Lania's Tree

Lania's Tree

Here's an extract from Narentan Tumults 2.0, "Earthbow" 

plus its "Lania's Tree" picture-puzzle named after the Young One character, Lania*

This small Earthbow extract introduces the picture-puzzle. Or the other way around.

"Lania, what does Harone mean by the ways of the Wildfolk?"

"Better to ask what do the Young Ones mean by the ways of the Wildfolk...

"So tell me what've I got to learn. And... How long's it going to take? I guess time's kind'a short, with Cenoc and the Stones and all.

The Young One shook her head. "Impatience will just slow you!"

The Outworlder groaned. "You sound like Harone.

Lania studied the expression on his face, She smiled."He's a wise man for an Elder. Perceptive anyway."

Struggling to sit back up, she asked, "Would you like your first lesson now?"

Sandy gasped, "Hey, wait! You don't need to... All right, let me help you then."

Lania shook her head. "Nothing too strenuous. Don't worry. Here..."

She grasped Sandy's hand and placed its palm to the teintree trunk against which she was leaning.

"You must learn to feel as the plants and trees do. To sense them growing, their delight in rain and good earth and the sun upon their leaves. The pleasure and challenge of unfurling a tightly curled leaf. The gentle touch of the footfall of bee or ant or butterfly upon stem or flower. The opening of your branches like arms to gather in your foster children: bird and squirrel, ragos and stoah."

I recommend you enlarge the "Lania's Tree" thumbnail below as much as you're able.

"Lania's Tree" is a picture-puzzle which will eventually appear in "Earthbow", 2nd edition. The tree's shape was inspired by a 30+ year old newspaper clipping celebrating the oldest tree ... somewhere.

How many 'creatures' can you find? Don't look to me for an answer! I have no idea how many there are. Someone new to us may not be new to Lania's Tree. You or I may once have known them from some other tale but have forgotten even the tale itself years ago. They come back to remind us of our memories. Once in a while a bored walkabout slips away from its tale and settles on Lania's Tree for a nap. Those are the most challenging to find and the easiest to forget between visits. I'm sure that I've forgotten many residents that I've forgotten.  Lania's Tree has a bit of a sense of humor that way.

Lania paused to smile down at the stoah. Khiva wrapped her tail about the Young One's wrist and pulled her hand back down for more patting.

"Then, too, you must learn how the bokhorn and stag delight in their gracefulness and speed, and how..."

Khiva yawned and added,  "...how stoahs don't like people who are slippery-slidy and who call stoahs 'what's' instead of 'who's'. 

                                          ---an extract from "Earthbow" (part 2 of 5 parts)

What I Wrote When

Before the 'really almost completed, really' Marooned (Narenta Tumults #1.5) and 

before my (published) Tree House Tales collection of short works, I wrote a 120,000+ word fantasy saga titled, Earthbow (Narenta Tumults #2.0) which is currently out-of-print.

* Fania from "Marooned" is not the same person as Lania from Earthbow. This is just a coincidence--the novels were written decades apart.