Read Online The Melting Sea by Erin Hunter - Free Book Online Page B

and the others padded forward to stand at her side and looked down at the flat stretch in front of them. Peering through the mist, Toklo could just make out a difference between the farthest expanse and the land closer to the foot of the mountains.
    â€œThat’s the Melting Sea,” Kallik insisted, turning to Yakone. “We’re home!”
    Yakone’s eyes lit up with joy, and he leaned closer to Kallik, who pressed her muzzle into his shoulder.
    Toklo turned aside with a grunt, trying to pretend he didn’t feel a hollow place opening up inside him.
    â€œIt’s going to be weird, leaving them behind, isn’t it?” Lusa said, coming to join Toklo and brushing her pelt against his.
    â€œNo, it’ll be fine,” Toklo responded, trying to sound confident. “We’re all going home, right? That’s the whole point of this journey.”
    Before Lusa could reply, Kallik leaped from the ledge and hurtled down the snowy slope. “We did it!” she called out, and Yakone let out a triumphant roar as he followed her.
    Toklo launched himself forward and slid down the slope with outstretched legs and belly, exhilarated by the feeling of the wind whipping through his fur. Lusa rolled past him, waving her paws and squealing with excitement, coming to a halt half-buried in a snowdrift.
    â€œThis is fun!” she exclaimed as Toklo hauled her out. “Race you to the bottom!”
    â€œHey, be careful!” Toklo called out, as Lusa took off again, tucking in her head and paws and rolling down, collecting snow on her fur until she looked more like a white bear than a black one.
    Toklo scrambled after her, slipping and sliding through the snow until he caught up with Yakone.
    â€œCan you do this?” Yakone asked, flipping himself over to turn a complete somersault and landing back on all four paws. He grimaced slightly as the shoulder he had injured a few days before took his weight, but stood firmly.
    â€œThat’s great!” said Kallik. She tried a somersault of her own, only to land flat on her back in the snow.
    Yakone worked his uninjured shoulder underneath her to help her up. “All it takes is practice.”
    â€œYes, but can you do this ?” Toklo asked, scooping up a pawful of snow and flicking it into Yakone’s face as he turned around.
    Yakone let out a roar of mock rage, and Toklo fled, throwing up fountains of snow with his hindpaws to shower over the pursuing white bear. Joy and excitement were bubbling up inside him.
    We’re coming home! We survived the Endless Ice and we didn’t get lost!
    Toklo let out a muffled grunt as Yakone caught him up and rolled him over into the snow. “Fish-breath!” Toklo gasped out, half-choked on a mouthful of freezing crystals. “You’ll be sorry!”
    He scrambled to his paws and shook snow out of his pelt. Kallik and Yakone were standing side by side in front of him, while Lusa sat half-buried in the snow underneath a tall outcrop of rocks, her eyes sparkling with laughter.
    Toklo glanced around. Sliding and tumbling, they had descended most of the slope, and the flat land lay in front of them. Suddenly Toklo was unwilling to head out toward the Melting Sea, wanting this time of fun and excitement to go on a little longer.
    â€œSee those rocks?” he said to Yakone, nodding toward the outcrop where Lusa was sitting. “Dare you to climb up and jump off!”
    â€œSure.” Yakone loped across to the outcrop and clambered up until he stood on a jutting ledge. “Watch this!”
    â€œBe careful!” Kallik called.
    Yakone launched himself into the air and landed on his belly, scattering snow all around him. “See?” he said to Toklo. “Is that high enough for you?”
    â€œHigh?” Toklo snorted. “You call that high? Watch me !”
    Without hesitation he lumbered over to the outcrop and hauled himself upward until he stood on the