The Last Polar Bear

Chapter 19

Hjelp – help

I woke again to the strong smell of bait and, as I opened my eyes, I saw there was a large pile lying in front of me. One stared back in opened-mouthed surprise, looking as though it had been scared to death the instant I woke.

I lay there for a while and it took a moment or two to recognise that I was lucky not to be in the same position. Was I alive? The pungent stench of the bait told me so. I could hear the sound of the sea but I could not feel its motion and I realised that I was no longer trapped on the bares' floating beast. My eyes became clearer and I slowly lifted my head – I was back on the ice!

I looked around and saw the group of bare-skin watching me about twenty lengths away from a smaller float. The red bare that I had caught with my claws was there and he did not look as threatening this time – I thought he looked almost happy, if there could be such a feeling for them.

When I lifted my head, they all made a funny sound: they patted themselves and then each other. Then one shouted something to me and made a light heaving noise which the others copied.

They turned their float around and went away, back to the larger beast that I could now sight in the distance. I sniffed at the bait suspiciously, wondering why they had put them there. It must have been a gift. I was not certain of when I last ate and so began to chew gratefully, cracking the thin bones between my teeth.

I looked up again to see the bare for one last time and realised I had been mistaken by their intent. I thought back to the story Nanna had told us about trying to steal a bare's food and would not have trusted them or believed they held such kindness – they had shared their kill with me. I had judged them unfairly.

Looking about me, I realised they had helped me more than they could have known. I was back on the tundâr and could actually sight in the distance the outline of mountains. I was near home.