The Heartwood vessels

for @amon!

It would seem the Tartok had dissapeared, as if one of the Sky Beings had swooped down and carried them off. Not even Echelon was crossing the deer paths that had led to their makeshift camp. Ivev had been worried that her life was in danger- for abandoning the Tartok meant certain retribution. But seeing the group disintegrate told Ivev that it had been never truly there. For now, the dreamer would focus on other things, things that meant deepening her spiritual connection to the world.

With quiet splashes, the female crossed a shallow tributary of the Whitefish. The sky was cloudy gray and muted, stretching over the tall trees that stood before her. Ivev always thought forests looked quite impenetrable from a distance, but nearing the Heartwood, she could see each individual tree and the plants that dwelled under them. The forest had a soft, fragrant smell that lingered from the heat of summer. Through the smells of late flowery blooms, Ivev could detect the decay of logs and the musty rot of fallen leaves.