Kallik wasn’t reassured, but whatever the trouble was, Ujurak obviously didn’t want to talk about it. She padded up to him and buried her snout in his shoulder. ‘It’s good to see you back in your proper bear shape,’ she said. ‘I hope you stay that way.’

‘I hope so too,’ Ujurak said heavily.

‘And I hope you know the way out of here,’ Toklo growled as he came out of hiding with Lusa just behind him. ‘I want to shake this place off my paws for good. And I’m hungry!’

‘We’ll hunt as soon as we can,’ Ujurak promised. ‘It won’t be long now.’

He turned and led the way along one of the BlackPaths he had seen from the sky; after a while he seemed to shake off some of his weariness, and his pawsteps grew swift and confident. Kallik followed eagerly. As they turned on to another BlackPath the wind in her face smelled cleaner. Sooner than she had hoped, the buildings fell away behind them. Her paws left the hard surface and landed on grass, interrupted here and there by rocks and clumps of low-growing foliage. She could hear the gentle sound of waves washing on the shore, and at last, beneath the ever-present taint of oil, she picked up the tang of salt-water. Starlight glittered on the rippling surface and glimmered on the line of the ice.

It’s coming closer! she thought joyfully, drawing in the familiar cold scent.

She longed to swim out across the narrow stretch of open water, on to the frozen sea. She longed to lose herself in the endless whiteness. But she knew that she couldn’t leave her companions. Not now, when we’ve just discovered what is happening to the wilderness.

A few bearlengths further on, they came to the bank of the river. Glancing upstream, Kallik spotted the bridge she had crossed with Lusa and Toklo on their way into the denning place. Lights were flashing there, like a colony of fireflies, and she could hear the sound of no-claws shouting.

‘They’re still looking for us,’ Toklo observed.

‘Yes, it’s lucky we didn’t try to cross there,’ Lusa agreed.

Ujurak was gazing across the river; Kallik padded up to join him. Moonlight glimmered on the rippling water, dividing into tiny streams as it neared the sea. Sandbanks and little islands looked black against the silvery surface.

‘I think we can wade across here,’ Ujurak said, venturing a few pawsteps into the current. The water barely covered his paws.

With a last glance at the lights on the bridge, Kallik followed him, splashing through the river, enjoying the cold feel of it against her fur. Toklo plodded along steadily, his gaze fixed on the water as if he was hoping to spot a fish. Lusa bounded along, letting out a squeal of surprise when her paws slipped and she fell on her side, sending up an enormous splash.