As Toklo listened, he began to feel unsettled. He didn’t want to hear his friends planning a journey that he wasn’t going to take part in. He rose to his paws.

“There’s something I have to do,” he announced abruptly, and padded off through the trees.

Toklo headed toward Chogan’s territory. His last encounter with his father had been inconclusive. Now he knew that he had to prove himself. I have to make Chogan see that I’m not a whimpering cub anymore.

The forest was quiet, and the scent of the wolves was already fading. Toklo’s sense of achievement about what they’d done gave him new energy and focused his determination for what he was about to do. Passing Chogan’s scent marks, Toklo headed several bearlengths into his father’s territory. Then he halted, taking in a huge lungful of air.

“Chogan!” he bellowed. The echoes of his roar rolled through the trees.

Toklo was drawing breath to call again when the undergrowth in front of him parted and Chogan lumbered into the open.

“You again!” he hissed. “What do you want?”

“I’ve come to give you what you want,” Toklo replied. “Or have you decided that you’re afraid to fight me?”

“Afraid?” Chogan took a threatening pace forward. “No bear has ever called me afraid and lived to boast of it.” He ran his gaze scornfully over Toklo. “At least you’ve come back to fight me like a real bear,” he added, his tone grimly pleased. “Like my son.”

“I’ll never see you as my father,” Toklo spat. “But I am ready to fight.”

Chogan let out a snort. “Good. You might learn a few things.”

Maybe you’re the one who will learn something, Toklo thought. But he didn’t waste breath taunting his father. Blows, not words, would decide this.

Chogan reared up on his hind legs and bore down on Toklo, who ducked to one side and raked his claws over Chogan’s haunches. Chogan turned almost lazily and let out a roar as he dropped down on top of Toklo, as if he was going to squash him like a grub. Toklo wrapped both forelegs around his father, pulling him down and rolling over so that he was on top. But Chogan clamped his paw over Toklo’s snout, pushing his head back until Toklo had to let go or risk having his neck broken.

Chogan clambered to his paws. “Had enough yet?” he snarled.

“We haven’t even started!” Toklo replied through gritted teeth.

He scrambled up in time to dodge to the side as Chogan plunged toward him, his jaws snapping, and hit his father with a blow over the ear.

Chogan turned, a sneering look on his face. “You’ll have to do better than that,” he growled.