Chapter 47: The Deepening
The winter settled in not as a siege, but as a patient, white embrace. The snows after the solstice were softer, deeper, filling in their paths with a quiet persistence that made each foray outside a fresh adventure. The world shrank to the sound of the fire, the scent of pine needles brought in to sweeten the air, and the expanding geography of Elara's belly.
Lyra's role within their small unit evolved. She was no longer just a protected asset; she was a junior quartermaster, a morale officer, a keen-eyed scout. She took it upon herself to inventory their supplies with a solemnity that mirrored Kaelen's own, lining up jars of preserves and sacks of grain in neat rows, frowning at any depletion. She appointed herself the official keeper of the fire, Checking ever now and then, learning to bank the coals just so, to add a log at the perfect moment to maintain a steady, golden heat. It was a duty she performed with a reverence that bordered on the sacred.
