Nova Peak And she's suddenly cruel

Lycabas watched helplessly as the girl struggled to stand and took sharp, ragged breaths that hitched in her chest and didn’t seem to give her much oxygen at all. She coughed and hacked, choking if not suffocating right in front of him; the boy hardly knew what to do. He was so alarmed that he didn’t notice the trickle of blood coming down his right shoulder, where a rock hidden beneath the white had split his skin.

Slap her hard on the back! Just like I had to when you had that bird bone caught in your throat.

What if I hurt her?

Just do it!

Lycabas lifted a massive forepaw and gave her a few hesitant whacks just behind her shoulders, only increasing in volume and intensity if it seemed to be helping. Blood from his wound cast off into the snow.