Nearly a year had passed and my clothes hung off my thin frame in tatters. The last week had been the hardest yet, with my horse dying and the last of my supplies gone. My legs had almost nothing left to give. My throat burned with thirst. I was so close, one more hill to climb and I would be home. As long as the spells had held there would be water, food and safety within. I rounded a corner in the path and looked upward.

My jaw dropped and I took in a sharp breath. They stared down at me with big, black eyes. Their fur was a pure, clean white, so starkly different from my muddy skin and tangled grey hair. As they bounded down the hill to greet me I fell to my knees, tears filling my eyes.

After all this time, they were alive. Somehow they had found their way home, and they were waiting for me.

Ella greeted me with a warm, wet wolf kiss right across my forehead. Her pups were so much bigger now, but still they followed behind her timidly.

“Do you remember me babies?” I asked, holding out a hand. They had barely been off the teat the last time I had seen them, and here they were looking full grown and healthy.

They crept closer and gave my outstretched hand a sniff, then a lick, then came two steps closer to nuzzle me and get their ears scratched.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, half laughing and half crying with joy. “I guess I’d better name you two now.”