‘Do you think we can get in?’ Toklo muttered.

‘I know we have to try,’ Lusa barked.

Feeling very exposed, Kallik followed the black bear as she set out across the lighted stretch of ground to the door of the den. About halfway there, Lusa stopped; Toklo almost crashed into her.

‘Watch it!’ he growled.

‘Sorry, Toklo, but look what I’ve found!’

Lusa dipped her head and touched her nose to something lying on the ground. Peering closely, Kallik saw that it was a tiny carving of a black bear, like the white one she had found beside the metal bird. Giving it a sniff, she picked up Ujurak’s scent again.

‘He left this for us,’ Lusa said. ‘Now we know he has to be in here.’

Determinedly she padded towards the door and stopped to study it.

‘Now what do we do?’ Toklo asked.

‘Let me think.’ Lusa’s eyes were fixed on the door. ‘I got into the healer’s den. Maybe I can get in here.’

As Lusa examined the door, Kallik kept watch for the approach of flat-faces. Her heart was pounding, but the BlackPath was deserted as far as she could see.

‘I’ll have to –’ Lusa took a pace forward towards the centre of the doors and broke off with a frightened squeak. With an almost inaudible swish the door had parted in the middle, the two halves sliding aside to leave an opening in the middle.

Fear gripped Kallik and she kept very still. Beside her, Toklo and Lusa stood rigid; Kallik thought she could hear the thudding of their hearts.

‘It’s a trap,’ Toklo said hoarsely.

‘Do you . . . do you think it wants to eat us?’ Lusa whispered.

The faint trail of Ujurak’s scent beckoned them through, but no bear moved. Kallik didn’t think she could force her paws to carry her past this mysterious door that moved when no one was near it.

But as the moments dragged by, nothing happened. No angry flat-faces appeared, and the door stayed invitingly open.

‘We wanted to get in, didn’t we?’ Lusa said at last. Kallik could tell that she was trying to sound brave, though her voice still shook a little. ‘Let’s go.’

Toklo blocked her as she tried to plunge inside the den. ‘Hold it, bee-brain! Let me check it out first.’

Pushing past Lusa, he stuck his head inside the door, then padded all the way in. ‘There’s no one around. Come on.’

Every muscle in Kallik’s body was yelling at her to run. She had been scared enough when she and Lusa had sneaked into the healer’s den. This was much worse: she couldn’t imagine what flat-faces would do to bears if they caught them trespassing here.