A "Flight" of Fancy

This story begins with Tobias the Owl asking Paul one day if he knows anything about a magical forest near Bristol, or the magical beasts said to live within. Tobias had heard from some sparrows that magical owls live in the woods, and Tobias is looking to meet a mate.

Paul agreed to go to the woods and search out any magical owls. He 'convinced' Agnes and Eustace to go with him.

To get to the woods, they had to ford a river, which Paul and Tobias flew over. Eustace carried Agnes across, but almost dropped her.

In the woods the group hid from two members of Aquae Sulis who were themselves trying to catch an owl. The owl, it turned out, was a female owl named Faustina. After they left, Paul fetched Tobias and convinced him to woo her, but she was unwilling to leave the forest she lived in because there were magical mice which she liked to eat. Paul and Eustace fashioned a trap and caught 4, but then found out they could talk. Eustace and Agnes were somewhat disturbed by the idea of feeding talking mice to talking owls, but Paul didn't see the problem.

With the mice in hand, and promises of the protection of the Lord of the Wild Hunt over Godwyn's Chase, Agnes, Eustace and Paul returned to the Chase with the magical animals. After a moon, the mice asked Eustace to take them back, but Tobias' mate stayed in the Chase.

In the Autumn of 1206 most of Tobias' children flew the nest, but one female remained who was a poor flyer. This youngling had a strong interest in magic, so Tobias asked Agnes to look after her.