Way of the Wolf by Bear Grylls Read Free Book Online

Beck asked.
    Tikaani chuckled, but there was a sour edge to it. ‘OK, now we move on to my dad. I get on well with him, yeah, but he’s all, “Why do you spend all your time with that computer? Why not get out more?”’
    Beck kept quiet. He could sense a frustration in his companion that was bubbling to the surface in the form of words. Tikaani needed to let it out.
    ‘I mean,’ Tikaani went on, ‘you’re the first foreign friend I’ve met face to face, right? But you’re not my first foreign friend ever. I’ve got several that I only know over the web. We can chat and hang together – we get on really well . . . and we’re in different countries. The world is a huge place and I like to be part of it. How big is Anakat compared to the world? Anakat has a couple of hundred people but I’m part of a culture of millions. You need technology for that which Anakat just doesn’t have.’
    He clenched his fists and Beck sensed this was the final outburst: ‘This is the modern world! You need technology!’
    They walked in silence for a while after that. Beck thought of the GPS in his pocket. He hadn’t used it lately because he knew how low the power was. He agreed with everything Tikaani said but with one addition: sooner or later, technology lets you down . . .
    Fortunately, navigating wasn’t hard. Beck had walked across plains and deserts before, where you fixed your eyes on a point on the horizon and headed for it. Here in the trees you couldn’t see the horizon but you could see the mountains above them. The storm that had diverted the plane was long gone. The sharp, rocky peaks shone with gleaming coats of white snow, stark against the clear blue sky. They were beautiful, but Beck was very glad there was a pass that led through them.
    Another few hours, he knew from the map, and they would reach a river. After that they would be in the foothills and then it would be time to rest for the night.
    And apart from that clawed tree, there had been no sign of bears, or indeed any other kind of mammals . . .
    Something moved in Beck’s peripheral vision. He stopped dead and his head snapped round. Tikaani took a few steps forward before realizing that Beck wasn’t keeping up.
    ‘Hey? What’s the problem?’
    ‘Nothing . . .’ Beck murmured. He peered into the trees.
    Tikaani was back by his side in a flash. ‘Bear?’ he asked. He took a firmer grip on his stick and Beck could hear him making his tone brave.
    ‘No,’ Beck said firmly. ‘Not a bear. Come on.’
    He set off again and, after a moment, Tikaani caught up.
    It had definitely not been a bear. If he had seen anything at all, it had been a sleek shadow, low to the ground, cruising just out of sight through the trees. It moved at the same pace as they did and was in no hurry to go anywhere.
    He had seen similar behaviour in his time with the Sami. He knew exactly which animal acted like this. Stalking, in no hurry, waiting for reinforcements.
    Beck bit his lip, held his own stick more firmly and decided not to worry Tikaani with it. But he was pretty certain they were being followed by a wolf.

CHAPTER 14
    Beck stood on the river bank and stared across in dismay.
    Crystal-clear water came down from the mountains and flowed over a bed of stone and gravel. It didn’t look that fast. In fact, it looked quite inviting. The water rippled and sun sparkled off the wavelets.
    The river was only about fifty metres wide. He thought it might as well have been fifty miles. A branch swept by, turning slowly in the torrent. It shot past Beck at the speed of the average cyclist.
    Beck clenched one fist, then the other, and then hit himself on both sides of the head at once. ‘
Duh!
’
    They had made good progress. Not a sign of any bears, and even the wolf shape hadn’t shown itself again. Beck had set up a brisk but steady pace through the wilderness, always keeping one eye on how Tikaani was managing. If the other boy found the pace too punishing, Beck was