Kallik had been unconvinced by his optimism. “You’re assuming the wolves caught her nearby,” she said. “We don’t know where she went. If the wolves got her in this herb valley she was talking about, we wouldn’t know.”

Toklo looked troubled, unable to argue. “Then she might have met some other black bears, and gone to make her own home,” he suggested.

Kallik hadn’t even bothered to respond to that cloud-brained idea. Both she and Toklo knew that Lusa would never have left them without coming to say good-bye, especially when they were relying on her to help Yakone.

Now, too restless to lie still, Kallik rose to her paws. Beside her, Yakone stirred uneasily. “Come with me, Kallik,” he mumbled. “Not snowing now . . . need to go find a seal hole.”

“Yes, we’ll do that,” Kallik murmured soothingly. She couldn’t bear to tell Yakone that he was lying in a dusty forest, a long, long way from his beloved ice. “Sleep for a while first. Then we’ll catch a seal.”

Yakone settled down again, but his breathing was labored. Kallik remembered her dream of Nisa and Nanuk, and felt like the bear spirits were circling behind her, just out of sight, waiting.

“You can’t take him yet,” she hissed.

Still, the bear spirits seemed to crowd closer. Their presence was so real to Kallik that she whipped around to confront them, baring her teeth. But there was nothing to be seen.

The branches above her head rustled, and Toklo poked his nose into the den. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” Kallik grunted. “I’m awake, so I’ll take over now. You get some rest.”

Toklo slid into the den and Kallik took his place outside, staring into the eerily silent forest. Will the birds and animals ever come back? she wondered. Or will more and more wolves come, until they’re forced to eat one another, because there’s no prey left? Perhaps that’s what it will take for the forest to survive.

Kallik’s ears pricked at the sound of a rustle in the bushes. She stiffened, staring in the direction of the sound, and made out the movement of branches and ferns in the undergrowth. Her belly churned at the crackling sound of pawsteps, coming nearer and nearer. Peering into the foliage in an attempt to see what was approaching, Kallik rose to her paws, but stayed where she was. She braced herself for an attack.

Closer and closer came the pawsteps. Kallik bared her teeth and raised one paw, ready to strike. I’ll fight wolves or bear spirits for Yakone’s life. He belongs with me now!

The branches in front of Kallik parted. A small black snout emerged from the bushes. Then, looking around cautiously, Lusa trotted out. She bounded forward as soon as she spotted Kallik.

“Lusa!” Kallik barked. “Thank goodness! Where have you been?”