Storm of Dogs (7 page)

She turned and barked down the tunnel. “Arrow!”

Lucky heard the scrambling of paws. A moment later he saw the outline of a young Fierce Dog, not much older than Storm and Fang. He wore no collar, unlike the rest of his Pack. But his ears were pointed like a sharpclaw's, without the jagged edges of Fang's torn flesh. A longpaw must have cut them with brutal precision. That meant the young dog was born before the Big Growl. He stood at attention obediently, waiting for Blade to give her orders.
I wonder if he realizes how close he came to being killed by her?
Lucky wondered.
If he'd been born after that awful day.

“Are you ready?” asked Blade.

“Yes, Alpha!” barked Arrow.

The two Fierce Dogs disappeared down the tunnel.

Lucky's head was still spinning. He had to get out, to warn his Packmates that this was a trap—but how? He cocked his head, thinking. The far wall seemed to be a little more rugged, and dipped at a slight incline. If he could just get enough speed . . . He ran at the wall with all his might, jumping as he reached it and throwing his forepaws against it, but the rock was too hard and smooth for a decent grip. He slipped back down and hit the ground with a thud.

Struggling to keep calm and to control his frustration, Lucky took a deep breath and started circling the wall. Where water trailed over the stones, there were small clumps of moss.
Maybe I can climb up on those.

He tested the moss with his paws. Some of it fell away under pressure, but the rest seemed firmly connected to the stone.
If I can climb it quickly, before it collapses
. . .

Lucky backed up as far as he could, then ran at the wall. He sank his claws into the moss, feeling the soft earthy greenery crumble away beneath his paws. It held just long enough to let him scurry up the stone.

I'm doing it! I'm almost out!

He threw his forepaws over the top of the cave bowl with a rush of euphoria, preparing to pull himself up.

The gleam of fangs flashed overhead, and pain shot through Lucky's forepaw.

Lucky howled, squinting up against the
darkness. He could make out the ragged, wolfish outline of a head at the top of the rock bowl.
Alpha! Our old Alpha!
The dog-wolf crunched down on Lucky's flesh with a growl of triumph.

Fire seared through Lucky's paw and he lost his footing, tumbling back down the rock face and smacking his side against the damp floor of the cave. Salt water splashed the wound, and Lucky swallowed an agonized yelp. He clenched his teeth.
I won't give the half wolf the satisfaction!

The former leader of the Wild Pack prowled the edge of the stone dip. Against the opening to the sky, his long face was in shadow, but Lucky could see a wicked glint in those cold yellow eyes.

“You'll never learn,” the wolf-dog snarled. “Always wanting to play the hero. How dumb
are
you? To fall for such an obvious trick. How could you trust Fang, after everything that's happened? You can't trust
every
dog.”

“I know
that's
true,” Lucky snarled back, doing his best to stand upright despite the throbbing in his paw. “I knew you were rotten at heart from the moment I saw you. You killed Alfie.”

The dog-wolf stopped pacing.
“Alfie?”
He seemed genuinely confused.

Lucky bristled with rage.
He doesn't even remember his name! That's how little Alfie meant to him.

The dog-wolf cocked his head in thought. “Oh . . . that tubby little Leashed Dog? He was on my territory without permission. He and his motley Pack were a threat to the Wild Dogs.
It had to be that way.”

Lucky howled. “You killed a good dog, and you don't even have the decency to feel remorse. You're evil! You enjoy tricking other dogs and getting the better of them, just like you love seeing me in this trap.”

The half wolf leaned over the rim of the rock bowl, baring his fangs. “You don't know anything,” he snarled. “It has never been about
you
.”

“Oh really?” Lucky scoffed. “What is it about, then? What is it that makes you turn on your own Pack and join the Fierce Dogs?”

The dog-wolf glanced warily along the tunnel. He lowered his voice. “It's about survival. I will do whatever it takes to stay alive. If more dogs thought like me, we'd all be better off.”

Lucky sighed. “But the Wild Pack was okay. The Leashed Dogs had joined, everyone was getting along. When you fell in the Endless Lake, we all thought you were dead. The Pack
grieved
for you.”
Well, most of them did.
Lucky had to admit that he hadn't felt that sorry when the half wolf disappeared. “Then you go and join the Fierce Dogs! You hate them! It doesn't make any sense.”

The half wolf's voice was low. “It's true that I
used
to hate the Fierce Dogs for their cruelty. I didn't like how they were trained to be the teeth and violence of the longpaws. That's how I'd known them before the Big Growl—as Longpaw Fangs.” He threw a furtive look over his shoulder. “They're different now. They don't answer to anyone. When my Pack grew to include Leashed Dogs, I saw how easily things fell apart between them. The Fierce Dogs stick together. I respect Blade. I admire her clear thinking and authority and the discipline of her Pack.”

Lucky shook his head in frustration. “So you're prepared to cower and beg to them? To run errands and eat last?”

“I don't intend to stay Omega forever.” The former Alpha ran his tongue over his teeth. Lucky could see the silvery sheen of the wolf-dog's fur. The Sun-Dog was rising. “Talent plays a part in success, even in this Pack. Who do you think came up with the plan to get you down here?”

Lucky could hardly control his fury, but he raised his muzzle and kept his voice steady. “Omega. That's your name these days, isn't it?”

The half wolf's lip twitched with anger. “That's not my name. Neither is Alpha. You will never know my
real
name.” He opened his mouth to say more, but his ears pricked up and he tensed as Arrow appeared along the far tunnel, a jagged piece of driftwood in his jaws. The wolf-dog shrank away like a scolded pup, disappearing along the tunnel. Lucky watched as Arrow placed the wood on the edge of the rocks where the Fierce Dogs' Omega had stood, making it impossible to climb out.

Arrow went about his business as though Lucky wasn't there. He finished dragging the wood into position and marched back along the tunnel, leaving Lucky alone.

The wind was rising over the Endless Lake. Lucky could hear the crash and churn of water not far away and smell the sharp salt air. He shivered with cold, unable to find any shelter in the damp cave.

He gave a little whine and tried shaking his fur for warmth, as Moon had taught him to do. It didn't seem to help anymore. He paced about the cave, his paws splashing through icy water. Gazing into the sky, he saw that the Moon-Dog had vanished, but the Sun-Dog was only a faint tail of light below dark-gray clouds. What had happened to the Spirit Dogs? Lucky had once felt confident in their protection, but ever since the Earth-Dog had growled, he had grown less and less sure.

How do my dreams about the Storm of Dogs fit into it all?
He remembered with a start what Blade had said.
She has seen the same things—she knows that Storm will be involved somehow.
Now he was even more worried that what they had seen was not just dreams, but something else.
They must be messages from the Spirit Dogs.
Yet Storm herself seemed unaware of the danger.
If the dreams are omens from the Spirit Dogs, why are they warning me? And Blade? Why doesn't Storm sense this terrible future, if she is to play such an important role?

And what will my role be when the time comes?

The Sun-Dog was hovering straight above the hole in the roof of the cave. Lucky watched
him sorrowfully, wishing the great Spirit Dog would send down some heat. Icy water from the Endless Lake streamed down from the roof, swishing about his paws. It rose in deep puddles before gradually seeping away. Lucky's paws were now constantly under the water, and at its worst it crept up his flank.

What if it stops draining away? I'll drown in this miserable pit.

His belly growled with hunger, and his throat was cracked and dry with thirst. He knew better than to drink the water that surrounded him.
Salt water just makes things worse.
His head felt faint and his legs quivered, both from weakness and cold.

He pressed his side against the rock wall, trying to stay upright and keep as much of his fur dry as possible. The clouds had lifted, and a cruel wind cut down from the cliff. Against the sting of the air, the salt water bit like teeth. He raised his injured paw, licking it regularly. Sadness washed over him. With great effort and longing, he pictured trees in the rich, gentle haze of summer. He remembered his favorite Spirit Dog, who had guided him to safety so many times.

Wise Forest-Dog, do not leave me alone to despair in the terrible cold. I will be the bravest dog in this world, the humblest and most loyal, if you help me escape—if I could see your forests once more.

He imagined the sweet dew that hung from leaves and pictured it dripping down into his open mouth. His head sank against the rock, and his mind blurred. The salt water that splashed his muzzle was nothing like dew. It stung his whiskers, but he no longer had the energy to flinch from each drop. Ice Wind's chill fangs cut into his flesh and his body jerked in violent shivers, his breath coming in fast snorts.

“Lucky!”

Through the fog in his head, Lucky looked up. A slim, elegant dog stood high above him.
Sweet?
Was it a dream?

Bella appeared at her side, peering over the pile of driftwood that Arrow had left behind. It wasn't a dream—they were here to save him! Down here, among the rocks, where nothing grew, the Forest-Dog had heard him!

There was a shuffle of paws overhead, and a broad, dark face joined Bella and Sweet.

Storm—she came with them
. . . .

Lucky's joy evaporated, and icy dread ran through his limbs. If only this
was
a dream. Because if it was real—if Sweet and the others had come to rescue him—it meant Blade's evil plan had worked.

Lucky heard scrabbling overhead as Sweet
, Bella, and Storm worked to pull away the driftwood.

They're really here.

“No,” rasped Lucky. His voice cracked and he swallowed hard, trying to force out the words, to warn his friends that they'd walked into Blade's trap.

“It's okay,” Bella soothed. “Try not to speak.” She reached down a paw and patted the dip in the wall. “Jump onto your hind legs if you can.”

Lucky's head was spinning and his vision was blurry. He tried to focus on his litter-sister. With a deep breath, he threw his forepaws onto the rock wall. Storm appeared overhead, her head cocked anxiously. Lucky's hind legs were trembling badly, and he could hardly keep upright. He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the pain as Storm closed her strong jaws around his neck and tugged him up the wall. He sensed Sweet and Bella pressing closer, and soon they had dragged him over the rock lip and into the tunnel.

Lucky collapsed in a heap in front of them, gasping for breath. There was a pool of water in front of his nose, and he sniffed it carefully. Rain! He lapped it up, feeling the clean, icy water slip down his throat. He gave silent thanks to the Forest-Dog.
He may be far away,
but he has not deserted me.

Sweet licked Lucky's face. “You're okay now. We're here, and we're going to take you home.”

His voice came out a pathetic whine. “You don't understand. Blade
wanted
you to find me. It's a trap.”

Storm shook her head firmly. “We scouted out the route before we came into this. There's no dog here.”

Lucky sat up, then climbed to his feet, feeling refreshed by the rainwater. He sniffed the air furtively, but there was no hint of the Fierce Dogs. He allowed a trickle of hope to run through him.
Maybe Storm's right. Could Blade have let down her guard?