Four weeks ladened with grief had passed by. The weather got better, the town's sorrow eroded, Rowan served his punishments, and Artemis was prepared for the next step of her journey.
*
Rowan looked at the snowman he made with Bertha. They called it Reb, placed a hat over its head and Hi-fived each other before running around like squirrels.
They were proud of the snowman standing in the fields. But now it's smaller and practically dead, just like his Bertha.
Reb enjoyed the last of the sunshine that was killing it. One twig-arm reached upward, and the other pointed towards the ground. Its hat had tumbled off, and its carrot nose was no more.
Eventually the snowman would melt away with the remaining layers of crisp white patches, and a new season would take over.
In the interim, Artemis was getting ready to leave. She viewed Rowan as earth's Plan B in case she fails. She made Ma Lari guarantee her that Rowan would succeed her if she doesn't come back alive.
