still moving below her feet. She flexed her paws, trying not to nod off.
Suddenly there was a splash, and Kallik saw a sleek gray head break through the surface of the water. She barely had time to notice the dark spots on its fur before Nisa was lunging headfirst into the hole. With a swift movement, she seized the seal and flipped it out of the water onto the ice. It writhed and flopped for a moment before her giant claw sliced into it, killing it with a single blow.
Kallik couldnât imagine ever being fast enough to catch a seal before it disappeared back under the ice again.
Nisa ripped open the seal and said the words of thanks to the ice spirits. Her cubs gathered around her to feed. Kallik inhaled the smell of freshly killed meat, the delicious fat and chewy skin. She dug her teeth into the prey and tore out a mouthful, realizing how hungry she had been.
Suddenly Nisa raised her head, her fur bristling. Kallik tensed and sniffed the air. A large male white bear waslumbering out of the fog toward them. His yellowish fur was matted with snow and his paws were as big as Kallikâs head. He headed straight for their seal, hissing and rumbling.
Taqqiq bristled, but Nisa shoved him back with her paw. âStay close to me,â she warned. âLetâs get out of here.â
She turned to run, nudging her cubs ahead of her. Kallik sprinted as fast as she could, her heart pounding. What if the seal wasnât enough for the strange bear? What if he came after her next? As they raced up the slope, Kallik glanced back and saw that the bear wasnât chasing them. Instead, he was bent over the dead seal, tearing into it.
âItâs not fair!â she wailed. âThat was our seal!â
âI know,â Nisa said with a sigh. Her paws seemed heavy as she slowed down to a walk.
âWhy should that lazy bear get our meal, when you did all the work of catching it?â Kallik insisted.
âThat bear needs to eat as much as we do,â Nisa said. âWhen seals are scarce, you have to get used to fighting for every meal. You canât trust any other bears, my cubs. We must stick together, because we are the only ones who will look after one another.â
Kallik and Taqqiq exchanged glances. Kallik knew she would do anything to take care of her mother and her brother. She hadnât seen many other bears, but when she had, they had been big and fierce and scary, just like the one that had stolen their seal. Maybe white bears werenât meant to have friends. Maybe the ice didnât allow it.
âWeâll be all right if we stay together,â Nisa promised.âThereâs food to be found if you know where to look, and if youâre patient enough to catch it. So donât get your head all matted with snow about it. Iâll be here to look after you until youâre strong enough to hunt on your own.â
She swung her head around to the left. âCan you smell that?â
Kallik sniffed. She did smell something! But it wasnât sealâ¦it was something else. Something fishier, but not exactly fish. She didnât recognize it.
âWhat do you think it is?â she asked Taqqiq. He was crouched down as if he was stalking something, and as she spoke, he leaped forward, pinning down a snowflake that had drifted to the ground. Kallik looked up and saw that it was snowing again. Her brother was happily batting at the snowflakes. It didnât look as if heâd even tried to sniff for what her mother had scented.
âTaqqiq, pay attention,â Kallik said. âYouâll have to hunt for yourself one day, too.â
âAll right, bossy paws,â Taqqiq said, twitching his nose dramatically from side to side.
âCome along, quickly,â Nisa said. âTry not to make too much noise.â They followed their mother across the ice, padding as quietly as possible. The scent didnât seem to be moving away.
âIs it staying
Suddenly there was a splash, and Kallik saw a sleek gray head break through the surface of the water. She barely had time to notice the dark spots on its fur before Nisa was lunging headfirst into the hole. With a swift movement, she seized the seal and flipped it out of the water onto the ice. It writhed and flopped for a moment before her giant claw sliced into it, killing it with a single blow.
Kallik couldnât imagine ever being fast enough to catch a seal before it disappeared back under the ice again.
Nisa ripped open the seal and said the words of thanks to the ice spirits. Her cubs gathered around her to feed. Kallik inhaled the smell of freshly killed meat, the delicious fat and chewy skin. She dug her teeth into the prey and tore out a mouthful, realizing how hungry she had been.
Suddenly Nisa raised her head, her fur bristling. Kallik tensed and sniffed the air. A large male white bear waslumbering out of the fog toward them. His yellowish fur was matted with snow and his paws were as big as Kallikâs head. He headed straight for their seal, hissing and rumbling.
Taqqiq bristled, but Nisa shoved him back with her paw. âStay close to me,â she warned. âLetâs get out of here.â
She turned to run, nudging her cubs ahead of her. Kallik sprinted as fast as she could, her heart pounding. What if the seal wasnât enough for the strange bear? What if he came after her next? As they raced up the slope, Kallik glanced back and saw that the bear wasnât chasing them. Instead, he was bent over the dead seal, tearing into it.
âItâs not fair!â she wailed. âThat was our seal!â
âI know,â Nisa said with a sigh. Her paws seemed heavy as she slowed down to a walk.
âWhy should that lazy bear get our meal, when you did all the work of catching it?â Kallik insisted.
âThat bear needs to eat as much as we do,â Nisa said. âWhen seals are scarce, you have to get used to fighting for every meal. You canât trust any other bears, my cubs. We must stick together, because we are the only ones who will look after one another.â
Kallik and Taqqiq exchanged glances. Kallik knew she would do anything to take care of her mother and her brother. She hadnât seen many other bears, but when she had, they had been big and fierce and scary, just like the one that had stolen their seal. Maybe white bears werenât meant to have friends. Maybe the ice didnât allow it.
âWeâll be all right if we stay together,â Nisa promised.âThereâs food to be found if you know where to look, and if youâre patient enough to catch it. So donât get your head all matted with snow about it. Iâll be here to look after you until youâre strong enough to hunt on your own.â
She swung her head around to the left. âCan you smell that?â
Kallik sniffed. She did smell something! But it wasnât sealâ¦it was something else. Something fishier, but not exactly fish. She didnât recognize it.
âWhat do you think it is?â she asked Taqqiq. He was crouched down as if he was stalking something, and as she spoke, he leaped forward, pinning down a snowflake that had drifted to the ground. Kallik looked up and saw that it was snowing again. Her brother was happily batting at the snowflakes. It didnât look as if heâd even tried to sniff for what her mother had scented.
âTaqqiq, pay attention,â Kallik said. âYouâll have to hunt for yourself one day, too.â
âAll right, bossy paws,â Taqqiq said, twitching his nose dramatically from side to side.
âCome along, quickly,â Nisa said. âTry not to make too much noise.â They followed their mother across the ice, padding as quietly as possible. The scent didnât seem to be moving away.
âIs it staying