Ollie knelt in the soft grass beneath the boughs of the Ancient Oak as the tree began to sway in the still winter air. A heartbeat later, Jocelynn and Eira followed his gesture, kneeling and bowing their heads toward the mighty tree.
To Jocelynn, the air itself felt warmer here, as if the tree held back winter itself. The feeling of safety she'd felt from Ollie all day grew even stronger beneath the russet and golden leaves of the Ancient Oak, but the feeling went far beyond simply feeling safe.
Being in the tree's presence carried much the same feeling of entering High Priest Aubin's office in the Great Temple of Lothian City. She was safe here in a space that felt impossible to defile while someone old and wise watched over her.
That feeling was quickly followed by one of abject horror. The Lothians had come to a tree like this; they had seen something this majestic and sacred… And they'd chopped it down to make a throne.
