Holding her hand more securely, Aldrec reached out and touched the mirror's smooth surface.
"Srohed."
As soon as he formed the final consonant, they were pulled into falling nothingness. As it had in the journey from her home, it lasted for only the briefest instant. The next moment, she found herself standing upright, surrounded by a wall of green life. Dense trees and undergrowth surrounded them. Aldrec stood beside her, their hands still entwined.
"Where are we?" Mericlou said.
"Look behind you," Aldrec said, and gestured in that direction.
Mericlou turned, and then nearly fell backwards.
By sheer size, she could tell that the tree was beyond ancient, with branches the thickness of a house that reached high into the forest canopy, and with leaves and mosses that hung thickly in the surrounding foliage like the beards of a congregation dwarf elders. At its thickest, it resembled tiers upon tiers of bushy walls that pushed back the enfolding canopies of younger trees. From its branches fell a steady shower of the familiar glowing petals.
The tree radiated an ageless beauty, as if there were no need for the shower of light. Strangely, it made Mericlou think of Aldrec. Its bark was a deep brown like that of its arboreal surroundings; its broad, oval leaves were more vibrant than the foliage around it, and its sheer height was beyond massive.
All, save for the gentle breeze and the continuous gentle din of chimes, was completely silent. There were no birds singing; no crickets were chirping, and Mericlou could hear no forest animals of any kind shuffling through the undergrowth. But this quiet was not unnerving, as it should have been. Instead, it seemed only to enhance the feeling of magic that permeated the air, like a breath caught in the act of its making.
"My god …" Mericlou at long last choked out. She had stood, captivated, for what seemed an eternity. "Aldrec … what is this place?"
"A glade in the Orobia Jungle near Skainhart," Aldrec replied, gesturing toward the monolithic tree. "She's my home. She is Vinta, the tree that I grew up with."
"So you're saying," Mericlou said, gesturing towards the tree, "that a moment ago, we were inside of … that?"
"Yes. The bedroom, the silence room: they were both chambers inside of her."
Mericlou laughed.
"Something funny?" Aldrec said, not offended, but curious.
"Oh nothing," she replied. "Just a memory."
"Of what?"
"Well, two things, really. I just find it funny that you address your tree as 'her,' as if it were alive."