ray of sunshine

Black talons continued to carve through the ice like a chisel as he desperately kept trying to get the right grip that would allow the beast to pull himself up. His tail moved in all different directions beneath the water as he struggled to find the right angle, his back paws trying to lift themselves up onto the ice though his chest was simply too heavy to make it up onto the ice and make room for his back legs to get the right leverage.

"No, stay --" he slipped back into the water, a wave hushing his command as she neared. He wanted to tell her to stay back out of fear for her falling into the ice herself but when he reemerged, she was already announcing her plan. He was shaking very visibly, teeth clattering as he tried to simply hold onto the ice and prevent himself from falling beneath the water's surface again. He couldn't even feel the teeth on his nape, he was too numb from the cold.. but he felt the pressure and the relief of his weight.

His teeth clenched as he groaned and tried again to pull himself up on top of the ice, his back leg finally managing to get its paw upon the surface. He let out an incredible gasp once he was able to lift himself from the water completely, though his fur felt as if it were already freezing. He could not stop and chat with her, or even thank her, he had to run a few yards away from her and shake his pelt free. He would not risk transferring all the cold from his water on to her.

His muscles twitched beneath his black jacket as they fought the cold, his fur stood on end from his violent shake to rid it of water. It was freezing in place, creating a rather disheveled and spiked look around his entire form. He moved his body to the right, his lone ruby finding her and he struggled to find his coherence again. His toes still splayed across the ice as if he was still trying to keep his balance, risking falling through...

Finally, he started to break the feeling of needing to fight for his life as his head returned to him. He still understood the urgency in which he needed to act in, but in a calm but stern tone he finally spoke up to the stranger.

"I need to head South now, there is a hidden valley out of the Winter wind full of caves called The Gale Gorge. I believe a pack resides there now, but I must ask them for shelter. It is the only place I will be able.. to stay warm enough.." A strong shiver broke apart his speech at the end, but he fought through it and began to move his paws out of concern that they would freeze to the ice. He couldn't feel his legs anymore, or any of his extremities for that matter. He had to keep moving, with or without her.