Friendship Forever

by Sue Bentley

  To Pash—gorgeous, charming spotty girl …

  except for the snail-crunching!

  GROSSET & DUNLAP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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  Text copyright © 2009 Sue Bentley. Illustrations copyright © 2009 Angela Swan. Cover illustration © 2009 Andrew Farley. First printed in Great Britain in 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd. First published in the United States in 2013 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN: 978-0-698-15962-4

  Friendship Forever

  SUE BENTLEY

  Illustrated by Angela Swan

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter ONE

  Chapter TWO

  Chapter THREE

  Chapter FOUR

  Chapter FIVE

  Chapter SIX

  Chapter SEVEN

  Chapter EIGHT

  Chapter NINE

  About the AUTHOR

  Prologue

  Storm padded slowly along the shore of the frozen lake. Snow clouds gathered in the sky above the young silver-gray wolf.

  Suddenly, a piercing howl echoed in the frosty air.

  “Shadow!” Storm gasped, trembling with fear.

  The fierce lone wolf, who had attacked the Moon-claw pack and left Storm’s mother injured, was close by. Storm must disguise himself, and quickly!

  There was a dazzling gold flash and a fountain of golden sparks that reflected off the icy surface of the lake. Where the wolf cub had stood, there now crouched a rare Akita puppy, with fluffy tan-and-cream fur, pricked ears, and big midnight-blue eyes.

  Storm turned and raced toward some ice-covered rocks. His little puppy heart beat fast as his paws skidded, and he tumbled over and over in his haste.

  “Storm! In here!” called a deep, velvety growl.

  “Mother?” Storm whined, leaping to his feet and plunging toward the shelter of the ice cave. The she-wolf was lying curled up just inside the entrance. In the dim light, the tiny puppy saw her lift her head and her golden eyes softened with affection. Storm’s whole body wriggled and his tail twirled as he crept close and licked her muzzle in greeting.

  Canista nuzzled her disguised cub’s fluffy fur. “It is good to see you again, my son. But you have returned at a dangerous time. Shadow is searching for you. He wants to lead the Moon-claw pack.”

  Storm’s midnight-blue eyes flared with sorrow and anger. “He has already killed my father and brothers. I will face Shadow and force him to leave our land!”

  “Bravely said. But he is too strong for you, and I am still weak from his poisoned bite and cannot help you fight him. Go to the other world. Use this disguise to hide. Return when your magic is stronger. Then, together, we will fight Shadow.” Canista’s head flopped back tiredly as she finished speaking.

  Storm nodded slowly. He did not want to leave her, but he knew his mother was right. He leaned forward and huffed out a warm puppy breath, which glistened with thousands of tiny sparks. The healing mist whirled around Canista’s wounded paw and then sank into her fur, but before Storm could complete the healing a thunderous snarl sounded outside the cave.

  Mighty paws with iron-hard claws began scraping at the ice. “Go, Storm! Save yourself,” Canista growled urgently.

  Storm threw one last glance at his mother. His fluffy tan-and-cream fur ignited with gold sparks. He whined softly as he felt the power building inside him. The golden light around him glowed brightly. And grew brighter still …

  Tyra Carson shivered in the early morning chill, as the firefighter helped her and her mom climb out of the boat. Her dad was unloading their suitcases and dumping them on the road out of reach of the flood water. “Thank goodness Pam and Mark have offered to let us stay until our house is fixed up.”

  Tyra wrapped her arms around herself, glad to be safely on dry land. She was nervous meeting Pam and Mark Baker, whom she hadn’t seen for ages. They were old college friends of her parents and lived at the other end of town. Tyra remembered that they had a daughter named Rachel.

  Tyra saw a car pull up at the top of the hill. It stopped and two people got out. “Here’s Pam and Mark!” cried Mrs. Carson, waving.

  “All right, folks. I’ll leave you to it,” the firefighter said cheerily, climbing back into the boat. He winked at Tyra. “You take care now, young lady.”

  Tyra managed a nervous smile. “I will. Thanks,” she called, as he rowed away to rescue another family.

  It had finally stopped raining, but the main road was under nearly three feet of water after the river had flooded over the bank. Tyra tried hard not to think of their house with its water-filled downstairs rooms and ruined furniture.

  A man in a kayak paddled past. He had a cat in a pet carrier balanced on his lap. Tyra grinned, feeling cheered by the sight. Her mom saw her looking and smiled. “That’s one lucky kitten, isn’t it?” She linked arms with Tyra, and they trudged up the steep hill together toward the Bakers’ car.

  Pam Baker greeted them with hugs and kind words. “You poor things! You must be frozen. Let’s get you up to the house!”

  Her husband, Mark, helped load the suitcases into the car before they set off. After the short drive, Pam went up the front walkway and opened the house door. “I hope you’ll treat this place as your home,” she said kindly, ushering them inside.

  “That goes for me too,” said Mark. “And if there’s anything you need, you only have to ask.”

  “Thanks. We really appreciate this,” Tyra’s dad said.

  “What are friends for?” Pam said. “It must have been awful to wake up and find river water flooding into the house. Thank goodness the emergency services came so quickly.”

  “It was really scary,” Tyra agreed. “I’m so glad we’re here now.”

  “Me too,” said Pam. “I’ll cook some bacon and eggs and make a pot of tea. Things always look brighter after some hot food. Maybe you’d like to take your things upstairs and get settled in? Mark will help, won’t you?” she said to her husband.

  “Sure thing,” Mark said brightly. “Follow me, troops.”

  Tyra felt herself relaxing as she followed Mark and her mom and dad upstairs. She’d forgotten how nice the Bakers were.

  “Where’s Rachel?” Tyra’s mom asked.

  “She’s just run down the road to say good-bye to one of her friends, who’s going on vacation,” Mark explained, opening bedroom doors. “She won’t be long.” After dumping the suitcases, he left Tyra and her parents to unpack and settle in.

  Tyra had been put in a small back bedroom. “Pam’s made it very welcoming, hasn’t she?” her mom said, placing a pile of clothes on the bed.

  Tyra looked around. There were colorful posters on the walls and a bookcase piled with toys and games. The striped pink comforter, pillowcases, and matching curtains looked brand-new.

  “It’s really nice,” Tyra agreed. She looked toward the suitcase, which was now almost empty. “Is Jemima in the other one?”
Jemima was a gorgeous china doll with golden hair and a blue silk dress. She belonged to Shelly, Tyra’s best friend, who had recently moved away. Tyra and Shelly had decided Tyra would look after Jemima, so that they had a good excuse for making sure that their moms and dads would let them meet up again.

  Her mom frowned. “I’m not sure. Which one did you put her in?”

  “Me? I thought you packed her!” Tyra exclaimed.

  “Oh dear.” Her mom looked puzzled. “I checked your bedroom, but Jemima wasn’t on your bed. So I assumed you’d already packed her.”

  Tyra had a horrible sinking feeling. “I think I might have left Jemima sitting on the sofa when I went to bed! She’ll be ruined!”

  “Well, it can’t be helped now. We’ll have to search for her in a few days, once the water’s gone down.”

  “Shelly’s going to be so upset with me when she finds out. Maybe she won’t want to see me again now,” Tyra said miserably.

  Mrs. Carson ruffled her daughter’s light brown hair and planted a kiss on her head. “Of course she will. Shelly will understand that it was an accident. You didn’t leave Jemima at the house on purpose.”

  Tyra hoped that her mom was right. Shelly adored Jemima, who was very old and had belonged to her grandma.

  After her mom finished putting clothes away and went downstairs, Tyra sank glumly on to the bed. She thought of all the fun she and Shelly used to have. A wave of loneliness washed over her, and she wished that her best friend hadn’t moved so far away.

  Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open and a slim, dark-haired girl burst in. “Oh, I forgot you were going to be in my room!” she exclaimed.

  “Hi … um, Rachel,” Tyra said distractedly.

  “Hiya, Tyra! I was at the same party as you a couple of weeks ago. It was fun, wasn’t it?” Rachel said with a bright smile.

  Tyra frowned. She vaguely remembered Rachel having been at a party she’d gone to, but she’d been too busy having fun with Shelly to notice.

  “We can get to know each other now that you’re staying here,” Rachel said.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Tyra murmured, shrugging. But leaving Jemima behind in the flooded house had been the final straw. She felt too upset to make much effort to be friendly to someone she hardly knew. Rachel flushed and her smile wavered. “Don’t sound so excited,” she grumbled. “I’ve only totally changed my entire room around for you! How long are you staying here for, anyway? I don’t want to be camping out in our attic forever.”

  “I don’t know. Until our house dries out a bit, I expect,” Tyra told her gloomily. If I had my way, we’d be out of here and back home tomorrow, she thought.

  “Rachel?” Pam’s cheerful voice called up the stairs. “Did you tell Tyra that breakfast’s ready?”

  “Yeah! We’re just coming!” Rachel answered. She turned to Tyra. “You heard that, right?” she said, before flouncing out and stomping downstairs.

  Oh, great.” Tyra breathed a heavy sigh. Rachel obviously hated her for taking over her bedroom and seemed to have completely changed her mind about wanting her to stay there. Tyra found herself dreading the next few weeks.

  She stood up, intending to go downstairs when a dazzling flash of bright golden light lit up the entire bedroom. Blinded for a moment, Tyra rubbed her eyes. When she could see again, she saw a tiny puppy with a round face, pointed ears, and the fluffiest tan-and-cream fur she had ever seen. It blinked at her with enormous midnight-blue eyes.

  “Can you help me, please?” it woofed.

  Tyra gaped at the tiny puppy. Was this one of Rachel’s toys? She thought Rachel might have been a bit too old for a talking toy.

  “Hello. Aren’t you gorgeous? I’ve never seen a puppy like you before. You’re almost like a fluffy little teddy bear! Who do you belong to?” she wondered aloud.

  The puppy’s furry brow wrinkled in a frown. “I do not belong to anyone. I am Storm of the Moon-claw pack. What is your name?”

  Tyra did a double take. “You-you really c-can talk!” she stuttered.

  Storm nodded. Despite his tiny size he didn’t seem to be too scared of her. He was looking up at her expectantly, with his ears pricked, and Tyra realized that he was waiting for her to reply.

  “I’m Tyra. Tyra Carson. I’m staying here with my mom and dad because our house is flooded.” She bent down and tried to make herself smaller so as not to alarm this amazing puppy. She still couldn’t quite believe this was happening to her, and she didn’t want Storm to run away.

  Storm bowed his little round head. “I am honored to meet you, Tyra.”

  “Um … me too.” Tyra blinked as she remembered something that Storm had just said. “What’s the Moon-claw pack?”

  “It is the wolf pack once led by my father and mother,” Storm told her proudly in a gruff little bark. His big blue eyes lit up with anger. “Shadow, an evil lone wolf, killed my father and three litter brothers and wounded my mother. He wants to lead our pack, but the others will not follow him while I am alive.”

  “Hold on! Did you say wolf? But you’re a tiny pu–”

  “Stay back, please,” Storm ordered, backing away.

  As Tyra straightened up, there was another dazzling bright flash and the air fizzed with a cloud of gold sparks that drifted harmlessly around her and fell to the carpet.

  “Oh!” Tyra rubbed her eyes, and when she could see again she noticed that the tiny fluffy tan-and-cream puppy was gone. In its place there stood a powerful young silver-gray wolf with thick fur and paws that seemed too big for its body. Its neck ruff gleamed with big golden sparkles, like yellow jewels. Tyra eyed the wolf’s large sharp teeth and strong muscles. “Storm?”

  “Yes, it is me, Tyra. I will not harm you. Do not be afraid,” Storm growled softly.

  But before Tyra had time to get used to the amazing young wolf, there was a final gold flash, and Storm reappeared as a tiny tan-and-cream puppy. “Wow! You really are a wolf!” Tyra exclaimed. “That’s a brilliant disguise!” Storm began to tremble all over and his bushy little tail drooped. “It will not save me if Shadow uses his magic to find me. I must hide. Will you help me?” he whined.

  Tyra’s heart went out to the terrified puppy. She picked Storm up and stroked his soft little head. His fur was softer than cotton wool and smelled of fresh air. “Of course I’ll help. You can live with me in my bedroo—” She stopped as she remembered where she was. “Oh, I might not be allowed to keep you. I don’t know how my parents’ friends feel about pets. And I’m staying in Rachel’s bedroom. Rachel’s their daughter.”

  “I understand. Thank you for your kindness. I will find someone else who can help me,” Storm woofed politely, wriggling to be put down.

  “Hold on a minute,” Tyra said, shifting her grip, so that Storm settled in her arms again. She wasn’t ready to lose her new friend that easily. Before he’d arrived, she’d been feeling really miserable, especially after Rachel had gotten upset and now didn’t seem to even want Tyra there. “There must be something I can do. Let’s go and talk to my mom and dad. They usually have good ideas. I can’t wait to see their faces when I tell them about you!”

  Storm twisted around to look up at her, his little face serious. “No, Tyra. You cannot tell anyone my secret!” he warned. “You must promise me!”

  Tyra felt disappointed that she couldn’t share her news about the magical little puppy, but if it would help to keep Storm safe from his enemy, she was prepared to keep his secret. “Okay. Cross my heart. Your secret’s safe with me. But I’m still not sure what to do about keeping you.”

  “Keeping who?” said her dad as he poked his head around the door. “I came to see where you’d got … Oh! Where on earth did that puppy come from?”

  Tyra almost jumped out of her skin. She’d been so busy talking to Storm that she hadn’t heard her dad coming up the stairs. It looked like her secret was out! She gulped and did some quick thinking. “I … um, found him just after we … er, got out of the boat,” she fibbed.
“Storm must have been swept away in the flood and now he’s completely lost. Which is true in a way, she thought. She had a sudden brilliant idea. “I … I really wanted to look after him, especially since I’m missing Shelly so much and Jemima got left behind. But I didn’t think that you and Mom would let me keep him. So I … um, smuggled Storm in here, under my coat,” she said, looking up at him with what she hoped was a convincingly guilty expression.

  Her dad raised his eyebrows. “Well, you’re certainly full of surprises, Tyra Carson! I didn’t notice you picking up any soggy stray pup and stowing it away!”

  “I know. I was superquick. Sorry. It was a little sneaky, wasn’t it?” she said, chewing her lip.

  “You can say that again!” Her dad sighed, but there was a twinkle in his eye. “I don’t know what Pam and Mark are going to say about this. I suppose we’d better go downstairs and see.”

  “Storm’s adorable, though, isn’t he?” Tyra insisted. “Have you ever seen such a fluffy ball of fur? He’s so soft. Why don’t you stroke him and see?”

  Her dad reached out and rubbed Storm under his chin. Storm wagged his bushy tail and leaned his head forward in enjoyment. Mr. Carson’s face softened, and he smiled. “Storm’s a really unusual pup, all right. I wonder what breed he is. And I like his name. It really suits him.”

  “So will you ask Pam and Mark if he can stay, for me?” Tyra said in her best pleading voice. “I’ll look after him, take him for walks, and buy dog food with my own money. And Storm can come home with us, when our house is all dried out.”

  Her dad gave her a rueful grin. “You’ve really fallen for that little puppy, haven’t you?”

  Tyra nodded. “I already love him so much!”

  “Well, I suppose I could put in a good word for you, but if Pam and Mark say no, there’ll be no arguments.”

  “Of course you can keep him until someone comes to claim him,” Pam said the moment Tyra finished explaining about Storm. “I don’t mind at all. What about you, Mark?”