Page 22 of Entangled in the Woods
Kleio was true to her word and ignored him. “Lead the way, plant lady!”
I looked around, deciding where we should go. The field was enticing, with all the fluttering grasses, but if I had the chance to go into the forest, especially with those familiar with the land, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I led the way around a few scattered tents and through the field, letting my fingers brush on the tips of the grasses. I glanced around my shoulder, always finding Kleio and Gavrill close behind. They weren’t taking in the environment like I was. It was like when someone lived in a warm climate their whole lives, so they took the sunshine for granted. The slight breeze on my cheeks, the soft earth beneath my feet…it was a whole-body experience for me.
When we came to the edge of the forest where the rogue cages stood, I kept my eyes away from their decaying bodies.It wasn’t that their bodies were unpleasant, or the smell; it was that they were stuck, living beings being used as pawns in someone’s game. That made my stomach churn.
I ducked my head under a low-hanging branch as I entered the forest. The sounds of the tree branches rustling together and the birds chirping to one another masked the snarling sounds of the rogues. Our six feet made satisfying crunching sounds with each step—the dried leaves being mulched by our feet. We walked for what seemed like a while, but time never passed the same in the forest. For me, it always slowed.
The sound of trickling water running over rocks in my ear was the first sign that there was water ahead. It got louder as we walked, my hearing proving correct. A storybook stream lay ahead of us, about three feet wide. It’s cerulean-blue waters flowing over smooth rocks that looked like gems beneath the water. Along the banks of the stream, broad green leaves caught my eye. I walked over to the sapling, no taller than my waist.
“It can’t be,” I murmured.
The plant rolodex in my head flipped through cards, finding the one I was looking for.Morus rubra. There was no way. I took a leaf between my fingers, rubbing the top of the leaf with my thumb—sandpaper, my index finger tickled by the tiny hairs underneath the leaf.
“So, what exactly are you looking for?” Kleio asked. “It all just looks green to me.”
I tried not to flail with excitement too much at the question. Turning to her, I said, “I’m looking for anything unusual, something that stands out against all the ‘green,’ as you said. It does all look green—unless you look closely.”
I bent my knees along the side of the stream, crouching down. Kleio followed suit, with Gavrill standing with his arms crossed behind us. I took a small leaf, one close to the ground, and snapped its petiole. Milky-white sap covered my fingers.
“It’s a red mulberry,” I told Kleio.
“Is that good?” she asked.
I laughed, the corners of my lips pulled toward the sky. Good? This was amazing. “It’s remarkable. No one has seen a red mulberry in this region for at least a hundred years,” I said. Kleio looked taken back, surprised. This was exactly what I needed for my research. I could see myself presenting my thesis, surprising my professors with my find. I slipped the leaf into my purse.
The tree was small, still a sapling—and still fragile. Its location so close to the stream worried me. “I don’t think it’s going to survive, though,” I said, frowning.
“What? Why not?” She grabbed my arm, demanding an answer.
“It’s growing too close to the stream; its roots could easily get overwhelmed if the water levels rise from a rainstorm.”
“Well, we need to save it! What do you need me to do?”
Kleio’s enthusiasm motivated me. I looked around the forest floor, going through my options. It was tempting to take the mulberry tree, find a pot, and bring it back to the cabin with me, but that wouldn’t be ethical. The tree needed to stay where it grew—in its natural habitat.
“We could try to transplant it,” I said. “Move it away from the stream.”
“Let’s do it! Tell me what to do.” Kleio rubbed her fingers along the leaf as I had, petting it, clearly emotionally attached to the tree now.
“Well, usually I have a trowel to dig.” I looked at her, my hands void of tools.
“I’ve got you covered,” Kleio said, opening her hand, letting black claws emerge from her fingernail beds.
I stepped back, although it shouldn’t have surprised me. Of course Lycans had claws—they could turn into wolves.
Kleio looked eager to put her claws to work. I directed her to dig up the tree along the edge of the canopy of leaves the tree had grown. Any closer and she would damage the already-fragile root system. She made quick work of digging, reaching deep into the earth to get all the roots that had grown beneath. I admired her tenacious spirit.
Once the tree was free from the earth, I picked a spot several feet away from the stream and directed her to dig another hole to put the tree in. It was a nice spot for a sapling to continue to grow; it would get morning sun and afternoon shade. There was enough space for it to stretch its branches horizontally and up to the sky, reaching for the sun.
Together, we lifted the tree from its original hole and put it in its new home. We filled in the hole, covering the roots and patting it down the soil so the tree would stand sturdy should a gust of wind blow by.
I looked at the transplanted tree proudly. I had done my part as a conservationist, making sure the tree had its best chance of survival. “There—let’s hope it continues to grow, produces mulberries for the birds, and lives here in this forest for a hundred years.”
“Is there anything else we can do? I feel bad leaving it here to fend for itself.” Kleio continued to pat down the soil around the tree.
“We need to give it a big drink of water so its roots reach out into the new dirt. If I had fertilizer, that would also provide extra nutrients to the tree, but I don’t…” I looked around, thinking. A solution popped into my mind, but they would never go for it.
“What is it? You have that thinking face again, Elise.” Kleio narrowed her eyes at me.
