When they arrived at the grove Nimi looked at Rowena with a mysterious twinkle in her eye.
"Okay, okay, you're not going to believe this, but I followed someone to the Glen two nights ago," Nimi said excitedly in a low tone.
The 'Glen' was the pair's personal spot in Bernadet wood, and it was a ring of tightly packed trees that could only be entered by a slight gap which the girls had concealed with branches and leaves.
Rowena gaped. What? Someone had found their hideout?! Nimi nodded at the look on Rowena's face. "I know, right? And that's not all!" She searched through her pockets and pulled out an ornate golden key. "He buried this there!"
Rowena gasped and took the key from her and studied it carefully, turning the key over and over in her hands. The key was small but heavy, carved with intricate patterns and inlaid with tiny red and orange stones.
"Was it anyone from town?" Rowena asked in awe. Nimi shook her head. "I don't think so." she mused. "He had the look of a traveller."
A twig cracked nearby. Both girls jumped. "Did you hear that?"