The group of people who were ice-breaking to catch fish shook themselves vigorously outside the hut to shake off the snow that had fallen from the branches before gathering around the campfire and stretching out their hands, which were almost numb from the cold, to warm them.
The young man's face was filled with excitement and joy. It was his first time going out, and he had caught a few fish, which made him feel quite accomplished.
The veteran hunters, led by the white bear and including the white bull, had somewhat solemn expressions.
The snowfall this year was too heavy, and the prey they caught was only enough for the few of them. A large group of elders and children from the tribe were waiting for their return laden with spoils. If they went back like this, how could they explain it to their people?
Seeing the joy on the young people's faces, the polar bear sighed, ultimately unable to bear dampening their enthusiasm, and sent them all out to collect dry branches.
Several veteran hunters knew their captain had something to say, so they all gathered around the fire, their eyes fixed on the flames, as if they could see a flower blooming within them.
Seeing that no one was speaking, the polar bear had no choice but to break the silence, "White Ball, have you scouted the area around this valley?"
"We've searched the whole area, and apart from this pond, we haven't seen any traces of animals anywhere else."
Bai Qiu rubbed his hands together, and the hot breath he exhaled quickly dissipated into the air.
Normally, we wouldn't have gone this far to catch enough prey. What's going on this year? Are we really going to have to go to the lions' hunting territory and compete with them for food?
Everyone frowned deeply; the situation was dire, and they had to consider the worst-case scenario.
"Let's try again tomorrow!" The polar bear felt a deep sense of powerlessness. If he were to exchange the lives of all the orcs in the hunting party for the tribe's safe passage through the winter, he would not hesitate. He was just afraid that if he didn't catch any prey, he would bring about the destruction of the tribe instead.
"If we still can't catch fish after another day, we'll have to take a risk."
This was a choice made out of desperation; if they failed, they could only watch their people slowly starve to death, a feeling more painful than having their heart ripped out.
After a moment's hesitation, everyone finally nodded. They could only hope that tomorrow wouldn't be too bad.
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