Great Bear Lake (26 page)

Has he changed again?

Lusa was pelting across the ridge toward the building, but
Salik was almost close enough to bite her. Kallik forced her paws to pound over the rough grass, her belly fur brushing the ground, but she wasn't fast enough to catch up. She let out a low whimper of dismay. “Spirits help her!”

Salik was stretching out his neck now, his jaws opened wide as he bore down on the small black cub. He overtook her and swerved into her side, knocking her off her feet. One more stride and his enormous forepaws were planted on her chest; Lusa let out a squeal of terror. Manik and Iqaluk skidded to a halt beside him.

Kallik stopped in horror as Salik loomed over Lusa, ready to sink his teeth into her throat. Desperate, she whirled around to confront her brother, who had followed her up the hill.

“Taqqiq, you've got to help!”

Toklo climbed back up the hill
and sniffed around the foot of the flat-face construction. The flat-face scents were stale and the firebeast was cold and quiet; he didn't expect any trouble from them. The white bears were another matter, but if Lusa could reach the construction, she'd be safe. The opening at the bottom was too small for white bears to get through.

And I'm ready to hold them off. They won't lay a claw on Lusa
.

He found a sheltered spot underneath some bushes that grew up against the smooth white wall. There were a few shriveled berries growing on the branches; Toklo stripped them from their stalks and gulped them down. Then he wriggled underneath.

From his hiding place he could see all the way to the lake. He glanced at the rocky outcrop where Lusa was waiting. As soon as she made a move, he would be ready.

Suddenly a savage roar erupted from below; heartbeats later, Miki came pelting up the hill.

“Here we go!” Toklo braced himself.

Three enormous white bears were racing up the slope; the black cub glanced back and saw that they were gaining on him. He let out a terrified squeal, veered to one side, and dived for cover into the dip in the ground where Lusa was hiding.

A moment later a black cub emerged from the hollow and pelted toward Toklo.
Lusa!
She was faster than Miki, but the white bears were still bounding after her, their powerful strides eating up the distance between them. Toklo spotted a hare keeping pace with Lusa as she fled.

And what good do you think that will do, Ujurak?

Lusa had almost reached Toklo when the leading bear overtook her, crashing into her side and knocking her over. She let out a squeal, her paws batting at her attacker. The big white bear held her down with his paws on her chest, his jaws reaching down to bite her throat.

Toklo hurtled out of his hiding place with a furious roar. From the corner of his eye he spotted the hare, its body swelling and legs thickening as Ujurak returned to his brown bear shape. Together they threw themselves on the white bears.

Knocking Lusa's attacker off balance, Toklo clubbed his broad white head with both front paws. He glimpsed Lusa scrambling away, then turning back with her teeth bared, ready to attack. “Stay out of this!” he growled to her.

He caught a glimpse of Ujurak rolling on the ground in the grip of one of the other white bears. Fear stabbed him; Ujurak was so much smaller! But Toklo had no chance to help him as the biggest white bear turned on him with an angry snarl.
This bear is worse than Shoteka!
A red mist of rage filled Toklo's head,
blotting out the fear. He swerved to one side as the white bear attacked him and raked his claws down his opponent's flank.

The white bear spun around with incredible speed; Toklo felt the sting of claws on his rump as he tried to dodge. Skidding into a turn, he hurled himself at his enemy, butting him with his head. The force of his charge carried the white bear off his paws; he and Toklo wrestled together in the dirt, clawing and biting in a snarling bundle of brown and white fur.

Toklo was the first to break away, with a last cuff to the white bear's head. Blood was trickling from the other bear's side and shoulder, staining the white pelt. Toklo felt his own pelt itch and knew he was bleeding, too, but his fury kept the pain at bay. Ujurak was still wrestling with the other white bear, but he looked exhausted. Blood was welling from a gash in his shoulder, while the white bear seemed uninjured. Lusa was circling the third white bear, darting in to give him a nip, then dodging away again. The white bear lumbered after her, roaring with frustration.

She can't keep that up for long,
Toklo told himself.

Barking out a challenge, he threw himself at the white bear before the bear could catch Lusa. Savagely Toklo clawed at the bear's chest; blood followed the line of his claws, springing up among the white fur. The bear let out a howl of pain.

But as Toklo followed up his attack with a blow to the head, he felt a heavy weight land on his back. The biggest bear dug his claws into Toklo's shoulders. Toklo wriggled frantically, but the strength of two bears together was too much for him. He glimpsed Lusa tearing at the biggest bear's shoulder; the
white bear batted her away as if she were an annoying fly.

Then, through the mountains of white fur that threatened to crush him, Toklo saw two more white bears rushing toward them.
This is the end!
he realized bleakly.
We've got no chance now!

“Salik, that's enough!” the bear in front barked.

The biggest bear sprang up with a snarl. Relieved of his weight, Toklo landed a blow on the other bear's ear and staggered to his paws. He could feel blood running down his shoulder, but he still braced himself for another attack.

The bear who was wrestling with Ujurak jumped up, too. Ujurak hauled himself out of range and crouched on the grass, shaking his head groggily. Lusa padded over to him and started to rasp her tongue over a wound on his shoulder.

“Taqqiq, are you telling me what to do?” The biggest bear thrust his snout at the newcomer. “I'll claw your ears off.”

“No, you won't,” Taqqiq replied, facing the other white bear steadily. “You're a bully, Salik. You only face up to bears who are smaller or weaker than you are.”

So that's Kallik's brother,
Toklo thought, noticing for the first time that the smaller cub with him was Kallik herself.

“You were happy enough to go along with me,” Salik snarled.

“I was wrong,” Taqqiq growled. “And what you're doing is wrong. White bears don't prey on black bears.”

“Oh? Then tell me where we're supposed to find food.”

“We wait for the ice to come back.” Taqqiq ignored Salik's contemptuous huff. “It
will
come; we just have to wait.”

“And starve while we're waiting?” Salik took a pace forward,
his muzzle almost touching Taqqiq's. “I'm taking this black cub, and if you try to stop me I'll feed your guts to the fish.”

A low snarl came from Taqqiq's throat; Toklo could see his muscles bunching as he braced himself to attack.

“No!” Kallik pushed herself between her brother and Salik. “Too much blood has been spilled already. Food is scarce for
all
the bears, and turning on each other won't help.”

Salik backed off a pace or two; Toklo could see that he didn't really want a fight. His glance raked over the brown bears and Lusa.

“Joining with weaker bears won't help, either,” he sneered. “Come on, you two.” Darting a hostile glance at Lusa, he added, “You watch your step. Steer clear of us in the future if you want to keep your pelt on.”

“My pelt's fine, thanks,” Lusa retorted; Toklo saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she realized Salik still thought she was Miki.

Salik let out one more snarl and stalked off down the hill; his two friends shambled after him.

“Good riddance,” Kallik muttered.

Toklo gave Kallik and her brother a puzzled look. “What's come over him?” he asked, jerking his muzzle at Taqqiq. “I thought he was the bear who stole Miki in the first place?”

“He was,” Kallik replied, “but now he realizes that it's wrong to steal black bears.”

“Right,” Taqqiq mumbled.

Toklo didn't think he looked entirely sorry; just to be on the safe side, he moved closer to Lusa.
Lay one claw on her,
and you'll have me to deal with
.

Ujurak had recovered from the struggle, enough to scramble to his paws. Taqqiq gave him an amazed glance.

“There are
two
brown bears here?” he asked.

“That's right,” Lusa replied, sharing an amused glance with Kallik. Toklo could see that neither of them was going to tell Taqqiq that Ujurak had been a white bear for a little while.

“Look!” Kallik said. She was staring down at the shore, watching as all the white bears padded over to the lake. “They're getting ready for the ceremony,” she said. “To mark the end of the Longest Day.”

Toklo imagined the brown bears gathered on the opposite shore, waiting for his return from Pawprint Island.

“Oh, spirits save me!” Lusa exclaimed. “I've forgotten Miki.”

Toklo watched her run back toward the rock and plunge into the hollow. He turned to Ujurak. “There's something I need to do, before the end of the day.”

“Will I see you again?” Ujurak asked.

Toklo glanced away, unable to look into Ujurak's eyes. All he knew was that he wanted to feel alone and strong again, like he had on Pawprint Island. If his destiny was to continue the journey with Ujurak, he couldn't tell him now. He had to do this first.

Ujurak nodded and pressed his muzzle to Toklo's.

Toklo turned and headed back to the lakeshore.

Lusa ran down the hill toward
the outcrop of rocks where she had hidden, and plunged under the thorn branches into the hollow. Miki's eyes, wide and scared, gleamed in the dim light.

“It's okay,” she told him breathlessly. “Everything's fine now. You can go home.”

Miki blinked at her. “What about all those white bears?”

“They're not a problem anymore. Come on, I'll take you to meet my friends.”

Cautiously she pushed her head out into the open and looked around. The sun was low, and it cast the long shadows of the white bears by the water. The flat-face construction was outlined against the blue sky, with Toklo and the other bears clustered together at its base.

“It's safe,” Lusa said. “Follow me.”

She emerged from the hollow and padded up the hill with Miki a pawstep behind. As they approached the top he stopped dead, his fur bristling with fear as he stared at Taqqiq.

“That's the bear who stole me!” he gasped. “His sister tried
to make him let me go, but he wouldn't listen.”

“Yes, I know, but he's okay now.” Lusa gave Miki an encouraging poke with her muzzle. “Would I lead you into danger?”

Miki didn't reply, but he reluctantly padded the rest of the way up the hill. Kallik and Taqqiq came to meet them.

“Taqqiq has something he wants to say,” Kallik announced, giving her brother a shove.

Taqqiq looked at his paws. “Sorry,” he grunted.

“I…I guess it's okay,” Miki replied. He jumped as Ujurak came up, and gave him a nervous glance.

“Er…Lusa?” Miki asked. “Is this one of the brown bears you traveled with?”

“That's right,” Lusa replied. “This is Ujurak.” She wondered where Toklo had gone.

“Hi,” Ujurak huffed, bouncing up to sniff Miki.

The little black cub stiffened, his eyes huge; Lusa could see it was hard for him to be brave among so many strange bears who were all much bigger than him.
Does that mean
I'm
brave?
Or was it just that she knew these were her friends?
Kallik, too.

“It's time for you to go home, Miki,” she said. She hoped that Miki would be back in time for Hashi and the others to keep their faith in the spirits, and celebrate the end of the Longest Day.

Miki turned to her with a look of relief. “Thanks, Lusa. It doesn't feel right, out in the open like this, without any trees. Let's go.”

Lusa glanced at Ujurak. The smaller brown cub was looking hopeful, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, and
had an answer of his own. But he didn't speak; she knew he wouldn't try to make up her mind for her.

For a heartbeat she was torn. It had been good to live under the trees with the wild black bears and learn how to live like them. Miki had turned out to be a real friend; Chula and Ossi could be, too. But she knew that if she went with him now she would always miss Toklo and Ujurak, and dreams of the place where the spirits danced in the sky would trouble her for the rest of her life.

“No,” she said sadly. “I can't come with you, Miki. My place is with Toklo and Ujurak.”

Miki gaped at her. “Why?”

“I told you, we're on a journey to the place where the spirits dance above the Endless Ice. You can come with us, if you like.”

She wasn't surprised when Miki shook his head. “I'm sorry, Lusa. The forest is where I belong. With other bears like me.”

There was an edge in his voice as if he were challenging Lusa to defend herself, to explain why she'd rather be with brown and white bears than black bears. But she didn't blame him for feeling hurt—and she wasn't about to explain why she needed to share Ujurak's journey. Perhaps only the spirits knew why—the same spirits that had helped her to find Toklo in the first place.

“That's okay.” Lusa touched his muzzle with hers. “This isn't your journey.”

“I'll miss you,” Miki said, his eyes dark with sorrow.

“I'll miss you, too. Maybe we'll meet again one day, in a proper forest!”

Kallik stepped forward, touching Miki's shoulder gently with her snout. “We'll take you home,” she promised. “You can walk between me and Taqqiq, and we'll skirt around the other white bears, so that no bear sees you.”

“Thanks,” Miki responded, though he still cast a doubtful look at Taqqiq.

“You can trust me,” Taqqiq huffed.

He padded up to stand beside Miki, but before Kallik joined them, she turned to Lusa.

“Your journey…to the place of Endless Ice…Our mother told us about it, and I know this lake is on the path that leads there.” She looked awkward, ducking her head. “Will you let me come with you? I…I think my mother might be waiting for me there.”

Lusa was startled; then warmth began to spread through her pelt as if the sun were coming out from behind a cloud. She didn't want to say good-bye to Kallik, not yet.

“Of course you can come!” Ujurak gave an excited little bounce.

“Thank you.” Kallik's eyes shone. “You'll wait for me until I come back from taking Miki home?”

“We'll be right here,” Lusa promised.

Kallik moved over to stand on Miki's other side, screening him from any white bears who might be watching. As they padded off, Miki glanced back over his shoulder at Lusa. “Good luck!” he called.

“And you!” Lusa replied. “Say hi to Ossi and Chula for me!”

The two white bears headed off across the white bear territory, the little black cub invisible between them. Kallik looked back at Lusa and Ujurak.

“Wait for me!” she cried.