Moon's Choice (2 page)

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!”

“I said,
enough.
” The strange Alpha—who Moon had decided must be at least half wolf—pinned his ears back and bared his teeth, but he didn't snap at his Beta again. His eyes slanted toward Moon's father, a sharp and cunning light in them. “Beta is impulsive, but what she says is, of course, true. We have the right by Forest Law to challenge you for this land. And if you don't concede the territory, we are more than willing to fight you for it.”

Moon felt the other members of her Pack drawing closer to her and her parent-dogs. Snap was at her flank, and she heard a low, constant growling from Mulch and Pebble. Hunter bared his fangs.

“Alpha, we're a peaceful Pack,” snarled Rush, “but I don't like these dogs trying to push us around.”

“I agree,” growled Snap. “There are more of us, and this is our territory. Sometimes dogs have to fight for what's theirs, Alpha.”

“Don't worry.” Alpha spoke through clenched fangs. “I don't want a battle with these dogs, but if they ask for it, we'll happily give them one.”

A chill of excitement and fear swept through Moon's fur as she felt her own hackles rise in anticipation of the fight. Bunching her
shoulder muscles, she lowered her head and gave a savage growl at the red Beta. All around, her Packmates were drawing together in their battle line, grim with determination.

“Wait!”

It was the voice of the huge black-and-brown dog, who hadn't so much as growled until now. He paced forward, and dipped his head briefly to his wolfish Alpha.

“If I may speak, Alpha? You told us that our best course would be to take a territory close to this one, and demand that we share the good hunting land in common.”

For a long moment, the half wolf watched him with those cold, frightening yellow eyes. At last he nodded slowly.

“Yes, Fiery. Perhaps I did say that.”

Despite his size, the dog called Fiery lowered his eyes again in respect, and thumped his tail once. “If these dogs are reasonable, Alpha—and they seem to be—they will agree to your terms. I think they will see the wisdom of your plan.”

Moon felt her neck fur lower and her muscles relax as a surge of reluctant admiration went through her. She stared at the big dog. Some of the tension had drained from the atmosphere as the half wolf considered Fiery's words. Moon realized how clever the big dog had been to cool the confrontation without showing
disrespect to either Alpha, and making sure his own leader did not lose face. Now he glanced at both Alphas and cleared his throat politely.

“My Alpha thought that instead of being in direct competition, we could all hunt together and split the prey fairly. That would save both Packs a lot of energy and effort, too.” He nodded at his Packmates. “We have excellent hunt-dogs, but your Pack knows this territory far better. It would be to every dog's benefit if we work together.”

The half wolf was still fixing him with his unsettling yellow gaze, but at last he growled, “Yes. Fiery's right. That was my plan.” He swiveled his fierce head back to Moon's parent-dogs. There was still a light of haughty arrogance in his eyes. “Do you agree to my plan? Or shall we fight for the land?”

Moon's Father-Dog did not lower his eyes; he watched the other Alpha coolly.
My Father-Dog knows who averted the fight and devised that plan,
thought Moon with secret pleasure,
and it wasn't that half wolf!

“My Pack and I will discuss this,” her father announced calmly. “We'll make our decision together.”

“I thought I was talking to an Alpha.” There was a sneer on the half wolf's face, his lips curling back over one corner of his
muzzle.

Moon was proud to see that her Father-Dog's hackles didn't even stir. He was unruffled as he growled softly, “
As Alpha . . .
I have learned the value of my Pack's counsel. You will have to be patient while I confer with them.”

Moon couldn't help glancing back at the big dog Fiery as she withdrew with the rest of the Pack to a hollow between two overhanging willows. She felt a rush of gratitude to him for defusing the conflict, and she found her tail was wagging of its own accord. Embarrassed, she dropped her eyes and turned quickly back to her Pack.

“I'm inclined to try this plan, at least,” murmured Alpha. “That dog Fiery is a smart one.”

“Smarter than his leader,” growled Beta dryly, and Alpha gave her an affectionate lick. “We have a lot of dogs to feed, after all, and this Alpha and his two biggest Packmates look like strong hunters.”

“But they came to challenge us for our territory!” objected Hunter, his ears swiveling toward Alpha in surprise. “Do we really want them living right next to us? Hunting with us?”

“Better to make an alliance with them, surely?” suggested Moon. “They're aggressive and strong, and I'd rather hunt with
them than have to guard our borders against them.”

Hunter bristled at her side, his face rigid with disapproval, but Moon found she didn't care—especially when Mulch spoke up in her favor:

“Moon's right,” he yelped. “As long as they don't enter our territory, this seems to be the best way for both Packs.”

Alpha and Beta exchanged long glances, and Moon waited, quiet and patient. She knew it was their way of consulting each other; the two were so close, a glance could say everything.
I can't imagine it being that way between me and Hunter,
she thought wistfully.

But you never know,
she reminded herself.
One day we could very well have a connection like my parent-dogs!