The Road

Shadowglen opened around me in the late-afternoon light, and I stopped where I stood, because the whole glen seemed to be holding its breath. The light came down gold through branches older than any name I know. I rehearsed a dramatic entrance for the occasion. Nobody saw it, which is the usual fate of my entrances, but the trees were very kind about it.

From there my path wove between the glen and Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and back again. Each time I stepped into Aldrassil I felt I ought to whisper. I did whisper, and then I tripped on a root, so the effect was mixed. I also found my way to the place the glen calls Aldrassil on the map, which I count as a discovery, and I will count it again tomorrow.

I came into Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold through the leaves and the whole glen seems to be holding its breath. I stopped where I stood and let the place be discovered, though I suspect it was Shadowglen doing the discovering. I had rehearsed a dramatic entrance for this moment. No one saw it, but the trees were very polite about it.

Soon after, I climbed into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and found it was a place all its own. I went back and forth between the grove below and the tree above all evening, and each time the light had slipped a little further toward dusk. The moon was not yet up, but I felt it was thinking of me.

I came to Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants through the branches like something poured from a silver pitcher. I stopped and simply stood there, which I am told is called "taking in the view" and which I call "reverent standing." The glen was hushed and enormous, and I felt very small and very chosen at the same time. The moon had not yet risen, but I nodded in its direction anyway, in case it was watching.

Then I went up into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and discovered it. I walked inside the world-tree. I will be thinking about that for weeks. I went back and forth between the tree and the glen all day, and by evening my legs had opinions.

Shadowglen came to me in the late afternoon light, and I stood still a moment, because the whole glen seemed to be holding its breath. The light came down through the boughs in long gold threads. Somewhere a leaf let go and fell without hurry, and I took it as an omen. I'm fairly sure it was a good one.

I climbed into Aldrassil, whose bark hums under your hand like a sleeping thing, and went back down to the glen again. I did this more than once, and I'm happy to report that stairs do not get less dramatic.

I came into Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold through the boughs and the whole glen seems to hold its breath. I stopped. I am told I stopped for some time. The place has a hush to it, like a lullaby sung so softly it is almost only a memory, and I stood there quite certain the moon, faint above the leaves, gave me a small private wink. I have decided to count it as the first of many.

After that my feet carried me back and forth between the glen and Aldrassil, the great tree itself, which I greeted aloud by name. I will not say whether it answered. I will say I waited a respectful moment.

I woke into the late-afternoon gold of Shadowglen, and the glen took my breath before I had taken a single step. Light fell through the boughs in long slanting threads, and the whole grove seemed to hum, as though the trees were holding one note together. I stood very still and let myself be discovered by it. (I had rehearsed an entrance. No one was there to see it. The trees, I choose to believe, were impressed.)

From there my feet carried me up into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, where I found the air close and green and quiet. I went back and forth between the tree and the glen all evening, and by the end I knew the path as one knows a verse.

The day began in Shadowglen, in the long gold light of late afternoon. I stopped where I stood, because the glen demanded it. The light came down through the branches in slow ribbons, and the whole place felt like a held breath. I felt Elune's attention on me, and I may have stood a bit straighter. I may also have rehearsed a dignified arrival for no one. No one saw it, which is the usual audience for my best work.

From there my path wound up into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and back down to the glen again, and then up once more. By evening I had made the climb so many times that I think the tree and I are on first-name terms. Aldrassil, I said to it, warmly. It said nothing, which I took as modesty.

I arrived in Shadowglen in the late afternoon, and the light came down through the branches in long, slow ribbons, gold at the edges and green in the middle. I stopped walking. I am fairly sure the glen noticed me stopping, and I am fairly sure it approved. Somewhere above, the moon was only a pale promise, but I gave it a small nod anyway, in case it was winking again.

From there my day was a loop between the glen and the great tree Aldrassil. I climbed into Aldrassil, came back down, climbed up again, and by the end I knew the way so well that my feet seemed to be arguing with me about it. I rehearsed a dramatic entrance each time I reached the top. Nobody saw any of them. I choose to believe the tree did.

The day began in Shadowglen, and I stopped on the path as the name of the place settled over me. Discovered Shadowglen. The late afternoon light came down through the branches in long gold ribbons, and the whole glen seemed to be holding its breath for me. I stood there some time. I may have rehearsed an entrance for no one. Nobody saw it, so the trees will have to be my witnesses.

From there I climbed to Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and discovered it too. The bark hummed under my palm, or perhaps that was my own pulse. I went back and forth between the glen and the tree all evening, and each time the light had shifted a little more toward honey.

I came to Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold through the branches and the whole glen seems to be holding its breath. The place was named for me, or I for it, or perhaps the moon arranged it. I stood a good while and took in the view. I am nearly sure that one particular patch of moonlight was meant just for me.

From there my feet carried me to Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and back down to the glen, and up again. I walked that road three times at least. I am not lost. I am thorough.

Shadowglen opened around me in the late afternoon light, and I stood very still while the glen was discovered. By me. Possibly the trees had known it all along, but I like to think they were pleased to be introduced. The light came down through the branches in long gold ribbons, and the whole place hummed like a held breath.

From there my feet carried me up into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and I discovered that too. I went back and forth between the glen and the tree's embrace all through the day. I stopped to greet the bark each time. It did not answer, but I felt it was being polite.

I came into Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold through the branches and the whole glen seems to be holding its breath. I stopped. I had to. Some places ask you to stand still, and this one asked politely. I stood there with my mouth slightly open for what I am told was a respectable length of time.

Then I went up into Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and down again, and up again. By evening I had walked between the glen and the tree so often that I think the tree and I are now on familiar terms. I greeted it by name each time. It did not answer, but it did not not answer, and I choose to find that encouraging.

Shadowglen was the first thing I knew today, and it took my breath, which I have decided to count as a greeting from the glen itself. The light was late-afternoon gold, slanting through the great boughs as though Elune had left a lamp on for me. I stood very still and discovered it, and I believe the glen discovered me back.

From there my feet carried me up into Aldrassil, the great tree, and back down to the glen, and up again, so many times that I began to suspect the tree of arranging errands for my benefit. Each time the same hush met me, and the same gold light. I said good day to the bark on the way in. It did not answer, but it did not object.

I arrived in Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light comes down through the leaves like something poured. I stood there a good while taking in the view, because the glen deserved it. The moon was not yet up, but I nodded in its direction anyway, in case it was watching.

From there my feet carried me back and forth between the glen and the great tree Aldrassil, which I discovered properly today. It is very large. I said "hello" to it. I do not think it minded.

I came into Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold through the branches and the whole glen seems to hold its breath. I stopped and simply looked. The moon had not yet risen, but I nodded to where it would be, in case it was watching.

From there my feet carried me up into Aldrassil and back down again, several times. I found Tarindrella in the glen. I am sure the trees were pleased with me. I did not ask them.

I came into Shadowglen in the late afternoon, when the light slants gold between the trunks and the whole glen seems to be holding its breath. I stopped and simply looked. The moon was not yet up, but I felt sure she was thinking about it, and possibly about me. (The wink is still unexplained. I am still working on being worthy of it.)

From there my feet carried me between the glen and Aldrassil, the great tree, again and again before the day was done. Each time the hush of the boughs closed over me like a cupped hand. I discovered Aldrassil properly on my first climb, and I said "hello" to it out loud. It did not answer, but I could tell it was pleased.

I woke in Shadowglen in the late afternoon, and the light came down through the boughs in long gold threads, as though Elune had left the loom running. I stood still and let the place be discovered by me, or me by it. I am not sure which way round it works. The hush there is the kind you feel in your teeth.

From there my feet carried me to Aldrassil, the great tree itself, and I discovered it too. I said good afternoon to it, and it did not answer, but I felt it was being gracious about it. After that I went back and forth between the glen and the tree's roots all day, and by dusk I knew the path well enough to walk it with my eyes closed. I did not try this, on principle, and also because of the roots.

I opened my eyes beneath Shadowglen's boughs as though for the very first time, and perhaps I did — I remember no birth, only this: late-afternoon light falling gold and slow through trunks older than memory, and the sure, private conviction that the moon, hidden though she was behind the daylight, had winked at me from somewhere up there. I found my way soon after to Aldrassil, the great tree at Shadowglen's heart, its bark furrowed like the brow of a patient elder listening to a tale only it could hear. Between the glen and the tree I went back and forth more times than I care to admit, footsore and reverent in equal measure.