Malia was very much preoccupied with Asriel, who returned her mocking words with a raise of his head and some form of a smirk. The girl laughed in response and surprise. Normally at this point the two would be at each other's throats, trying to make each other angry. This time, though, it was a rather calm, light-hearted exchange. The darkly-furred male was about to respond to her when she felt the full force of something slam into her slim body, forcing her down onto the ice. The wind was knocked out of her lungs and her head hit the ice with a dull thud. The world moved before her eyes as she struggled to find breath. Somewhere above her she could hear Asriel's voice, commanding her brother to leave her alone.


At this point she would normally be angry at Asriel for defending her when they clearly did not have many pleasant feelings towards each other. This time, however, her fury was directed towards her large, older brother. Wasn't he complaining about how unsafe the ice was, and then he goes and tackles her and forces her down atop its cold surface? What an idiot! A growl emerged from her jaws as she lifted her head and attempted to stand, turning her amber eyes towards her kin. Her claws couldn't gain traction and she then slipped. Embarrassment flowed through her as she stayed in a laying position. "You are such a moron." Malia snarled, venom in her eyes. Any of the remnants of cheerful teasing were now gone from her voice. Slowly she shakily stood, moving her body and pointing her front paws towards Titan. If her brother truly thought that attacking her would make her go anywhere, he was dreadfully stupid and clearly did not know her at all. "Leave," she said to Titan, the threat clear in her voice.

Asriel continued to stare at Titan, with every intention of defending his right to take care of Malia should he challenge him. It took a few moments, but eventually, Titan gave in, and reluctantly surrendered the responsibility of his sister to Asriel, whose expression changed very little. This was no time for him to be smug or rub the fact that Malia would rather be with him in Titan's face. The fact that Malia had not protested made him feel more responsible, and because of this he would not gloat or show too much pride. He watched with raised hackles as Titan carefully made his way off the ice and as soon as his paws hit the snow he was off, running. Asriel took a few steps forward, his tail waving over his back in victory. Now he took the moment to smile; he took the moment to be smug and proud. He'd fended that dog off in a very adult way. He'd stood up for Titan's sister, who he fully intended to take care of.

But though the prince of fire and ash had stepped away from Malia, it did not ease the tension on the ice's surface enough for it to withstand the weight of the female. Having been pounced and pushed to the ground by her brother, Malia had unknowingly caused a crack in the ice to split and spread, silently stretching out beneath her and it wasn't until Asriel stepped away, by some chance, that it gave away beneath her.

She fell through so fast that Asriel didn't hear her yelp- all he heard was a crack and a splash, and he whipped around only to see a hole in the ice, clotted with snow and shards of ice which was spreading. He leapt back instinctively, feeling his toes tip into the water just a moment before he was able to leap far enough away to be safe. The surface writhed and became still for just a moment before the princess fought her way to the surface and pulled in a shocked, tormented breath of air. And the prince of Willow Ridge could do nothing but look on. The hole in the ice was too large for him to simply go to the edge, reach in and grab her scruff. Nor did he have the strength to pull her out, certainly not with waterlogged fur. And if he went any closer, he would jeopardize his own life as well.

Shell-shocked, he stood and looked on. An echo of words danced through his mind, and he recalled what he'd been told about death. It couldn't be predicted. One day they would all die. None could escape it once its claws had grasped their fur. So he stood, frozen, unable to do anything but watch as Malia fought wordlessly, only taking in air she needed whenever she reached the surface, until the moment came when only one frantic paw breached the surface. Already the ice and snow had begun to settle, and begin to congeal and freeze once more. Already the evidence of her demise was being swept away. She was already dead.

He walked back to his pack's territory with a stony expression. The entire journey was made in silence. He did not cry, he did not talk to himself. But in the prince's mind the wheels were turning. Torn between grief, shock and fear, he made a plan. Because with death came consequences, and he felt them weigh heavily upon his shoulders...

More than anything else, the prince needed to find a way to save his own skin. He'd just watched Malia die, and it had made him all the more frantic to preserve his own life. No one could know. A plan had to be made.