A Pack Divided Read Online Free Page B

angrily at his flank.
    Rebuffed, Storm paced uncertainly among the small groups of dogs who were curling up to murmur among themselves. None of the conversations seemed very high spirited, and any excitement in the evening had been dampened by the awkward prey-sharing.Ducking her head, Storm glanced surreptitiously at Lucky and Sweet, nestled against each other on the highest patch of ground. They looked as much on edge as any other Pack dog.
    Alpha stretched and rose to her paws, gazing around at her Pack. “I think now would be a good time for a tale of the Spirit Dogs.”
    One or two of the Pack grunted sullenly, but most looked relieved to have their minds distracted. Little Sunshine gave a yelp of determined enthusiasm, wagging her bedraggled white tail. “I’d like that!”
    â€œSo would I.” Mickey lay down, forepaws extended, and gazed expectantly at Sweet.
    Alpha shared a glance with Lucky, whose tail thumped encouragingly. “Shall I tell you about the Wind-Dogs?” she asked.
    â€œYes! I love hearing Spirit Dog stories!” Daisy the patrol dog panted happily.
    Moon looked puzzled. “But I’ve never heard of any Wind-Dogs,” she growled.
    Twitch tilted his head curiously. “I think I might have,” he said, “but it was a long time ago. I don’t remember anything about them.”
    â€œWell.” Breeze stood up on all four paws, wagging her tail asher tongue lolled. “The Wind-Dogs sound good to me! Especially with my name!”
    Alpha nodded. “Then I’ll tell you who the Wind-Dogs are, and how they move through our world as silent and swift as the breeze.” She blinked at Breeze, who pricked her ears in pleasure.
    â€œOf course, they are the fastest of all the Spirit Dogs,” Alpha went on, lifting her slender head so that every dog could hear her. “That’s why the Wind-Dogs watch over swift-dogs like me and the members of my birth Pack.”
    â€œBut what do they do?” yapped Daisy.
    â€œSometimes they hunt the Fastest Hare, a mischievous creature who once tried to trick them, and whose family must now run from us swift-dogs forever. But mostly they chase after the Golden Deer. They hunt her across the world, from forest to lake, over cliffs and plains and mountains. You can feel the breeze as they pass—sometimes so fast they leave destruction in their wake. Sometimes they run idly, loping gently along, and the wind of their passing is soft and soothing. But as they run, they take the world from warm to freezing cold, and back again. When Long Light ends, we know that they have caught the Golden Deer at last. But the Deer rises and runs again at the end of Ice Wind, and we feel the world grow warm once more.”
    Daisy gazed up at her Alpha, awestruck. “So the Golden Deer has begun to run again now,” she said dreamily.
    â€œOh, yes. She’s running now, on her long course through the world toward the next Ice Wind.” Alpha cocked her head fondly at Daisy. “But she will run for a long time first. She is fresh and fast, and the Wind-Dogs have only just begun their new chase.”
    Sleepily, Storm settled herself against Thorn’s flank. Even Moon’s two youngsters had fallen under the spell of the story, and the tension had drained from their bodies. Storm could feel Thorn’s calm heartbeat through her rib cage, and suddenly all seemed well. Once again, she could feel like a pup, safe and secure with the adults of the Pack.
    Martha used to tell us stories , she remembered with an aching sadness. She’d tell Grunt and Wiggle and me all about the Spirit Dogs. We didn’t know anything, because our Mother-Dog died before she could tell us.
    But Martha was my Mother-Dog, too, really. Lucky and Mickey had raised her too, but it had been Martha, the huge and gentle black water-dog, who had come closest to replacing her lost Mother-Dog. She had comforted Storm when she