"Hello, old friend," Ashlynn said, gently brushing her fingers across the bark of the Ancient Oak. Standing this close, the shadow of the tree felt both deep and heavy, and the creak of the branches in the gentle autumn wind sounded like the movement of old bones shuffling in the night.
To stand beneath the Ancient Oak was to stand beneath the weight of time itself and for a moment, Ashlynn felt the weight of a number of years that were impossible to count settling down on her shoulders, like a faint preview of her future with Nyrielle before the weight fell away and the tree rustled in a gentle greeting.
"I've brought a friend," Ashlynn said, holding a hand out to Virve and gesturing for her to approach the mighty tree. "She's helped to keep me and my coven safe, and she's watched over my love for even longer than she's watched over me."
