A bitter wind swept down from the northern peaks, carrying a sharp chill that signaled the inevitable arrival of winter. Frost coated the wooden shingles of the village rooftops long before the sun peeked over the horizon, casting a pale light across the landscape. Thin sheets of translucent ice formed along the quiet, shallow edges of the Coldwater River, crackling softly as the current pushed beneath them.
Throughout the settlement of Bloodstone, the inhabitants welcomed the shifting weather with a calm and practiced efficiency. Families stacked split firewood neatly beneath covered sheds to protect the fuel from upcoming blizzards. Laborers carefully inspected the grain stores, ensuring the community would remain secure through the coldest months of the year.
