Pollen and Holly walked through the thick snow trying to get to the village of the Winterlings.

"So Winterlings back in the crystal age adapted to the cold, and so they were the first ones to forge real weapons?"
Pollen was spitting out history to Holly out of curiosity.

"Have you been taking classes or something? I thought the Fallings are the 'wise and selfless'"
Holly jokes as she carefully guides Pollen through the snow.

"Well not really, I'm just homeschooled by an ex-warrior."
Pollen pawed the thick snow shivering slightly.

"Wow they must be old then."
Holly helped Pollen down from a slippery log.

"Yeah Oo is that the uhm what's it called.."
Pollen gazed at a giant frozen river, icicles piercing up from the ground.

"I'll wait and let you guess, I want to know your knowledge"
Holly sat down smugly.

"Whispering River!"
Pollen exclaimed.

Devirra sah latsyrc eht, Devirra sah latsyrc eht, Devirra sah latsyrc eht, Devirra sah latsyrc eht, Devirra sah latsyrc eht, Devirra sah latsyrc eht.

A voice whispered in Pollen's ear.

"Ding ding ding!"
Holly's exclamation snapped Pollen back to reality.

"Huh.?oh yeah."
Pollen flicked her ears in confusion.

"Hey you okay?"
Holly trotted over to Pollen.

"Y..yeah..just heard whispers"
Pollen huffed as she moved onwards.

Holly watched Pollen walk past her with a frown.

Soon enough they've made it to civilization.

"Welcome..to the Shivering village!"
A calm wind blew on Holly and Pollen.

"Nothing there."
Pollen blinked.

All Pollen saw was broken brackens and trees covered in snow and icicles.

"Oh right, the Winterling heritage. No worries ahem! We'll just do plan double B!"
Holly leaped up on a log.

"Isn't that Plan C?"
Pollen leaped up next to Holly slipping in the process.

"AUTUMNNNNNN!"
Holly shouted.

Another gust of wind brushed up against Pollen's black pelt.

"I'M BACKKKKKKKK!"
Holly shouted again.

The wind blew harder.

"Holly it's getting colder and there's nothing there..."
Pollen shivered, her legs were failing her as they shook rapidly.

"AUTUMN HURRY UP!"
Holly shouted.

The air became icy but calmer, then it stopped.

"Hello there!"
An orange male wolf greeted them right beside Pollen.

"ACK-!"
Pollen fell down from the log.

"Oh I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
The orange wolf leaped down.

"Ow."
Pollen sat up half of her face covered in snow.

"Here let me help you with that."
The orange wolf reached his paw to Pollen's face helping her get the snow off.
But before he could help her Pollen smacked the orange wolf's paws away from here.

"Do not."
Pollen growled.
The orange wolf paused.

"Touch me."
Pollen finished her sentence bitterly.

"Well she really doesn't like you Autumn. Ha ha! Suck on that! I befriended a Summerling! And you did not~!"
Holly sang circling around the orange wolf.

"Oh shut up."
Autumn smiled, rolling his eyes.

Pollen rubbed the snow off her face.
"Can I just get shelter.? I'm cold.."
Pollen shivers once more.

"Ah, let me guide the way!"
Autumn disappeared.

"Huh? Oh he ditched us who would've seen that coming."
Pollen's ears twitched with irritation.

"Oh just follow me!"
Holly nudged Pollen forward.

"Oh my friend Haust! I have brought visitors! I hope you can welcome them with peace!"
Autumn's voice could be heard from a distance.

"Where are you taking me Holly?"
Pollen tried to avoid all the brackens and thorns.

"Just listen to me, follow my lead, and be respectful. Fallings will kick you out without hesitation, okay here we are!"
Holly said quickly as she shoved Pollen into a clearing.

Pollen nervously looked up at a tall red fox, covered in red, yellow, orange leaves.

"Present yourselves my visitors. What brings you to the Fallings borders?"
The fox sat up tall.

"I'm Holly of the Winter tribe!"
Holly bowed respectfully.

The fox leaned down and looked at Holly. Holly stayed surprisingly calm.
The fox sniffed Holly for a long time before sitting back to its normal position.

"I, Haust. Leader of the Fallings, welcome Holly once more for her truthfulness she had shown to us from the past. And I hope she'll do it once more."
Haust declared.

"And you who might you be?"
Haust's gaze rested on Pollen.

"I-I'm Pollen.."
Pollen stammered nervously.

"Where are you from, young one?"
Haust asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I'm a Summerling."
Pollen responded.

Gasps rose from around them.

"A Summerling? Well how did you get across the border of the Winterlings?"
Haust narrowed their eyes.

"I-I didn't mean to, I just want to go home, I-I fell from the wailing gorge."
Pollen pinned her ears back and tucked her tail between her legs in fear.

Haust lowered themselves gazing at Pollen. Haust sniffed Pollen for a long time before standing up for their wooden throne covered in moss and mushrooms.

"She speaks of no lies. But I sense a power in her. We must take her to the Winterlings this instant."
Haust leaped down from their throne landing on the ground in front of Pollen and Holly.

"Come, I welcome you. Let us eat then we'll discuss this later. For now you'll be known as a Falling to hide your identity when we feast."
Haust was surprisingly taller than Pollen expected, almost as tall as a full grown Dragon.

"With all do respect my friend. But why must the Summerling hide their identity?"
Holly asked politely.

"I've hosted a gathering with the Winterlings not expecting visitors. General Evergreen will be pleased to see you Holly. But as for Pollen, if the General found out Pollen was a Summerling...you know his temper."
Haust explained.

"Can't you just kick him out if he causes any trouble?"
Pollen cocked her head.

"Well, interesting you say that Pollen. You see I could kick out Evergreen but he might wage war on me and it's already hard enough from all the melting and withering."
Haust sighed.

"Melting? And withering?"
Holly's ears perked up in alarm.

"You haven't noticed? Your side has been missing snow and ice. Half of the Whispering River is water. It's odd."
Haust walked by a rushing river, and passed a few dead logs, and black leaves.

"No, I guess I was busy mapping out the Shimmering Cavern.."
Holly admitted.

"Ah, still in the mapping guild?"
Haust chuckled.

"Yeah I need to before Olive starts."
Holly nodded.

"Olive? What's that?"
Pollen asked.

"How do you not know what Olive is? I thought everyone knew!"
Autumn's voice exclaimed.

"Now don't get ahead of yourself Autumn. I bet she's just never been to one."
Haust laughed.

"Fair enough my friend!"
Autumn chuckled, before his voice faded away.

"Olive is an annual holiday where all the tribes gather around to Celebrate their loved ones and culture. We'd wear something that represents us, as for I, I'd wear some phantom leaves, voidless thorns and golden vines."
Haust explained to Pollen.

"Oh I see those are interesting plants to wear. Which type of phantom leaves?"
Holly asked curiously.

"All of the variety."
Haust smiled proudly.

"Oh, some of them are rare. How do you manage to find them?"
Pollen padded ahead a bit.

"Well I have a certain someone I talk to. But I'd suggest you come to Olive this year Pollen."
Haust offered.

"Oh but..I need to find my brother again."
Pollen sighed,

"Hm I see that you have lots of compassion toward your brother. We'll reunite him with you as quickly as possible."
Haust moved some brackens away from them.

"We're here, Pollen and it looks like Evergreen is too."
Haust walked to another throne covered in mushrooms, moss, and leaves.

As pollen walked through the clearing she gazed around her, there were many wolves sitting on stumps covered in moss. The area was just a mixture of Fall and Winter and it was beautiful.
————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-————-yayyyyy new characters! And new chapter hoped you liked it!