As beautiful as Frostfall in the Edge was, Alysanne often weathered it with impatience. There was still green in this forest, with the firs and pines that did not shed their needles when the cold weather came, but it was not the green she craved. She wished for long Tallsun days and warm nights, to bring an end to the snow and the cold. Wished for a Birdsong that brought rebirth to the forests and meadows and, perhaps, to herself as well. If only it were so easy.

Today, though, was starting a little differently. She had managed to sleep a little more in the night than she had recently, woken finally by a nightmare of magma demons tearing Iona apart. Standing in the woods where she was - not at her nest, but some random spot she had found - she scowled at herself for such terrible images. It had been years since she had found out her memories of the demon attack had been taken from her, and longer since the event had actually happened. Surely the nightmares weren’t going to start again.

And that little addition of the magma? A not-so-subtle reminder from her subconscious that she was not as over events in her past as she had thought.  

Dawn was just beginning, but it was only marked by a slight lightening of the shade of grey the world had found itself in. Small flakes of snow were falling when she opened her bright green eyes, promising a flurry before long. As soon as she was awake she moved from that spot, eager to leave the bad memories of the nightmare behind. Hemlock swooped down off of her head, flying before her as she wandered.

Today, Alysanne found peace in the soft drifts of snow and the muffled sound of her hooves as she forged a path through the depths. The sky above her continued to lighten as the sun rose but the snow increased, large fat flakes falling now around her, catching in her hair, coat, and the feathers of her wings. Hemlock made a game of trying to weave between flakes to avoid being hit, encouraging a small smile on his bonded’s face as they found their way to a clearing. This one was away from the tent, and blessedly had no crafted items within sight - except the purple and glass halter that she wore.

There she paused - just out from underneath the canopy of the trees where she could see the clouded sky - tilting her head to the sky so she could feel the soft patter of the snowflakes against her face. The scene was peaceful even if her mind wasn’t, so as her bright green eyes stared up into the distance she thought she could maybe understand those who enjoyed this season so much.

If you could only understand—through my heart and through my veins

I gave it all,

I'll give again.