Storm of Dogs
Page 18
Wiggle . . .
Martha greeted the pup with an affectionate lick, and together they followed Alfie, Fiery and Fuzz, Mulch, Spring, and Splash. Lucky’s old friends ran with the Spirit Dogs. They headed away from the deep snow of Ice Wind, over the grass where the sun of Long Light always shone.
The Howl broke off.
“Look!” barked Twitch. “Over the Endless Lake—there’s a beam of light!”
Lucky and the other dogs trod over the snow and approached the cliff, careful to avoid the edge where the soil had fallen away. Sure enough, a bright light was sweeping across the lake and flashing over their camp.
“What can it mean?” Whisper murmured.
Moon’s eyes glowed luminous blue beneath its gaze. “Maybe it’s a message from the Spirit Dogs.”
Lucky remembered a dazzling light, down on the water where the Fierce Dogs had rounded on them. “I think it’s from the tall striped building—the one near the rocks.” He recalled how the building had stood alone, overlooking the restless water.
“Does it mean the longpaws are coming back?” asked Bella.
Storm’s floppy ears pricked up. “It isn’t the longpaws. It’s Martha, watching over us, like she said she would.”
Maybe both are true, thought Lucky. The longpaws may try to come back, now that the Earth Dog has found peace once again. But the Pack is strong. We will be all right. He gazed at the light as it continued its sweep over the lake. Whatever happens, I know Martha will keep her promise—she will always watch over Storm and our Pack.
The light cut out, but it wasn’t dark on the cliff top. The Moon-Dog was still there, floating peacefully in the cool, clear sky. Lucky felt warm with his Pack huddled around him. He gave Storm a lick on the ear and turned to Sweet, who had curled up next to him. Should I tell her that I have seen visions of our pups? he wondered, longing to see them again.
He nuzzled closer to Sweet but didn’t speak. He sensed that the time for words had passed, at least for that night. Soon the Sun-Dog would rise over a bright new day. Bulbs were twitching in the earth beneath the deep snow. Although the trees in the camp were stark and lifeless, buds would awaken along their branches as the air grew warmer. Suddenly Lucky was certain—when Tree Flower came, their pups would arrive.
Bella met his eye and blinked happily at him. Lucky blinked back. He could hear the rolling surf below as the lake swept up and down along the sand. His time as a Lone Dog felt like it was a lifetime ago, before the Growl scared the longpaws away and changed the world forever. Maybe one day the longpaws would return and things would be different. But for now, there was no one to disturb the Wild Dogs. They were free to hunt and rest as they chose; free to live by their own rules.
Lucky closed his eyes, feeling the comfort of his Pack, hearing their snuffles and snores as they drifted to sleep. He had a territory of his own now, and his friends were safe around him.
It was all he had ever really wanted.
BACK AD
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
NOVELLAS
Alpha’s Tale
Sweet’s Journey
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
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
Book One: The Quest Begins
Book Two: Great Bear Lake
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
Art direction and cover design by Cara Petrus
Cover design by Sarah Creech
COPYRIGHT
Special thanks to Inbali Iserles
STORM OF DOGS. Copyright © 2015 by Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited. Endpaper art © 2015 by Frank Riccio and Laszlo Kubinyi. 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
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hunter, Erin.
Storm of dogs / Erin Hunter. — First edition.
pages cm. — (Survivors ; #6)
Summary: “Lucky and the dogs of the Wild Pack must fight tooth and claw to survive the storm of dogs—the terrifying battle that has been haunting Lucky’s dreams”— Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-06-210276-8 (trade bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-06-210277-5 (lib. bdg.)
EPub Edition December 2014 ISBN 9780062102799
[1. Dogs—Fiction. 2. Wild dogs—Fiction. 3. Survival—Fiction. 4. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 5. Fantasy.] I. Title.
PZ7.H916625Sto 2015
2014022224
[Fic]—dc23
CIP
AC
* * *
15 16 17 18 19 CG/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
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