Heron Lake Plateau i didn't know you could do that.

Poe had finally stopped struggling after four or five more bouts of wriggling. It did eventually seem as though it was doing her some good, but it was also wearing her out. She had a feeling she'd need her strength soon. Knowing that, however, did not stop her mouth. She didn't really even need her hero's little chuffs and chuckles to encourage that.

"I feel like I'm somehow falling deeper into this hole, but that can't be the case, right?" she asked, turning her head to peer up at the blue sky above. She paused for a few seconds, then started again. "You'd think if I was, though, I'd eventually sink low enough to feel the ground beneath my feet, but no. I don't think there is any ground here. It's all just snow. At least I think it is. I don't know, maybe my paws have gone numb and I can't actually feel what I'm touching anyway. I've heard about that before. My mother called it frostbite. She never said how quickly that sets in though.. I've only been down here for a few mintues, so there's no way I'd have frostbite already, right? My mother is a healer and she taught me some of what she knows, but I don't remember her saying how to treat frostbite. I actually think she said there's no treating it."

A pause.

"Oh shoot... I remember how she said to treat it. And I do not want to go there. I doubt it's frostbite anyway.. I think my mind is just playing tricks on me. It does that sometimes, especially when I get anxious. Not that I'm anxious now, just.. um... eager, I guess. No pressure, though, I mean... I'm sure you're doing great, and I really, really appreciate the effort. As do my paws, that I really hope I don't have to gnaw off. I don't think I could even--"

Poe stopped abruptly as another ball of snow plopped down onto the bridge of her muzzle, causing her to sneeze. She blinked as a cloud of flakes swirled up in front of her eyes as she looked up and spied the hole her rescuer had made, complete with a single eye peeking down at her. She canted her head slightly up at him as a smile twisted across her lips. There was hope!

"I'll try!" she called before sucking in a deep breath to steel herself for the ultimate wriggle. She shut her eyes for a moment to say a quick prayer to her mother's gods, politely requesting that they give her the strength to make it out of this so her packmate wouldn't have to dig anymore and he could go back home to take care of his newborns. Then, her fiery eyes popped open in a blaze and she kicked with all her might.

Poe didn't go very far at first. Maybe an inch. But she was determined now, so she wrenched and kicked and struggled and a few minutes later, she had broken the surface with her upper torso and was kicking her front limbs up and out. It was actually a lot like that scene in Balto, except she didn't manage to leap out of the snow like a dolphin at the end. Instead, she found purchase with her forelegs and laid there for a second to catch her breath, half in and half out of her wintery prison.

"Remind me... not to do this... again..." she panted as she gathered herself for the final round.