Tucked into the heart of the Foss Fairy Trail, beneath a fallen tree blanketed in moss, lies a tiny wooden door marked with ancient symbols. This is the entrance to the Hidden Hollow, a place few have seen and even fewer remember. It is home to Thorne, the quiet but watchful Guardian of the Hidden Hollow, whose duty is to protect the forgotten corners of the forest.
A keeper of woodland secrets
Unlike the more playful fairies, Thorne prefers the hushed stillness of the undergrowth, where tiny creatures scuttle unseen and mushrooms sprout in the dim light. They are the protector of the small and unseen—ensuring that every beetle, shrew, and sleeping seed has a safe place to thrive. Their magic allows them to mend tiny burrows, whisper to the roots, and weave soft blankets of moss where they are needed most.
While other fairies flutter through the treetops, Thorne walks the quiet paths beneath, listening to the whispers of the earth. They can tell when a root is thirsty, when a leaf is ready to fall, and when something is amiss in their carefully balanced realm.
A disrupted hollow
One autumn evening, as a cool mist rolled in, Thorne noticed something unusual—a cluster of mushrooms had been uprooted, their delicate caps trampled. Nearby, the tiny den of a field mouse lay open, its entrance disturbed. The forest was usually in harmony, but something had unsettled it.
With careful hands, Thorne set to work. They coaxed the mushrooms back to life, humming an old tune that made the spores dance in the air. Then, they traced tiny patterns into the soil, mending the burrow’s entrance so the mouse could return safely. But what had caused the disturbance?
Following the faintest trail of broken twigs, Thorne soon found their answer—a young fox, not yet wise to the ways of the woodland, had been exploring too roughly. Instead of scolding, Thorne gently wove a circle of soft, glowing spores around the fox, guiding it toward a safer path. The fox sniffed the air, sensing the fairy’s magic, and bounded off into the undergrowth, leaving the Hidden Hollow at peace once more.
The magic of the hidden world
Thorne’s magic isn’t loud or showy—it’s the quiet magic of care, restoration, and balance. Those who walk the Foss Fairy Trail might never see them, but if you ever find a perfectly restored patch of moss or notice that a once-trampled flower has sprung back to life, you’ll know that Thorne, the Guardian of the Hidden Hollow, has been there, keeping watch over the unseen wonders of the forest.