dictated; action for apple grove

[lightbranded]

 [Will was perched in one of the apple trees, looking down thoughtfully at the large green apple in his hands. He remembered another apple tree, long ago. The last time he had plucked an apple in such a way, it had been in the Lost Land. But he had been with Bran and Gwydion then. 

Will wondered how Bran was doing these days. Even if the boy had forgotten his heritage, Will would hope that something of their friendship had remained. But he did not know, He had been taken to Paradisa too soon to know that,

Inevitably, Will's thoughts turned to what they had spoken of, among the apple trees.]

They taught me my trees once, long ago. Seven trees there are with virtues, and  apples among them. Alder, the tree of fire. Willow, the tree of enchantment. Holly for protection and Hazel for healing and Birch for renewal. Oak, the king of all trees.

And apple. [He is silent for a long moment.]  It is said that the apple is a tree of immortality. 

Comments

[inafadingcrown]

Some. You have mentioned, I believe, that you have several brothers.

[lightbranded]

Five of them. And three sisters. All older than me, of course.

[inafadingcrown]

Your house must be busy indeed. I was the youngest of five and our home was rarely quiet.

[lightbranded]

It does get a bit noisy. [Will agrees cheerfully.]

But not everyone is home all the time. Stephen is away at sea most of the year, and Max is away at art school. Robin has his football games and Paul is always practicing or in rehearsals.

I do miss it though. At home I could always hear the sounds of them in the house, so I was never entirely alone. Sometimes it is too quiet here.

[inafadingcrown]

I understand entirely what you mean. When I was small my brothers were all grown or very nearly so, but I had cousins enough that the house was seldom still for long. I still miss it, some days.

[lightbranded]

[Will nods sadly.]

I think that this is the longest I have ever been away from them.

[inafadingcrown]

[Softly:] It is not easy, I know. And you are quite young still- in one sense, at least.

[lightbranded]

In one sense, yes. [Will made the admission sadly. He knew very well what he was, and that what he was in that one sense could never be important than what he was in the other sense.]