Tosia, Kuba, and Emil uncover a rusty box beneath an old oak and find a forest map that points to a place no one in Brzozów has ever seen.
Summer in Brzozów was usually sleepy, with long afternoons, warm pavements, and the Forest of Sky Branches whispering just beyond the housing estate. Most children were told to stay on the paths. Tosia, Kuba, and Emil liked paths only when they led somewhere interesting.
That morning, the clearing was bright with slanted gold light, and the trees stood so still they seemed to be listening. Tosia was the first to notice something strange beneath a huge oak. A metal ring poked out from between the roots, half-buried in damp leaves.
"Come here," she whispered.
Kuba crouched beside her and dug with a stick, scraping away moss and soil. Emil joined them, more careful than either of the others, and soon there was a dull clink. Something heavy shifted underground. With one last tug, a rusty box slid free and thudded onto the roots.
"That looks like a pirate treasure chest," Kuba breathed.
The lock was stiff with age, but Emil found the small knife he always carried and worked it gently until the lid gave way with a grating sigh. Inside lay a rolled parchment tied with string and a tiny wooden key carved into the shape of a leaf.
Tosia unrolled the parchment on her knee. It was a map, but not of any forest they knew. The paths bent in impossible loops. Strange marks were scattered between the trees. Deep in the centre stood a narrow tower beside a stream, and near one of the bends, in cramped handwriting, were the words Whispering Path.
"There isn't a tower like that anywhere near here," Emil said, leaning closer.
"And look at this," Tosia murmured. Her finger stopped on the edge of the paper, where a symbol had been drawn over and over, as if someone had wanted to warn them or lead them somewhere.
A rustle came from the bushes.
All three of them went still.
The leaves trembled again, right behind the old oak, and then a low figure stepped out from the shadows. It wore a red cap pulled down over its eyes, and in one hand it held a walking stick carved with tiny marks.
The figure looked straight at the children, lifted one finger to its lips, and then pointed at the map.