Absolutely — here's a rewritten
With the plan fully devised and every detail accounted for, Steve and the others spent the rest of the day resting in the quiet confines of the community. The people here welcomed them with cautious warmth — receptive, but wary. That ever-present fear lingered in the air, stitched into every movement, every breath. Sound itself had become the enemy. Even the children, and the few infants among them, were hushed with the kind of tender urgency born from survival. Laughter was a forgotten thing.
Dinner came in silence. A stew, meager but warm, crafted from what little venison they had managed to hunt down earlier. They cooked quickly, quietly — the fire brought to the barest flicker to avoid drawing attention. All eyes flicked to the edges of the treeline while the meal simmered, every shadow a threat, every snap of a twig an omen. But no enemies came. At least not yet.
