wasnât that high. The boys
saw Aki on his snowmobile, on top of the hill. He was
waving, telling them to come forward. Tom tried to
look behind, at Kalle, to see if he was waving back.
But he couldnât turn properly. He was afraid heâd fall
out of the sled; it was bouncing a bit on the ice.
The dogs started up the hill.
Aki kept waving. They could hear him.
âCome, come! No cars!â
They saw it now; the top of the hill was a road. They
went past Aki, and straight across. They looked left and
right. The road was straight and empty. It was a scar,
right through the white forest. It was daytime now, but
the air was silver. The sky was low enough to touch.
The road was ending.
âOh, oh.â
They laughed. They could feel their guts getting
ready. They were going to drop. The dogs ran down
the hill on the other side of the road; they didnât slow
down or hesitate. And Tom and Johnny were right
behind them. The path was gone. There was a path,
but it was narrow now, and never straight. They were
right in the forest and going over big snow. They
swerved around rocks and trees. They pushed into
each other as they turned; they couldnât help it. They
leaned out over the side of the sled. They couldnât
help that either. The dogs still trotted along, like this
was normal. They watched the dogs, and they felt
normal too.
This was the best thing that had ever happened to
them. They both thought that, at the same time.
The sled swerved, and they couldnât see the dogs
for a second â they were off the ground, and then they
were behind the dogs again. There was a path, but
only because the dogs were running on it. Johnny and
Tom couldnât really see it. The trees were green here.
They were in dark forest, away from the edge. This
was wilderness. They both felt it â they knew. This
was where you could get lost â really lost. Something
had changed. They didnât just like the dogs. They
needed them.
They could hear their dogs panting. They could hear the other dogs behind them. They could hear
the runners on the snow. They could hear Akiâs
snowmobile.
They went between two big trees, and the land
opened in front of them. It was a wide, white space,
like a small park or a football pitch, flat and silvery
white. They could see the silver sky again. But the
wall of the forest was straight ahead. They were going
to go back in.
They heard dog breath and paws, right behind
them. Johnny looked back, but he couldnât see
anything. Tom looked, and saw four dogs running
towards him, coming up, about to pass them. They
were pulling an empty sled. It was bouncing around a
bit, jumping, because it was so light.
But the dogs didnât pass Kalleâs sled.
âThey wonât pass the leader,â said Johnny. âThatâs
why theyâve slowed down.â
âOh, yeah,â said Tom.
He heard Kalle shout something, over their heads.
Something short. One word, one syllable. That was
all, and the dogs in front slowed and stopped. Tom felt
the weight behind him; Kalle was standing on the
brake.
The other dogs stopped too. Kalle walked through
the snow to the other sled. He patted the front dogs.
They rubbed against his arm. They moaned and
muttered happily.
âCome on,â said Johnny.
He pulled back the blanket and climbed out of the
sled. Tom thought about this. There was no reason for
them not to do it. It wasnât dangerous, and they
werenât at school. So, he got out from under the
blanket too. He could make out lots of sled tracks,
and some paw prints. The snow wasnât thick. But
when he stood up and took a few steps away from the
sled, the snow went up his boots, right up to the tops.
It was great.
Kalle looked at Tom and Johnny. He said nothing.
They stood beside him and watched Aki come
towards them on the snowmobile. There was
someone else on the snowmobile,
saw Aki on his snowmobile, on top of the hill. He was
waving, telling them to come forward. Tom tried to
look behind, at Kalle, to see if he was waving back.
But he couldnât turn properly. He was afraid heâd fall
out of the sled; it was bouncing a bit on the ice.
The dogs started up the hill.
Aki kept waving. They could hear him.
âCome, come! No cars!â
They saw it now; the top of the hill was a road. They
went past Aki, and straight across. They looked left and
right. The road was straight and empty. It was a scar,
right through the white forest. It was daytime now, but
the air was silver. The sky was low enough to touch.
The road was ending.
âOh, oh.â
They laughed. They could feel their guts getting
ready. They were going to drop. The dogs ran down
the hill on the other side of the road; they didnât slow
down or hesitate. And Tom and Johnny were right
behind them. The path was gone. There was a path,
but it was narrow now, and never straight. They were
right in the forest and going over big snow. They
swerved around rocks and trees. They pushed into
each other as they turned; they couldnât help it. They
leaned out over the side of the sled. They couldnât
help that either. The dogs still trotted along, like this
was normal. They watched the dogs, and they felt
normal too.
This was the best thing that had ever happened to
them. They both thought that, at the same time.
The sled swerved, and they couldnât see the dogs
for a second â they were off the ground, and then they
were behind the dogs again. There was a path, but
only because the dogs were running on it. Johnny and
Tom couldnât really see it. The trees were green here.
They were in dark forest, away from the edge. This
was wilderness. They both felt it â they knew. This
was where you could get lost â really lost. Something
had changed. They didnât just like the dogs. They
needed them.
They could hear their dogs panting. They could hear the other dogs behind them. They could hear
the runners on the snow. They could hear Akiâs
snowmobile.
They went between two big trees, and the land
opened in front of them. It was a wide, white space,
like a small park or a football pitch, flat and silvery
white. They could see the silver sky again. But the
wall of the forest was straight ahead. They were going
to go back in.
They heard dog breath and paws, right behind
them. Johnny looked back, but he couldnât see
anything. Tom looked, and saw four dogs running
towards him, coming up, about to pass them. They
were pulling an empty sled. It was bouncing around a
bit, jumping, because it was so light.
But the dogs didnât pass Kalleâs sled.
âThey wonât pass the leader,â said Johnny. âThatâs
why theyâve slowed down.â
âOh, yeah,â said Tom.
He heard Kalle shout something, over their heads.
Something short. One word, one syllable. That was
all, and the dogs in front slowed and stopped. Tom felt
the weight behind him; Kalle was standing on the
brake.
The other dogs stopped too. Kalle walked through
the snow to the other sled. He patted the front dogs.
They rubbed against his arm. They moaned and
muttered happily.
âCome on,â said Johnny.
He pulled back the blanket and climbed out of the
sled. Tom thought about this. There was no reason for
them not to do it. It wasnât dangerous, and they
werenât at school. So, he got out from under the
blanket too. He could make out lots of sled tracks,
and some paw prints. The snow wasnât thick. But
when he stood up and took a few steps away from the
sled, the snow went up his boots, right up to the tops.
It was great.
Kalle looked at Tom and Johnny. He said nothing.
They stood beside him and watched Aki come
towards them on the snowmobile. There was
someone else on the snowmobile,
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