by Erin Hunter
“Storm, is that you?” Lucky’s anxious bark shook her out of her awful reverie. “Are you all right?”
“Lucky!” Storm gasped, and swung around to peer into the forest. She could make out the shapes of Beta and Snap pacing toward her, on their way back to the camp. Trying not to let her legs shake, she walked forward to meet them.
“Storm, is everything all right at the camp?” Lucky stared at her very intently.
“Yes. Yes, it’s fine.” Storm lashed her tail, and peered again at the two dogs. They were empty-pawed, that was immediately obvious. “You didn’t catch the Golden Deer, then? Did you lose the scent after all?”
“On the contrary, we followed the scent all the way back here.” Lucky had to be exhausted, but there was still a gleam of wild excitement in his eyes. “The Wind-Dogs have led us in a dance, Storm—in a wide circle all around the camp.” He eyed her more closely, and there was concern in his voice as he said, meaningfully, “Couldn’t you sleep, Storm?”
She knew what he was trying to ask her: Did you walk in your sleep again? She glanced nervously at Snap, but the chase-dog didn’t seem to have noticed anything odd in Lucky’s line of questioning. Snap was watching them both with only casual interest.
“I . . . no, I couldn’t sleep, not really,” Storm blustered. “I think I was too excited, thinking about you two chasing the Golden Deer.”
“I see.” Lucky nodded, but there was a lingering worry in his expression.
Storm sat down, to rest her paws and also to conceal the trembling of her limbs. “You say the trail led back here?” she asked curiously.
“Yes. Strange, isn’t it?” Snap lifted her nose, as if eager to find the scent again.
“So . . . you’re still hunting it?” Storm got back to her paws, suddenly excited by the possible distraction.
“Oh yes,” said Lucky, his tongue lolling happily. “We’re not giving up on the Golden Deer now, not when we’ve come so close.”
“I’ll come with you,” she told them. Her tail was wagging all by itself now, and her nerves buzzed with the thrill of the chase. Her aches and exhaustion fell away like water on a river-rabbit’s fur. “I can smell it too!”
Lucky gave a low bark of agreement. “Good, Storm! If you can’t sleep”— he gave her another pointed look—“there’s nothing better than a nighttime hunt to take your mind off it.”
Storm turned and followed Lucky as he bounded forward through the trees. Her head was suddenly clear, and her muscles felt as fresh as if she’d slept the night away.
We’re going to hunt the Golden Deer!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Storm’s long legs ate up the ground, her paws pounding fast and steadily. It felt so good to be racing at Lucky’s side, to be joining him in this mad, wonderful hunt, Snap just a few paces behind them. Beneath her paw pads, forest litter and dry leaves became soft yielding meadow grass, and then sand, and then shelves of hard rock, but still the dogs ran. The scent of the Golden Deer was stronger than ever in her nostrils, making her light-headed with hope and excitement.
Once or twice the dogs’ pawsteps faltered, as the trail seemed to dissipate and drift into nothing. But at a bark from Lucky they would sprint on.
“Don’t you see it? The Golden Deer. There!”
They had been running for so long without finding anything that Storm was sure Lucky was imagining the creature; perhaps it was wishful thinking on her Beta’s part. As they reached the crest of a ridge, though, she blinked and sucked in a breath.
The three dogs were gazing out over a broad plain that sloped down gently toward the Endless Lake. The sky was paling to a misty blue now as the Sun-Dog stretched and rose from his nighttime den; claws of pale golden light breached the distant horizon. Below them lay a long stretch of green grass, and right in the middle of it stood a gleaming figure.
Storm’s jaw hung loose, and her heart stumbled in her chest. The creature seemed to be made of golden light, but the shape of a deer was perfectly clear. It was poised to run, yet it was gazing back intently at the dogs.
Almost as if it wants to be chased, thought Storm. Her mouth felt dry with anticipation.
“I was beginning to think you’d imagined it,” she whispered to Lucky.
He gave a bark of joy, and sprang down the slope. Elegantly, the Golden Deer turned and leaped, swift and sure, into the race.
Lucky and Snap had been hunting through the night, for far longer than Storm had, and despite her dream-walk she was pulling ahead of her two companions as the Sun-Dog’s shining face rose over the horizon. Ahead of her the deer still galloped, burnished like coppery Red-Leaf foliage, but Storm hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. Lucky and Snap were falling back, exhausted, and they were beginning to limp as they ran.
I can’t go on chasing the deer without Lucky . . . this is his dream. With the greatest reluctance, Storm trotted to a halt, and waited for her companions to catch up.
Lucky was panting hard. “I don’t think we’re going to catch it tonight.” There was aching regret in his voice.
“No,” agreed Snap, her head hanging low with weariness. “But see where it’s led us? We’ve been chasing it in a circle around our camp, all night.” She nodded toward the first belt of trees that bordered the forest. The early light of the Sun-Dog made the green of them glow.
Storm licked her jaws thoughtfully. “Yes. We’ve been just beyond our home territory the whole time. Why would the deer behave like that?”
Lucky’s ears were pricked high, despite his tiredness. “I think that’s encouraging,” he told them. “It’s not the behavior of a normal deer, is it? A regular deer would just bolt. I think it’s more proof—if we ever needed it—that we’ve found the Golden Deer.”
“I don’t care anymore,” panted Snap, with a roll of her eyes. “I just want it to stop, so we can catch the thing.”
“So we’re not giving up?” Storm glanced from Snap to Lucky.
“Oh, no.” Lucky grinned, and Snap nodded her agreement. “I feel as if I could hunt this deer till the Sun-Dog goes back to his den.”
Storm hesitated. Her Beta looked tired, but there was no dimming of the fire in his eyes. “I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed,” she said slowly. “The wind has been at our backs all night. It doesn’t matter which direction we’ve run, the wind has been with us. And yet we’ve been running in a circle! Do you think the Wind-Dogs are helping us?” Her tongue lolled with enthusiasm. “Because I think so. I think they want us to catch the Golden Deer, because they favor our Pack. I think they want us to have it—for your pups, Lucky!”
Lucky gazed thoughtfully after the deer, narrowing his eyes against the glare of the rising Sun-Dog. “I think you’re right, Storm. Destiny and the Spirit Dogs are on our side.”
“There it goes again!” Snap seemed to forget instantly about her aching limbs and lungs. She bounded toward a smear of gold on the very farthest edge of the grassy meadow. Lucky and Storm sprang after her.
With her breath back, Storm could register her surroundings, and find her bearings more exactly. The Deer has led us almost as far as the longpaw town, she realized. But it can’t want to go there. . . .
And sure enough, the shimmering figure turned again, racing toward the Endless Lake. The dogs put on speed, filled with a new determination.
We’re closing in on it, thought Storm, her heart leaping in her chest. We might actually catch the Golden Deer!
She barely noticed where she was going anymore; she was conscious only of Snap ahead of her and Lucky at her side, their muscles rippling and their fur flying in the wind of their own speed. As they crested a grassy dune, though, all three dogs came to a slithering standstill.
Down on the hard sand, the Deer was closer than ever. Storm could make out its dark shining eyes as it turned its head to watch its pursuers. It wasn’t gasping for breath, and its flanks didn’t heave. There wasn’t a single streak of sweat on its glowing pelt.
This is no normal dee
r. The absolute, final certainty sent a ghostly thrill through Storm’s bones.
“Wind-Dogs,” Lucky murmured. He lifted his head and closed his eyes. “Help me run like the wind itself across the sand. Help me catch your Golden Deer!”
The sudden shift in the wind direction was shocking. For a fleeting heartbeat, Storm thought the Wind-Dogs had answered Lucky’s prayer; then she realized the breeze was gusting in their faces. It had taken on a new chill, and it blew grains of sand into their eyes and ears. Lucky shuddered, and took a step back, looking stunned.
And then they heard the sounds that the breeze carried.
Our camp, realized Storm with a chill. The wind is blowing from the glade!
And the sound it brings . . . that’s the howling of dogs. Dogs crying out in grief . . .
“That’s Sweet’s voice!” yelped Lucky, twisting where he stood.
“It can’t be.” Snap’s bark was full of bewilderment. “We’re too far away.”
“The wind’s carrying it,” gasped Storm.
“We have to go back!” barked Lucky. “I have to get back to Sweet!”
“Yes.” Snap sprang into a run just as Lucky and Storm did. “We have to return to the camp!”
The Golden Deer forgotten, the three dogs ran, full of new and fearful energy. Storm was so driven by urgency she no longer felt her aching muscles, or the pain in her lungs. All she knew was that they had to get back to their Pack.
When the Pack is in danger, Spirit Deer can wait.
Alpha’s howls were clearer and stronger than ever as they burst through the trees. Storm recognized more voices, too: Chase and Bruno, Breeze and Dart, Mickey and Thorn and Beetle. The high yelping yips of Sunshine and Daisy were instantly identifiable, and were filled with horror. The noise of baying dogs rebounded from pine trunks, seeming to come from all directions at once. It beat against Storm’s eardrums, giving her legs fresh strength even as she leaped fallen logs and dead stumps. We’re coming, Packmates. We’re coming. . . .
The camp was still some distance away, though, when Lucky skidded to a halt, so abruptly that Storm crashed against his rump. Snap stumbled and stopped at their side. A swamping tide of relief was Storm’s first reaction; it must have been even more overwhelming for Lucky.
Alpha stood in a small forest clearing, head tipped back, howling; but she looked unharmed, and her flanks were still rounded with pups. The other Pack members were gathered around her, their voices raised to the Sky-Dogs in grief.
Lucky shouldered through the ranks, Storm right behind him. As he came to an abrupt halt, she trotted on a pace, then two. Then one more.
Halting, Storm stared at the ground in disbelief. The body of a dog, already cold, lay like a carelessly discarded soft-hide on the forest litter. The smell of death snaked into her nostrils, and an ancient memory flared inside her skull, unwelcome: The hollow curve of a motionless flank. Bristly hair on a dog’s neck, stiff and dark with blood. Punctured holes, ragged and torn at the edges.
No. Storm shuddered violently. This was not the Dog-Garden, and she was no pup anymore. This body was small and gray, torn with savage bites. Its throat had been ripped out.
For a moment she didn’t recognize the corpse, but perhaps that was only because she didn’t want to. Storm’s head swam, and a twist of nausea wrenched her gut.
Whisper.
She thought her legs might give way under her. The howls of her Packmates were deafening now, throbbing painfully in her head.
What happened? Oh, Whisper. You didn’t deserve this.
Her mind flailed. Was this the revenge of the foxes, or had some other creature murdered Whisper? The culprit could still be close by!
But . . . those are not fox bites. As Storm took a shaky pace closer to the corpse, the recognition clawed at her innards. Close by? No, worse. The enemy could be right here among us.
Because she knew one thing, with sickening certainty, as she stared at Whisper’s cold, torn, and broken body:
Those wounds were made by a dog.
BACK ADS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ERIN HUNTER is inspired by a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the bestselling Warriors and Seekers series. Visit her online at www.survivorsdogs.com.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
BOOKS BY ERIN HUNTER
Book One: The Empty City
Book Two: A Hidden Enemy
Book Three: Darkness Falls
Book Four: The Broken Path
Book Five: The Endless Lake
Book Six: Storm of Dogs
Survivors: Tales from the Packs
NOVELLAS
Alpha’s Tale
Sweet’s Journey
Moon’s Choice
THE PROPHECIES BEGIN
Book One: Into the Wild
Book Two: Fire and Ice
Book Three: Forest of Secrets
Book Four: Rising Storm
Book Five: A Dangerous Path
Book Six: The Darkest Hour
THE NEW PROPHECY
Book One: Midnight
Book Two: Moonrise
Book Three: Dawn
Book Four: Starlight
Book Five: Twilight
Book Six: Sunset
POWER OF THREE
Book One: The Sight
Book Two: Dark River
Book Three: Outcast
Book Four: Eclipse
Book Five: Long Shadows
Book Six: Sunrise
OMEN OF THE STARS
Book One: The Fourth Apprentice
Book Two: Fading Echoes
Book Three: Night Whispers
Book Four: Sign of the Moon
Book Five: The Forgotten Warrior
Book Six: The Last Hope
DAWN OF THE CLANS
Book One: The Sun Trail
Book Two: Thunder Rising
Book Three: The First Battle
Book Four: The Blazing Star
Book Five: A Forest Divided
Book Six: Path of Stars
Warriors Super Edition: Firestar’s Quest
Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar’s Prophecy
Warriors Super Edition: SkyClan’s Destiny
Warriors Super Edition: Crookedstar’s Promise
Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang’s Secret
Warriors Super Edition: Tallstar’s Revenge
Warriors Super Edition: Bramblestar’s Storm
Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans
Warriors: Cats of the Clans
Warriors: Code of the Clans
Warriors: Battles of the Clans
Warriors: Enter the Clans
Warriors: The Ultimate Guide
Warriors: The Untold Stories
Warriors: Tales from the Clans
MANGA
The Lost Warrior
Warrior’s Refuge
Warrior’s Return
The Rise of Scourge
Tigerstar and Sasha #1: Into the Woods
Tigerstar and Sasha #2: Escape from the Forest
Tigerstar and Sasha #3: Return to the Clans
Ravenpaw’s Path #1: Shattered Peace
Ravenpaw’s Path #2: A Clan in Need
Ravenpaw’s Path #3: The Heart of a Warrior
SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue
SkyClan and the Stranger #2: Beyond the Code
SkyClan and the Stranger #3: After the Flood
NOVELLAS
Hollyleaf’s Story
Mistystar’s Omen
Cloudstar’s Journey
Tigerclaw’s Fury
Leafpool’s Wish
Dovewing’s Silence
Mapleshade’s Vengeance
Goosefeather’s Curse
Book One: The Quest Begins
Book Two: Great Bear L
ake
Book Three: Smoke Mountain
Book Four: The Last Wilderness
Book Five: Fire in the Sky
Book Six: Spirits in the Stars
RETURN TO THE WILD
Book One: Island of Shadows
Book Two: The Melting Sea
Book Three: River of Lost Bears
Book Four: Forest of Wolves
Book Five: The Burning Horizon
MANGA
Toklo’s Story
Kallik’s Adventure
CREDITS
Cover art © 2015 by Julia Green
Cover design by Sarah Creech, based on series design by Cara Petrus
COPYRIGHT
A PACK DIVIDED. Copyright © 2015 by Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited. Endpaper art © 2015 by Frank Riccio. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
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Library of Congress catalog card number: 2015938992
ISBN 978-0-06-234333-8 (trade bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-06-234334-5 (lib. bdg.)
EPub Edition © September 2015 9780062343369
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FIRST EDITION
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