Free The Winter Wolf by Holly Webb Page A

meant the snow was thick and heavily frozen. Lotta frowned, trying toremember what Oldeforeldre had told her about the reindeer migration. In a week or so, the rest of the herd would follow the mother reindeer to the calving grounds, where the snow would be melting and the grasses showing through. Then, a little later, when all the calves were big enough to make the journey, the two herds would go on together to the summer pastures.
    “There isn’t a lot of grain to spare for feeding her,” Erika murmured. “We have to trade for it, with reindeer hides and dried meat. Grain’s expensive.” She chewed her lip and dug at the snow with her boot. “She really ought to be feeding herself, but the ice crust over the snow’s so hard here. It’s taking her ages to dig through it to find the lichen to eat.”
    Lotta picked up a piece of branch anddug under the snow. It was frozen solid, and she had to work at it. But the reindeer sniffed interestedly as Lotta scraped back the snow, revealing the lichen on the ground. She took a couple of steps forward and began to nibble at it gratefully. Her calf stumbled after her and went on trying to suckle.
    “Maybe we could keep helping her dig?” Lotta suggested to Erika, rather uncertainly. Perhaps it was something they weren’t supposed to do. She didn’t know, after all.
    But Erika nodded. “Uncle Peter did say to look after her. That must be the best way to help her, I think.” She fetched another branch, and began to scratch in the deep snow. “Ah, look, here you are! A big clump!”
    The reindeer pushed Erika out of the way eagerly as she smelled the feathery, greyish-green lichen clump buried in the snow, and both girls giggled.
    “We should name them,” Lotta said, as she went on digging. “Her and the calf.”
    Erika looked rather surprised. “I suppose we could. What shall we call her?” She grinned. “Pushy? Greedyguts?”
    “No! Something nice.” Lotta looked thoughtfully at the reindeer, trying to think of a good name. She still had her antlers, and her coat was beautifully thick. The reindeer stared sideways at Lotta, watching her with one dark eye while she munched on the lichen.
    “She’s got a mark on her side, here, look.” Lotta pointed to a darker patch of fur. “It’s almost like a flower. If we callher Flower, then we’ll remember, and we’ll always be able to pick her out, even when she’s back with the others.”
    She gave a little gulp then, wondering if she would still be with Erika and Flower when they got to the summer pastures. That was weeks away. Would she be back home by then, with her real family?
    With Flower nuzzling against her gratefully as she gobbled the lichen, and the baby reindeer giving her shy looks as he suckled, Lotta wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back. Not just yet. She had loved the stories about the reindeer girl so much, and now it seemed she was living them.
    And she liked her matter-of-fact cousin, too. Erika seemed to have a silly sense of humour, even though she was a bit bossy.She definitely had a cheeky grin.
    “Flower.” Erika nodded. “I like it! What shall we call the baby?”
    “I don’t know.” Lotta shook her head. “He hasn’t got any marks. He’s just really sweet. We could call him Sweetie, maybe.”
    “I’m not calling him Sweetie!” Erika snorted. “Imagine shouting that out in front of everybody! My brothers would laugh their heads off. Besides, what about when he’s nearly as tall as you? We won’t want to call him Sweetie then.”
    “All right. What’s your favourite name?” Lotta said. “Lars? Johan?”
    “He doesn’t look like a Lars… And Johan would be too confusing, with Cousin Johan as well.” Erika stared at the little calf thoughtfully. “He does look like a Karl, though! Let’s call him Karl!”



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