An atmosphere of natural peace inhabited the forest. The sounds of the city were far away, and the warm air was alive with a continuous chorus of birdsong and the gentle swish of the wind as it caressed the highest treetops. The lake was an undisturbed mirror of the cloudless blue sky, its surface shimmering in the bright afternoon sun. At its bank, sitting in the partial shade of one of the trees, was a lone, green-haired figure, gazing out over the waters in deep, silent contemplation.

It was Keira, and she had returned to this place for the first time since the night of the attack, now well over a week ago. Though it was peaceful and pleasant here, she felt hollow and unsettled, slowly casting her eyes across the beautiful scene for what felt like the hundredth time. It all looked the same, but the feeling was different, tainted forever by the memories of violence that still lingered here.

The pleasant warmth of the sunlight on her skin…

The calming sound of birdsong in the wind and the bubbling of the stream…

The glistening waters where she had frolicked so carefree and content…

The rough spot in the grass where she had lain unconscious…

The base of the tree where Tess had been hurled and left for dead…

Azyma's heart-stopping screams as she had been seized and dragged away…

Even after all this time, it still caused Keira to shiver, but she had wanted to come back here ever since her return from Spargus. It was the last place where she, Tess and Azyma had all been together, and she felt sure that there had to be something here that could point her in the right direction, something she had overlooked, something that would hold the answers…

But she found nothing, and her thoughts led her nowhere, no matter how hard she pushed them. Still nothing. No flashes of inspiration.

"Oh Azyma," she muttered to her surroundings, "What's happened to you?"

Just as she felt herself about to plummet over the edge into another familiar, inevitable, helpless reverie of sorrow, she was distracted by sudden, high-pitched chirping, very clear and close at hand. She automatically looked left to the source of the sound, and upon the nearest lakeside boulder, there was a tiny, blue-and-yellow-plumed bird, bouncing up and down and tweeting excitedly in recognition. Keira gave a small gasp of pleasant surprise, for she knew that bird; it was the one that belonged to her father, which she had not seen since the morning when what was left of the doomed fleet made it back. The familiar, friendly sight at once brought some much-needed lightness to Keira's heart, lifting her out of her melancholic state, and she smiled.

"Oh, hey you!" she said happily. "Not seen you in a while. Where have you been hiding?"

The little bird peeped happily and spread out its sapphire wings, flapping them a few times.

"Oh, out here?" said Keira, understanding the gesture. "Of course. I bet you really love it here, huh?"

The bird sang and puffed out its round, golden breast, a sure sign of pride and contentment. It made Keira's smile broaden irresistibly, seeing such a cute little thing. But then the bird made a different sound, tossed its tiny head and hopped back and forth on the surface of the rock, turning around one way and then the other in some kind of dance. Then it stopped and watched, waiting for Keira's reaction, and then repeated the movements.

"What is it?" Keira asked curiously, leaning in closer. "Are you… trying to tell me something?"

She reached out a hand, expecting the little bird to hop trustingly into her palm. But instead it suddenly took flight, flew around Keira's head twice, and then ascended to a high branch behind her, out of reach. From up here it continued to tweet, almost beckoningly it seemed, and then sort of ducked its head in the direction of the trees that lay ahead.

"What are you doing?" Keira asked, clambering to her feet. But as soon as she was up, the bird turned around on the branch and then took off into the deeper forest, twittering all the way.

"Hey!" Keira called out. "Wait! Come back!"

She didn't want to be left alone again so soon, and she pushed aside the tangle of overgrowth in front of her, catching a glimpse of cerulean tail feathers flittering onwards into the trees. She wondered what this was all about, but then it occurred to her that maybe she was meant to follow. Her father's bird was smarter than its ordinary brethren, and maybe it had found something during its time out here in the forest, a clue perhaps, something that had somehow been missed before. It might lead her to Azyma. Taking up this hopeful possibility, Keira pushed herself into the thicket and gave chase.

The way ahead was overgrown and marked by no clear path, yet passing through was almost effortless; it was as if the very forest were welcoming her as a part of itself. The trees here were tall and stood close together, fanning their leaves at multiple heights and forming a tight den of deep green shades, sheltered from the sunlight. Keira snaked her way around their bodies, the long grass bent about her lower legs as she waded through, and there was a cool, slight dampness in the air, the scent of mould and fungus. All the while, she wondered where she was being led, too inquisitive to think about turning back, even though she could not recognise anything on her way through. This had to be the oldest, deepest part of the forest, a part that she had not yet explored, the part most untouched by the hand of man. There was a strange feeling of age about her, and the insulated silence was broken only by the continued sounds of singing ahead, a unique voice in the dank quiet, drawing her ever onwards.

Then the trees began to space out, allowing a little more room to breathe, and strange structures appeared in the gaps between. At first Keira briefly thought that they were dense intergrowths, large branches leaning and stretching to entangle as one, but no, these were manmade constructions of wood and stone. She could not identify what many of them might be, but she kept going, passing more and more as she progressed further.

Then she passed into a deeper shadow, under a heavy wooden bridge built across a gap between two high stones, almost reaching mid-height with the trees. This seemed to mark the entrance into a new area, a sort of gateway, and she emerged into daylight once more on its other side, breaking out from the dank mustiness of the deep woodland. But in front of her stood the largest structure yet: a tall wooden wall, built of huge pieces of ancient timber, greened with moss but beautifully carved and assembled. It looked like the façade of a great fortress, and the grass at its base was now populated by small flowers with rounded buds. But then from its top, the little bird came into sight again, swooping down to Keira's level upon her arrival, where it hovered in front of her for a moment.

"What is this place?" Keira asked, even though she knew full well that the bird could not give her such an answer. "Why have you brought me here?" She looked around, hoping to see something, or someone. Could Azyma be here somewhere, safe and protected all this time?

The bird cocked its little head, cheeped once, then flittered away to the left with another song, showing her the next way to go. It flew up a grassy slope, very steep but climbable, which led to higher ground between the bridge and the great wall. On top of this slope was a wide wooden ramp that seemed to connect to an embrasure in the top of the wall, providing an apparent way over, and Keira now felt sure that this was meant to be her destination.

She began her climb, and though it was only about twenty or thirty feet, it was hard work. The sun beat against her back, making her sweat, and she had to grip at stones or handfuls of the long grass to help pull herself up. It only took a minute, but she was breathing hard by the time she reached the top. However she paused for only the briefest rest before continuing onwards, for the ramp that came next looked easier to ascend, a gentler incline. She made her way up it, and when she passed through the embrasure of the fortress wall, she came into a magnificent new enclosure. There was open space here, a protected basin full of beautiful flowers. The air was rich with their fragrances, and nearly every one bore a delicate butterfly flexing its wings slowly upon their petals, like living extensions of their colour.

There were also a number of curious, ancient stone carvings, the remnants of some unknown, long-lost culture. Keira was intrigued by the sight of them; she couldn't recognise what they were at all, their faces weathered by time's slow erosion. But her natural inquisitiveness made her wonder who had been responsible for placing them here, and when, and for what purpose. She knew Precursor artisanship when she saw it, but this was something of a completely different origin.

But the dominant centrepiece of this area, surrounded by a half-ring of these large stones, was a single, enormous tree. Its trunk was as broad as a house, twisted with extreme age and its ancient bark thick and tough. High it climbed, holding aloft a spreading canopy, sweeping boughs dressed in large, fanned leaves that filtered the sunlight and danced in the gentle breeze. At its base, coils of thick roots breached the long grass, rearing up in places to make arches high enough to walk under, before plunging back down into the earth.

Keira was in wonder of what she had stumbled across. She had never known this was here, undiscovered and undisturbed. This had to be the forest's sacred heart, and it was as if everything around this tree — the rocky cliffs, the wooden walls, the stone carvings — had all been placed to keep it shielded and secluded from intruders. But why was she led here?

She looked around for the bird again, and found it settling upon the crest of one of the huge, rising roots. She began approaching, but then she realised that there was someone else here, seated at the base of the tree. Keira looked, and realised that it was none other than her father. He blended in with his natural surroundings so perfectly that she had failed to notice him at first. He was levitating upon a cloud of green eco, his eyes closed in deep meditation, and the arm-like roots of the tree formed a protective niche around him, as if he were sitting in its lap.

Keira looked back at the bird, now understanding its purpose. So this is where you were leading me, she thought. The bird had brought her to her father. Not quite who she was expecting to find, but still…

She resumed her approach, careful not to make a sound, and Samos did not stir from his trance, not even when she was only a few feet away from him. She was about to announce herself, but then he unexpectedly spoke first.

"Hello, my girl," he said calmly without opening his eyes, and he did not sound the least bit surprised that she was here.

Keira halted. "How did you know it was me?" she asked, slightly perplexed.

"I sensed your approach," Samos answered cryptically. "Everything in this forest is interconnected."

He was silent for a few seconds more. Then he took a long, slow breath, the green eco about him faded away to nothingness, as if absorbed by the very grass, and he gently descended to the ground. Then he opened his eyes and lay them upon his daughter.

"I have just been conversing with The Great Tree, Keira," he explained, raising one hand towards the mighty trunk at his back. "It is very old, the first of all trees in this woodland, and there is much that it has learned."

Keira looked up into its majestic heights again with slight bemusement, wondering just what it was possible for a tree to know, and how. She had never been able to understand or even grasp her father's mysterious way with the plants and the earth, never felt a part of this strange, esoteric world of tree spirits that he had access to, but sitting here in this Great Tree's shadow, even she could feel a powerful, arcane aura emanating from its heart.

"But how have you been holding out, my dear?" Samos then asked. "It feels like a while since we last had the chance to sit down and talk."

"Oh," said Keira, realising the change of subject, "It's been OK, I guess." She drew closer to where her father sat upon the grass, and got down on her knees. "Things kind of feel like they've almost gone back to normal now, don't they?"

"Indeed," said Samos, understanding what she meant. "I have that feeling too. We in the Freedom League think we have everything just about under control now, and we have all agreed that the war with our mysterious enemy is finally at a close."

"Well, that's a good thing at least," said Keira, "But… do we really still not know what happened to them?"

"I am afraid not, Keira. The fire over at the enemy city is still strong, and we will have no answers until it finally starts to burn down, allowing us to approach and examine things for ourselves. But even so, we may still not find what we seek, for such a fire may leave nothing left to salvage. But we are still watching and waiting, and when it does finally die down, we have plans to dispatch a large scouting team to investigate, to see what we can find. It is a tragic end indeed…"

Keira shook her head at the mystery of it all, the futility of this entire conflict. "I can't even remember how or why all the fighting started in the first place."

"You are not the only one," said her father. "Well, in the meantime, there is plenty for us to focus on right here in the city. The war may be over, but it has left its scars."

"I'll say," said Keira, and she sat down properly in the grass beside her father.

"There is still a lot of work to be done, many homes to be rebuilt, and lives to be restored. We have a long time of labour ahead of us, Keira, if we are ever to return the city to what it once was, and we will all have our parts to play in this. You especially, my girl."

Keira looked at him. "Me?"

"I trust you are enjoying your place in the workshop again," said Samos, reminding her.

"Oh, yeah, of course," said Keira, and she found a little happiness within herself again. "Thanks for reopening it, Daddy. It's been good to get back to work and hang out with the other mechanics again. I…" She gave a short, slightly guilty chuckle. "It's funny, but… with all this stuff that's been happening, I kind of forgot about them for a while…"

Samos nodded understandingly. None would blame her.

"But still…" Keira said sadly, "It's not the same without our evenings in the bar…"

"Ah, I know, Keira," said Samos solemnly. "It seems that not one person in the city has been untouched by its destruction. That includes even myself. But that reminds me, how is Tess's crowdfunding coming along?"

"Oh, it's looking really good, Daddy," Keira said more positively. "I talked to her this morning. She says we've almost reached the projected target already, how much she's worked out it'll take to rebuild, and the donations just keep on pouring in! She's expecting to have quite a lot left over at this rate, and she's been getting in touch with some architects and designers to plan out the new building already. They might even be ready to start work on it next week."

"Wow," said Samos, stroking his long beard. "Well, it is quite remarkable what we can achieve when we all band together for a common cause, isn't it? I am sure that Daxter would be proud."

He smirked, and so did Keira. But soon her face fell again, reminded of her painful losses. The war may indeed seem to be over now, but it had taken so much from her. Three of her closest friends were still lost.

"They stopped the searches, didn't they?" she asked her father sullenly.

The mood changed, and Samos nodded sadly. "We had to be realistic about it, Keira. After so much time has passed and with so little in the way of progress, we were only putting more men's lives at risk. The chances of us finding anything with our limited means, over so great an area, were so few."

"Even with those new teleporters?" Keira asked. "The ones we all installed?"

Samos nodded again contritely. "There is only so much we can do, even with such advancements. I'm sorry, Keira."

Keira felt herself sinking again, her shoulders slumped. Jak and Daxter were still missing in action from that last great battle over the ocean. She had been putting so much effort into her work at the hangar, driven by her undying motivation to save her friends, however she could, but still it was not good enough. She just couldn't find the satisfaction with her efforts, and in the bigger picture she didn't really feel how she fit in anymore. Jak's absence was still like a broken blade that was lodged in her stomach, a wound that refused to heal.

"I miss him," she lamented, pulling up her knees and wrapping her arms around them. "I just wish I could see him again. And Daxter."

"You may yet, Keira," said Samos, seriously but with a faint hope. "You may yet. I have asked The Great Tree, and it has imparted to me that Jak still has a vital part of his destiny to fulfil. I can feel his energy in the plants and in the earth. I know that he is still out there somewhere, and there is still hope for him, and Daxter too."

Keira looked up at The Great Tree again, now feeling a strange, newfound appreciation for it somehow. She still didn't know how it could possibly know such things, but she'd take it. It might well be the best hope she had left now. She no longer had the will to argue or complain about how unfair this all was. It had never achieved her anything anyway.

"But… what about Azyma?" she finally asked, her voice quiet. This was the most important question of all.

This time, Samos took longer to answer, closing his eyes again. He looked grave. "Ah… I am afraid that she has fallen into a lost darkness that not even the wisdom of The Great Tree can penetrate. Her fate remains clouded and uncertain. I am sorry, Keira."

Keira felt deflated with hopelessness again, but had she really expected anything different? She thought she would have got used to this feeling by now, but no. Azyma's painful case had hit a demoralising dead-end, and as the days became weeks with no new sightings or leads, hope for her survival began to dwindle. At least with Jak and Daxter she could be certain of what had happened to them, but Azyma's disappearance with all its mystery was so much harder to accept or even comprehend. The dreaded feeling was always there, and it made her guilty to admit that even her motivation to continue looking for her had almost dried up. She did not cry about it anymore, but the same old inescapable thoughts and feelings were always there, refusing to leave her in peace. What if someone had Azyma, was holding her against her will, and they had all just given up trying to save her? Keira was torn between not wanting to know and desperately needing for it to be resolved. Either would be preferable to the empty space of feeling she now occupied, this nowhere-gap in between. It was driving her crazy with helplessness, and these feelings of frustration and self-criticism, that she was still somehow not doing enough, were proving very difficult to shake off. She had talked this all through with her father many times already, hoping for a cathartic release, but in the end it had done little. Her father's wise words of guidance were a comfort, but why were they so hard to follow?

A strained silence fell, one in which both father and daughter understood there were no other words that had to be said, nothing that could have any other effect. Keira reclined backwards and flattened herself on the grass, lying in the dappled daylight. High above her, the boughs of The Great Tree hung like gnarled fingers, and one of the leaves detached and spiralled gently down to the ground. Keira watched it, her attention momentarily captured by the grace of its fall. It drifted closer, and then landed unexpectedly on her chest, right over her heart. Somehow, inexplicably, it felt like some sort of sign from the Tree itself, from whatever power that seemed to inhabit here. She considered it for a moment, but eventually dismissed it as foolish thinking, and brushed the leaf off herself.

Instead, she just closed her eyes, shutting out all other stimuli. Her mind wandered, often gravitating back to the same tiresome thoughts and feelings, and still they did not develop into any solutions. But the longer she lay there, the more lulled she felt by the forest's atmosphere of inescapable tranquillity, and she was able to find some unanticipated state of contentment and peace. The grass around her was so comfortable and soft, caressing her skin carefully and making her feel as if she were very slowly sinking deeper into it.

But then, things around her seemed to grow pleasantly softer, muted, and a single impression breached her senses. It was the same, unmistakable, wind-like whisper she had heard out here before, and it felt like it came from inside her own mind, like an unbidden, hypnagogic fragment. It sounded so much like a real voice, and so close, that it made her start suddenly and her eyes split open. In that very moment it was gone. Keira lay in her place, surrounded by the forest's natural ambience once again. Her father remained still at her side, now gazing into the atmosphere.

She sat up a little, resting on her elbows and listening hard to see if she heard it again, but there was nothing there. Had she really heard it, or was it her imagination? What about those other times out here in the forest when she thought she'd heard it too? She felt afraid to ask, afraid that her father might think her crazy… but her innate curiosity played against her. What else did she have to lose anymore? If anyone might know what this was, it would be her father.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Keira?"

"Did you just… hear anything? Like a whisper? I thought I…"

Samos's head lifted a little in interest, but he said nothing, and from her position, Keira could not see his face, could not discern his expression.

"I'm sure I've heard it out here before," she went on. "It's like…"

She found it difficult to describe, but now she had begun, she felt an odd sense of pointlessness, and did not bother to continue. She was starting to feel silly, and it seemed plain to her that her father had no idea what she was talking about.

"You know… it was probably nothing," she said dismissively, rubbing her eye. "Must be imagining things."

"You are not imagining things, Keira," Samos said, calmly and simply, and Keira stopped. "This forest is full of voices, if you know how to hear them." Then he turned his head and gave her a knowing look. "It's the plants. I hear them too. They are conversing all around us as we sit here now."

Keira stared back in bewilderment. "I… That was the plants? I just heard… the plants?"

Samos nodded. "I think so, Keira." Then he looked at her with a mixture of fascination and growing pride, something dawning in his eye. "I wonder…"

Keira still looked quite baffled. "What?"

Samos looked very thoughtful, ideas forming. "Let me try and explain, Keira. As you know, I have been a sage of green eco for… oh, considerable years now. But I was not born with my sagely powers. No, I acquired them from the Life Seed of this very Tree that stands above us, and it gave me the power to command green eco and speak with the plants. Such knowledge they contained! I have had an affinity with this very forest ever since I was about your age, Keira, and I spent much of my youth here, but until that moment, I had never been able to truly connect with the plants on their level."

Keira listened, wondering where this was going.

"But while I have learned much from them," her father continued, "I suspect that even after all these years, I have barely scratched the surface of their world. There is still much about the nature of eco and the earth that remains an enigma to me. For instance, I have often wondered, increasingly as of late, if my sagely powers would also pass on to you, my daughter. I was not sure if they would, knowing how I obtained them. But now… I believe that you might be starting to show the first signs to that effect."

"Powers?" Keira asked, and then it started to dawn on her. "You mean… am I going to become a sage like you?"

"I think it could be possible," Samos answered, a little smile on his face still.

"Oh."

Keira's mind felt a little numb, not exactly a pleasant or happy feeling in light of this revelation that was thrust upon her. She might become a sage? How much would this affect and change her life? Did she even want to be a sage? She had never given it any real thought, never anticipated the possibility, and she wasn't sure she liked the idea of the course of her life being dictated for her by something she could not control.

"But Daddy, I… I don't know if I'm ready for such a thing," she said worriedly. "I don't know if I even could… I don't understand eco like you do…"

"Do not fret, Keira," Samos said pacifyingly, reading the apprehensions showing on her face. "It is only a theory. This is something even beyond my research and experiences, for I have never been able to determine how or if a sage's powers may naturally develop."

Keira was silent for several moments, unable to decide what to say or ask next, but it got her thinking. She knew her father would not lie to her about something like this, and it kind of made sense. After all, she had grown up in his influence and in an environment rich with eco, exposed to it almost on a daily basis. Surely it would have left some effect on her. Then she remembered her rescue of Tess in the forest after their attack, and more poignantly, her failed attempt to summon green eco from inside herself to heal her. She had dismissed it as fantasy brought on by her delirium and injuries, but now, it painted a very different picture. There was something about it… maybe she did have an instinct…

"But why is this happening now?" she asked finally. "Why have I never been able to hear the plants before?"

"These things may take time to fully mature, Keira," her father answered, "But it seems logical to me that any powers you may have might start to emerge at around the age you are now, at the cusp of adulthood. But the eco in your blood has been there ever since you were born, slowly growing and developing with you, and it appears to have had only peripheral effects on you up till now."

A breath of wind chose that very moment to blow a curl of Keira's hair in front of her eyes. She noticed it, and for the first time she understood the significance of its dark green highlights.

"Yes, Keira," said Samos, reading her understanding. "And your eyes, too. They have always been the vibrant colour of emerald eco."

Keira realised that her father was right. This all made sense. She tucked the stray strand of hair back behind her ear, and sat up properly.

"I would like to try something, Keira," said Samos, and then with a flick of his hand, a quivering globe of green eco materialised in his palm. "I wonder… Let us see what happens. Reach out and touch it, Keira."

He offered it to his daughter, and Keira watched the ball of eco hover there, so familiar and friendly. But this was the first time in her life that she now felt a little afraid to get near it. What would happen? Nevertheless, she was curious about this too, and she knew that it couldn't hurt her. Slowly, she raised her hand, and advanced it towards the little green ball of energy. It began to wobble and stretch out towards her fingertips, and she paused with apprehension. Samos watched and waited patiently and with interest. Finally, Keira reached close enough, and the eco sucked itself into her hand. She could feel its soothing, rejuvenating warmth flowing up her arm, its reinvigorating presence dispersing throughout her body, and then it faded. Nothing more happened, nothing out of the ordinary, and she looked at her father for an interpretation.

Samos looked as though he had been expecting, hoping for something more, but he seemed to accept this non-remarkable result with a calm nod of his head. "Ah well. Like I said, these things may take time. Perhaps it is too soon…"

Keira still felt a little afraid, unsure if this was right for her. "Daddy, what's happening to me? Am I really going to become a sage?"

"I think only time can really tell, Keira," Samos theorised. "But if there is one thing that I can be quite sure of, it is that you always have a choice, my girl."

"Really?" asked Keira, her building doubts quelled a little.

Samos nodded. "If you are beginning to develop powers, even from this very early stage, it may be possible to shape how they form. You could encourage them, help them to grow, or if you so choose, you may allow them to just simply pass by. But you should pay attention to your body, Keira. Listen to the things it tells you, for if my years of experience have taught me anything, it is that such things often have a way of growing on their own into the most optimal forms. Such is the way of nature. But most importantly, there is always a choice. It will not take control of you if you do not let it. But if you do choose this path, then of course, I shall do everything I can to teach you."

Keira felt relieved. This felt more manageable, less daunting than it had first seemed.

"In any case, Keira," continued her father, "I do believe that you are at least beginning to access the hidden world of the plants, so perhaps we should focus on that to start with. Would you like me to guide you?"

Keira thought about it. She understood that this might not help her to find her lost friends or solve her other worries, but she was drawn in by the mystique of possibilities, too curious now to say no. "OK," she agreed.

Samos gave her another small smile. "Lie back down and close your eyes, Keira, and listen carefully."

Keira did this, lowering herself back down upon the grassy blanket. She lay there silently, concentrating on her senses. She waited, but all she could hear were the continuing sounds of nature all around her.

"Nothing's happening, Daddy," she said, creasing her brow and shaking her head a little.

"Patience," spoke Samos. "You must relax completely, Keira, and do not force it. Pretend that you are trying to fall asleep. Put all other thoughts aside, and concentrate on the feeling of the earth around you."

Not sure what to expect, Keira took a steadying breath and settled herself down again. For what felt like a whole minute, she tried to occupy this mental space that her father described, but it was difficult to keep the intrusive thoughts at bay. Typical that the one time she actually wanted to achieve this, it wouldn't work for her.

But then maybe that was the key. Maybe trying to actively seek it out was not how it worked. She remembered all the other times she had heard the voices of the plants, and they were always when she was at her most relaxed and unsuspecting.

She took another slow breath, and let every muscle in her body go limp. The grass really did feel like a soft bed. For at least another silent minute, she did not move an inch and kept her mind a blank, hardly even breathing. Time passed, but then she felt a little pull from somewhere in the darkness behind her eyelids, some other consciousness peering through, and it made her flinch in surprise as she realised she was no longer alone in her mind. In that instant it was gone, frightened away by her unreadiness, and she unwittingly opened her eyes again. But she was drawing close; she knew it. So she tried it again, returning to that mindset.

Another span of time passed in silence, and then she sensed it again. This time she held still, in control of her reactions, and she allowed it to explore closer to her, waiting to see what it did or where it took her. It really did feel like she might fall asleep soon, but the unfolding sensation in her mind kept her alert. Then it grew stronger, a low vibration at first, as if it came from the earth itself. A different entity had found her, and shyly it revealed more of itself. There was a whisper again, wordless and breath-like, drifting into her inner perception.

"I can hear it!" Keira herself whispered out loud. "I can hear the plants, Daddy!"

The strange voices inside her head reacted to her own, drawing back a little, but Keira remained calmly focussed upon them, gently inviting them back, showing them there was no harm. The forest around her now felt distant, like she was only half there, and she had only a vague impression of her father's presence at her side.

Now firmly and comfortably in the zone, more whispery voices started to join the first, and soon she could not distinguish just how many there were. She could not discern any language, but the sounds carried more form and expression than any words ever could. She felt a deep consciousness, imbued with the knowledge and wisdom of earth and nature, and then they slowly and subtly began to change into a melodic but formless choir of ethereal chords. Quiet, harmonious singing was all that she could perceive, a telepathic soundscape evolving in her head, and she knew right away that this was what she had heard on her first night in the forest as she had drifted off to sleep by that waterfall at the stream.

This was not her imagination.

This was real.