Chapter 79

Winter arrived early that year, bringing heavy snows and biting cold that made travel between settlements difficult. The season forced everyone indoors more, creating a different rhythm to pack life—more intimate gatherings, longer evenings by fires, the kind of enforced closeness that either strengthened community bonds or revealed underlying tensions.

Fortunately, Ravenwood's wolves seemed inclined toward the former.

"Settlement reports are remarkably positive," Thomas said during a council meeting, reviewing the winter updates. "Food stores are adequate, defensive preparations complete, and morale is high despite the weather. Wolves are actually enjoying winter rather than just enduring it."

"That's a nice change from crisis survival mode," Arianna observed. "What...