Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter

barged into him. “We can’t go this way.”
    Ujurak padded up beside him, peering curiously at the den walls and giving the air a cautious sniff. “It smells of firebeasts,” he murmured.
    Lusa’s paws tingled with anticipation. The two brown bears had hardly ever been close to flat-faces; they had no idea of the delicious food you could find in their big silver cans. Taking a deep sniff, Lusa thought she could pick up tantalizing hints of something good to eat.
    â€œWe should keep going,” she declared. “I know where there’s food.”
    Toklo glared at her. “Are you bee-brained? Bears don’t go near flat-faces. Do you want them shooting at us with their deathsticks?”
    â€œThey won’t, not if we’re quiet and clever. I’ll show you how.”
    â€œLike I want a black bear showing me anything,” Toklo huffed. “We’re going back into the woods. I’ll catch us some prey there.”
    He turned and padded off into the undergrowth; Ujurak followed, and Lusa had to go after them, casting a longing glance over her shoulders. It’s Toklo who’s bee-brained. I know I can find food there!
    Once the flat-face dens were out of sight again, Toklo motioned Lusa and Ujurak to a hollow underneath a huge pine tree. “Wait here. I’ll bring back some prey.”
    Lusa settled down, glad to be off her paws for a while. She could still hear the distant roar of firebeasts and pick up their harsh scent. She couldn’t give up the idea of finding food inthe silver cans that flat-faces kept outside their dens. We’d have to wait until dark anyway, she figured, glancing thoughtfully at Ujurak, who was snoozing with one paw over his nose.
    Her head filled with thoughts of slipping off by herself while the others slept, and coming back with enough food to satisfy them all. Toklo couldn’t call me weak then! But a pang of fear shook her like wind in a tree: Suppose they woke up while she was away, and went on without her?
    The long day was drawing to an end before Lusa heard rustling in the undergrowth. She sat up, prodding the sleeping Ujurak, ready to flee in a heartbeat; then she relaxed as Toklo pushed his way out of the bushes with a single ground squirrel dangling from his jaws.
    â€œIs that all you could catch?” she asked, dismayed.
    â€œThere’s no prey anywhere,” Toklo growled as he dropped the squirrel on the edge of the hollow. “The flat-faces must have scared it all away.”
    Ujurak got up and pressed his snout against Toklo’s shoulder. “This’ll be fine,” he said. “We’ll manage.”
    But the squirrel was old and scrawny; shared between the three of them, it was only a couple of dry mouthfuls each. Lusa’s belly was still complaining when she had finished.
    â€œ Now will you try my plan?” she asked.
    Toklo muttered something she didn’t catch.
    â€œWe can’t go on without food.” Ujurak still sounded doubtful. “Maybe Lusa’s right, and we should try the flat-face dens.”
    The big grizzly cub hesitated for a heartbeat, then shrugged.“All right. But if it goes wrong, don’t blame me.”
    Lusa took the lead as they padded back toward the dens in the gathering twilight. Her paws tingled with a mixture of excitement and fear. I have to make this work!
    At last the cubs reached the edge of the stone path that separated them from the flat-face dens. Lusa stepped out confidently onto the hard surface; at the same moment a harsh beam of yellow light swept over her and a squealing firebeast rounded the corner. She leaped back just in time, feeling its hot sticky wind ruffle her fur as it passed. Her heart thudded hard enough to hurt; she almost wanted to turn back, but she knew Toklo and Ujurak were watching her. I’ll never hear the end of it if I give up now .
    Scared and embarrassed, she muttered, “Sorry,” and looked