Under Aurora's instructions, the two women arranged the thick logs at the bottom and thinner branches and dried leaves between them, forming a hollow structure in the center.
The people watching from all around the gathering ground stared intently, not daring to even blink as they observed every movement Aurora made. Some looked curious, some doubtful, while others still carried obvious suspicion in their eyes.
Yet despite all those mixed gazes pressing down on her, Aurora remained calm, focused entirely on her task as if she had done this countless times before.
The chief stood with his arms folded across his broad chest and his sharp tiger-like eyes fixed on Aurora without wavering. Beside him, Calix and Soren remained silent as well, though unlike the rest of the tribe, their attention wasn't solely on the pile of wood.
