I really don’t remember about the imprint regarding snow, however, there are rooks in the dark is on the rise
S606:
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising . Thanks for the suggestion but that isn’t the one. Setting is a world other than our own. The boy is being pursued through much of the book and the symbol on the staff(?) is evidence of his destiny. I think his pursuers sought to kill him initially and failed. Limited on how much I could put in the original post by PayPal though honestly my memory is the biggest limitation here. Patricia McKillip, Riddlemaster of Hed , 1976. Some details don’t match exactly, but it sounds like McKillip ‘s Riddlemaster trilogy. Morgon has three stars on his forehead, and also obtains a harp with the three stars. They are key to his destiny. Some people do try to kill him and he wanders throughout the land, meeting up with (among other people) a shape-shifter who turns into a crow for a time. Not absolutely sure but a staff may also be involved. S604: Scruffy Childrens book from 1980’s; possibly late 1970’s. The title of the book is Scruffy, but it’s not the books by Peggy Parish or John Stoneley. […]