A little bit of warmth

Mercury was building a bonfire for the pack to warm themselves. The chilly North could be unforgiving, and he knew a central heating place would be beneficial. He started by digging out the spot he picked out. Clearing a large space, down and across. The digging was slow going, and he paused occasionally to check his spacing.

After that, he scattered around sand he had pulled from under the snow near the ocean. Packing it down over the soil to offer a breaker against the occasional stray spark. Next, he would need to gather wood and stack it just so - with extra to the side to feed to it as needed. He groaned and stretched out his back, surveying the sanded hole.

"Speech"