Inside the main hall of the village elder's house, the shivering villagers were gathered together in the back room.
We had picked this building because its solid stone walls and wooden roof beams were strong enough to withstand an impact if fighting broke out on the street outside. A small, controlled fire crackled in the stone hearth, lit by one of our support mages, just enough to warm the air without filling the room with smoke.
"So, to sum it all up..." I said, resting my elbows on my knees as I looked at the pale, trembling village elder sitting across from me. "The cold came early, the crops failed, and the local soldiers left a month ago to help the northern fort."
