By the middle of December, the temperature had dropped to below freezing, and stayed there. The gummis huddled further underground. Their fur had gotten thicker, and they had plenty of wood for the fires. They ate little and went into a sleepy state, similar to that of hibernation. It was only Gruffi who kept a restless energy. He was the only one who ventured outside. Out of the four seasons, winter was one that he just couldn't stand. He hated being cooped up underground, and found various excuses to go out.

This time it was for his traps. They were for rabbits and other small rodents. Their meat supply needed to be replenished again, and he was the only one that cared to do it.

"Come on, Gruff." Gusto said, sleepily. "We've got enough food, don't we? I mean, is meat really that important? I've been living on nothing but fruit and the occasional fish for practically my whole life."

"Hmph. Yeah, well, you lived on a balmy little island. It's below freezing out there, you goof. We need the meat to keep our strength up."
"Our strength? You're the only one pacing around like a hungry wolf. Everybody else is just relaxing and having a good time. Ya don't have to go and spoil it for everyone."

"Ugh! This is not some kind of party, Gusto. This is the dead of winter. We're trying to stay-"

"Dead? The dead of winter? Do you have to say it like that?" He patted Gruffi on the shoulder. "No need to get morose, old pal." Gruffi pulled back from him.

"Oh, I'll show you morose, you fool bear. You never take anything seriously, and one of these days, it's gonna kill-"

"Whoa hey, calm down!" Gusto looked over Gruffi's shoulder at Marri, who was knitting quietly in a chair next to the fire. The blue bear hoped it didn't turn out to be a tiny cub bonnet. He wasn't sure how intimate the two had gotten, but he had walked in on them sleeping together on this very couch last night. Under the same blanket.

"Hey, Mare Bear. Could you tell this old grump to lay off already? I wanna go back to sleep." He rolled over, grabbing the blanket (Was it the same blanket? Part of him hoped so…) and turning his back to Gruffi. Artie, who was perched on the back of the couch, make a small chirp in his sleep.

"Don't use her to calm me down, you. And stop calling her that. Her name is Marri." Gruffi grumbled. Gusto laughed into his pillow dryly.

"Are you kidding me right now? I call everyone, including you, nicknames, and you suddenly can't stand it if I call Marri one? What's with you?" His back was still turned to Gruffi as he said all this. Marri stirred in her chair.

"Oh, would you two quit bickering like a pair of old men? You're driving me crazy…" She muttered. Gruffi stiffened up, suddenly going quiet. He turned on his heel, slinging a burlap sack over his shoulder.

"I'm outta here." He mumbled. Marri stood up.

"Hey, wait a minute." She strode over to him.

"What now?" He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Just...be careful. Don't be gone too long." She leaned into him then, and his heart throbbed. He put an arm around her.

"Don't worry about me, Marri. I shouldn't be gone for any longer than a couple of hours."

"Are you taking the sled?" She asked.

"Yep."

"Snow shoes?" Gusto pushed himself up from the blankets.

"What the...What would I need those for? Gummis are light as a feather on the snow."

"You aren't, pal."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You weigh a ton. I think it's all that muscle. You're almost 2 stone! And you're gonna sink like one in all that snow."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud! I know how to take care of myself out there! Now would you two quit acting like Grammi and let me leave? I need to get back before dark instead of standing around here, listening to you two yammering on-"

Marri grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a hard kiss. He blinked, and relaxed a bit. She pulled away, smiling.

"Would Grammi do that?"

"Hell no!" He stomped away, leaving them in a fit of laughter.

Even when he'd gotten to his first trap, he was still grumbling. Secretly, he was delighted that they cared about him so much, but at the same time, it was annoying. The two of them together really could be worse than Grammi. He remembered this kiss, and his face heated up. He buried his smile into his scarf. Marri had just finished knitting it last night. It was a dark shade of green, like pine trees. He suspected her next one was for Gusto. The idea of it almost made him laugh. She had to know by now that the fool bear was in love with him. Yet, since she was too, they almost seemed to share him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was almost like he was their own little joke. He frowned at the rabbit he pulled out of the trap. It was a pretty decent size for the middle of winter.

"I'm not so sure about this, big guy. I mean, there's only so much of me that can go around, ya know? I can only handle so much…" He trailed off, realizing how ridiculous he must look, out in the woods, talking to a dead rabbit. He was glad no one else was out here. He walked over to the sled, shoved the rabbit into the burlap sack and reset the trap. It was the claw snap kind, and they used to make him nervous when he was younger and not as strong. But now he pushed it back open in one easy motion and set the lever. Packing a few handfuls of snow on it, (carefully) he then grabbed the rope to the sled and moved on. Only nine more to go… And the sun was setting in two hours.

"Whatcha makin' over there, Mare Bear?" Gusto mumbled into his pillow. Marri's mouth twitched.

"Guess." She noticed Gusto sit up rather quickly at this, and kept playing with him. She'd only just started the scarf, so really, it could be anything. She knew he had his suspicions, especially after he had seen her and Gruffi on the couch yesterday. She had a hard time not chuckling about it when it came to mind. They hadn't "done the deed" yet, but that didn't mean they hadn't done anything. Gusto was narrowing his eyes.

"That's some pretty soft yarn ya got there." He said. Marri just nodded.

"I get it from a friend of mine. She's a tinker. It's alpaca."

"Alpaca? Isn't that a kind of llama?"

"Sort of. They are a bit smaller, and have a better disposition."

"And softer, apparently."

"Mm hm." She looked up at him then, her eyes sparking. "One could even say 'baby soft'". She waited until his jaw dropped before looking back down at her work again. He gasped.

"No… Why, Marion Berry. You're not… Are you? I mean, have you and Gruffi even…? I'll bet it was in the fall… I'll bet-" He rambled. Marri shook her head and laughed. He was just so fun to mess with.

"It's just a scarf, Gusto. For you, actually. I hope you like this color. I think it'll go good with your fur."

"What? Wait, so… you two aren't…?" His eyes narrowed again, and he was leaning off the couch so far, she was sure he'd fall off. Marri sighed.

"I don't think it's my place to discuss that." She said, her voice mock serious.

"Not your place? Well, then who's place is it? Gruffi would never say anything."

"No, he wouldn't. And I respect that about him. So I won't either." Her eyebrow cocked up, and she kept her eye on her stitches. She was making them nice and loose. The yarn for his scarf was thicker, so she thought she would try a different weave. Gusto appreciated creativity. Gruffi's had been tight, with even, uniform stitches. She'd made it with practicality in mind. It would keep him warm above all else. And she hadn't made it nearly as long as she was going to make Gusto's. She smiled, once again, thinking about last night. There had been no one else out here, and it had been pretty late. They had gotten a bit bold with their touching. She liked how everything was brand new to him. He was of an age where he should be experienced with this sort of thing. But he wasn't at all. Despite his lack of practice, he tried his best to be confident, and at least appear like he knew what he was doing. Marri's smile grew wider. It was adorable.

Over on the couch, Gusto cleared his throat.

"You've got the whole little episode practically written all over your face, girlie." His tone was dry. Marri's eyes darted up, and she blushed. Gusto smiled at her, but she could see a bit of jealousy tainting it.

"I'm sorry…" Was the first thing she could think to say.

"No, hey. Don't be sorry. You two are...well… I hate to say it, but… Perfect for each other. You make him happy, and that's more than I can say for myself." He looked away.

"Oh, Gusto." Marri stood up, putting the scarf aside. She crept over to him, then knelt down at his level. Her hand touched his shoulder. He was laying down again, and had his face half hidden in the pillow.

"I think you make him happy too. Honestly, before you came back, he was really missing his family. I could tell. And when you showed up for the feast, he was relieved."

"Really? You could see that?"

"Well," Marri chucked. "He doesn't exactly light up when he's happy, but he kind of…"

"Goes soft around the edges?" Gusto ventured.

"Yes! That's it exactly." She smiled at him. "I think we both know him a little too well."

"Yeah, I'm sure he just loves it too." Gusto rolled his eyes, dragging out the 'o' in "loves". They both laughed.

Gruffi was on his way to the seventh trap when it happened. He had been deep in thought, only half of his mind on where he was going. The cold was starting to get to him, and though he tried to keep himself alert, his mind wandered. He was still re-living the night before, with Marri. There had been a lot of kissing, and a lot of touching. At some point, he'd lost control, but she'd helped him along. He was a little embarrassed about it now, but at the time, it had just felt so good. He hadn't even cared. With each shiver, he couldn't help but remember how he had shuddered against her then. They had held each other so close. He tried to recapture that warmth right now. Even with his extra thick coat and fur lined hat, he was starting to feel numb. Maybe he should just call it a day and get the last three traps later. But traps were something that should be done all in one go. You couldn't just skip the others and come back for-

There was a strange crunching sound, then an audible split. It sounded like glass screeching against glass. Ice. He thought. I've broken it. I'm gonna… Out of instinct, he let go of the sled rope. If he was falling, he wasn't going to take that down on top of him. Before he could make any other kind of move, the splitting noise turned into a monstrous groan and he was clutching for air. Then he was falling…

"Marri? Hey, what's the matter?" Gusto sat up. Marri had stayed on the floor. The two of them had talked for over an hour; most of their subject matter had centered on Gruffi. Marri stopped in mid-sentence, a peculiar look coming over her face.

"I...I don't know. My stomach…"

"Do you want me to make you some tea? We've still got plenty of peppermint, and you were right, that stuff really works-"

"No, Gusto." She stood up slowly. "No tea." Gusto stopped in his tracks. There was a deadly seriousness to her voice.

"I need you to go find Starri."

"Starri? But-" Gusto frowned. She turned to him, her violet eyes fierce.

"Yes, Gusto. Starri. No more questions. Just go!" The last words ended in a growl and the teal bear jumped.

"Yes ma'am!" He said as he ran out of the room. When he was gone, Marri clutched her chest. Gruffi… Her stomach had plummeted like she was falling. Something was very wrong.

When he came to, he saw nothing but black. He wondered if he were even alive. Then he felt a blinding pain. Stars burst before his eyes and he sucked in a breath, only to choke on snow. His leg was on fire. He recognized the feeling. He'd broken both of his legs at some point in his life. There weren't many bones left that he hadn't been broken at least once. He really was very accident prone. He tried to move, but bit down on a groan. Nope. He thought. You're not goin' anywhere. But he had to get his bearings. What had he fallen into? Was there a way to get out? How long had he been lying here? He shifted a bit, realizing that he was buried in a bunch of snow. He was about to push out of it when he noticed that he wasn't as cold as he was before. Great… What am I gonna do now? Just lay here in the snow and freeze to death slowly? I don't even have any food on me, because I didn't wanna get crushed by the sled. It was a good thing it was out there though. Maybe they'd find it. Whoever came looking for him. He shook his head inwardly. He couldn't depend on anyone to find him. He had to get out of this himself. He still had his juice on him. If the bottle was still in once piece. He wondered how badly his leg was broken. It felt pretty bad. Cautiously, he moved his hands down to his right leg. He couldn't move very well under the snow, but he had to try. As soon as he touched it, he yelled out in pain. He felt the wetness of the blood, and a hard sharp bone. Well, this is just great. Absolutely superb, Gruffi. You've really gone and done it this time. You've busted your leg to pieces, in the middle of winter, and now you're stuck in a chasm. Just grand. You're gonna die out here, you idiot. He laughed out loud, and it turned into a sob. Marri… I was gonna win you over this winter. I really was. He pushed his hand out of the snow a bit, making a air hole, then curled around himself as best as he could, trying to ignore the searing pain in his leg. He knew he shouldn't fall asleep, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. The sun was starting get low in the sky, so he couldn't see very well down here. If he made it until morning, maybe he could at least see how deep this fissure was. If I make it through the night, he thought. His mind grew cloudy after a while, and the last thing he thought before he passed out again was: Great. I'm gonna die a virgin.

Gusto brought Starri to her in record time. When the two saw each other, they didn't even have to say anything.

"I felt it too. He is trapped in darkness." Starri's voice was urgent. "I've told Spici, and he's getting the a sleigh ready."

"Wait a second." Gusto waved his hands. "Is it really such a good idea to load a bunch of us onto a sleigh? I mean, if Gruffi fell through somewhere, and it was just him…"

"He's right, Starri." Marri intervened. "Gusto and I will go look for him on foot."

"But...you need Spici's strength." Starri's eyes shone.

"It's good that he's strong, but he's also huge. Wherever Gruffi is trapped, he won't be able to go anyway. I'm going to bring some long rope. Both me and Gusto will bring our juice, and…" She searched the den. "This blanket." She leapt at it, rolling it tight in a matter of seconds. "He'll be half frozen by the time we find him."

"Well," Starri whispered. "At least let me help you link with him."

"What?" Marri and Gusto both asked.

"If you link to his spirit, he'll know you're coming, and he won't give up hope."

"Oh, Starri. I don't have time for this. We need to get out there now. And he's Gruffi. He won't give up. I know he won't." She gave Starri a quick hug. "It'll be okay. We'll find him. Come on, Gusto. I know where his trap route is. He was probably three quarters of the way through it when he fell."

"Right." Gusto had gone quiet. He looked at Marri, his eyes wide. "Do you really think we can…?"

"I don't think, Gusto. I know. Now let's go." She shrugged on her coat and jammed a fur cap over her head. Gusto looked over at a pair of snowshoes.

"We should really-"

"Those will only slow us down."

"But Gruffi fell-"

"We're following his path. It'll be easy to see with the sled tracks."

When they got outside, Marri could smell it on the air. Crisp and metallic. Snow. The flakes were coming fast and hard. They had no more time.

"Oh no! Marri...it's snowing!"

"Come on, Gusto. We'd better hurry." She pulled out her juice. "I was planning on using this to get him out, but now we need it for speed."

"How are we gonna…?"

"Just drink, my friend. I've still got the rope. We can still do this." Gusto looked at Marri, and took just a moment to admire her. Snow was falling in her deep purple hair, and her face was bright red. Her breath came in short puffs, and her eyes were hard and determined. In that moment, he knew without a doubt that Marri loved Gruffi with all her heart.

"Marri! What if we bounce into one of his traps?!" Gusto yelled from behind her. She growled with irritation.

"Just bounce on the sled trail, and nothing else! He doesn't set them close to the path!"

"Will do!"

They were bouncing as hard as they could, making long leaps along Gruffi's path. The snow was starting to cover it already. The sled hadn't been weighed down with much at the beginning, and it made shallow marks in the snow. Luckily, he hadn't spaced his traps out too far, and they had already bounced past the third one. She had no idea what they would do once the juice wore off. Just run. She thought. Run like a bat out of hell. With a heavy heart, she felt the energy leave her soon after they passed the third trap. She landed hard in the snow, and stood for a moment, catching her breath. She realized that at any moment her or Gusto could fall through, but they didn't have much of a choice. They had to keep going. Her eyes were locked on Gruffi's footprints. They forked off of the trail, going down a slight hill. There were his forward ones, when he was going to the trap, and his backward ones, when he was coming back with the catch. She choked down a sob. He was doing everything he could to keep them alive and healthy, and now he was… She shook her head violently. No. Not yet. Don't think about it. Gusto came up behind her, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"How good are you at running, Mare Bear?"

"Pretty good. You?" She turned toward him. He had the rolled up blanket lashed to his back with the rope.

"I'd say I'm pretty fast. Let's do this." And without another word, he sprinted ahead of her on the trail.

They made good time. Following the space between the sled runners, they managed to clear quite a bit of ground. Wherever the little sled had been was considered safe from rotten ice. The trail was flat and smooth. Gruffi must have used it many times. Gusto could hear Marri behind him. She was talking to herself, and sometimes he heard a muffled sob. He longed to comfort her, but there was no time, and at the moment, he felt like sobbing too. There was a constant voice in the back of his mind, telling him that they wouldn't find Gruffi. Or if they did, he would already be dead. It was just so cold out here, and he would have been out here for almost three hours. He was small and… Stop it! He knows what to do. Gruffi is the most ingenuitive bear you've ever met. He can take care of himself. Even if he's hurt. Which he probably is. Because he's Gruffi.

After they passed the fifth trap, he heard Marri fall. He turned around right away, panic making his heart race. She was already picking herself up off the ground and wiping her gloved hands on her coat.

"I just... tripped. I'm alright, Gusto. We've got to...keep...going…" Her breath came out in short gasps. He knew that she need a rest. Her legs were shorter than his, and he was sure she wasn't used to long-distance sprinting. They were running on pure adrenaline alone.

"You don't wanna... take a break?" He paused, gasping. Marri's face reminded him of the volcano he'd lived under on the island. When it was about to explode.

"Never mind. Let's keep going!"

When Marri saw the sled, her heart tripped over itself. She stopped and slid in the snow, almost falling over again. Gusto had already stopped, and was looking at Gruffi's prints. They didn't make it very far. The chasm was a deep maw in the ground. The two bears looked at each other. How far down did it go? Gusto slowly tiptoed over to it. Marri did the same. If the ice cracked anymore, it would probably spread further out, not where they were standing. But when they reached the hole, they decided to crawl on hands and knees.

"Gruffi!" Marri yelled as loud as she could. Her voice echoed in the dark forest. It had stopped snowing, and the ice crystals shivered in the trees. There was total silence.

"Come on, Gruffi! Can you hear us?" Gusto was afraid. She hadn't heard him call Gruffi by his real name before. After they waited a while longer, he turned to her in despair.

"Marri? Maybe he's-"

"Don't. Not yet. We have to get down there to him. That's what the rope is for. I'm gonna tie it to that tree, and-"

"Way ahead if you." Gusto said. Marri unraveled a bit of the rope from around Gusto's waist until the blanket fell loose. He helped her unwind it some more. She walked calmly to the nearest tree, though she knew Gusto could see her shaking. She wrapped it around several times, and tied the tightest knot she knew how. It was one that Gruffi had showed her. Hopefully it was the one that would save his life.

"I hope he's not too far down there. We've only got so much rope." Gusto swallowed nervously.

"There's only one way to find out." Marri took a deep breath. "I've got you, Gusto. I won't let you fall." She gave his shoulders a firm squeeze. "Now, let's get him." They both nodded to each other. Gusto unwound most of the rope from his waist, leaving a length of it to hold him. Then he walked over to the chasm.

"I'm not really sure how to climb in here, Marri. It feels like it's all going to fall apart." Marri stood next to him.

"Well, is there any rock?" She asked anxiously. She was trying to think, but it was hard to form a plan, when all she could think about was that Gruffi was down there, maybe dying.

"It looks like it's just mostly sheer ice."

"I'm sure there's niches to hang onto. Do you want me to give it a try?" She was almost dancing from foot to foot.

"No, Marri. That's not gonna work. What would you do once you got down there? Gruffi isn't exactly a lightweight, and you'd have to pull your own weight as well as his to get back up. It's gotta be me." He pointed at his narrow chest with determination.
"I'll figure it out. Just keep the rope steady, okay?"

"Okay." Marri nodded. She blinked her eyes, trying not to tear up. Gusto took her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes.

"I'll get him out, Mare Bear. I promise." He took a deep breath, then went down on his knees. Crawling slowly backwards, he looked up at Marri one more time before he went in.

"Well... here goes…" He said lightly.

Surprisingly, Gusto found more niches in the ice than he thought he would. The ice was pretty solid, and he wondered what had made it fall. It must have just been the rotten ice on top. He didn't know the details, but he'd heard that ice got brittle once it melted and reformed too many times, making it unstable. The snow covered the frail ice, making it impossible to know if your next step was safe or not. Should have worn those darn snowshoes, he thought. You've always been so stubborn, Gruff. His eyes burned. Please be alive, my friend. I don't wanna live in this world without you.

He was halfway down when he felt himself slip. The rope dug into his waist painfully. He heard Marri curse and the rope went taut.

"Sorry, Marri. You okay up there?"

"I'm fine. Just...keep going." Her tone sounded desperate. If he didn't get Gruffi out of here alive, he wasn't sure what would happen. To her, or him. They both needed him to be alive.

He picked his way slowly down and down. The rope was getting tighter.

"Gusto?" Marri yelled from up top. "You're running out of rope! Do you see any kind of bottom?"

"I can't really see anything down here." He squinted in the dark. The sun was going behind the mountains, and it was dark as night in the fissure. In their hurry, they had forgotten to make torches. Not that it would help. He wouldn't have been able to hang on to a torch while climbing down here anyway. Looking underneath him, he thought maybe he saw a glint of snow. Yes, it was there. A mound of it. The little bit of light from outside illuminated the pile of white. It was very dim, but he could see it. Gusto tentatively stuck his foot down. It was solid. He walked slowly towards the pile of snow. Then he heard the groan. It was low and very weak. His heart jumped in his chest. He didn't want to tell Marri until… He knelt down next to the pile and started digging. He could barely see anything, but his hand touched Gruffi's foot. He was wearing a pair of sturdy short boots. Gusto kept digging until he found his leg. He felt Gruffi shift and he heard another groan. When Gusto's hand touched a sharp bone, he gasped.

"Oh, Gruff… Hold on, pal. I'm gonna get you out of here." He responded by making weak noises, but at least he knew he was alive.

"Gusto?" Marri's voice was scared, and he barely heard her. "Tell me what's going on!" She must have known he'd reached the bottom when she didn't feel his weight on the rope anymore. But maybe she'd been too frightened to say anything.

"I found him! Just give me a minute! He's under a lot of snow, and… his leg is broken." He hollered back up. There was a pause.

"How bad?"

"It's...bad, Marri."

"Compound fracture?"

"What?"

"Is the bone sticking out?"

"Oh yeah. It's definitely sticking out."

He heard her curse, and then there came a sobbing noise.

"Please hurry…" She begged.

"I'll do my best!"

He had dug enough now to where he could feel Gruffi's back. He was still wearing his coat, but he felt dangerously cold. He grabbed him around his waist and pulled him the rest of the way out. He didn't move at all, and barely made a sound. He had been curled up, but was slowly starting to uncurl. Gods, he feels so stiff. I can't take this...Please be alive! He bent down, shoved his arm underneath him, and picked him up. It felt like picking up a block of ice. He pulled him over his shoulder, wishing he had something to secure him with. What if he dropped him? He got a sudden image of him shattering into pieces like ice. He shuddered.

"I've got him! I'm climbing up now!"

"Oh, thank the Ancients! I've got you, Gusto!" The rope was pulled taut again, and Gusto frowned with concentration. He could only use one arm to climb now. The other was firmly holding onto Gruffi's waist with all his might. He focused most of his strength on his legs. As he climbed, he heard Gruffi moan a few more times. He sounded a bit stronger now, but it could just be his imagination. Maybe Gusto's own body warmth was slowly thawing him out. He hoped so.

He was almost there when he slipped again. Marri cried out, and he felt the rope slacken. He yelled as he felt himself plummet. Then the rope tore into his waist again, and he gasped. Instinctively he had tried to catch himself with both arms, loosening his grip on Gruffi. The smaller bear had started to slide off his shoulder, and now Gusto was scrambling to get him back into place. His stomach squeezed tight, but soon he had everything under control again.

"Marri? I'm so sorry. Are you…?"

"Sorry? Gruffi! Do you still have-"

"Yes, I still have him. It sure was a close one though."

"Oh Gusto, don't tell me things like that." She made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.

"I've lost some ground here, but I didn't fall all the way back down at least. I'll get there…" He tried to laugh, but it was weak.

It seemed like years had passed when Marri finally hauled the two of them up. Her hands were burned and raw from where the rope had cut through her gloves, but they were so cold that she couldn't feel it. Gusto dropped to his knees on the snow and she let go of the rope. She grabbed the blanket and spread it out a little way from the chasm. They laid Gruffi down on it. The sun had set, but the moon was almost full. By its light, Marri searched him for more injuries. She would have to fix his leg with they got back home. The main thing to do now was to get him warm. She checked his heartbeat. It was there, but she didn't like how faint it was.

"We've got to get him home right away." She looked into Gusto's eyes urgently.

"Put him on the sled. I'll pull. If you get on with him you can-" Marri was already dragging him, and Gusto picked up his legs, wincing at his broken one.

"Poor Gruff. He's gonna have a limp, isn't he? It's a dangerous idea to arm him with a cane." He attempted a smile. Marri shook her head.

"If I set it right, he shouldn't have a limp. Not a really noticeable one anyway. You won't have to worry about getting beaten with his cane." They laughed feebly.

They placed him on the sled with the blanket under him, then gently rolled him like some sort of pastry. Gusto almost laughed out loud at the thought. Marri sprawled over him, and then Gusto used the rope to lash both of them to the sled.

"Do you really have to tie us down?" Marri frowned.

"Hey, I'm not taking any chances. I'm gonna go fast, and if I hit a bump or something, you're not gonna wanna fall off, are you?"

"Well no. Let's just get going. It's only getting colder out here." She held Gruffi close to her.

As Gusto ran, Marri buried her head in Gruffi's broad chest. She cried a little, feeling her tears freeze to her face. She shivered against him. It was like she was trying to warm up a rock. She listened to his heartbeat. It was still there, but it was so slow. She wasn't sure if he was going to make it. She pulled her head up and looked into his face. His eyes were closed, and his brow was deeply furrowed with pain. His mouth was pulled shut in a tight grimace. She pressed her own mouth against his, hard. It made her remember their last kiss. All she had wanted was for him to be safe. It seemed like he never was. She was always having to take care of him. But she wanted to. No one else did. She wanted to take care of him forever.

Gusto only slowed down to take a break twice, and then they were on the last stretch home. Marri could feel Gruffi warming up, and she kissed him every once in awhile, imagining that it was helping. It kept her warm, anyway. Soon, she could feel him shivering. Her heart beat wildly.

"Gusto! He's shivering!"

"Uh...is that a good thing?"

"Yes! It means he's warming up. Oh, Gruffi!" She buried her face in his chest again, sobbing with joy.

When they got to the home tree, everyone was waiting for them. Gusto chose a bigger tunnel to enter though, and Starri and Spici pulled them inside, bringing the sled right into the main hall. Minti unwound Marri from the rope, but she refused to get off of Gruffi.

"He's just starting to warm up. I can't leave him." She whispered. Spici picked up the sack of rabbits, while Starri found some thick quilts and laid them down on top of both of them.

"We really should move him onto the couch or something." Gusto remarked. "That sled was outside, and it's still pretty cold." But Marri was in a strange state of mind, and she stayed stubbornly where she was. The gypsy bears ended up dragging the sled over to the den, where they had built a roaring fire. Then they all camped out there, none of them wanting to go back to bed. The traveling gummis had grown attached to their new friend. Even if he was a sour little grump.

The first thing Gruffi felt was a soft warmth on his lips. His eyes fluttered open slowly, his vision blurry. Marri. Her face was inches from his. His heart beat painfully in his chest, like it had forgotten how, but was suddenly kicking up again. Then he felt the pain in his leg. His moan was involuntary. Marri broke away from him. When she saw that his eyes were open, she gasped.

"Gruffi! Thank all of the Ancients! You're awake! We were all so worried!" She nuzzled him close, and he could feel hot wet drops on his face. He grimaced.

"My...leg…" His voice was hoarse. The other bears were crowded around them, and he realized with slight indignation that he was laying on the sled. He tried to shift away, but his body was too stiff. Probably from laying on this damn sled, he thought. Couldn't they have moved me to my bed? He realized with a sudden rush of dizziness that he was very tired. And Marri was laying on top of him. He cleared his throat painfully.

"Uh...Marri? Sweetheart? Could you stop sobbing on me...and look at my leg? It's...pretty much...busted all...to hell…" He groaned. Some of the gypsies laughed softly, and he wasn't sure which ones to glare at. He was glad that they cared about him, but all he really wanted right now was to be alone. He was embarrassed that he had had to be rescued, especially since he'd been so confident that he knew what he was doing out there.

Gusto appeared by his side and lay a hand on his head.

"Glad you're okay, Gruff." He smiled at him, but Gruffi was in too much pain to smile back. He closed his eyes and gave a little nod.

"Mare Bear? Let's get him into bed, huh? He needs quite a bit of TLC, don't you think?" Gusto whispered to Marri. She lifted her head from his chest, and he tried not to scowl at her, but he couldn't help it. But she wasn't hurt by it. She cupped his face with her hand.

"You'll be okay, love." She smiled. "I'm used to taking care of you by now."

"Hmph...I guess you...are…" He felt her hand in his and he squeezed, letting her know that he was still grateful, even if he was having a hard time showing it. He loved her, and she had saved his life. There was no way to turn back now.