Rage flared in Chogan’s eyes. “I don’t need your pity!” he snarled. “Fight me. Go on! Show me what you’re made of! Any son of mine would have clawed my ears off by now.”

“I won’t fight unless I have to.” Toklo forced himself to speak calmly because he knew that Chogan was trying to make him lose control. “And you know why? Because I’m not like you.”

“You’ll end up regretting that you let me live to fight another day,” Chogan growled. “Now get off my territory! You never belonged here, and you still don’t!”

He let out a furious snarl at Toklo, who paused for a moment to show that he was only leaving because he wanted to. Then he turned and padded away without once glancing back to look at Chogan.

As Toklo stumbled back across the scent line, he was dazed and shaking. Old Grizzly was his father! He remembered how terrified he had been of Chogan when he was a cub, but how he had still admired him and wanted to be like him when he grew up.

Not anymore, he realized. It’s good to be strong and fierce, but not to drive out weaker bears. Throughout his long journey with his friends, each of them had protected the others and cared for them. That’s better than fighting every other bear, and always being alone.

Toklo halted and looked back at the territory that had once been his home. “I came such a long way to find this place,” he murmured. “Instead, I found the bear who was responsible for destroying my family.” He let out a long, tremulous breath. “My own father.”

Chapter Nineteen - Kallik

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kallik

Kallik and Yakone were heading back to the boulders where they had made their den. The sun was going down, staining the snow with scarlet light and casting their long shadows across the slope.

“The hunting is good up here,” Kallik mumbled around the hare she was carrying.

Yakone just nodded; his jaws were full of the ptarmigan he had caught.

“Prey is coming back now,” Kallik went on, as she dropped her hare at the edge of the den. “It’s great!”

“Yes,” Yakone agreed, settling down to eat. “Those lazy wolves ought to come back. There’s more than enough food for them!”

Kallik still worried about Lusa and Toklo, fighting with the wolves in the forest for every mouthful of prey. A stab of guilt pierced her that she and Yakone had abandoned them.

Still, she comforted herself, it was the right decision. Yakone is getting his strength back up here. We’ve been able to walk so far along the ridge!