Morning sunlight filtered softly through the trees surrounding th cave while smoke curled steadily upward from the newly built clay stove outside.
Aurora crouched beside the stove with complete concentration as she adjusted the firewood beneath the lower opening carefully. Dry branches crackled while orange flames slowly strengthened inside the clay structure she built with her own hands.
Despite the exhaustion lingering faintly in her body from the previous days of nonstop work, she honestly felt absurdly satisfied every time she looked at the stove.
Because it worked. Actually worked.
Meanwhile, several feet away, Asher silently continued making repeated trips between the stream and the bathtub sitting outside the cave.
Earlier, Aurora had handed him the large clay pot she made instead of her wooden bucket, and now the massive wolf beastman was efficiently carrying large amounts of water back and forth with it.
