Despite their being alone in the forest, they felt oddly safe. The deep of the forest was a hallowed place, undisturbed by living creatures. All around them the ancient trees stood like living pillars; magnificent columns ascending into an eternally green sky during the daytime. And yet, during the day the forest canopy admitted not a single ray of sun, and growth on the forest floor was limited to ferns and pale flowers with blooms that never opened. At night, the darkness was absolute and close. Despite the dark, Anest was loath to venture a little Wizard's fire from his staff for light, for fear of offending the trees.

In the morning, they discovered that they lay at the foot of a low hill, and to their surprise, they saw that ahead of them, through the trees, the light of day shone clear and bright. Eschewing breakfast, they hurried to the hilltop, leaving Danin and Thunder where they stood . . .

. . . and stared in utter astonishment!

Before them lay a wide clearing, and at its inner perimeter, in a circle, stood thirteen of the rare, gigantic, black oaks. And in the center of the thirteen oaks, there was a peculiar sort of fold in the air . . . what appeared to be an invisible column of nothing. It was as baffling to the eyes as it was to the senses.




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