Blackfeather Woods whispers through the trees

As Cicero came to realise that most of the herbs would be destroyed, he grew more and more curious about the state that the weeping willow was in. He had not been close to it in some time and certainly not since the locusts had come and destroyed most that he held dear. And so when Malice asked him where to look and he thought about the tree, he said, "There is a tree not far from here that lets go of spores along a clearing. Cicero wishes to check it." Assuming that she would follow, Cicero turned back onto his previous path and he started in the direction of the willow tree.

They were near, and it did not take them long to reach the location. Once they arrived along the side of the clearing Cicero instructed, "Malice should stay away. Cicero will be right back." He glanced at the tree, which looked worn, and sniffed the air. The clearing looked terrible — the grass that had once grown there was lacking and there was little shrubbery left. Yet as Cicero stepped into the clearing he felt a calm drift over him and he knew instantly that the tree's appearance was deceiving; it was still fierce as ever. It was easy to drown in the calm feeling that it gave him, but Cicero remained at the clearing's frays, using Malice as his lifeboat, making sure he did not drift too far away from the anchor that he had created in her. He had yet things to teach her; had no time to dabble too long in these dangerous activities.