Survivors: Moon's Choice Read online

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks to Gillian Philip

  DEDICATION

  For Annie & Fergus Nicol

  PACK LIST

  MOON’S PACK

  ALPHA:

  black-and-white male Farm Dog (Moon’s Father-Dog)

  BETA:

  black-and-white female Farm Dog (Moon’s Mother-Dog)

  HUNTERS:

  HUNTER—big gray-and-brown male dog

  RUSH—golden brown short-haired male terrier with a short tail

  MEADOW—small beige female terrier with dark ears

  FLY—brown-and-white, snub-nosed male dog with long legs

  PATROL DOGS:

  MOON—black-and-white female Farm Dog

  SNAP—small female with tan-and-white fur

  MULCH—black long-haired male with long ears

  PEBBLE—young black female dog with sleek fur

  STAR—black-and-white female Farm Dog, Moon’s littermate

  OMEGA:

  small, black, oddly shaped male with tiny ears and a wrinkled face (also known as Whine)

  WILD PACK

  ALPHA:

  huge half wolf with gray-and-white fur and yellow eyes

  BETA:

  female red dog with long ears and a feathery tail

  HUNTERS:

  FIERY—massive brown-and-black male with long ears and shaggy fur

  SPRING—female tan chase-dog with black patches

  PATROL DOGS:

  DART—lean brown-and-white female chase-dog

  TWITCH—male tan chase-dog with black patches and a lame foot

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Pack List

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Excerpt from Survivors: The Gathering Darkness #1: A Pack Divided

  Back Ads

  About the Author

  Books by Erin Hunter

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  CHAPTER ONE

  A soft blue-gray mist hung on the horizon, but the sky above the young dog was clear as it dimmed toward night. Moon watched her namesake Spirit Dog stretch and lope into view. The Moon-Dog was half in shadow, but still she shone bright enough to make a dog mistake the dusk for daylight. A whine of anticipation rose in Moon’s throat as she gazed up at her.

  Just now the Pack members were going about their last duties of the day: Snap and Mulch were checking the border where a protective thornbush had blown down in the last storm; Whine, the little Omega, was trotting from den to den, renewing the bedding of the more senior dogs. Night had almost fallen, and soon the hunt patrol would return to camp, and the Pack would eat together. Then there might be time to lie contentedly, with a full belly, and talk about the day to her Mother-Dog and Father-Dog.

  Moon could hear the two of them behind her in the den, discussing some serious issue about Pack life in low voices. Moon knew that as Alpha and Beta of the Pack, her parent-dogs’ duties came first; it would be the same for her, when her time came to be Pack leader. She had to be patient.

  She had to be more patient than Star, anyway, she thought with a roll of her blue eyes. Her litter-sister kept bounding up to her, backing off, thrashing her tail, and snapping playfully. She was desperate to entice Moon into a fight-game, but Moon was having none of it. Fight-games were for pups!

  “Star, settle down!” she yipped, swiping a gentle paw at her litter-sister’s ear.

  Star rolled over, pawing the air, snapping at a moth. “Oh, Moon, have some fun while you still can. You won’t have any time to play at all once you’re Alpha!”

  “We’re both too old to be playing,” Moon told her firmly.

  Star scrabbled back upright, sat down, and scratched at one ear. “You’re no fun anymore,” she said, an edge in her voice.

  Moon pinned her ears back, surprised. She had never heard Star sound quite so resentful before. That’s not true! It’s just that I’m going to have responsibilities one day. I’ll need to be ready for them. . . .

  She found that her litter-sister’s accusation stung, more than she’d expected. It wasn’t that Star was jealous of Moon’s destiny as the next Pack-Alpha; Star had no interest in the hard work and duties that would come with leadership, and Moon knew she was happy to be a free spirit. But surely Star realized, now that they were both older, that Moon didn’t have the same liberty to mess around and play pointless games, didn’t she?

  I must learn to be serious and dutiful.

  Before she could gnaw at her anxiety any longer, a new sound made Moon’s ears prick up. Those were pawsteps, coming toward the camp through the undergrowth—yes, the hunt patrol was returning! The hunt-dogs’ shapes became recognizable as they drew closer and emerged from the bushes: Rush and Meadow, the wily terriers; Fly, the brown-and-white snub-nosed dog with the sad but watchful eyes; and in the lead, biggest and strongest of all, was Hunter. Moon felt her heart skip a nervous beat as Hunter’s eyes caught hers. He lifted his head slightly with pride; between his strong jaws was a plump and good-sized rabbit.

  Moon rose to her paws, ignoring Star’s snort of amusement. She dipped her head in solemn greeting, and Hunter gave a low whine of reply in his throat.

  He’s so well-named, she thought. He’s the strongest dog in the Pack, besides my Father-Dog, and he’s the best hunter. I’m glad my parent-dogs chose him for me.

  She sometimes wondered what it was going to be like, running the Pack with Hunter as her Beta. It couldn’t be anything but exciting, she decided, with a warm rush of gladness. She ignored the prickle of tension in her neck fur; nervousness and uncertainty were silly. She would be lucky to have such a strong and capable mate. Her parent-dogs had chosen carefully, and they were never wrong about such important Pack matters.

  She would go on making her Father-Dog and Mother-Dog proud, and she’d go on showing her gratitude to them and her favor to Hunter. I don’t care what Star thinks about it, Moon decided a little grumpily. It was true that she didn’t feel completely comfortable in Hunter’s company—he wasn’t the easiest dog to talk to, and he had a stern taciturnity that sometimes bordered on sullenness—but in time, they’d learn to get along. Why, she felt guilty for thinking even the mildest criticism of him; it felt like disloyalty to her parent-dogs. She and Hunter would make a perfect match in the end, she knew it.

  Behind Moon, the fir branches rustled as her Father-Dog emerged from the den and shook his fur. He waited expectantly as Hunter padded up to him and dropped the fat rabbit at his forepaws.

  “Well done, Hunter! Your day was good, then?”

  “It was, Alpha,” replied Hunter, lashing his tail from side to side. “Plentiful prey, though some of it was too fast for the rest of the patrol.”

  It wasn’t the first time she’d heard Hunter criticize other dogs in his hunting patrol, but on this occasion Moon was a little startled. Rush and Meadow were very capable stalkers, after all, and long-legged Fly was a swift and agile runner. But as she glanced toward the brown-and-white dog limping up behind Hunter, she noticed he did look stiff and tired. He placed his paws awkwardly, as if he was trying not to stumble, and his eyes seemed much duller than usual.

  “Still, you’ve all done a fine job,” Moon’s Father-Dog was saying. He didn’t seem to have noticed the change in Fly’s condition; he was too busy admiring Hunter’s rabbit. “The Pack will eat well tonight.”

  Hunter gave his Alpha a nod of acknowledgment and stepped back,
his eyes still shining with pride in his catch, but Moon nudged her litter-sister with her shoulder.

  “Fly doesn’t look well,” she whispered to Star. “Don’t you think?”

  Star cocked her head, frowning at Fly. He was sitting on his haunches now, his noble head drooping. His lolling tongue looked dry and swollen.

  “It was a long hunt,” Star muttered uneasily, “so he’s probably just tired. And hungry—he’ll feel better when we’ve all eaten.”

  Moon wasn’t so sure, but she put Fly out of her head for the moment as the Pack began to gather for prey-sharing. Alpha and Beta, as was their right, claimed the first share, taking Hunter’s rabbit between them, but there was plenty of other prey for the rest of the dogs. As soon as his leaders had eaten their fill, Hunter paced forward and selected a juicy squirrel for himself. Moon could forgive the arrogant tilt of his head, the aura of satisfaction that surrounded him. After all, he’d done more than any dog to provide this feast. She watched him brightly and approvingly, ignoring any unease she felt at his cockiness.

  He’s my future mate. It’s good that he’s strong and confident!

  She felt Star’s breath at her ear. “Look at him,” her litter-sister muttered. “Thinks his tail touches the Sky-Dogs. Do you really want to be mated with him?”

  It irritated Moon that Star could reawaken all her own uncertainties with a well-placed jibe. “It doesn’t matter,” she growled quietly. “The Pack needs strong leaders, and that’s what Hunter is.”

  Star licked her chops and lay down with a sigh, clearly deciding the best policy was to keep her jaws shut. Moon was glad. She could feel her hackles bristling, yet she knew she shouldn’t let Star’s words ruffle her fur. Her sister was talking nonsense, obviously.

  All the same, she couldn’t help stealing a glance at her parent-dogs. Now that they’d eaten, and their daily responsibilities were behind them for another night, they were chuffing quietly together over some unheard joke. Alpha muttered something in Beta’s ear, and in playful impatience she batted his nose with a gentle paw.

  They had such a connection, thought Moon wistfully. Her Father-Dog and her Mother-Dog were friends as well as mates, companions as well as leaders. They respected each other, worked well together . . .

  Against her will, the inner voice and its doubts rose inside her head. Moon clenched her jaws and rubbed her paws over her ears.

  If I wasn’t destined to be the Pack’s Alpha . . . would I choose Hunter at all?

  CHAPTER TWO

  Fly’s den was cool, sheltered from the Sun-Dog’s rays by overhanging boughs of pine, but the big brown-and-white dog lay listlessly, panting as if the heat was unbearable. Moon nuzzled his dry nose, anxious. His flanks looked hollow and his coat was dull. A crusty discharge oozed from his exhausted eyes.

  “Here,” she said, trying to sound cheerful as she carefully dragged a curved piece of bark close to his muzzle. Water shimmered in it, cool and enticing, but Fly’s nose barely twitched. “I brought you this from the stream. Please, Fly, try to drink some.”

  Other dogs stood in the sunlit entrance to the den, their tails tucked low with worry. Meadow wriggled through the little group of watchers, a limp weasel in her jaws. Gently she laid it down before the ailing dog, then licked his ear.

  “Can’t you eat just a little, Fly?”

  The brown-and-white dog didn’t reply. His nostrils flared slightly at the scent of food, but he seemed unable to even lift his head. His eyes rolled, showing the whites, and his tongue flopped onto the dry earth beneath his muzzle.

  “Maybe it was something he ate to start with,” Moon murmured to Meadow. “Maybe that’s why he can’t eat now?”

  “But no other dog got sick,” said Meadow, looking troubled. “All the prey has been fresh, and there’s been nothing we haven’t eaten before.”

  Moon shook herself in distress. “That’s true, but—what?” Her ears pricked and she swung her head. “Why are they barking?”

  A volley of alarmed yelps echoed around the glade. Tensing, Moon cocked one ear forward.

  Meadow gave her a lick. “I don’t know. But if you want to go and look, I’ll stay with Fly.”

  Moon ducked out of Fly’s den, past the knot of anxious dogs, and bounded toward the disturbance. Snap, Pebble, and the long-eared black dog Mulch were racing into the camp, their hackles up and fur bristling. Mulch was trembling as he slithered to a halt in the dry leaves.

  “Strange dogs,” he barked. “Sniffing around our territory!”

  “Where?” Alpha trotted forward, instantly alert.

  “Over by the stream,” growled Pebble. “So they’re taking all our water as well.”

  Alpha made a low huffing sound. “I doubt they’ll drink it dry, Pebble, but let’s go together as a Pack and see what they’re after. We don’t want trouble if we can help it, but we don’t want a strange Pack muscling in on our territory, either.”

  “It could be that they’re just passing through, and needed to drink,” counseled Beta.

  “It could,” agreed Alpha. “So let’s play it cool for now. But we should certainly put on a show of strength, just to let them see our land isn’t here for the taking. All dogs in the camp who are not with pup, follow me.”

  Her Father-Dog and Mother-Dog were so wise, Moon reflected as she trotted at Alpha’s heels. Alpha was strong enough to defend the Pack, but he wouldn’t place them at risk by picking unnecessary fights. And his mate, her Mother-Dog, was clever and supportive. Hunter and I can be like that. . . .

  The sky beyond the treetops was heavy with rain, but though the sky was ominous and the clouds dark, it remained dry as the dogs made their way toward the stream. Ahead of Moon, her Father-Dog halted, his tail swishing idly. It was the gesture of a dog who was willing to talk, but who was also sure of his ground and his own strength. Beta moved forward to stand at his side.

  The strange Pack stood in front of them, right beside the stream. They were an odd-looking bunch, Moon thought, and there weren’t many of them. Her Father-Dog wasn’t likely to feel threatened by these interlopers. The one who seemed to be the Alpha was a powerfully built gray creature with yellow eyes—he had more than a touch of wolf blood, if Moon knew anything about those wild, mysterious creatures. At the wolfish dog’s side was his Beta, a long-eared, feather-tailed, mean-looking red dog. Close to them was another huge dog, one even bigger than his Alpha: His fur was black and brown, his head heavy and strong and—rather noble, Moon thought. She liked his dark determined eyes, which held no hint of aggression. There were two other black-and-tan dogs, but they were much smaller; Moon thought they looked like littermates. One of them, as he took a limping pace forward, revealed that his foreleg was badly twisted.

  Alpha surveyed the newcomers with a stern eye. “Greetings, strangers. What brings you through my Pack’s territory?”

  The other Alpha didn’t answer for a moment. He tilted his head arrogantly, examining the dogs who faced him. He glanced briefly at his Beta, then at his huge black-and-brown Pack-mate with the fierce, kind eyes.

  At last he licked his jaws and narrowed his wolfish eyes. “We’re not traveling through anywhere,” he said, with what Moon thought was a deliberate hint of menace. “We are searching for a new territory. This one seems perfect.”

  Moon heard her Mother-Dog suck in a shocked breath, but her Father-Dog remained calm. His lashing tail, though, grew still. Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but Alpha gave him a stern look, and he fell silent. The strange Alpha began to pace back and forth, displaying his powerfully muscled chest and flanks. His red Beta bared her fangs, the skin of her muzzle wrinkling back to show their deadly sharpness.

  Moon could only admire the cool collectedness of her parent-dogs. They were both very still, but their paws remained firmly planted on the ground, and their hackles had risen slightly. The Pack had grown large and strong under their calm, levelheaded leadership, and her Father-Dog never led them into pointless skirmishes. He had always believed
that no dog truly won when the blood of others dogs was spilled. Any fight was a last resort.

  But that didn’t mean he would back down from one. . . .

  “This territory is ours.” Alpha spoke coolly and steadily. “We have lived here peacefully for many journeys of the Moon-Dog: for three Ice Winds and four Long Light seasons.” He gazed meaningfully around the forest surrounding them all. “But large as our Pack is, we don’t take more land than we need. There is plenty of good territory beyond ours, and I know you won’t have any trouble finding a place to live. Our Pack will certainly not contest your right to land that doesn’t belong to us.”

  The other Alpha’s yellow eyes were unreadable, and he moved not a muscle, but his red Beta sprang forward, her teeth still bared.

  “We’ll take what territory we think best,” she snarled. “It’s not your Pack’s choice, but our own!”

  “That’s enough, Beta.” The wolfish Alpha snapped at her, the clash of his teeth horribly loud in the heavy silence of the trees. The Beta backed off, but she was still bristling. He gave her one warning glare, then turned back to Moon’s father.

  “I can smell this land,” he growled softly. “I can smell the prey that teems through it. Your territory is by far the richest.”

  Moon glanced anxiously at her Father-Dog, waiting for his response. What the wolfish stranger said was true; their large Pack, whatever the season, always had more than enough food. Alpha looked as if he was thinking hard, but he still didn’t rise to the aggression of the newcomers.

  But the red Beta could not, it seemed, contain herself any longer. “We will fight you for this land,” she barked, scratching at the earth with her claws. “You have no right to stop us from challenging you, and I don’t think your Alpha has the stomach for a fight!”