Lusa set off toward the waterfall and clambered over the boulders at the foot of the cascade. Spray misted on her pelt, and she kept slipping on the rocks, which were slick with water. There wasn’t enough space among the boulders for four bears to hide, but soon she spotted a narrow path leading to a ledge behind the falls. Cautiously she followed it, putting each paw down carefully one in front of another, terrified that the thundering water would catch her and hurl her into the pool.

The track ended in a shallow cave shut off from the ravine by the tumbling water. The roof was low and the floor covered with grit, but as she examined it, Lusa’s hopes started to rise. The wolves will never find us here! The waterfall will drown out any sounds we make, and the rocks are too wet to hold our scent.

“Come on!” she called as she hurried back to her friends as quickly as she dared. “I’ve found a place to hide.”

Kallik nudged Yakone to his paws, and the other bears followed Lusa along the track. It was harder for the bigger bears to make their way along the narrow ledge; Yakone especially stumbled and wavered, and Lusa’s heart pounded with fear that he would lose his footing and slide down into the churning water below.

At last all four bears reached the cave, wedged uncomfortably together in the shallow space.

“Good find, Lusa,” Kallik murmured as she settled herself beside Yakone. “We’ll be safe here.”

Toklo let out a grunt. “I hate this. We’re bears. We shouldn’t have to hide like prey.”

“We all hate it,” Kallik pointed out. “But it’s better than trying to spend the night in the open.”

“Right.” Lusa gave Toklo a friendly prod. “Come on, try to get some rest. Then we’ll be ready to get out of the ravine at dawn.”

Toklo huffed irritably but didn’t argue any more. Lusa curled up against the cave wall, but for all her weariness, she couldn’t sleep. She was squashed up against Toklo, and the waterfall was like thunder in her ears. She could feel the others shifting uneasily, too. Yakone was clearly in pain, muttering confusedly about hunting on the ice. At last she dropped into a disturbed doze, but she was relieved when dawn light began to filter through the falling water, and she was able to get up and stretch her cramped limbs.

Toklo led the way back along the ledge and cautiously emerged among the boulders at the edge of the pool. He raised his snout and sniffed. “I can’t smell the wolves,” he reported.

Lusa followed him out, while Kallik and Yakone brought up the rear. Lusa was glad to see that Yakone seemed to be a little better; at least the icy water of the stream had stopped his wound from bleeding.