The first step of separation is often subtle…
CHAPTER TWO: THE GARDENS
Wandlimb had never openly defied Treebeard. "Why does Fangorn have to be so stubborn?" she thought aloud. They called each other by their Elvin names. They had always loved the Elvin language. She glided through the trees until she found some of the elder Entwives tending to flowers that grew by a little stream.
"Why hellooo…" sang one of the Entwives. Lightleaf was her name. She was the oldest and was believed by most Ents to be the wisest Entwife. "Why do you look so ruffled my dear?"
"Haven't you noticed how the Entwives are separating from the Ents?" asked Wandlimb.
"Hm, why yes, I have." She reached out a long graceful finger to caress a flower. "Is that what has you so upset my dear?"
"Well, yes and no…" she trailed off. She didn't want Lightleaf to know that she had had a fight with Treebeard. "I… I just want us Entwives to have a place of our own. The Ents seem pleased to wander endlessly through the forest. There is no order. There is no peace. If we follow, none of the living things that we have tended before will be tended again."
"Oh, slow down my dear. You are quite upset. Have a drink from the stream." She beckoned Wandlimb to the water. "We elder Entwives have just been discussing this."
"What have you discussed?"
"Why, what to do about it, of course." She said matter-of-factly. "What else would we discuss?"
"What have you decided?"
"Gardens."
"Pardon me?"
"The Entwives need gardens." Lightleaf gingerly pulled a weed that was among the flowers. "If the Ents want to wander, let them wander. We will stay here, in our gardens. They will come visit us if they want us. They care more for the trees than us Entwives anyways."
"We will separate from the Ents?" Wandlimb asked. She was fairly upset with this idea.
"My dear, we are already separated. We love different plants. We love different trees. We love different places. They are uncompromising. If we stay here in the gardens, they will not have to bother with us and we will not have to bother with them."
"But, I love Treebeard…"
"And I love Greyshroud. If they love us, they will visit." She reached out and touched Wandlimb's arm. "Do you understand?" Wandlimb fought within herself. What was more important to her, Treebeard or a garden? Oh, it would be wonderful to have a garden, she thought. She could tend to all her favorite plants without leaving them to be with Treebeard. Maybe Lightleaf was right. If Treebeard loved her he would visit.
"The Ents already do not care. I talked to Treebeard. The Ents will do nothing to fix the problem. I guess it is up to us. Alright, I agree with this garden plan."
"Oh, good…" Lightleaf smiled and handed her a seed. "Then we will start."
~ ~ ~
Treebeard got up from his stone. He had thought much about what Wandlimb had asked him. He knew she was angry. However, the Entwives' minds were already closed. He knew that they would plan their own thing. They would not listen to the Ents even if there would be an Entmoot. He loved Wandlimb very much but she was too headstrong. All the Entwives were. What could he do? He could only wait. Wait for the Entwives to devise some plan to separate from the Ents. Somehow he knew it would only end in heartache.
He walked through the Forest. He was too deep in thought to listen to the voices of the trees. He walked for many strides. Finally he came to a favorite clearing of Wandlimb's. He did not see her anywhere. He walked over to a little tree that she liked to tend. It stood in the middle of the clearing. It was full grown and yet it only reached up to his knee. He bent down and whispered to it. It seemed to sing. It had a high little voice that reminded him of a squirrel or chipmunk. He liked its voice very much. This was the only plant that Wandlimb would come back to, no matter where they went together in the forest. He looked at the ground next to the tree. He saw finger marks in the ground where Wandlimb had been digging. "She must have been here recently." he said. He stood and continued his search for Wandlimb.
Earth and seed
Grass and weed
The light and the sun
The garden has begun
The garden has begun…
To grow and to rest
Is what we love best
To see flowers in a row
Our own seeds we will sow
Our own seeds we will sow…
Treebeard turned. It was the Entwives voices he heard singing. "A garden?" he said in amazement. He walked toward the voices he came to a little stream. Entwives were all along the other side of the stream. They were collecting water, tilling the soil, planting seeds and doing all sorts of gardening work. None of the Entwives looked up at him as he came to the edge of the stream. "Burarum!" He made a deep guttural noise of anger. "What are you Entwives up to!"
Lightleaf came to the other side of the stream. "We are planting a garden. We will no longer wander through the woods doing only as you Ents please. We are going to live in one place, live in peace…"
"Hm, what? I can't believe you will separate us in this way!
"There are far worse ways!" replied Lightleaf. "You separate yourselves from us as much as you want. We aren't going anywhere!"
Treebeard searched for his wife. Suddenly Wandlimb came to the edge of the water with a giant bowl to collect water. Treebeard called to her. Startled Wandlimb dropped her bowl and stood up quickly.
"Wandlimb, how could…" he trailed off. He was too hurt to say anything more to her.
"How could she not." Said Lightleaf. "You told her you were unwilling to help the situation so we helped ourselves. You are as much to blame as any of us."
Treebeard turned. He knew she was right about that. Treebeard had done nothing. What could he do? What could anyone do? But why did it have to be this way.
Treebeard had an idea. He turned to walk away. "Fangorn!" Treebeard heard his wife call. He turned to look at her. "Please… I'm sorry…" Treebeard held out a hand to her. She looked at him, then with tears in her eyes, she bent down and picked up her bowl and sang:
Our own seeds we will grow
Our own seeds we will grow…
I wonder what Treebeard's idea is. Maybe it will work. I kind of feel sad.