Confused and shaken, Lena immediately went to the village square the next morning, hoping to find answers. The village was small—only a handful of families had settled there, their lives tied together in ways she didn’t yet understand. She approached the general store, where the local farmers and villagers often gathered.
“Morning, Lena. How’s the farm going?” the shopkeeper, Mrs. Finch, asked with a knowing smile. Lena tried to sound casual. “It’s going well, mostly. Except for, uh… my male alpaca. Clive is missing.”
Mrs. Finch’s smile faltered just a fraction, but she quickly recovered. “Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. These things happen sometimes. Wild animals, you know. Coyotes and such, they’re around.” Lena narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think it was a wild animal. The barn was disturbed, and there were footprints leading out of the farm. Someone was there, Mrs. Finch.”