Haunted Wood Tell Me Everything's Not Fine

Vanity had seen destruction time and time again. But raining ash? Nah. She thought it was black snow.
So she tried to eat it.
Nuh uh. She coughed and spluttered as the patch she'd snapped up came flying out of her mouth again in a haggard shudder and splutter. Seh licked her fur where ash hadn't settled on her to ge tit off her tongue.
Icky. She needed water.

She moved on, happening upon Venny and Alison in her passage.
"It isn't snow, I tell you." 
She grinned, shaking her fur so that a soft plume rose from her. The trees seemed to do a good job of sheltering them from most of the volcanic dust, but it only would until the winds blew.
"Where is it from?"