Toklo nodded. “Tobi and I were born on his territory,” he began. “I never knew his name—he was just ‘the big bear.’ Oka used to warn us about how fierce he was. She told us to stay away from him, but you know how fluff-brained young cubs can be.”

Lusa stifled a huff of amusement, not wanting to interrupt Toklo’s story.

“Once, Tobi and I went hunting,” Toklo went on, “and we met the big bear. Great spirits, I had no idea that a bear could be so huge and scary. We ran away and hid, but our hiding place turned out to be his den!”

“What happened?” Lusa gasped.

“He terrified us out of our fur,” Toklo snorted. “But he let us go in the end. Only then he found the den where we’d been living with Oka, and she knew that we had to leave. The big bear drove us out . . . and Oka almost had to fight him before we could cross the river.”

“That was Chogan? Wow!” Lusa said. “And he didn’t recognize you!”

“Well, I’ve changed a lot since then,” Toklo pointed out. “But he’s still a bully, and unfriendly, and determined to live on his own.” Alarm prickled through Lusa’s pelt as Toklo bushed up his fur and showed his claws. “Chogan forced my mother to leave when Tobi was too weak for such a long journey,” he continued. “But I was born on his territory, so I have as much right as he does to live and hunt there.”

“Are you going to try to drive him out?” Lusa asked anxiously.

Toklo shook his head. “I don’t know.” He slumped to the ground, looking worn out. “I don’t know if I want to live here when wolves are taking over the forest.”

Lusa had never seen Toklo looking so defeated. She sat down beside him, wishing she could comfort him. “We could always keep traveling,” she suggested. “These mountains are huge! I traveled for moons from the Bear Bowl before I found you and Ujurak.” She pressed her muzzle against Toklo’s shoulder. “There will be a place for you somewhere else.”

Toklo turned his head to look at her. “What about you, Lusa? Where are you going to live?”

A jag of fear struck through Lusa like a wolf’s fangs.

“I . . . I want to find some black bears,” she replied. “That might be far away from here, but I know there must be a place that’s safe for me.”

Toklo’s only response was a grunt.