“Well, we did complain a bit,” Lusa said. “And with Yakone being injured, Kallik must feel very vulnerable and homesick.” She hesitated, scrabbling her forepaws among the fern roots, then added tremulously, “Toklo, when they’ve gone, will you still want me around?”

Toklo was surprised that she should even need to ask. “Of course, you bee-brain!” he replied, giving her a friendly shove.

Lusa met his gaze steadily. “But you know that when we reach places that each of us can call home, our journey together will end. We’ll all end up alone eventually. Except for Kallik and Yakone. They’ll still have each other.”

Toklo admired the little black bear’s courage in facing what he had been trying to ignore for so long. He rested his muzzle on Lusa’s head. “You won’t be alone,” he promised gruffly. “Not if I can help it.”

Picking up the rabbit, Toklo headed back to the den with Lusa trotting companionably by his side. Before they had gone far, Toklo heard a familiar buzzing and smelled the sweet scent of honey. Looking up, he spotted bees flying in and out of a hole in an oak tree. He nudged Lusa. “Honey!”

Lusa glanced upward and tasted saliva building in her jaws. “I’m going to get some!” she said, beginning to climb.

Toklo spotted a dead branch lying on the forest floor, withered leaves still clinging to it. Setting his prey down, he lifted the branch by one end and waved it about in the air, distracting the bees and clearing Lusa’s way to the hive. Lusa climbed up the tree and stuck her paw into the hole, clawing out great lumps of honeycomb, which plopped stickily to the ground. Then she scrambled down again and plunged her snout into the sweet treat.

“Delicious!” she mumbled. “Hey, Toklo, thanks for waving that branch. I hardly got stung at all.”

“You’re welcome,” Toklo responded, licking the honey and trying not to get it all over his fur this time.

Lusa looked up, with honey dripping from her snout. “We make a great team!” she said.

Toklo blinked. “Always, little one,” he murmured.

Chapter Thirteen - Kallik

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kallik

Kallik shifted uneasily in the den, unable to sleep. She knew that as soon as the sky paled into the new dawn, she and Yakone would leave.

“I want to do what makes you happy,” Yakone had said when they discussed the plan the night before. “I know it’s hard to say good-bye to friends.”

“But we have to part sometime,” Kallik responded with a sigh. “If we wait too long, all the ice will have gone from the Melting Sea.”

“Then if you’re sure,” Yakone said, leaning his head toward hers, “that’s what we’ll do.”

She had felt sure, but now every breath that Kallik took was bringing her closer to the parting with Lusa and Toklo.