The next morning, Tessa and the other males woke earlier than usual and gathered at the center of the settlement. Dawn had barely touched the sky, and most of the beastmen were still asleep inside their shelters. The cold morning breeze drifted through the camp while faint smoke from last night's fire lingered in the air.
"So what now, Tessa?" Julian asked, resting his hands on his waist as he looked around lazily.
Tessa glanced toward the farm nearby, and her chest tightened slightly. The once full farmland was beginning to look scanty. Half of the crops had already been harvested and safely stored away, leaving only the remaining grains swaying weakly under the chilly morning wind.
"As I said before, some of you will head to the farm and pack the remaining grains," she explained calmly before pointing toward the cave closest to her. "The rest of us will preserve the meat here."
