Chapter 240: The Ancient Willow
Ashlynn’s boots sank slightly into the soft sand as she stepped from the boat onto the island’s shore. Unlike the other islands they’d passed, where even a few steps would have left her feet coated in dark, clinging mud, the sand here was clean and pale, and the tall grass growing on the island felt softer to the touch than the sharp-edged blades of grass elsewhere in the Briar.
The island itself wasn’t very large, no more than a hundred paces across, but even if the island were twice as large, it would have felt too small to play host to the majestic tree that awaited them.
Rising from the center of the island, dominating the space with a sense of quiet, reserved majesty, stood an ancient willow tree. A gentle breeze stirred its silvery-green leaves, which hung like a curtain from long, thin branches, creating a sound like a sigh from a breath long held.
The prickly, dangerous aura that permeated the Briar faded away entirely, replaced by a cool welcoming presence that wrapped around Ashlynn like a soft, gossamer shawl, draping her in a protective barrier against the oppressive environment of the Briar.
"Hello," Ashlynn said, gently parting the drooping branches of the Ancient Willow like a curtain so she could approach its trunk. As soon as Ashlynn passed through, however, the branches fell back into place, seeming to form a barrier preventing anyone from following her.
"You’ll welcome my big sister too, won’t you? We’ve come to seek your help," Ashlynn said, looking from the tree to Amahle and back again.
"Don’t get your branches twisted," Amahle told the tree as she stood on the opposite side of the drooping branches. "I’m not here for your bark and I’ve left you alone for quite some time since the last time I needed anything from you. This time, I’ve brought my little sister to you, so let the old hurts go."
"Old hurts?" Ashlynn said, turning to face the older witch. "What happened?"
"Talauia was half dead when she arrived here," Amahle said as she pointed at several deep scars in the tree’s trunk with the tips of her spider-like limbs. From the depth of the wounds on the tree, the powerful witch had taken far more than a piece of bark when she’d last visited the tree.