Midnight

Chapter 19

Squirrelpaw raced panic-stricken through the trees, bolting back and forth in a frantic effort to escape. Behind her, she could hear the throaty bark of the dog that had leaped from a thicket when the group had reached the wood. Risking a look behind her, she saw the lean black shape crash through a clump of bracken, its tongue lolling. She could almost feel its sharp white teeth sinking into her skin.

"StarClan help us!" Feathertail gasped from where she dashed beside Brambletuft.

The two warriors were falling behind, and Squirrelpaw was worried they'd be caught if they slowed down anymore.

"Dodge!" Brambletuft called to them as they ran. "Try to lose it!"

The dog barked again, and from farther off Squirrelpaw could hear a Twoleg's furious call. She'd lost sight of the dog, and she prayed frantically that the creature had gone back to its Twoleg.

But she had no time to show down when the barking started up again and the dog burst around a tree like a raging fire. Delirious with fear, she wondered how Skystar and the others were able to lead the dogs to the gorge without giving into terror. But how could she and her friends do the same when they were in unknown territory?

"Climb trees!" She heard Brambletuft yowl. Squirrelpaw quickly leaped up the nearest tree as the others, even Swiftpaw, kept running. She looked around desperately, nervous and ready to run in case the creature decided to try for her. She could hear it growing closer but she also saw something else.

"Up here—quick!" she hissed.

With a terrified yowl as the dog nearly clamped its teeth around his haunches, Brambletuft jumped up beside her. Murmurs above her made her look up and she realized the others had turned back to join her in the ivy-covered tree. Stormfur and Tawnypelt were crouched on the branch just above her and Swiftpaw was further up while Crowpaw scrambled up from the other side.

"Feathertail!" gasped Stormfur. "Where's Feathertail?"

The dog was on its hind legs at the bottom of the tree, less than a fox-length below her and Brambletuft. Its claws tore at the ivy while it snarled furiously, drool spilling out of its jaws. The Twoleg shouted again, but it sounded far off.

Then Squirrelpaw saw Feathertail crouching in the briars just behind the dog, staring out in terror. If she tried to run for their tree, the dog would cut her off. How long, Squirrelpaw wondered, before it scented her?

Suddenly she heard Crowpaw spit furiously. "Fox dung! I've had enough of this." The WindClan apprentice hurled himself out of the tree, narrowly missing the dog, and hit the ground just beyond it. The dog spun around and gave chase, its paws scrabbling on the dry leaves. While it was distracted, Feathertail bolted out of the briars and across the clearing to make a desperate leap for a thin branch that swung alarmingly under her weight.

"Crowpaw!" Swiftpaw yowled. "Come back!"

The gray-black tom had vanished into the bushes. Squirrelpaw stared after wide-eyed as she heard the dog crashing about, barking wildly, and the shouts of the Twoleg growing closer. Then Crowpaw reappeared, his belly close to the ground as he ran all-out for the tree. The dog was panting just behind him. Squirrelpaw flinched and turned away, her eyes shut tight, only to open them again at the sound of Crowpaw sinking his claws into the ivy.

At the same moment the Twoleg lumbered into the clearing and made a dive for the dog's collar. He was red-faced and yelling furiously. The dog dodged to one side, but the Twoleg managed to grab it and clip a lead onto its collar. The dog's barks changed to whining as it was dragged away, clawing the grass and leaf mold as it struggled to return to its prey.