The Endless Lake

by Erin Hunter

  Terror’s Pack lacked order and discipline. How would the Pack react to their Alpha’s death? Lucky hoped they would stick together and form a gentler Pack, rather than seek out more fights.

  Lucky sat down on the frosty grass with a shake of his head.

  Where would Twitch fit in now? He was brave and determined—he’d helped the rescue party find Fiery and finally defeat Terror. Twitch deserved some rest and comfort. He should be with the Wild Pack, with his litter-sister, Spring. He would be safe there.

  Lucky scratched his ear with a hindpaw. Alpha would never let Twitch return. He had branded him a traitor and told him he was no longer welcome. But Twitch could hardly return to the Pack whose Alpha he’d helped destroy. Perhaps he was destined to be a Lone Dog, as he had been when Lucky had seen him in the forest.

  I was a Lone Dog myself before the Big Growl, thought Lucky. It felt like a lifetime ago.

  He turned to gaze over the river. The Moon-Dog hung in the sky, growing full. Her reflection floated on the still water. The faintest hint of dawn light touched the far bank.

  With a sigh, Lucky trod over to the sleeping dogs. “Time to get up,” he murmured, tapping each on the nose.

  Storm blinked and threw back her head in a yawn, revealing her sharp white teeth. “But it’s still dark. . . .”

  “The Pack will start moving at sunup. We have to leave now to have a chance of catching up with them.”

  Storm stood up without further protest. Twitch was stretching and rising onto his three paws.

  Bella shivered. “So cold.”

  Lucky nodded.

  “Try exercising your legs,” said Moon. “Like this.” She started hopping from paw to paw, shaking off the frost.

  Bella copied her, shaking her fur vigorously, and Lucky joined in. Moon had been a Wild Dog all her life and she had ways of dealing with the cold.

  Storm tried to hop about like the other dogs. Her forepaws crossed and she lost her footing, stumbling and righting herself. Moon nosed her, gave the pup a lick to the ear, and repeated her hopping action. “Don’t do it too fast if it makes you feel dizzy. Just a gentle motion, back and forth. Martha, give yourself a good shake to get rid of the ice.”

  Lucky watched Storm try again with more success and was touched by how Moon tried to help the others, licking the frost off their fur and encouraging them to hop about. Poor Moon, she already lost one of her pups. It’s good that she has something to do besides grieve for her mate.

  “I do feel a bit better now,” said Bella, licking her paws and following Moon down to the riverbank. The dogs drank the icy water. Martha tapped it with one huge, black paw but seemed to think better of taking a dip. The great dog plodded along the bank, stretching her legs, as tall as a loudcage.

  Bella craned her head. “That salty smell is getting stronger.”

  Twitch sniffed the air. “What do you think it is?”

  “I’m not sure. . . .” Bella shut her eyes a moment. “It’s familiar, though. Reminds me a bit of some food I used to eat as a Leashed Dog.”

  Twitch didn’t look convinced. “It doesn’t smell like food to me.”

  “I think it does,” yipped Storm. “Salty . . . like blood.”

  Lucky felt a wrinkle of unease as the pup ran her tongue over her sharp little teeth. He quickly changed the subject, turning to Martha. “You were a Leashed Dog before the Big Growl. What do you think?”

  Martha paused, gazing over the dark water. “I don’t know. But I agree with Bella: It’s somehow familiar.”

  He heard a low rumbling and his ears pricked up. It was Storm’s belly. She dropped her head and gazed up at him guiltily. “I can’t help it.”

  “I know how you feel. We’ll find something soon.” Lucky looked about him. As the weather grew colder it was becoming harder to find prey. They’d managed to catch two young rabbits yesterday, but the meal hadn’t lasted long when it’d been split between all of them. “We need to find something before we set off to follow the Pack’s trail.”

  Storm nodded with relief.

  The dogs began to stalk along the edge of the river, sniffing the frosty earth and looking for signs of prey.

  Lucky moved slowly, trying his best to stay quiet, but his paws crunched on the frozen grass with every step. The wind rose over the river, bringing with it a fresh wave of salty air that masked other scents. Lucky sighed. We’ll never find prey-creatures here.

  “Look! In the water.” Martha’s low growl startled him. Lucky turned to see an animal bobbing up on the surface of the river, spinning around and ducking out of sight.

  “Is it a fish?” whispered Storm.

  Lucky shook his head. What he’d seen had been covered in fur.

  The dogs watched in wonder as the creature turned loops in the silvery water. The Sun-Dog’s whiskers glanced off its coat, and it shimmered as it threw back its head in a lazy yawn.

  Bella spoke with authority, breaking the spell. “It’s a river rabbit. I’ve heard of them.”

  Lucky cocked his head at his litter-sister—he wasn’t sure about that. Rabbits lived in burrows underground; he’d never heard of them swimming. He was about to say so when the animal bobbed up again. Its round face and short muzzle looked more like a sharpclaw’s than a rabbit’s, and its ears were very small. Its body was long and muscular and as it splashed about in the water Lucky spotted a long, pointed tail. He watched as it flipped onto its back and floated with clawed paws in the air, easily riding the gentle current.

  “We need to keep downwind and stay quiet,” warned Moon. She began to stalk along the bank, Martha and Lucky close behind her. Twitch, Bella, and Storm held back. It was common hunting practice to circle the prey, with dogs behind to flush it out and others up ahead to stop it in its tracks. Lucky wasn’t sure how that would work with the prey swimming free in the river, but what choice did they have? The water was too cold for a dog, even Martha. None of them would be quick enough to swim after the animal anyway. Their only hope was that it came on land, but there was nothing to stop it from climbing onto the far bank, where it would be out of reach.

  Moon, Martha, and Lucky sank behind a tussock of grass by the riverside. They watched in silence, licking their chops, as the river rabbit splashed about in the first glow of sunup. Then the animal flipped onto its belly and made for the near bank. To Lucky’s amazement, it floated toward the spot where the dogs were crouching, just where Martha’s black pelt rose over the tussock. Martha and Moon exchanged looks as it slid effortlessly onto the frosty grass and shook out its fur. Martha sprang, throwing her weight on the creature, which struggled and squealed ferociously. It slipped out of her grasp and bounded along the bank with Martha, Moon, and Lucky in pursuit. Lucky was right—it was slower on land than the dogs. Spinning on its short legs it started back toward the water, perhaps understanding that was its only hope. Lucky pounced in its path. The animal reared back with a furious screech and Martha dived at it, this time throwing it to the ground with her huge paws and locking her jaws around its long neck.

  The dogs stretched along a jumble of brambles, picking the last morsels of meat from their claws.

  “River rabbit is delicious!” yawned Storm.

  “Like regular rabbit but more fatty and rich,” Bella agreed. “I could get used to this.”

  Well, don’t, thought Lucky. They were fortunate to have caught it. There weren’t any rabbits around, not even mice. . . . I hope the Pack is heading somewhere with more prey. At least the dogs were cheerful now that they had eaten. He watched as Martha approached the riverbank and murmured her thanks to the River-Dog.

  “We are grateful for this delicious meal, bountiful and kind Spirit Dog.” She dipped her head respectfully.

  Lucky waited until she had finished and rose to his paws. The Sun-Dog was bounding over the water, starting his slow climb into the sky. “We should get going. Alpha and the others will be on the move now.” Who knew how far the dog-wolf would go in order to escape Blade’s Pack?r />
  Martha came back from the river’s edge. “I know we have to get away from the Fierce Dogs, but that can’t be the only reason to keep moving. Where are we going? What are we heading to?”

  Lucky had no answer to that. He started along the river path, keen to get moving. The others followed.

  It was Bella who spoke. “Somewhere we can live safely. A quiet, peaceful spot with lots of rabbits and fresh water.”

  Storm’s tail gave a wag as she gamboled alongside them. “Will Alpha have found a place like that?”

  “I hope so,” Lucky replied, though in his heart he knew that it wouldn’t be easy. Looking at Storm, he saw a large, playful pup. He felt a swell of protectiveness toward her. He would go a very long way to avoid her breedmates—to be certain that they wouldn’t come looking for her and try to take her away by force ever again.

  They passed some shrubs with whiskery thorns that clutched at their coats. Lucky shook his fur, his nose twitching. He gave a small yelp. What was that scent? His haunches rose, his tail stiff behind him.

  “There’s a dog here!”

  Bella and Moon looked around with their ears pricked, immediately on alert. With another sniff, Lucky realized it wasn’t a Fierce Dog. There was nothing of their rage or aggression in the odor that wafted on the cold breeze.

  Twitch stepped forward and barked toward the bramblebush. “Splash, is that you?”

  Lucky heard a rustling, and a small, wiry-furred, black dog crept out from under the bush. Six others followed cautiously and shook the leaves from their fur.

  It was Terror’s Pack! Lucky took a step closer to Twitch, and Bella moved to his other side, flanking him protectively. Lucky sensed the reassuring scents of Martha, Moon, and Storm just behind them.

  But Twitch didn’t look like he needed protection. The black dog skipped up to him, throwing his forepaws on the ground, wagging his tail, and dipping his head submissively. His Packmates followed his gesture, nervous but friendly. Twitch approached his former Packmates and touched his nose to theirs, his feathered tail lashing the air.

  The wind shrilled over the water and the dog called Splash snapped his head around with a start. Lucky watched his quick, nervous movements. He recognized this dog—he had seen Terror bully him as he’d watched the Pack from a distance.

  All the dogs seemed malnourished and fearful. Under Terror’s rule they had been vicious. They must have been driven to it, thought Lucky. He stole a glance at Storm, remembering how he’d found her by the body of the dying Alpha. Had she killed him in an act of mercy, or was it bloodlust? Lucky pushed the thought away.

  Twitch turned to the members of the Wild Pack. “This is Splash. I guess you could say he was Terror’s Beta.”

  “Terror didn’t really have a Beta,” Splash murmured, dipping his head humbly as he greeted them. He turned back to Twitch. “We followed you because we . . .” He glanced back at a couple of the others. “We think you should stay here.”

  Lucky looked to Twitch. The long-eared dog cocked his head thoughtfully.

  “You belong with us,” yipped a skinny gray dog, pawing the ground.

  Lucky was startled to hear a small growl. Twitch’s former Packmates fell back instantly as Storm pressed between Bella and Lucky. Her forepaws were slightly splayed, giving her a dense, stocky appearance. Her head was dropped to shoulder height and her lips peeled back to reveal her fangs.

  “You tried to hurt me and my friends!” she snarled. “You won’t take Twitch! I won’t let you!”

  Splash backed away, startled, his tail curling between his legs. This seemed to feed Storm’s confidence and she took a step toward him, her voice rising furiously. “I’m sick of dogs trying to make decisions for everyone else! He wants to stay here; leave him alone!”

  She thinks he’s just like Blade, trying to force Twitch to go with them, Lucky realized with a sinking feeling. It troubled him that Storm seemed to think a dog was either good or bad, friend or enemy. It wasn’t always so simple. Splash was asking Twitch to stay with them, not forcing him. Lucky ran his eyes over the lean, anxious faces of Twitch’s old Pack. They seemed pathetic now, but he remembered how wildly they had fought under Terror. It wasn’t wise to provoke them.

  Splash licked his chops nervously, his ears flat against his head.

  Lucky tensed, preparing to defend Storm if the mad dog’s Pack lurched at her.

  But it was Twitch who stepped between Storm and the little black dog. Turning to the Fierce Dog pup, he gave a quick wag of his tail in a gesture of appeasement. “Thank you, Storm. I am glad that you want to protect me, but Splash is right.”

  Storm stared at him. Her body relaxed and she sat down on the grass, but didn’t speak.

  Twitch glanced back at Lucky and Bella, trailing his eyes over Storm, Martha, and Moon. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to desert you. But I’ve been thinking about this a lot. These dogs . . .” He turned to them and their tails wagged hopefully. “They are my Pack now. It’s like Splash said: I belong with them.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Moon rushed to Twitch’s side. The wind blew back her long coat, more white than black, fanning it about her face. “Are you sure you want to go with them?” she whined, nudging him with her snout. “You’ve only been with this Pack a few circles of the Moon-Dog. You belong with us.”

  “I used to,” Twitch agreed. “But it stopped feeling that way when I injured my paw. Every dog looked at me with pity. I couldn’t stand it. Anyway, you saw how Alpha reacted when I came back. He’ll never let me rejoin the Pack.”

  Moon looked crestfallen. “Please don’t go. . . . Spring will be so disappointed when she hears.”

  Twitch hesitated. Mention of his litter-sister seemed to give him pause. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “We were so close as pups, but we’ve drifted apart. . . .”

  Lucky thought it was a bit cruel of Moon to use Spring like that, but then he remembered what she’d been through. I’m only a recent member of the Wild Pack. The same goes for Bella, Martha, and Storm. I can’t blame Moon for wanting an old friend by her side until we find the others. But it isn’t fair to Twitch—not when coming with us means risking his life.

  Lucky lowered his head. “I think you should stay with this Pack, Twitch.” Moon’s ears flicked back and a look of betrayal crossed her face, but Lucky continued. “Even if Alpha lets you return, he’ll make your life miserable. I don’t think you should risk it—not when you already have a Pack.”

  The black-and-white Farm Dog wasn’t prepared to give up so easily. “We could talk to Alpha! We could convince him that Twitch should stay.”

  Bella’s muzzle wrinkled. “And when has that ever worked in the past?”

  Lucky’s litter-sister was right—Alpha wasn’t exactly quick to forgive. Lucky remembered how close the half wolf had come to branding him with a nasty bite. The hairs along his back still rose like spikes at the thought.

  Twitch sighed. “Lucky’s right. I remember Alpha well enough. . . . He was hardly friendly when I came to find you. Nothing you could do would convince him.” He took a step toward Splash. “My choice is clear. I will stay with my new Pack.”

  “At least let us try to talk to Alpha,” Moon urged.

  “It isn’t just Alpha. I want to stay here, where I’m helpful. If I come with you I’ll only be a burden. The river rabbit was delicious, but we were very lucky to catch it. Food is scarce; you don’t need another mouth to feed on the journey.”

  Moon looked doubtful, then seemed to understand. She sank down onto the grass. “We’ll miss you, Twitch.”

  He leaned over and licked her on the nose. “I’ll miss you too.”

  Lucky noticed Bella giving Splash a hard look. The little black dog seemed calmer now that Twitch had said he would stay. His tail wagged slowly and the rest of his Pack hung back.

  Bella took a step toward Twitch. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to come with us, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay here either. These dogs were
our enemies only a few days ago.”

  Splash bowed his head. “Terror goaded us and forced us to fight with any dog we met. He’s gone now, and we have the chance to become a real Pack, not just a group of mad dogs.”

  Several of his Packmates whined their agreement and he turned to them, as though seeking reassurance before continuing. “To be a real Pack, we need an Alpha. We’re all agreed. . . . We think Twitch should be our Alpha.”

  Martha and Bella exchanged glances.

  Twitch seemed as surprised as they were. “I’m not really Alpha material, am I?”

  “And he’s only got three legs,” Storm piped up. Lucky cringed. He had been thinking the same thing, but it wasn’t tactful to say it out loud.

  Splash eyed the Fierce Dog warily. “There’s no rule that an Alpha has to look a certain way. Twitch is a capable hunter and fighter. And he always stood up to Terror better than the rest of us. He’s smart; he knows how to survive.” The rest of the Pack yipped their agreement.

  Twitch’s tail wagged cheerfully. He shook his head, tossing up his long ears, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. Lucky didn’t think he’d ever seen him looking so pleased.

  “So what do you think?” pressed Splash.

  Twitch bowed shyly. “If you’re sure . . .”

  Moon rose to her paws. “Wait! This is not how it’s done. A Pack doesn’t choose an Alpha!”

  Twitch, Splash, and the other dogs stared at her.

  “But we want Twitch!” yipped a scruffy little ginger-furred mongrel.

  Moon stared down her nose at her. “That doesn’t matter. There must be honorable combat. It’s the Wild Dogs’ way.”

  Splash shifted nervously from paw to paw. “It’s true. . . .” He drew a deep breath, raised his muzzle, and puffed out his chest. “Twitch of the Wild Pack, I challenge you to a fight!”

  Twitch’s tail stopped wagging and he stood quite still. Lucky tensed—was Twitch really going to fight this dog? He watched as Twitch drew himself up to his full height and pulled back his lips.