Lena lived on the edge of the Quiet River Forest, where owls could be heard every night. After school she helped out at the Forest Animal Rescue. She knew every feather, every track and every soft hoot. That evening she heard a soft scraping in the glass. Outside the window stood a badger with fur shining like silver. He was looking straight at her, as if he was really asking for help. Lena opened the door and the badger entered without making a noise. He bent his head and tapped a map on the wall with his claw. - Do you want me to follow you? - She asked in a whisper. The badger screeched, turned and moved towards the path. Lena grabbed her rucksack, a torch and a red rescue whistle. She left a note with her dad: I'll be back before nightfall. The forest was strangely quiet, like before a storm. The squirrels were not squabbling over cones; they were just rustling. The stream, usually noisy, flowed today as if with its mouth closed. The badger sniffed, left the meanings of its paws and waited for Lena. By an old oak tree she found a circle of feathers and brown leaves. In the middle lay a white whisker, as from a grassland cat. - What is going on here? - Lena crouched down next to the circle. The badger whined quietly and pushed her nose towards the spit of land. Beyond the spit began a clearing with a sunken fox burrow. A barely audible rhythmic sound, like a drum, carried from within. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and a silver light twinkled in the darkness. Lena drew in a breath, lit the torch and slipped into the entrance....