Renni took a deep breath as she entered the glade. Her friend, it was weird to think of a tree as such but that’s what they were, was of course still there, tall as three carts stacked on top of each other, their roots spread in and out of the ground throughout all of the available space, the trunk was so thick that it would take several grown adults to hug it, of course while the bark was smooth the trunk formed many cavities and lumps so even if there were enough people, hugging it would be a challenge. There were no clouds in the sky that day but the sunlight was filtered through a hundred myriads of big three-pointed leaves that swayed in the breeze so that in combination with the tangles of roots, the ground seemed to move, roil almost.

She hadn’t had the time to appreciate the sight last time she was here, both because the caravan was leaving and because of more immediate concerns of getting away with her bounty, but the tree was truly beautiful, she did not recognize what kind of tree it (They?), was but she hoped that maybe it would bloom, she could only imagine the kind of picture that many flowers would make.

“Hi! …we’re back, so I came to visit..” Renni immediately felt silly. The tree could understand her somehow, she was sure but it was hard to not feel odd… she was talking to a tree. That feeling retreated somewhat as a breeze, pleasantly cool in the heat of spring, blew through the clearing. The uncountable leaves moved, and as she paid attention she noticed that their movement was ever so slightly unnatural, the result being the sunlight momentarily climbing from her boots up to her shoulders. It almost felt like a welcoming hug, and she felt vindicated, she was not crazy. Probably.

“I think this means, you do not mind me staying a while?” Renni said as she walked closer to the trunk. The wind picked up slightly, this time against her back, it brought a scent she recognized as wild strawberries.

“Great! I have so many questions!” She sat on a convenient root that grew out from the trunk before turning downwards, she thought she felt the root lower slightly as she sat and very slightly conforming to fit her better.

“Did you move?” a singular everlight, likely separated from the earlier swarm, drifted out from below a root, and looped in front of her before flying off into the forest.

“Thank you? But how? And also how could I tell that that meant yes? And how did you make the everlight do that?” There was a long pause, well not really a pause, the slight sounds, and smells of the forest were still there, the light wind kept occasionally blowing, the sunlight kept dancing between the leaves, but none of it felt meaningful to Renni. Then a barely audible groan from a bench was accompanied by a small red woodpecker landing nearby before flying off again.

“Okay, one at a time but you should know that you’re not very good at conversation, you sp… well you don’t really speak but you communicate too slowly.” A breeze on her cheek.

“I am not speaking too fast! This is how everyone talks!”

-

Renni was not as polite as the twins were. Or maybe the twins were too polite? No other humans had visited me before them, I was almost confident that they had also been more respectful. Renni did not seem to appreciate being told that she was speaking too quickly however so I tried to keep up.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“So how are you moving?” That was a tough question to answer. I did not really remember how I had learned to move, but I did remember that I was not unique in this, other trees around the glade could do it better than me. They were long gone now but surely there were others further away.

I do not remember how I learned, but I know it took a long time.

“You do not know? I don’t think anyone else would, you’re the first moving tree I’ve heard about.” Renni paused for a bit “I could ask Mats Bluegold, she knows these things, she’s really old and she always tells stories to the little ones about things no one’s seen.” That sounded promising, I’d like to remember such things if I could, staying awake was easier when I focused on learning things.

“Do you know why I can understand what you’re saying? I’ve heard of people talking to the wind but never of trees using wind and light to speak, nevermind everlights and birds”

Some walkers just understand, you seem good at it, maybe you can find the twins near here they also know these things.

“So some people can just know? That seems strange. I never learned anything like this.”

How did you learn to breathe? Who taught your heart to beat and your hands to grasp? Some things we just know

“Still seems strange..”

Many things do when you think about them too hard, especially for the young. A human once told me that the more things surprise you the less you get surprised. Who had told me that? The memory had just surfaced in my mind, but everything was still fuzzy around the edges. Talking seemed to help, I was getting excited to stay aware for a while this time.

“I am not that young, although I suppose you are much older than me.. Hey you never told me your name by the way. I told you when we met, kind of rude you know.”

I was tired. Kind of unfair of her to expect me to hold a conversation when I was barely able to think, or move. Trees don’t often get names, but I’ve been called forest elder.

“Forest elder? That’s not a proper name, it just describes you.”

Try pronouncing it like this… Forest Elder that’s how the twins say it.

“Tell’ Abim? What language is that?”

I am not sure, I know that humans speak in different ways but I always understand, learning the distinction does not seem important.

“Other people speak to you?”

Yes, like I told you, are you from nearby? It shouldn’t be too hard to find the others if they are still here.

“I don’t fully understand you ok? Beams of light and scents of roses are not easy to interpret, you’re going too fast!”

Now I am going too fast?!