Imbolc [.open.]

Branches creaked overhead under a burden of frost. An Oak at the edge of the river shivered, though the air was still. Between one moment and the next, a human-sized gash appeared in the side of the trunk. In this gash, the heartwood deformed, repositioning xylem, phloem, and cork into some recognizable shape.

Light permeated this statue of a person, painting the skin slightly from the color of the oak's insides to a more human color. The boy was pale, though it didn't prevent him from glowing with health. He fell forward, landing clumsily in the snow at the base of the tree. He didn't move, even as bark covered over his unlikely resting place.

Pinpricks of discomfort on his back roused him from his dazed catatonia. He shivered, slowly lifting himself away from the cold seeping in through his chest from the ground. Within moments, he was shivering. Despite the physiological response, he showed no initial understanding or comprehension of his current situation.

To be fair, spending a couple months balanced between life and death in the collective consciousness as the cells of a tree might scramble anybody's brains.

Despite the newness of this form, the deep, ugly, white scar he'd always had remained emblazoned in a diagonal line over his heart. He had another on his right shoulder. Where the former was a sharp, straight line, the latter was jagged- a tearing line.

Snow drifted down from the gray sky, preventing any measure of time. It was day, sure, but whether morning, noon, or night remained to be seen. Wes's breath came out in short puffs, his head slowly turning on an axis to survey his surroundings. The river burbled meekly nearby. It, like the Wood was tamed by the short leash of Winter.

Jenna was trotting along in her wolf form on this cold winter day. She had gotten bored with her room mates and had decided to go out for a forest stroll. Her big paws left prints in the now as she walked along the river. She stopped by it and leaned down to drink. She sighed happily the crystal clear water was cold and fresh. It felt nice running along her tongue and throat. Licking her lips she stood back up and continued on her way. Then she suddenly stopped as a smell filled her nose. It smelled human and Jenna’s nose went up in the air to smell. The smell was fresh and new as the water had been. Shaking her head she kept walking getting closer. Then avoiding a tree she saw him.

It was a boy lying at the base of a tree in the cold snow. Jenna began to walk forward to make sure he was okay when he moved. She froze in place and watched as he lifted himself up. He was shivering and Nikita felt bad, not everyone could just shift into a nice warm fur when they got cold. She watched as he went on to survey his surroundings. Suddenly she felt the snow that was drifting down around her and dappling her grey coat. She watched with curiosity not knowing that he had just come from the tree itself.

Snow crunched under feet clad in black combat boots.  A trail of footprints marked a path through the forest, like Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs.  The girl had her hands in the pockets of her thick white jacket, which had a hood lined with fake fur.  The falling snow caught in her hair, white against black.  Her cheeks were rosy with cold, and her breath puffed out in clouds of white mist as she exhaled, though she was kept warm by the double layer of jackets she was wearing.  Her eyes were cast heavenward, catching glimpses of the occasional bird who had decided to make an appearance.  A small red bird approached her when she paused, landing on a branch at eye level a few feet away.  It cocked its head curiously, chirping at her.  Lisette smiled back at it, and whistled a greeting.  It responded with a general noise of happiness, then seemed to indicate that she should follow it.  As she had no real objective but to explore when she had come out here, there was no reason not to obey.  

The bird flew in circles above her head or waited on a branch a few feet ahead of her patiently, as if understanding of her slow progress through the snow in human form.  She did not morph into a falcon for fear of frightening the little bird, which was easy prey for a Peregrine.  Nor did she morph into another animal, for she would lose the ability to communicate with it if she did.  So, she was stuck with her human form, slowly trudging through the thick snow as quickly as was possible.  It was annoying that her curiosity was hampered by physical ability.

Soon enough, her efforts were rewarded when a thump sounded just ahead of her.  A human--a boy, by the looks of it--had fallen into the snow.  She repressed a burst of laughter, and instead wondered if he had fallen asleep or something.  That seemed unlikely, though, considering the invigorating, crisp air.  Either way, if he had been asleep, he certainly wasn't anymore.  

At the same time, a wolf approached the boy cautiously, who had now risen, shivering.  "Hey," Lacey called. "Do you want a jumper?  You look positively frozen."