Chapter 9: The Deerfox

The Deerfox is the ninth episode of the second season, and the twenty-second episode of the Hilda TV series, was released on December 14th, 2020 on Netflix.

Synopsis
After Hilda's deer-fox companion Twig leaves home and runs into the wilderness, Hilda and her mum set off on a search that stirs bittersweet memories.

Plot
The episode opens with Twig having a dream in which he chases a white orb through a strange, blue dimension. The next morning, he has quite a rough day. First he can’t come to school with Hilda, then Johanna gets so caught up in her work she forgets to take him out, and when Hilda comes back, she immediately leaves again with David, Frida and Alfur, leaving Twig forgotten.

David has somehow gotten his shoes stolen by a ghost and the kids try to get them back, but David accidentally alerts the ghost and he flees into a pit.

That night Twig has his dream again. This time, he can’t change the orb because he gets trapped in a transparent box, that keeps him from going anywhere. When he awakens, it’s still night. Through the window, he notices a blue glow in the distance, near the mountains. Twig uses his antlers to open the window, and sneaks out. He wanders through Trolberg to the city gate, and slips through a crack. As he leaves Trolberg, it begins to rain. He seeks shelter in a cave, but it turns out to be occupied by a troll, so he hides elsewhere.

The following day, Hilda notices Twig is gone. Alfur notices antler marks on the window and realizes Twig has gone outside. Johanna and Hilda spend the day searching, with no success. Alfur however hears news from The Lost Clan that they saw Twig leave the city. They deduce Twig must have gone back to their old cabin because he misses the wilderness. Johanna promises Hilda they will go look for him in the morning. Alfur sends a message ahead to the Northern Counties so they can be on the lookout.

In the wilderness, Twig is getting hungry. He attempts to catch a rabbit, but instead runs into a wolf and is forced to hide among the remains of Hilda’s old home. There, he finds an old picture of him and Hilda. The next day, Hilda and Johanna set out to find Twig. They narrowly avoid crashing their car into  a troll that has been petrified in the middle of the road. As they near their old home, Hilda recalls how, a few years ago, she first met Twig when she found him trapped under some rocks after a landslide. She freed him, but when Johanna showed up he ran away.

When Hilda and Johanna arrive at their old house, an Elf informs them Twig has been seen in the area, and points them in the right direction. Twig meanwhile is at a chasm and climbs down. The wolf from last night finds him again, but Twig is able to escape by swimming across a river.

Hilda and Johanna meanwhile visit the Wood Man in his house to ask for help. Sadly, he has no information for them. Nobody really knows anything about deerfoxes. But before his guests leave, Wood Man gives them some words of advice, which give Johanna an idea. She takes Hilda to the same chasm Twig was at, since it was here that Hilda and Twig became friends. A flashback shows how Hilda, after seeing a strange glow in the distance, fell down the chasm, onto a cliff with an eagles nest. When the eagle drove her further off the cliff, Twig came to her rescue and prevented her from falling. He also showed her how to get back up.

Now, in the present, Hilda notices the same glow again, and realizes that must be where Twig is. So she and Johanna cross the chasm. As they climb onto the other side, they find the wolf waiting for them. The wolf chases after Hilda, while Johanna is unable to do anything. Fortunately, Twig comes to her rescue. Hilda quickly comes up with a plan, and along with Twig tricks the wolf into charging off the cliff. With that danger gone, Hilda apologizes to Twig.

As they follow the glow that Twig was so attracted to, they find a whole herd of Deerfoxes. It’s Twig’s original herd, and they are about to leave to the dimension they live in. Twig recalls how he once almost left to that dimension with his family, but when he heard Hilda was in trouble, he ran off to help her instead and lost his chance. Hilda understands that Twig doesn’t want to miss another opportunity, so the two sadly bid farewell. Twig reunites with his parents and follows them home, but soon gets second thoughts. At the ruins of their cabin, Hilda breaks down at the realization that everything about her old life is gone now. Then to her joy Twig returns to her. As snow begins to fall, Hilda, Twig and Johanna return to Trolberg.

The following day, Hilda and friends confront the ghost again, and this time, they succeed in getting David’s shoes back thanks to Twig. Not that it mattered much since David’s parents already gave him new shoes. A final flashback shows how Twig was officially adopted by Hilda and Johanna, and Johanna allowed Hilda to go on her first adventure with Twig.

Humans

 * Hilda
 * Johanna
 * Frida
 * David

Creatures

 * Wood Man
 * Red wolf
 * Shoe-stealing ghost
 * Trolls
 * Woff (cameo)
 * Vittra (cameo)

Elves

 * Alfur
 * Bragga Family (courier)
 * Other elves

Nisse

 * Tontu (alpha)

Deer-foxes

 * Twig
 * Twig's parents
 * Deer-Fox Herd

Trivia

 * This is the first episode where Twig plays a major role.
 * This is the second longest episode in the entire series, with 34 minutes long. The first being Chapter 13: The Stone Forest with 46 minutes long.