, Alpha’s Beta, and had always been deeply, fiercely loyal to their leader.

  “Lucky!” The excited yelp came from a clump of grass to his left, and Lick burst into view.

  “You kept up,” barked Lucky, amused. “Well done.”

  The young Fierce Dog visibly swelled, her head lifting. Lucky’s surge of pride in her was mixed with a tingle of foreboding. Though she was young, Lick’s Fierce Dog heritage already showed in her powerful muscles and her glossy hide, and in that strong jaw lined with ferocious teeth. Some of the other dogs were still nervous about accepting a Fierce Dog into their Pack.

  Fools. Lick’s about as vicious as a rabbit.

  “Keep your eyes open, Lick,” he growled softly at the young dog. “Remember, it’s a white rabbit we’re looking for, and Dart swears she saw one around this warren.”

  “Why does it have to be white?” Lick frowned. “I can smell so much prey here.”

  Lucky’s heart sank, but he kept his voice cheerful. “Alpha insists on a snow-white rabbit for the Naming Ceremony.”

  Lick’s head lowered, and all her energy seemed to seep out of her. “Oh. For Squirm and Nose. I bet it’s going to be amazing.” In a resentful growl she added, “Not that I’d know anything about Naming.”

  “Neither do I.” Lucky shunted her cheerfully with his nose. “I never had a Naming Ceremony, Lick.”

  “Really?” She cocked her head, seeming a little more hopeful.

  “Really. I don’t even remember getting my name. Sometimes there’s a vague memory, but . . .” Lucky shook his shoulders. “I remember a young longpaw, with yellow hair like a tail. She was in danger. I remember my Mother-Dog being pleased with me. I hear a voice saying, ‘Lucky . . .’ but the memory slips away just when I’m about to seize it, like a sneaky piece of prey.”