Nikolai - M - Team Dog - Mention(s): Vireya, Rusalka, Nikita (ind: Anesta, rest of dogs)

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Even half-blinded by the snow and half-deaf from the wind, Nikolai could hear Vireya, and her advice was solid. Don't stay out here because "out here" was going to get them deader than a freaking rock. And rocks don't live. No, in fact, rocks are deader than freaking rocks, which are... Nikolai gave up and paid attention to what was happening in front of his muzzle past white, white, white, white, white and white.

More correctly, paying attention to the other teammate that had quite literally appeared out of the curtain of snow that was "the sky". Rusalka.

Three was better than two, and three was a good start to making sure everyone else was okay. Even if he didn't hold much towards them, it was good to see some familiar dogs out there. No matter who they were. In fact, as Rusalka quietly spoke to her sister, he thought for a second and realized that three was nowhere near enough contrary to what he'd thought a second ago -
Anesta. Crap. Where was his unofficial sister? If she'd fallen alongside the sled, Nikolai swore he'd jump right down to find her, screw whatever Vireya or anyone else said about it. Anesta was his twin sister in every way except biologically and there was no freaking way in hell he'd leave that be.

That was at which point Rusalka's howl pierced the blizard, Vireya's joining a second later. As much as Nikolai didn't care, a second's worth of thinking could definitley have old him that was a pretty good idea. Actually, forget the second. It was a good idea, period. Nikolai joined the howl, not entirely caring that he didn't do it as loud as the sisters' call. It was... daresay he call it effective?

He didn't really want to hope.

Scrambling out of the snow that had accumulated in the brief period - how quickly was this snow falling? - he nodded to Rusalka's and Vireya's instructions. Leader or not, they seemed to know what they were doing, and Nikolai was happy to follow them - even as the knot of uncertainty that had formed once he'd thought about who was missing rather than who was here right now hadn't gone away in the slightest. Hopefully any of he others would have heard the howl.

But clearly Vireya and Rusalka were keeping a clearer head than he was. And Nikolai was solid enough to follow leadership when it made good decisions, no matter who they were. Right now, these were solid decisions and solid ideas. Even though Nikolai wanted to plunge headfirst into the blizzard to find everyone else.

He'd have to hope.

"Understood. I'll try stay close." Nikolai abandoned his idea to run headfirst into the snow. Even as his thoughts returned to who was still out there and he had no idea where.

In fact, he almost missed Nikita silently turning up.

"Nikita!" Nikolai started in suprize, giving her a prefunctory nod before looking away. Contrary to what he'd usually do, he didn't say much more than that, being hardly able to see her anyway - he concentrated on trying to defstuff cheeks rhe snow and wind while following Vireya and Rusalka.

It was a bit of a fruitless batttle against the elements, but he'd try.