Redhawk Caldera Hippos Can't Ice-Fish

It took her some effort, but Somnia finally managed to stand. Elwood stayed protectively close, ready to catch her if she lost her balance -- despite her apparent aversion to him. He tried not to worry too much about it (and he certainly didn't take offense), chalking it all up to the minutes spent submerged in the freezing water.

He was thankful that he was standing right next to her because, predictably, she wobbled and bumped into him after only a few seconds on her feet. However, she overcompensated for the motion and managed to knock herself back over, falling in the other direction and landing in a heap between Ashton and Elwood. Had the circumstances not been so dire, Elwood might have laughed. Instead, he looked down at her with concern as she reorganized herself and made another attempt to stand.

Once she was on her feet again, she insisted weakly that Ashton carry her. Elwood initially thought it was a good idea, but Ashton quickly vetoed it, informing both of his grey-furred companions that Somnia needed to walk in order to get the blood flowing through her legs. So he nodded his agreement, reaching out to give Somnia a gentle and encouraging nudge with his snout. "You can do it. We'll make sure you're okay," he said, repositioning himself next to her -- whether she liked it or not.