“You’re right: We wouldn’t,” Tartok muttered.
Toklo was surprised at Yakone’s wholehearted support, and even more surprised when Shila squeezed through the crowd of bears to his side.
“I was inside a no-claw firebeast when it crashed and set the whole of a no-claw den on fire,” she said. “Toklo and his friends worked together; they saved me and some other bears who were trapped inside the den. They’ve managed to do things no bear could manage on their own, and that’s why we all need to listen to Toklo.”
Toklo saw young Nukka nodding her head, and the mother of the cubs was looking interested, but some of the others were turning away.
“There’s nothing for us here,” Olikpok said.
“Wait!” To Toklo’s astonishment, Taqqiq pushed his way into the center of the crowd and stood beside Toklo. “I was one of Salik’s bears,” he announced.
Growls of hostility rose from the group of bears. They hadn’t recognized Taqqiq until now. The mother bear moved swiftly to place herself between Taqqiq and her cubs.
Taqqiq flinched, then seemed to brace himself. “You have to understand this,” he said. “Salik and the others aren’t anything special individually. It’s only because they work together that they’ve been able to terrorize the rest of you. So it’s only by working together that you’ll be able to defeat them. And we need to do that before Toklo teaches you to hunt, so they don’t come after that food, too.”
He flashed a glance around the group, looking shamefaced and awkward, then sat down, his shoulders hunched as if he was trying to make himself inconspicuous.
Toklo wasn’t sure that Taqqiq’s words would change the mood of the gathering. But the bears who had been ready to leave were turning back, and even Tartok and the old male were looking less hostile.
“Okay,” Tartok said at last. “So what do you want us to do?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Kallik
Kallik watched, nervous and excited, while the white bears formed a ragged circle around Toklo. She gave Taqqiq a nod of gratitude as he shambled past her to take his place with the others. Lusa stayed on one side with Pakak and Tonraq, keeping them well away from the training session.
“What you need to remember,” Toklo began, once the bears were in position, “is that Salik and the others think you’re all scared of them. So the first thing in a fight is to show them that you’re not scared. Growl. Bellow at them. Convince them that you’re not going to back down.”
Kallik could see a few of the bears exchanging doubtful glances, but Toklo went on before any of them could speak.
“Smaller bears can dart in, strike a blow, and dodge out of range again quickly.” Toklo’s gaze rested on the older cubs for a moment. “Salik and his group won’t be nimble enough to follow you. But bigger bears can’t do that. You have to rely on strength.”
There were some murmurs of understanding at that. The older cubs’ eyes gleamed eagerly, as if they were imagining how they could strike back at Salik.
“When brown bears fight,” Toklo went on, “we claw at each other’s shoulders and try to sink our teeth into our enemy’s throat. That means having a good grip on the ground with our hindpaws. It might not be so easy on the ice. On the other hand, it might be easier to knock your opponent off balance when it’s slippery underpaw.”
Kallik was surprised and proud at how confident Toklo sounded. She knew he sometimes doubted that he was strong enough or brave enough to take care of his friends. All the white bears were looking interested now, as if what Toklo was saying made sense to them.
“Another idea,” Toklo continued, “is to try to push your opponent back to the edge of the ice, or into a seal hole. The edge might crumble away and pitch him into the water, and even if it doesn’t, the thought that it might will make him nervous. And a nervous enemy is easily defeated.”
“You’re suggesting we kill them?” Sakari asked doubtfully. Kallik could tell that in spite of all the damage Salik and the others had done, she wasn’t comfortable fighting her own kind to the death.
“No,” Toklo explained. “But if your opponent falls into a hole, it will give you a break from fighting while they get out. And if one of their friends stops fighting to help them, that’s two enemies you’ve dealt with.”
“I think it’s a great idea!” Nukka exclaimed. “Can we try it now?”
“In a moment,” Toklo said. “There’s one last thing I want to suggest. With all the bears we have here, we outnumber Salik and his gang. We need to practice with two bears joining together to fight one. Kallik and Yakone, will you help me show the others what I mean?”
Kallik stepped forward, her paws tingling with excitement. Yakone followed her.
“Okay,” Toklo said. “Come at me.”
He growled threateningly and raised himself up on his hindpaws. Kallik darted toward him, avoiding Toklo’s sharp claws, which were groping for her shoulders, and slid underneath him. As Toklo staggered from her sudden onrush, she clawed at his belly, while Yakone jumped up onto Toklo’s back, unbalancing him and sending him crashing to the ice.
“That’ll do, thanks,” Toklo said, his voice muffled by Yakone’s fur.
As they broke apart and scrambled to their paws, a murmur of appreciation rose from the bears who surrounded them.
“That’s cool!” one of the older cubs exclaimed.
“Okay, divide up and let’s see you try,” Toklo told them.
At once the bears split up into small groups, trying to copy what they had seen. Shila leaped up onto Nukka’s back, digging her claws in and balancing as Nukka tried to throw her off.
“Come on, Olikpok!” Toklo roared. “Don’t just stand there!”
Olikpok hesitated a moment longer, then jumped up, ramming his forepaws into Shila’s side. Shila lost her balance and tumbled off Nukka to roll over on the ice. Together Nukka and Olikpok leaped on top of her, pinning her down.
“Get off!” she gasped. “You’re squashing me!”
“That’s great,” Toklo praised them, as Olikpok and Nukka backed off, letting Shila scramble to her paws.
Kallik glanced over to where Taqqiq and Tartok were circling around Sakari, darting in to strike a blow at her and then leaping back before she could retaliate.
“Good,” Toklo said, padding over to watch. “But when you’re fighting for real, you’ll have to hit harder than that.”
“I know,” Tartok growled. “But I don’t want to hurt Sakari.”
While Tartok’s attention was distracted, Sakari leaped at him and dealt him a couple of hard blows around the head. Tartok paused, half-stunned, and Sakari swung around to face Taqqiq. The young male raised his paw to strike, only to lose his balance as Sakari ducked underneath the blow and swiped his paws out from under him.
“Good job, Sakari,” Toklo told her. “Keep on like that, and Salik won’t know what hit him.”
Kallik could sense that instead of being doubtful, all the bears were becoming excited and more hopeful. Her own optimism brimmed over as she exchanged a glance with Toklo.
We might just be able to do this!
The sun was rising the following morning when Toklo roused the bears for another training session. Kallik looked on as he divided them into two opposing groups, with Tartok leading one and Shila the other.
“Tartok’s one of our best fighters,” Yakone commented, padding up to Kallik’s side. “He’s stubborn and defiant.”
Kallik nodded. “I’m amazed by Shila,” she said. “Her shoulder is still giving her trouble, but she’s so cunning! She seems to know what her enemy will do before he knows it himself.”
“Okay,” Toklo called out when the bears had separated into their groups. “We’re going to practice a battle. Tartok, you and your group can be Salik and his gang. Shila, you’re defending your dens and your cubs.”
“Got it,” Shila said with an emphatic nod.
“Can we be in the battle?” Pakak rushed up to Toklo, with Tonraq
hard on his paws. “We practiced all those moves with Lusa.”
“No, you cannot.” Lusa hurried up. “We’ll watch from a safe distance.” She herded both cubs away; they looked back over their shoulders with disappointed expressions.
While Toklo and Yakone were giving final instructions, Taqqiq broke away from his group and padded over to Kallik.
“I’m going to find Salik and the others,” he announced. “I’ll tell them that I’ve discovered Sakari’s new den in their territory, and lead them over here, to where you’re expecting them. If all goes well, we should be back tomorrow. I’ll try to organize it so the attack comes at dawn.”
“Have you discussed this with Toklo?” Kallik asked.
Taqqiq nodded. “He knows what I’m going to do.”
I can’t count the number of things that could go wrong, Kallik thought. She glanced around for Toklo, but he was busy watching the pretend battle.
“No, Olikpok!” he roared across the ice. “Stay on your paws! Use your claws!”
“What if something happens?” Kallik asked Taqqiq, anxiety welling up inside her. “It’s been a few days now since you left Salik, and he must know that you’re with us. What if he and his bears don’t trust you anymore? Will you be safe?”
“I’ve left them before,” Taqqiq reassured her. “Remember the time I came with you when you left Great Bear Lake? I’ve always gone back to them, and I’ve always been loyal. Why wouldn’t they trust me now?”
“Very convincing.” A voice spoke behind Kallik. “It makes me wonder if we should trust you. If you’ve always been loyal to Salik, Taqqiq … where do your loyalties lie now?”
Kallik turned to see that Shila had broken away from the battle and was gazing at Taqqiq with a challenging expression.
Taqqiq faced her. “I’ll do what I say,” he assured her. “I want peace on the Melting Sea.”
Shila let out a faint snort. “You’d better come back,” she warned him. “And you’d better be on our side.”
As she watched them, Kallik was suddenly aware of some unspoken connection between Shila and Taqqiq, something that she couldn’t understand. But this wasn’t the time to ask them about it.
Taqqiq padded over to Shila and pressed the side of his face briefly against hers. Shila didn’t respond, but Kallik could see uncertainty replacing the challenge in Shila’s eyes.
“I will come back,” Taqqiq promised, glancing from Shila to Kallik and back again. He backed away, then turned and began walking quickly in the direction they had first come from.
Kallik glanced at Shila, whose gaze was still fixed on Taqqiq, and wondered unhappily if they could really trust her brother.
I want to, but he’s such a stranger to me now.
Standing beside Shila, she watched Taqqiq until he walked out of sight.
The mock battle was drawing to a close. “That was great!” Toklo called. “Remember everything you’ve learned when Salik turns up, and we’ll show them!”
Kallik and Shila padded over to join the bears who were clustering around him; Lusa and the little cubs bounded over to their side.
“This is it,” Toklo announced tersely. “We have to rest and eat well now, and prepare the den for the battle.”
Kallik could sense the apprehension and excitement among the white bears as they exchanged glances, realizing that their great test was just ahead of them.
“I’ll gut Salik,” Tartok snarled. “And his bears. Or make them run so far and so fast their paws will wear away.”
Toklo nodded. “I don’t think any bear will need to worry about Salik after this.”
“About the den,” Sakari put in, gently nudging her excited cubs to one side so that she could approach Toklo. “Salik and his bears will be coming because they want to smash up our BirthDen. So maybe we should rebuild it properly. Otherwise they might guess that things have changed.”
She has a point, Kallik thought, looking at the tumbledown den. Taqqiq had started to rebuild it, but he hadn’t had time to finish. There were still gaps in the walls that let in the wind.
“We’ll do that,” Toklo agreed. “It’s too bad we can’t hide a few fierce bears in there, to jump out and drive Salik and his gang away.”
Sakari shook her head doubtfully. “I can hide in there, but there’s not enough room for another full-grown bear.”
“Yes, there is!” Lusa exclaimed, her berry-bright eyes gleaming. “I can fit in there with Sakari.”
Kallik drew in a gasp of dismay. “What are you thinking?” she asked Lusa. “It’s far too dangerous! I won’t allow it.”
To her surprise, Lusa faced her determinedly. “Kallik, I’m not a cub, and you’re not my mother. I’ve lasted this long. I helped hunt the bison, and I stood up to those two white bears when they attacked Akna’s cubs. So why do you think I’ll fail now?”
A gust of fear and regret shook Kallik like a storm wind. “I’ve let too many bad things happen to bears I care about,” she whispered. “I abandoned Taqqiq, and my mother, and Nanuk....”
“No, you didn’t.” Lusa’s voice was sympathetic but firm. “What happened to them wasn’t your fault. And you haven’t abandoned me. You’ve kept me alive!” She hesitated, then went on, “But please, Kallik, don’t try to stop me from helping. I can do this.”
Kallik was still uncertain, but glancing at Toklo and Yakone, she saw nothing but admiration for Lusa in their eyes. “All right,” she sighed.
Once that was settled, Sakari and some of the others went to rebuild the den. The rest of the bears went back to training, while Yakone headed off to hunt, and Toklo padded around the area, finding places they could hide.
As night fell, they huddled on the ice. Kallik couldn’t sleep and wondered how many of the others were awake, watching the stars as she was.
Ujurak, watch over us now, she begged silently.
Finally she drifted into sleep; no time at all seemed to have passed before she felt a paw prodding her in the shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Yakone.
“It’s time,” he murmured.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Lusa
It was still dark when Sakari roused Lusa. The ice shimmered in starlight, and a soft breeze stirred loose snow on the surface.
“Come on,” Sakari said. “We need to hide now.”
As Lusa followed her toward the rebuilt BirthDen, the other bears were rousing around them. Toklo was in the center, directing them.
“Salik and the others should come from that direction,” he began, pointing with one paw. “Olikpok, Nukka, head over there and keep a lookout for them. Warn us when you spot them, but make sure they don’t see you.”
The two bears nodded and padded off, side by side. Lusa thought they looked pleased to be chosen for an important job.
“The rest of you, hide,” Toklo went on. “Tartok, I want you up close, ready to defend the BirthDen.”
“Sure.” Tartok headed for a pile of snow and crouched down behind it.
The rest of the bears looked for the deepest grooves in the ice, or for other mounds of snow to hide behind. The mother bear lay flat on the ice while her cubs scraped snow over her.
“What about us?” Tonraq asked eagerly. “Where do we go?”
Lusa felt a stab of anxiety. In the BirthDen with Sakari, waiting for the attack, she wouldn’t be able to look after the two little cubs.
“Over there,” Toklo replied, pointing to a distant seal hole. “You’re hunting for us today. We’ll all be hungry after the battle.”
“Great!” Pakak squealed as the two cubs scampered off across the ice.
Lusa was relieved. They can’t get into too much trouble watching beside a seal hole.
She followed Sakari into the BirthDen and settled down beside her. Toklo appeared at the entrance, packing snow into the gap, leaving them in the dark warmth of the den. Lusa almost felt like a cub again, pressed against Sakari’s side.
But I’m not a cub! I can fight!
The noises of the bears outside faded as they settled into their hiding places. Lusa heard a sharp bark from some bear, then silence. That means they’re all hiding and ready.
Every moment dragged until Lusa was convinced that dawn must have come and gone and the sun would be climbing up the sky.
Maybe they’re not coming, she thought worriedly. Maybe they didn’t believe Taqqiq. Or maybe he told them what’s really happening, and they’ve gone to make trouble someplace else.
Lusa was about to give up and wriggle out into the open when she heard pawsteps outside the den. Some bear was sniffing around the entrance.
“They’re in there.” She recognized Salik’s voice.
“Then let’s get them out.” That was Iqaluk. “Let’s have some fun.”
Lusa shivered as the rough, scornful voices surrounded her in the dark.
“Sakari needs to be taught a lesson.” One of the other bears spoke, a voice Lusa couldn’t put a name to. “We never said she could rebuild her den.”
“Yeah,” said Manik. “This time we should chase her and her cubs right off the Melting Sea.”
“Salik, what are you doing here?” Lusa tensed as she heard Shila’s voice, sounding young and vulnerable. “Why can’t you leave us alone?”
“Oh, it’s Shila!” Salik growled. “I thought we told you to get off our territory.”
“It’s not your territory.” Though Shila’s words were challenging, her voice was shaking. “We have as much right to be here as you do.”
Manik let out a snort of contempt. “Strength and claws: That’s what gives us the right. Where are yours?”
“And where are those weird bears you were going around with?” Iqaluk added. “I don’t see them here.”
If you only knew, Lusa thought, bracing her muscles, ready for the moment when the fight would begin.
“Yeah, did they leave you on your own?” Lusa’s belly lurched as she heard Taqqiq’s voice for the first time. It was sharp with hostility, nastier than any of the others. “You were stupid for trusting them!”
“Kallik’s your sister, for the spirits’ sake!” Shila went on. “Don’t you have any idea what that should mean to you? Have you no loyalty?” She sounded nervous and full of dread; even though Lusa knew it was all pretense, she wanted to spring out and protect her.