At a deep pool in the Emerahl Wood a fox and owl play, dashing about with small bursts of fiery golden-red and gentle blues.

The forest lay broiling under the intense sun. Colours glinting everywhere in the brilliant, blinding light.

After a time of playing under the intense heat the two animals flopped by the pool exhausted. The owl lay with one feathered wing dipped into the cool water, hooting lowly,

"You foxes always make such a ruckus at your gatherings, probably the only animals in Emerahl that make noise like that."

The fox just grunted.

It was true though.

"We owls, we have weekly gatherings. Well I guess they're not much of a gathering. The great elders join together and speak, and then share the news telepathically or if they're in a good mood they'll pay a personal visit. Imagine being able to shift as far as the entire wood."

The fox grunted periodically after each pause from the owl, it heard this exact story once every season after the foxes had gathered. Every season the same story since many seasons ago when the fox had met the owl at this very pool.

The owl kept hooting and tooting on eventually remarking,

"I bet this summer will last at least another moon. The sun should be cooling by now but look at the heat."

To this the fox finally shook his head and spoke,

"No, I can feel the cold. I feel the winter coming. It's just around the corner," and then lay his head back down, flames dying low as he relaxed.

The owl cocked its head to the side, as owls often did. And then looked up at the sky, then forward, and then twisted its head all the way around to look behind it.

"Odd, I don't see any winter coming around any corner here!"

And immediately burst out laughing, hooting rolling around uncontrollably until it fell flailing into the pool.

The fox laughed,

"Stupid, that was a terrible joke."

"Does that make me winter?"

A voice came from the bushes, unannounced.

The fox and owl pounced back in fright, fire flaring and blue light gathering.

"Or am I a terrible joke,"

A great green light rolled forth through the bush, clawing forward through the air.

The fox gathers a great fire all over it and charges toward the green, picking up speed.

And then stamps into the floor, skidding and flares the fire out in all directions away from the green; fails to stop its momentum and careens forward tumbling sillily.

The green disperses and a beautiful emerald coloured fox stands there, giggling, bows with wisps of fire floating into the air; a greeting.

"I didn't realise you were so happy to see me Cú, look at the greeting fire you sent."

The new arrival laughs happily.

The owl appears by Cú,

"This is?" It's hoots confused.

"I am Emer, a pleasure to meet a friend of Cú, you are?"

Wisps of green float up.

"Esna," the owl hoots, blue light gathers at the tip of its wings.

Cú groans and stands, confused, flames flaring and dipping.

"I've never seen you outside the red wood, how come you're here?"

Looked down at himself and inwardly groaned at his scruffy fur.

"One of the sages said young foxes taking time to find their second inner flame shouldn't be forced to stay couped up in the red wood, aside from the fact that there aren't really any dangers in the core wood, she said sometimes a little danger is helpful. We've gotten too cosy she said." Emer looked smug as she commented, "And finding you was a piece of cake, I wouldn't ever forget your flame."

"That sounds kind of romantic," the Esna hooted in return and both foxes jumped back scrambling for excuses.

The three laughed and played in the baking heat.

The wood was awash with colour from the sun, life flourishing. The sounds of life surrounded them as they played.

To the north east heat roiled off of the wood where the Firefoxes live.

South of the pool was the great meadow which seperated the core of Emerahl Wood from the rest of the forest.

The rest of the forest spanned across many times the size of the core wood.

South still, past miles and miles of forest, lay a ground of oddly short trees, signs of ruin about it.

Odd things grew here.

The trees were a darker colour, some even black as coal.

Little noise came from this dark wood.

Signs of destruction could still be seen in some parts, the forest still unable to reclaim from whatever terrifying disaster had taken place.

A great gloom lingered in the air.

By the pool, back in the core of the wood, the three animals lay.

Completely unaware of the growing gloom in the south.

"Emer, will you be joining us more then?"

Cú asked curiously.

"Yes yes, you must join us more!" The owl hooted, "Plus you've yet to meet Ness."

"Who's Ness?" She shot a questioning look at Cú.

"She's our great friend, a ph-" the owl began.

"She's a dove!" Cú exclaimed, shooting Esna a glare.

"She'll be here soon actually, so you can meet her then," Cú said shyly.

Esna jumped into the water, appearing above the pool a second later in a flash of blue.

"The heat was getting to me."

She glided down again.

Both foxes glanced at each other and tilted their heads and then shrugged.

Maybe the heat really was getting to the poor owl.

"Well it won't be for long," Emer cackled, "I feel the winter coming."