The Little Mouse

393 AC - It scratches the ground with its paws in the soft light of daybreak. Wrapped up in its red felt coat, its collar turned up and a large bag slung over its shoulder, it digs. The root of a little baby tooth can be seen protruding out of the bag. I have an irresistible urge to immediately take it, to grab its bag and run away with the loot. But I stop myself. The Little Mouse continues to dig. It suddenly stops, on guard, then listens and scans the area around it. I instinctively pull my head back from the edge of the thicket where I'm watching from, where I can hide behind the foliage. The Undergrowth is the perfect place to hide… or to hide something. The Little Mouse takes the baby teeth out of its bag and places them one by one in the hole, carefully, cautiously. Then, seemingly satisfied, it covers the hole with dirt and presses it down with its hind legs. It leaves after a final glance, jingling a handful of coins it will probably give out tonight.

I could jump on it and prevent it from collecting any more teeth, thereby eliminating the competition. But I'd rather let it believe it has free rein, then collect its loot. Each time a human leaves a tooth somewhere, it's like a ritual, like a call we need to answer. It's been like this for a long, long time, and it won't change any time soon. Each time we're summoned, it's a race to find out which of us will be faster. Once I'm certain the Little Mouse has gone, I come out of my hiding place, eyeing the loot I'm coveting. Each tooth I collect gives me more power. Each tooth I steal weakens my rival. I move forward slowly, trying to work out if it's set a trap for me. But as I approach, I hear something calling me from afar. It's that damned mage who wants me to heal him again…

The Little Mouse is a creature from Western folklore that collects the baby teeth that children leave under their pillow before going to sleep. The mouse leaves money under the pillow in exchange. The Little Mouse is the French equivalent of the Tooth Fairy in English-speaking and Germanic cultures. It is also known as "ratoncito Pérez" or simply "el ratón" in Spanish-speaking countries, and "Topino" in Italy.

THE TOOTH FAIRY