Lusa was left alone with Ossi. “It was an accident,” she whispered.
Ossi didn’t seem concerned about Chenoa’s death. He was peering suspiciously into the forest. “Do you think it was Hakan who destroyed that grubs’ nest?”
Lusa stared at him. She remembered the chilling sensation of being watched during Hashi and Hala’s burial. Had Hakan been stalking her? But why had he waited until now to ask about Chenoa? Surely he’d have wanted to know where his sister was as soon as he arrived?
Once more, Lusa pictured Chenoa’s eyes, wild with fear as the river swept her toward the falls. “I need to be alone.” Dizzy with grief, she pushed past Ossi and stumbled between the trees. Her paws led her to a shady patch, and she slumped against a trunk. She remembered seeing Chenoa’s face in the swirl in the bark of a tree near the river. Was she at peace there?
If only Hakan could find peace. It must have been a devastating shock to travel all this way expecting to see his sister, only to learn that she was dead.
“Lusa?” Miki’s soft growl made her lift her head. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Lusa huffed wearily.
“You shouldn’t be hanging around on your own while that bear is around.”
Lusa let her haunches slide down the trunk until she was sitting. “I can look after myself.”
“Obviously.” Miki sat down next to her. “Did you really travel along the Big River?”
“Yes.” Lusa stared between the trees without focusing.
“I’ve never met a bear who’s traveled as far as you.” Miki sounded impressed. “You must have seen and done so many things.”
“Not all of them good.” A lump rose in Lusa’s throat.
“You don’t have to tell me now. But—” Miki hesitated. “But maybe one day?”
Lusa looked at him, searching his gaze. I’d like that. Was it okay for her to think about her future when Chenoa had none? “Maybe,” she whispered. “One day.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Toklo
Toklo stood on the shore, watching the white bears climb from the water. He couldn’t tell from here who had won. His pelt pricked, and he glanced toward the trees behind him. There it was again—the feeling that someone was watching him. Last night, as he and Aiyanna had trekked back from Lusa’s camp, he’d been sure eyes were watching from the darkness.
He snorted. Don’t be silly. It was probably an owl. And yet he scanned the tree line, looking for a shape among the undergrowth.
When he saw nothing, he glanced along the beach to where Aiyanna was entertaining Yas, Wapi, Flo, and Fala by hiding white stones for them to find among the driftwood. Yas, Wapi, and Flo had each collected a small pile. Fala was frowning. “It’s not fair,” she complained. “I haven’t found a single stone yet.”
Close by, Hattack and Holata were watching the white bears, too. Their gazes flicked from the far shore to each other, as though each bear was thinking about the upcoming fishing trial. With the sun rising, the fish would be swimming near the surface, their shimmering backs easy to spot.
Toklo called to Shesh. “Have you decided which river we’ll fish in?” Brown bears didn’t hunt for prey in deep water, but in shallow tumbling rivers. Shesh would choose which of the rapids close to the lake would be best for the trial.
“Not yet.”
Akocha scampered up to Toklo and whispered in his ear. “You won’t tell them about our secret river, will you?”
“No.” Toklo thought of the falls and the hidden cave behind them. He wouldn’t admit it to Akocha, but he was happy to keep the river secret. He wanted to share it with Aiyanna, perhaps on the Longest Day itself; it would be a surprise that would make the day even more special for both of them. Besides, that river was too deep and ran too slowly for a fishing trial.
“I know a river that might be suitable,” Wenona called from beside the driftwood. She’d just slid a large white pebble beneath a branch while Fala and the other cubs were hunting farther along the shore. “There’s a river behind the white bears’ territory that was full of salmon when I passed it on the way here.”
Shesh narrowed his eyes. “Can you show us where this river is, Wenona?”
She nodded. “It means crossing the white bears’ shore.”
“They’ll understand,” Toklo grunted. “They’re holding trials, too.”
Hattack snorted. “And if they don’t, we’ll cross their dumb shore anyway.”
Toklo felt a rush of irritation. Did Hattack have to fight about everything? He glanced at Aiyanna, hoping she’d noticed Hattack’s bad-tempered comment. But Aiyanna was busy congratulating Fala, who had just discovered Wenona’s stone and was fluffing her pelt out with pride.
Growling under his breath, Toklo headed along the shore toward the white bears’ part of the lake as Shesh and the others followed behind him.
Aiyanna caught up to him, the cubs chasing after her. “I’m glad they decided to hold the trials in a river and not the lake,” she admitted. “You still haven’t shown me how to catch lake fish.”
“It’s not hard, so long as you don’t mind diving.”
“Underwater?” Wapi bounced in front of them. “I thought only white bears dove for fish.”
“We have paws and snouts just like them,” Toklo answered. “There’s no reason we can’t dive, too.”
Yas splashed into the shallows. “Will you show us how to dive?”
Izusa called to the cubs, “Leave Toklo and Aiyanna in peace.”
“We’re only talking!” Wapi objected.
Aiyanna glanced back at Izusa. “They’re not bothering us.”
Toklo didn’t comment as Yas swerved in front of him. He’d rather walk with Aiyanna instead of tripping over a crowd of tiny bears. Was he going to have to fish with them bouncing around his paws, too?
Akocha raced over to them. “Do you think cubs will be allowed to fish?” he panted.
“I don’t see why not,” Aiyanna answered. “It’ll be good practice.”
“Flo and Fala caught their own fish on the journey here,” Makya barked proudly.
“Mine was the biggest,” Flo announced.
“No, it wasn’t!” Fala glared at her sister. “Mine was.”
Toklo was relieved to see that they were nearing the white bears’ stretch of shore. The white bears were lying in the sunshine, letting their pelts dry after their race, but one by one they clambered to their paws as they saw the brown bears heading toward them.
Manik padded forward to meet them, damp fur rippling along his spine. “What are you doing here?”
Shesh, at the head of the group, halted. Holata passed him and stopped in front of the white bear. “We’re holding a fishing trial in the river behind your shoreline,” he explained.
Salik lowered his head aggressively. “They’ve come to take over our part of the lake.”
Toklo snorted. “Would we bring cubs if we were planning an invasion?”
Kunik stepped in front of Salik. “There is a good salmon river up there.” He nodded toward the ridge at the head of the shore. “You are welcome to pass.”
Shesh dipped his head. “Thank you.”
Salik growled under his breath as the brown bears filed past. Some white bears ignored them; others watched angrily, muttering to one another as they stepped aside to let the brown bears pass.
As the beach turned from pebbles to larger stones, Toklo spotted Kallik. She was sitting beside Taqqiq, her pelt damp. She nodded quickly, hardly catching his eye, and Toklo did the same.
Aiyanna nudged Toklo. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”
“No.” Neither white bear nor brown would be pleased to see them greet each other like old friends.
Aiyanna shook her head. “It’s fish-brained, having to keep your friendship secret.”
“It’s not secret, believe me,” Toklo muttered.
“Hey, Toklo!” Holata called. “Why don’t you stay here with your white bear friends? You’ve probably forgotte
n how to catch river fish anyway.”
Toklo glared at him, refusing to rise to the bait. His pelt felt hot as he sensed the gaze of white bears and brown bears on him.
“Holata is a dung-breath,” Aiyanna hissed.
Hattack stopped at the ridge and waited for Toklo. “Don’t listen to Holata,” he growled. “He’s just showing off.” Hattack’s gaze was on Aiyanna as he spoke.
Toklo winced as Aiyanna blinked gratefully at Hattack. He longed to tell her that Hattack was just pretending to be kind. But would she believe him? Clenching his jaws, he scrabbled up the rocky ridge and down into the forest. The ground turned to earth, and Toklo relished the musty scents of prey, bark, and leaves.
“It’s this way.” Wenona led the way through the trees.
The river was wide and shallow, the water splashing and foaming as it tumbled over boulders.
Wenona frowned. “It’s shallower than it was when I fished here.”
“We’ve had no rain,” Shesh pointed out.
Yas and Wapi leaped in and began wading upstream.
Holata blocked their way. “Young bears fish downstream,” he told them, shooing them away.
“They can fish where they like!” Izusa protested.
Shesh called from the shore. “Holata is right, Izusa. I’m sorry, but this is a serious trial to see who will lead the Longest Day ceremony.”
Muna splashed past Izusa, heading upstream. “The cubs can catch what we don’t,” she murmured, finding a good spot where the river began to widen. Hattack took the place next to her.
Toklo jumped down from the bank, relishing the cool water streaming around his paws. As Aiyanna followed, he nodded to a spot behind Muna, where a rise in the riverbed made the water run faster. “You could try there,” he suggested.
Aiyanna touched his cheek with her nose. “Thanks.”
Toklo pushed his way through the swift-flowing water, enjoying the surge of it against his legs. Stopping beside a wide, flat rock hidden just below the surface, he lowered his muzzle in and drank. The water tasted of the mountains. This was a perfect fishing spot. The fish would be easy to see against the rock.
Toklo glanced around. Wenona was staring intently at the surface, her ears pricked. Toklo was looking forward to fishing, but he wasn’t going to take the trial as seriously as the others. Were they really so desperate to lead the Longest Day ceremony?
Shesh stood on the shore, waiting while each bear found a place in the river.
Flo and Fala stood close to Makya. Akocha had chosen a spot a little way downstream from Tayanita. The older bears were dotted like gigantic rocks across the wide stretch of river. Toklo had never seen so many bears fish a single river before. He remembered the river his mother had fished when he was a cub. The bears who fished there had guarded their places ferociously, lashing out at any bear who waded too far into their area. He hoped the trial wouldn’t be so competitive. After all, they weren’t fishing for survival.
“Begin!” Shesh’s bark took Toklo by surprise. He scanned the water, alert for a flash of silver against the yellow riverbed. A soft wind ruffled his fur, and the sun felt warm on his back. Where are the salmon? He looked up, wondering if the others had caught anything yet. But all the bears were staring, motionless, at the water.
There must be one fish in the river!
Hattack lifted his head, looking puzzled. “Where are the fish?”
Wenona shook her damp fur. “There were loads last time I fished here.”
Grumbles rose from the other bears.
“I haven’t seen a single fish.”
“This river must be poisoned.”
Toklo shook his head. “I drank some,” he argued. “The water tasted fresh.”
Muna grunted. “Then what’s happened to the fish?”
Hattack began to push farther upstream, the water lapping against his chest where it deepened. Toklo headed for the bank and hopped out. He passed Hattack and followed the river around a bend. He stopped as he saw the river narrow to a little waterfall between two great boulders. In the gap between, a leafy branch blocked the flow. Water flooded between the twigs and leaves, but nothing else could get through.
Hattack rounded the bend and clambered out. Stopping beside Toklo, he stared at the branch. Shesh and the others caught up to them a moment later.
“That’s what’s blocking the fish,” Hattack announced, climbing onto one of the boulders and peering into the water behind. “Look!”
Toklo heaved himself onto the boulder and looked down. Salmon teemed in the river, buffeted by the current.
Muna squeezed up beside them and sniffed the branch. “It must have fallen in and blocked the fish.”
Hattack growled. “Really?” He looked pointedly toward the trees, set back several bearlengths from the riverbanks on either side.
Shesh frowned. “How did it get there?”
Hattack turned and addressed the others from the boulder. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Toklo blinked at him. Obvious?
“The white bears put it there to ruin our trial.” Hattack’s pelt spiked with rage.
“But why would they want to spoil—”
Toklo’s words were drowned by the angry barks of the other bears.
Holata bared his teeth. “We’ll make them sorry.”
“What a dumb trick!” Wenona snarled.
“It’s just the sort of thing a white bear would do.” Muna turned and headed toward the trees.
“Where are you going?” Toklo called in dismay.
“Those white bears need to be taught a lesson!” Muna called over her shoulder.
Toklo’s heart sank as more bears streamed after her, the undergrowth swishing as they crashed through the forest toward the white bears’ shore.
Shesh and Aiyanna stayed on the bank. Izusa and Makya beckoned their cubs close.
Akocha was staring after Hattack. “Let’s go! I want to make those white bears sorry!”
“No.” Aiyanna blinked at the cub. “We have no proof it was the white bears.”
Shesh shook his head slowly. “Why would the white bears want to spoil our trial?”
“There’s no time to talk!” Toklo leaped down from the boulder and chased after the others. “We have to stop them from fighting!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kallik
Kallik’s heart lurched as brown bears streamed from the forest and leaped onto the shore.
She backed toward the lake, alarmed by the anger burning in their eyes. Around her, the white bears bristled. Yakone, who had been lying in the shade of the pines, scrambled to his paws.
“Kissimi!” Illa waded, dripping, from the water. “Come here!”
The young bear was chasing beetles farther along the shore. He hurried to Illa’s side. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” Illa whispered.
The largest brown bear reared onto his hind legs and bellowed at the white bears. “You ruined our fishing trial!”
Grunts of surprise rose from the white bears.
Kunik stepped forward. “What are you talking about?”
Another brown bear swung his muzzle accusingly toward Kunik “You blocked the river!”
Just then, Toklo burst from the trees. “Stop!” He bounded down the stones and pushed his way to the front. “There’s been a misunderstanding.”
Pride swelled in Kallik’s chest. Toklo was so brave! She looked at Yakone, hoping to catch his eye. But Yakone was glaring at the brown bears. Kallik felt a stab of disappointment.
The huge brown bear glared at Toklo. “There’s been no misunderstanding.”
“Shut up, Hattack!” Toklo snapped.
Aiyanna joined Toklo. “Listen to him, Hattack,” she pleaded. “Why would the white bears want to spoil our trials? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Who asked you?” Hattack hissed at her. “You’ve never been to a gathering before. You don’t know anything!”
Kallik saw shock glitte
r in Aiyanna’s eyes.
Kunik blinked at the brown bears. “We haven’t tried to spoil your trials. This young bear is right.” He nodded to Aiyanna. “Why would we bother? We are busy with our own.”
Hattack curled his lip, revealing sharp yellow teeth. “Then who blocked the river and stopped the fish running?”
“No one!” Kotori squared his shoulders. “How dare you invade our territory with your fish-brained accusations? Get away from here!”
Salik swaggered forward. “Unless you want to fight!”
“Go stand beside Tonraq,” Illa told Kissimi. Then she crawled forward and faced Hattack. “You say the river is blocked,” she announced calmly. “Then why not just unblock it?”
Hattack stared at her. “Because—”
Another brown bear growled. “Why should we unblock it when you blocked it?”
“Nonsense.” Illa pushed past them and climbed up the ridge. “Show me this blockage. Perhaps we can figure out how it got there.”
Fur ruffling, the brown bears followed.
“Someone put it there,” growled one.
“A white bear,” grumbled another.
Kotori leaped up the ridge after Illa. Kallik followed.
“Stay here,” Kunik told the other white bears. “We’ll sort this out.” He hauled himself up the stones behind Kallik.
As she followed the bears through the forest, warm fur brushed her flank. She jerked her muzzle around, hoping it was Yakone. But it was Toklo.
“Hi.” He glanced sheepishly at the brown bears marching through the forest ahead of them. “Sorry about this.”
“Why do they think it was us who blocked the river?” she asked.
Toklo shrugged. “I guess they don’t think it could be anyone else.”
“Couldn’t the river have blocked itself?”
“There’s a branch stuck in a gap,” Toklo explained. “It looks too well wedged in to have been washed there by the river.”