The Melting Sea (32 page)

Toklo gulped down his share of fish. “Come on.” He pointed his nose upstream. “The day is half over. We should move on.”

As he ambled away, Lusa felt a stab of disappointment. He hadn't even considered staying here. She followed with a sigh.
I guess he misses brown bears
. Lusa glanced back at Kallik and Yakone, their white pelts pressed together as they jumped over the rocks after her. They had one another; Toklo was ready to cross half the world to find his own kind … was she supposed to miss her black bear kin more?

They followed the river until the rocks rose steeply, too jagged to climb easily.

“Let's go around,” Lusa said, and without waiting for an answer she galloped into the forest. Pushing through a patch of thick bunchberry, she glanced back to see the others following. “I can't believe we lived on the ice for so long,” she panted as Toklo caught up.

“Stupid ice!” he huffed. “It scraped our pads and clogged our claws. I remember icicles jangling from my fur.” He shook his head. “Icicles! What bear is supposed to grow icicles?”

Lusa looked over her shoulder at Kallik and Yakone, trailing behind. Their white pelts stood out like snow in the shadows.

“I think Kallik and Yakone would choose icicles,” she whispered.

“Then they should have stayed on the ice,” Toklo grunted.

Lusa stopped and stared at him. “But they chose to come with us!” How could he be so ungrateful?

“We came because our journey is not over until you've reached your home.”

Toklo whirled around in surprise as Kallik's voice sounded behind him. The white bears had caught up to them.

Toklo dipped his head. “I know, and I'm glad.”

Lusa heard honesty in his growl. She knew Toklo admired Kallik for leaving her homeland to travel with them. And Yakone too, for sacrificing the life he had known on Star Island to be with Kallik.
He really does appreciate it!
She willed the white bears to understand.

Yakone pushed past them and trudged away through the trees. “I thought we were trying to make the most of the daylight.”

Lusa galloped after him, tearing through a bramble, relishing the prickles as they scraped her thick fur. As she raced past Yakone, the ground began to slope, plunging down into shadow. She could hear roaring ahead. “I think there's another river this way!” she called excitedly. She couldn't believe that she'd once thought the Bear Bowl was big. How had she ever been so bee-brained?

“Wait!” Kallik's terrified cry split the air.

Lusa tried to stop, but the ground fell away under her more steeply. Unbalanced, she tumbled down the slope, scrabbling to find a grip on the slippery needles.

“Lusa!” Yakone plunged after her.

Lusa flailed her paws. An acrid smell hit her nose. Lights flashed ahead. The roaring grew louder.

That roaring's not water!
Terror thrummed in her ears as she fell.
It's a firebeast!

ERIN HUNTER
is inspired by a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is also the author of the bestselling Warriors series. Visit her online at www.seekerbears.com and www.warriorcats.com.

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Book One: The Quest Begins

Book Two: Great Bear Lake

Book Three: Smoke Mountain

Book Four: The Last Wilderness

Book Five: Fire in the Sky

Book Six: Spirits in the Stars

RETURN TO THE WILD

Book One: Island of Shadows

MANGA

Toklo's Story

Kallik's Adventure

Also by Erin Hunter

Book One: Into the Wild

Book Two: Fire and Ice

Book Three: Forest of Secrets

Book Four: Rising Storm

Book Five: A Dangerous Path

Book Six: The Darkest Hour

THE NEW PROPHECY

Book One: Midnight

Book Two: Moonrise

Book Three: Dawn

Book Four: Starlight

Book Five: Twilight

Book Six: Sunset

POWER OF THREE

Book One: The Sight

Book Two: Dark River

Book Three: Outcast

Book Four: Eclipse

Book Five: Long Shadows

Book Six: Sunrise

OMEN OF THE STARS

Book One: The Fourth Apprentice

Book Two: Fading Echoes

Book Three: Night Whispers

Book Four: Sign of the Moon

Book Five: The Forgotten Warrior

Book Six: The Last Hope

Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest

Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar's Prophecy

Warriors Super Edition: SkyClan's Destiny

Warriors Super Edition: Crookedstar's Promise

Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans

Warriors: Cats of the Clans

Warriors: Code of the Clans

Warriors: Battles of the Clans

MANGA

The Lost Warrior

Warrior's Refuge

Warrior's Return

The Rise of Scourge

Tigerstar and Sasha #1: Into the Woods

Tigerstar and Sasha #2: Escape from the Forest

Tigerstar and Sasha #3: Return to the Clans

Ravenpaw's Path #1: Shattered Peace

Ravenpaw's Path #2: A Clan in Need

Ravenpaw's Path #3: The Heart of a Warrior

SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue

SkyClan and the Stranger #2: Beyond the Code

SkyClan and the Stranger #3: After the Flood

Cover art © 2012 by Wayne McLoughlin

The Melting Sea

Copyright © 2012 by Working Partners Limited

Series created by Working Partners Limited

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hunter, Erin.

The Melting Sea / by Erin Hunter.—1st ed.

p.    cm.—(Seekers: Return to the wild)

Summary: Toklo, Kallik, Lusa, and Yakone trek onward toward the Melting Sea, the site of Kallik's traumatic cubhood—and prepare to be separated for the first time since their journey began.

EPub Edition © MAY 2012 ISBN 9780062114488

ISBN 978-0-06-199637-5 (trade bdg.)

ISBN 978-0-06-199638-2 (lib. bdg.)

[1. Bears—Fiction. 2. Fate and fatalism—Fiction. 3. Fantasy.] I. Title.

12 13 14 15 16 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition