“Guard well this orb. Fading of the sphere’s light means…it’s time to repay the debt you’ve incurred. Whether by you or the hundredth generation removed, yours is a debt that must be repaid…
“Placing the Central Sphere in the light of the Gray Wanderer will restore the orb’s grayness.”
Ǿ ∞ Ǿ
Ice Giants cultivated unusual l’orange plants- the plants produced a luscious fruit from ice and sunlight. The fruit was the size of t pumpkins grown by farmers of Donothor. Ice crystals formed on the plants’ dark blue leaves during the cold nights. If the ice crystals were removed, the leaves more effectively harvested the rays of the sun. Ice Giant chieftain Phreezyn encouraged his charges to break the ice away from the leaves each morning
Phreezyn instructed his subordinates, “Someone’s sneaking in the orchards and stealing the l’oranges. Keep a close watch! I’ll knuckle your heads before you count to four if you don’t care for the trees!”
“How do you count to four, chief?” the Ice Giant Fopah asked.
Phreezyn knuckled his head.
Al Prazolam was not the happiest Dwarf north of the River Luumic. Duty in the observation tower had become very tedious and boring. Since the retreat of the Dwarves’ army after the last battle several seasons ago, the area around the river had been relegated to an occasional skirmish. The Dwarves watched the river at its great bend three days march from Hillesdale and a day’s march from Three Forks, a hamlet where the river divided into its three branches. In most areas the river was enough of a barrier that guards were not needed.
Of the gathering of the rainbow luck tree, also known as the cherry bomb bush…
Only three rainbow luck trees grew in all of Sagain. One of these grew in the Hanging Gardens, cultivated by Old Ones. Two others grew among garnetberry bushes on a rocky slope in the eastern mountains near Cragmore. Garnetberry bushes bore deep red crunchy berries about the length of an inchworm in diameter. Garnetberries’ flavor exploded on the tongue and made them the favorite of many denizens of Sagain, including Pegasi and displacer bears, also called mountain airy bears. The rare mountain airy bears inhabited mountainous regions. The creatures’ chameleon-like ability facilitated concealment. The beasts had deceptive intelligence and natural displacer ability that always made them appear to be three feet to the right, left, front, or rear of their actual position.
The gray sun drew near and bathed the apple tree with gray light. Auras of Magick filled the air. The kindly orchardist Garnet nurtured the apple tree from a sapling in Virginia in the blue world. The wayfaring sorcerer planted the tree in Green Vale. Rhiann picked a red delicious fruit from a lower limb. Auras bathed the tree. Another fruit appeared at the site the sorcerer plucked his apple. 169 fruits remained on the tree.
The Tree Shepherd, large green oak, apple tree, purplanana bush, toot and see scroll tree, and silver maple filled six of the prepared areas on the hillock. The sorcerer uttered an incantation and disappeared.
Rhiann and the apple tree appeared upon the small hillock in a plush green vale. The apple tree stood about the height of three Drelves or thirteen feet and bore red luscious unfamiliar fruits. One hundred and sixty-nine fruits of variable size and shape grew on the tree. Like other plants in Green Vale, the apple tree had green leaves. The tree’s light pink blooms brought to mind the common bluerose plants.
The sorcerer carefully tended the lovely tree. He uttered lyrical phrases and touched the trees exposed roots. The roots sank into the prepared ground. Rhiann carried water from the effervescing spring. The rainbow waters soaked into the soil surrounding the tree’s roots.
“I’m not familiar with the new tree. Where in Sagain did you find it?” the Tree Shepherd asked.
“It’s an apple tree. It’s not from Sagain. It’s from…Virginia,” Rhiann answered evasively.
Thunder rumbled. A geyser erupted from the spring in the very center of the hill and bathed the trees with waters of many hues. The geyser’s eruption lasted thirty-nine minute minuteman heartbeats. Thunder ceased and the area was quiet. The purplanana tree from the Tree Shepherd’s grove had thirteen elongated purple fruits that were about six inchworms lengths long. Several intricate webs intertwined in its branches. The little black spiders nestled in their webs.
The forty-foot tall green oak tree bore no fruit. The Tree Shepherd sensed the Tree Sprite that lived within the great green oak.
Thirteen places were prepared in a circle around the central spring on top of the hillock. The Tree Shepherd, a large green oak, toot and see scroll tree, silver maple tree, and purplanana bush filled five places and sat equidistant from the thirteen foot diameter spring. Eight areas of bared soil awaited occupants. The Tree Shepherd never forgot a tree. The toot and see scroll tree, silver maple, and purplanana bush were those taken from his grove on Mt. Airie. A geyser erupted from the spring in the very center of the hill and bathed the trees with waters of many hues.
“Will you allow me to sing for you?” she asked.
“Somehow I know you are going to sing regardless of my reply,” the beleaguered Tree Shepherd responded.
The winged female sang. Fatigue, which had accumulated from ages of toil, overwhelmed the towering tree spirit. He could not resist the siren’s sweet song. For the first time in his long existence the guardian of the forest’s burdens left him and he slept. The Tree Shepherd awakened on a hillock in the midst of a circular green vale.
“Do you speak of NET?” she queried.
“NET? I know him as Rhiann,” the Tree Shepherd followed.
The temptress replied coyly, “NET is, to most, the nameless enchanter of Thynna, old fellow. He seldom reveals his name. You are privileged.”
The green giant grumbled, “Nothing is privileged about my dealings with the sorcerer! Your seductive manner is wasted on me, siren. I am privileged to safeguard what remains of my grove. The sorcerer’s robbed me of three of my charges. I can’t stand against his spells.”
The female quickly responded, “Rhiann means well. He won’t harm you and your trees.”
The Tree Shepherd shook his upper branches, stomped the ground with an exposed root, and said, “I’ll have no part of his mischief. If you’ll be gone, I have work to do.”
benjamintowe 