“Does that mean you’ll be taking over his territory now?” Kallik asked.

Toklo shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Why not?” Lusa asked as she bustled up with a mouthful of herbs for Toklo’s wounds. “Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”

“It’s still what I want,” Toklo agreed. “But I can wait. First, I want to come with you to Great Bear Lake.” Raising his voice over their exclamations of delight, he went on, “Our journey isn’t over. I’ll stay with you until I know you have found black bears you can make a home with, and that Kallik and Yakone will make it back to the Endless Ice with other white bears.”

“Oh, Toklo!” Lusa gazed into his eyes, blinking affectionately. “I’m so glad. I wanted to ask you to come, but I didn’t think you would now that you’ve found your home.”

“My home won’t go away,” Toklo told her. “One day I’ll return for good. And I’ll have you three to thank for getting me back here.”

When Lusa had tended to his wounds, Toklo slid into a doze. The sound of pawsteps roused him, and he opened his eyes to see Aiyanna pushing her way through the vines.

Lusa bounced up to greet her. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi, Lusa. I came to see Toklo,” Aiyanna replied, looking over at him. “Great spirits, what attacked you?” she gasped, her eyes widening as she saw his injuries.

“Chogan,” Toklo told her. “And I attacked him, actually. And won,” he added defiantly.

Aiyanna nodded. “I’m not surprised. Anyway,” she went on, “I came to ask you if you’d like to visit my territory. There’s something I want to show you.”

Toklo stared at her in surprise. Aiyanna had always been so sensitive about any bear going near her borders. What was she up to now? Could it be a trap? He told himself he could beat her in a fight if it came to it, even after battling Chogan. “Uh . . . yes, thanks,” he stammered.

“Come on, then.”

Rising to his paws, Toklo followed Aiyanna out of their denning place and up the hill toward her territory. After a while she turned onto a narrow path that wound between the trees until it reached the dead pine that bore Aiyanna’s scent marks.

Toklo’s heart started to pound, and he halted. I know where we’re going. Aiyanna turned and looked back at him. “Don’t you want to come?”

Unable to speak, Toklo nodded. Aiyanna led him on, past the tree and around a jagged rock into a patch of mossy ground surrounded by berry bushes. An overhanging rock stretched above a small mound of earth and broken twigs. Aiyanna stood beside it and waited for Toklo to join her.

“How did you know?” he asked hoarsely as he padded up.

“Lusa told me,” Aiyanna replied. “And she was right to do so. This may be my territory now, but Tobi’s burial mound will always belong to you.”