Scary Stories for Young Foxes

As told by the storyteller:

Mia and Uly continue north, Mia still hoping to find her mother, trying to ignore the fact that her mother believes her to be dead. When the scent of lilac reaches their muzzles, Uly explains that this is his father’s scent. He tries to impress upon Mia the severity of the danger that Mr. Scratch poses. However, not having the frame of reference to understand Mr. Scratch’s cruelty, Mia dismisses Uly’s fears. Meanwhile, their options are limited, for if they go back, they may encounter Miss Potter again, and the only other possible route will still lead them to human roads. As they reach an impasse about how to proceed, a badger appears, hungry for young fox kits, and charges at Uly. Uly tumbles down the side of a boulder, and Mia rushes to defend him, caught by her neck in the badger’s jaws. She escapes but runs only a short distance, realizing that the badger must be going after Uly. Drawing on her lessons from Miss Vix, Mia attacks the badger, tearing its ear off and squaring up against it as it taunts her. The growling silhouette of a fox appears above them, and the badger retreats.