As Annee made her way home, the wind picked up with a ferociousness and began tearing at her clothes and tugging at her hair. It grew bitterly cold, making her shiver. Annee paused for a moment to call out to Gaia for warmth during her return. Gaia ignored her and the wind continued to nip at her skin, prickling at any exposed hairs. She continued on her way, becoming more disoriented as it began to rain. Calling out to Gaia for a light to show her the way home worked as well as her earlier request for warmth. Annee grew scared. The cold was seeping into her pores, enveloping her. Her eyes began to droop in the exhaustion that comes with hypothermia.
"Annee!" Griffin called sharply through her thoughts. "Annee! Wake up. Come to me as I am waiting." Annee tried to ignore his insistent voice. She was so tired. She only wished to sleep for a little while.
Griffin felt her reaction and became very fearful. He called upon Gaia as he grabbed several blankets and headed out to rescue her. Gaia paid him no heed. Griffin wandered searching for Annee, his demands to Gaia for assistance being unmet. Griffin felt the frustration and fear building as Annee stopped responding to his calls. He was running out of time and Gaia would not help him! It was not time for Annee to go. She was to live a long time with him. Why was this happening?
Griffin passed the brooke where she had gathered the moss earlier in the day. He could sense that she had been there and picked up on her trail. He began to follow her path, looking for her and calling out to her both mentally and vocally.
Snow began to fall at an alarming rate. Annee thought it was not a natural blizzard and then giggled at her silliness. She had lost all feeling in her extremities, which was probably a pleasant thing to have happen as Annee knew that it would hurt if she could feel. She was losing coherency as her mind had begun to shut down, closing out her connection to Griffin. She reached into her pouch for the moss, sliding it between her fingers, trying to find a connection with Gaia through the plant. Finally, she surrendered to the cold and allowed herself to be enveloped in its welcoming arms.
Griffin could feel Annee's presence surrounding him, but he could not find her! The snow had stopped, giving way to a drizzling rain. Griffin reached out for Annee once more and was met with emptiness. He felt a terror in his heart that brought him to his knees. The melting snow began to seep through his clothing, but he did not care. His heart cried out for Annee, the screams of anger to Gaia being met with silence. Finally, Gaia placed him in a deep, restorative sleep as she warmed him with her earth.