Read Online Seekers #6: Spirits in the Stars by Erin Hunter - Free Book Online Page A

the white bears, giving them a friendly and curious stare.
    “How many white bears are there here on the island?” he asked.
    “Many,” Aga replied.
    “And have you lived here all the time?”
    Aga didn’t seem upset by the young brown bear’s questioning. “We have lived here on Star Island for as long as my mother’s mother could remember.”
    “Star Island!” Ujurak’s eyes brightened; Toklo gave him a warning look. He didn’t want his friend giving away too much about their quest.
    “And where have you come from?” Aga turned her attention to Kallik, who was shifting from paw to paw and looking as if she would rather be anywhere but there.
    “From . . . from the Melting Sea,” Kallik stammered.
    “So it really exists!” Aga sounded impressed. “I have heard rumors of it before, from bears who traveled very, very far. You have clearly come on a long journey.” She paused, then added, “Do you have the Iqniq where you come from?”
    “What’s that?” Ujurak asked.
    “Iqniq is the fire in the sky,” Aga explained. “The Iqniq is our name for the spirits of our bear ancestors.”
    “Yes, we have the Iqniq,” Ujurak told her. “We believe that the spirits of our ancestors watch over us.”
    Aga nodded sadly. “We believe that, too—or we did once. But now we are suffering from terrible pains in our bellies. Some bears believe that we have been cursed by the Iqniq and that they are abandoning us.” The ancient bear’s voice grew deeper and more rhythmic, almost like a chant. “The Iqniq do not walk among us as they did of old, and no bear knows why. Their fires are fading from the sky, and when they have gone altogether, the sacred link between the world of the living and the world of the spirit-bears will be broken. Then living bears will be cut off altogether from their ancestors. They will be alone. The time of the bears may soon be over.”
    Aga fell silent and gazed long and hard at the bears who were listening to her. At last she fixed her gaze compellingly on Lusa. “Or maybe not,” she added softly.
    Toklo couldn’t think what to say. He sensed a world of pain that the old bear suffered, and he found it hard to understand. And why is she looking at Lusa like that?
    It was Ujurak who broke the silence. “Are the white bears really dying?” he asked.
    Illa nodded. “We just found the body of my sister, Sura. There was no reason for her to die! She was young and strong, and she had a cub.”
    Toklo’s paws itched with apprehension; he forced himself not to look at Kallik.
    “Did . . . did you find the cub?” Lusa stammered.
    Illa shook her head sadly. “No. We assumed the poor little thing fell over the cliff. Why? Have you seen a lost cub?”
    “No!” Kallik spoke far too loudly. “No cubs at all.”
    Oh, no . . . Toklo thought. Now there will be trouble.
    Aga was still looking at them closely, and Toklo wondered whether she suspected that Kallik was lying. But all she said was “Please keep a lookout for him. Meanwhile, you are welcome on Star Island.”
    As Aga spoke, Illa gave her a startled glance, as if she thought the old bear was out of her mind. But she said nothing.
    “Take care, Tungulria,” Aga said to Lusa as she turned to go. “We will see you again.”
    Toklo and his friends watched the two white bears as they padded down the valley, until their pelts were lost against the background of snow.
    Lusa was squirming uncomfortably, shuffling her paws. “Why did she look at me like that?” she asked. “And why did she call me by that name? It was weird. I didn’t like it!”
    Toklo didn’t like it, either, but he was more concerned about what Kallik had said. “Why did you lie about having the cub?” he demanded. “He belongs with his family. If they find out that you stole him, we won’t stand a chance!”
    Kallik faced him defensively, her lips drawn back in the beginnings of a snarl. “You saw how thin they looked. They can’t take care of