The overcast sky looms low, with a fine drizzling rain falling. Cold winds howl by, rustling the withered leaves in the trees with whispers. In the distance, mountain peaks fade in and out of the thick fog, while nearby fields are covered in a thin veil of frost. The doors and windows of the village houses are all shut tight, as if hiding from the chill outside. The damp air is tinged with the smell of earth and gunpowder. Occasional bird calls pierce the stillness, adding to the desolation. ...