The two companions woke up in a good mood. Taghna gave the rest of the meal to Slavan and they set off on their journey. They spent long periods of time in silence, just picking insects to alleviate their hunger. Walking through the forest like that reminded them of the teachings they had received from their néach, when, as children, they were simply content to follow the adults wherever they went.
Taghna had never felt so close to her brataïr. The discussion they had had the day before had brought them closer together and Taghna's guilt had eased somewhat. A fragile peace had penetrated her. Not wanting to see this truce with its painful memories break, she remained silent and simply watched over the state of Slavan.
The days were interspersed with short moments of rest to spare Slavan's meager strength. This slow, contemplative dynamic delighted Taghna. She felt as if she had returned to the past, before the stroïgil and its share of misfortunes, for she was observing nature with her whole being.
The forest was the most beautiful she had ever seen, and Taghna immersed herself in the soft and ever-changing palette of soft tones offered by the plants. The yellow petals of the séarach flowers, crossed by the sun's rays, shone like countless dancing flames. Their colour blended with the different shades of green that painted every patch of Taghna's field of vision: the deep green of the thick, downy mosses that stained the trunks and rocks; the soft green of the youngest trees, those which age did not yet allow them to reproduce and which instead produced more leaves; the pale green, almost grey lichen that grew on the dead trunks; the large pieces of brown wood spiked with white, beige and brown mushrooms.
The smells also changed, transformed and filled with the elements that they passed as they flew through the wind. The sweet scents of the flowering séarach contrasted with the bitter scent of the trunks of the guardian trees. This smell reminded Taghna of Maoïr's instructions, when he made them taste the green sap of séarach. This distant memory momentarily broke Taghna's inner peace as she shed a few warm and salty tears.
Thanks to her keen senses, open to the slightest stimuli, Taghna perceived another aspect of nature, one that was less peaceful than she had imagined as a child. She could now discern the fierce struggle of the species that were fighting for their survival.
Plants were sucking food from the soil to produce sap and grow their branches. Insects, in turn, dug, gnawed, searched and pierced the bark of trees looking for food. They also spent their energy digging impregnable tunnels into the tough wood to escape from predators.
Some insects preferred the cover of the night to act, coming out of their shelter in the protective darkness. Others took advantage of the intense activity around the trees during the day to feast, reproduce and strengthen their nests.
Far from being helpless when attacked, the plants defended themselves vigorously. They thickened their blood and the liquid that was once so prized by the assaillants became a lethal weapon, trapping the insects in sticky molasses that sealed their movements and covered them with a deadly blanket. The plants could also emit a peculiar perfume, acidic and slightly repelling, which attracted birds to feed on the larvae, termites and other beetles that the tree could not get rid of on its own.
When spring arrived, the trees were filled with flowers which then became fruits that fed the animals left on the ground. Reindeer, deer and wild pigs took advantage of this source of food. They grazed the plants, dug up roots and acorns to gain strength, give birth and produce milk to feed their litter.
The last group that inhabited this cycle of life, and which reminded Taghna of Rissar's stories, were the predators that depended on deer meat for survival. Throughout their childhood, the old séalyar had told them about the importance of nature. Taghna realised that the sap was the origin of all life: without trees, there would be no insects, no birds, no deer and Séaroën would not exist.
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Celestial Roots
कल्पित विज्ञानAfter the long Hir, a period where humans and animals have to shelter from ice-cold temperatures and heavy snowfalls, Taghna, a fierce little girl, is eager to finally step outside and explore Verglosas. But before that, she will have to learn how t...
