Why?

[FennWenn]

Mmm, snow…

With a sigh of contentment, Fenn reached forward and scooped another fistful of fallen flurries into his hand. They were summarily dumped onto the slowly-growing mound that had swallowed up his legs. By now, he was nearly half-buried in the stuff, and he figured he would sit here until he completely covered himself. The little Fae nearly forgot how much he liked it here. Corone didn’t snow so frequently, nor so deeply.

Fenn seemed to have a love-hate relationship with Salvar. On one hand, each trek into these lands usually lead to terrible things happening to him. Kidnapping, almost-death at the hands of a dragon, accidental murder, and the Sway were all previous hazards. On the other hand, boundless snow. Feeling entirely in his element made up for everything else. Probably.

Technically, he was supposed to be on his way north of the Scavian mountains, not lazing about in blankets of blissful ice-fluff. Fenn had an old not-friend he was going to have to visit. There were questions to be answered.

But, fuck that for the moment.

His questions weren’t life-or-death pressing (right now), and Daugi needed a few hour’s break. Snow was great, but slogging one’s way through mounds of it wore down an animal more accustomed to prairies. The great wolf rest peacefully in a snowdrift a few paces away. Her dark fur made good contrast against the white.

“Are you lost, little child?" called a woman's voice behind him. Daugi glanced up at the stranger, her muzzle twisting into a snarl. Lost? Fenn was never lost. With a snort, he glanced over his shoulder to greet-

A red-haired woman in a red dress, with eyes of similar hue.

Amari?

Fenn’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. A rather surprised fish.

It had been a very long time since the two had met. Last it happened, they were in that one beach-mansion-place with Vince. Even so, she was unmistakable to him.

Fenn wasn’t certain how long it had been, but it had evidently been too long, with much to catch up on. Amari looked much sicker now than she had last time. He thought Vince had promised to make her better? Stark black cracks marred her skin, as if she were made of nothing more than crumbling porcelain, and the green and gold flecks had faded from her eyes. Now they were only red. She wore so little for a human out here! Wasn’t she cold?

Her voice was new too. Confidence mixed with indifference. Something about it didn't seem quite right, but it was Amari all the same.

Fenn popped out of his sculpted snow mound with an excited squeak. Without any other greeting, he wrapped his arms around his old in a tight, frigid hug. It looked like she really could use one. What exactly had happened to her?