Free Seekers #6: Spirits in the Stars by Erin Hunter

had heaved himself up with a drawn-out sigh, Lusa explained her theory that Sura had died after eating the disgusting seal.
    “But seal is a good food for white bears,” Kallik objected.
    “Lusa, just because too much seal makes you feel sick, it doesn’t mean that it’s the same for every bear,” Toklo pointed out. “You’re just assuming that there’s something wrong with the seals.”
    “No, I’m not !” Lusa insisted. “The seal smelled wrong, and Sura smelled the same when we found her before she died. Maybe every other seal in the world is safe to eat, but not the seals here.”
    Excitement flooded over Lusa as she imagined making the white bears better. My mother told me to “save the wild,” and here’s my chance! Saving the white bears on Star Island wouldn’t save the whole wild, but it would be a big pawstep in the right direction.
    “I’m going to tell the white bears not to eat seal anymore,” she announced.
    “What?” Toklo huffed in contempt. “Don’t be salmon-brained! The white bears are being generous enough to let us stay here. They won’t take too kindly to some upstart little black bear telling them not to hunt seals!”
    Sighing, Lusa had to admit that Toklo was right. Why would Aga and the other bears listen to me? I’m too small, and I don’t belong here. But she couldn’t shake the conviction that she was right, too. If only I could find where the white bears go to hunt seals. Then I might be able to work out why the seals are getting sick. . . .
    Tiredness overcoming her, she curled up against Kallik’s back and fell asleep. In her dreams she found herself hunting seals, which vanished as she drew near, leaving behind only a stench of firebeasts and sickness.
    Movement from Kallik woke Lusa; pale snow-light was filtering into the cave, and she realized that dawn was breaking. Toklo and Ujurak were stirring, too.
    “I’m going out to hunt for food for Kissimi,” Kallik announced.
    Lusa jumped to her paws. “I’ll come, too.” When Toklo had brought back a hare the night before, Kallik had patiently chewed some of the meat into a pulp and coaxed Kissimi to choke it down. Maybe if both of them searched together, they would find something better for the tiny cub to eat.
    Kallik gently picked up Kissimi, who let out a drowsy squeak, and set him down between Ujurak’s front paws. “Look after him,” she directed.
    Ujurak yawned. “He’ll be fine with me, Kallik.”
    Lusa was aware of Toklo’s gaze on her as she left the den with Kallik. It was definitely a “don’t do anything stupid” look.
    I won’t, Lusa promised silently. Not yet, anyway.
    Kallik glanced at Lusa as they walked side by side away from the den. “I was going to look for the seals.”
    “I hoped you would,” Lusa responded. “I want to see them.” If we can find where the seals live, we might find out what’s the matter with them. She could see that Kallik wasn’t convinced by her theory that the seals were making the white bears sick.
    Together Lusa and Kallik padded along the shore and around the base of a hill. They had never traveled in this direction before; Lusa’s paws itched with curiosity to see what lay beyond the snow-covered slopes.
    It was good to be exploring with Kallik, too, without risking an argument over Kissimi. Kallik was looking much more friendly now, more like the bear she had been before she found the cub.
    As they reached the inlet beyond, Kallik, who was a few pawsteps ahead, halted, glancing back over her shoulder at Lusa. “No-claws!” she hissed.
    “Here?” Lusa edged forward. “I didn’t think there were any no-claws on this island.”
    “No-claws get everywhere,” Kallik replied glumly.
    Peering over a boulder, Lusa saw a small flat-face denning area on a bluff above the beach. The dens had flat roofs; they were small and square, built out of white stone. Among them stood tall sticks, made out of shiny stuff, and lots of chunky green firebeasts.