Read Online The Longest Day by Erin Hunter - Free Book Online Page A

She will be thankful she still has you.”
    â€œTibik!” Ossi called to the cub from Hashi’s side. “Come here. I need your help.”
    â€œHelp?” Tibik stared at Ossi, bewildered.
    â€œWe need to help Hashi now,” Ossi told him.
    Tibik glanced from Ossi to Lusa. “But what about Hala?”
    Before Lusa could find an answer, Ossi barked again. “Hurry, Tibik! I need you.” He caught Lusa’s eye. She guessed he was trying to distract the cub from his grief. She dipped her head to him. They could grieve later. Right now, they had to take care of the living. And free Rudi before the flat-faces returned.
    As Tibik bounded toward Ossi, Lusa pricked her ears, relieved to hear that the firebeast rumble was still distant. Perhaps she was just hearing a faraway BlackPath. Perhaps the flat-faces weren’t coming after all.
    â€œI need you to go into the forest and find fresh moss,” Ossi told Tibik.
    Tibik nodded and headed into the trees.
    â€œBring as much as you can carry!” Ossi called after him.
    â€œI’ll go with him.” Lusa glanced again at the dead she-cub, her heart twisting, and then followed Tibik into the forest. Ujurak? Are you still watching? As Lusa slipped into the shadow of the pines after Tibik, she felt fear close around her. Hashi was badly injured. Could moss and petals really save him? What about Chula’s leg? Could lame bears survive in the wild? Where was Miki? If they dug deeper beneath the logs, would they find his body like they’d found Hala’s? Lusa’s breath stopped in her throat and she stumbled to a halt.
    â€œLusa! Quick!” Ossi’s growl distracted her. He sounded alarmed. Had the flat-faces come?
    â€œStay with me!” Lusa called to Tibik as she whirled around. Crashing through the ferns, she broke from the trees.
    She stopped dead in surprise when she saw Yakone and Kallik lumbering across the BlackPath on the heels of Sheena. Lusa raced toward them, relief bursting through her like sunshine. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œWe were in the forest looking for you,” Kallik panted.
    â€œWe wanted to see if you had found the black bears’ camp,” Yakone explained. “We met Sheena and she told us what happened.”
    Chula crouched down, her eyes wide with fear. “White bears?” She glared at Sheena. “Why did you bring white bears?”
    â€œThey said they could move the logs,” Sheena replied. “It was quicker to bring them here than go all the way back to the camp.”
    Lusa led Kallik and Yakone around the firebeast and nodded toward the slipped logs. “Rudi’s trapped under there. Hashi’s wounded. Chula’s leg is injured.” Lusa glanced at Sheena, her heart sinking. How was she going to tell the she-bear that her daughter was dead?
    Sheena was staring at Tibik. He was standing at the edge of the forest, moss dangling from his mouth. Lusa watched grief spread from his gaze to Sheena’s. She tried to move, to explain, but her paws seemed to have taken root and the words dried on her tongue.
    â€œHala?” Sheena’s growl was husky with horror.
    Tibik turned his head and stared at the space among the logs where Hala’s body lay. Sheena walked slowly toward it, her shoulders stiff. Tibik dropped the moss beside Ossi and hurried after his mother. “I thought she was running behind me,” he told her, his voice cracking.
    Sheena stared into the gap, her eyes clouding.
    â€œIf I’d known she wasn’t running, I’d have stayed with her.” Tibik sounded desperate. He watched his mother lean over his sister’s unmoving body. “I’m sorry,” he croaked. “I should have saved her.”
    Sheena swung her head toward him. “ How ?” Anguish glittered in her eyes. “How could you have saved her from this?” She swung her nose toward the fallen firebeast, her gaze