“And they’d eat us,” Fala added.

“Right,” said their mother. “So what do you do if wolves come?”

“Run away fast!” said Fala.

Flo nodded. “Run away if we even scent a wolf.”

Lusa shivered. The charming scene beneath her had suddenly turned darker. She could imagine what wolves would do to these little cubs if ever they caught them.

“And what else could you do?” the mother bear prompted.

“We’re small,” Fala said thoughtfully. “So we could squeeze into tiny spaces where the wolves couldn’t get at us.”

“Very good!” her mother praised her. “And do you remember what I told you to do if wolves chase you?”

“Split up!” Flo said.

“Because . . . ?”

“Because then one of us might survive.” Fala was serious now, shrinking closer to her mother.

“That’s right.” The mother bear gathered her cubs to her side and held them. “I couldn’t bear to lose both of you, my darlings.”

Perched in her tree, Lusa suddenly felt cold. She was reminded that the sunlit forest could be a harsh place, where cubs died and bears fought with one another for territory. And that was even before the wolves had come. Nowhere’s safe all the time, she thought.

The mother bear rose to her paws, briskly ruffling her cubs’ fur with one forepaw. “That’s enough of that,” she said. “Come on, let’s find some real prey!”

“Yes, I’m starving!” Flo exclaimed.

Once the bears had disappeared down the hill, Lusa jumped to the ground. Still acutely aware of how hard life could be, she tracked the young rabbits by their scent and killed one of them before it could escape down its burrow.

When she returned to the den with her prey, Toklo was nowhere to be seen. Lusa buried the rabbit under some loose stones and dragged out the crushed vines from their previous night’s nests. She had pulled up some ferns for fresh bedding and was checking them for thorns when she heard a bear approaching. Distracted by her task, she hadn’t noticed the pawsteps until the bear was almost on top of her.

Spinning around, Lusa expected to see Toklo. Instead, the newcomer was the she-bear Aiyanna. “Oh, it’s you!” Lusa exclaimed.

“Sorry if I startled you,” Aiyanna said, dipping her head. “Is this where you live now?”

“For the time being,” Lusa replied, still a little wary of the she-bear.

Aiyanna stepped forward as if she was going to enter the den.

“It’s very cramped in there,” Lusa said, diverting her but trying to sound polite. “Why not sit out here? Have a fern root; they’re very good.”

Aiyanna picked up a root and chewed it. “Where’s Toklo?” she asked after a moment.

“Hunting,” Lusa barked. “But he’ll be back soon.”

Aiyanna let out a snort of amusement. “Are you scared of me?”