The morning sun spilled over Willowbend Meadow, and Ella skipped along the path with Pip the fox trotting at her heels. Every window in the village glowed like a buttercup.
The lantern hummed with a little spell her grandmother had woven into it, and it drifted ahead of them, brightening whenever Ella felt unsure.
At the end of the path stood a gate with a riddle painted across it. There was nothing to fear, only a puzzle waiting to be solved.
A shy hedgehog peeked from the grass and offered her a blackberry, and Ella thanked her warmly.
Ella and Pip talked it over, shared a snack, and worked the latch together until it clicked.
Soon the gate swung wide, and the path led home. Ella tucked herself into bed with Pip curled at her feet, warm, safe and drowsy. The wood sighed itself to sleep, and so did she.