[It started with birds acting strangely and then it turned unseasonably cold, even for the highlands of Yerrih, and then snow. Pod makes it through, protected by the thick stand of pines she'd taken shelter by, and the overhang she'd made into a den for her and Kiga, but it takes a lot of digging, on both hers and Kiga's parts. So when Pod is huddled near the fire she's got going, Kiga in her lap, and warming her numb hands, she fumbles her locket open.]

Ryan? Were you caught in this terrible weather? I'm all right, but it was a close thing, so I thought...

[She frowns.]

If it's this bad deep in the woods, I imagine roofs have collapsed in the villages.