River of Lost Bears (8 page)

“Chenoa?” Toklo stared at the young she-bear. “What are you doing here? We're a day's walk from Hakan's territory.”

“I followed you.” Chenoa met Toklo's gaze. “Didn't you know you were in wolverine country?”

Toklo shifted his paws. “I was too busy smelling for bears.”

Yakone snorted. “How come you didn't smell Chenoa?” he grumbled.

Chenoa gazed at him, her eyes widening with surprise. “I've heard of white bears, but I've never
seen
one.” She stretched her muzzle toward Kallik. “Now I've seen two.” Her eyes shone in the darkness.

Toklo interrupted. “Can we talk in the morning once we've had some sleep?” He began to head back toward the brambles.

“You can't sleep here!” Chenoa dashed into his path. “The wolverines will keep coming back. They see you as a threat to their own prey.”

Toklo halted. “Where should we sleep, then?”

“The river's not far,” Chenoa told him. “That's outside their territory.”

Kallik tipped her head. “How do you know?”

Chenoa shrugged. “My mother used to bring Hakan and me here when we couldn't find enough food in our own territory. She told us wolverines were mean.” She glanced at Lusa. “But I've never seen them attack
bears
.”

Yakone growled. “They must have fish for brains.”

Lusa's paws trembled. Her rump felt like fire. “Will we really be safe by the river?”

Chenoa nodded. “I can show you the way.” She padded through the trees.

Yakone lumbered after her. “Thank the spirits we're all safe.”

“
And
Chenoa!” Kallik fell in beside him.

Lusa limped after, not wanting to be last. She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see Toklo close behind.

Chenoa led them past their sleeping place by the brambles and on through the forest. Lusa winced with every step. Her pelt felt cold where blood soaked the fur. She could feel it getting sticky and matted as she moved but kept going, desperate to be safely out of wolverine territory. “That's the river!” She heard its roar with a rush of relief.

“I didn't realize we were so close.” Kallik picked up the pace.

Lusa struggled to keep up. Breathless, she followed Kallik and the others as they broke from the trees into moonlight. Wind lifted her fur, stinging like fury where it touched her wolverine bites. The river tumbled and surged, spraying the rocks lining the shore.

Chenoa nodded toward a stretch of smooth stone. “Can you sleep there? It's hard, but it's safe.”

Yakone sat down. “Let's just hope nothing comes out of the river and attacks us.”

“Like what?” Toklo rumbled. “Bear-eating fish?”

“I can sit guard if you want,” Chenoa offered.

“No,” Kallik told her firmly. “They're just joking. It's been a tough night. You rest. You must be as tired as we are.” She moved closer to Lusa. “I'm sure we'll be safe here.”

“I hope so.” Lusa leaned against her, weak with pain.

Kallik stiffened. “Are you okay?”

“Just a few bites,” Lusa murmured. “They'll feel better in the morning.” The moon lit dark stains on Kallik's white fur. “Did they hurt you?”

“I'm fine,” Kallik promised. She leaned closer. “Are you sure you're okay?”

Lusa nodded. “I just want to sleep.”

“Keep an eye on her, Kallik.” Toklo padded across the stones and settled at the far edge.

Kallik nudged Lusa toward Yakone and settled down beside her.

Squashed between the two white bears, Lusa let herself relax. As their bodies softened into sleep, she closed her eyes. At once, snapping teeth flashed in her mind. She buried her muzzle into Kallik's fur and tried to imagine catching fish in the shallows.

One fish. Two fish. Three fish . . .

As she counted, her thoughts slowed until at last her muscles loosened and she slid into a fitful slumber.

 

The sky was heavy with cloud when Lusa woke. It was hard to tell where the sun was, but from the warmth in the air, she guessed it was late. Kallik was stretching beside her while Yakone stood in the shallows, yawning as water washed around his paws.

Lusa sat up. She winced as pain sliced through her rump.

“Thanks again, Chenoa.” Toklo was standing at the water's edge with the young black she-bear. The fur along his spine twitched. He looked uncomfortable. “But I think you should stop following us.”

Lusa pricked her ears.

Chenoa shuffled her paws. “I just wanted to see the bears you were traveling with.”

“And now you've seen them.” Toklo glanced into the forest. “You should go home. Hakan will be worried.”

“You told me to stay away from him.”

Toklo dipped a paw in the water. “I meant find your own territory, not follow us.”

Chenoa flattened her ears. She looked scared.

How bad is that bear?
As Lusa gazed at Chenoa, she felt breath on her rump. She flinched, hot with pain. “You're really hurt!” Kallik stared at the bloody stone where Lusa had been lying.

“Stand up and let me look,” Kallik ordered.

Wincing, Lusa struggled to her paws. Sleep hadn't soothed the pain. It had just made her hind legs stiff.

“Those are nasty bites!” Kallik sniffed Lusa's wounds. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I didn't want to—” Lusa gasped as her hind legs buckled. The sky flashed above her as she collapsed with a thump onto her side.

Yakone bounded out of the river. “What's wrong with Lusa?”

“Wolverines bites.” Kallik thrust her muzzle toward Lusa's. “You're going to be okay, Lusa,” she promised. “We'll take care of you.”

Lusa swallowed. “I'm sorry,” she whimpered. She was going to slow them down.

Toklo hurried over. “Lusa?”

“She's hurt.” Yakone sniffed at her wounds, eyes dark with worry.

Lusa tried to struggle to her paws. “I'll be okay.”

Kallik nosed her gently down. “You need to rest.” She began lapping Lusa's pelt with soothing strokes of her tongue.

Lusa lay limp, suddenly weary with pain.

Toklo peered at her bloody, matted fur. “What would Ujurak have done to make it better?”

Chenoa squeezed between Toklo and Kallik. “Who is Ujurak? You mentioned him before.”

“He used to travel with us,” Kallik answered softly. “He was a brown bear. He knew a lot about plants that make wounds better.”

“Where is he now?” Chenoa asked.

Lusa glanced at Kallik. Who was going to explain?

Yakone stuck his muzzle closer. “You can't make wounds better. They have to heal by themselves.”

Kallik shook her head. “Some plants make wounds heal more quickly.” She frowned. “I just wish I could remember what they were.”

Chenoa's eyes brightened. “I know an herb my mother used to stop scratches from going bad.” She bounded away over the rocks, heading downstream. “It's this way,” she called. “I'll get some. It grows in the shallows, between rocks.”

“We should go with her,” Yakone suggested. “Those wolverines might still be around.”

Lusa lifted her head. “Don't let them hurt her!”

“We won't,” Kallik soothed. “Yakone and I will go with Chenoa.”

Toklo shook his head. “Let's stick together. It's safer.”

“But Lusa can't walk,” Kallik pointed out.

Lusa pushed up with her forelegs. “I can try.” Her paws shook. Pain flashed from her haunches.

Toklo ducked and shoved his snout beneath her. “Help her onto my shoulders,” he told Kallik.

With a nudge, Kallik heaved Lusa up onto Toklo's back. Lusa gasped, her wounds stinging like fire, then flopped with relief as her paws straddled Toklo's wide pelt.

Toklo twisted his muzzle to see her. “Comfortable?”

His fur felt thick and warm beneath her. “Yes,” she sighed.

“You're heavier than the last time I did this,” Toklo huffed with amusement.

Lusa remembered the days on the ice when she'd been too sleepy to walk. “That's because I'm
older
,” she sniffed.

Chenoa was disappearing around a bend in the river.

“Come on.” Walking slowly, Toklo headed after the young she-bear. Lusa gripped on with her forepaws as he rocked beneath her.

By the time they caught up with Chenoa, she was pawing leaves from a plant growing thickly at the water's edge.

Kallik sniffed the pile she'd made. “This is the plant that Ujurak used!”

Lusa watched from Toklo's shoulders. “Will it stop the stinging?”

“Let's see.” Kallik motioned to Toklo to lean down. As he did, Lusa began to slide. Her heart lurched, but Kallik caught her scruff gently between her teeth and eased her onto the soft grass lining the shore.

Lusa lay panting, as tired as if she'd walked the shoreline herself. Chenoa chewed a mouthful of her leaves and licked the pulp lightly over Lusa's wounds.

Kallik leaned closer. “Make sure you cover all of it.”

Lusa screwed up her eyes when it stung like a swarm of bees. Then, suddenly, the pain in her rump started to ease. She let out a slow, deep breath.

“Better?” Chenoa looked at her with concern.

Lusa nodded. “Thank you.”

Chenoa shrugged. “I'm glad I could help.”

Lusa looked guiltily at her friends. She was keeping them here when they should be traveling. But the grass beneath her felt so soft, and the river rumbled past like an old friend.

Kallik's belly rumbled. “Is anyone else hungry?”

“I am,” Yakone confessed.

“I know a good fishing spot,” Chenoa told her. “Do you want me to show you? You can come, too, Toklo.”

“Is it far?” Toklo scanned the tree line. “We should stay close to Lusa.”

“I'll stay with her.”

Lusa jerked around in surprise as Yakone settled beside her.

He touched his nose to her shoulder. “You go to sleep. I'll stay with you while Kallik fishes.”

Lusa blinked at him gratefully, then watched Chenoa, Kallik, and Toklo as they headed along the shore. When their pelts had blurred into the distance, she turned her gaze to the water sliding past. Eyelids heavy, wounds throbbing, she escaped into sleep.

Toklo glanced back along the shore
. In the distance he could see the small, dark shape of Lusa, curled on the rocks beside Yakone. Why hadn't he noticed she was so badly hurt? The fur rippled along his spine.
Thank the spirits for Chenoa's healing leaves
.

Water sprayed his pelt as Kallik splashed into the shallows. “Are you coming?” The white bear waded toward deeper water.

Toklo hesitated. Lusa seemed a long way away. What if the wolverines attacked again? Their boldness had shaken him. First Hakan, then wolverines!
Aren't the animals around here scared of anything?
His thoughts darted forward. What would happen when he got home? Would he ever manage to stake out his own territory? He pushed the thought away as butterflies fluttered in his belly.
It'll be fine.

Chenoa fidgeted beside him. “Don't you want to fish?”

He flicked his snout toward Lusa. “I don't like leaving her.”

Kallik followed his gaze downstream as water flowed around her belly. “Yakone will protect Lusa.”

“Of course he will,” Chenoa agreed. “And we could hunt in the woods.”

Toklo stared at her. “What about fishing? You said this was a good spot.”

Chenoa headed for the trees. “There's something I want to show you.”