"Kin?" Lex asked, confused. "Behlil or Kara?" He trotted over to look at what Ylva was seeing. Down below the rise they stood on was a shock of red hair moving through the snow. Spots of crimson were on the snow behind her, a large black, shaggy shape moving toward her. Looking skyward, he groaned, holding up his hands in supplication, "Why, God, why?"
That done, he slipped from his mount, tossed his reins to the nearest person, and jumped down the hillside. The slide had turned into more of an a**-over-head, ungainly tumble by the time he reached the bottom, but it did the job all the same. Scrambling out of the powder, soaked from head to foot once more, the Sparrow stood up onto a fallen tree and whistled. The animal turned its head toward him, as did the woman. "Don't just stand there, numbnuts, run!"
Hurrying himself out along the truck, he slid and vaulted off into the snow between the animal and the bleeding woman, rising slowly, arms spread to either side. "Hey, bear." The bear gave a grumbling noise and moved forward, rising up on its hind legs. For a moment, his trembling was of fear as well as cold. Oh, s**t. Then the great paws closed around him and the bear fell back on its a**, sniffling at his hair and lapping the snow from his thrown-back hood and ruffled locks. "Guys? When did I get a plus-five modifier on animal affinity? Guys? Hello?" The boy sputtered as the warm, wet length of tongue scraped across his face.
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