The Longest Day (3 page)

Toklo was proud, but the gaze of so many bears felt hotter than the burn-sky sun. “I was happy I could do it,” he mumbled. “I just wanted to help—” His voice trailed away as he caught sight of a huge brown bear with glossy fur the color of bark. Toklo recognized him at once, and his heart sank.

“You wanted to prove you were better than anyone else!” Hattack snarled, his black eyes glittering with dislike. “
I
was going to swim to the island, but you butted in before I could offer.”

“That's not true!” Toklo growled. Hattack had claimed he couldn't swim to Pawprint Island because he had cramps in his legs. He'd been the bears' strongest swimmer, but he'd let Toklo take his place.

A she-bear pushed in beside Hattack and glared at Toklo. “You came to show off at the last gathering, and now you're here to show off again!”

“He's not showing off, Wenona!” Tuari objected.

Anger surged through Toklo's pelt. Why would he show off? He'd been scared half to death on the swim to Pawprint
Island, and he hadn't asked anyone to thank him for it now.

He felt Shesh shift beside him. “It's too hot to argue. Let's hunt instead.” The old bear nodded toward the trees. “We can find out if Holata is right about pine forests being the best place for prey.”

Holata snapped his head around as he heard his name. He narrowed his eyes warily.

Toklo didn't like the tension that swirled around the gathering, as stifling as the hot wind whisking down from the hills.
Oogrook should be here.
He guessed that more than one of the bears was silently hoping to take the old leader's place.

He said out loud, “That's a good idea, Shesh. Let's hunt.” Chasing prey might ease the bears' hunger—for food
and
for leadership. At least it would take their minds off it for a while.

Toklo let Hattack, Holata, and Wenona take the lead, and walked between Shesh and Tuari as they climbed the shore and pushed their way into the ferns. Coolness swept over his pelt as he padded beneath the pines.

“Holata!” A young bear's call sounded from behind. Elki and Elsu were scrambling through the ferns, their eyes shining with excitement.

“Go back to your mother!” Holata snapped. “We're busy.”

“But you promised you'd teach us to hunt when we reached the lake!” Elsu protested.

Elki pushed past him and gazed at her father in dismay. “You said
as soon as
we reached the lake.”

“I said go back!” Holata sounded frustrated.

Hattack stopped. “Let them come! You can teach them
how to catch rabbits while
we
catch some
real
prey.”

Holata scowled. “Go back to Muna!” he told the cubs.

Their eyes clouded with disappointment. Swapping glances, they turned and trudged back to the shore.

Shesh sighed. “If Hattack and Wenona weren't trying to make this a competition, Holata would have let them come,” he murmured.

“Holata can teach his cubs to hunt anytime.” Tuari shrugged and followed Hattack deeper into the forest.

Toklo swallowed back a growl. “I wish Oogrook was here,” he grunted.

Shesh walked beside him. “Things change, Toklo.”

Toklo thought he'd seen enough change over the past suncircle to last his whole lifetime. He'd found friends and lost them. He'd hardly slept in the same den for more than a few nights.
For once, I'd like everything to stay the same!

Ahead, the swish of ferns caught his eye. A red pelt flashed between the trees.
Deer!

Wenona must have seen it, too. She charged forward, Hattack at her heels. Toklo watched them barge through the undergrowth, each struggling to get ahead. Hattack swerved into Wenona, sending the she-bear off balance. Wenona barked with anger and pushed back. The deer sprang over a fallen tree and pelted away. The two bears thundered after it, shoulder to shoulder. Toklo winced. Couldn't they see the trees narrowing ahead of them? With a thump, Hattack's flank hit a trunk. Needles showered down as he stumbled and fell. Reaching out, he caught Wenona's hind leg with his front
paw. Wenona lost her footing and tumbled over. Just in front of them, the deer disappeared through a swathe of brambles.

Toklo felt a rush of frustration. The bears would do better if they worked together instead of competing.

Shesh grunted. “Perhaps we should hunt alone.”

“Is that how it's going to be?” Toklo grumbled. “Each bear hunting alone because we can't cooperate without a leader?”

“Once in a suncircle, we share territory with each other,” Shesh reminded him. “The spirits don't ask any more than that.”

“Why not?” Toklo thought of his long journey with Lusa, Kallik, and Yakone. They would never have survived alone.

Toklo caught the sound of running water and headed toward it, relieved to have an excuse to be by himself. “I'm going to get a drink,” he told Shesh. “I'll catch up to you.”

“No rush.” Shesh started to amble after the others. “By the time Wenona and Hattack have crashed into every tree in the forest,” he called over his shoulder, “there will be nothing left to hunt.”

Toklo followed a stale deer track through a thick patch of ferns, sniffing for the scent of a stream. As he smelled it, earthy and fresh, his thirst seemed to grow. Hurrying closer, he nearly tumbled into the narrow channel that opened in front of him. He dipped his snout into the cool water and drank deeply.

Pawsteps sounded upslope. He looked up and saw Hattack heading toward him. Toklo stiffened. “What are you doing here?” he growled.

Hattack sniffed. “I'll never catch anything with that great lump, Wenona,” he grumbled. “So I thought I'd join you. You look like you know how to hunt.” His gaze flickered over Toklo's well-muscled shoulders.

Toklo shook the water from his muzzle. Why was Hattack being friendly now? Did he just want a hunting partner?

“Let's try this way.” Hattack nodded toward a patch of woodland where the trees opened up enough to let a little sunlight through. The undergrowth was lusher there. “Where there are good leaves, there's good prey.”

“I promised Shesh I'd catch up to him,” Toklo protested.

“You don't want to hunt with him,” Hattack snorted. “He's so old, he'll have you doing all the running.”

I don't mind.
Before Toklo could argue, Hattack headed between the trees.

“Come on,” the other grizzly called. “Unless you're scared that you're not good enough to hunt with me?”

Toklo lifted his chin, annoyed with Hattack for challenging him, and annoyed with himself for being so easily goaded. Reluctantly he followed the other brown bear through the forest.

“Look!” Toklo saw a pale pelt race along the ground. “A weasel.”

“A weasel!” Hattack snorted. “We're taking something better than
that
back to the shore.” He marched on, ignoring the rustle of leaves as the weasel disappeared into a patch of ferns.

Toklo followed, slowing expectantly each time he heard the call of a grouse or scented a raccoon. But Hattack seemed
determined to lead them deeper and deeper into the forest, until the glimmer of the lake disappeared behind them and the pines closed around them. Toklo slowed, his paws growing heavy with apprehension. Was Hattack even
looking
for prey? Why was he leading them so far away from the others?

“Hattack,” he ventured. “We should head back. I don't think there'll be much deer here.” He could see spruce and birch among the trees ahead. “Besides, I think we're getting near the black bears' territory.”

Hattack turned, his gaze suddenly malicious.

Toklo tensed. Had Hattack led him here to fight? “We're supposed to be hunting.” He held his ground as Hattack walked slowly toward him. Hattack had grown since the last gathering. Muscles bulked out his flanks, and the scars on his nose showed that he was used to fighting. “Come on,” Toklo reasoned. “Let's head back and find a deer.”

Hattack narrowed his eyes. “You think you can just come here and proclaim yourself leader of the bears?” Anger rumbled in his growl.

“I haven't!” Toklo shifted his paws, flustered. “That's not why I came!”

But Hattack wasn't listening. “Reminding everyone that it was you who swam to the island and caught the salmon.” He stopped a muzzle-length from Toklo. His eyes bored into Toklo's, and his meaty breath bathed Toklo's snout.

Toklo fought back anger. “I came to honor the spirits, and meet with brown bears, just like you did.”

“Really? Is that because you're
so
devoted to your ancestors?”
Hattack sneered. “And
so
loyal to your own kind?”

“Of course I am!” Toklo snapped.

“So why have you been living with black bears and white bears?” Hattack pushed past him, striding away through the undergrowth. He called over his shoulder, “Who wants a leader who prefers bears who live on ice or hide up trees? I'll make sure everyone knows who you really are.”

Toklo stared after him. His paws were shaking, half with shock, half with rage. He'd only been here for one day and he'd already made an enemy! Why did Hattack assume he wanted to be leader of the brown bears? That wasn't his plan! That wasn't his plan
at all
!

Kallik followed Yakone along the ridge
above the water, feeling the sunshine burn into her pelt. She couldn't wait to get to the lake and drench herself.

Yakone paused and looked over his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Kallik realized she'd been lagging behind. She trotted to catch up. “I'm fine.”

Yakone tipped his head to one side. “Are you worried about leaving Toklo and Lusa?”

Kallik blinked. “Will we ever see them again?” The thought had been nagging in her belly like homesickness.

“Of course.” Yakone turned to head down onto softer ground. Around them, stunted bushes and spiky grass covered the sandy earth. They were nearing the shoreline, where white bears lay in the shade of a stand of pines.

“Lusa and Toklo would never leave you without a proper good-bye,” Yakone murmured, his flank brushing hers.

Kallik hoped it was true. The brown bears looked small
from here. Would they allow a white bear to wander onto their stretch of shore? She couldn't see Toklo among the others, and by now Lusa would be lost in the shelter of the forest with the other black bears.

They slithered down a steep slope and crossed a marshy pool. Muddy water sloshed around Kallik's legs. Instinctively she glanced at Yakone's injured paw. The wound from the flat-face trap, which had ripped away two of his toes, had healed now, but the scar was still delicate.

Yakone caught her eye. “It's not hurting,” he grunted, reading her thoughts.

“I just like to make sure you're okay.”

He splashed water at her playfully. “I can look after myself, you know.”

Kallik lifted her muzzle. “Of course you can. But you like that I care.” As she climbed onto harder ground, she felt her spirits lift. They were finally here! Which familiar faces would they see? Anticipation sparked beneath her pelt, and she quickened her pace.

Their path took them close to a strange flat-face construction, a tall thin tower built of white stone.
This is where my journey began!
Kallik had first met the others here, when Lusa had rescued a black bear cub from Taqqiq and his friends. Brambles had grown around the tower since last suncircle. Kallik couldn't make out the hole that led into the hollowed-out stone.

A whole suncircle of traveling! The journey had taken her farther than she could ever have imagined; it had led her to
Yakone. And now she was back, with Yakone still at her side. “Come on!” She broke into a run.

Crossing the stones, Kallik splashed into the lake and sank joyfully into the water. It flooded over her flanks, quenching the heat in her fur. Yakone waded in after her and flopped down in the shallows. Kallik rolled over, rubbing her dusty pelt among the pebbles and feeling the grit float free. Water flooded into her nose and eyes as she dipped her head underneath.

“Yakone? Is that you?”

A voice from the shore made her sit up. Her fur streaming, she blinked at the white bear calling from the edge of the lake.

Yakone heaved himself to his paws. “Illa?” he barked in disbelief. “What are you doing here? The Star Island bears haven't been to the Longest Day gathering for suncircles!”

Kallik pushed herself up. Yakone and Illa had lived together on Star Island, before Kallik had met them. And Tunerq was with her.

Yakone gazed at the young male. “You've grown!”

“We've eaten well since you taught us how to hunt musk ox,” Tunerq answered.

“Great!” Yakone's gaze slid past Tunerq. “Is Unalaq here?”