As dawn broke and the sky melted into hues of soft pink and pale blue, I roused from my rest. Outside my small hut, the icy winter air was biting, but life in the Ashaya tribe went on undeterred.

Within the walls of our shared space, I found Maeve and Zulu up and ready, their youthful eyes glowing with a certain eagerness that the morning cold couldn’t dampen. Zulu, with his tousled brown hair and bright hazel eyes, was the first to notice my movement.

"Tak!" he exclaimed, a radiant smile spreading across his cherubic face. "We're ready to help!"

Maeve, with her wild curls and rosy-cheeked innocence, chimed in, "What can we do today, Tak?"

They were spirited, these two, their hearts brimming with a desire to contribute. I couldn't help but feel a wave of affection for them. They were young and naive, yet their will to help in these challenging times was impressive.

"We need to fortify our defenses," I began, meeting their eager gazes. "Remember the timber we collected yesterday?"

Two pairs of heads bobbed in sync, their eyes alight with understanding.

"We need to tie the vines to the timber. Think you can handle that?"

Maeve's eyes gleamed with a mix of determination and excitement. "Of course, we can!"

Zulu echoed his sister's sentiment, the adventurous spirit I admired so much in him shining through his words. "We'll do our best, Tak!"

I felt a warmth spread through me at their enthusiasm. Our tribe was facing an imminent threat, but in this moment, I found comfort in the energy and optimism of my younger siblings.

"Alright then," I said, reaching out to ruffle Zulu's hair and giving Maeve an encouraging nod. "Let's get to work."

Stepping out of our hut, the sharp bite of the morning chill caused us all to shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself, noticing the distinct absence of a particular figure. Our mother hadn't returned home last night, and I wondered if she had stayed with Kiera, tending to the wounded Wulani woman through the cold winter night.

"We should check on her later," I murmured, half to myself and half to Maeve and Zulu who nodded in agreement. Our lives had been disrupted in numerous ways, but the unfaltering strength and care of our mother was one of the few constants we could count on.

Taking a deep breath, I led my siblings through the snow-blanketed paths of our village, toward the site where we'd staged our supplies for the wooden fence. It was a large open space that we had cleared near the forest's edge, and it was here that I saw Joran and Brin already beginning their day's work.

Joran, with his muscular physique and blue eyes that told tales of battles and hardships, was methodically inspecting the timber we'd gathered the previous day. Beside him, Brin, the seasoned hunter with the braid of brown hair and keen green eyes, was fiddling with a piece of vine, experimenting with different methods to securely tie it around the timber.

"Good morning, Joran, Brin," I greeted them, my voice loud enough to cut through the quietness of the morning. "My team of highly skilled vine-tiers is here."

Joran chuckled at my announcement, looking up to meet our approach. His gaze fell on Maeve and Zulu, and a warm smile spread across his rugged face. "Excellent, we could use some of that youthful energy," he said, his voice resonating through the morning air.

Brin's eyes twinkled with amusement as he glanced our way. "Morning, youngsters," he greeted, giving Maeve and Zulu a gentle nod. "Ready to get your hands dirty?"

Maeve grinned back, her spirit untamed by the freezing morning. "We were born ready!"

Zulu, not to be outdone, nodded his agreement, his small frame straightening up in determination. "We can do this."

With my siblings eager to contribute and the experienced guidance of Joran and Brin, I felt they were in good hands.

"Where's Odhran?" I asked, surveying the scene and noting the absence of the experienced hunter. His gray eyes and bushy beard were hard to miss, as was the aura of authority he carried with him.

Joran, already back to examining the timber, didn't look up as he answered, "He should be here soon. Mako called for him not long ago."

Brin chuckled, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "If you were up earlier, Tak, you would've seen him."

I rolled my eyes, though a playful grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. Brin's jests were as predictable as the winter cold. "And miss the chance to let my younger siblings show you up? Never."

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Ignoring Brin's responding laugh, I turned back to Joran, my eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Is it about Mako's ambush plan?"

Joran shrugged, his face unreadable. "Maybe. We don't know yet. But Odhran will fill us in once he returns."

I nodded, my mind running through the possibilities. It wasn't like Mako to keep things under wraps, not unless it was of significant importance. Whatever it was, I had no doubt we would find out soon enough.

"Alright," Joran finally said, rising from his crouched position and dusting the snow off his hands. "We should get started."

I nodded in agreement, and together we began to clear the snow from our intended work area. The cold bit into my fingers as I shoveled it aside, but the physical exertion quickly warmed me up. We worked in silence for a moment, the only sounds being our grunts of effort and the sharp crunch of our stone tools against the hard ground.

"This is hard work," I finally grumbled, swinging my tool once again into the frozen earth. The solid contact reverberated up my arm, causing me to wince.

"You're not wrong," Joran responded, glancing over at me. "But at this rate, we'll be lucky if we manage to dig even one hole by nightfall."

My face flushed with embarrassment, but Joran just chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. "Here," he said, holding out his hand for my tool. "Let me take over for a bit. You'll tire yourself out before we're even halfway done."

Brin, who'd been working on a hole of his own, let out a loud laugh at Joran's words. My face heated even more, but I managed a good-natured scowl in his direction before handing my tool over to Joran.

With the holes dug and logs readied, we moved on to the next phase. Zulu and Maeve, their faces flush with exertion and cold, were tasked with tying the additional logs to the posts. I held one of the logs steady as they went about their task, their small hands working diligently to secure the knots.

"I think Joran's idea might just work," Brin commented from where he was hoisting another log into a hole. "Given how the ground is now, I doubt we'll need water to make it secure."

Joran, working on a hole a few feet away, paused to consider Brin's words. "That might be true," he admitted, running a hand through his snow-speckled hair. "Still, wouldn't hurt to have some ready. Just in case."

"You're right," Brin said, nodding at Joran. He wiped his brow, leaving a streak of dirt on his forehead. "The ground could thaw out sooner than we expect."

Our attention was drawn away from our work as Odhran approached, his face etched with worry. He was a pillar of strength within our tribe, and to see him wear such an expression caused all of us to pause.

"What is it, Odhran?" Brin asked, his tone reflecting the concern mirrored on all our faces.

Odhran took a moment, drawing in a deep breath before he spoke. "The scouts have returned," he started, his voice carrying a heavy note of gravity. "They followed the trail of the Wulani woman... Kiera."

"And?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. "What did they find?"

The hesitation in Odhran's eyes was enough to heighten my anxiety. His gaze fell to the ground, and the words came out slow and grave, "They found more Wulani... all dead."

A heavy silence fell over us, the gravity of his words sinking in. The playful banter from earlier seemed a world away now as we grappled with the reality of the situation.

Joran's brows furrowed in concern as he asked, "Any idea how this happened?"

Odhran shook his head, his expression somber. "Not sure, some wild animals got to them. They were not... intact."

I swallowed hard at that. "So, they could have been attacked by the wild predators in the wilderness?" I offered, trying to make sense of the chilling news.

Odhran nodded thoughtfully. "It's a possibility. The wilderness isn't kind to anyone. But it's also strange that they'd all fall victim at once."

Brin, ever pragmatic, cut to the chase. "So, do we still need this wall then?" He gestured towards the logs we had just started to erect.

"Without a doubt," Odhran affirmed, his gaze hardening. "Mako believes it's best to stay vigilant. We don't know what lies ahead."

We all nodded in agreement, the chilling news serving as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of our world.

A sense of frustration welled up within me, prompting me to speak. "I wish we all spoke the same language. It would make things so much easier. Especially understanding what Kiera, the Wulani woman, is saying."

Brin let out a sigh, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "If only it were that simple, lad. But we all come from different tribes, don't we? We all speak in our own tongues."

Odhran rubbed his grizzled chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we need to consult Elder Akara again. He understands the Wulani language."

My heart sunk at the thought. "But Elder Akara is not well. He needs rest. We can't burden him with this." The image of the frail elder, his strength diminishing with every passing day, was a painful one.

"We might not have a choice, Tak," Odhran said, his voice heavy with the weight of our predicament. "We need to understand what's happening, and Elder Akara is our only bridge to the Wulani's words."

Everyone fell silent, pondering the tough decision we had to make. The air seemed to thicken with tension, the implications of our situation slowly settling in.

"Alright," I conceded after a moment's thought, "I'll talk to Garan about consulting Elder Akara. But I want to try talking to Kiera again first, maybe I can better understand her this time."

Odhran nodded his approval, a grim smile on his face. "It's worth a shot, Tak. But remember, we need to finish this fence too."

At this, Joran grunted in agreement, shifting from foot to foot, a grimace etched on his weathered face. "Yeah, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can escape this chill. My feet are turning to ice."

With renewed urgency, we all returned to our work.

Maeve sneezed suddenly, her small body shuddering with the force of it, and I noticed Zulu's red-rimmed eyes and the wet trail from his nose. I quickly turned towards them, a frown creasing my brow.

"Maeve, Zulu, you should go see mother," I suggested, concern evident in my voice. "You shouldn't stay out in the cold if you're starting to feel unwell."

"I'm not sick, Tak!" Zulu protested, his words slightly garbled due to his stuffed nose. "I can help. I want to help."

Brin, who had been listening to our exchange, nodded towards Maeve and Zulu, a gentle smile on his face. "You both have done more than enough for today," he agreed with me. "We need you strong and healthy for the days ahead. Go on now, find mother and tell her what's happening. She'll take care of you."

With a bit more persuasion, the two youngsters finally agreed, scuttling off in the direction of our mother's hut. I watched them go, a pang of worry twisting in my chest, then turned back to the task at hand. There was still so much work to be done.