Anahita enjoyed all of the seasons as they touched the forest and changed the world around her. While many of the trees kept their crystalike leaves, the emerald greens and deep violets of the large pines stretching far above her, there were other trees that lost their leaves completely and covered the ground in a variety of colors before going away as winter took over. With the colder weather there were less chores, most of the daily training and activities seemingly halted in favor of everyone simply staying together and keeping warm while the world slowed down around them. There was no more rush for harvesting, no more autumn berries and nuts to gather for those who wanted to make preserves and dried out snacks for the winter months. Anahita personally enjoyed saving the variety of nuts so that they could make sweets during the winter season, the spiced nuts making the best topping for cakes and serving as delicious snacks on their own. Her father would be home a lot during these months and if they did not travel to visit her grandparents in Matori then her family would be spending their time in the house, taking the time to fix up anything and work on other projects that got pushed aside during the rush of summer.

The best part about this time of year? Ana also knew that they would be celebrating the solstice and that meant they would give gifts to one another. Her mother always crafted something lovely for everyone in the family, some trinket or useful item made with delicate designs and some glasswork while her father would always have a new bow or arrows prepared for Ana so that she could practice with him while he was home more often. Then the whole village would also get together to celebrate the bounties of summer, the colder weather pushing together the small community as they cherished what they had and shared what they could before winter took over the land. Ana was excited for all of the food that they shared at the solstice feast as all of the rangers would gather together and go on a big hunt while their families prepared the rest of the meal so that they could celebrate. They would eat, dance and play games with other families before going back home for the night to share their gifts with one another and spin stories about their favorite adventures this year. It was a good way to celebrate their lives and the home that the forest had given them. Everyone was always so thankful for the great forest and for the spirits living within the trees, the rustling winds and the rushing river and streams that kept them safe and had provided so much over the years while the settlement grew. While Ana loved seeing the ocean with her grandparents the girl did dearly love the forest as her home and would never trade it for any other place regardless of how the cold sometimes seeped into her bones, causing her to shiver and scoot closer to the fireplace. But did it matter if the evenings were cold when she knew she had her family nearby to help keep her warm? Sometimes that was her favorite thing about winter nights when she could just curl up next to her twin sister or parents with a pile of blankets while they watched the fire and shared stories before falling asleep for the night. She knew her parents always carried her to the bedroom where she shared space with her sibling, their beds full of more blankets to keep them warm while a small fireplace kept going all night, but Ana was just happy to know that they could spend the evenings together and wake up safely in their beds the next morning. Despite the luxuries she had seen while traveling through Oba and other cities with her parents, the girl was happy and thankful that they lived in this great forest instead. She would take the chill of winter so that she could hear the gentle bird calls in the morning and the sound of the stream as it bubbled past, the waters always gleaming in the morning sunlight. She would always give thanks to the forest for providing them with such a beautiful and amazing home. Ana was so happy that her parents had decided to stay here and she was proud to have been raised here with her twin sister. She was more than willing and even eager to call herself a ranger one day when the time came.

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