River of Lost Bears

by Erin Hunter

  Toklo

  Toklo glanced up at the sky. White clouds were sailing across a sea of blue. Beside him, sunshine shimmered on the crystal river. In the days since Lusa had recovered enough to walk, the weather had grown steadily warmer. Toklo relished it. For the first time since leaving the Melting Sea, he felt warm to his bones. Lusa and Chenoa were clearly enjoying the sunny weather, too, charging ahead on the grassy slope that threaded between the forest and shore.

  “Don’t wear yourselves out!” Toklo called as they dodged back and forth, play-hunting each other to break up the monotony of walking. “I want to keep going till sundown.”

  Behind him, Kallik and Yakone were wading into the river. Toklo glanced at their dripping pelts as they sent water spraying up around them. He knew that the sun was hard on the two white bears, and it was not even at its strongest. They should be traveling in the shade of the forest, but Yakone still resented the snagging roots and branches and the angry buzzing of flat-face beasts that hummed in the distance as though colonies had built hives deep in the forest.

  So they followed the river. Its constant murmur was reassuring. Besides, Kallik and Yakone could cool off when they chose. Toklo heard them now, splashing through the shallows. Soon they were swimming against the current in deep water.

  Toklo saw their white heads bobbing through the waves. He checked upstream for yellow rafts. His belly still fluttered with fear as he remembered Lusa disappearing under the flat-face raft. For a moment he thought she’d drowned. He pushed the memory away. They were so close to the end of their journey; they had survived so much already. Nothing bad could happen now.

  Chenoa scrambled down the grassy slope and stopped beside a thick clump of weed. “Look, Lusa!”

  Lusa hurried down to see. “It’s just sedge.”

  “No, it’s not.” Chenoa pulled out a pawful. She wafted it under Lusa’s nose.

  Lusa’s eyes brightened. “What a strange scent! Can I eat it?”

  “Yes.”

  Lusa chewed on a stalk, ears twitching with surprise. “That tastes weird, but nice.”

  Chenoa waved a few leaves at Toklo. “Do you want some?”

  “No, thanks,” Toklo called back.

  “It’s delicious,” Chenoa promised.

  “Then let Lusa have it.” Roots and grass were fine when a bear was starving, but forest prey was rich, and with five bears hunting together, it was easy to catch food before their bellies started to rumble. Toklo would save grass for when he had no choice.

  Kallik splashed through the shallows toward him. Yakone was still plowing upstream, keeping abreast of Toklo despite the current. Toklo watched him, impressed. White bears were skillful swimmers. How come they couldn’t walk through a wood without tripping? Of course, they must wonder why he swam so awkwardly when he could plunge so effortlessly through leafy undergrowth.

  Kallik caught up with Toklo, her pelt glittering wet.

  Toklo made room as she fell in beside him. “Are you cool now?”

  “Yes, thanks.” Kallik glanced at Yakone. “But I don’t know if he’ll ever feel cold enough when he’s not on the ice.” She pointed with her snout toward Chenoa and Lusa. The two she-bears had stopped chewing leaves and were scampering along the edge of the trees some way ahead. “I’m glad they get along so well,” she rumbled.

  “Wow! A bear spirit!” Lusa stopped and pointed at an old pine. She huffed and hurried on, pointing to another.

  “They’re like littermates,” Toklo agreed warmly. The high spirits of the two younger bears made up for the dark cloud Yakone seemed to carry with him. The white bear had stopped complaining, but it was clear that he wasn’t happy traveling inland. Was I such a sore-paw when I was on the ice?

  Kallik interrupted his thoughts. “Isn’t it great to have friends traveling with us?”

  “You mean Chenoa?”

  “And Yakone.”

  “Sure.” Toklo glanced at Kallik. Was she worried that he was still annoyed the white bear had joined them? “They’re both great.” Yakone wasn’t exactly fun, but he was easy to hunt with, loyal, and strong.

  Kallik sighed. “I miss Ujurak. I know he’s back where he belongs, but I wish he was still with us.”

  Toklo grunted. Back where he belongs. Was it true that Ujurak had never been a real bear? That he came from the stars? Toklo’s head buzzed, and he shoved the thought away.

  “Look!” Lusa’s excited bark sounded ahead. She was pointing to a flat-face pelt-den planted on the shore upstream.

  Toklo bristled. Flat-face scent tinged the air. What if they were waiting inside the den with firesticks? He motioned Chenoa and Lusa toward the woods, where thick undergrowth spilled out.

  As they scrambled up the bank, Toklo called to Yakone, “Flat-faces!”

  Yakone waded from the river, shaking water from his pelt. He caught up with Toklo as the grizzly bear pushed through the thick bracken crowding the edge of the forest. “Is there any place without flat-faces?”

  Chenoa was waiting with Kallik and Lusa underneath the pines. Her eyes were round with worry. “Did you see them?”

  Toklo shook his head. The pelt-den fluttered in the breeze—he could see it through the trees—but there was no sign of flat-faces.

  Lusa tasted the air. “I can’t smell any.” Her eyes were bright. “But I can smell their food.”

  Chenoa’s pelt spiked. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Toklo shifted his paws uncertainly. The thick smell of flat-face treats was making his mouth water.

  Lusa opened her mouth. “It smells delicious!” She began to creep nearer to the pelt-den. Toklo followed.

  Behind them, Yakone growled. “Careful.”

  Kallik shushed him. “Let them look.”

  “Look?” Lusa blinked. “Let’s take it.”

  “No!” Chenoa stiffened. “You remember what happened last time we tried to steal flat-face food.” She glared at Toklo.

  Lusa blinked. “But I’m great at raiding flat-face dens. Just watch!” She charged forward, but Toklo caught her tail.

  “Hold on.”

  Lusa scowled at him.

  “Let’s see if there are any flat-faces in there.” He lifted his muzzle and roared. Then he peered at the den.

  No flat-faces rushed out. No flicker of movement at all.

  “Kallik, Yakone.” Toklo pointed his snout toward the trees. “Can you check for flat-face trails?” Kallik grunted, and they headed away.

  Sniffing the ground, Toklo padded toward the shore. Lusa and Chenoa crept after him as he pushed through the thick bracken at the edge of the trees. The pelt-den was a few bearlengths away.

  Lusa nosed in beside him. “Let me go first.”

  “Lusa, be careful.” Chenoa’s voice trembled.

  “She’s done this before,” Toklo reassured the black she-bear. “But we’ll wait for Kallik and Yakone to report back.” As he spoke, fur swished through the undergrowth behind.

  “We followed a flat-face trail,” Kallik hissed.

  Yakone twitched his ears. “It was heading into the woods. It’s quite stale. They left some time ago.”

  “They’ll be deep in the forest by now,” Lusa pleaded.

  Toklo glanced at Kallik. “What do you think?” He licked his lips. The scent of flat-face food filled the air.

  Kallik’s nostrils twitched. “Let her try.”

  Lusa huffed with excitement and darted from the bracken. Beside him, Toklo felt Chenoa stiffen as their friend galloped to the side of the den and, quick as a fox, slit open the pelt with her claws. She slid inside.

  “She’ll be okay,” Toklo promised Chenoa, praying it was true.

  A few moments later, Lusa popped out, dragging a bundle. She hauled it back toward the trees.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Toklo nodded upstream and broke into a run. He veered past the pelt-den and raced beside the river. Behind him, he could hear pawsteps, and Lusa’s bundle swishing against her legs.

  As the ri
ver curved around a corner, Toklo slowed to a halt on a stretch of sandy shore. Yakone and Kallik slowed behind him, panting hot breath on his haunches. The pelt-den was hidden behind trees. Lusa dropped the bundle and ripped open the covering. Bright shapes tumbled out.

  Chenoa approached them, nostrils twitching. “What prey is that?”

  “Wait and see,” Lusa declared.

  Toklo licked his lips, remembering the sweet and salty morsels Lusa had stolen from flat-face dens before.

  Kallik clearly remembered, too. She padded toward Lusa, eyes bright with excitement. “What did you get?”

  Lusa ripped open a bright red shape and scattered round, yellow flakes onto the shore. They looked like pale crispy leaves. Kallik grabbed one delicately between her teeth and passed it to Yakone. Lusa nosed a few flakes toward Chenoa. Toklo leaned forward and lapped up a tongueful, leaving plenty for Lusa. The salt tasted delicious on his tongue, and he crunched and swallowed the flakes eagerly.

  Lusa was already ripping the shiny skin from another treat. She tasted it, snuffling with delight, then turned to another and began scooping out sweet-smelling goo.

  Toklo’s belly rumbled. Each new flavor tasted better than the last. He watched Yakone and Chenoa, guessing they’d never tasted flat-face food before, and huffed with pleasure as he saw their wary gazes light up.

  “What’s this?” Chenoa rolled a shiny cylinder beneath her paw.

  Yakone sniffed it. “It doesn’t smell like food.”

  Toklo recognized the shape. “You have to open it. Like clams.”

  Yakone pulled the cylinder away from Chenoa and examined it. “There’s no place to get your claw in.”

  Toklo reached for a stone. It slipped in his claws, and he curled them more firmly around it. Concentrating hard, he dragged it toward him. “Put the shiny clam down on the sand.”

  As Yakone dropped the cylinder, Toklo hit it with the stone. The cylinder exploded, spraying hissing orange water over Yakone. Yakone jerked away, his pelt stained.

  Kallik snorted with laughter and began lapping at Yakone’s fur. “It’s like honey,” she told him between licks. “You should taste it.”

  Yakone growled, his pelt bristling on his shoulders. Pulling away, he stamped to the river’s edge and plunged in. Toklo watched him go, feeling a stab of sympathy. No bear liked losing his dignity.

  As the shiny litter fluttered down the beach, Chenoa sat back on her haunches. “That was delicious, Lusa! How did you learn how to find food like that?”

  Lusa burped. “When I first left the Bear Bowl, flat-face food was all I could find.”

  Toklo nudged her with his nose. “Gathering it was a good skill to learn.” He turned to Chenoa. “Lusa saved us from starving more than once by stealing flat-face food. Didn’t she, Kallik?”

  “Huh?” Kallik wasn’t listening. She was watching Yakone rinse his pelt in the shallows.

  Toklo followed her gaze. Was Kallik wondering whether they’d made the right decision about coming so far inland? So far. The thought of the long journey behind them sparked thoughts of home. Toklo stood up. We should get moving. They’d lingered too long.

  “Come on.” Toklo jerked his nose upstream. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Toklo

  Lusa scrambled to her paws and headed off with Chenoa. Toklo watched them go, their heads bobbing as they chatted happily. “Are you coming?” he called over his shoulder.

  Kallik was still watching Yakone. “I thought the food might cheer him up,” she sighed.

  Before Toklo could answer, Lusa called back to them. “Hey, Kallik! Chenoa wants to know if flat-face food tastes better than seal.”

  Kallik dragged her gaze from Yakone. Toklo nudged her forward. “Go with Lusa,” he murmured. “I’ll wait for Yakone. He’ll feel better once he’s clean.”

  Kallik dipped her head and hurried away.

  Toklo met Yakone as he waded out. “Okay?”

  Yakone grunted and headed along the shore. Toklo fell in beside him. They padded on in silence, Yakone swinging his head. Beside them, the forest began to rise. The grassy verge turned to rocks, then cliffs on either side. Soon, they were following the river through a deep gorge.

  Toklo glanced at Yakone. His eyes were dark. “Didn’t you like the flat-face food?” he ventured.

  “It tasted good,” Yakone conceded. “But it’s not bear food, is it? Can you imagine having to eat it every day?”

  “Not every day,” Toklo commented. “But once in a while’s fun.”

  “Bears should eat prey they share territory with,” Yakone huffed. “That’s why it’s there. It’s unnatural, eating flat-face rubbish.”

  “I guess you miss seal and saltwater fish.” Toklo glanced at Yakone. “I used to miss woodland prey. So I know how you feel. Perhaps you’ll be more used to it by the time we reach the end of our journey.”

  Yakone swung his head around. “When will that be?”

  “Chenoa’s shown me the mountains on the horizon,” Toklo told him. “Once we’re there, I just need to find a good place to mark out my territory.” He could imagine woodland, stretching like a pelt over the mountainside. He pictured marking boundaries beneath the trees. His heart quickened. It wouldn’t be long now.

  “What about Lusa?” Yakone pointed out. “Will we have to find her home, too?”

  Toklo’s pelt started to prick. “You didn’t have to come—”

  “No, I didn’t,” Yakone growled. “Kallik and I had found our own home on the Melting Sea. But she insisted on coming with you. Did you think I’d let her travel by herself?”

  “I’m glad you did come,” Toklo confessed. “It would have been hard on Kallik to come so far inland and then travel back to the ice alone. It means a lot to me and Lusa that you’re traveling with her.”

  Yakone looked at him. “Really?” He sounded surprised. Toklo studied him. Did Yakone think they didn’t want him there?

  “Yakone! Toklo!” Kallik trotted toward them. “Have you seen that?” She gestured upriver with her snout. Ahead of them, just visible around a curve in the gorge, a wall of water pounded down into the river, abruptly ending it.

  Toklo blinked. He had to tip his head right back to see the top of the water, which loomed above them. The sides of the gorge were even higher here, taller than several trees end to end.

  Yakone stood still. “It’s like a glacier come to life,” he whispered.

  “No, it’s a waterfall!” Toklo stared, suddenly realizing that the cliffs were ringing with its roar. Rainbows rose from its spray. It was a spectacular sight, but Toklo felt disappointment drag at his belly. The river had led them to a dead end, but the water had to be coming from somewhere. The river must continue on the other side of the falls. “We’ll have to go back and climb through the forest,” he said heavily.

  Kallik’s eyes clouded. “You mean, go back to where the gorge starts? It’ll be a long way around.”

  Yakone had walked farther upstream and was staring at the tumbled rocks on either side of the waterfall. “Couldn’t we climb up there?” he said.

  Toklo narrowed his eyes. The rocks shone like silver, slick with spray. “We’d never get a grip on that stone.” Their claws weren’t meant for digging into rock. What if one of them fell?

  “It’ll take an extra day’s walking to go around,” Yakone pressed.

  Kallik caught Toklo’s eye. “Let’s at least get closer and see if there’s a way up the cliffs.”

  Toklo studied the distance. It wouldn’t take that long to walk to the falls, and if there truly was a way up the side, it would save retracing their steps. The tug in his belly toward the mountains made Toklo feel it would be physically painful to turn back in search of a different route. “Okay, we’ll take a look,” he grunted.

  They trekked in single file along the narrow strip of shore. The water came right up to the sides of the gorge in several places, meaning they had to splash through, resisting the pull of the current
. The river grew more and more turbulent as they neared the end of the gorge, splashing and frothing until the bears’ pelts dripped and they had to screw up their eyes against the spray. The noise of the falling water was so deafening that they couldn’t speak to one another. Toklo started to wonder if they’d even make it to the bottom of the cliffs.

  Then Yakone, who was ahead of him, stopped abruptly. Toklo almost crashed into the white bear’s haunches. He peered around Yakone’s bulk and saw they were as near to the cliffs as they could get without being lost in the tumultuous falling water, which filled the entire width of the gorge. The bears huddled together on the tiny patch of shore. They had to bellow to make themselves heard above the roar of the falls.

  Kallik tipped back her head and stared at the rocks that were visible above the mist of tumbling water. “I think we could do it!” she barked. “I can see plenty of pawholds.”

  Toklo followed her gaze. The gorge rose in a steep face beside the falls, but there were lots of ledges and jutting stones.

  Chenoa stroked the wet stone under her paws, smoothed by countless moons of spray. “It’s more slippery than ice,” she warned. “And we’ll be right inside the falling water for the first half of the climb.”

  Toklo squinted through the mist. He could just make out the end of the gorge where their climb would start. It would be worse than rain; it would be like being underwater. Will we drown? he wondered. “It’s going to be dangerous,” he said. “Yakone, what do you think?”

  He shifted sideways to let the white bear move up. Yakone stared at the cliff. “Without the water, it wouldn’t be too difficult,” he commented.

  “We’ve been wet before,” Kallik pointed out. “I vote for trying.”

  Toklo looked at Lusa. “What about you?”

  Lusa bristled and lifted herself to her full height. “I’ll be fine! Kallik’s right, we’ve been soaked to the skin before.”

  Chenoa leaned close to the little black bear. “And I’m here to help you,” she reminded Lusa.

  Lusa snorted. “I think you’ll find that I’m here to help you!” The black bears huffed with amusement.

  “If we’re going to do it, there’s no point waiting any longer and getting even wetter,” Kallik said. “Come on.” She started padding into the spray. Her white pelt was almost instantly swallowed up.