Greatwater Lake things we lost in the fire.

It was an idyllic scene: snow was falling in nearly silent waves, eddying on occasion between the trees. The riverside was not free of winter's effects either, with the sluggish sections thickly frozen over. Revui come to a suitable section and crossed it without thinking; his steps were heavier than usual, but the ice did not budge even so. The young man came to a stop where the river poured in to the lake - there were miles of frozen earth still to cross, but Revui could not manage it. He felt the silence around him and when the wind picked up, sometimes the cold too - but above all, he felt empty.

Father is dead. Arcturus' voice was miles away, but it came again within his mind, breaking the quiet. Father is dead. And Hydra, the new Queen of the mountain; had been for some time. Father is -- The crunch of snow stockpiled on an uneven branch, breaking, collapsing, cut through the memory and temporarily freed Revui from the torment. The beast breathed deeply, a plume of dragon's breath; he looked towards the lake with its many sheets of broken ice across it, and the haze dissipated.