Dipper moaned, slowly coming back to consciousness. He heard a crackling noise, like a campfire. At first, he felt nothing, but gradually became aware of a horrible burning sensation on his back. He moaned again and moved to sit up, only to realize he was lying on his stomach in a pile of something soft and fuzzy. He forced his eyes open. Fur. He was on top of a pile of cleaned animal furs. He tensed. Where was he? Wait, where was Wendy?! He sat up, careful not to put any weight on his back or shoulders, glancing frantically around.

He was in a small, round room. The walls were made of wood. There was a fireplace in one corner. Flames danced around inside the grate. To his relief, Wendy was asleep on a hastily made cot on the other side of the room. She was covered animal pelts like the ones Dipper was sitting on. Even from where he was, he could see a huge bruise on her forehead. He flinched internally, hoping she wasn't in too much pain.

There was a rustling side to his left. A curtain to his left parted, and a monster stepped through. He gasped. It was about five feet tall, and covered in tan-yellow fur. It wore a shirt and pants made out of more animal pelts. A long tail with a gold tuft at the end waved behind it. "He lives!" it said, showing its sharp teeth in a smile. it had a rounded muzzle and oval-shaped ears atop its head.
"Aah!" Dipper tried to slide back, away from the creature. The monster's eyes widened.

"No, no, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!" the creature blurted out, holding one paw out in a gesture of harmlessness. Dipper couldn't help but notice that it had five digits and gray pads on its palms. He also noticed that the voice was distinctly female. "I found you in the snow, both dying of cold!"

There was something in her manner that made him pause. Maybe she really was just trying to help. Dipper tried to slow his breathing and calm his racing heart. He felt dizzy and sick. "What are you?" he asked, his voice still quavering a bit from fear and stress. The creature's face fell.

"I'm...I'm not sure," she said, as if admitting something painful.

"Are you a werewolf?"

"No," she snorted. "I'm pretty sure I'm not a werewolf. Wolves don't have retractable claws." She twitched her fingers and claws shot from the tips. She twitched them again and they vanished. Dipper gulped. "No!" she said again, suddenly realizing she had come across as threatening. "That's not what I meant. I'm a friend." She held up a small stone bowl in her other hand. "I brought something for your back. It's in pretty bad shape." He eyed the bowl suspiciously.

The creature took a hesitant step forward. Dipper didn't react. If she was an enemy, there wasn't much he could do. If she was a friend, he needed the help. "See?" she said, holding the bowl out to him. Inside was a paste made of different leaves. "Just let me help. Lay back down on your stomach." When he didn't move, the creature rolled her eyes. "I swear, I'm not going to eat you or anything." Finally, he gave in, shifting so that he was on his stomach again. He suddenly realized that his vest, hat, and shoes were gone. Before he could ask about them, there was a sharp pain in his back, followed by an incredible relief. He let out an involuntary sigh.

The creature poured the stuff from the bowl onto the boy's back, careful not to touch the red, inflamed skin. "Helps, doesn't it?" she laughed at his reaction. "You saved her, y'know. Once I spotted that small hole in the snow and dug you out, I realized you must have spread yourself across the opening to keep the avalanche from reaching her. Given her condition, she probably would have died if you hadn't done that."

"Is she okay?" Dipper spoke for the first time, and the creature she understood his question, however, her smile faded.

"I don't know. She's clearly been concussed. I don't think her skull is broken, but she's in a bad way. If there's internal bleeding, there's nothing I can do to help." The creature's ears folded back in sadness. "As soon as you can move, we need to get both of you back to civilization. You're not as injured as she is, but I still think you should have your back looked at."

"I...I can move now," he said, struggling back to a sitting position. "If Wendy needs help, I can do it." The monster nodded.
"Right. Do you think you can help me carry her? I don't think I can get her all the way to the town by myself," she asked.
"Yes," Dipper said, his fists clenched in determination.

"Alright," the monster said, getting up. "I'll go get the stretcher." She disappeared back through the curtain, but returned in a heartbeat carrying a huge, folded pelt, two wooden poles, and Dipper's shirt, vest, and hat. "Your shoes are outside," she said. "These were soaking wet when I found you. They should be dry now." She set the clothes down next to him on the pile of furs.

"Thanks," Dipper said, reaching for them. He hesitated before pulling his shirt on. Would the fabric reignite the fiery pain on his back? No, it didn't. The paste had formed a barrier that protected his skin. The creature busied herself with arranging the stretcher on the floor. She hummed to herself as she worked, but then stopped mid-song. "What's your name?" she asked.

Dipper was taken aback by the sudden question. "Dipper," he said, sliding his arms into his vest. "Dipper Pines." The creature froze, her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Is something wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, not at all." Her voice was uncertain.

"Do you have a name?" Dipper asked, tugging on his cap.

"Abigail," she said, avoiding his gaze. She finished arranging the stretcher. "Are you ready?"

"Just a minute," Dipper said, dashing to collect his shoes from just beyond the door-curtain. He laced them up quickly, moving towards the cot where the unconscious girl lay. Abigail already stood near Wendy's head.

"I'm going to take most of the weight because you're injured. It will be your job to make sure that I'm setting her down in the right place, understand?" the creature asked. Dipper nodded. Abigail slid her pawlike hands underneath Wendy's still frame, careful to keep her head from lolling back, and in one movement, lifted her from the cot. Dipper caught Wendy's feet. Together the two lowered her to pelt stretcher. "Alright," Abigail straightened up. "Take those poles," she said, motioning with her tail. "And lift on my count. Three, two, one, now."

Dipper's arms trembled slightly with the effort, but he set his jaw and managed to keep pace with Abigail. "It isn't far to the Mys- That ramshackle building on the edge of the town. Can you call an ambulance from there?" She didn't turn her head to look at him, instead focusing on finding the easiest path.

"Yeah," the boy panted. "Actually, I kinda live there." He thought he saw the creature's ears flick backward.
"Good. It isn't long now. Hang on." She seemed to sense that he was beginning to lose his grip on the poles. Dipper readjusted his hands. His back was starting to prickle uncomfortably again. After a few more minutes, he began to notice yellow arrows pinned to the trees. As the shack clearing came into view, Abigail spoke. "This is as far as I go."

After they eased the stretcher to the ground, Abigail turned to Dipper. "You must not tell anyone about me. Do you understand?" She asked.

"Yes," Dipper said, his voice suddenly shaky again. The monster-girl seemed to have grown dramatically in size, and her voice was commanding.

"Under no circumstances are you to come looking for me again. Now go, get help." Abigail turned abruptly, dashing back into the woods. She was out of sight before he could blink. Without waiting a single second more, he ran towards the Mystery Shack.

"GRUNKLE STAN! MABEL! SOOS! ANYONE!"

"The time is coming soon, Brother Owl," a rumbling voice said calmly. "It will happen in a heartbeat."

"Is that so, Sister Lion?" A smooth, echoing voice replied.

"I was not foolish in choosing my champion so quickly, Brother Owl. One needed to be ready, to teach the others as a mother teaches cubs."

"So you say, Sister Lion. Undoubtedly that is how it will come to pass. Your champion will train the others. What I do doubt," Brother Owl paused. "Is that it will happen 'soon'. It has not happened for thousands of years. What makes this decade any different from the last?"

"I know not," Sister Lion said gleefully. "But one thing I DO know. I have met your champion!"