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Ana quickly turned around to find the source of the noise and found herself face to face with two large muzzles. She bounced up and her hand went to her hatchet. There were two of them and they looked hungry, but Ana was not ready to be eaten without a fight. Then, just as she was about to draw her hatchet, one of them spoke. "We heard you crying. Are you lost, little girl?" Wolves that talk? Ana was aghast. "I won't let you eat me!" said Ana with her hand still on her hatchet. "We would like to help you if we can," said the other one, "It is night and the forest is dangerous with wolves about." "Yes, but you are wolves and you are planning to eat me," said Ana, who was becoming slightly confused. "You can't trick me. I'm ten years old!" Ana lied. With that the first one let out a snarlish sort of laugh. "Me? A wolf? Did you hear that Snorri? This little girl thinks we're wolves!" "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves then, Rupret." Snorri replied. Then, turning toward Ana, he bowed and said, "I am Snorri the husky dog." "And I am Rupret!" "So you're not wolves then?" said Ana, still not entirely believing their story. "No," Snorri continued, "We are husky dogs and live in the forest just like you. We were out for a walk and heard you crying so we came to see if we could help." "So can we?" whimpered Rupret. "I don't talk to strangers," replied Ana, "Especially wolves. And I don't think you know where my house is." Ana decided sticking around to talking to these two was probably a bad idea and picked up her travois to leave. Snorri and Rupret sat down in the snow and watched her start to trudge "You're heading toward the mountains," said Snorri. "If you turn to the left you'll be headed toward the flatlands by the river where most of the people live. We know were the people live, because I would have no man as my master. My brother Rupret and I once had a master when we were pups. One day he beat Rupret and so we ran away to the forest." Ana knew her house was not in the mountains, but she also knew it was not among the farms in the flatlands either. She must have come a long way in the wrong direction if she was getting close to the farms of the flatlands. But maybe these wolves are trying to trick me, she thought. "My father is a woodsman," she told them, knowing wolves feared the ax as they feared the bear. "And we live far from the flatlanders. Would you help me find my way back my home in the deep forest?" "Yes!" said Rupret, bouncing up and wagging his tail. "We would be happy to help," said Snorri, "but we have never been to the deep woods." "We could still keep her company." said Rupret, turning toward Snorri. Rupert longed for the affection of a master again and was sure that this little girl would never hurt them. "Yes," said Ana, "you could keep me company." Ana turned her travois across the clearing and the three of them headed out together into the night. |