clattering from outside.
Ujurak sat up again, his heart beginning to pound.
What’s that? It’s louder than a firebeast!
Tiinchuu calmed him with a hand resting briefly on his shoulder. ‘I have to leave you for a while,’ he said, rising to his feet. ‘You should try to sleep.’
‘Where are you going?’ Ujurak asked.
‘Today the village is expecting visitors from far away,’ the healer replied. ‘And it sounds as if they’ve arrived. I have to go and meet them.’ His tone was grim; Ujurak realised that he wasn’t looking forward to the meeting.
‘Visitors?’ he echoed.
‘There are people who respect our ways,’ Tiinchuu explained. His dark eyes were sombre. ‘But there are others who don’t want the wilderness to stay wild.’
‘What others?’ Ujurak asked hoarsely.
‘Hunters who do not respect the animal spirits as my people do,’ Tiinchuu said. ‘Men who want to cover the wilderness with roads and houses. And others . . .’ He frowned. ‘Others who want to rip the heart out of the earth for their own profit.’
Ujurak’s eyes widened. He didn’t understand what Tiinchuu meant, but it sounded terrifying.
‘Don’t worry,’ Tiinchuu said. ‘While there is breath in my body I will fight the change that is coming, and I’m not the only one.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Toklo
I n his dreams, Toklo found himself in a thick forest. Branches arched overhead and rustling in the undergrowth betrayed the presence of prey. He let out a growl, rearing up to score his claws down the trunk of a tree.
This is my territory! Better not mess with
me
!
A mule deer stepped out of the bushes and stood in a clearing just ahead of him. Toklo bunched his muscles, ready to hunt it down, but as he bounded forward he seemed to fall over his own paws. He woke to find himself underneath the rocky outcrop with Lusa and Kallik beside him and a faint dawn light seeping across the sky.
Toklo sat up, yawning and giving himself a vigorous scratch with one paw.
That was a weird dream!
Beside him, Kallik huffed out a breath and opened her eyes. When she saw Toklo, she heaved herself to her paws.
‘I’m glad you’re still here,’ she murmured.
Toklo nodded. ‘For now.’
He was relieved that Kallik seemed to understand that he couldn’t stay forever. Soon he would have to take the path of a brown bear into the forest, but he knew that however much he tried to explain, he would never make Lusa see that it was the only choice he could make.
‘I’m hungry. Let’s hunt,’ he said out loud.
Padding out into the valley, he snuffed at the air for the scent of prey, and spotted a rabbit nibbling at the long grasses on the edge of a pool. Kallik saw it too; with a brief nod she glided forward, skirting the rabbit in a wide circle so that she could come at it from the other side.
When she was in position she jumped forward with a fearsome growl. The rabbit started up, saw her, and fled straight into Toklo’s paws. He killed it with a blow to its spine.
‘Great kill!’ Kallik said, bounding up. ‘We should try that again some time.’ Then her eyes grewshadowed, as if she remembered that they wouldn’t have many more chances to hunt together.
Toklo picked up the rabbit and carried it back to where Lusa was still sleeping. As he approached, the little black bear grunted, stirring, and passed her paws over her face. ‘Morning already!’ she yawned, scrambling up. ‘We’d better go back to the flat-face dens and see how Ujurak is doing.’ Her eyes shone as she turned to Kallik. ‘Maybe he’ll be ready to come back with us today!’
‘Hang on,’ Toklo said. ‘Eat first.’
‘Oh, thanks. I’m starving!’ Lusa’s eyes shone as she tore a mouthful from the rabbit. Toklo could see that she had put their argument of the night before out of her mind. He guessed she had managed to forget that he was going to leave.
When they had finished eating, Toklo and Kallik followed Lusa as she bounded eagerly back
Ujurak sat up again, his heart beginning to pound.
What’s that? It’s louder than a firebeast!
Tiinchuu calmed him with a hand resting briefly on his shoulder. ‘I have to leave you for a while,’ he said, rising to his feet. ‘You should try to sleep.’
‘Where are you going?’ Ujurak asked.
‘Today the village is expecting visitors from far away,’ the healer replied. ‘And it sounds as if they’ve arrived. I have to go and meet them.’ His tone was grim; Ujurak realised that he wasn’t looking forward to the meeting.
‘Visitors?’ he echoed.
‘There are people who respect our ways,’ Tiinchuu explained. His dark eyes were sombre. ‘But there are others who don’t want the wilderness to stay wild.’
‘What others?’ Ujurak asked hoarsely.
‘Hunters who do not respect the animal spirits as my people do,’ Tiinchuu said. ‘Men who want to cover the wilderness with roads and houses. And others . . .’ He frowned. ‘Others who want to rip the heart out of the earth for their own profit.’
Ujurak’s eyes widened. He didn’t understand what Tiinchuu meant, but it sounded terrifying.
‘Don’t worry,’ Tiinchuu said. ‘While there is breath in my body I will fight the change that is coming, and I’m not the only one.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Toklo
I n his dreams, Toklo found himself in a thick forest. Branches arched overhead and rustling in the undergrowth betrayed the presence of prey. He let out a growl, rearing up to score his claws down the trunk of a tree.
This is my territory! Better not mess with
me
!
A mule deer stepped out of the bushes and stood in a clearing just ahead of him. Toklo bunched his muscles, ready to hunt it down, but as he bounded forward he seemed to fall over his own paws. He woke to find himself underneath the rocky outcrop with Lusa and Kallik beside him and a faint dawn light seeping across the sky.
Toklo sat up, yawning and giving himself a vigorous scratch with one paw.
That was a weird dream!
Beside him, Kallik huffed out a breath and opened her eyes. When she saw Toklo, she heaved herself to her paws.
‘I’m glad you’re still here,’ she murmured.
Toklo nodded. ‘For now.’
He was relieved that Kallik seemed to understand that he couldn’t stay forever. Soon he would have to take the path of a brown bear into the forest, but he knew that however much he tried to explain, he would never make Lusa see that it was the only choice he could make.
‘I’m hungry. Let’s hunt,’ he said out loud.
Padding out into the valley, he snuffed at the air for the scent of prey, and spotted a rabbit nibbling at the long grasses on the edge of a pool. Kallik saw it too; with a brief nod she glided forward, skirting the rabbit in a wide circle so that she could come at it from the other side.
When she was in position she jumped forward with a fearsome growl. The rabbit started up, saw her, and fled straight into Toklo’s paws. He killed it with a blow to its spine.
‘Great kill!’ Kallik said, bounding up. ‘We should try that again some time.’ Then her eyes grewshadowed, as if she remembered that they wouldn’t have many more chances to hunt together.
Toklo picked up the rabbit and carried it back to where Lusa was still sleeping. As he approached, the little black bear grunted, stirring, and passed her paws over her face. ‘Morning already!’ she yawned, scrambling up. ‘We’d better go back to the flat-face dens and see how Ujurak is doing.’ Her eyes shone as she turned to Kallik. ‘Maybe he’ll be ready to come back with us today!’
‘Hang on,’ Toklo said. ‘Eat first.’
‘Oh, thanks. I’m starving!’ Lusa’s eyes shone as she tore a mouthful from the rabbit. Toklo could see that she had put their argument of the night before out of her mind. He guessed she had managed to forget that he was going to leave.
When they had finished eating, Toklo and Kallik followed Lusa as she bounded eagerly back
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