“That’s the fort. It’s almost restored, and once they’re finished, the fort will open for special dinners and functions,” Stig said.
“Most of the tour companies go out that way.” Kirk pointed to a bus lumbering down the road away from them. “They exchange the vehicle for a tundra buggy that has big wheels and a viewing deck to keep their passengers safe from curious bears.”
“We’re going to take you the other way into the Wapusk National Park. I noticed a sow with two cubs in the vicinity two days ago when I drove out to deliver the dog food. I didn’t see her, but I could sense her presence,” Leif said.
“Arctic fox at two o’clock,” Stig declared.
Leif slowed and halted the vehicle.
“Where?” Fiona demanded, camera poised to snap a shot.
“Open the door quietly and get out. Try not to make any noise,” Arve instructed. “I’ll point out the fox once we creep around the vehicle and it’s in sight again.”
“I still don’t see him,” Fiona whispered.
Arve stood behind her. “See that scrubby bush, off to the right? He’s curled up in a ball right in front. He’s pure white with a hint of black on the tips of his ears.”
“Oh,” Fiona breathed in awe, on spotting him. She zoomed in and snapped several shots. The fox lifted his head and she took another photo with the animal staring straight at her.
After five minutes, Arve kissed her neck. “Are you ready to go?”
“Do we have time for a quick selfie?” She rearranged her camera screen and focused the camera on their faces. “Perfect,” she said, after pushing the shutter.
“Will you email me a copy, Fiona, mine?”
“I’ll download the photos tonight,” she promised.
They watched a pair of Arctic hares, almost invisible in the snow, plus white birds that reminded Fiona of plump partridges. She’d been hoping to see another owl, but spotting the polar bear with her two playful cubs made her day. They stopped the vehicle, and Leif said they could inch a little closer.
The mother lifted her nose and stared straight at them when they reached the perfect viewing spot, according to Leif. The two cubs—much whiter than their mother—stared at them too, full of curiosity. One stood on his hind legs to get a better viewpoint. After a while, the mother relaxed and the two cubs returned to their playful wrestling.
Fiona took photo after photo, thankful for the clear weather and digital cameras. “This is amazing,” she whispered, excitement zipping through her. Not even the cold dampened her enthusiasm. “They’re so cute I want to cuddle them.”
“You’ll have to make do with us,” Josef quipped. “The wild bears can be dangerous and unpredictable. At this time of the year, they’re hungry and their energy stores are low. Once the ice freezes, they’ll go out to feast on the seal pups.”
“I thought your mother and the rest of your people were already out on the ice,” she said.
“They’ve gone to the winter camp, which is farther round the coast. The instant the ice is strong enough, they’ll go out and feast on seals too.”
“Glad I’m not a seal,” Fiona quipped. “What does seal taste like?”
“Fishy,” Arve said and smacked his lips. “My favorite treat.”
She pulled a face and the brothers chuckled.
Kirk lifted his head, and his nostrils flared. “There’s a male heading in this direction.”
Fiona took a final photo of the cubs and noted that the mother was alert, sniffing the air too. She grumbled at her cubs, and they ceased their playing, coming to attention. She moved off, setting a rapid pace. Her cubs scampered after her.
“Is a male bear dangerous?” she asked as they wandered back to the vehicle.
“They will kill the cubs if they can. It’s food for them,” Josef explained.
Fiona nodded, understanding. It was nature but it still seemed barbaric to her. “Does that happen to shifters too?”
Kirk snorted out a laugh. “A hundred years ago, perhaps. These days we’re a lot more civilized. We have to be to survive in the human world.”
She frowned. “But the males leave the females once they’ve mated?”
