The Big Freeze

**The Big Freeze** is the tenth episode of Tales of Dikuda. It is also the tenth episode of the first season.

## Summary

The winter break, also known as "The Big Freeze" approaches the city, leaving the inhabitants inside and outside of the city walls to gather their supplies for the cold weeks that will follow.

## Episode in Detail

The episode opens up with a conversation about Bwo between HowYu and a mysterious, unnamed man wrapped from head to toe in scarves and cloths. Along with the two, there are also five Dans around the fire that provides them barely any warmth with the cold winds of the day.

Meanwhile in Dikuda the guard forces seal up all the gates tightly with Ryahno's instructions for the incoming storm and "Winter Break", a time during which nobody leaves their homes and the city streets are mostly abandoned for two weeks. Uuzoo, on order from her commander, stays around until the last gate is locked properly. It turns out that Ryahno wants to help her get settled for the Winter Break, knowing that the snake is still new in town and has no knowledge of how to deal with the cold. So the two purchase supplies and head to the snake's home.

The two engage in a bit of an awkward conversation, as they both don't really know what to talk about or how to socialise with each other, though it is revealed that Uuzoo is planning to use one of her home's walls to collect information on the the guild and its members there. Ryahno however soon leaves the snake's home.

In the forest around the city, Krrah is already suffering from the cold, not being used to it and having no means beside fire to keep herself warm. When she hears calling from outside her hut she reluctantly leaves her home and finds Uuzoo at the forest ground, pulling a cart of supplies towards her. She used some of her money to purchase the supplies for the bird, after having learned how to acquire them from Ryahno.

Krrah first thinks about refusing the help, but decides to accept them then. When she asks the snake why she offers her help, Uuzoo states that she can't bear having someone starve, not even Krrah. The bird struggles with just being thankful and leaves with a not quite nice response, though she is shaken in her thoughts by the kindness displayed to her by the other.
On her way home Uuzoo donates the rest of the money in her wallet to charity to help the less fortunate through the cold.

HowYu meanwhile reaches an agreement with the man he met, though he loses consciousness in the cold not a moment later.

## Characters

The following characters appear in this episode (in order):

* *Bwo (mentioned)*
* *Dahvius Falehi (mentioned)*
* Su HowYu
* The Man Covered in Scarves and Cloth (not named)
* The Dans
* Kuraz Ryahno
* Yin Uuzoo
* *Fung Gao Ghost Girl (mentioned)*
* Bueh
* Krrah

## Trivia

* The identity of the man covered in scarves is not revealed until episode 24.

* "The Big Freeze" is equivalent to a cold wave, where it's way too cold to stay outside and everyone stocks up on supplies.

* There is a reason for Ryahno keeping Uuzoo nearby when they check the gates. It was not mentioned in the text at this point, but Ryahno was already preparing the snake to become a captain.

* It's stated that Ryahno hates the cold (or water), but likes Autumn, a time where plants/leafs die and are easily catching on fire. This is hinting towards her guild membership. The comment of her hating the cold is also important for something Gwady says in episode 28.

* Ryahno suddenly disappearing after leaving Uuzoo's home is hinting at her being able to disappear or hide quickly without a trace.