The Ill-Timed Visit :Collab:

Lady Periwinkle and her escort shivered as they made their way through the forest. The princess was positive that this was the way to the Valley of Venom-- she had been there enough times to know it by heart-- but the route had never been this cold before, and it seemed to be getting colder the closer they got. Even for late afternoon, this was quite unusual.
"Are you sure that this is the way, My Lady?" her escort asked.
"I cannot imagine it being any other way," Peri replied, "but it IS strange that such a chill hangs in the air today. The area is supposed to be tropical..."
They both looked up as the Valley's entrance came into view. A banner with an unfamiliar blue-and-white logo hung above the pass, and a female Arctic fox dressed in mage's robes stood guard at the entrance itself. Peering past her, Peri was sure she could make out a light snowfall blanketing the land in white.
"H-Hello, Ma'am," Peri greeted the fox, now shivering from the cold. "We are l-looking for the Valley of V-Venom. Is th-this it?"
"It was," came the reply. "But as of today, this valley is territory of the Snowbirds. We are now in the process of terraforming it, making it more suitable for its new residents. Eliza Shivers, Snowbird mage, by the way."
If Peri weren't so cold she would probably have reeled at this revelation. The Valley of Venom, practically her second home, taken over by invaders? She shook her head in disbelief.
"Lady Periwinkle Wh-Whiptail of the Island K-Kingdom. I have f-friends in the Valley; are th-they okay?"
"Most likely yes. The Snowbirds do not kill. Your friends may have taken shelter indoors, or they may have fled, or perhaps they were frozen in ice during the battle, but we certainly did not kill them. You may enter if you wish to look for them, but respect our rule and don't try any funny business."
"N-No thank you; we didn't p-prepare for this c-cold w-weather."
"Suit yourself."
Peri turned and started to walk away, her balance swaying as she tried to make sense of what she'd just learned. Her escort followed close behind.
"Are we going back home, My Lady?"
"We don't have much choice. Maybe when we get back we can learn more about these Snowbirds. I just... the Valley was..." A tear dripped from her eye.
"It'll be okay, My Lady. I'm sure that whatever happened to your friends, they'll be safe and sound in the end. They're strong-willed people."
"I hope so... I hope so..."


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Eliza Shivers and the Snowbirds belong to

Peri is my fan/original character