Redhawk Caldera m a r d u k

Lilitu had been right. Her coat grew thicker with winter’s arrival. No matter how chilly the air grew, how dark and filled with snow, she never felt cold. During her waking hours, her constant frolicking kept her warm. When she slept, Ani always snuggled closely to a family member, usually Chickadee.

She enjoyed the residual warmth of just such a cuddle as she galloped across the swards of snow today simply for the sake of it. Her blood ran warm as she plunged down a familiar slope draped in white, so carefree in her ramble that she didn’t pay attention to exactly where she was going.

The instant she fell through a patch of thin ice into the frigid water below, the cold stunned her. By the time she thought to kick, her limbs were already heavy with it. She paddled her legs defiantly, though she could not find the place where she’d fallen through. Ani found only thick slabs of frozen water. In what felt like slow motion, she pounded a fist against it, bubbles trailing from her snout in a silent shout for help.

Bridget was too far away when she spotted Shenanigans on the ice. It felt like the world slowed as she felt her own blood freeze to ice when the girl was there and then, abruptly gone.

Without even really thinking, Bridget was running… and then gulping in a breath before plunging in herself, directly into the hole ani had made. Her crash widened it, but she wasn’t fully expecting the current either. Or the shock of full submersion.

Her legs churned sluggishly to catch her and she immediately cast about for Ani, hoping she could catch a glimpse to grab her scruff.

All the air left her lungs in a final string of bubbles, which was obscured by a sudden rush of frothing water as someone else plunged into the caldera. Ani jerked her face toward the foaming and the dull sound that accompanied it. She spied a glimpse of straw-colored fur right as her vision began dimming at the edges.

Her leg felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as she outstretched it toward her would-be rescuer. The last thing she saw was her own tiny paw, toes spread out, effervescent fizz tickling and trickling between them. Then everything faded to black.

Her empty chest burned and Ani was left with no choice but to reflexively inhale, drawing frigid water into her lungs.

Seconds seemed to stretch on forever. Too long… too long…

Bridget forced herself to remain calm. In reality it was only a moment before she spotted the dim outline of the girl. She shoved herself forward and pulled Ani to her, then clasped her scruff and kicked for the surface. Her own lungs were starting to burn, and her one leg felt weighed down by the cold. Too slow

She pushed towards the light. A little further… a little further…. And then she was there, breaking through the surface.

Ani was heavy. Bridget lifted her as much as she could above the water, scrabbling at the ice along the edge as she tried to lever her up onto firmer ground. Her breath came in hurried bursts around the fur she clenched. If she was going to call for help, she needed to get to a place where dropping her wouldn’t send her back into the water.

It felt as if someone had driven a steel knife into her heart. Ani jerked and writhed, unable to see or even move properly as her entire body went numb with cold and oxygen deprivation.

Then all sensation dulled as her consciousness faded into the ether. In those final, everlasting seconds, Ani went still and sank into a feeling of absolute calm. The cold left and she was warm again. There was no panic, only peace.

She wasn’t aware of Bridget grabbing her scruff and dragging her bodily toward the jagged hole in the ice. When Ani’s head broke through the surface, she didn’t know to draw in a breath. She remained limp as her pack mate struggled to pull her out of the caldera’s bitter clutches, frozen in time.

well shit! Rolled a 20 XD

Ani was completely limp in her jaws. Bridget tried to haul her up, but her body slipped back and Bridget was dunked back under. With a burst of air, she lunged for the ice again, and this time her claws caught hold.

Something unnatural seemed to fill her then. The adrenaline of the rescue, the panic of knowing time was important…. the longer it went, the more likely it was Ani would never wake up. That wasn’t an option.

Somehow, with a strength she didn’t even know she had, she hauled them both up. Her stress was so high she barely realized how she did it. But somehow they were both on the ice and Bridget was dragging her desperately towards firmer ground.

She isn’t breathing. Fuck. Bridget straightened her out, shifting the position of her head so that her airways were more open. Then, without hesitation, she thrust her forepaws into Shenanigan’s chest with calculated force.

She needed to force her to breathe, and expel the water from her lungs. If the first couple had no response, she’d cover the girl’s muzzle with her own and drive air into her lungs before compressing once more.

Oblivion persisted as Bridget dragged her onto the ice and rearranged Ani’s head and limbs. The first time the pale she-wolf pounded on her chest, her lifeless body twitched with the force of it and then fell limp again in the frigid puddle forming beneath her.

The second impact expelled the water from her lungs. The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was a stabbing pain in her chest; it was also the first thing she felt when she regained it. Ani tried to scream, though there was so much fluid in her airways, she only choked and gargled.

She was about to go again when Ani started choking. All of her panic had subsided now into the detached calm she usually had practicing her trade in a crisis. Get her breathing, help her get the water out, keep her warm. There was a chance she’d injured something while doing cpr but injured was better than dead.

Bridget lifted the younger wolf into a better position, supporting her so that she could get more of the water up. She tried to be gentle but at this point, her lungs were the biggest concern, and clearing them was the number one priority.

As if the situation wasn’t already painful and terrifying enough, Ani couldn’t feel anything, outside of that excruciating ache in her chest. She couldn’t move her own head sideways to spit up the water filling her mouth. She would’ve aspirated it if Bridget hadn’t shifted her, allowing Ani to turn and expel the fluid with a series of gags and retches.

Hot tears joined the water pouring out of and off Ani’s insensate body, which began to tremble. This she didn’t feel either, until a painful prickling began sweeping through her. Ani whimpered in between coughing gasps, slumping against Bridget’s supportive embrace, a shivering, shuddering dead weight.

Bridget held her up patiently, keeping her supported until she'd seemingly coughed up everything she needed to and the breath in her lungs sounded clear. Then she settled her down gently, encircling her and letting her weight settle almost entirely on her side. She wanted to get her warmed up.

You're alright. You're going to be fine now. Bridget wasn't sure if the girl could hear her at the moment, but on the off chance she could, the reassurances might help. Then she began to comb through her pelt, fluffing the fur up and trying to massage some warmth back into her. Her own legs were numb, but with the girl settled against her, she wasn't overly worried. She could take care of herself once they were in the clear.

When she reached her chest, Bridget felt carefully (and gently) for any signs that she'd unintentionally broken anything. She hadn't heard anything crack - likely Ani would be bruised and sore more than anything - but better to be safe than sorry.

She could now feel the points of contact where Bridget touched her. Pins and needles rushed through Ani as the healer maneuvered her once more, letting her slump to the ground and curling up against her. The warmth pressing against her reminded her of something, though the thought was ephemeral at best.

Despite the efforts to warm her, Ani continued shivering violently. Her chest still burned. She felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, no matter how deeply she drew it. Bridget gently touched her chest and she could feel it. It didn’t hurt. Ani’s breathing grew shallower, slower.

Her lips moved, though no words came out. Her limbs still tingled, though they began feeling heavy again, like she was back in the freezing water. Her vision dimmed like before as a feeling of utter exhaustion swept through her and Ani drifted back down into the darkness of repose.

She didn't feel any damage, which was comforting. The response of her breathing wasn't.

It seemed like she was going into shock. There wasn't much Bridget could do besides keep trying to keep her warm and keep her breathing. She hugged her closer and started bathing her face and throat, listening to her heartbeat, the pattern of her breath.

I need you to stay with me, alright? Nothing she'd done so far had elicited any response from the limp form, but that didn't stop her from trying it. I know you can. Just try, okay?

Outside the attempts she was already making, it was a harrowing waiting game. No herbs that she had would fix this. Her body needed to find it's way through it.