Cave Bear Mountain Read online

  About the Book

  When Tarin is given tragic news about Mammoth Clan, he wants to return to them immediately. But Kaija and Luuka need to travel to Cave Bear Mountain to uncover the astonishing truth about their mother. It seems finally the friends will be divided.

  When the wolf cubs are kidnapped to fight at the Bear Festival, it's only by sticking together that the trio have any chance of saving them from certain death.

  Contents

  Secrets

  Revelations

  Sacrifice

  The Ungirski

  The Burial

  Discovery

  Raven

  Shadow Wolves

  Northwards

  Landslide

  The Bear People

  The Caged Beast

  Fight by Firelight

  The Chase

  The Mother’s Dance

  Kaija’s Choice

  The Sickness Strikes

  A Baby’s Rescue

  The Mother’s Lights

  Two Rock Peak

  Dagger-tooth

  The Token

  Journey’s End

  Kaija pulled her fur wrap closer around her shoulders and shivered. Even in Summer, when the sun barely left the sky, the wind on the edge of the tundra was bitter and filled with ice. She wondered that anyone would choose to live here.

  But they had been welcomed by Musk Ox Clan, not only as travellers – hungry, weary and dispirited – but as kin. These people were family to Tarin, and as they stepped down into the semi-subterranean earth-lodge, she saw all the tension and worry leave him, shed like a heavy Winter beaska.

  To her and Luuka, raised in a cave on the gentle loop of the river, it was strange and new, but to Tarin this clan lodge was obviously as familiar to him as his own home.

  The domed roof was a tangle of mammoth bones. Thick mats of bison and mammoth covered the earthen floor. A double hide of musk ox fur covered the door, protecting them from the wind. It was a snug fire-lit place, welcoming and cosy. She felt herself relax, and breathed in the rich, meaty scent of simmering stew.

  The wolves sat as close to the fire as possible, soaking in the warmth. Each had claimed a thick bison fur to lie on. Rohk’s eyes never left Luuka’s face, but Nilkka often turned to Kaija, as though the girls were making a bond of their own. Utu, the newest member of their strange clan, sat high in the shadowy dome and pretended to sleep. He held his injured wing stiffly.

  ‘Another day, maybe, and you would have missed us, Tarin,’ said Kai. He ladled thick fragrant stew into a bowl and handed it to the visitors.

  Kaija tasted the meat. It was rich and strong and she thought it might be bison. It was very good.

  ‘The rest of the clan has already left for the Summer grounds,’ Kai continued, then he pointed at his three clansmen. ‘Aatos, Timo, Petri and I only stayed to repair some damage to the earth-lodge, before we, too, join them.’

  ‘We use clay from the river to seal the lodges,’ Timo said. ‘But it needs a full season to dry before snow fall.’

  Tarin scooped the stew into his mouth and nodded.

  Kaija liked the way the Musk Ox men talked. They used the same words as River Clan, but the way they made the sounds was different – deeper and more musical.

  Tarin smiled at her, happy and relaxed, and she smiled back.

  ‘You are hungry?’ Kai asked as he refilled Tarin’s bowl.

  Tarin laughed. ‘Yes, I am. And this is very good. Are we eating your dinner?’

  Petri shook his head. ‘We have eaten enough. But we are keen to hear your tale.’

  Luuka, Kaija and Tarin looked at each other.

  ‘It’s a long story,’ Tarin said slowly, and he touched the strapping that held his injured arm.

  The break was healing well, but Kaija knew he was still tormented by bad dreams and dark memories of his journey beneath the Mother’s Mountain.

  The men settled more comfortably into their furs. Aatos smiled broadly. ‘That is good. Long stories are the best stories. Now, begin at the beginning and don’t forget to tell us about these incredible animals.’ His gaze rested on the wolves in wonder.

  Tarin put aside his bowl and shifted to get more comfortable. Kaija settled closer to Nilkka and let her fingers smooth her fur in slow, rhythmic strokes. The wolf sighed in pleasure.

  Tarin started his tale. ‘It all began when . . .’ He took a deep breath. Some of the tension returned to his shoulders. ‘When . . . I ruined an important hunt. I didn’t mean to, but I did.’

  ‘It usually takes more than one skinny boy to ruin a hunt,’ Aatos said, and his dark eyes twinkled through his bushy eyebrows.

  Tarin shrugged. ‘Well, I managed to ruin this hunt, all by myself.’ Gradually, he told their story, sometimes pausing to think, or remember. How he nearly died crossing the river and how Kaija had found him, barely breathing, wedged between two rocks.

  ‘You looked like a drowned lemming,’ Kaija said, and the men laughed. Cups of warming herbal tea were passed around, the steam curling up towards the domed roof.

  Tarin smiled and continued their tale. He told of their plans to rescue Luuka, and how terribly wrong those plans went, and of their trip down the river.

  The men leant forward, deeply interested, as Tarin told of their time with the Esi, of the hunts and the donta attack, and their trek up Ice Bringer. His voice wavered as he told of his trip into the darkness, of the tunnels and the underground river.

  ‘And then the earth trembled, and the mountain fell around us. We were so sure we would all die there, high upon Ice Bringer.’

  The fire burned low, but outside the long Summer sun still lit the sky. When finally Tarin’s voice cracked and quietened, Luuka took up the tale.

  Kaija studied the flames and let her mind drift silently along. She liked hearing her brother’s voice, but she didn’t want to dwell on the sickness that stole their clan from them, or the desperation she felt when Luuka was taken by Boar Clan.

  ‘Your journey sounds truly amazing,’ said Timo. ‘There are not many who would brave such a journey and live to tell the tale. And your hearts must be great indeed to rescue these special animals.’

  ‘It is a story worthy of song,’ Aatos said. ‘May I tell your wondrous tale to others?’

  In the gloom, it was hard to see, but Kaija was sure both boys blushed. It made her smile.

  ‘Show them the spear thrower,’ she said in a quiet voice.

  Luuka fetched the spear thrower, and the talk quickly turned to hunting.

  ‘We could use these.’ Petri held the spear thrower in his hands, testing the weight and balance. ‘But we are big men, who use big spears to hunt the steppe herds. Bison, aurochs, onagers and musk oxen.’

  ‘You can adapt the thrower to suit your needs,’ Tarin said. ‘This is a small one we use for hares and marmots, and maybe even small deer.’

  The men nodded, seeing the possibilities. They murmured amongst themselves. Luuka left the men examining the spear thrower and moved closer to his sister.

  ‘You look tired,’ he said.

  She smiled. ‘I’m fine. I’m full of stew. I’m warm. I’m safe. We’re safe.’

  Luuka nodded. ‘It’s good to be here.’ He looked around the snug earth-lodge. ‘Perhaps we are keeping them from their furs. Kai looks tired, too.’

  Kaija glanced at the young man sitting back in the shadows. He had welcomed them, but now his face was grave and his eyes shadowed with worry. A prickle of unease crept beneath her skin.

  Tarin was still talking about the spear thrower. ‘I would leave you this one,’ he said. ‘But it is our only one. We lost our packs and supplies in the mountain. We were hoping to stay with you for a few days to hunt and replenish our supplies
.’

  ‘You are welcome here,’ Aatos said. ‘But we are overdue already at Summer Gathering. Some of our people are hoping to be joined, and we would like to be with them.’

  Tarin’s face fell and Kaija knew he was disappointed. They needed to hunt a larger animal, a deer or maybe a musk ox. They needed to dry meat and cure furs. Then Tarin brightened and he clapped his hands together.

  ‘But this is perfect,’ he said. ‘We can travel with you to the Summer Gathering and meet with Mammoth Clan there. My sister hopes to be joined this Summer, too.’ He turned to Kaija and Luuka, his eyes brimming with laughter. ‘How surprised they will all be to see us!’

  Kai rubbed his chin. ‘I remember Tuuli and wish her well. But I don’t think she will be at this Gathering. It is east we are travelling, towards Aurochs Camp. I have heard it may be too far for Mammoth Clan this year.’ He spoke slowly, his gaze on the dancing flames. A frown wrinkled his forehead and he glanced quickly at Tarin.

  Again, that sense of unease filled the lodge. Kaija wanted it to be nothing more than her imagination, but there was something Kai wasn’t telling them.

  The light in Tarin’s eyes dimmed and he nodded thoughtfully. ‘Aurochs Camp is a long way for them to travel, especially after a hard Winter. You might be right. They will not want to travel so far.’ He turned to Kaija and Luuka. ‘The Mammutti Clans live so far from each other, we cannot all travel each year. Sometimes if the host clan is too far away, we will just send a small trading party to Summer Gathering for news and trades.’

  ‘We can talk more of this tomorrow,’ Timo said. He glanced towards Kai. ‘There are many plans we can make, either to travel together, or if our paths are to part we would gladly supply you with enough food and furs to see you on your way.’

  ‘That’s very generous of you,’ Tarin said. His forehead wrinkled in thought. ‘Perhaps our original plan to travel direct to Mammoth Camp is best, after all.’

  The conversations continued – hunting and restocking supplies, the best way to go from here – one overlapping the other. But something had changed. Kaija could sense it. A shadow had entered the earth-lodge and lurked in the corners, unseen and unspoken. Nilkka whimpered and rested her head on Kaija’s leg.

  Tarin was talking about flint and furs and travelling food. Luuka was examining a musk ox fur with interest, his fingers digging deep into the tangled wool. Timo, Petri and Aatos offered hide tents, spears and water flasks. But Kai sat quietly and stared at the fire.

  Kaija shivered and suddenly realised her shoulders were tense and her fingers twisted deep into Nilkka’s fur. It is not fear that hides here in the shadows, she thought. Fear had gripped her on the mountain, on Ice Bringer, when the ground shook and the mountain fell. Fear made her heart stop beating when she thought she would never see Tarin and Rohk again. And it was fear that surged through her body when she saw the woolly rhinoceros attack Yorv, ripping his flesh from his knee to his hip and staining the ground red.

  This unease was different. It was the disquiet of secrets kept hidden, and it started when Tarin was telling of his quest to take Mammoth Clan’s Offering to the mountain. That was when Kai sat back in the shadows and let the others talk around him.

  There is something he is not telling us. She met Kai’s steady gaze. He is studying us . . . watching us, she thought, even as the laughter and the songs flow.

  Tarin was telling the story of how Kaija killed the cave lion, and her hand strayed to the pouch where she kept the lion’s tooth. Narn had insisted she take the token, and she was glad she had. Tarin said it was a symbol of her bravery, but it was much more. To Kaija, it was a symbol of their survival and their strength. It was proof that they could look fear in the face and win.

  That is what makes us Clan, she thought. If one is in need, the other two will fight. And the animals as well – Rohk, Nilkka, and even bad-tempered little Utu, who had jumped down from his perch and was burrowing into Tarin’s hair.

  The men laughed at a story Luuka was telling, and Kaija sighed. She buried her face in the wolf’s thick fur and breathed in deeply.

  Tomorrow. That is when we will face whatever it is Kai is hiding from us.

  Nilkka raised her muzzle and licked her face.

  Tonight, they were safe in the earth-lodge. Safe and warm with full bellies. Kaija said a silent thank you to their Spirit guides – to Horse and Owl and Wolf – for bringing them so far.

  Give us strength, she asked. Strength to go forward. Strength to survive. And strength to face whatever challenges are still before us.

  Petri narrowed his eyes and pulled his arm back. Then, with a mighty throw, he sent the spear hurtling through the air. It soared high and far.

  ‘That is truly amazing!’ Timo shook his head as he ran to retrieve it.

  Under Luuka’s guidance, the men of Musk Ox Clan had fashioned their own rudimentary spear thrower. They were already talking of changes to the design that would make it even stronger, and in their excitement they had postponed their departure. Tarin was glad. They reminded him of his family.

  ‘It will certainly make hunting safer for you,’ Tarin said. ‘And it goes some way to repaying our debt to you.’

  Aatos waved his thanks aside. ‘You have provided us with many memorable stories, Tarin.’ A broad smile broke out on his face and his eyes gleamed. ‘We shall eat well at Summer Gathering as we tell your tale.’

  In the two days they had stayed with Musk Ox Clan, the travellers had been supplied with new packs, warm furs, and enough dried food to last a week. They also carried spears, flint blades, a cooking pot, and new water flasks. Tarin was especially appreciative of the fine bone points Kai had fastened to the tips of the spears.

  ‘My father taught me how to shape the bone when I was your age, Tarin. If they help you return safely to Mammoth Clan, be sure to tell Hanno that I remember his lessons well.’

  ‘I will, Kai. Be certain I will.’ Tarin smiled warmly at his old friend, but Kai remained grave. He frowned into the distance, where the evening sun was painting the sky. This was to be their last night with Musk Ox Clan. Tomorrow, they would part ways. The Musk Ox men would journey to the Summer grounds, arriving later than expected but with many stories to tell. Tarin, Luuka and Kaija would continue towards Mammoth Clan’s Winter camp. By Summer’s end, they would be across the tundra, and as the forests once more turned red and gold, they would come to Bison Clan and the wide grasslands near Tarin’s home.

  Some of Mammoth Clan would be away travelling, Tarin knew, even if they didn’t journey as far as Summer Gathering. Jarkko would be trading the mammoth furs and reindeer bones, the spears and bone beads they would have worked on during the Long Dark. He would travel to Bison Clan and Saiga Clan and bring back dried antelope meat and rope woven from the long bison fur. Matti would lead the hunters on long journeys to follow the herds over the grass-rich plains. Salla would organise foraging of berries, herbs and grains, sometimes as far away as the birch forests. Closer to home they would gather cattail pollen, lichens and mushrooms. Everyone was busy during the short, light-filled Summer.

  But even if most were travelling, there would be others left behind, usually the very old and the very young, who found travelling slow and difficult. They would stay and dry herbs and fish the rivers. They would remove the thick hides from the earth-lodges and repair any damage, and they would bask in the sun for as long as they could, letting their cold bones soak up the warmth. It was the time of the Long Light, when the sun barely left the sky and the Earth Mother bathed her world in a golden glow.

  Tarin thought of his family and his heart beat faster. How he longed to see them! The days with Musk Ox Clan had been necessary, but now it was time to move on. It was the right time of year to travel. The days were long, the food plentiful, and the bogs and marshes of Spring had dried enough so they could take a direct route across the tundra.

  Tarin studied Kai’s worried face and a chill touched the back of his neck. There is something Kai isn�
��t telling me, he thought. Something that worries him when he thinks I am not looking.

  As the long, golden twilight deepened, the others gathered their spears and targets and moved next to the fire. A pit oven had smouldered all day, roasting a brace of ptarmigan and loaves of wolf moss, and Petri had opened the last flask of pozhr, a drink made of berries and bison grass. It looked like juice, but felt like fire inside Tarin’s throat.

  Now, it was just the two of them. And Tarin had his own questions to ask.

  ‘Kai,’ he said, and cleared his throat. ‘When did you know you were a Spirit Keeper?’ Tarin chewed his lip and looked out at the horizon. The sky blazed pink and gold above the grey shadows of the distant mountains. Kai didn’t turn his head. A chorus of shrill-voiced insects filled the air, but between the two the silence deepened.

  Then Kai turned and drew in a deep breath. ‘When did I know? Maybe I still don’t know.’

  ‘Your totem is Owl, too,’ Tarin said. ‘Do you fly with Owl?’

  Slowly Kai nodded his head. ‘Once,’ he said. ‘It was the most magical experience of my life.’

  Once?

  Tarin followed Kai’s gaze upwards towards the sky. A flock of ravens, dark as a cloud, winged eastwards. From his perch on Tarin’s shoulder, Utu hooted softly as the ravens flew by. Tarin smoothed the little owl’s feathers and calmed him.

  ‘Once?’ Tarin had to clear his throat to speak. He had flown with Owl many times.

  ‘It was soon after I came here. I was heartsick and alone. My family . . . would I ever see my family again?’ Kai spoke slowly and softly. ‘I walked alone that night for a long time, and found myself towards dawn at the top of that fell.’ He waved his hands at the rolling land behind them. ‘The land dropped away from me and I could see forever. I thought if I tried I could see all the way to Mammoth Clan.’

  ‘And did you?’ Tarin asked.

  Kai smiled and shook his head. ‘No, but Owl came to me then. He lifted me up and carried me high above the earth. A little speckled mountain owl.’ He turned then and looked at Tarin. ‘I dream of him sometimes, but I have never flown with him again.’