The next morning, the forest glowed with golden mist. Dewdrops clung to every leaf, and the sun peeked between the willow branches like a shy child.
Tibby scurried down from her tree with the tiny map tucked in a pouch made of woven grass. Her heart thumped with excitement and a little fear.
She traced the map with her paw. "Follow the trail of moonlight…" she mumbled, turning in circles. "But it's not nighttime!"
Suddenly, a voice behind her spoke.
> "You're standing on it."
Tibby jumped three feet in the air and spun around — fur puffed like a dandelion.
There, half-hidden in the ferns, stood a slim red fox with clever eyes and a leaf behind one ear like a feather. He sat calmly, tail curled around his paws, watching her with a grin.
> "Name's Kip," he said with a bow. "And you, little nut-climber, just stepped on the start of something big."
Tibby narrowed her eyes. "Were you following me?"
Kip smirked. "Let's say I follow strange things. And you? You're the strangest thing I've seen all week — talking to a glowing map under moonlight."
Tibby clutched the pouch. "You saw that?"
Kip nodded. "And I'm guessing you're headed to the Red X?"
Tibby hesitated. Then gave a tiny nod.
Kip's grin widened. "Well, then. You'll need help."
> "From a fox?" she scoffed.
> "From a fox who knows the forest better than moss knows bark," he replied. "You're heading into the Deep Grove. No one goes there alone."
Tibby looked down at the map again. A winding trail started at her tree and disappeared into the oldest part of Willow Wood — the part where light faded fast and even owls whispered cautiously.
She sighed. "Fine. But no tricks."
> "Scouts honor," Kip said, holding up a paw.
> "You were never a scout."
> "Exactly. So I can't break the rules."
Tibby couldn't help but laugh — just a little.
And so, they set off — a squirrel with a dream and a fox with secrets — deeper into the forest.
But neither of them knew what waited near the Red X.
Because under the roots of an ancient willow, something had begun to stir.
Something with feathers… and a very long memory.