rocks. She was smaller than Noah was, and there was less chance that she’d be seen. Even though she was terrified of Samson Wright and his gun, she had to send them away.
Joshua was still complaining and pulling at his father’s sleeve. “I can’tget down there, Pa! I can’t walk! It’s all rocks!”
“Stay here, then!” Samson Wright snapped.
Amelia crept silently between the rocks, keeping as much cover as she could between herself and the hunters. But she couldn’t take too long. She scrambled up the bank, and threaded her way between the trees, until she was just behind Mr Wright and Joshua. Then she picked up a handful of snow, and squashed it quickly into a ball. She aimed at the branches above their heads, heavy with soft, glittering snow, and hurled her snowball.
The snow shook a little, and then collapsed with a
whumpf
, right on to Samson Wright’s hat, and all down the back of his coat.
He gasped, and shook himself like a dog, and in all the confusion and shouting, Amelia slipped back down the bank to join Noah.
“Not again! I’ve had just about enough of this. Have it your way…” Samson Wright growled, digging snow out of the back of his collar and shivering. “We’ll go. I was sure the beast was out here at the river, but I’ve not seen hide nor hair of it. All right, all right! We’ll go on home.”
Amelia clutched Noah’s arm, and looked at him with shining eyes. The wolves were safe!
22nd October, 1873 – later on
Amelia’s fallen asleep, worn out by the journey to the river, and the excitement. She’s got her head on my shoulder, and she looks so snug. But I suppose I’ll have to wake her soon, as it’s almost stopped snowing. Just a few more flakes, coming down all slow and lazy. It won’t be long before we can set off back home.
I had my heart in my mouth when she got up like that, and went sneaking off. I had my hand out to grab her, and pull her back. But thank heaven I let her be. She made them give up, Mr Wright and Joshua. I can still see him, stamping around trying to get that snow out of his coat. It’s making me chuckle, even now.
I can see across the river a littleway – all the tracks are gone. It wasn’t a heavy snowfall, but it was enough.
The sun’s starting to glimmer on those great icicles, where the spray comes off the rapids. I’d love to draw that, but I’m too sleepy to try.
I wonder where Frost and his mother are. I reckon they went off up the far bank of the river, and up into the hills – there are deep caves there, just right for a wolf pack. Frost’s on his way home, too. I was glad he looked back at us before he went.
Maybe one day I’ll see him again.
A melia shivered and wriggled away from the damp tongue licking her cheek. “Don’t, Frost, it’s too cold to lick—”
But then she remembered. Frost had gone back to his mother. He was safe. Maybe they’d even met up with the rest of the pack by now.
So what was licking her face?
Amelia opened her eyes, and saw Freddie looking down at her, his great pink tongue sticking out. Amelia pressed herself back against the chair, her eyes widening, and her heart starting to race.
And then she saw that Freddie’s ears were pricked up hopefully, just the way Frost’s had been when he wanted her to play with him, or he was hoping that Noah had something delicious in the deep pockets of his coat.
The same coat Amelia could see now, draped over the old armchair in the attic.
She was back.
“Hello…” she whispered to Freddie, and his massive tail wagged so hard it bumped against the side of the chair. He had his front paws up on the seat next to her, and his head on one side, as though he was asking something.
“How did you get up here, hey? I suppose I didn’t shut the door properly. Did you sniff me out? And what do you want? Oh! Are you not supposed to sit on chairs? Well, this is only an old scruffy one…” Amelia shifted herself sideways a bit, leaving a space
Joshua was still complaining and pulling at his father’s sleeve. “I can’tget down there, Pa! I can’t walk! It’s all rocks!”
“Stay here, then!” Samson Wright snapped.
Amelia crept silently between the rocks, keeping as much cover as she could between herself and the hunters. But she couldn’t take too long. She scrambled up the bank, and threaded her way between the trees, until she was just behind Mr Wright and Joshua. Then she picked up a handful of snow, and squashed it quickly into a ball. She aimed at the branches above their heads, heavy with soft, glittering snow, and hurled her snowball.
The snow shook a little, and then collapsed with a
whumpf
, right on to Samson Wright’s hat, and all down the back of his coat.
He gasped, and shook himself like a dog, and in all the confusion and shouting, Amelia slipped back down the bank to join Noah.
“Not again! I’ve had just about enough of this. Have it your way…” Samson Wright growled, digging snow out of the back of his collar and shivering. “We’ll go. I was sure the beast was out here at the river, but I’ve not seen hide nor hair of it. All right, all right! We’ll go on home.”
Amelia clutched Noah’s arm, and looked at him with shining eyes. The wolves were safe!
22nd October, 1873 – later on
Amelia’s fallen asleep, worn out by the journey to the river, and the excitement. She’s got her head on my shoulder, and she looks so snug. But I suppose I’ll have to wake her soon, as it’s almost stopped snowing. Just a few more flakes, coming down all slow and lazy. It won’t be long before we can set off back home.
I had my heart in my mouth when she got up like that, and went sneaking off. I had my hand out to grab her, and pull her back. But thank heaven I let her be. She made them give up, Mr Wright and Joshua. I can still see him, stamping around trying to get that snow out of his coat. It’s making me chuckle, even now.
I can see across the river a littleway – all the tracks are gone. It wasn’t a heavy snowfall, but it was enough.
The sun’s starting to glimmer on those great icicles, where the spray comes off the rapids. I’d love to draw that, but I’m too sleepy to try.
I wonder where Frost and his mother are. I reckon they went off up the far bank of the river, and up into the hills – there are deep caves there, just right for a wolf pack. Frost’s on his way home, too. I was glad he looked back at us before he went.
Maybe one day I’ll see him again.
A melia shivered and wriggled away from the damp tongue licking her cheek. “Don’t, Frost, it’s too cold to lick—”
But then she remembered. Frost had gone back to his mother. He was safe. Maybe they’d even met up with the rest of the pack by now.
So what was licking her face?
Amelia opened her eyes, and saw Freddie looking down at her, his great pink tongue sticking out. Amelia pressed herself back against the chair, her eyes widening, and her heart starting to race.
And then she saw that Freddie’s ears were pricked up hopefully, just the way Frost’s had been when he wanted her to play with him, or he was hoping that Noah had something delicious in the deep pockets of his coat.
The same coat Amelia could see now, draped over the old armchair in the attic.
She was back.
“Hello…” she whispered to Freddie, and his massive tail wagged so hard it bumped against the side of the chair. He had his front paws up on the seat next to her, and his head on one side, as though he was asking something.
“How did you get up here, hey? I suppose I didn’t shut the door properly. Did you sniff me out? And what do you want? Oh! Are you not supposed to sit on chairs? Well, this is only an old scruffy one…” Amelia shifted herself sideways a bit, leaving a space
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