Read Online Arthur and the Fenris Wolf by Alan Early - Free Book Online Page A

frost-bitten and hard, and icy leaves crunched under their feet as they walked. They didn’t see or hear much wildlife, but at one stage Ash did spot a squirrel, although she was too slow to sketch it.
    They stopped every few minutes on their walk, usually to take charcoal rubbings of some interesting-looking tree bark. They were able to follow a trail through the trees, which was lucky, because without it they could easily have gotten lost. Ash had always loved exploring the forest with Cousin Maggie as a toddler, usually perched on her grandaunt’s shoulders, but she didn’t know her way around well enough to stray off the path.
    They said very little as they strolled, something Arthur was glad of. If they started talking, the conversation would inevitably turn to Loki and that was something he didn’t want to think about right then.
    Eventually they reached a clearing by the shore. The lake stretched out before them – still frozen solid and reflecting the cloudless sky above – and the round tower stood stoic and vacant on the little island. If they followed the shore around to the right, Arthur could see that they would reach the train track. To the left was just more dense woodland.
    Arthur was surprised to see that the ground leading from the forest down to the shore was red. There was no grass or stones, just mud that had been frozen solid, and the earth was a deep terracotta colour. It reminded him of science-fiction films he’d seen of trips to Mars and seemed totally out of place here in Westmeath by the side of a lake. Now that he noticed it, he could see that the bright red stretched the whole way around the shore, almost like the lake was bleeding.
    â€˜What’s with the ground?’ he asked Ash.
    â€˜It’s weird, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Apparently it’s something to do with the amount of oxygen in the soil here. I’m not sure. Cousin Maggie explains it better. It’s the only place in Ireland with earth like this. It’s a pity it’s frozen solid, though.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜It’s really sticky and gooey usually, especially when it mixes with the water from the lake. When I was small we used to come down here in the summers and make mud-men. You know – snowmen but with mud.’
    â€˜Cool!’
    â€˜Yeah, it really is. We should come here again this summer. You’re still going to be in Dublin, right?’
    Arthur really didn’t want to tell her that he might be moving home sooner than they’d thought. ‘Eh …’
    Luckily for him, Ash cut him off.
    â€˜Wait!’ she said, looking out onto the lake. ‘What’s that?’
    Arthur followed her gaze. Roughly halfway between the shore and the island, something was out on the ice. He squinted to try to see better. The thing looked about the size of a small backpack; it was dark brown and was moving slightly. It looked like a–
    â€˜Dog!’ Ash exclaimed, shocked. ‘It’s a dog, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Looks more like a pup to me.’
    Ash handed Arthur her sketchpad and charcoal. ‘Hold these for me.’
    â€˜Wait – what are you doing?’
    â€˜I’m going to save that pup,’ she answered, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.
    â€˜You can’t!’ he protested. ‘The ice could–’
    â€˜It won’t break,’ she said. She put one foot on the edge of the frozen lake, leaning all her weight on it. It didn’t so much as crack. ‘See? Nice and solid! Listen to the dog, Arthur. It’s too scared to move.’
    Arthur heard it now that she pointed it out. Over the slight breeze in the air, he heard the dog whining softly. There was no denying that it was stranded out there.
    â€˜I’ll be fine, Arthur,’ Ash assured him again, seeing the worried look on his face. ‘I’ll just take it slowly.’
    Ash turned away from him,