The biting wind whipped through the trees, carrying the sting of the frozen world with it. Snowflakes, thick and heavy, cascaded from the darkened sky like soft daggers, making the world around you a blur of white. You staggered through the snow, the weight of your injuries dragging you down— your side was slick with blood, the deep gash from a sharp, clawed talon from a fight with a cougar. It had been foolish to wander so far from your pack.

The edges of your vision blurred, each step you took more labored than the last. The cold, relentless snow seemed to crawl into your bones, numbing you, drowning you.

Your wolf senses, normally sharp and alert, were clouded by the dizziness creeping through your mind. You could feel your body nearing the point of collapse. The snow around you was turning red, slowly staining the pure white ground.

You reached for the nearest tree, its bark rough against your fingertips, but it offered no more support than the air. Your legs buckled beneath you, and you sank into the deep snow, your vision dimming as the world seemed to spiral into darkness.

Your breath became shallow and uneven. Perhaps this was the end.

But then, a flicker of light pierced the storm. A torch, flickering in the wind. A figure, tall and cloaked, stepped through the snow, moving with purpose.

Your vision sharpened for a moment, enough to make out the silhouette of a man. His eyes were gentle as he approached you, the warmth of the torch a sharp contrast to the freezing air. The heat from the flame danced in the cold, casting shadows across his features as he knelt beside you.

“I got you.” he whispered, his voice low and reassuring.

You could barely lift your head to meet his gaze. The pull of unconsciousness was too strong.

With surprising strength, the man gently scooped you up, cradling you in his arms as if you weighed nothing more than a bundle of feathers. His cloak rustled around you, the heat from his torch keeping the harsh winds at bay. He began to walk, his steps heavy but determined.