True winter had arrived.
Snow had yet to accumulate, but a biting wind howled incessantly.
Zabuton sequestered herself in the great tree, rarely showing her face, while Kuro and the others spent most of their time either huddled in the doghouse or lingering around the fire I kept burning.
Because I had prepared well, I didn't face any major hardships.
If I had one complaint, it was the sheer hassle of trekking to the outhouse.
Since it was separate from my living quarters, I was forced to step outside several times a day.
The walk back and forth was bone-chilling.
After about thirty days of hunkering down, a light dusting of snow finally began to settle on the ground.
It wasn't a problem yet, but if it got any deeper, I'd likely have to start shoveling.
Another ten days passed.
The snow never grew more than a centimeter or two deep.
It would melt and disappear almost immediately.
I felt a sense of relief.
In the meantime, I managed to craft something resembling a stone mill, though I wouldn't know if it actually worked until I put it to the test.
There was no need to rush; I’d take it one step at a time.
Another thirty days passed.
The wind finally died down. It was still chilly, but the weather was pleasant enough that I started thinking spring might be just around the corner.
Two days later.
A fierce blizzard caught me completely off guard.
The snow piled up quite a bit, too.
Spring felt a long way off.
Ten days later.
I could finally feel the temperature starting to rise.
Patches of snow lingered in the shadows, but I knew spring was near.
Five days later.
The weather had turned quite pleasant, and Kuro and the pack began venturing out into the forest again.
While they didn't seem to find any prey, it was safe to say that spring had arrived.
Three days later.
Zabuton, who hadn't shown herself for a long time, finally made an appearance.
I went over to greet her, but I stopped short in surprise.
Clustering around Zabuton were a significant number of small, fist-sized spiders.
...Wait, did she have babies?
Was she a female this whole time?
And for that matter, where was the father?
I didn't quite understand the logistics, but the spiderlings were happily munching on potatoes just like their mother.
It looked like I had more roommates now.
...Yeah.
It was spring.