Climbing Trees

The rubble of the old castle is far behind you as you step into this plethora of trees and are enveloped in darkness. Looking up does you no good, as intricately woven branches tower high above you, blocking out almost all of the natural light. It’s not long before the eeriness of this dimly lit place settles in. Little grows here where there is so little light, though every so often brightly colored fungi take shape amongst the base of trunks, or emerge from the cool damp of the forest floor. Sooner than later shadows begin to loom in the wood ahead, prowling in that way only hunters do when they are in search of prey. Some of you may find your way up on your own, but those that don’t will find the way lit by small dancing lights, fireflies guiding lost tributes away from the dangers down there and up into the safety of the climbing trees. They lead you up small pathways amongst the root system that wind up and up and up, cobbled together with rope bridges and supported platforms in the upper levels of the canopy. Many of their beams have fallen prey to time rather than creature, wind and damp taking their toll on the strange city that once seemed to hide amongst the treetops. The boughs of neighboring trees seem to reach for each other, holding one another like lovers and lifelines, providing support for this place even as the elements have tried to reclaim the city for themselves.