The Longest Day (23 page)

“I'll walk with her,” Rudi grunted. “I never liked climbing pine trees. They make my paws ache.”

“We'll bring you back some honey,” Miki promised.

“I'll fetch Dena and Leotie.” Pokkoli was heading back through the trees. “They're still watching the white bears.”

Miki trotted across the clearing. “Come on, Lusa!”

Lusa ran to catch up. Ahead of them, Sheena was racing after Tibik. The cub was zigzagging through the forest. “Do you remember that bees' nest we found on the way here?” he barked happily.

“Yes,” Sheena panted. “It took me a whole day to wash the honey out of your fur.”

Issa and Dustu were waiting among the pines when Lusa and Miki reached them. The other black bears were sifting through the thick layer of pine needles that covered the forest floor, picking out bugs and digging for grubs. Above them, the dark-green canopy blocked the sunshine. Lusa glanced up and saw bees hovering busily among the trees.

Ossi pushed his way from behind a clump of brambles and stopped beside a broad, deeply scarred trunk. “This is one of the bee trees. The others are over there.” He pointed with his muzzle over his shoulder.

“Which bears should go first?” Sheena asked.

“Pokkoli, Lusa, and Ossi,” Dustu decided. He nodded to the tree beside Ossi. “You take that one, Lusa. Ossi and Pokkoli can take the other two.”

“Good luck, Lusa!” Miki barked.

Dustu looked at the bears. “The bear who gathers the most honey is the winner. Ready?”

Lusa rested her paws against the bark.

“Go!”

Lusa heaved herself upward, weaving between the jutting branches. The bark scraped her belly, and the sound of buzzing grew louder. Looking up, she could see bees swarming around a dark hole in the tree trunk. She licked her lips, smelling the honey. She was going to have to be quiet and move as slowly as a shadow. She edged closer to the hole. Bees buzzed around her ears. More flitted beneath her haunches. Holding her breath, Lusa pulled herself level with the hole and reached inside.
Ouch!
A sting sent pain stabbing through her paw. She ignored it and stretched until her claws reached soft, wet honey. She dug her paw deep into the comb, scooping out a thick pawful.

Gripping the trunk with three paws, she eased herself down. Honey dripped onto her fur as she reached the ground and landed with a thump on the needle-strewn earth.

Miki admired her piece of honeycomb. “Well done!”

“Let's see how the others did.” Lusa went over to Pokkoli's tree. The young bear was sitting at the bottom, a huge chunk of honeycomb—far bigger than Lusa's—in his paws. Lusa felt a twinge of disappointment, but she was happy for Pokkoli. More bears gathered around him.

“I've never seen a better piece,” chuffed an old male.

“The nest must be huge,” grunted another.

A she-bear peered up through the branches. “I'm going to get an even bigger piece.”

Tibik pushed his way through the crowd and stopped beside Lusa. “Can I have a taste?”

Sheena appeared behind him. “Will you share it, Lusa?”

“Of course!” Lusa snapped the honeycomb and gave half to Tibik. “Promise to take some back to Rudi and Chula.”

Tibik nodded as he scooped a pawful into his mouth.

Lusa licked the comb. “Do you want some?” She broke off a piece for Miki.

“Yes, please!” His eyes lit up as he took it. “Thanks,” he told her, stickily.

Issa and Dena were lining up at the bottom of the bee trees. They looked to Dustu, who raised his muzzle.

“Go!” The bears began to climb.

Ossi crossed the forest floor toward them. His fur was clumped where it was smeared with honey.

“Did you get much?” Lusa asked, licking the final smudges from her paw.

“Not as much as Pokkoli.” Ossi shrugged. “But I think I got the most stings.”

A breeze whisked between the trees and the brambles rustled. Lusa glanced around, her heart pounding. “What was that?”

“Just the wind,” Ossi told her.

Lusa scanned the shadows, forgetting the sweetness on her tongue as she thought of Hakan. Was he still here, watching? “I need to warn Toklo, Kallik, and Yakone about Hakan.”

Miki twitched his ears. “Hakan can't hurt them. They're bigger than he is.”

“They should know he's here,” Lusa insisted. Suddenly she needed Toklo to tell her not to worry, and Kallik to reassure her that there was nothing they could have done to save Chenoa.

“I'm coming with you,” Miki told her.

“No, it's too far. You should rest.”

“I'll go with her,” Ossi offered.

Miki narrowed his eyes. “Of course you will,” he grunted.

Lusa peered at him, surprised. It wasn't like Miki to be grumpy. “You'll soon be well enough to travel as far as you like,” she reassured him.

Tibik distracted her with a loud burp. He was leaning against Sheena's flank, wiping his tongue around his sticky muzzle.

When she turned back, Miki was padding away. Worry churned in Lusa's belly. “Do you think he's annoyed because I didn't share enough of my honey?” she asked Ossi.

Ossi didn't meet her gaze. “Maybe his head is hurting.”

“Do you think? Perhaps I should go check on him.”

“He'll be fine,” Ossi told her. “Look. He's surrounded by friends. They'll take care of him.”

Miki had joined the bears at the base of Issa's tree. Settling among them, he looked up and watched Issa climb.

“You're right. He'll be fine.” Relieved, Lusa headed through the trees, following the slope down toward the lake.

“Follow me.” Ossi slipped past her and disappeared over a mossy rise.

“Where are you going?” Lusa raced after him, the ground soft beneath her paws. As she reached the top, she saw Ossi standing in a stream. His snout was deep in the bubbling water.

The sweetness of the honey had left Lusa's mouth dry, and she bounded down the slope and splashed into the stream beside Ossi. Closing her eyes, she drank. Then she ducked down and let the water sweep over her shoulders. It was refreshingly cold. As she stood up, she saw Ossi staring at her. Was there still honey on her face? Lusa swiped a paw across her muzzle, but it was dripping with water, no stickiness left. She stared back, wondering why he was watching her with such warmth in his eyes.

She jumped onto the bank and shook out her pelt. “What's wrong?” He was still blinking at her like a drowsy rabbit.
“What?
” she demanded.

“Where are you going when the gathering's ended?”

Lusa looked down at her paws. “I don't know.” She sensed Ossi was working up to something, but she couldn't imagine what.

“Are you going to keep traveling with those brown and white bears?”

Sadness tugged at her heart. “No,” she answered softly. “This is the end of our journey together.”

“What did you plan to do next?”

“I hadn't planned anything really.” Thinking about the future sent worry worming beneath Lusa's pelt. “I guess I thought I'd make some friends here and travel on with them.
They might know a good place to live.”

“You could come home with me,” Ossi murmured.

Lusa lifted her head.

“My home is a moon's journey from here,” he went on. “It's full of rowan trees and cedar and beech. You can climb from tree to tree forever. There are other black bears, and more berry bushes than you can imagine. And no flat-faces to bother us.”

Lusa gazed at Ossi. He was so kind. And yet sadness tugged at her heart.
Why?
This was a future she'd dreamed of, and yet she couldn't picture it with Ossi.

When she didn't answer, Ossi shook his fur. “Oh, I see.” He dragged himself out of the stream. “I guess you don't want to come with me.”

Lusa's mouth felt dry.
I've hurt him.
“Can I think about it?”

“Of course.” Ossi brushed past her. “It's not important.” But he didn't meet her eyes, and she knew he was lying.

“I can feel the wind from the lake.” She changed the subject. “It feels warm. Do you think the weather's going to get hotter?”

“Probably,” he grunted, pushing past a patch of ferns. He headed through the forest, making for the white bears' stretch of shore.

Lusa tried to keep up, but Ossi managed to stay a few pawsteps ahead. As they neared the beach, he quickened his step and disappeared around a bramble. She heard his paws crunch over the pebbled shore and hurried to catch up. Was he going to be angry at her forever? Couldn't they be friends now?

The rustle of leaves sounded at the edge of her thoughts. Still half thinking about Ossi, Lusa turned. Her heart lurched.

Hakan was striding toward her, his gaze fiery with rage. “You killed my sister.”

“No!” Lusa scrambled backward as Hakan lunged at her, teeth bared. She shoved him away, but he rose to his hindpaws and towered over her.

“Hakan! No!” Fear spiked through Lusa's pelt.

She leaped sideways as his forepaws slammed down. He missed her, thumping earth instead and sending leaves fluttering around them.

Lusa backed through the brambles, her thoughts whirling. “We would have saved Chenoa if we could!” she barked desperately.

“But you didn't!” Hakan pushed after her through the spiky branches, his pelt bristling with rage.

Lusa felt pebbles beneath her paws and hot sunshine wash her flanks as she stumbled backward onto the beach. Stones clattered behind her, and a moment later, Ossi was barging past her toward Hakan.

“Leave her alone!” Ossi roared, shoving Hakan against the bramble.

Hakan staggered, and then found his balance. Ducking past Ossi, he hurled himself at Lusa, knocking her onto her back. Pressing his claws against her throat, he hissed into her face, “Chenoa's dead because of you!”

Ossi grabbed Hakan's scruff between his teeth and grunted as he tried to pull the black bear away. But Hakan was bigger
than Ossi, and he was gripping tight to Lusa's throat.

She gasped, blood roaring in her ears as his claws pressed her throat. Was Hakan going to kill her?

As terror swamped her, white fur flashed at the edge of her vision. Stones crunched under huge paws, and Lusa smelled the familiar scent of Kallik.

Kallik swung a blow at Hakan. Lusa felt fur rip at her throat as Hakan staggered sideways, releasing his vicious grip. She heaved herself up onto her paws, panting.

Kallik had pinned Hakan to the ground, her ears flat with rage, her muzzle a hairbreadth from the black bear's face.

Ossi hurried to Lusa's side and watched wide-eyed. “He's gone crazy!” he growled.

Lusa frowned. Perhaps he had. Her chest ached with pity.

“Leave Lusa alone!” Kallik hissed. “Chenoa's death was an accident. There was nothing we could have done to prevent it.”

Hakan snarled at her. “You should have let her stay with me. She'd still be alive.”

Kallik snorted. “What kind of life would it have been? With a bully like you for a brother!” She swiped a paw across Hakan's muzzle.

“No!” Lusa darted forward. “Don't hurt him!”

Kallik swung her head around. “Why not? He tried to hurt you!”

Lusa twitched her ears. “He's grieving, Kallik.”

Kallik hesitated, anger melting from her round black eyes. She let go of Hakan and backed away.

Hakan heaved himself to his paws and stared at Lusa, his gaze suddenly bleak. “Why did you take her with you?” Sadness choked his growl. He wasn't crazy; he was heartbroken.

Lusa faced him. “She
wanted
to come with us. We couldn't have stopped her, even if we'd tried. Nor could you. She would have followed us anyway.”

Her heart twisted as she saw Hakan's shoulders slump. “If I had been kinder to her, she wouldn't have wanted to go.”

Kallik shifted her paws. “Every bear needs to choose the path they follow. Chenoa chose hers.”

“She was happy with us,” Lusa offered. “And her death was quick. She didn't suffer.”

Ossi padded forward and stopped beside Lusa. “It hurts to lose someone you love. But she'll be at peace now.”

Lusa nodded. “I saw her spirit in a tree.”

Hakan jerked his gaze to meet hers. “You did? Where?”

“Near the Big River,” Lusa told him. She hoped, with a pang, that the flat-faces hadn't started cutting down the trees where Chenoa's stood.

Ossi was still staring at Hakan. “Come and make a nest in our camp,” he growled softly. “No bear should grieve alone. You can find comfort among your own kind.”

Lusa tensed, watching Hakan's face. Would he agree to make a nest in the same camp as her? She hoped so. Ossi was right. He need friendship more than anything.

“Okay.” Hakan dipped his head. He flashed a look at Lusa, more reproachful than angry, and she guessed that, although he hadn't forgiven them for what had happened to his sister,
he was starting to accept that it was a tragedy no bear could have foreseen.

Ossi blinked at her. “Let's take him back to join the others.”

“You take him, Ossi,” Lusa told him. “I want to speak with Kallik.” She wanted to thank Kallik for saving her, and she guessed that Hakan would rather travel without her.

Ossi seemed to understand. He met her gaze for a moment, then turned to Hakan. “You can make a nest near mine,” he told the black bear gently. “There's a thick clump of ferns. It'll be comfortable. And there are berry bushes just up the hill.” Talking encouragingly, he nudged Hakan into the forest.

As they disappeared past the bramble, Lusa turned to face Kallik. “Thank the spirits you saw us!” She glanced past Kallik, wondering where Yakone was. She couldn't see him and only recognized Nukka close to the edge of the group. Lusa remembered the she-bear from the Melting Sea.

Kallik touched her muzzle to Lusa's head. “I'm glad I did! Where did Hakan come from? Did you know he was here?”