With the aid of the fish and honeyfrost, Svern grew stronger. By the next day, his ears had begun to heal, and he seemed more energetic and alert.

“Da, when are you going to train us to fight those monsters in the Den of Forever Frost?” Jytte asked.

Svern shook his head wearily. “I’m not sure it’s worth it. Even if we manage to find the key, there’s almost no way of getting to the clock.”

“But you got close!” Jytte said. “Skagen told us that you nearly succeeded.”

“But I didn’t suceed.” Svern let out a long sigh. “The operation failed. Many were lost—including some very dear friends. It was dangerous to try it, and it is even more dangerous to go into the Den of Forever Frost.”

Stellan drew himself up to his full height, which was considerable now. No bear would take him for a mere cub any longer. His tongue had turned blue like a grown-up polar bear’s. When he and Jytte were born their tongues were pink. It seemed that at least fifty times a day they would check each other’s tongues. But now they were big blue-tongued bears, and Stellan felt they deserved some answers.

“Da, we need to do this. We don’t have a choice. We have to try to break the clock and rescue Mum.”

“Whether you’re willing to help us or not.” Jytte said this slowly, not in a voice that begged but one that was absolutely resolved.

“If I allowed you to go, I would be no better than those Timekeepers at the Ice Clock who sacrifice young cubs on the escapement wheel. You would be slaughtered.” Svern’s voice cracked. “You’re too young.”

“We’re not too young,” Jytte said firmly. “Look at us! Our tongues are blue.” Jytte and her brother stuck out their tongues to show their father.

Svern chuckled and looked at his cubs. “So you think you’re almost grown up, do you, with your blue tongues and all. But are you grown up enough to die? Tell me that.”

“It’s our destiny, and this is our quest,” Jytte said.

“And who told you that bit of nonsense? Skagen, I suppose.”

The cubs nodded. Svern stared off into the dim light of the forest. “He told you that this was your destiny?”

“He said our stories await us,” Stellan replied.

A distant look came into his eyes. “That is what destinies are in part: untold stories.”

“We can do this, Da.” Jytte leaned forward. “Remember, I am an ice gazer and Stellan is a riddler.”

“And you, I guess, are a dreamwalker?” Svern said, turning to Third.

Third gasped. “How did you guess?”

“I felt you tromping about in my fever dreams. My own mum was one.”

Svern turned to Froya. “And what are you?”

“I am nothing. I tried to save my friend from the Roguers, but in truth she saved me and died for it.”

Svern reached out and touched Froya’s head gently. “You tried, Froya. I never even tried.” In that moment, Svern knew that if the cubs went to the Den of Forever Frost, he would have to go with them. This must be their mission together.

“So we have a riddler, a dreamwalker, an ice gazer, and”—he gazed fondly on Froya—“a hero. A team of sorts.” He paused and sighed deeply. “Perhaps it is your destiny to enter the Den of Forever Frost and find your way to the key. But it is treacherous now. Stellan, you saw those monsters in my head—the dragon walruses, the hagsfiends.” Stellan nodded. “In the time of Great Melting, there were immense earthquakes that rattled the very innards of this land, including the Den of Forever Frost. It was not destroyed, but it was … how shall I put it? Confused, rearranged—discombobulated. The den still exists, but the channels appeared to have been reshuffled. To get there, one has to go through a maze of klarken ice.”

“We know klarken ice,” Jytte said. “You can almost see through it.”

“That’s exactly the problem. You can see through it to other ice. And it becomes like an endless maze of mirrors. You lose your sense of direction entirely. But not only that—there are other dangers.”

“Frost vipers?” Stellan said. “We know about them.” He felt almost weak as he recalled the glare of those red eyes advancing on him, the forked tongue lashing out.

“Yes. Their venom means instant death if they break from the slither. But there are creatures worse than frost vipers. You never know when you might come across hyrakium.”

“What’s that?” Jytte asked eagerly as a mixture of fear and excitement coursed through her.

“A death pit for a monstrosity from the past, the very long-ago past.”

“Like … like a hagsfiend?” Stellan asked, remembering what Akka the frost spider had said about the horrible haggish owls who could spin webs with their eyes to ensnare creatures.

“Yes, those, and dragon walruses as well. The hyrakiums are where the bones for these ancient monsters lie. One must be careful crossing the region. A disturbance can reawaken the monsters.”

“They come back to life?” Stellan asked hesitantly. There was a tremor in his voice.

“They stay beneath the earth’s crust, but they can gather back their bones. Reassemble them and kill you beneath the earth. Back in the yore, it was much easier for the bears of the council to get to the Den of Forever Frost. There was no ice maze riddled with hyrakiums.” Svern paused and looked at the four cubs. “So before you go, you need to be prepared.”

“How?” Jytte asked. “How do we prepare?”

“I agreed to be your teacher. In Ga’Hoole they call a teacher a ryb. I can become your ryb and teach you the way of the ice sword.” There was a kindling in the bear’s eyes. “Come along, I’ll take you to my den—my winter den.”