Rising Storm

Chapter 21

Skyfall heard the grass swishing behind the hedge and tensed her shoulders as the strong odor filled the air. A loud bark made her tail fluff out, and a heartbeat later she saw the quivering nose of a dog thrusting through the hedge.

"Run!" she yowled, spinning around. Another rustle and a yelp of excitement told her that a second dog was following the first.

Skyfall fled. Longtail raced beside her, his fur brushing hers as they pelted along the hedgerow with the dogs at their heels. The drumming of the dogs' paws made the ground tremble, and Skyfall could feel their hot breath on her neck. She glanced over her shoulder. Two massive dogs loomed behind them, their soft flesh rippling, their eyes glaring, and their tongues lolling. With a jolt, Skyfall realized that Ravenpaw was nowhere to be seen.

"Keep running," she hissed to Longtail. "They won't be able to keep this pace up for long." Longtail managed to nod, his paws pounding faster.

She was right. When she turned her head again, she saw that the dogs had begun to fall behind. Skyfall sized up an ash tree in the hedgerow ahead of them. It was some way off, but if they could put enough distance between themselves and the dogs, they might be able to scramble up it to safety.

"See that ash?" she meowed to Longtail, panting. "Climb it as quickly as you can. I'll follow."

Longtail grunted in agreement, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. They raced on toward the tree. Skyfall yowled to Longtail and he shot up the tree, clawing his way to safety.

Before she leaped for the tree, Skyfall looked over her shoulder once more to see how far away the dogs were. Her fur shot up when she saw huge teeth barely a rabbit-length from her face. With a vicious snarl the dog lunged at her. Skyfall whipped around and lashed out with her forepaws, her claws sharp as thorns. She felt the flesh rip of the dog's swaying jowls and heard it yelp in pain. She slashed once more, then turned and scrambled up the tree, as fast as a squirrel. She stopped on the lowest branch and looked down. Below her the dog yowled in frustration while the other joined it, throwing its huge head back and bellowing angrily.

"I. . . I thought he'd gotten you!" Longtail stammered. He carefully crossed the branch and pressed his flank against hers until they'd both stopped trembling.

The dogs fell silent, but they stayed at the bottom of the tree, pacing back and forth.

"Where's Ravenpaw?" Longtail asked suddenly.

Skyfall shook her head, trying to clear away the terror she had felt when the dogs were chasing her. "He must have run the other way. He should be safe. I think there were only two dogs."

"I thought this was his territory. Didn't he know there were dogs on this side of the field too?"

"No one can predict what Twolegs do. Ravenpaw likely didn't know the dogs would be released this time."

Longtail sniffed and looked away.

A high-pitched mew made Skyfall and Longtail peer down through the leaves. Was that Ravenpaw? The dogs swung their heads around as they tried to locate the sound. Skyfall spotted a sleek black shape disappearing into the barley. Ravenpaw yowled again, and the dogs pricked up their ears. With barks of excitement they hurtled toward the swaying stems that gave away Ravenpaw's hiding place.

Skyfall stared down from the tree. Could Ravenpaw outrun the dogs? She watched the barley tremble as Ravenpaw zigzagged invisibly through the field. The brown backs of the dogs crashed after him like ungainly fish, flattening the stalks with their clumsy paws and barking with frustration.

Suddenly Skyfall heard the sharp yap of a Twoleg. The dogs stopped in their tracks and lifted their heads above the barley stalks, their tongues lolling out. Skyfall peered along the field. A Twoleg was climbing over a wooden fence set in the hedge. Two lengths of something like twine dangled from its hand. Reluctantly the dogs began to push their way through the barley toward the Twoleg, who grabbed the collars around their necks and attached them to the twine. With a sigh of relief Skyfall watched the dogs being dragged away, their tails down and their ears drooping.