The ice goes crack

Rebel reached out to grab his stick and hope surged in Rampage’s chest, light a match lit then snuffed out the hope didn’t last long as his sister missed the stick and was sucked under water.  Ram keened out a high pitch whine, glancing back sharply with widening eyes when he heard Dad’s charging approach.  

Dad could fix this! Even as he was scooped up Ram saw the rage in Dad’s eyes, the boy’s potential relief dampened in the expression.  Oh damn.  Rebel and he were in some big-time trouble!  He’d never seen Dad look so angry.  Still, she’d be ok now, right?  Ram slid on the ice as thoughts and feelings flew by.  The boy found his feet as soon as possible and bounded back further to solid ground.  With all the emotions surging in him, the child hadn’t noticed how his legs shook in anxious fear.

“It’ll be ok now, it’ll be ok,” he whispered the words to himself, assuring himself that his sister would be fine.  Rampage had no doubt that Maverick would be fine.  A bit of water was nothing for him, right?  A few seconds seemed to take forever but Dad came up but then seemed to lose his grip on the ice.  For the first time, a tingle of doubt tugged at him.  No!  Dad wouldn’t fail.

They came back up and Rebel was hoisted onto the ice.  Rampage let out a deep sigh of relief and with Rebel seeming to make slow progress getting closer Rampage moved to the edge of the frozen water.  He wasn’t about to risk Dad’s wrath and put one paw on the ice but he stayed as close as possible so that he could shove his head against her shoulder, rubbing his forehead into her soaked coat, followed up with a gentle nipping at her coat.  He was hardly known for being affectionate but this was a special moment.  He'd been scared she’d die and he had a part in it but now it was alright.  “C’mon, let's get farther up.  Find a spot to lay down and I’ll help warm you up.”  His gaze drifted back to the water, squinting, “Dad’ll be alright and up here with us in no time.”

"Rampage Klein"