The Empty City (26 page)

Authors: Erin Hunter

“You're hunters,” he said, pausing to swallow and gaze around at them. “You have a real talent for finding food. Thank you for this.”

“Thank
you
, Lucky,” murmured Martha. “It's you who made us hunters.”

When they lay down at last in a contented huddle, their bellies full, Lucky closed his eyes with a long sigh. Bella once again lay against him; Daisy had flopped over his haunches, while Sunshine was tucked under his throat. Mickey's hind legs were tucked cozily under Lucky's flank, and as he drifted into sleep he felt them twitch.
Ah
, he thought with amusement,
so Mickey's dreaming of chasing that deer....

Darkness. Again. But so different this time!

Lucky couldn't sense the wire of the Trap House. There was nothing hemming him in but this black emptiness â¦ and the snarling, tumbling, thrashing bodies of dogs
.

Dogs fighting one another! Fighting to the death, in a stormâthe Storm of Dogs
.

Turning, spinning desperately, he could see no way out. Claws raked at his flank; fangs flashed as they snapped. A huge dog crashed against him, then was gone, tearing back into the battle. The noise was dreadful: howling, screaming, snapping. All around him was fury and pain and terror. Wildly flailing fangs caught his ear and tore it; the pain seemed to pierce his skull
.

It was like the final battle of the Sky-Dogs, the one his mother had told him would come one day. Yes! That was it; it had to beâthe war at the world's end. And he was in the middle of it, cowering and ducking from the savagery of the warriors
.

There were other dogs he knewâBella, there close to his side, screaming as a huge red-eyed hound bowled her over onto her back and lunged for her throat
. NO,
he thought
, NOâ
but he couldn't reach her. Paws and claws were pulling him down. There was Sweet, too, crippled and dying, unable to run. And Blade and Dagger, snapping, tearing, biting, but then they, too, were overwhelmed by the dark mass of dogs. Little Daisy vanished, howling, beneath the crash of bodies. And there was nothing he could do. Nothing!

He tried to lunge for Daisy's collar, but his paws slipped helplessly in water .... no. Not water. It was warm, slippery, dark â¦ blood that rose steadily, lapping around his paws, clinging to his fur. The surface of it was sheened with something evil: a slick of poison like the one on the bad river. Terrified, he staggered and slipped and fell. Now his mouth was full of blood, the metallic tang of it. His teeth were coated in it, sticky and vile. And his eyesâthey were filling with it, too, and all he could see was red.

Bloodred â¦

Lucky sprang to his feet, trembling from head to tail, gasping for breath. His heart thrashed inside his rib cage as if it would burst right through. The sky and the whole world was bloodred, and for horrible moments he could still taste dog blood in his mouth.

Then he realized: It was the dawn. The Sun-Dog was yawning, and stretching, and making the sky glow scarlet as he rose.

Lucky still couldn't control the beating of his heart, and he couldn't repress a terrified whimper. Beside him, Daisy stirred and stretched questioningly, half rising to lick at his muzzle.

“Lucky? Are you all right?”

He glanced down, shocked, as a wave of relief buffeted him. Daisy wasn't dead, then, crushed and torn beneath the weight of battling dogs; she was here with him, and safe. He licked her nose in return, swamped by gratitude.

“I'm okay, Daisy. It was â¦ a bad dream. That's all.”

She didn't have to know the details, he decided. He'd keep those to himselfâeven though the horror of the dream still clung to him, and fear shivered in his cold hide.

The others were stirring now, stretching in the beautiful rise of Sun-Dog, licking one another in greeting, yawning. As they stood up, shaking off sleep, they seemed to remember very suddenly, and as one, what the dawn meant for them and for Lucky. Their sunup yelps and growls quieting, they all turned sadly toward him. Martha padded close and nuzzled his face.

“Lucky,” she whined softly, “what will we do without you?”

Firmly ignoring his own ache of regret, Lucky yapped with determined eagerness.

“You'll be fine! I have to look after myself. I'm sure you don't want to be responsible for me.”

“I wouldn't mind that,” whimpered Daisy mournfully.

“But, Daisy!” Lucky wagged his tail energetically, hating their distress and forcing lightness into his bark. “You're growing up so fast. You're a strong hunting dog, and you're going to be even stronger. Next time I see you, you'll be showing off, bringing me rabbits two at a time! And I will see you again, I promise. I'll come back to visit.”

Daisy dipped her head and woofed sadly. “Oh, Lucky. I'll miss you so much.”

“And I'll miss you,” he told her fondly. “But just think, you won't have me nagging and bullying you!” He jumped up, thrashing his tail and bouncing in a circle, barking enthusiastically. “Aren't you going to say good-bye properly?”

They fell on him, barking and licking and nuzzling their farewells. Lucky licked and woofed and whined in return, crushing down the pang of regret in his heart and gut. He would not change his mind, so why feel any remorse? They'd be fine without him, and he'd be happy alone.

“Bruno, good-bye. Stay brave, stay strong. Martha, there's a river. You'll be able to swim again! Daisy, Sunshine, AlfieâI think you're twice your size, inside. Just you listen to your dog-spirits, because I think they're fiercer than any Fierce Dogs!” He turned to Mickey, accepting his solemn good-bye licks. “Mickey, you're a great hunter. Teach them well! And you, Bellaâ”

He quieted as his litter-sister padded up and pressed her face to his.

“Ah, Lucky,” she murmured. “Do we have to lose each other again?”

“Oh, Bella.” He felt a stab of hurt in his belly. “At least we can say good-bye properly this time, not like when the longpaws took us from the Pup Pack.”

“That changed you forever,” she said softly.

“Yes.” He sighed. “I'm not sorry, Bella. I'm glad my life has been like this. But I wouldn't have left you, you know. If we hadn't been parted by longpaws.”

“I know.” She licked his ear. “I know you're not like us. You're a different kind of dog, and you love what you are. That's good, Lucky. And you've helped us.
So
much. Thank you for staying with us all this time.”

“No â¦ thank
you
for being my friends. I'm so glad to have traveled with you.” He was shocked by how true it was, by the sharp pain of loss he felt at leaving them.

“Good-bye, Lucky. But only for now.” Bella gave him a last affectionate nuzzle, then took a pace back.

Lucky spun on his haunches and howled with happiness, drowning the ache of remorse that threatened to close his throat. “I'll see you again! Be happy!
Good luck!
I'll miss you.”

Before he could change his mind, he bounded away, back down the hill, leaving the beautiful valley they'd found for a home. Racing fast, as if he could outpace the memories, he dodged trees and leaped fallen trunks, reveling in his refound freedom.

After all, the good-bye
wasn't
forever. He'd seen right to the ocean from that vantage point where he'd left his friends, and as far as the mountains to the other side. The world wasn't nearly as big as he'd thought. Eventually, he knew, his journey would bring him back to them. And how much they'd have to tell one another, of hunts and adventures and fun â¦

The Sun-Dog's rays dappled the forest floor in patches of green and gold, and the birds were singing unseen in the branches. Ahead of him he saw a crow perched, watching him, till it took off with a great flap of black wings, cawing what sounded like a greeting to a friend. The air smelled fresh and alive, full of growth and energy. He loved the forest; he always had! That was why the Forest-Dog had come to his rescue at the Fierce Dog place, with his gift of guile and cunning. Now he would be close to the Forest-Dog again. He would be solitary, free, and happy, hunting and living for himself alone. Just as he'd always loved to live.

A squirrel darted across his path, startled by his sudden bounding appearance and scurrying in a panic for the nearest tree. Lucky barked happily and made a halfhearted dash for it, not yet hungry enough to care if he caught it. As it fled into the topmost branches, turning to chatter angrily at him, he panted and barked with pure delight, spinning on his hind legs.

“Next time!” he yelped cheerfully. “Next time, squirrel!”

And then he froze, his tongue still hanging stupidly out. What was that sound?

One paw raised, he turned, uncertain.

There were frenzied howls and barks behind him, but it wasn't the unearthly, blood-chilling screaming of his dreams. So what â¦?

Dogfight!

Back there, in the distance, where he'd come from. Where the others were. He'd left them, thinking they were safe. An enraged violent barking rose above the rest, and Lucky cocked his ears to listen, his bones thrilling with fear. It wasn't the Fierce Dogs, and it wasn't his friendsâ

“Our territory! This is our place! OURS!”

Lucky glanced at the crow in the branches ahead, as it watched him. He gazed around at the green-and-golden forest, so full of life, such a perfect place for a Lone Dog.

Then he turned and sprang back the way he'd come, racing through the trees. Jumping, dodging, leaping fallen branches, but always, always heading back to where he'd left his friends. They were in danger. They needed him. He had to go to them.
Now!

He was conscious of only one thing as his muzzle drew back, baring his fangs for a fight....

They were
his
Pack.

Lucky's Pack â¦

And they were in trouble.

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.

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