don't turn away now

The young Todd had seen it all first. Olivine gaze watched from the cover of the ship as the great white beast sought to climb towards him. Perhaps not him specifically, because he had seen it approaching and hid before it could see him. As he watched it, the bear suddenly jerked back and roared with surprise and pain as it disappeared from his view. Frightened and confused, he dared leave his hiding spot to approach the edge of the ship and found the alabaster she-wolf had dragged it away and was now facing off with it. With a quickly beating heart, he desperately sought Heloise's gaze for a moment before he darted off towards the pines. Hopefully she had seen him. Hopefully she knew he had taken off to find help. He was too inexperienced and too small to fight a bear, and Heloise was a small woman, too. But still bigger than the yearling fox. He would race across the snow as fast as his paws could carry him, frantic yips escaping him as he desperately tried to alert his dad or anyone to help.

Ace had just finished a patrol and had made it to his den for a quick rest before tending to other duties. With his head on his forepaws, he thought about what had happened between him and Heloise a few days prior. The things she said. The way she looked. How he felt...they kept playing in his head over and over and over again. He felt ashamed of himself for not saying anything then...but what was he supposed to say when he felt like his heart still belonged to someone that had been gone from this world for years now? He felt like loving someone else or accepting someone else's love would be a betrayal to her. Winter had claimed his heart all those years ago...and he had been unable to let go.

He had barely closed his eyes for a quick rest when he heard the familiar voice of his boy echo through the woods, only it wasn't his normal, playful tone. He sounded frantic, scared, seeking help. In an instant, Ace had risen to his paws in one fluid movement as he abandoned his rest and moved quickly to find him. As he made it to the edge of the trees, Finn was still making his way towards the treeline. "Finn? What's the matter!?" Finn was nearly upon him now, his smaller stature streaking across the snow and Ace could swear he looked like something was after him. He had never seen him like this before..."It's Heloise! A polar bear tried to get into the ship, and she's trying to fight it off!" Ace's eyes widened for a moment, "What!?" Without hesitation, the alabaster king swept past his companion and made straight for the ship. His paws drummed the ground as he raced there like a locomotive with no intentions of stopping.

As he neared the ship, he could see the white bear and the she-wolf facing off against each other before she was flung away. Rage filled him as blood roared in his ears. He was without his armor or weapons, but he didn't need them. Snow flew with each pounding step, and as the bear advanced on her and made ready to strike, he was there. He flung himself over her smaller form to shield her with his own body, hackles lifted and his face contorted in the fiercest snarl he had in him. "Don't you touch her!" He bellowed, teeth flashing as he caught the bears paw in his teeth and shook like his life depended on it. He could smell the blood from both Heloise and the bear as it roared with pain, seeking to rise onto its paws, only Ace's furious weight would drag it back down. He remained standing over her as best he could, trying to be careful so he wouldn't step on her. The bear swiped at him with his other paw, slapping him with a broad open hand which forced Ace to let go, but there he remained.


"Speech"