The children were hanging on for dear life as Claudia charged through the forest by now at pretty much her full speed, the two older children were hanging on as best they could but also trying to to keep there wildly bouncing younger companions from flying off into the forest. It seemed like an age but eventually the careering group emerged into the wonderful meadow that the children liked so much. Claudia just kept on going.
“Claudia, stop someone is going to get hurt if you don’t,” shouted Harri as loud as she could.
The charging moose slowed but not by much, she had heard the cacophony of noise as the wolves and bears had begun chasing Jasper. Only one thing was now on her mind, to get as far away as possible from the viscious creatures as possible.
“I can’t stop Harriet not here in the meadow this is a perfect area for wolves to hunt, I need to get you to safety quickly,” said Claudia.
“Can’t we just go back to Aku’s house,” said Harri.
“No the whole of the way back will be scattered with wolves and bears, I have to go this way but don’t worry we will soon be in a safe place,” said Claudia.
Claudia slowed but kept trotting onwards through the meadow down to the river and across the small ford. They were soon back into the forest but this time on paths and tracks that the children had never been on before, it was older and more unused. Soon they came to a small clearing with a tumbling crystal clear stream and Claudia finally stopped.
“We can rest here,” said Claudia.
“And eat,” said Oli. “I’m starving, I have some apples and cheesecake in my bag I bet it’s in a right state now after that ride.”
The little group of four children and a moose rested and ate apples and very mashed up cheesecake. The smaller children had fallen asleep in the warm and relaxing glade but Harri and Oli were sitting looking back in the direction they had just travelled.
“Will Jasper be alright Claudia”, said Oli.
“I am not sure”, said Claudia this time answering honestly. “I just know that if any animal in this forest can outsmart those blood thirsty creatures then he can”.
Just at that moment the three friends froze as a noise so terribly chilling began in the forest, it made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. In the distance but not too many miles away a wolf had started howling, a loud piercing noise in the still early evening. Harri thought they had got well away from the wolves but now she realised they were closer than she had thought. The three friends sat and looked at each other as first one then slowly the whole group began their terrible howling filling the whole woodland with the terrifying noise.
Claudia slowly got to her feet and the four children got as comfortable as they could on her back. Accompanied by the piercing din the frightened and sad moose’s once again set off in the direction she had been travelling in this little travelled part of the forest.
Harri knew the noise could only mean one thing and sat quietly with tears rolling down her face.
Oli was still not convinced that any harm had befallen the his old friend, he hoped Jasper had managed to fight off the whole rotten lot of them. He really wasn’t sure what to say to his sister so simply took hold of her hand as they travelled through the ever darkening forest accompanied by the frightful sound.
