Spring had clearly begun with the melting of the snow and at first Nash had been relieved. It had been a heavy winter filled with avalanches, blizzards, and other perils, and it was good it was coming to an end, but spring appeared to be dragging with it its own challenges.

The lake was beginning to drop.

At first Nash hadn't been sure of what he was seeing. With all the snowmelt he had expected raging rivers and an inconveniently high shoreline, but instead the waters were receding. They had to walk out into gravelling mud to get a drink. The rivers were running quietly. Large rocks usually submerged were either peeking out or completely exposed.

Ever worried, the guardian headed out of the territory to circle the lake in its entirety to see if anything had changed over the winter. Had a new outlet opened up, or perhaps something else that would explain the dropping water level? He found no such explanation, and while that meant the lake wasn't draining, it meant there was something else going on. An outlet they could block with rocks. A drying? There was nothing they could do about that.

Nash tilted back his head and called for his leader. If this trend continued, they would be left without water. They needed a plan now.