Winter was slowly coming to a close as the months of the new year started. The lust of the colder season was starting to fade and the sounds of new pups filled each pack. Halcyon had wandered from his home in Iromar in a vain attempt to find his imprint. Bastille had been with the wolves who had left Spirane when their leader had fallen the previous year. His heart ached for the girl, hoping she was safe, and driven by instinct to find her. It was like a constant pain in his chest that only she could help mend. Being imprinted had been nothing but a thorn in his side and one he would much rather not deal with. It left him confused about other feelings he was already confused about. He had only been an adult for a few short months and already he was starting to resent it.

The river he walked next to was still, surprisingly, frozen though he could clearly see the water underneath the thin layer of ice. The closer he moved towards the mountain, the less the water flowed, but the ice was still unsafe to walk on. Not that he would have anyways. The russet wolf didn’t know about the different colors of ice, but he knew that ice usually meant danger so he avoided it. His deep loathing of the snow and cold made him wish wolves hibernated in the winter like bears. How nice would it be to sleep for six months and have it be spring. With a sigh, he continued on his way.

It wasn’t until he saw a strange wolfess with white fur dash in front of him that he stopped his aimless wanderings to watch. Her claws clacked against the solid surface and for a moment it looked like she was going to make it. Then, the frozen water cracked beneath her paws and she fell through. "Hold on!" He screamed. Without thinking, Halcyon darted after her. The girl had been much taller than him and probably much heavier. Thanks to the genes passed by his father, and the fact that he had been a runt, the ex-prince was considerably smaller than most. As he bolted onto the surface of the river, the ice groaned but held his weight. Slowing to a fast walk, he continued towards the hole in the water where the wolfess had fallen.

There she was! Reaching down, he grabbed her scruff and pulled with all his might. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get her head and legs above the water so she could hang on to the side of the hole. Panting, Halcyon looked at the bank and guessed it wasn’t too much farther for her to swim. He pounded the ice, and backed away as it broke beneath him. Slowly backing away, he led a trail of broken ice to the river bank. She might be able to swim the rest of the way towards the dry land, where Halcyon was waiting.