Snow was falling from the afternoon clouded sky, leaving a white blanket on the cold ground. The door opened on a well established house and a young blonde haired boy stepped outside. He stopped at the steps leading off the porch and looked up at the sky. Snow had been steadily every day since his uncle had left.

"Tommy."

He looked back at the house and watched his mother step outside. Her blonde hair was pulled up off her neck in a tail and she was holding out his winter coat. He smiled and took it from her. Sliding it on, he zipped it shut and she turned over a pair of tan work gloves. She adjusted his coat and knelt in front of him.

"Promise me you'll be careful."

He nodded and she stood up. Descending the steps, the top of his boots disappeared into the snowy carpet and he headed off to the west field. The sun was trying to break through the gray clouds but it continued to fail as he approached his favorite part of the family ranch. Finding his lookout behind two boulders still clear, he settled down in the small shelter and searched the area below. He felt the cold starting to claw through his coat and thought about leaving when he heard voices.

Looking down to the bottom of the ravine, he watched a herd of horses being driven through the harsh canyon. Leaning over the edge, he made out four people working the horses through the tight area and a coon dog running between the herd. Searching each rider, he made out three men and a woman riding. The dog stopped running and the woman pulled her mount to a halt.

The men stopped ahead of her and one asked "What is it?"

She turned to her partner and said "I'm not sure."

The dog looked behind them and then up the opposite canyon wall. Tommy looked across the opening and made out the two shadowy men descending the walls. He drew back on his knees and heard the bark. The horses started to get restless and the men worked them into a tighter line.

"Get them out of here!"

One guy with brown hair turned back to her and said "Don't do anything stupid back there."

She nodded once and the other three riders ran the horses down the ravine. Tommy spotted the bandits at a stop and they pulled out hand guns. The woman rider circled her mount around and faced the two impostors. One man pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the canyon wall not too far from Tommy. He jumped back from the edge as the winter wall collapsed.

"Joe!"

Tommy looked back up the ravine and saw the two riders hurrying back to the cave-in. The wall was firmly sealed and he turned his attention back to the woman. Her horse stood inches away from the debris and she pulled herself free.

"She must have jumped to keep him alive."

The dog crawled out next to her and jumped to his feet as the bandits cornered her. She looked up at them and the second guy raised his gun. Tommy jumped to his feet and turned to get help when the shot went off. He looked down again and found the man lying on the ground dead. Finding the woman holding his smoking gun, she knelt next to her dog that lay injured and looked back at the last bandit.

He retreated to the canyon wall and began a quick climb. Tommy stepped back and ran home. He hurried across the field and raced up the porch steps to the house. Slamming the door open, he ran through the downstairs and into the kitchen.

His mother spotted him and asked "What is it?"

He grabbed his knees to catch his breath and she came to him. Her hand rested on his shoulder and she knelt in front of him.

"Tommy?"

He looked up at her and said "Accident in the ravine."

His mother stood up and asked "Is someone down there?"

He nodded vigorously and she grabbed her coat from the closet. They left the house quickly and she carried her brother's rifle in her cold hands. Hurrying back through the field, Tommy stopped at his look-out and found everything gone. His mother looked at the large avalanche of snow mounded below and moved to the nearest decent section to climb down. He followed her down the canyon wall, carefully placing his boots where he could get a grip.

His mother helped him down and they moved to the mountain of snow. A stallion stood pawing at the snow and he looked up at his mother.

"The woman was riding him!"

Her brown eyes rested on him and she handed him the rifle. She approached the horse and he lifted his head.

"Easy boy."

Her hand was held out for him to sniff and he slowly stepped back. Tommy approached him and took the abandoned reins in his small hands. His mother began digging through the snow despite how cold her hands were becoming. The snow gave way as someone dug their way out and she stepped back to give them room. Two gloved hands appeared and slowly the woman pulled herself free.

She reached back into the snow and drug out her dog. He was still bleeding but was breathing. Turning her gaze to the rescue team, she tried to thank them but felt everything start to spin.

"Help me get her on the horse."

Tommy brought the horse up to his mother and she spotted some down branches from the avalanche. She made a sled out of the limbs and her coat. Carefully she rolled the woman onto the sled and placed her animal beside her.

"Tommy, ride with them."

He nodded and settled next to the woman as his mother climbed into the saddle. The horse looked back at her as she secured the sled to the stirrups and took his reins. She flicked them and he slowly began pulling them away from the mountain of snow. The ride back up to the top of the canyon was slow and dreadfully cold, but she kept her focus on the injured pair. When the ranch house finally rested mere feet away, she dropped to the ground and Tommy climbed of the sled.

"See if any of the hands are still in the barn."

He nodded and she released the sled from the stirrups. Lowering the sled onto the ground, she took the horse over to the barn and tied his reins to a post. Catching her breath, she heard Tommy returning and he brought their head work-hand, Cal.

"The boy said you needed help."

She nodded and said "I need help getting these two into the house."

Cal followed her over to the sled and looked down at the pair. He recognized the brunette hair and brushed it out of the face.

"Hell. This is not good."

"Cal, please. They'll die if I don't get them inside and tend to them."

He stood up and said "Calli, you know this is going against your brother's order."

She stared back at him with the same determined look her brother held all the time. He knew he couldn't get around it without taking a beaten and resigned to his later fate.

"All right, but I think the dog is going to have to stay in the barn."

She agreed and he carried the injured animal into the barn. He was placed in a spare stall with fresh straw to lay on. Tommy brought him a blanket and Cal draped it over the injured creature.

"See if you can find my kit and I'll be back to help fix him up."

The boy nodded and Cal walked back outside. He lifted the woman off the sled and Calli led him into the house. They walked through a comfy living room and an elegant dining room before climbing a stairwell to the second floor. Calli had him enter the first guest room and he lowered her onto the bed.

"What happened?"

The woman retrieved a bowl of warm water and a cloth from down the hall and set it next to the bed.

"I think she pushed herself too far. She dug her way out from beneath an avalanche of snow."

He shook his head and said "I'll go see if I can do anything about the dog."

Calli watched him leave and took a deep breath. She soaked the cloth in the bowl and wrung it out. Lying it on the woman's forehead, she checked her pulse and found it steady. Her skin was ice cold and her coat was stained with what she imagined was blood. Carefully she removed the jacket and found the blood only on it and not on any other article of clothing.

Standing up, she pulled the covers up over the woman and left the room. She walked down the hall and climbed downstairs. Making her way into the kitchen, she filled the sink with hot water and filled it half-way. The coat was left in the sink to soak and she walked through the house to the outside door. Tommy was on the porch when she stepped outside and he handed her the coat she had discarded earlier for the sled.

"How is she?"

Calli rubbed his head and said "I think she'll pull through."

He nodded and they walked across the snow to the barn. They stopped outside the spare stall and found Cal wrapping the dog's chest and stomach.

"Is he bad?"

Cal looked back at Tommy and said "I haven't seen any animal this banged up that did pull through but we'll know tomorrow morning."

Calli rested her hand on her son's shoulder and said "Let Cal finish up here and help me get dinner done."

He nodded and they left Cal in the barn. Returning to the warm house, she hung up her coat and took Tommy's. They rested in the closet and the two entered the kitchen. He set the table as she made up a hot bowl of soup and salad.