Wiggle bounded after her, trying to keep pace, but scrambled and slipped on the crumbling earth and slid back down, trying several times to bound up again, only to lose his paws again.

“Small steps, Wiggle,” Daisy reminded him.

The little pup gave a determined bark and started to mount the incline again. This time he followed instructions, taking small, careful steps. “Look, I’m climbing it!” he yipped. Soon he was at the top, panting alongside his litter-sister, his stubby tail wagging.

“Remember what I told you, Grunt,” said Daisy as the biggest pup started to work his way up the hill.

“I know how to do this,” snarled Grunt defensively. He rushed up the steep hillock, his muscular back legs working as he took long, energetic steps. Lucky watched, impressed by the pup’s ability. A moment later, Grunt lost his paws and slipped back down to the base of the hillock, dirt-dust billowing around him. The pup sneezed and shook off his fur. Then he stiffened and tried again, running at the hillock, reaching about halfway before sliding down again.

Back at the bottom, he barked: “This is stupid! We left a large, sheltered camp with a big house and porch and everything we could ever need for an empty old hill where the only thing to do is walk. It makes no sense!”

“You’re a Wild Dog now,” said Daisy firmly as Lick and Wiggle stood by her side. “Sometimes we need to do things for the Pack, like check the forest for new camps. In the future you will hunt or patrol with the Wild Dogs as well. You’ll come to love being part of it all.”

“We already have a Pack,” snarled Grunt.

Standing some distance away behind the trunk of an old oak, Alpha turned his cool eyes on Lucky.

He’s so sure he’s going to be proven right—that the Fierce Dog pups can’t be educated. Lucky looked away from Alpha to keep an eye on Grunt.

The pup started mounting the incline again, taking small steps. His quick pace sent clouds of dry earth behind him, and he soon reached the top of the hillock.

Lucky and Alpha walked in silence, keeping a slow pace upwind of Daisy and the pups. Lucky sniffed the air, enjoying the rich scent of earth, pine, and grass. Then he froze: He could smell something else, tangy and familiar—the scent of a dog. Lucky suddenly realized that it was the same odor he had detected on the dead pigeons that he and Bruno had found in the forest near the camp. He glanced at Alpha, who seemed not to have noticed.

A few paces on, Lucky spotted the remains of a small creature. He tapped it with his paw and lowered his muzzle to take a sniff.

“Mouse,” said Alpha. He stopped to stretch, showing off his long, muscular limbs.