The return of Frostfall had been more than welcome. Of course, seeing how the world changed with each season had been quite an adventure.  I could still vividly remember the sense of wonder at seeing the spring flowers emerge from beneath a layer of crumbling ice when birdsong had finally broken winter’s hold upon Helovia when I was still so small. I remembered how warm the sun had felt across my back in the hottest months of Tallsun.  I could recall with picture perfect clarity as the leaves faded exploded every color as again the air grew cold and seemed to hint at the oncoming frost and snow.  And then, one morning, it had happened.  Not with any sort of fanfare like the summer storms.  Frostfall crept in on a whisper with the ice forming silently in the night and the snow falling soundlessly upon the earth. Maybe it wasn’t right or fair to have a favorite season, but Frostfall felt familiar to me in a way that none of the other seasons did.  The cold and the silence had welcomed me into the world, and being surrounded by them once again was profoundly comforting.  

Of course I didn’t know that I’d been born in the Frostfall that had refused to release its hold on this place - that lingered far beyond its natural course. But I did know of the supernatural and how supernatural roots ran deep beneath Helovia’s soil. It seemed magic was the very lifeblood of this place. I let out a small sigh, watching as the twin plumes of my breath hung in the air before me. Everly, perched in a nearby branch, did not hold the same affection for winter. She’d been born in the budding days of frostfall and had never felt the bitter bite of the season.  Thankfully the evergreens provided some shelter for the zephyr, who sought shelter in the branches. 

Papa’s call carried easily over the still Frostfall air, and my attention immediately peaked.  Everly wasted no time in taking to the skies, pleased at the prospect of seeing Lucius who was as much a father figure to her as Mesec was to me.  I made my way through the drifts with far more elegance than I had last winter, thankful that my legs were more capable than they had been last year.  I saw Papa and Lucius just as Everly landed on the snow next to the larger zephyr - her attention thoroughly captured by something in the snow.  My interest piqued, I quickened my pace.  “Papa!” I called, happily, in greeting.  It was only then that I saw what was nestled in the snow - birthday gifts. Beautiful charms, just like Papa’s, but these were for our family. There were charms for Papa, Mama, Virga, and Me made of glass that represented both the Edge and Grandmama. A wide smile broke out across my face and my eyes positively shone. 

“Oh Papa! Thank you!” I said, in the midst of throwing myself against his side.