Peaceful Farming (26)

At the break of dawn, Arpious stepped outside, the cold air biting at her skin as she adjusted her cloak. The sky was still painted in soft shades of indigo and amber, the sun peeking over the horizon to cast long shadows across the snow-blanketed farm. Overnight, the temperature had plummeted, leaving behind a crisp layer of frost that clung to the wooden fences and glistened like tiny stars on the roof of the barn.

Her boots crunched over the frozen ground as she made her way toward the barn, where Elara and her son were already waiting. A wooden cart, piled high with golden straw, stood between them, its wheels half-buried in the snow. The boy rubbed his hands together, his breath forming small clouds in the frigid air.

"Cold one today," Elara murmured, adjusting her scarf.