Tobias’s Tale
Aurelia was a golden-haired faerie with delicate wings reminiscent of a painted lady butterfly. One fateful day, while flitting over the woodland canopy, she had fallen down a deep hole in the earth, wedging herself between a thick root and the surrounding soil. Coughing and spluttering as dirt cloaked her vision, her pitiful cries for help echoed in the darkness. The only light came from a narrow shaft above where the ground had caved in. Meanwhile, deep within the adjoining tunnels, an old, solitary badger named Tobias—known as "Mr. Badger" to the younger creatures—was out patrolling his territory. Sniffing out fat worms for breakfast, he detected an unfamiliar scent that piqued his curiosity. Following the trail through his meticulously kept passageways, which wove an intricate network beneath the forest floor, he heard faint sounds of coughing and sobbing. As he approached the source, Tobias noticed an unexpected shaft of sunlight illuminating his tunnel. Conf...