Щенок Элли, или Долгая дорога домой / Ellie the Homesick Puppy

Once she was in the lane she raced as fast as she could. They had gone down here on the walk yesterday; it was brambly and overgrown[91], with lots of hiding places.

Finally she ran out of breath[92] and collapsed, panting, underneath a tangle of brambles. She lay in the leafy dimness, breathing fast, and loving the feeling of being out on her own. Walks with Megan were the best thing, of course, but it was fun not to have a lead on and to be able to go where she liked. The bramble bush smelled nice. Earthy, but sweet at the same time.

Ellie tried to work out[93] which way she should go next. Where was Megan? Which way?

She rested her nose on her paws. It wasn’t that she was going to sniff Megan out exactly, that would be silly, she was much too far away for that. This was different from finding Megan’s scent. It was more of a feel. Megan – and home – was that way.

Ellie wriggled eagerly out from under the brambles and set off down the lane. She knew it was going to be a long way – longer than any walk she’d done before[94] – but she wasn’t scared. She was Megan’s dog, not Gran’s, and she was meant to be with Megan.