Storm: Stormpack by Megan Thurston (read an ebook week txt) 📖

the hole and fell onto the damp dirt with a soft THUMP! Howl pushed the door open and darted out into a fresh clump of ferns. She didn't recognize her surroundings from earlier that day. She smelled the air. It smelled strongly of moss, like there was lots of moss and it was nearby. She heard a river roaring somewhere nearby. But all she could see was Humans. They were walking around something. Howl shifted her position so that she could see what they were so interested in. It was the Mossy Tree! The Humans were walking around it, touching the trunk, breaking off pieces of bark, feeling the moss, and taking these weird stick things and drew on the plates of wood with the white stuff on them. Suddenly, there was a sharp yelp from one of the Humans and all the Humans backed off. They made a line in front of Howl so that she couldn't see. See darted around the clearing into a holly bush. A Death Machine was slowly making its way towards the tree. What were the Humans doing to the tree? Howl hoped that they wouldn't hurt it. It was an important part of her life. She had caught her first mouse in its roots, she had played under the safety of its branches, she had retrieved water from its moss. Howl peered out from the branches just in time to see the Death Machine start hacking something into the tree! Howl froze, shocked at what the Death Machine was doing to the tree. The tree was thick and strong. It had survived a long time out here, through the fiercest storms and the wildest fires. But here it was, being destroyed by a Humans slave, a Death Machine. The tree seemed weak now, leaning to one side while its branches waved wildly at every hit. Howl closed her eyes, wishing for this to be a dream and she was going to wake in the hot stuffy cave huddled up in the soft bedding of moss with her mother to shield her from her bad dream. Howl counted to thirty and opened her eyes just in time to see the Mossy Tree fall to the ground. Good bye

Howl raced through the forest, her heart beating rapidly. She had to tell her mother that the Humans were in the forest and had cut down the Mossy Tree! She quickly slipped through the crevice in the rock and skidded into the clearing where her mother was playing with her siblings. She howled,"Humans! In the forest! They cut down the Mossy Tree!" Howls mother looked at her and told her to catch her breath and sit down. After calming down a little, Howl recounted the story of what had happened to her. When she was finished her mother sat back on to her haunches and stared at Howl, shocked. Then she started to move the pups into the cave. Her mothers ears were twitching uneasily and she jumped at some pebbles rolling down the side of the hollow. Howl leaped up as her mother came towards her. She asked,"What are we going to do?" Her mother replied,"Nothing. The pups are too weak from their ordeal with Cold Cough and wouldn't last a hour outside of the forest." Howl stared at her mother, speechless with shock. Her mothers head drooped and her tail stuck between her legs as she said wearily,"I will stay here with the pups. The Humans won't find us. On the other paw, you will be running far away from here. Go somewhere safe where the Humans won't capture you. But whatever you do, stay away from Packs. They are unpredictable and you know how my family despises them." Howl was about to object but her mother snarled at her, showing claw sharp fangs. "You will leave and I will make you! I will not have you captured and dead!" Her mother growled. "You may stay another night then you will have to leave." And Howls mother slowly walked away, looking as old as the earth itself.

Howl woke to birds singing in the forest. She got up remembering nothing until her mother came bounding over with a rabbit in her jaws. "Eat." she commanded sternly. Howl crouched down and ate, the rabbit tasting of ashes in her mouth. Her mother was really going to have her leave then. When she was finished eating she went up to her mother and opened her mouth to talk but her mother didn't give her a chance. "Go without complaining and protesting or I will force you to go and I wanted you to leave remembering me as a loving mother, not a ferocious vixen." she said sternly. Then her voice softened, "Howl I love you and I know you want to protect me but that cannot happen. You will have to leave someday to find a mate and wander the world and think that now is the time. I will be fine and you will too. If the Humans come I will hide with the pups in the cave. The Humans are to big to fit in there." she nuzzled Howl affectionately. "Oh! I almost forgot! You are getting too big for your pup name of Howl. I need to change it." Howl started. Her adult name? She was much too young! "Mom!" she said. "Honey, you won't be coming back and I want the chance to say your new name at least once. I have thought a lot about it and I think that something storm related would be nice. Not lightning, because that is too long. I think Thunder is appropriate." Howl bowed her head solemnly. "I accept the name Thunder." Her mothers eyes glowed with pride. "Thunder. Thunder. What a powerful name. I have a feeling that you are a really important wolf." Her mother stared at her fondly then straightened up. "Now you really have to leave. The sun is in the middle of the sky. I love you Thunder. Now go, before I have to scare you off." Thunder started out but looked back one more time, taking in every bit of her old home and storing it in her memory forever. Her mother stood tall and proud in the middle of the clearing, her long fur ruffling in the wind. Then Thunder went the rest of the way and walked out in the open where an ambush of Humans were waiting for her.

Death!

Thunder yelped in surprise. She darted into a bush and ran away. She was bolting as fast as a jackrabbit runs from its hunter. She leaped over logs and splashed through rivers, puddles, an ponds. Just as she was bolting through two trees she remembered her mother. Her mother! Thunder had just left her, defenseless, in the clearing while Humans surrounded camp! Thunder skidded to a halt and turned around. She started running back, tired and breathless, pushed on by the fear and hatred of Humans. As she came to the clearing right in front of the clearing she heard yelps of pain and snarls of defiance. She bolted through the tunnel and stopped in the middle of the hard dirt floor. On the right side the wall had crumbled away and had Humans pouring into camp. None of them had seen her yet. One of the Humans was in front of the cave and was poking it with a stick. Then Mother burst out and bit him on the hand. It looked like he had already been bitten. The Human cried out and clutched his hand. He picked up the stick he had dropped and stuck it in there more furiously. Mother leaped out to bite him but this time he was ready. He grabbed her with a loop around her neck and pulled. The other Humans went to the cave and started poking around. Then Stripe poked his head out. He was always the curious one. He yelped when he saw Thunder and went back inside, telling the others probably. The Humans cleared off and inspected Mother. Then Stripe came out followed by Leaf, Yelp, and Stream. The Humans spotted them and came over. They picked them up by their scruffs and took them by Mother. Stripe wriggled around in the Humans grip and bit the Human. The Human cried out and glared at Stripe. It hit Stripe on the head and this time Stripe cried out in pain. This got Mother riled up. She started bucking and then fell down to the ground, limp. The Humans came down and touched her. The stick with the loop was dropped and Mother leaped up. She jumped onto the Human holding Stripe and knocked it down, tearing out its throat. She looked at me and barked something but I shook my head, not understanding. She opened her mouth to bark again but it was drowned out by a huge crack, like thunder. She grimaced and turned around. A Human was pointing a long stick at her. It cracked again and Mother fell to the ground, lifeless.
Thunder stared in shock. Her mothers life had ended like a bite to the neck. The Humans had killed her! No, she cannot be dead! She should have helped to defend the pups. A whimper woke her up from her misery. She saw the Human take a long pointy thing and jab it into her brother. Now Thunder was filled with fury. They had taken her mother but they wouldn't take him! Thunder darted out and howled, long and strong. The Humans jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. Stripe was hanging from the Humans grip, limp almost exactly like her mother! Was he dead? Stripe whimpered softly and his tail twitched. Phew! But that didn't mean he would live much longer! Thunder dashed into the group of Humans and started knocking them over. One of them raised the long stick that had killed her mother and pointed it at her. It cracked and she jumped. She jumped high enough that the CRACK had missed her. Right where she was standing was hole in the dirt. Made by the stick. Thunder rushed over to the stick Human and knocked him into the dirt. She spun around and spotted the Human holding her brother. She ran over to him and bowled him over. She grabbed Stripe and looked around for the others. They were in a box, not unlike the one