Smoke Mountain
Authors: Erin Hunter
SMOKE MOUNTAIN
Other books by Erin Hunter
SEEKERS
Book One: The Quest Begins
Book Two: Great Bear Lake
WARRIORS
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
WARRIORS: THE NEW PROPHECY
Book One: Midnight
Book Two: Moonrise
Book Three: Dawn
Book Four: Starlight
Book Five: Twilight
Book Six: Sunset
WARRIORS: POWER OF THREE
Book One: The Sight
Book Two: Dark River
Book Three: Outcast
Book Four: Eclipse
Book Five: Long Shadows
Book Six: Sunrise
WARRIORS MANGA
Book One: The Lost Warrior
Book Two: Warrior's Refuge
Book Three: 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
WARRIORS SPECIALS
Warriors Super Edition: Firestar's Quest
Warriors Super Edition: Bluestar's Prophecy
Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans
Warriors: Cats of the Clans
Warriors: Code of the Clans
ERIN HUNTER
First published in Great Britain 2010
by Egmont UK Limited
239 Kensington High Street
London W8 6SA
Text copyright © 2010 Working Partners Limited
Cover photographs: Stephen J. Kazlowski/Alamy, Blickwinkel/
Alamy, Radius images/Alamy
Design: Blacksheep
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted
First e-book edition 2011
ISBN 978 1 7803 1029 9
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
With special thanks to Tui Sutherland
The Bears' Journey: Bear View
The Bears' Journey: Human View
Kallik
A
soft breeze ruffled Kallik's fur, bringing with it the scents of fresh water and strange bears, as she climbed the rocky slope behind Toklo and Ujurak. Scrubby tufts of grass poked through cracks in the boulders, and tiny pebbles rolled under her paws. A faint orange glow lit up the edge of the sky; the night was already ending, although it felt as if they'd been walking for only a short time.
Kallik turned to look for her brother, Taqqiq. He was shambling along several steps behind her, batting small rocks down the hill with a ferocious paw swipe every few paces. He didn't look thrilled to be on this journey with the brown bears. Kallik wondered what he was thinking. Once, long ago, she used to be able to tell just by looking at him. Now, after so many
moons apart, he looked like a stranger.
Beyond him, far below the ridge they were climbing, she could see the vast blue shimmer of Great Bear Lake reflecting the rising sun. She spotted several shapes moving on the lakeshore. Bears were steadily leaving the Longest Day Gathering, heading back to their homes in forests, on mountains, and on the vast stretches of ice that would return now that the sun had given up its hold over the sky. There were so many bears that Kallik's keen nose could smell them all the way up here â the mingled scents of damp fur and muddy cubs. All the white bears she'd met were going back to the Melting Sea, where Kallik and Taqqiq had been born . . . where their mother, Nisa, had died. From her high position she could see that most of the bears were staying away from one another, deliberately picking out separate paths so they could travel alone.
Not Kallik. She wasn't alone any more.
A cold black nose nudged her left side, and Kallik swivelled her head around to look down at the tiny black bear cub beside her.
âIt's strange to be leaving them all behind, isn't it?' Lusa said in a hushed voice, matching her tone
to the quiet predawn stillness around them. Her eyes were huge in the pale light. âI hope they all make it back to their homes.' There was a wistful note to her voice as the little black bear watched every other black bear set off in the opposite direction. She shook herself. âBut I'm glad you're here, Kallik. It feels right having you with us.'
âMe and Taqqiq,' Kallik prompted.
Lusa glanced back at the other big white bear. Kallik followed her gaze and saw that her brother had a tendril of moss hooked around one claw. He was twitching his paw angrily, trying to get rid of it. His teeth were bared and he muttered something under his breath.
âYeah, you and Taqqiq,' Lusa said, but Kallik could hear the drop in enthusiasm in her new friend's voice. She decided to change the subject. Hopefully Taqqiq would start acting like her brother again soon, like the cheerful, playful cub he had been when they lived on the ice with Nisa, and then the others would feel friendlier towards him.
âI can't believe the sun is coming up already,' Kallik said, tilting her head towards the horizon at their flanks. She and Lusa had started walking
again, padding over the cold grey stone to catch up with Toklo and Ujurak. âI thought that after the Longest Day the nights would be longer. We've barely had any time to follow the Pathway Star.'
âWe'll still be able to see it for a while,' Lusa said, raising her nose to the sky where the bright star glittered. âAnd we have Ujurak. He knows where we're going.'
Kallik blinked, remembering the endless scorching days she had spent travelling to Great Bear Lake, never knowing where she would end up. âIt's nice to have someone to follow for once,' she commented quietly. âI've been lost for so long.' She looked up and saw that the two brown bears up ahead had stopped to drink from a small stream that trickled between the rocks. The rising sun tinged their fur a golden colour.