The snow was coming down in sheets, blanketing everything including Ignatius as he walked carefully through the deep white powder in a seemingly aimless march out across the dangerous terrain. Getting caught in white-out snow conditions hadn't really been on his priority list for today, but, well... He bit back a grimace as he recalled the howl he'd heard earlier. Normally he might have been worried that it was some sort of trap or just his imagination, but it had sounded so much like her that he couldn't ignore it.

Luckily his winter pelt was thick enough that he wasn't too bothered by the cold so long as he didn't get wet and the wind didn't get too bad. Pressing on, he felt carefully as he put each paw down, not about to get tricked by the hidden trenches again. The first time he'd encountered one he'd fallen in face first and probably looked kind of funny just suddenly disappearing without a trace. He'd almost fallen several more times but now he was taking his time and moving a little more cautiously as he went after what he hoped was actually another wolf in distress and not just a figment of his imagination. If he found nothing... Seph sure wouldn't let him live it down, that much he was certain of.

The industrious little healer wished to collected honey in the freezing temperatures of winter, when the bees would be huddled together in their hive, and sneaking and stealing would be easier jobs. Not to mention, no sane bee would leave their hive to retaliate. Honey had always been a difficult ingredient for her to harvest, her 25” of height didn’t leave her with much reach, and it could be a dangerous job throughout every other season. With empty jars in her satchel, and a plan in her mind, she would go on a journey to the North, the colder realm of the land and begin her search there. The hike up to the North was long, and she wasn’t a large fan of the cold in the first place. She often found herself huddling in a makeshift den, questioning her own sanity. Yet, her determination never wavered. Days after leaving Kesali, the healer would find herself approaching the Red Forest, only to find, to her surprise, that a pack now resided here. She had no idea when this had happened, and who was there now, and kept far from their borders. She remembered the Mile hile woods, not far behind her and considered making her way back to those woods in the hopes that her first sweep through had simply missed a hive. She sighed softly, and instead, skirted further around the territory and continued on in the hopes that she would find what she sought on the other side of these woods. It didn’t take her long to realise her mistake, and her short legs quickly began to struggle in the deepening snow. There would be no more forests and trees, places for bees to live the further North she went from here. She had no choice but to turn around, teeth chattering, and shivering in her coat, the healer would kick a pile of snow in frustration, only to find no give beneath her paws. She yelped a surprised howl as she tumbled forward, and downwards. She landed hard in the hidden trench, the air knocked from her lungs, and she took a moment to suck in lung fills and steady her wavering paws. Once she was more certain of her footing, she stretched up, and tried to find the exit to whatever this was. It quickly became obvious that she was too short to see where the surface was, and trying just brought snow down upon her, she yelped, and jumped away from a snow dump and shook out her coat, shivering and frustrated, she would start through the trench and try to find another way out. ""

If he ever saw his mother again Ignatius would make a mental note to thank her for passing on a thick winter coat. It had sucked in the summers growing up but now he appreciated being able to at least tolerate the winter weather to some degree. Picking his path carefully, double checking that it was solid ground he felt with his front paws at every step, Ig pressed on for a while, questioning his own sanity with each and every step. Every time he thought about turning back the mental image of Kirsi stuck in a frozen pit with walls to high to jump out of made him keep going. Even if it wasn't her, he'd come this far and he owed it to whoever was stuck to help them. Supposing he wasn't just crazy and imagining things.

After what seemed like endless, useless circling had gone on for some time, Ignatius sat back frustrated, facing away from the wind and squinting to keep the ice from his eyes as he pondered what to do. Eventually he settled for the obvious and let loose a howl, calling to whoever was out here. If there really was someone who needed help he'd find them dammit. If not? He'd really enjoy sitting by the fire when he got home.

Parts of the snow had melted inside her coat, robbing her of her body warmth. She was shivering and miserable as she moved through the dark tunnel, snow above and around her. She wanted to stop, to curl up and find warmth in her coat, but she knew that do to so was death. She had to keep moving, and hoped the exercise in futility warmed her. She had nothing in her bag to warm her, only salves and jars and everything she would need to tend an injury. She was no injured, only lost and stupid, and very very cold. Her pace had slowed to a crawl, and hopelessness swam in her gut like a bad meal, when the howl of a wolf caught her ears. She tilted her head, ears perked and listening, surprise in her heart. Did it.. Sound like he was searching for someone? It didn’t matter if it was she she sought, she would rather face an array of teeth then the bitter cold. She could only hope he didn’t mean her ill, and was instead a lifeline from this shivering grave. She raised her head, jumping up and placing her paws on the wall on one side to give her a little bit of height, attempting to push her muzzle through some of the settled snow. She closed her eyes, and howled. She cried out to this stranger, she howled and howled and howled, giving him every chance to pinpoint her position, and rescue her, if rescuing was in his schedule for the day. ""

Standing silently and just sort of hoping that his howl would elicit a response wasn't really his ideal game plan but it was better than nothing. Whoever was out here better actually have needed help. If he was freezing his ass off for nothing he'd-

A response! With a start Ignatius began moving, plowing through the snow faster than before while still trying to be careful not to take a nosedive into anymore hidden trenches. Most of them he'd discovered he was capable of jumping across, long as he found the edge without tumbling in. Ig had to remind himself to not get careless despite having a direction now. It wouldn't do anyone any good for him to waste time having to climb out of a trench himself.

The woman kept howling, helping him to figure out where in the sea of white she might be. Now that he was close to her he knew the voice was not Kirsi's, but he still had every intention of helping whoever this was. As another of her calls faded, Ignatius finally thought he saw some churned up snow ahead of him. Barking a few times to alert her that he was approaching, Ig picked his way closer. Hopping over one hidden trench, he finally saw where the snow over another of the trenches was broken up. "Hello?" he called, moving to stand as close to the edge as he could safely without slipping. Searching the space below, the thought he saw a dark shape nearby. "Hello?" he repeated, "Come closer, I can pull you out," At least, he hoped he could. He sort of assumed as long as the other was smaller than him that it shouldn't be a problem.

The sound of barking, and the scrambling of paws over snow, reinforced the idea that someone was out there. Her howl fell silent after his barks, and she was listening intently. If he intended to eat her, she hoped he planned to do so after he pulled her out of the bitter cold. She was chilled to her bones, her coat wasn’t adequate for this weather. She longed for the shelter of a warm den. “H-hello?” her teeth chattered as she responded, trying to pinpoint where exactly he was as she crawled back through the trenches. Come closer, I can pull you out The words locked in a location for her, and she scrambled against the snowy wall below him reaching up as high as she could. She was panting softly from the cold. “I’m here” the small healer informed him. Sounding surprisingly calm, if a little disgruntled, despite how her teeth chatted. ""

He waited, listening through the soft howl of the wind to the sound of paws crunching over the ice and snow in the trench as the woman padded her way closer. After a moment he heard a soft voice speak up shakily, “I’m here”, clearly fighting against her half-frozen body to get the words out.

Moving to lean a little further over the edge of the trench, Ignatius shifted his weight to hid hind legs to balance himself as he prepared to pull her up. Hi jaws sought out her scruff. The snow at the edge of the bank started to give way under his right front paw and he quickly began to backpedal, keeping a firm grip on the smaller wolf until they were both clear of the trench. When he finally let go and breathed a sigh of relief, Ig offered her a smile as he glanced over her to make sure she didn't look injured. "Well, fine day to be out for a stroll isn't it?" he joked, releasing some of the tension that had built up within him now that he could be relatively sure the woman would be alright.

Forgetting introductions entirely as he noticed how she shivered, he sought to stand a little closer to her in the hopes of offering some warmth as he asked, "What would you say to maybe looking for some shelter?" He hadn't really seen much on his way here, but he was still going to try and find something. Apparently he just had a knack for running into wolves in trouble. Maybe the glow just drew them from miles away or something. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to leave her out here alone.

She hated the cold, and felt like she had snow melting beneath her coat, snow in the cracks of her pads, and clinging to her eyes. She was beyond grateful for the wolf that pulled her free. He got a grip of her scruff, and her paws scrambled against the side of prision, though she doubted she did much to help him as he pulled her free. Lucky for them both that Riva was a tiny wolf, she was almost half his size and it must have been like lifting a child as he placed her gently on solid ground. She fought not to collapse, relief making her limbs weary. She looked to the bright red wolf, his coat even more striking against the white of the landscape. At first, she thought the ice had encroached upon him, before realising the white in his fur was natural. It encased his eye, and beld towards his ear. He was fire and ice infused, this hulking wolf who towered above her like a titan. His smile however, was gentle, and his teasing words where sweet. Why did the tiny wolf always find giants in the world? “Never seen better” she agreed as he commented on the day being perfect for a stroll. “Shelter sounds like a f-f-f-fine idea” she agreed, the word catching in her throat, and she finished it with a cold. Good grief it was cold. When the towering giant siddled a little closer to her, she didn’t complain. She was happy to hide in the warmth of his shadow. It was only a shame, his fiery red coat didn’t offer the heat of a fire. ""