Mirage kept an eye on Aries, tense at first, body coiled like a spring just in case things went wrong. Yet once he spotted her pure excitement, along with the deer’s lighthearted moves, his shoulders eased down. A quiet grin crept onto his face. Still alert, mind you - his wing feathers spread a touch, gaze locked tight on Aries, guarding without making a fuss. Iris’s eyes lit up. As she saw how Aries moved with the stag, curiosity tugged at her thoughts - something playful surged inside. In one swift motion, her tail twitched. Instantly, a delicate fake image bloomed into view: a glowing, many-colored flake swirling near them both. It twirled between Aries and the animal, scattering flecks of bright dust behind it - an enchanted touch livening their moment. She grinned playfully - then, without much fuss, sent a tiny pulse of magic toward the snowbank beside her. That little push made it puff out a bit, turning it into a taller hurdle for Aries to clear. Not mean, just cheeky - a quiet challenge slipped into the game. Eryx, on the other hand, stumbled upon a patch under a thick pine - barely any snow, just speckles of sunlight. "Seriously, Aries, isn’t that kind of... freezing?" he shouted, though his voice didn’t carry its normal edge while watching her glow with joy. Pulling into himself slightly, he sparked up a tiny heat-haze around his form - a faint flicker tied to what he could do. Warmth was still his go-to comfort, sure, yet the liveliness here tugged at him somehow, despite the chill creeping in. "All that moving around like crazy - you’ll crash hard after this." Later on, while moving further into Veilheim, they came across a second deer - one much bigger than before. Not lively or quick, this one walked with calm weight, each huge footstep pressing hard into the fresh snow, piling up thick clumps behind it. Winter followed in its path, rolled out with old quiet power, and every step sent a low tone rippling through the earth. Aries stood still, struck by how quietly the cold settled in, wrapping everything like a thick blanket. It wasn't just frost creeping over stones - it was nature slowing down, taking its rest. Her chin dipped low, almost without thinking, as if pulled by gravity or habit. Iris stared, drawn by the raw strength pulsing from the creature, reaching out with a thread of her own magic instead of holding back. The moment it touched the stag, a deep old power surged toward her - so sharp, so clear - it pushed her back without warning. Her gaze shifted, no longer playful but wide with something close to wonder. 'This isn't mere ice,' she murmured, voice lower than before, 'it’s winter breathing, real and wild.'. Mirage sensed the heavy intent behind the stag’s presence, tied deep into Veilheim’s core. Not chaos - just balance, like roots under soil. Tiredness faded, replaced by something softer, like respect blooming mid-step. A guardian recognizing power older than himself. Its job is clear now - not destruction, but what comes after. For once, even Eryx fell silent - faced with something huge, old, and wild. It still felt awkward to him, maybe uncomfortable, definitely icy. Still, he couldn’t ignore its fierce, natural presence. “Huh,” he muttered, showing faint respect, “guess it works. Does what’s needed.” Weeks passed as the stags roamed across Veilheim, covering it all in fresh snow. Cold air filled each breath while skies stayed bright like deep blue gems - trees sparkled under layers of ice. Now that their task ended, they moved slower than before. Without strong life energy flowing through them, their bodies flickered now and then, light inside growing weaker by the hour. That night, beneath Veilheim’s pale double moonlight, the crew saw it happen - the end of the deer’s path. The huge animal, the same one Aries once outran, waited quiet on a hill above a fresh icy lake. Light flickered around it, magic draining out like breath in cold air. Then came a deep pulse, ringing through the hush - its grand horns broke free. Dropping slow, they hit snow with a sound like tiny bells, melting into sharp glittering shards shaped by winter itself. One by one, every crystal glowed from within - soft, almost dreamy. Then slowly, the deer faded away like frost melting into air, just shimmering specks swirling off; nothing stayed except those bright antlers. Aries darted ahead, awe sparkling in her gaze. Then she gently grabbed a tiny crystal fragment, dropped by a frolicsome deer-like creature they’d chased just moments before. The chill gleamed through her fingers, alive with pulsing wintry power that hummed like wind under snow. “Full of spark,” she murmured, her soil-rooted energy threading into the stone’s core rhythm. One breath of frost made real Eryx wasn’t into winter showing up, yet he felt the raw energy pulsing from the crystals. A quick tap with his hoof sent a chill of magic through him. “Handy enough,” he mumbled, pulling back fast - his fire nature hating the cold grip. Still, he admitted they had a role, these stones built to shape strong arms and holy trinkets for Veilheim. Iris felt the tingle of hidden forces, eyes wide with curiosity. A handful of broken pieces caught her attention; she picked them up slowly, careful. Her dark coat flickered like water under moonlight. Instead of using the power inside, she just tasted it - just enough to get a sense. The patterns revealed themselves: threads of ice tangled with living energy. Like reading someone’s secret notes, it sparked wild ideas. Thoughts twisted into fresh guesses about how magic really worked, itching to be tried. Mirage studied the crystals, cautious but clear-headed. Because he understood - they weren't just shiny rocks; they built defenses, strengthened walls, gave edge to weapons. Yet also dressed his kin in frost-bright pride. While others might see only ice, he pictured gear - maybe a shield rimmed with sharp slivers, or layered plating for scouts. Though tired before, now he felt something steadier: respect. Not awe - but recognition of how things worked. Where beauty met duty. And loss fed usefulness. Winter draped Veilheim in quiet white. Hills turned still, painted soft under frosty light. Folks moved on, minds clearer now - some tucked a tiny glowing stone into their coat. Aries stayed completely spellbound, thinking up ways to try a tiny bit of the crystal with her soil spells - maybe it’d keep a tough little plant from freezing, or let some sleepy animal rest without stirring. Eryx kept complaining about the cold, yet snow covered everything around him. Still, he’d seen how meaningful those stags were, how striking their presence felt. Maybe, just maybe, if no one else knew, he’d think the sharp breeze carried something close to life - something bright and real. Iris’s mind buzzed with fresh ideas about magic. Thanks to the stags, cold-life spells opened wild new paths she’d never seen before. She couldn’t wait to test things out - maybe even whip up a small, frolicking ice creature just for fun, even if it lasted mere seconds. Mirage sensed the old rhythms of Veilheim once more. Because his need to guard had never faded, he found calm - knowing this raw, dazzling power helped keep their world safe. Though chaotic, it still held purpose. The snow kept drifting down, quiet and slow, like an old story told in hushes - each flake a mark left by the ice stags' path, while something unseen held Veilheim alive beneath months of dreamlike cold.