“No, I don’t know,” Lucky reminded her, thinking of the longpaws he’d seen playing in the city parks with their pups, their food baskets, and their ball games. Would he be running the risk of encountering any longpaws? The only ones he had seen since he left the city were those with the yellow-fur, and they hadn’t seemed interested in dogs at all.
“Oh, don’t look so alarmed, Lucky!” said Bella. “It’s long abandoned.”
Lucky cocked his head doubtfully. “How can you tell?”
“All the longpaw things had been broken up by the first Big Growl, and nobody’s come to fix them. You can’t miss it,” Bella went on. “You’ll smell old fires and burned food, and longpaws. I’ll go there every night, as soon as the Moon-Dog rises, and I will wait for you until he’s right overhead. As soon as there’s a no-sun when you think it’s safe, slip away from that Pack and meet me there so you can tell me what you have learned.”
Lucky let his head dip slowly to show that he agreed. If Bella wanted to go ahead with her outlandish plan, this did seem like the safest way to do it. “All right. Every no-sun, wait for me there. I’ll come as soon as I can.”
She licked his nose. “Thank you, Lucky! I knew you would help us.”
Without another word she turned and trotted back toward the camp, tongue lolling, head and tail held high. His litter-sister looked like a real Alpha now. The trouble was, she didn’t yet have a Pack leader’s wisdom or wiles, only impulsive schemes. He couldn’t blame her—she was doing her best, and she wasn’t used to this life—but he was worried she would plot herself into big trouble before long.
With a sigh, Lucky padded after her, feeling a tingling ball of nerves in his belly. He was a clever dog—sneaky and cunning and crafty, he thought, remembering uneasily what their Mother-Dog would have had to say about that—but surviving in the city was so different from life in the wild. In the city, if he had tried to steal food from longpaws, he would have been chased off. If he got away, he was safe—free and clear. Longpaws eventually gave up and went back to their homes.
If the dog-wolf caught him trying to cheat his Pack, thought Lucky, he wouldn’t just chase Lucky away. Lucky would be in real danger.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“There! A mouse!” Daisy shot off after the little rodent, her burst of speed bringing her swiftly on top of it. With a snap of her jaws, she tossed it into the air, limp and broken, caught it, and brought it proudly back to Lucky.
“Well done, Daisy!” She was turning into a natural. Prey had been hard to find this morning, and Lucky suspected the torrential storm had drowned or driven away much of what the Big Growl had left behind.
The Sun-Dog was racing higher and ever swifter into a clear blue rain-washed sky, which meant the best time for hunting was over—but Lucky found himself reluctant to give up and return to the caves. Daisy had caught their third mouse, and Mickey had surprised a fat brown bird dozing on a low branch, but it would be good to get something more—and besides, Lucky was almost dreading the end of this hunt.
This sun-high would be when he would leave the Leashed Dogs and try to wrangle his way into the enemy Pack, and even the thought of seeing Sweet again couldn’t make him feel any better.
A bird scolded the dogs from high up in a pine, too far away for Lucky to do anything more than give it his best threatening glare. Soon there would be nothing to hunt but beetles and bugs, and then he would have no excuses. Stopping to sniff the air, Lucky saw Mickey slinking through the trees off to his left, low to the ground. Another ripple of pride went through his blood.
“Look!” cried Daisy. A rabbit leaped from the grass almost at Mickey’s feet, hurtling toward Lucky in a panic and swerving aside at the last moment. Sunshine cut it off and drove it back toward Lucky, but it was Mickey who intercepted it with an agile sideways leap, and his jaws crunched down on its spine.
“Well done, Mickey!” Sunshine was jumping up and down and spinning with excitement.
“You did well too, Sunshine,” Lucky pointed out, giving her ear a lick. “This was a real team effort!”
The little dog looked about to burst, and Lucky remembered with amusement her early dislike of hunting, her fear of getting her beautiful white fur caught on twigs. Now she looked grubby and her coat was matted, but she bounced with pride.
There was no putting off the moment anymore; their haul of prey was excellent for such an unpromising sunup. Lucky barked to bring the others back to him. Then, together, they carried their kills back to Martha, Bruno, and Bella.
They weren’t quite in sight of the river and caves when Lucky halted, a scent bringing him up short. His hackles rose as he stood stiff-legged, sniffing the still air.
“Lucky? What is it?” Sunshine laid down her mouse and looked up at him quizzically.
“Nothing, I hope,” he growled softly. “You three go on. I’m going to do a quick scout around here.”
Sunshine looked uncertain, but obediently picked up her mouse and trotted toward the caves with Mickey and Daisy.
Lucky waited until they were out of sight over a slight rise, then lowered his muzzle to the ground, his sense of threat making his coat bristle all over. He hadn’t wanted to say anything to the others, not yet; but he was certain of it. . . .
A Fierce Dog had passed this way.
It couldn’t have been one of the enemy Pack led by the dog-wolf. Lucky hadn’t seen any of those sleek black Fierce Dogs among them, and besides, there was something familiar about this particular scent. A picture came to his mind as the smell filled his nostrils: the strange doghouses where the Leashed Dogs had been caught and imprisoned by the violent Fierce Dog Pack. If Lucky had not been there to help them, he remembered with a shudder, Bella, Daisy, and Alfie would have probably been torn to pieces.
A nervous whine escaped Lucky’s lips. Surely the Fierce Dogs would not pursue them all the way here, just for revenge for their wounded pride? The female Alpha, Blade, had been especially arrogant and savage, but would she really leave her easy, spoiled existence in the Dog-Garden to come after a Pack of mangy Leashed Dogs?
Lucky wasn’t sure. And, in a way, that was worse than having something terrible but definite to fear.
He took his time snuffling around the trees, using his nose to nudge aside stones and branches. At last he felt a little more reassured—the scents were old and had not been refreshed recently, so whoever the Fierce Dog was, he had just been passing through. Still, he felt uneasy as he followed the others back toward the caves. There were far too many signs of danger around this place, too many traces of unfriendly dogs. Bella and her Pack could only move forward now. They could not turn around and walk back the way they had come—not when they were caught between two fierce, hostile Packs.
They needed to find a territory all their own. Somewhere.
The others were waiting for him, so happy and excited at the prospect of a good meal that Lucky decided not to mention his misgivings, or tell them about the strange and alarming Fierce Dog scent he had picked up. Any apprehension he felt was defeated by his appetite, which had been sharpened by the hunt and the clear air. He fell on his share of the prey with enthusiasm.
Afterward, he sprawled in the Sun-Dog’s light and heat, his belly full and his ears tickled by the soft breathing and contented grunts of his friends. At last, he rose up to all fours, stretching and shaking himself from head to tail. Much as he would have liked to, there was no sense putting this off any longer. As he paced toward Bella, the others raised their heads and got to their feet one by one, nervously gathering around him.
“I should be going.” Lucky nuzzled Bella’s ear, wanting to stay angry with her, but too aware of how much he would miss her, as well as the safety and companionship of this odd Pack, while he was away on his dangerous mission.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” said Daisy.
“We’ve only just got you back,” Sunshine whined. “And those other dogs are so scary. Are you sure you’ll be safe?”
> Lucky licked her black nose. “It’s for the best. You have to trust in Bella and me. That’s what Pack’s all about.” He wished he felt half as confident as he sounded. “I’ll be back again soon, and by that time I hope we will have clean water to drink. I’ll do my best for you all.”
“We know you will, Lucky.” Mickey nuzzled his neck. “Just . . . be careful.”
Suppressing a shudder, Lucky wagged his tail cheerfully. “Of course I will.” He turned to give Bella a last glance.
She was watching him with a solemn look in her dark eyes. More and more, he thought, she seemed to fit naturally into her role as Alpha, and more and more he wished he could be sure she was capable of this responsibility. All the same he licked her nose fondly and pressed his face to hers before forcing himself to turn away and begin his journey.
He did not look back as he bounded up the valley’s steep side. The air was warming rapidly, and he panted with the exertion, but he wanted to follow a high route toward the shining lake so that he would not be vulnerable to surprise attacks. There could be other dogs in the valley besides the enemy Pack.
He was glad his belly was full, because his thoughts were focused on what lay ahead, not on hunting. The prey seemed to know it, too; birds sang cheekily close to him and a mouse had the confidence to scuttle across his path and under a log. Lucky was not altogether sure if his anxiety was due to the angry enemies ahead or the thought of seeing Sweet again.
He almost wished the other Pack’s guards would make their appearance so that he could stop worrying. The land was evening out, and as he crested a small ridge he saw the lake spilling away before him, brilliantly reflecting the Sun-Dog’s shine. Surely, now . . .
There! Lucky jerked his head up at the sound of a ferocious bark, just as three dogs leaped out to confront him. Even as his hackles rose instinctively, Lucky felt a strange flutter of relief.
“What are you doing here?” A lean brown-and-white chase-dog, like a smaller swift-dog, stood squarely in front of him, baring her teeth. “This is our territory!”
Our territory! Lucky remembered their savage barks and howls on the day Alfie died. Ours!
“Leave this place now,” snarled a long-eared black-and-tan dog. “Or face the consequences.”
Lucky forced himself to hold his ground; if he turned tail, they might well chase him down and maul him, or worse. He crouched, keeping his haunches high and his forepaws low. He swung his tail nervously to signal that he was not here to threaten or challenge them on their territory.
“In the name of the Forest-Dog, I want to talk to your Alpha!” he barked.
The brown-and-white dog drew back her muzzle in a contemptuous snarl. “Why?”
Lucky took a deep breath and lowered his head even farther. He disliked bowing before these Pack Dogs. They had attacked his friends, and killed one of them! But he had no choice. And besides . . .
“Sweet the swift-dog is one of your Pack,” he said. “We survived together in the city, after the Big Growl.”
“And?” sneered another long-eared dog, a female who looked so much like the male that Lucky wondered if they were littermates.
He cocked his ears and let his tongue loll. If it worked for Food House longpaws, maybe his charm would even work on these dogs. “I want to join your Pack. Take me to Sweet and she’ll vouch for me.”
“Why would we want you in our Pack?” The brown-and-white dog’s voice was full of disdain.
“Because I’m a hunter,” Lucky replied. “I can be useful to you.”
“We don’t need scavenger city dogs who think they can hunt.”
Something about the female long-ear’s bearing sparked a memory in Lucky’s mind—he’d seen this dog during the fight, following the Alpha’s orders. This was the one the dog-wolf had called Spring.
Lucky clenched his teeth against a snarl. He knew he mustn’t rise to the taunts, however tempting it was. “I would be valuable to your Pack. You would be stronger with me on your side.”
To Lucky’s relief, the male long-ear looked up at the brown-and-white chase-dog uncertainly. “I don’t know, Dart. If he does know Sweet . . .”
“I doubt it, Twitch,” snarled Dart, and turned back to Lucky. “I can smell the stink of the city on you. What is it you hunt? Food wrappers?”
The three dogs laughed scornfully. Lucky tried not to show how close the barb had come to the truth. He’d learned a lot since those days, after all. Besides, he was secretly pleased to hear that the city’s stench still clung to him. It told him he was still his old self, still a City Dog and a Lone Dog.
He was still Lucky.
His quiet pleasure was shattered when the dogs began to advance again. Still refusing to back away, Lucky flattened his whole body against the ground, but he couldn’t stop his muzzle from curling. If they insisted on attacking, he would fight back. Even if it only made things worse for himself.
I may still smell of it, he thought despairingly, but I’m a long way from the city now. And I don’t have any friends here. . . .
There was no sign of these dogs giving any ground, he realized. And there was no point submitting if they were simply going to tear him to bits anyway. Baring his teeth in a warning snarl, he leapt abruptly to his feet, standing stiff and tall.
I won’t be easy pickings. . . .
The male black-and-tan called Twitch was limping slightly, and Lucky was bigger than each of them, but he knew he couldn’t outfight three brutal dogs all at the same time.
“Take him, Spring!”
The female black-and-tan went for him, charging low for his neck. She moved with unexpected speed, and Lucky just managed to leap sideways. But this only took him into the path of Dart, who lunged for his scruff. Lucky yelped as he felt her teeth sink into his flesh, and then Twitch sneaked in and bit his foreleg. Lucky squirmed, throwing Dart off, snarling and gnashing at Twitch.
But now Spring was back. She seized a mouthful of his neck fur and gave it a fierce tug.
Were they actually planning to kill him? Lucky didn’t think so, but they were certainly going to hurt him badly—make sure he fled and never returned. And if he couldn’t get the upper paw against these three mangy brutes, there was no way he would ever get into their Pack. The rest wouldn’t dream of accepting him—even Sweet.
Sharp fangs sank into his flank and he howled with pain and rage, twisting to snap at his attacker but only catching her ear. At the same time, the black-and-tan male got a grip on Lucky’s own ear, tearing at it. Lucky felt a sharp pain and warm blood spreading through the fur over his skull. Dart still had hold of his neck fur, her teeth now sinking into Lucky’s flesh.
Lucky felt panic begin to overwhelm him along with the rage. She was going to do serious damage if he could not shift her soon.
“Enough! LEAVE HIM!”
The bark sounded savage, but also familiar. Lucky stumbled when he felt the pressure and pain at his neck fade away. Still snarling, his three attackers backed off, their hackles bristling and their teeth bared.
Panting, Lucky gave them a defiant snarl in return, but his eyes hungrily sought out the newcomer. That scent he knew so well tickled his nostrils, and his heart thudded hard and slowed as he caught his breath.
“Sweet,” he gasped.
She did not bound forward to greet him, but simply stood there, her head held high as she studied him with narrowed eyes. Her ears pricked forward and she sniffed imperiously at the air around him.
“He’s an invader!” Dart barked.
“So I see.” Sweet stood very still, cocking her head only slightly, never taking her eyes off Lucky.
“We were trying to get rid of him,” snarled the limping male, Twitch.
“You should let us finish!” said Dart.
“No,” Sweet growled. “I know this dog.”
Dart lowered her head and tail. She looked submissive, and not happy about it.
“I’m going to take him to Alpha. Any objections?” Sweet looked around her
Packmates, clearly not expecting any disagreement—and none came. “I shall propose him as a new member. He would be an asset to the Pack.”
“Yes, Beta.” The others were deferential now, though they shot venomous glances at Lucky.
Beta? Lucky thought. He knew that every Wild Pack had an Alpha, a leader, and an Omega, who had the lowest rank in the Pack—but what was a Beta? Just how well has Sweet settled in to this pack? But this wasn’t the time to start questioning her. “Thank you, Sweet,” he began as he scrambled back on all fours. “I’ll—”
“That’s enough.” Any warmth in Sweet’s eyes was gone altogether, and a faint shiver of apprehension went through Lucky’s bones.
“Sweet, I’m sorry—”
“Just follow me. And don’t use my name. In fact, don’t say another word.”
CHAPTER NINE
Sweet led Lucky around the shore of the lake into a deep bay fringed thickly with trees. Under the branches the light was green and cool, the ground soft underpaw. After the dazzling sun-high brightness of the valley, Lucky’s eyes took a little time to adjust to the shade as he followed Sweet’s narrow hindquarters closely through two lines of straight trunks.
Where the trees opened out to the shallow dip of a clearing, Sweet paused. The Sun-Dog’s light pierced the pine canopy here, sending spears of dusty light to the grassy ground, and Lucky could see several distinct hollows strewn with soft leaves and moss—proper sleeping dens, carefully arranged. It was a long way from the rough camps his own Pack had managed to set up.
Still, he had a feeling that comfort was not the only advantage of this camp. On most of its edges it was hemmed in by thick thorn scrub that would be impossible for any large animal to penetrate without giving themselves away. Even Daisy would struggle to make her way through this dangerous undergrowth. Lucky would have liked to stand at Sweet’s side, but he respectfully held back by her flank, constantly aware of the three smaller dogs at his rear who blocked his escape route. One of the shafts of sunlight fell onto a large flat rock near the center of the clearing, warming the hide of the huge sleeping dog-wolf. Of course the most prominent part of the camp, and the warmest, had been reserved for the ferocious Alpha.