“Sunshine, calm down!” Lucky tried to lick the little dog’s black nose, but she had buried her head in Martha’s fur, and the older dog’s own whines and trembles did nothing to settle her.

Lucky feared this was going to lead to real trouble. The Leashed Dogs were working themselves into a frenzy. Mickey was backing away, staring in terror at the sky. Martha stood up and began to lumber blindly toward the river, her wounded leg threatening to give with every step. She seemed to have forgotten Sunshine, who started to bark wildly now that her shelter had been taken away. Elsewhere, Lucky could see Bruno making a sudden, clumsy break for the open ground.

They’re running! Lucky realized with horror. The Pack was splitting up. He spun around again, not knowing which dog to chase after first.

They’re going to get lost, scattered . . . Lightning will burn them. . . .

And the enemy Pack is still out there!

CHAPTER FIVE

Lucky was soaked to the skin. He raised his hackles, turned up his head, and waited for a pause in the Sky-Dogs’ snarling and growling. When it came, he gave the loudest, most commanding bark that he could muster.

“Come with me,” he ordered. “Now.”

The Leashed Dogs grew still, looking about themselves in shock. Then they crept closer to him, shivering as they moved. Lucky gave a few barks and growls of encouragement as he began to guide them toward the thicker tree cover. There might be some risk of falling trees and branches, but it would be much more dangerous to let the Leashed Dogs go on working themselves into their panic out in the open, where any stray lashing of Lightning could kill them instantly. Lucky snapped at Sunshine as she hesitated, and she jumped to follow him. Heads low, and tails between their legs, the Leashed Dogs crept into the dark undergrowth after Lucky.

The belt of trees here was dense, though it thinned out into a clearing a few dog-lengths away where a single tall pine stood alone, higher than the others. Whining reassurance, Lucky gathered the dogs into the bushiest thicket of trunks, a good leap-stride from the clearing. He didn’t know why, but he felt sure they had to stay here, concealed from the Sky-Dogs.

The thicker foliage muffled the rage of the storm, and even the rain couldn’t pelt down so hard. Lucky could hear his friends’ breathing beginning to calm down, their whining growing quieter and more subdued. They were getting ahold of themselves. Lucky let out a huff of relief. Mickey shook his head from side to side and growled, as if realizing suddenly how silly he’d been. All of them peered nervously up through the branches at the sky, waiting for the next outburst.

Then the sky exploded into brightness. Lightning hurtled to Earth, trailing his blinding energy. Lucky froze with terror as Lightning’s hindlegs caught the lone pine. It seemed to explode into flames, the ball of fire almost blindingly bright.