River of Lost Bears (28 page)

Lusa's eyes widened. “Do you think the flat-faces will be hunting us?”

Kallik frowned. “They'll never guess we set their logs free.”

“They'll think the vine snapped by accident,” Yakone added.

“Let's hope so.” Toklo padded between the trees and bounded onto the shore. The glare of the sun made him squint after the shade of the forest. Lusa bounced out beside him, Kallik and Yakone lumbering after.

Toklo headed along the shore. Wide stretches of boulders gave way, every now and then, to pebbly beaches. The river curved through the trees, narrower and quieter now after the noise and mayhem of the logs and waterfall.

As they leaped a stream running across the shore, Kallik caught up to Toklo. “Your pelt's ruffled,” she commented softly.

“I don't like this part of the forest.” Should he tell her about the unease he'd felt since he woke?

“I know what you mean.” Kallik glanced into the trees. “I keep feeling like we're being watched.”

“Me too.” Toklo's heart lurched. He quickened his pace. The sooner they were out of here the better. A sharp, musky scent made him freeze. “What's that?”

Kallik stopped beside him. Her nostrils twitched. “I don't know, but I don't like it.”

Yakone joined them with Lusa beside him. “I smell trouble,” the white bear growled.

“Have you smelled that scent before?” Toklo searched his memory.

“Not exactly.” Yakone twitched his ears. “But it feels bad.”

Toklo swallowed. He knew what Yakone meant. Deep in his belly, he sensed danger.

Lusa's eyes glittered with worry. “Where's it coming from?”

“I don't know,” Toklo admitted. “But the shore feels too exposed. We should head into the woods.”

Yakone backed away. “If we stay on the shore, we can see what's coming.”

“And
it
can see
us
,” Kallik pointed out.

Toklo's gaze flicked from Kallik to Lusa, then Yakone. “Let's try the woods and see if the scent's fainter there.”

Yakone frowned but didn't argue. They headed for the trees. Toklo led the way, nostrils wide. Sap scent drowned the musky tang, but he still felt uneasy. He glanced behind. Kallik and Yakone were watching their paws as they lumbered between the trees. Lusa leaped roots and ducked brambles, pulling quickly ahead. “Stay close,” Toklo warned her. He scanned the undergrowth, trying to find deer trails that Kallik and Yakone could follow easily.

“Toklo!” Lusa's call made him jump.

“What is it?” He couldn't see her through the dense greenery. “What's wrong?” Heart thumping, he veered from the trail, leaving Yakone and Kallik to find their own way though the undergrowth.

Lusa had stopped in a clearing. “That smell's here.”

Toklo sniffed. He stiffened as the musky odor bathed his tongue.

“I'm scared, Toklo,” Lusa whimpered.

“We'll be okay,” he promised, hoping it was true. “We just need to keep moving.”

“But it feels like we're being hunted.” Lusa's eyes were wide with fear.

“Of course we're not,” Toklo huffed. “We're
bears
.” He dodged her gaze. She was right. It felt like something was tracking them.

A roar ripped through the air.

Toklo whirled around. “Yakone!”

Lusa charged past him, heading back along the trail. Toklo pelted after Lusa. His belly tightened as he heard the pain in Yakone's howl. The stone tang of blood filled the air. He skidded to a halt as he spotted Kallik and Yakone. “What happened?”

Yakone was writhing on his feet, kicking out with his hindpaws.

“Stay still!” Kallik ordered. “You'll make it worse.” She stared down at his forepaw with white-rimmed eyes.

Toklo followed her gaze. He blinked, shock hollowing his belly.

One of Yakone's forepaws was clasped between gleaming, jagged silver jaws. Blood welled where they dug into his flesh and drenched his white fur.

Yakone's eyes rolled in agony. “Get it off me!”

“Hold still!” Kallik roared.

Lusa backed away.

“Stop!” Toklo ordered. “Everyone stand still. There might be more.”

“What is it?” Lusa croaked.

“I don't know,” Toklo growled. “But it looks like a flat-face left it here. It's made of the same stuff as that shiny vine.”

Yakone was trembling.

“It's okay,” Kallik soothed. “We'll get it off you.”

“Why doesn't it let go?” Yakone hissed through gritted teeth.

“Don't move your paw,” Toklo warned.

“There's another one over here!” Lusa called from behind a tree.

As Toklo turned his head, he spotted a pair of yellow eyes watching from the bracken, unblinking and cold. Toklo's pelt lifted along his spine. The musky odor that had scared them on the shore washed over him as the creature slid from the bracken, its brown-and-gray fur well camouflaged against the stalks. It was the size of a large dog, almost as big as Lusa, with a long back and scrawny, springy legs. Its narrow, pointed snout twitched toward Toklo. Its ears were pricked with excitement, and saliva glinted on its sharp teeth.

Coyote.

Toklo backed toward Lusa. She was sniffing the ground. “Come and look, Toklo.”

Toklo checked Kallik. She was crouched over Yakone, soothing him. No one else had seen the coyote. He flinched as more shapes moved beyond the bracken, pacing low to the ground. Toklo could make out their pelts, thick as a wolf's.
They've been stalking us.
Toklo's throat tightened.
But we're bears!
Surely the coyotes didn't believe they could win a fight with bears?

The coyote lifted its snout and met his gaze boldly. Toklo saw confidence in its eyes, the same confidence he'd felt when facing up to Hakan. It must belong to a big pack. Toklo felt sick.
They
know
they can win.
How many were there?

He stared as the coyote turned away and disappeared through the bracken. Toklo hurried toward Lusa, blood thumping in his ears. “We've got to free Yakone.” Trapped in the silver jaws, he'd be easy prey for the coyotes. Even if the bears stayed to protect him, they couldn't fight a whole pack forever. But if they pulled him from the silver jaws while they were still shut, Yakone might lose his foot. Then all the blood would drain out of him, and he'd die for sure.

Lusa was sniffing a bedraggled shape in the jaws she'd found behind a tree. “Look at this, Toklo.”

The stench of death reached his muzzle. He slid past her and looked down at the rotting body of a raccoon. It was thoroughly mangled in the clamped silver teeth. “Flat-faces must put them here to kill things,” Toklo said.

Lusa stared at him with round eyes. “Why?” She stared at the decomposing raccoon. “They can't want to eat it, because they haven't come to get it. So why kill it?”

Behind them, Yakone groaned.

“We have to get him out.” Kallik's growl was tight with panic. “Before that thing bites his paw off.”

Or the coyotes get him.

“There has to be a way of opening these things.” Fighting back fear, Toklo sniffed at the jaws holding the raccoon. His snout wrinkled. It smelled foul. Maggots crawled through its pelt. Warily he put out a paw and touched the edge of the jaws. A shiny twig jutted out either side. Toklo pushed down on one and the jaws started to tip toward him. Without thinking, he steadied them by putting his other paw on the opposite side. As he pressed both jutting pieces, the raccoon twitched.

“The jaws are opening!” Lusa gasped.

Toklo jumped backward, heart lurching.

“Press it again!” Lusa urged. “It was opening, I promise.”

Gingerly Toklo put his paws on the hard sticks on either side of the jaws and pushed down. The jaws creaked open and the raccoon slithered out and flopped onto the pine needles.

Toklo let go. The jaws snapped shut. “I know how to free him!” He raced back to Yakone. “Lean back,” he ordered. The white bear's eyes were glazing. He swayed away from Toklo, a tortured growl rumbling in his throat. Kallik stared at Toklo, her gaze sharp with terror.

“It's okay,” Toklo said. “I know how to open it.” He put his paws on either side of the teeth that had bitten into Yakone's paw. Steadying his breath, he pressed down slowly.

Yakone gasped as the jaws ripped from his flesh. Toklo pushed down harder. The shiny sticks jabbed, cold and hard, into his pads. “Get him out!” he hissed, straining to stop the jaws from snapping shut.
Spirits, don't let my paws slip!

Kallik grabbed Yakone's scruff and dragged him backward. Yakone whined through gritted teeth. Toklo ducked as Yakone's bloody paw flashed past his nose. He let go of the trap and hopped out of the way as it snapped shut.

Lusa raced over. “Is he okay?”

Yakone lay on his side, flanks heaving. Kallik peered at his paw. Her muzzle wrinkled. “It's worse than any bite I've seen,” she murmured, sounding ill.

Toklo sniffed at the silver jaws, which were clenched tight again. Sickness rose in his throat as he spotted two bloodied toes gripped between the shiny teeth. He told himself that it could have been worse; Yakone could have lost his whole foot. But would he be able to walk without those toes? And catch prey with fewer claws?

Kallik nudged the white bear. “Yakone? Can you hear me?”

Yakone struggled to sit up. “How is it?” he asked thickly. “My paw? Is it okay?”

“You've still got it,” Kallik told him. Toklo could tell she was making an effort to stay calm. “But we need to clean it up and stop the bleeding.”

Toklo pictured the coyote's eyes, flashing through the shadows. “We don't have time,” he growled. “We have to keep moving.”

Kallik's eyes widened. “Yakone can't walk!”

“He's going to have to.” Toklo scanned the undergrowth, ears alert for the sound of pawsteps.
We're prey now.

Toklo crouched beside Yakone and heaved his shoulder beneath the white bear. Straining, he pushed Yakone to his paws. Kallik raced to prop him up on the other side.

“Okay?” Toklo turned his snout toward Yakone. The white bear's breath was coming in gasps.

“Okay,” Yakone croaked.

Lusa popped up in front of Toklo. “Shouldn't we let him rest?”

“There's no time,” Toklo repeated. Yakone was going to slow them down as it was. He flicked his muzzle forward. “Lead the way, Lusa,” he ordered. “Find the smoothest path and hold back any branches or brambles so we can pass easily.” Lusa scampered ahead, sniffing for trails. She leaned against a bramble, pushing it clear as Toklo and Kallik helped Yakone past.

Toklo glanced down. Blood dripped, hot and fragrant, leaving a trail behind them on the forest floor. Toklo's heart sank.
It'll sharpen the coyotes' hunger and show them exactly where we are.
He fixed his gaze ahead. There was nothing they could do now but keep moving.

Panting, Kallik heaved Yakone past Lusa
as the black bear held back another bramble.

Yakone was mumbling, his voice slurred with pain. “Stupid bushes. Stupid trees. Can't see where I'm going.”

Pain shot through Kallik's bruised flank, but she ignored it. Her mind was whirling. Just this morning, they'd been fine. Toklo had been nervous, but they'd been happy and healthy.
We just rescued Chenoa's spirit!
Yakone had made his jaws bleed trying to break the flat-face vine. Watching him fight to help their friends had made her heart soar.

Ujurak, why didn't you warn us?
She glanced up through the branches.
Yakone doesn't deserve this.
The smell of his blood clogged her nostrils. Her fur was sticky with it. Yakone's mangled paw was still dripping. Kallik felt sick. On the ice, injured bears died quickly.
Is it the same in the forest?