Storm of Dogs by Erin Hunter Page B

different point fromthe one they were used to, but even so it was clear that everything had changed. Part of the slope had collapsed. Lucky’s eyes trailed over a deep crater of rock and earth mounds, where an upside-down tree jutted out at an angle, clods of soil dangling from its roots.
    The dogs padded warily over the churned-up grass, struggling to get their bearings in such an altered world.
    Lucky realized that the ground was no longer shaking beneath his paws. The Growl has passed. At least it wasn’t as bad as last time. The Pack may be okay, if they stayed clear of the cliffs.
    â€œThere are the trees and the pond,” whined Sunshine.
    The little dog was right—the pond was just up ahead, though Lucky could hardly recognize it. Several of the trees had fallen, and silt-filled water pooled around their trunks. Most of the long grass had been flattened. But it was worse toward the edge of the cliff, which was now much more rugged and ended abruptly at a sheer drop.
    The Pack had vanished. Although the Endless Lake still crashed in the distance, an eerie silence fell over the valley. Lucky barked sharply, then barked again, listening for a reply, but none came.
    Lucky’s trembling legs gave way beneath him, and he slumped onto the ground like one of the fallen trees. Sweet . . . He should never have left her to go to the town, not when he sensed danger. Unbearable anguish swept through him.
    Sunshine was the first to start whimpering. Soon Mickey, Snap, and Bella were whining and yelping. Then Martha threw back her black head and howled.
    â€œListen!” yapped Daisy, cutting over the frantic dogs. “Can you hear something?”
    The others fell silent, and Lucky’s ears pricked up. Someone was barking in the distance, on the far side of the pond!
    Daisy burst forward, her tail wagging frenziedly.
    â€œWait!” ordered Lucky. “We have to be careful. The Growl has moved things about. Take it slowly and keep away from the trees; they could be unstable.” He led the way over the curving landscape, careful to test the ground before setting down his paw. But inside, hewas just as desperate as Daisy to run to the sound. Hope burned in his chest.
    As they skirted around the pond, the yaps grew louder.
    â€œI can hear Storm!” yelped Martha, her tail thumping.
    â€œAnd Bruno!” added Sunshine.
    â€œWhere are you?” barked Lucky.
    â€œOver here!” Bruno barked back. “Under a tree trunk at the edge of the pond.”
    Lucky sniffed along the ground until he could scent his Packmates. All at once, he saw them. They were sheltering amid the knotted roots of a fallen tree. The trunk had fallen into the pond itself and was half-submerged under water. Lucky dipped his head to peer beneath, and a series of snouts greeted him. Among them, Lucky spotted Sweet’s pale muzzle, and he panted with relief.
    â€œWe rushed under here when the trees began to fall,” she explained. “The roots protected us. But then the ground shook again, and the tree rolled, trapping us. We were waiting for things to feel calm again before we dared to start digging our way out.”
    Mickey sprang down to the side of the tree. “The Growl seems to have passed now. We’ll help you.” The Farm Dog started kicking away the sodden earth and Snap hurried to help him, digging easily with her short, powerful legs. Daisy helped Mickey and Snap by pushing back the dirt, and Lucky, Bella, and Martha cleared a path while Sunshine yipped encouragement.
    â€œYou’re nearly there!” shouted the little Omega.
    A moment later, Beetle scrambled out from under the tree trunk. “Lucky!” he yapped. His thin tail lashed the air, and he bounded around his Packmates ecstatically. “Don’t you think that was a clever place to hide from the Growl?”
    â€œIt certainly was,” said Lucky, his tail wagging with delight.
    â€œIt was all my