Redhawk Caldera Hippos Can't Ice-Fish

Eek! Thanks for all the info! Xandir, if you need to powerplay Elwood at all in your next post as they start to pull Somnia out, go right ahead!

While Elwood cracked the ice in a careful and intentional manner, Somnia simultaneously did the same -- accidentally and dangerously. The cold water had just touched Elwood's toes when he heard the sound of the ice splitting, and looked up in time to see his friend plunging through its frozen surface. She had evidently raced past him and out onto the semi-solid surface, and it hadn't been able to hold his weight.

To Elwood's horror, he watched as Somnia's head disappeared beneath the ice, swallowed up by the frigid water underneath. He gasped, hesitating only for a moment before springing into action. "Ashton!" he yelped, then furiously beat his paws against the ice, trying to enlarge the fissure so that he and the medic could reach Somnia. She hadn't come up for air in a few seconds, and he feared that the temperature of the water would be fatal to her. It was imperative that they act fast.

Once a large portion of the ice was shattered, Elwood waded in until the water lapped at his elbows, then looked to Ashton for help. "Should we both go in, or do you want to make a chain?" he asked, his words coming out as a jumble and his heart hammering against his chest. He wasn't sure what their best course of action was, but he didn't want to make a mistake; one wrong move could cost Somnia her life.