River of Lost Bears (35 page)

Kallik hurried after him, slipping her shoulder beneath his to steady him.

Toklo huffed at Lusa. “I guess we're going.” He caught up to Yakone, pressing in on his other side.

Lusa scampered around them. “So what is this firesnake thing you were talking about?”

“It's huge,” Toklo told her. “Bigger than you could even imagine.”

Lusa's eyes widened. “Bigger than the river?”

“Not
that
big, but much bigger than the firebeasts you see on BlackPaths.”

“So why are we going to find it?”

“We're not going to find it,” Toklo explained. “We're going to find its
path
. It'll show me how to get home.”

“Oh.” Lusa bounded ahead, then turned. “Do you want me to lead again?”

Toklo nodded. “You're good at finding easy paths,” he told her. “I'll tell you which way to head.” He could picture the route in his mind. He'd seen it from the oak. “First we have to get to the top of this hill.”

Lusa found a zigzagging trail up, making it easy for Toklo and Kallik to guide Yakone. He was walking a little, but every now and then he slumped as his injured paw gave way.

By the time they reached the top, Toklo's pelt was prickling with excitement.

“Which way now?” Lusa paced in front of them.

“Down this hill, and up the next, then head toward the lightning trees.” Toklo pictured them in his head.

Lusa tipped her muzzle. “Lightning trees?”

“A burned patch of wood—”

“Of course!” Lusa darted away. “I get it. Where lightning struck.”

Toklo was the first to smell the scent of charred wood. It reminded him of Chenoa and the time she'd shown him the mountains from among the blackened tree stumps. Lusa waited while they caught up with her.

Yakone wrinkled his nose. “The ice is burning,” he mumbled.

“He's stopped making sense,” Kallik fretted. “That means he's too hot.”

Toklo pictured the view from the oak. Thick forest, black charred stumps, parched yellow rock, then a glittering stream. “There's water ahead,” he told Kallik. “That'll cool him down.”

Lusa led the way, swerving over the ash-covered ground among the lightning trees. Leaving the forest behind, they followed Lusa until they reached a wide, treeless valley, then slowed as Kallik struggled to find her paws on the rocky terrain. Hills rose on either side, too high to see the mountains beyond. Toklo could see Lusa's pelt moving ahead, black against the pale yellow stones, as she sniffed out the stream.

“Am I going the right way?” she called.

“Yes!” Toklo answered.

She disappeared over a rise, then came charging back. “I can see trees.”

“Good!” Toklo remembered that the stream ran through woodland.

Kallik stumbled beside Yakone as a rock slipped underpaw. “Will that mean we're near the SilverPath?”

“Yes.” Stones crunched beneath Toklo's paws. His pads stung with the heat. Yakone must be burning up in the sun, even without a fever.

Toklo's thoughts drifted. If only they could reach his home. Yakone could lie in the wide, shallow river that Toklo had fished in as a cub. “The mountains will be cooler,” he promised Kallik. “There's a river there where fish leap right out of the water. And the wind is fresh.” He glanced up at the sun, searing in the pale blue sky. “And there are shady trees everywhere.”

As they reached the top of the rise, Toklo saw, with relief, woodland stretching below. Water glimmered between the budding branches. “The stream!” He heaved Yakone away from Kallik, taking his full weight. “Let's hurry.”

Yakone moaned beside him, his paws stumbling over the rocks.

“Nearly there, Yakone,” Toklo soothed.

They threaded between the trees and staggered out onto the shore of a meandering stream. Lusa splashed into it, barking with happiness. “It feels great on my paws! Kallik, come and try it.”

Kallik didn't seem to hear. She was sniffing at Yakone's wounded paw. As she leaned down, he collapsed, dropping away from Toklo like a stone.

“Yakone!” Kallik sniffed the white bear's breath. “He's really sick.”

“I'll find fresh herbs.” Lusa dashed from the stream and disappeared into the woods on the far side.

Kallik's eyes shone with panic. “What are we going to do?”

“He'll be okay,” Toklo promised.

“You don't know that!” Kallik hissed. “What if he dies here? What if he never makes it back to the ice?”

Toklo's heart twisted. “He has to make it! He's come so far.”

“Toklo!” Lusa's bark made him freeze. She pelted from the woods and splashed though the stream. “They're back.”

Toklo froze. A chill washed his pelt. Kallik stiffened beside him.

Lusa's eyes were wild with panic. “The coyotes.”

As she spoke, a snarl sounded beyond the stream. Eyes glinted from the undergrowth. A snout poked out. Toklo bared his teeth. The snout ducked away.

Lusa circled restlessly, her pelt fluffed up. “The forest stinks of them!”

Toklo swallowed. How many were there?

“And the scents are all fresh.” Lusa jerked her gaze toward Yakone. “We have to get him moving!”

Kallik was already heaving Yakone to his paws. Toklo ducked in the other side and pressed his shoulder against Yakone's drooping flank. “We're following the stream,” he told Lusa. He knew it crossed the SilverPath. If they could make it there, might a firesnake scare off the coyotes?

Scare them off?
Nothing seemed to scare off these vermin! He pushed the thought away. They couldn't stay here, playing prey.

“Leave me,” Yakone suddenly croaked, struggling between them.

“Don't be fish-brained!” Toklo told him sternly. “If you want to help us, try moving your paws!”

The stream flowed down the valley and followed the curve of the hill. Stumbling along the rocky shore, Lusa watched the woods. Toklo fixed his gaze on the trail. They couldn't fail now. They were so close!

Ahead, the stream ducked through a gully and disappeared into a hole in the ground. Toklo blinked with surprise. Two lines gleamed where the stream had vanished.
The SilverPath!
It flashed over the stream and curved away past the hills.

Toklo quickened his pace. “We've found it!”

Kallik stumbled to keep up. Yakone limped heavily.

“Come on!” Toklo heaved Yakone up onto the gray stones that lined the long silver tracks. He hauled him around and pushed him along the trail. “Just keep moving!”

“Toklo.” Kallik's voice was soft with dread. “Look.”

Toklo blinked. A pack of coyotes stood on the SilverPath in front of them. They showed their teeth, their eyes glittering greedily.

“Why are there so many?” Lusa pressed against Toklo until he could feel her shaking. “We killed two.”

“They must have found more.” Toklo glared at them. “Stay away!” he roared.

The coyotes held their ground, neither coming closer nor moving away.

“What do we do?” Kallik hissed.

“We go the other way.” Toklo turned, hauling Yakone.

“But then we'll be heading away from the mountains,” Lusa protested.

Toklo's belly hardened.
How will I ever get home?
“Watch our backs, Lusa,” he growled. “Tell me if they come closer.” He stumbled on, nudging Yakone along the SilverPath as his mind whirled in panic.
What do we do? Where can we hide?
Anger raged through Toklo.
I'm a bear! Not prey!

Suddenly he felt the SilverPath tracks throbbing. He stopped and pricked his ears. They were humming!

“A firesnake's coming!” he barked.

“Spirits help us!” Lusa wailed.

Kallik started to steer Yakone off the path. “Let's hide in the forest!”

“No!” Toklo growled. “There's a bend up ahead!” He nodded toward a curve where the track disappeared around a low cliff. A rocky ledge jutted out halfway up the cliff. “I've got a plan.”

“What?” Kallik's voice cracked with fear.

“They're getting closer,” Lusa warned from behind.

“We need to get on that ledge.” Toklo lifted his shoulders. “The firesnake slows down on corners.”

“So?” Kallik gazed past Yakone.

“We can jump from the ledge onto its back,” Toklo told her.

“No!” Kallik pulled away. Yakone slumped to the ground.

Toklo glanced back at the coyotes. “Would you rather be eaten by them?”

“We might be able to fight them!” Kallik growled. “We can't fight a firebeast, or snake, or whatever it is. It'll crush us.”

“If you jump onto its back, it'll carry you like we carry Lusa.” Toklo willed Kallik to understand that they had no choice. “We can protect ourselves from the coyotes. But we can't protect Yakone. Not forever! The coyotes will keep coming back until we can't fight them off anymore.”

“He's right, Kallik.” Lusa's voice wavered.

“But what if we jump and miss the firesnake's back?” Kallik's eyes were white-rimmed with terror.

“You
can't
miss.” Toklo fought to stop himself trembling.

“I'll try it.” Lusa's voice was barely a whisper.

Kallik dipped her head. “We'll all try.” She ducked down and nosed Yakone to his paws. “Yakone!” she barked sharply. “You have to wake up!”

He blinked open his eyes and stared at her blearily.

Kallik glared at him. “Coyotes are chasing us. We have to jump onto a firesnake.”

“Okay,” Yakone mumbled thickly.

Lusa paced around them. “He thinks he's dreaming!”

“I don't care,” Toklo growled. “As long as he does it.”

Slowly, Yakone padded forward.

“That's it!” Kallik urged him on. “Keep going!”

“Lusa, find a way onto that ledge,” Toklo ordered.

Lusa scrambled off the track and led them through scrubby bushes. She threaded her way up the hill, around boulders and over rocks. “Is Yakone okay?” she called over her shoulder.

“He's still walking.” Toklo watched the white bear follow Kallik blindly up the slope. The coyotes padded after them.

At last, the stony slope leveled out and turned to rock beneath Toklo's paws.
We made it!
They were on the ledge. He hurried to the edge of the rock and looked over. The tracks shone many bearlengths below, but when the firesnake rumbled past, they'd be able to reach its back.

Toklo looked along the SilverPath. Smoke billowed in the distance. A screech split the air as a huge creature thundered toward them like an avalanche.

The firesnake!

“Get ready.” Toklo turned to his friends. His pelt bushed as he saw the coyotes. They had reached the ledge and were lined up, teeth bared, just waiting for a moment to strike. “Quickly!” he called.

Kallik crossed the stone, nudging Yakone ahead of her.

“Lusa!” Toklo's heart lurched. The black bear seemed rooted to the rock. She was staring, frozen, at the coyotes.

“Don't look at them, Lusa!” Blood roared in Toklo's ears.

The coyotes lowered their heads and crept nearer.

“Lusa!” Toklo pounded past Kallik and grabbed Lusa's scruff in his teeth. “Come on!” His growl was muffled by her fur as he hauled her backward.

She came to life and struggled free. “I'm coming!”

“How do we get on?” Kallik stared over the edge as the firesnake thundered closer. “It's so tall!”

“Wait for a part of its back that is lower than the rest,” Toklo ordered. “Then leap on as it passes.”

Kallik swung her head from side to side, moaning. “I can't believe we're going to do this.”

Lusa flattened her ears. “It's so loud!”

“Don't think about it, just do it!” Toklo urged.

Kallik looked at him. “What about you?”

“I'll be right behind you.” The ledge trembled beneath his paws. The acrid tang of the firesnake billowed around his nose.

The coyotes crept closer. With an ear-piercing clatter, the head of the firesnake reached the ledge. Its long, silver body started to stream past, glinting as it rocked in the sun.

“There's a low back coming!” Lusa yelped.

Toklo didn't take his eyes from the coyotes. “Can you make the jump?”

“I think so!”

Lusa's pelt flashed at the corner of Toklo's vision. He heard a yelp, then a thump, and looked over his shoulder. Lusa had landed on a long, flat section in the firesnake's body. She scrambled to her paws. “Come on!”