Seekers!

Chapter 11: Travelling Part 6!

Kallik's POV:
    I opened my eyes and saw Yokane and the cubs were still asleep. I opened my eyes and walked into the woods. It took me a while, but I finally scented a hare. I smiled as I followed the scent. It lead me to a little hole, where the hare must live. A hare hopped out and I jumped on it, killing it immediately. Then another hare popped out and I swung my claws and killed it in one fatal blow. I picked them both up in the mouth by the legs and walked with them dangling. I went back to my family and put the hare's down. "That's smells delicious." Yokane commented and I grinned. The kids all teared into it and then Yokane and I enjoyed some as well. We finished pretty quickly, since we are a pretty big family. "We should be going, we can get there by night fall." I told them.
     We were walking and I saw Ujurak was falling behind and kept his head down. I walked over to him. "Are you okay, Ujurak?" I asked. "Yeah, I guess." Ujurak replied. "What's wrong?" I asked and he sighed. "I don't know." Ujurak replied. "Ujurak." I commented. "I'm fine, mom." Ujurak told me as he looked up at me and then he walked head of me. I watched as he walked behind Nanuk and Kissimi. I looked over and saw Chulyin chasing Suka around. Yokane walked over to me, looking concerned. "What was that about?" Yokane asked. "I don't know, I'm really worried about him." I replied. "I know, Kallik. Me too." Yokane agreed. This is his and Nanuk's first Longest Day and first time at Great Bear Lake. I'm hoping it'll help Ujurak." I told him. "I believe it will." Yokane told me and I looked at him. "Really?" I asked. "Yes, I have hope. You're the one that taught me about hope." Yokane replied and I smiled. "Everyone thinks hope comes easy for me, but it actually doesn't. I was born feeling naturally optimistic, but a lot of things changed when my mom was killed by an Orca." Kallik told him. "Everything you went through, the good and the bad, it shaped you into who you are now, and I love everything about you." Yokane commented and I grinned. "And I love everything about you too." I agreed.
     Illa walked up to me. "Have you seen Kissimi?" Illa asked. I looked around and didn't see her or Nanuk. "No, I don't see Nanuk either." I replied. "I don't want to worry everyone, but I'm worried." Illa told her. "Me too, let's go up ahead and see if we can find them." I suggested. "Good idea." Illa agreed. The two of us walked up ahead, side by side. We walked pretty fast until we were out of sight from everyone else. I stopped walking and motioned for Illa to stop walking as well. I heard something. "What are those things?" Kissimi asked. "My mom told me about them, they're called Flat Faces." Nanuk replied. I gasped as Illa's eyes widened. We ran toward their voices and finally found them hiding behind a bush at the top of a hill. There were several flat face dens with sleeping firebeasts as flat faces walked around. Some were adults and others were cubs. "What do you guys think you're doing?" I asked. Nanuk and Kissimi jumped as they turned around to face us. "We were just exploring." Nanuk replied. "You guys could have gotten hurt, or worst." Illa told them. "We were just curious." Kissimi told us. "Go back to the others." I told them as I looked at all of the flat faces. They nodded and ran off as we sighed. "What are we going to do about them?" Illa asked. "That's the least of my concern right now. I'm worried about the flat faces." I replied. "You've dealt with them before, and much worst." Illa commented and I sighed. "I mean, we have to find a safe place around them." I told her. "How far is Great Bear Lake?" Illa asked. "A few miles beyond those Flat Faces." I replied. "We aren't going to make it by nightfall, are we?" Illa asked and I shook my head. "No, we're going to have to wait until nightfall and go past them quietly. We'll get to Great Bear Lake tomorrow night." I replied and she nodded.
     Illa and I made it back to the others. Yokane and Tunerq walked up to us. "What's going on?" Tunerq asked. "There's a hill with a lot of Flat Faces and Firebeasts below. We decided the most reasonable thing to do it wait until nightfall and sneak past them." I replied. "Sounds good." Yokane agreed. "Nanuk and Kissimi could have gotten hurt, sneaking off and exploring like that." Illa commented. "You deal with Kissimi how you feel is right, Kallik will give Nanuk a lecture once we're at Great Bear Lake." Yokane commented. "Why me?" I asked. "No one can tell her about the dangers of the world better then you." Yokane replied and I smiled. "I'll talk to Kissimi." Illa told them and walked over to her.
     We made makeshift dens above the hill, hiding behind bushes, so that Flat Faces won't be able to see us. Yokane and Unalaq came back with fish they found at a lake nearby, they wanted to have some brother bonding time as well. "Thanks, guys." Tunerq commented. "No problem." Unalaq commented. We all enjoyed the fish that they caught. Suka walked into one of the makeshift dens. Yokane was talking to Chulyin, and I walked into the den to talk to Suka. "Hey." I greeted. "Hi, mom." Suka greeted as he laid down. "How are you?" I asked. "Good, just tired." Suka replied. "Are you excited to go to Great Bear Lake?" I asked. "Yeah, it will be my second time. I can't wait to see your friends again and maybe make some great friendships like you've made in your time." Suka replied and I grinned. "I made my friendships in a complicated time, I hope things go better for you and your siblings." I told him. Chulyin, Ujurak, Nanuk, and Yokane walked the makeshift den. We all laid down and got ready for bed.
      I opened my eyes and saw Illa standing over me. "It's time." Illa told me as Yokane woke up too. "Can we eat?" Chulyin asked as he sat. "We'll eat after we're past the danger." Yokane replied as I woke up the other three cubs. We left the makeshift den and peeked over the berry bushes. Looking at these, makes me think of Lusa. She loves berries, all black bears do. There were no signs of flat faces, which means they're asleep in their dens. The firebeasts also seemed to still be asleep. "It's now or never." I commented. I took the lead, since I'm the only one that knows how to deal with flat faces. Yokane mnows how to deal with them too, but not as well, so he took the rear. The cubs are all safe. Kissimi and Nanuk are close to Illa. Chulyin and Suka are close to Yokane. Ujurak is close to me. "Everything will be okay, right?" Ujurak asked and I smiled down at him. "Of course, everything always is." I replied and he gave me a small smile. We snuck past the flat face territory very quietly, and made it through without any trouble.
    The sun shined down on our pelts. It was too hot, and I would give anything to dip into some freezing cold water or freezing snow on my paws again. But I will, soon enough. I'm going to enjoy my limited time with my best friends, and I will be in the snow again once we get home. Home. That still feels a bit odd, but in a good way. For so long, I didn't have a room. We were constantly on the move, traveling from place to place. Now I only travel every Sun Circle to see my friends during the Longest Day gathering. I saw a buncg of white and grinned. Those are white bears! A bunch of them! We're there! "We're almost there!" I called back to everyone. Ujurak jumped up and down with a grin and I smiled down at him. I'm so happy to see him look so happy again. We finally reached the white bear territory of Great Bear Lake. I'm this much closer of seeing my best friends.