The apple trees that rose above him were as barren as almost everything else, but Kalyan could still recognize them, and they still spoke to him of home. He leaned his back against one's trunk, enjoying the brief moment of peace from the Tower and the demands it made of him. He wondered if it had also snowed at his parents' home across Andor, and if his sisters were out playing in it as he'd done at their age. There was a little sadness to the thought since he couldn't be there with them, but there was happiness too as he considered the fun they would have, building with the snow and chasing each other through it.
Grinning, Kalyan recalled his own favorite activity, and he crouched down to scoop up some of the snow from around his feet. Cold stung his hands as he squeezed the snow between them, forming a rough ball of it that he held in his right hand. He stood up straight, drew his arm back, and tossed it at the closest nearby tree. The snowball flew past the tree, and Kalyan couldn't see where it had landed. This wasn't quite as much fun as it would have been at home, showing his sisters how to make snowballs, but it was definitely better than staying inside with a pile of books. He brushed some stray snowflakes from his clothing, then bent down to try again, hoping for better aim this time.