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There was a pause after Brine voice his query, the discomfort and anxiety that he felt deep within. It was a pregnant pause, and heavy; far heavier than it should have been, and so poignant that even Sorn seemed to pull back in his place. They were putting off an answer, or taking the time to consider it, it seemed. Time was of little meaning to being as long lived as the treants, and hours, brightening, even cycles or months in some circumstances could have passed before they came to a conclusion. This might not have been one of those, but still…It was long enough, and the answer, when it came, was blunt, almost void.
“We cannot answer that, Air Tuo.”
The words almost picked out at the emptiness and despair at what could come to pass, and accentuated them further still. There was a certain sadness in their tone, heavy, and almost weary as they reached the end of their age. The goddess called them, and soon they were to follow.
“All we can do is to continue with the work Carmelya has set us, and to hope for her protection. Without knowledge we cannot prevent a tragedy from happening before it does.” The problem was that anyone could find passage within the Forest of Light, and anyone could cause it harm. The treants were there to protect it, yes, but then there was only so much that they could do. If someone, or something, truly malicious came, then it was difficult to tell how the forest would fair.
“The other creatures of the Forest might aid us if anything should happen, and there are others who might be willing to protect its beauty. We do not know, Air Tuo, but we can feel something in the breeze, deep beneath our bark…”
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