Pumping her legs desperately, Lusa tried to swim out of the way of the branch, but she was too late. The branch crashed into her and she was sent tumbling down the river, her legs flailing as she tried to stay upright. Her head went under the swirling water. She fought her way back to the surface, but she had lost her sense of direction. All she could see was water bubbling past her snout.

A moment later all the breath was driven out of Lusa’s body as the current flung her against something hard. Half dazed, she realised that she was pinned against the huge rock she had noticed earlier.

‘Kallik! Help!’ she choked out.

Lusa fought against the current, struggling to prise herself away from the rock, but all the terrifying power of the river was trapping her there. There was no escaping the crushing weight of the water. It roared in her ears, nose and mouth; she could feel her strength draining away by the instant. She tried to breathe and took in a mouthful of water.

I’m going to drown!

Then she felt strong claws fastening to her pelt. Peering through the surge of water, she made out the drenched white shape of Kallik by her side. The white bear was pushing her across the face of the rock. Lusa felt the current gushing around the side as it caught her, and Kallik held on to her as it dragged them both away downriver.

‘Swim!’ Kallik gasped.

For a few moments Lusa was too exhausted to obey. She pawed feebly at the surface, Kallik’s claws keeping her above water. The frothing waves surrounded them, battering over their faces and their backs; Lusa was sure that any moment now they would sink and not come up again.

Then she caught sight of a tree on the bank. Its branches were bathed in golden rays of sunlight. Calm suddenly swept over her, as if some great bear had laid a gentle paw on her head. Somehow she forced her aching legs to begin paddling again, and tried to keep the opposite bank in sight as she struggled across the current.

You told us to cross the river, she thought. You won’t let us drown.

At last, Lusa could feel the scrape of rocks beneath her thrashing paws and managed to stand with the river surging around her shoulders. Kallik gave her a push and guided her to a gap in the rocky bank, where they could scramble up a slope of shale.

Lusa felt as if her body was one huge bruise as she clambered out of the river. Her fur was plastered to her sides, and she shivered in the bright sunshine as she gasped and coughed up mouthfuls of water.

Bending her head, she whispered, ‘Thank you. Thank you . . .’

‘That’s OK,’ Kallik said, pushing her snout into Lusa’s shoulder. ‘You managed fine in the end.’