**Chapter 1: Embers in the Ashwood**
The Ashwood never slept quietly.
Even in the dead hours before dawn, the forest whispered. Leaves shifted without wind. Branches creaked as if something heavy leaned against them. And somewhere deeper, beyond the reach of the village lanterns, something moved with purpose.
Kael Vorn tightened the strap on his quiver and stepped off the worn path. The air was cold enough to bite the inside of his nose. His breath came out in short white clouds that vanished almost at once. Seventeen years of living on the edge of this forest had taught him one rule above all others: the Ashwood rewarded caution and punished arrogance. Tonight he was being careful.
