Red Moon Rising by Erin Hunter

Author:Erin Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

They had run a long way in their pursuit of the Golden Deer’s enticing scent, and the journey back was not nearly so thrilling. Storm’s paws dragged on the grass, and her hide prickled with warmth. The Sun-Dog was high overhead by now; she wondered what Alpha would say about their long, unauthorized absence.

Mickey, Snap, and Chase were clearly thinking the same; their tails and ears drooped as they plodded on. Lucky, though, was still in an upbeat mood. It was starting to grate on Storm’s nerves.

“Next time we’ll catch the Golden Deer. We’re getting closer every time, and now we know some of its tricks!” Lucky’s tail swished enthusiastically. “If we can just catch it, our fortunes will turn. The Wind-Dogs will reward us by making the new pups wonderful hunters. And if the pups grow up happy and strong, the whole Pack will surely thrive once more!” He bounced along the path ahead, making Storm want to bite his perky hindquarters. Did he really feel as happy as he seemed, or was it all a show, to keep his Pack’s spirits up? If it was the latter, it wasn’t working on Storm. . . .

“Hush, Lucky,” said Mickey suddenly, halting.

I’m glad some dog said it, thought Storm, rolling her eyes. But clearly Mickey had another reason for silencing his leader. He crept forward past Lucky, placing his paws very quietly.

“We’ve reached the longpaw settlement,” he murmured, glancing back at the others.

Sure enough, the clearing ahead was a churned-up longpaw mess. The longpaws must have decided the ruined building a little way away was beyond repair, so they had started to dig and build on this open patch of land beside it. The ruin backed onto the forest; the dogs had indeed reached the edge of the town.

Slumbering yellow loudcages rested on the turned black earth, their great grooved paw marks scarring what had once been grass. Some of them growled and rumbled softly, and Storm could hear longpaws barking to one another. Her ears twitched wildly at the echoes of clattering and clanging.

At least Lucky had stopped chattering and started paying attention. He stood very still, his ears pricked and his nose sniffing the air. His head swiveled suddenly, and he nodded at a big metal box on the far edge of the clearing.

“Look at that,” he murmured. “No—smell that!”

Storm sniffed. Sure enough, a scent was drifting powerfully from the box, strong and rich and slightly tinged with rotten things. As the dogs watched from the shadows, a longpaw sauntered up to the box, lifted its top, and tossed something into its gaping mouth.

“Are they feeding it?” Confused, Snap tilted her head to the side.

“Not the box.” Lucky grinned mischievously. “Us.”

“Huh? But what is it?” asked Chase, wide-eyed.

Mickey stood stiffly, watching the longpaw. “It’s a spoil-box,” he told them. “When a longpaw has something he doesn’t want, he puts it in a spoil-box. There’s nothing here for us. We should move on.” He backed away.

Lucky, though, was quivering with excitement, his tail lashing.

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