All across the great Emerahl Wood snow began to fall, like cherry blossom petals drifting down silently all around.

Emer and Cú sat in the clearing, the Firelink lying between them.

Their fires, and the fire of the link, glows and bounces off the white snow creating a world of golden, red and emerald green.

The colours mix and cross, creating an ethereal feel to the opening.

"Esna will probably be waiting at the pool, let's go," Cú says, leaping up and picking the Firelink up with his tail.

It slides partway down and then magically stops, pulsing and changing colours constantly.

Green and Red fires flare in the opening and then shoot off through the wood; otherworldly wisps flying through the white specks.

The foxes look around in wonder at the snow drifting through the sky, almost whispering as they fall.

The forest is strangely silent.

Little else can be heard other than the soft padding of the foxes as they launch themselves through the forest, and the crackling of their flames as they flare out in majesty; streaking behind them like shooting stars.

At the pool a grey owl stands, pulsing a low blue light.

It looks in sadness at the snow, as it drifts down around it.

Little else can be heard other than the lonely whistle of owlsong.

Suddenly the owl perks its head up, staring right at some brush to its right.

Moments later two foxes burst through the brush.

"Greetings Cú, Emer," the owl nods, "I'll be going soon, maybe in an hour or two. The snows have come, seems you were right Cú. Oh, and you Emer." The owl nods and hoots.

"I'll be gone for all of winter, likely. I'll be nesting with my family until the snows stop."

"Yes yes, I know Esna. We know," Cú interrupts the owl from hooting any more.

"Look at this!" He flings the Firelink to Esna.

"This! This is a Firelink!" Esna exclaims.

She begins jumping around the opening, hooting and flapping like an animal gone mad.

"I've never seen one up close. Wait, you two made this?" The owl finally noticed the similar feeling from the fire.

"Yep we made it. Eventually," Emer said, a mix of pride and irritation mixed in her voice.

"It's Cú's present to you to keep you warm during winter." Emer said, licking her paws.

"Our present," Cú corrected her, then bounded over to Esna and began helping him fit it on one of his feet.

After some explaining Esna managed to get it on and link with it.

It sat on its left foot at its ankle, shrunk down to size to fit in.

It pulsed out warming fire, constantly changing shades of green and red.

Esna hooted, looking up at Emer and Cú, and began flapping around the clearing flashing blue everywhere as it shifted from place to place.

The three played for a time, pulses of light and laughter ringing through the clearing until the snow began to thicken and fall faster and heavier.

"Thank you both. I was originally very sad about the snows, but now I know I can carry a piece of you both with me to the great nest and I won't feel so alone. I don't like the nest much, for the other owls aren't very interesting, but at least it will now be bearable."

The owl jumped forward to them both, raised its wings and spanned them out, and gathered a great blue light at each tip.

"I will remember this gift all my life. I must leave, my father summoned me. I hope this winter is short, because I'll miss you both dearly. Well. Farewell for now."

And with those final words, she folded her wings and a great blue flashed through the clearing, illuminating it for seconds.

Cú and Emer both looked at where Esna had been standing and sighed.

Although they both knew it was coming it stung, especially at the suddenness of the departure.

They both lay on the ground, flames jumping about eratically, betraying their poor mood.

All around them the snow falls, thick and fast.

The floor is already blanketed in a light covering of snow, the white reflecting the flames beautifully into the surroundings.

Around them there's no snow at all, melting and evaporating before it can get anywhere near them or the ground.

Cú looks up and around him. He had always found the winter interesting before.

There was season where it essentially rained ice, yet none where it rained fire.

He'd always found it curious.

He glanced up at the dull, grey sky that he could barely see through the giant trees around him.

And then took a last glance at the pool, for it wouldn't be long before the snow was piled many times his height and he would no longer be able to see the pool.

And this was only the first of the snows.