The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter

This was really swimming, and she didn’t know if she could do it. It didn’t feel natural likewalking on the ice—there was nothing to hold her up in the water. And she couldn’t help thinking of all the bear spirits that had melted into it. Would she be swimming in spirits?
    â€œKallik, come on, hurry!” Nisa called again. “We have to keep moving toward the land.”
    Kallik knew she had to be brave. She couldn’t stay on her little island until it melted. She needed to be with her mother and brother, wherever they went. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaped into the sea with a giant splash.
    Sharp, salty water poured up her nose and she opened her mouth to gasp for air, but instead more water rushed in. Gagging and spitting, she swallowed what felt like half the ocean. Beating her paws against the current, she struggled to the surface and stuck her nose into the air, inhaling a quick breath before the waves swamped her again.
    I can do this, she told herself. I can swim over there because Mother is waiting for me, and Taqqiq needs to see that I am just as tough as he is.
    The force of the current was strong, trying to drag her back to her island, and she could barely see the edge of the ice in front of her as she paddled. Salty waves splashed in her eyes, and her sense of smell was overwhelmed by the sting of the sea in her nose. But she pressed on, keeping her mother’s face in sight. She couldn’t hear anything over the splashing of the waves, but she could see that Nisa and Taqqiq were both shouting encouragement. Finally she felt her mother’s teeth sink into her neck fur and drag her onto the ice.
    Gasping for breath, she shook herself as hard as she could and huddled closer to Taqqiq, who was lying flat on his bellyagain. It had been freezing in the water, but it was even colder now that she was back in the wind with wet fur.
    â€œSwimming is horrible!” Taqqiq whispered to her.
    â€œIt’s worse than being chased by giant bears,” Kallik agreed.
    â€œUnfortunately,” said their mother, overhearing them, “we will have to swim to get to land.” They looked at her in horror. “It’ll be short swims, wherever we run into water,” Nisa explained. “We’ll rest in between as much as we can.”
    â€œIs it always like this?” Kallik asked. “Do you have to swim so far every ice-melt?”
    Nisa didn’t answer for a while. Then she touched her muzzle to Kallik’s. “No, it’s not always like this,” she admitted. “Usually we can get much closer to land before we have to start swimming. But we can swim, and we will. If you do as I say and stay close to me, we will make it to land soon.”
    Kallik pressed her nose to her mother’s muzzle, then reared up and wrapped her paws around her mother’s neck. “I will always stay close to you,” she whispered in her mother’s ear.
    â€œAnd always do what I say?” Nisa teased. “Can I have that promise on the Great Bear?” She prodded Taqqiq, nudging him to his paws. “All right, little cubs. See that large piece of ice over there? That’s where we’re going. Be brave, and move quickly.” She stood up, shaking herself off, and stepped gingerly down to the water’s edge.
    The chunk of ice they were on was not very large, and it rocked unsteadily below them as Nisa moved. Kallik dug in her claws, feeling a little seasick.
    â€œWhee!” Taqqiq spread out his paws to balance himself. “Come on, Kallik, this is fun. It’s kind of like riding on Mother’s back.”
    â€œExcept if you fall off her back, you’re not going to drown,” Kallik pointed out.
    â€œWe won’t drown,” Taqqiq said, padding to the edge and peering in. Nisa had slipped into the water and was starting to paddle ahead. “I’ll protect you, whatever happens. We may be small, but