The forest was still dark as Alexander crouched beneath a tree. He sharpened his eyes, every sense on high alert. He had left home before dawn, his small hunting knife strapped to his belt, clutching a crudely crafted slingshot.
Today wasn’t just any day. It was Grandma Lan’s seventieth birthday, and he wanted to bring her something special. If he could catch even a small rabbit, he could roast it with herbs and surprise her. She would surely love it, and it would earn him a new tale.
But so far, the forest had been quiet. He scanned the shadows, moving slowly, careful not to snap any twigs underfoot. The leaves overhead rustled softly in the cool morning breeze, and just when he was beginning to think his hunt might turn up empty, he heard the low, steady creak of a carriage wheel.
Ca
