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Wenda drew Pada and Muna close to her sides and hugged them, then proceeded to tell the Ent, as he called himself, of her fear. With many a hoom and hom and haroom and even a harumph, he listened to her whole tale, with a few sprinkled in encouragements not to be hasty despite her chattering teeth. Finally she finished.
"Hoom! Hom! One thing I would like to ask you, Wenda skin changer."
"What is that?" she stuttered.
"Does your kind turn blue? I have never seen it before."
"O-only when we are too cold."
"Hoom! Then maybe it is time for haste. Hm yes! I think you should return to your other shape."
"But th-then I won't-t b-be ab-ble t-to t-talk-k!"
"Hoom now. Nor will you for long in the shape you wear!"
Wenda saw the sense of the Ent's words, and turned to her two friends. It always helped to think of them when she turned.
"Mm-hm!" nodded the Ent. "You will live. Now, I must spend some time thinking about what to do." The Ent lifted his eyes and looked over the heads of the three reindeers. "There is someone coming. No, do not fear! Oh no, room hoomty room toom! I think this is not the shadow you fear. Oh no, room toom. Let us wait and see who comes."
Wenda, Pada, and Muna turned and looked the in the direction the Ent was calmly looking. Coming between the firs was a hooded figure, dressed warm against the cold, whose breath came as if having used much strength to move as quickly as able. Wenda knew the shape of the figure. It was Mara. Wenda trotted forward to greet her.
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