Wheeling Gull Isle the lake is frozen over; trees are white with snow

Mou snaked from the cover of the woods upon hearing the invitation. He was quick to join her at first, then slow, as the wind struck against his shoulders and hips and made him want to retreat.

He felt the cold rippling at his thin-furred underbelly and tucked his tail for warmth; anyone watching might read his posture as though he were a child on the way to the principal's office. He murmured a low note of disdain as he came up beside Maegi, standing as a windbreaker while she toiled.

The man dipped his nose towards the pools and the mollusk shells which had captured his wife's interest, sniffed at one, then cast his eye away — seeing little of value, and wanting to keep himself alert in case the weather turned further.