Page 69 of HaL

“Come on! Let’s go test this out.”

She wiggles free and heads straight for the viewer.

“What? Wait.” I hurry after her. “Should we not comm Troza and have her check you over first?”

“Nope.”

She gives me a grin.

“Come on. There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I got here.”

The viewer opens. Before I can stop her, Dawn races onto the balcony. Her feet barely make it to the edge before she launches herself into the snow like a youngling. Only she doesn’t land on top of it.

She sinks.

Straight down.

Clear to her waist.

I am at her side in an instant, hauling her free and brushing snow from her thick fur.

“Well,” she says, looking down at herself, “apparently my version didn’t come installed with the natural snowshoes you all have.”

She looks up at me with a grin.

“But guess what?”

“What?”

“I’m not cold either.”

She spins in a circle, sticking her tongue out, as she catches falling snowflakes on it. I shake my head, laughing. Then she bends down. I am still trying to understand everything that has happened when a snowball smacks me in the shoulder.

I look down.

Then at her.

“Gotcha. You’re it.”

Dawn squeals and takes off, or at least she tries to. Unlike me, she keeps sinking into the snow with every step. She makes it only a few feet before I catch her around the waist tossing her high into the air.

“Hey!” she laughs. “I am not a snowball!”

She lands against me, immediately scooping up a handful of snow and smearing it across my chest. I release her with a laugh, and she lands on her bottom. She is laughing so hard she can barely breathe. Then she drops backward into the snow, spreading her arms and legs.

“Come on, you big furball! Make snow angels with me.”

I look down at her.

“Roja, love … do you not think we should probably head back inside? Just in case this isn’t permanent. Are you not worried?”

“Worrying is for wimps.”

She sits up.

“I’m living it up. I had no idea how much fun snow could be when it wasn’t trying to kill you.” She jumps to her feet and runs several steps before turning and launching another snowball at me.

“You were warned, Roja.”