The Melting Sea

by Erin Hunter

  “Just try me!” Toklo snapped, lunging at Manik and landing a hard blow on the side of his head.

  The white bear paused for a heartbeat, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe that a brown bear could hit so hard. While he hesitated, Toklo lowered his head and crashed into the white bear’s side, knocking him off his paws. The two bears wrestled together, rolling over and over on the ice.

  Lusa winced at the sight of Manik’s powerful claws as they raked across Toklo’s shoulder. Anger began to rise inside her as she saw the gleam of enjoyment in the other white bears’ eyes—even Taqqiq’s—as they watched.

  “That’s it, Manik!” Salik called out. “Show him what’s what!”

  “Flatten him!” Iqaluq snarled.

  Lusa could hardly bear to watch. Toklo was smaller than the white male; Manik soon held him pinned down on the ice, though Toklo was pummeling at Manik’s stomach with his hindpaws.

  “Stop them!” Kallik shrieked at Taqqiq, shoving him in the shoulder. “You know Toklo is my friend! How can you be like this?”

  Taqqiq pulled away from her. “Leave me alone,” he growled. “You don’t know anything about me now.”

  Kallik gasped in disbelief, her stricken gaze fixed on her brother. Lusa felt desperately sorry for her.

  “That’s enough.” To Lusa’s surprise, Salik stepped forward, thrusting himself between Toklo and Manik. “Save your strength,” he added as the white bear struggled to his paws, shaking snow off his pelt with a thin rain of blood. “They’ll leave now—won’t you?” He swung around and fixed Toklo with a challenging gaze.

  Before Toklo could reply, Lusa stepped forward, fury giving her the courage to confront the huge white male. “Yes, we’ll leave now,” she said. “But you’ll see us again, I promise.”

  She turned her back with dignity as the white males burst out into snorts and snuffles of laughter. Toklo got to his paws and joined her, and together they led the way across the ice, with Kallik, Yakone, and Shila following.

  Kallik glanced back over her shoulder as she moved away, her gaze full of sorrow as she looked at Taqqiq, but she said nothing.

  “Keep out of our way, if you know what’s good for you!” Iqaluk bellowed after them.

  Once the white males had been left well behind, Shila ran to catch up with Toklo. “I told you not to make them angry,” she said.

  Toklo halted and turned to face Shila; his gaze was stern. “You’ve met those bears before, haven’t you?” he asked. “Now are you going to tell us what’s going on?”

  Shila couldn’t meet Toklo’s gaze. “You saw what they did to the den back there,” she began. “They’ve been doing that kind of thing for a while. They smash up dens and steal food, and they try to make other bears hand over their catch, or risk being hurt in a fight.”

  Lusa could tell that as Shila spoke, Toklo was growing angrier and angrier, a low growl coming from deep within his throat. Kallik was staring at Shila in horror.

  “They’re even worse than they were at Great Bear Lake!” she exclaimed. “And there are more bears involved now.” Lowering her voice to a shamed whisper, she added, “Taqqiq is still one of them.”

  “Tell us everything,” Toklo demanded, fixing Shila with a look harder than the ice.

  Shila swallowed nervously. “Those bears attacked the den where my mother and brothers were sleeping,” she began. “I tried to fight them off, but I couldn’t. Then my mother, Sakari, made me go far away to hunt for food, and I got stuck on some broken ice. I ended up onshore, and that’s when the flat-faces caught me.”

  “And then we found you,” Lusa put in.

  Shila nodded. “My mother and brothers could be dead by now,” she went on, her voice rising in panic. “Tonraq and Pakak are too young to be out of the BirthDen all the time!”

  “Calm down.” Yakone stepped forward and touched Shila’s shoulder with his muzzle. “Getting worked up won’t help.”

  “Yakone’s right.” Lusa pressed up against Shila on her other side. “Calm down and we’ll decide what to do.”

  “Yes,” Toklo added. “We’re here now. We can help.”

  Shila stared at him incredulously. “What can you do? You’re not even a white bear!”

  Toklo exchanged a glance with Lusa. “Maybe that’s exactly what you need,” he said.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Kallik

  Raising her head, Kallik let her gaze rest on the starry sky, the spirits thick as ice crystals strewn across the darkness. Her companions were all asleep in the shelter of another heap of snow. Probably another destroyed den …

  Kallik had volunteered to keep first watch for Salik and his vicious group of bears, but instead she was looking up at the stars, seeking Ujurak. She felt as though her heart was breaking; she couldn’t believe that everything had gone so wrong. White bears turning against one another. The Melting Sea turning into water before burn-sky had even begun. What else had changed?

  Ujurak, did you know what I would find when I came home?

  Kallik jumped as Yakone’s white shape emerged from the pile of snow. “Do you mind having some company?” he asked.

  Shaking her head, Kallik leaned against his warm pelt. It felt so good to have him there. “I was so excited to bring you back here,” she told him, “back to where Taqqiq and I were born. But the ice is melting too fast, the bears are suffering more than ever, and Taqqiq and his friends are endangering lives with their greed and bullying. Nothing’s right here,” she finished with a sigh.

  Yakone touched her ear sympathetically with the tip of his muzzle. “I know how you feel,” he soothed her. “But we’ve traveled this far. We can do more than just watch what Taqqiq and the others are doing.”

  His strong, determined voice comforted Kallik, but she still felt overwhelmed by her terrible discovery about her brother. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come back,” she murmured.

  “Of course you should have,” Yakone responded. “You wanted to find Taqqiq, and you did! I’m so proud of you.”

  Kallik opened her eyes to see Toklo standing in front of her, muzzle raised to sniff the air. She had slept at last, tucked against Yakone’s warm side; now he and the rest of her companions were waking, too. On the horizon a reddish glow showed her where the sun would rise.

  “We need to plan what to do next,” Toklo announced.

  “No.” Yakone heaved himself to his paws. “First we need to find food. We can’t do anything to help Shila if we’re weak from hunger. I’ll go.”

  Toklo grunted agreement, and Yakone padded off into the distance; Kallik lost sight of him as the growing light dazzled off the ice.

  Sooner than she expected, Yakone was back, dragging a seal behind him.

  “Wow, that was quick!” Kallik exclaimed. “Great job.”

  Yakone nodded acknowledgment as he dropped the seal in front of her. “Too bad it’s not bigger.”

  Looking more closely, Kallik could see that the seal was young and skinny. Trying to hide her disappointment, she realized how slim the pickings were, even out on the ice. Times really are hard.

  But no bear complained as they gathered around the seal to eat, tearing off chunks of the oily flesh. Kallik noticed that Lusa was only picking at her share; worry stabbed into her belly as she realized again how hard the black bear found it to live on the ice.

  We need to get Lusa back to land, but that means saying good-bye to her and Toklo, Kallik thought, deep sadness piercing her like thorns. I can’t bear the idea of losing my best friends....

  “So,” Toklo continued as the bears were finishing up the last of the seal, “the way I see it, the first thing to do is to find Sakari and the cubs.”

  Shila flashed him a grateful glance. Kallik thought that she looked calmer today, as if she was determined to keep fighting, whatever it took.

  Rising to her paws, Shila studied the ice around her and lifted her muzzle to scent the air. A mist had risen while they ate, though to Kallik’s relief it wasn’t as
thick a fog as the day before. She shifted her paws impatiently as she waited for Shila to make a decision.

  Finally, Shila pointed ahead. “This way.”

  As they trudged across the ice, Kallik deliberately padded alongside Lusa, half expecting the little black bear to need help.

  “It’s so amazing,” Lusa began, “how you white bears can find your way across the ice when it’s just … white nothingness. I mean, we black bears steer by landmarks like rocks and trees and bushes. But there’s nothing like that here. Just ice and snow, and that’s changing all the time.”

  “But there are loads of landmarks,” Kallik protested. “There’s the shape and color of the ice, and the feel of it. There are scents on the wind, and the sound the wind makes as it crosses the Melting Sea.”

  Lusa let out a little snort of laughter. “You mean like … that bit of ice,” she began, pointing with one paw, “is different from that bit?” She paused for a moment and sniffed. “It all smells the same to me.”

  “Look,” Kallik said, pointing in her turn. “The ice there has a greenish tinge, right? And over there it’s white; that tells me that just there it’s thicker. It’s really easy when you know how. And as for scent … there’s not only ice on the wind. There’s …” She raised her snout and took in a long sniff, then froze with horror. “I smell bears!” she exclaimed. “It’s Taqqiq!”

  Spinning around, Kallik peered back the way they had come, to see several white bears in the distance, their shapes almost hidden in the mist. “Salik and his friends are following us,” she reported tersely.

  “Keep walking,” Toklo said, with a glance back to confirm what Kallik said. “They know we know they’re there, but we can’t do anything about it while they’re so far away.”

  “But we could be leading them straight to my family,” Shila objected.

  “That’s a risk we have to take,” Toklo replied.

  As Toklo spoke, Kallik noticed that Yakone was bracing himself, ready for a fight. I can’t believe how lucky we are to have him on our side, she thought. He’s never even met the bears from the Melting Sea before, but already he’s willing to fight for them.

  Picking up the pace a little, they headed onward across the ice. Though they passed seal holes, no bear suggested stopping to hunt; they didn’t want Salik and the others to catch up with them.

  The hazy sun was rising toward midday when Kallik spotted more white shapes through the mist. As they drew closer, she made out two young females: One was crouching motionless beside a seal hole, while the other stood a little way off, alert as if she was on guard.

  When she saw Kallik and her friends approaching, she strode over to meet them, her eyes glaring hostility. But then her gaze flickered into confusion as she spotted Toklo and Lusa.

  “Get off the ice!” she snarled. “There’s not even enough food for white bears here.”

  “It’s okay, they’re with me,” Shila said, shouldering her way to the front of the group. “Have you seen Sakari and her cubs?”

  “Yes, they were over there,” the she-bear replied, jerking her muzzle in the direction the bears had been traveling.

  “Oh, thank the spirits!” Shila exclaimed, her voice full of relief. “And thank you. I was afraid I’d never find them.”

  The she-bear let out a dismissive snort. “Now let us hunt in peace!”

  “She’s so angry!” Kallik murmured as she and her companions padded on.

  “It’s because the ice is melting too soon,” Shila told her. “Burn-sky hasn’t even started yet, and we’re already hungry.”

  Poor Taqqiq, Kallik thought, though she said nothing out loud. He made the long journey back from Great Bear Lake, but even the Melting Sea can’t look after him.

  The journey continued until every bear was stumbling from tiredness. Kallik was wondering whether she should ask for a rest when Shila halted, her muzzle raised.

  “I can smell something!” she announced.

  Hesitating briefly to sniff the air again, she ran across the ice and dived into a pile of ravaged snow. For a moment she burrowed into it, throwing up a fountain of glittering crystals, then stood still and turned back toward Kallik and the others.

  “My family was here,” she said hoarsely. “But the den’s destroyed … smashed up. And my family is gone!” She staggered as the full shock of her discovery hit her like a blow from a falling rock.

  Kallik padded up to her, averting her eyes in horror as she spotted streaks of blood on the snow.

  “My little brothers …” Shila whispered. “I can still scent them.”

  “We need to dig right down,” Yakone said, coming to join them. “Just to be sure that they’re not here.”

  “Good idea,” Toklo grunted.

  All the bears, even Lusa, began scraping at the mound of snow. As Kallik dug, she was aware that the scent of bears was growing stronger, and she uncovered a scrap or two of white fur. But there was no sign of Sakari, Pakak, or Tonraq.

  Kallik’s heart lurched. Maybe we will find Sakari and the cubs here … dead and buried under the snow. Panic and horror were building up inside her until she felt she was going to burst. Why must bears keep dying?

  As Kallik went on digging, she heard pawsteps on the ice and looked up to see that Salik and his friends had appeared and were watching from a distance.

  “Looking for something?” Iqaluk sneered.

  Shila scrambled out of the heap of snow. Letting out a furious growl, she flung herself on Salik. “You killed my family!”

  Instantly the white bears swarmed around Shila, pummeling her away from Salik. Kallik let out a cry of protest and heard Lusa gasp in horror. Toklo started forward, but Iqaluk and one of the others turned on him and forced him back, growling and raking at him with their claws.

  Salik and the rest of the gang struck at Shila with heavy blows of their paws, sending her flying through the air. She landed on the ice with a yelp, and the bears loomed over her, snarling.

  For a moment Kallik stared in disbelief. What kind of bear has Taqqiq become?

  A red mist descended over Kallik’s eyes, and her fury erupted. Racing across the ice, she flung herself on Taqqiq; her brother staggered backward, barely keeping his balance.

  “Murderer!” Kallik snarled, her muzzle a paw’s width from his eyes. “I wish I’d never found you again! I searched for so long, I never stopped thinking about you, but I’m ashamed that you’re my brother. Cub-killer!”

  Striking out with her forepaws, she raked her claws across Taqqiq’s shoulders and tried to bury her teeth in his throat. Taken by surprise, Taqqiq struggled to fight back, snapping at the air.

  Kallik was dimly aware that Taqqiq’s friends were standing around, but they didn’t interfere in the fight.

  “Wow, what a dangerous bear!” Salik’s tone was heavy with sarcasm. “You’ve got a hard job there, Taqqiq.”

  “Yeah, protect us from that crazy bear,” Iqaluk added. “We’re trembling in our fur.”

  “No wonder you left her and came back to us,” Manik said.

  Kallik hardly noticed Taqqiq’s attempts to bite her. “What would our mother think?” she growled. “Nisa’s spirit is stuck up there in the sky, watching you, and she must hate you just as much as I do!”

  Taqqiq sank down onto the ice; blood from his shoulder where Kallik had scraped him trickled down and spread into the snow. Kallik was dimly aware that Yakone had thrust himself between her and her brother, while Toklo was nudging her away.

  “You’ve made your point,” Toklo said. “Now leave him.”

  Kallik turned away from Toklo. She didn’t try to attack Taqqiq again but stood gazing at him, trying to put all her hatred and contempt into her gaze. “I wish you were dead!” she hissed.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Toklo

  Toklo was shocked by Kallik’s strength and the force of her rage. Stepping up to her again, he nudged her away from Taqqiq, over to where Shila and Lusa were standing, watching with hu
ge, horrified eyes. Shila was holding one paw off the ice, injured from where she had been thrown by the other bears.

  “He deserves to die,” Kallik muttered, though she didn’t resist Toklo anymore as he moved her away from her brother.

  Toklo and the others huddled together as the young males ambled away; apart from Taqqiq, who was still dripping blood as he went, they didn’t look at all upset.

  Once they had faded into the mist, Toklo turned back to his companions. Evaluating Shila’s injuries, he guessed she had wrenched her shoulder and found it painful to put her paw to the ground. But worse than that was the stunned shock in her eyes.

  “Sakari … Pakak … Tonraq …” she whispered. “Those bears killed them all.”

  When Toklo turned his attention to Kallik, he saw that she wasn’t badly hurt. Her white pelt was spattered with blood, but most of it was Taqqiq’s. The only injury he could see was that one of her front claws had been ripped out, probably caught in Taqqiq’s pelt.

  Toklo’s heart ached for his friend. Her hopes were so high when she was looking for Taqqiq. Now she’s found him, and all it’s brought her is more pain.

  As he was gathering himself to lead his companions away, a quiet voice spoke behind him. “I didn’t kill any bears. That’s … that’s not what we do.”

  Toklo spun around to find himself face-to-face with Taqqiq, who limped up to him and stood with his head bowed. Blood still oozed from his shoulder, and one eye was swollen shut.

  Kallik was glaring at her brother. “I don’t believe you!” she snapped. “Get away from us.”

  Taqqiq didn’t move. “Please, don’t think I’m a murderer,” he begged. “Okay, we’ve caused trouble—destroying dens and chasing other bears away from their prey—but that’s just because there’s so little food, and not enough ice.”

  “Oh, sure!” Kallik growled sarcastically. “So that makes it all okay!”

  “How would you like it if some bear stole your prey?” Toklo demanded.