Makya shook her head. “Maniitok is only found when he wants to be,” she replied. “But you could try the stream beside the lightning-blasted pine tree.” To Lusa’s surprise, she rose to her paws. “I’ll come with you. The cubs could do with stretching their legs, and I haven’t seen Maniitok in a while.”

Makya led Lusa through the trees, with Flo and Fala bumbling around their paws or darting off into the undergrowth to investigate rustling or strange scents.

“Stay close to me!” Makya told them sharply.

Lusa assumed it would be quite some distance to the pine tree, but Makya took her down a narrow gully in the forest lined with moss-covered rocks. A trickle of water ran down the bottom. “I’ve never been this way before,” Lusa said.

“I know this forest better than the hairs on my belly,” Makya told her.

“You’ll know where to send the wolves, then,” Lusa said.

Makya’s only reply was a grunt.

The gully led the bears to the stream, where the trickling rivulet poured down in a tiny waterfall. The lightning-blasted pine was only a few bearlengths away.

“I can’t see Maniitok,” Lusa said, looking around.

“Oh, he’s here all right,” Makya told her. “I can sense him. He’ll be hiding somewhere, watching us, the crafty old mangepelt.” She raised her voice. “Hey, Maniitok!”

Several moments passed, and Makya called again. At last the ferns near the pine tree parted, and the old bear shambled into the open. Lusa had a moment’s misgiving as she looked at him. I’d forgotten how old he is. Will he have the energy to help us?

“Hello,” Maniitok said to Lusa as he padded up. “Are you still here?” He sounded surprised. “I thought the wolves would have chased you off long ago, with those weird white bears.”

“No, we’re going to chase the wolves off instead,” Lusa told him. “Will you help?” Quickly she outlined the plan for him.

Maniitok pricked his ragged, gray-tinged ears. “Chase the wolves back to the ridge?” he said when Lusa had finished. “In my day I was the fastest bear in the forest! No one could catch me!”

Lusa glanced doubtfully at the old bear’s scrawny frame and bowed legs. “Then you’ll help?” she asked him.

“I’ll be there,” Maniitok promised. He lurched up onto his hind legs and batted the air with his forepaws. “See that?”

“We’re not asking you to fight the wolves single-pawed,” Lusa told him, hiding her amusement.

Maniitok glared at her. “I may be old, but there’s a good few fights left in me yet. I’ve fought more bears like this than you’ve eaten squirrels.” He dropped back onto all fours, breathing hard.

“Thank you.” Lusa dipped her head. “We’ll see you at the ravine in two sunsets.”