Erin Hunter - The Last Wilderness

Wind buffeted Ujuraks fur as he plunged down the mountain slope toward the rolling foothills below, where the caribou were grazing.

It was late burn-sky, and after the recent rains the air was filled with delicious smells. Ujurak drew them in with every breath: scents of prey, of green growing plants, and underlying it all the salt tang of the sea.

As he bounded down the slope he glanced around at his friends. The white bear Kallik raced beside him, her stride as smooth as flowing water, her twitching nose sniffing the air. After so many moons of traveling through dark forests and over sunbaked rocks, Ujurak wondered if she could smell the sea-ice at last, the smell of her home.

He heard a whoomph and glanced back just in time to see the black bear Lusa tripping over her own paws in her haste to keep up. She rolled several bear-lengths before scrambling up and continuing to pelt downward. She was the smallest of the four bears by a lot now, and she seemed to run two strides for every one of theirs, but she was never outpaced for long.

And charging ahead, his tufty ears flattened by the wind, was the brown bear Tokloalways out in front, always the first. Warmth welled up inside Ujurak. Toklo had trusted him enough to come with him all this way, so far that Ujurak could hardly remember the mountains where he had met Toklo and then Lusa. Suddenly he wanted to be able to remember every pawstep, picture every day they had spent walking, walking, walking, all the way to the edge of the world.

Because finally they had reached their journeys end. Theyd found the Last Wilderness.

Down on the grassy hills, the caribou raised their heads as the bears hurtled toward them.

Watch out! Ujurak snarled. Here we come!

Toklo glanced over his shoulder. Theyre too big to hunt, feather-brain! he called.

Ujurak huffed at him. He wasnt really going to hunt the giant caribou; strong as he was, he knew he was still small enough to run right under the bellies of the longest-legged creatures. He was just enjoying the feeling of unstoppable running, his paws skimming over the grass with a satisfying hiss, the fur along his flanks slicked down and rippling in the breeze he had created.

They had reached the foothills now, swerving down the gently swollen slopes until they rushed straight into the herd of grazing caribou. Close-up, the horned beasts were huge, and they swung their heavy heads to glance lazily at the bears, unafraid of Ujurak and his companions. There were so many of them, Ujurak couldnt see to the other side of the herd once he was on their level. All he could see was a forest of legs as thin as sticks, topped with pale, hairy bellies. The caribous pelts gave off a powerful musky scent that made Ujurak puff and wrinkle his nose.

Toklo darted to one side and led the bears out of the herd, sending the caribou scattering. The valley opened up in front of them again, and Ujurak blinked in the bright sunshine. A vast green plain unrolled at his paws, dotted here and there with clumps of dark spiky grass with still, silvery water just visible between the stalks. Through his wind-watering eyes, Ujurak could see patches of white where flocks of geese had landed to feed in the damp grassland.

This is the wilderness Qopuk promised us. Enough to feed us all, space for every bear, no sign of flat-faces or firebeasts or BlackPaths

Ujurak felt a sharp pain in his belly. The journey through Smoke Mountain had been a hard one, with little prey, and the sight of the geese awakened his hunger. He swallowed as his mouth filled with saliva. The grass blurred beneath his front paws as he pushed himself faster, thinking of nothing but a meal of tasty, plump goose. Then Ujurak felt his legs tingling and saw his forelegs begin to lengthen and grow thinner; his pelt prickled as his brown fur transformed into a rough gray pelt.

Wolf!

His snout grew longer and he could feel his vision narrowing, the edges darkening as he focused on a single flock of geese on the plain. One flock . The sounds around him faded to insignificance and all he could hear was the geese directly in front of him honking and yakking, their noise growing louder and louder.

His stride lengthened. He felt swift; as he raced past Toklo he thought he heard the brown bear growl. But the sound seemed to come from far away. It meant nothing to Ujurak. The hot reek of the geese engulfed his senses. His tongue lolled as he pinpointed his prey: a fat white bird feeding at the edge of the flock. One goose . He could almost feel his teeth sinking through its feathers, crunching its bones. He smelled its blood and heard its heartbeat.

Killone bite into warm preythen feed .

The plain whirled past him in a blur, his paws hardly seeming to touch the marshy ground. He reached the edge of the flock; the birds flew up in a storm of flapping wings and terrified squawking. Snarling, Ujurak leaped on his chosen prey. His fangs closed on its neck. He shook the goose. It battered him with its wings, then went limp.

Ujurak proudly lifted his head with his prey dangling from his mouth. Feed now. Taste blood. But something was gnawing at his mind. He couldnt eat yet. Reluctantly he turned and began trotting back the way he had come.

Ujurak felt his rangy wolf body begin to swell and thicken; brown fur replaced the shaggy gray pelt, and his footsteps grew heavier. His heartbeat slowed as the wolfs hunger for blood died away.

Gradually he began to notice the plain around him again. The geese were settling a little way off, their raucous cries fading. Ujurak could hear the rattle of wind in the reeds and the splashing paws of an Arctic fox as it darted from one clump of bushes to another. He blinked in confusion as he saw three other bears approaching him, just coming off the foothills onto the plain. Black, brown, whitehe felt that they ought to be familiar. Why cant I remember who they are?

Ujurak! The small black bear bounded forward to meet him. That was a great catch!

UhthanksLusa. Ujuraks confusion vanished as he stood in front of her and dropped the prey at Lusas paws. Of course he knew who she was, and the other two bears padding up to him were his friends Toklo and Kallik. The long legs he had as a wolf had rapidly outdistanced them. Come and share, he invited them.

Toklo growled his thanks as he tore off a part of the goose and retired a couple of paces to flop down and eat the newkill. Ujurak waited for the two she-bears to take some before he settled down to eat, too. The goose was a fat one, and there was enough to share among all of them. It tasted delicious, warm in Ujuraks belly.

Thish ish mmmm won-erful! Kallik said, chewing enthusiastically. She raised her head and sniffed at the air. Can you smell the ice? Soon the sea will freeze closer to shore, and Ill be able to get back to the white bears feeding grounds.

Buttheres noshelteron the ice, Lusa objected, her mouth full of juicy meat. The wind will blow you into the sea.

No, we dig dens in the snow, Kallik explained. Then we curl up together, and its so cozy! Ujurak saw a shadow of sadness creep into her eyes, and he wondered if she was remembering her old life with her brother and mother. Kallik blinked, and the shadow vanished. And we hunt for seals through holes in the ice. Youve never tasted anything as delicious as seal!