The Longest Day by Erin Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

strong enough!” she hissed to Ossi. Chula must be in agony. Even with the rock supporting the log, she could see Chula’s leg was squashed tight between wood and earth.
    Lusa broke away, roaring with frustration. She froze as she saw fur shimmering between the trees. Was that a brown bear? Would he help? Rearing onto her hind legs to see better, she recognized Ujurak’s face among the shadows. Lusa felt a surge of hope. She waited for him to bound forward,or transform into a moose and help roll the log away. But he stayed where he was, watching her.
    Anger welled in Lusa’s belly. “Help us!” she roared.
    Ujurak’s voice sounded faintly in her mind, as though he were a long way off. “I can’t do anything, not this time.”
    Ossi glanced up at her. “What are you bellowing at?”
    â€œHush!” Lusa waved at him to be quiet. She had to hear Ujurak.
    â€œYou know what to do,” Ujurak went on. “Take a breath. Stay calm. Trust yourself.”
    The reassuring tone washed through Lusa like a cooling breeze. Her thoughts slowed. She looked down. There was a gap beneath the log where the rock pushed it up. Lusa’s paws pricked. “I have an idea!” Scrambling past Ossi, she crashed through the ferns and raced into the trees. She scanned the ground for sticks, inspecting them carefully until she found what she was looking for: a solid branch, newly fallen and still strong. She grasped one end between her teeth and heaved it into the sunlight. Hauling it past Chula, she dropped it beside the log.
    Ossi looked puzzled, but as Lusa began to thread the thickest end of the stick through the gap beneath the log, his eyes brightened with understanding. “We can lever the trunk off!”
    She nodded. “If we’re careful, the trunk will roll away without hurting Chula.”
    Once the stick was firmly beneath the log, she hurried to the other end and heaved it up with her forepaws. She wanted to pry the log away from Chula’s leg. It creaked as she pushedupward, but she could feel strength in the wood. Please hold! Ossi grabbed the branch and heaved, too. Between them, Ossi and Lusa lifted it high enough off the ground for Ossi to dive underneath and push up with his powerful shoulders. Groaning with the effort, he forced the branch higher while Lusa pushed with all her might.
    The tree trunk shifted. One more heave, and the log lifted a paw’s width from the rock.
    Lusa’s heart leaped. “We’re doing it.”
    Ossi grunted beside her, his eyes tightly shut as he strained at the branch. Chula whimpered with fear.
    â€œCan you pull yourself free?” Lusa called to her.
    Chula winced as she dragged herself forward. “Yes!” Her hind leg slid from beneath the trunk.
    The moment it was clear, Lusa barked at Ossi. “Get out!” she warned. “I’m going to let go.”
    As Ossi ducked free, Lusa jumped away from the branch. It slammed onto the ground, and the log rocked back into place.
    Lusa rushed to Chula and ran a paw over her leg. It felt stiff and swollen, and heat pulsed from it.
    Ossi leaned in beside her. “How bad is it?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Lusa looked at Chula. “Can you move it?”
    Chula grimaced as she strained. But her hind leg didn’t move.
    â€œDoes that mean it’s broken?” Ossi asked.
    Lusa shook her head. “I don’t know. It might be. But there’s a lot of swelling. We won’t know until that eases.”
    Ossi snuffled his sister’s cheek. “Don’t worry, Chula. We’ll look after you.”
    â€œWhat about the others?” Chula grunted. “Are they okay?”
    â€œWho was with you?” Lusa asked.
    â€œHashi and Rudi,” Chula rasped. Lusa guessed she must be in a lot of pain. But they had to know who else needed to be rescued. “Sheena and her cubs, Tibik and Hala.”
    â€œAnd Miki?” Lusa