After the yelp there’s a scorched smell, like burning hair, but his attention on the wolf is fleeting. There’s no pain, no contact save for Raju and the crunch of snow underfoot, so Crozier moves forward without paying any mind to any other environmental distractions. Move forward, push forward—-

His foot hits the first step of the rickety porch. It creaks, gives under his weight ever-so-slightly, but ultimately holds.