Jack Frost

I drag my feet, in no hurry to arrive. He's already there waiting for me, perched on a tree branch with his staff in his lap and his feet swinging freely below him. His mane of white hair bobs from side to side as though he were reciting a nursery rhyme. That's Jack Frost, all right. He whistles as he contemplates Persephone's work all around us. I know he's pretending to ignore me. It's all part of the game. It's a lesson. I also look around the landscape, as if taking one last chance to absorb the spirits that bring this place to life with springtime joy, as if to imprint the colors and scents of the flowers and trees in my memory. I sigh.

Jack Frost giggles and jumps down to the ground. He taunts me, reminding me that he's here to fix my mistakes. I want to snap back at him, then remember he's a bit of a hothead… and he might really blow up at me. Well, more like blow ice and snow at me. Just as I did with Saskia, I look down at my feet and say nothing. It's time to give this biome its original wintry character back. Jack raises his staff and the colors instantly change – first from green to yellow, then to an autumnal ochre. The leaves begin to fall as a layer of frost forms on the ground. The Bickrosts, those little white horned rabbits that inhabit snowy forests, also suddenly emerge. Fascinated, they stare at the Eidolon as he continues his work. He does a little jig to entertain his furry audience, and the snow joins him in the dance. Everything is once again covered in white. Jack Frost gives a little bow. The lesson is over. I turn on my heel, stiffen my collar, and whisper goodbye to spring…

An allegory for winter in English-speaking cultures, Jack Frost is said to be the man behind the changing color of autumn leaves, frost on the grass, and fingers and toes nipped by the cold. He is often represented as an elf with white hair, blue eyes and clothes covered in frost. He's a mischievous character with a childlike nature. Those who make him angry may even find themselves frozen in place. The powers attributed to Jack Frost include creating ice, bitter cold winds, and wintry precipitation like snow and freezing rain.

RIN

393 AC