Like the Snow

.

I couldn help but smile when I realized that I had won. I wiggled in my excitement. Something warm and wet swiped at my nose in the middle of my revelry. Startled, I fell backwards. I forgot in that moment that one of my arms was tucked tightly away under the layers of clothes. There was only one hand that could catch my fall.

I tumbled to the side and started rolling down the hill. Flinging my arm out I scrambled to find anything to hold to. While I simultaneously put all my weight into the heels of my feet trying to find solid ground. Rocks clapped together as they tumbled from their perch. I closed my eyes as fear clawed into my throat, cutting off my breath.

My shirt snagged on something, and miraculously my descent stopped.

I cracked my eyes open in an attempt to face the world again. My feet were perhaps half a foot from the edge and placed precariously on the base of some sage like plant. My hand was resting on a pile of loose rock. My shirt caller was caught under my chin, and a chilled breeze brushed across my stomach.

The wolf let out a soft growl and I looked up to find his yellow eyes. A weight lifted off my chest at the sight. I gasped for air as I finally understood I wouldn die here. The strength leached from my body, and my legs went limp.

The plant crackled at the sudden weight. I looked down at it just in time to see it snap and tumble over the cliff. My shirt sagged and gravity took hold again. Each millimeter felt like a mile. Rocks skidded down the hill as well and then rolled over the cliff.

I was doomed to die, it seemed, and for a moment I wondered if falling would be preferable.

Something caught onto my arm and I spun to find yellow eyes and an expression twisting in frustration. He pulled at my arm trying to drag me back up. My feet frantically scrambled underneath me trying my best to help him out, but there was nothing solid to kick against. Still he didn let go, slowly pulling me closer and closer.

Finally I made it over the edge and back onto flat land. He had pulled my body on top of his and I couldn help but curl into his warmth. His arms wrapped around me, and I finally felt safe.

A terrible screeching filled my ears and the world was trembling.

For a moment I thought that the earth was shaking and breaking underneath us.

Warm fingers pulled through my hair, and a gentle whining noise mixed in with the shriek. And that was what it took for me to realize that I was screaming into the mans chest. My nails dug into his side like claws. My body was shaking uncontrollably. But a strong arm was holding me firmly against a warm body, and the ground was steady under us.

Another shriek left my lips even as I told myself everything was fine now.

”Breath, Larral. ” A gruff voice demanded.

I would have told him I couldn , but a keen wail was humming through my throat. Why was it so hard to get in a good breath of air?

”Larral, you
e safe now. ” The gruff voice sounded again. It was such a wonderful noise. It was hypnotic to feel his chest vibrating with each sound.

”Good, one more deep breath. ” He instructed, and my body listened. I sucked in a deep dramatic breath, and let it out with a sob. ”That was good, can you do it again? ” He asked. I nodded against his chest.

Time lost meaning after that, and I could no longer hear what he had to say. But that soothing voice continued, and with each breath my body became heavier.