‘It’s all right,’ Toklo said gruffly. ‘It’s gone. You can come out.’

Kallik crawled into the open and stood up. She couldn’t take her eyes off Toklo, still finding it hard to believe that he was here. He looked bedraggled, and he smelled foul, with the same bitter stench as the land around them.

‘Thank you, Toklo!’ she puffed, as her breathing steadied and she felt her racing heart grow calmer.

‘You saved us from the bird!’ Lusa had crawled out of the thicket behind Kallik and raised a paw to rub at the scratch on her nose. ‘You were so brave!’

Toklo hunched his shoulders, looking embarrassed, and let out a grunt.

‘You really stink, though,’ Lusa added, giving him a sniff and jumping back with a shocked look.

‘You’re not so sweet-scented yourself,’ Toklo retorted. ‘Anyway, it wasn’t my fault. I had an accident. Look.’ He turned sideways and showed Kallik and Lusa traces of something black and sticky on his pelt.

‘It’s like the mud we’ve been walking through,’ Kallik observed. She leaned forward to smell it. ‘Yuck!’

‘Look, can we not talk about my scent?’ Toklo growled, beginning to bristle. ‘I didn’t rescue you just to be told that I stink.’

‘Sorry,’ Lusa said, though amusement was dancing in her eyes. ‘We really are grateful, Toklo.’

The grizzly cub snorted and shook his pelt. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

‘We’re trying to find Ujurak,’ Lusa replied. ‘What about you?’

Toklo grunted, flicking away Lusa’s question like a fly that had landed on his ear. ‘Oh, I’ve been hunting, looking around . . . trying to find the best territory.’

‘Did you mark trees?’ Lusa asked eagerly. ‘And make yourself a den? I bet you were the fiercest bear in the forest!’

Toklo shook his pelt. ‘We don’t have to go into all that. Everything’s fine. Just tell me what that little fluffball’s done now.’

They settled down in the feeble shelter of the thorns while Lusa told Toklo about the flat-faces who had come to the denning place where the healer lived, and how they had taken Ujurak away with them.

‘I’m sure they brought him here,’ she finished. ‘This is where the metal birds come to nest. Will you help us find him, Toklo?’

‘Please,’ Kallik added. ‘It can’t be just chance that you turned up in time to rescue us. The spirits have brought us back together again.’

Toklo huffed. ‘Spirits!’ he muttered. ‘Who do you think you are – Ujurak?’

Even so, Kallik could tell that he was pleased to see them again. She wondered if he had been looking for them all this time. Did he miss us, just like we were missing him?

‘I suppose I’d better help,’ Toklo went on with a sigh. ‘You’ll only get into more trouble if I let you go by yourselves.’