We had been travelling for a full month, and were getting very tired from walking every day.

Then one morning, Tiny’s ears perked up, and I knew he had heard something. A moment later I heard it too. I stopped dead in my tracks. I listened intently, trying to filter out the birdsong and rustling forest from whatever it was. There! A low rumble some way off. Not from the sky this time.

It sounded like an engine.

The dogs looked at me, also hearing the strange noise and sensing my excitement.

‘Guys! That sounds like people.’

They didn’t understand, so I pointed at myself.

‘People like me! Come on everyone, let’s go!’

I ran in the direction of the rumbling, dodging around trees and slashing at anything in my way. I had to reach the sound before it stopped! What if it was a plane engine revving up, and they were about to take off? The thought spurred me on.

The tree line gave way suddenly and I burst into a clearing. My dogs scattered around me, blinking in the sunlight.

I had not seen another human being in years. I came to a halt and stared. Nearby, next to a rumbling brown truck, two men dressed in green were digging holes in the earth.

They stopped digging and turned to us in surprise.

Wolf moved to my side and the other dogs huddled closer too. A call from above told me Eagle was circling overhead. My ears felt cold again. Was it just because excitement was making me nervous? I couldn’t tell.

‘Hello, little girl,’ said one of the men. He wore a cap and had a big moustache. ‘What are you doing here?’

I opened my mouth, but only a strange croak came out.

Sunrise gave a low and threatening growl. The men glanced at her nervously, then back at me, frowning.

‘Can you talk, girl?’ asked Moustache Man. ‘Is your wolf trained? Who are you?’

I cleared my throat and tried again.

‘I . . . my family . . .’

‘What is your name?’

My heart beat loudly in my chest and a string of images rolled through my head – Dad carrying me on his shoulders, Mum kissing me goodnight, Kate by my side as we watched movies from the couch . . .

It had been so long since I’d spoken my own name.

‘My name is Gwen.’

‘Okay, Gwen. You need to come with us.’

‘Will you . . . help me . . . find my mum? My family?’

Moustache Man smiled. ‘Yes, of course,’ he said, then gestured for me to jump inside the truck.

These men were going to help me find my family!

Even the chill at the tip of my right ear wasn’t enough to stop me from reuniting with my family. So, I climbed into the side of the truck.

‘My dogs?’ I said.

‘We can’t take the dogs.’

‘No! I need my dogs!’

I tried to climb back out, but, without warning, the man pushed me back in roughly and closed the door.

My dogs went wild and leapt at the strange man, but it was too late. He swung into the passenger seat and the driver stepped on the accelerator. The truck took off with me inside it and my pack was helpless to do anything.

As I looked out the bars at the back of the cabin I saw my dogs running frantically after us.

‘Let me out!’ I shouted.

It was no use. The men ignored me and the truck accelerated. My dogs weren’t fast enough to keep up, and as I watched through the rear window, my pack started to get smaller and smaller.

What have I done?!

These were bad people. How were my dogs going to find me?

Suddenly I heard a loud—

I looked up to see Eagle soaring high above us. She was keeping up with the truck easily.

I closed my eyes and prayed to my animal family.

Eagle, Tiny, Brutus, Nosey, Zip . . . Sunrise. Please find me.