"What.. what is it?"
The hushed quiet of whispers broke out amongst those that marched along - those that were once marching at least. So enamored by the unknown white substance that fell from the skies, duties and missions had been forgotten. Even the stoic facade the elves frequently wore fell away to emotion just the same as the humans that walked along with them.
The slowing of the group and the whispers that surrounded Noreen snapped her out of the listless reverie she had fallen into. Slender, glove-clad fingers slid over to grip the hilt of her sword as she swept her gaze about. Could they all be under attack once more? No. The alarm and curiosity in the eyes of those she beheld was not the result of another ambush attack. Her hand remained where it was however, until she caught sight of a white flake drifting down. Then another. And yet another...
"It's so cold!"
"I have never seen anything like it..."
Hand moving away from her hilt, Noreen reached up to grasp at one of the flakes. As expected it melted as it made contact upon her glove. Quirking a brow, she gazed up from her hand towards the sky - source of the white flakes. "Snow..."
"You know what this is, Lady Noreen?" She turned to her side, meeting a pensive, aquamarine gaze not entirely unlike her own. Others nearby, human and elf alike, had also turned to her expectantly, awaiting response. So few were able to mask their fear, but she didn't expect otherwise. So many of them were so young. Too young...
"It is snow." Her tone was quiet but matter of fact, as if any one of them should know what snow is - as if it were as common as rain. "I have seen it perhaps two or three times when I left the realm. I have also read a little bit about it in the tomes of The Sacrosanct's library..." She trailed off, memories flooding back. She missed The Sacrosanct far more than she would ever admit aloud. Crystal walls and smooth surfaces was a peculiar place to call home but she did not feel at home in the places she stayed now. Not the inns, not the woods, not The Desert. Home was between two bookshelves and with a book, beneath a chandelier, next to the altar of-
"What is.. snow? What does this mean? What causes it?"
"It..." Noreen frowned, just for a moment. She had been so out of sorts lately, easily distractable and living in the clouds... so to speak. It was behavior unbecoming of one in her position. "I'm not sure. It... snows when it is cold. At least in other places it does." Never once in Veian has it ever snowed.. never once. "Snow is harmless, so you need not worry. It is nothing more than.. ice. Frozen rain." Her words did little to wipe the worry out of the eyes of those who listened, however. And it did little to wipe away the worry she felt. Perhaps the lack of conviction in her tone was what worried them all now...
"What are we going to do now Miss Noreen?"
What else was there to be done? They could only keep doing what they had been doing for so long. Moving. Evading. Trying to keep alive. There were enemies to avoid and allies to be found. The snow that fell.. it couldn't have meant anything. It snowed in plenty of other places. It was normal in other places. So in Veian, snow couldn't mean anything else, could it?
"..We keep moving. Rhist is not far."
The hushed quiet of whispers broke out amongst those that marched along - those that were once marching at least. So enamored by the unknown white substance that fell from the skies, duties and missions had been forgotten. Even the stoic facade the elves frequently wore fell away to emotion just the same as the humans that walked along with them.
The slowing of the group and the whispers that surrounded Noreen snapped her out of the listless reverie she had fallen into. Slender, glove-clad fingers slid over to grip the hilt of her sword as she swept her gaze about. Could they all be under attack once more? No. The alarm and curiosity in the eyes of those she beheld was not the result of another ambush attack. Her hand remained where it was however, until she caught sight of a white flake drifting down. Then another. And yet another...
"It's so cold!"
"I have never seen anything like it..."
Hand moving away from her hilt, Noreen reached up to grasp at one of the flakes. As expected it melted as it made contact upon her glove. Quirking a brow, she gazed up from her hand towards the sky - source of the white flakes. "Snow..."
"You know what this is, Lady Noreen?" She turned to her side, meeting a pensive, aquamarine gaze not entirely unlike her own. Others nearby, human and elf alike, had also turned to her expectantly, awaiting response. So few were able to mask their fear, but she didn't expect otherwise. So many of them were so young. Too young...
"It is snow." Her tone was quiet but matter of fact, as if any one of them should know what snow is - as if it were as common as rain. "I have seen it perhaps two or three times when I left the realm. I have also read a little bit about it in the tomes of The Sacrosanct's library..." She trailed off, memories flooding back. She missed The Sacrosanct far more than she would ever admit aloud. Crystal walls and smooth surfaces was a peculiar place to call home but she did not feel at home in the places she stayed now. Not the inns, not the woods, not The Desert. Home was between two bookshelves and with a book, beneath a chandelier, next to the altar of-
"What is.. snow? What does this mean? What causes it?"
"It..." Noreen frowned, just for a moment. She had been so out of sorts lately, easily distractable and living in the clouds... so to speak. It was behavior unbecoming of one in her position. "I'm not sure. It... snows when it is cold. At least in other places it does." Never once in Veian has it ever snowed.. never once. "Snow is harmless, so you need not worry. It is nothing more than.. ice. Frozen rain." Her words did little to wipe the worry out of the eyes of those who listened, however. And it did little to wipe away the worry she felt. Perhaps the lack of conviction in her tone was what worried them all now...
"What are we going to do now Miss Noreen?"
What else was there to be done? They could only keep doing what they had been doing for so long. Moving. Evading. Trying to keep alive. There were enemies to avoid and allies to be found. The snow that fell.. it couldn't have meant anything. It snowed in plenty of other places. It was normal in other places. So in Veian, snow couldn't mean anything else, could it?
"..We keep moving. Rhist is not far."