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30th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year

Saint Wōde appeared, disguised, to two wise men and he asked them both, “Is Truth beyond us?”

The first man answered, “No, it is not beyond us because we can know Truth, if we seek it out.”

The second man said, “Yes, it is beyond us, because it stands upon the divine, not the human.” Saint Wōde nodded and went on his way.

From ‘Saint Wōde and the Wise Men’ Parable, King Wonum the Wise in his 5th Year of Reign and 6 Years Pre-Reckoning

As The Painful Lady drifts closer to the Hollow Tree, Petsune can see that it is a mossy green color, bearing no leaves. The branches spread out and into the air in a symmetrical pattern, and the trunk is thicker than a man. It isn’t overly large, but it is bigger than one of the trees in the Floating Forests. Chapel is standing atop the root again, but now he’s consulting his captain's log, looking from the tree back down to his book. When Petsune approaches and looks over his shoulder, he can see simple drawings of trees with descriptions. Chapel closes the logbook and says to Petsune, “This is a new one, I’ve never encountered it before.”

Petsune considers the tree, finding it rather simple and almost unimpressive. He has always wanted to see one but finds himself underwhelmed. The marvel of the surrounding still ocean seems to have raised the bar for what is intriguing. Mavis calls out from the helm to drop anchor. Benafield made a temporary anchor by tying the anchor line on to a cannon. Before they drop it, Chapel calls out “Belay that, we don’t want to disturb the Dead Ships.”

Petsune realizes then that this place, the Shipwreck Straits, is the final resting place of Chapel’s mother. Now Petsune understands the Captains solemnity and respect of the water.

With no anchor to halt her, the Lady drifts right up to the Hollow Tree and then stops, as if ordained.

The ocean remains as static as glass, reflections attached to the Lady and Tree as though they were roots. Nearly the entire crew is gathered at the starboard gunwale to look at the rare floating Hollow Tree. Petsune has read stories spoken by Hollow Trees, and always been intrigued by them and their wisdom, but he never dreamed he would see one himself. Mavis leaves the helm and joins the rest of the crew, coming to stand beside Petsune. Petsune sees the Hollow Tree moving and shaping its branches into a new pattern and for some inexplicable reason, he thinks the pattern looks inviting. Pet watches Chapel walk as far out on the root as he dares, and then without asking or thinking, Petsune follows. The crew doesn’t question Petsune as he stands and walks out on the adjacent root. The Tree seems to have been waiting for Pet, because once he sits, the Hollow Tree begins moving. For all of his knowledge regarding Hollow Trees, Petsune never understood how they spoke: was it with a voice, with signs, aloud or somehow in one’s head? He always wondered about this and finds himself holding his breath anxiously as the Hollow Tree moves.

All of the Tree’s branches stem from a crux at the top, save for two shorter branches that stem from halfway up the trunk — almost like arms. These two branches begin to bend inward, and then tap on the trunk, each tap becoming a word or syllable that seems to echo from the hollow inside of the trunk. The voice of the Hollow Tree is breathy, punctuated by the rhythmic tapping against its trunk. The words seem to blow across the water to Petsune’s ears. “Who approaches Nutil-En-Eli-Tun?”

Chapel looks over at Petsune and nods toward the Tree, so Petsune speaks hesitantly. “Uh, Petsune and Captain Chapel of The Painful Lady.”

The upper branches of the tree all stir slightly, rattling with dry, hollow sounds of wood, then reform into a new pattern. Petsune isn’t sure how or why, but he thinks this new pattern feels respectful? The Tree speaks, “Petsune, Son of Hope, child of Nünéwoan and Höalám,”

Petsune looks at Chapel and quietly asks, “What does that mean?”

Before Chapel has time to speak however, the Tree continues. “and Captain Chapel, Place of Worship, child of Tiradel and Devishaw.”

Chapel speaks at a normal volume and responds to Petsune, now that the Tree is silent. “The Hollow Trees are fascinated by names, best I can guess. They always tell me what my name means — Chapel: place of worship.”

Petsune vaguely recalls the phrase from somewhere but can’t place where. “And that other part? Were those… my parents' names?”

Chapel turns to look questioningly at Pet, “Of course—” then realization strikes him. “Oh, Pet… you didn’t know, did you?”

Petsune’s eyes quiver as he quietly says, “How could I have? No one speaks of the North War. But… how did the Tree as…”

Chapel answers the half-spoken question with a half-veiled answer. “Nobody knows.”

Petsune recovers himself and speaks in a normal voice. “So, why does my name mean Son of Hope?”

Before Chapel can respond, the mossy green Hollow Tree begins speaking again.

There is the creaking sound like a ship's hull, and Petsune swears he can see the trunk shifting in size and shape with each syllable. “It is a Vánüm name: Pēt, for child, daughter, or son — and So͞on, for hope, future, or wish. A good name.”

Petsune’s eyes widen at the revelation and Chapel smiles in surprise as well. The Hollow Tree continues rattling and tapping its trunk, and the windy whisper carries easily across the still sea. “To the one with an old name, I will tell a story. And to the one who is a place of worship, I will tell a story.”

Petsune looks over at Chapel, but he merely shrugs. Hollow Tree interactions are unpredictable, sometimes they tell a single story and sometimes they speak conversationally — each Tree differing in personality. Chapel looks back to the Tree but Pet watches him still. Something seems different about the Captain. Pet isn’t sure if it’s something that changed since Chapel committed to being a better captain, or if it’s the presence of the Hollow Tree. Either way, the Captain appears uncharacteristically respectful, almost reverent. Petsune looks back at the rest of the crew at the railing, each face featuring an encouraging smile, except The Big Man who stares skeptically at the Tree. The Hollow Tree’s upper branches clatter and shift, clacking together with empty, reed-like noises, reminding Petsune of wind chimes. The branches reform into a pattern that give Petsune a new impression, a feeling of preparation and solemnity – like an intake of breath before a momentous endeavor. The two shorter branches begin tapping against the trunk again with their finger-like sticks, giving a voice to the Tree. “Listen well, you who would hear, to Nutil-En-Eli-Tun, Speaker of Stories. For the Child of Hope, a story. Listen well, for I am long in the telling.”

Petsune sees Chapel sitting down on the root, and he glances behind to see some of the crew get comfortable on the railing, while a few wander off. Chapel’s attitude of respect permeates the crew as they look on. When Pet turns back around, he notices Chapel is preparing to write in his logbook. A cool wind blows from the south then as the Hollow Tree speaks, Petsune feels his skin prickle.

“Before there was anything, there was the cold wind. A cold wind that blew through the empty void — a breath of life. But this breath needed speech to create. And so it Named itself the Nüm, ‘Breath, Life, Near, Everywhere, Air, and Wind’. From it’s name, it formed the Vá-nüm speech. Vá, ‘Voice, Sound, and Word’. The Nüm spoke and things were brought into being by the living Vánüm, each word being given form and life.

“First named was the void: Yáš, ‘Darkness’. And the Yáš was given life. Then Nüm spoke: Ründ, ‘Bend, and Warp’, and Yáš was molded into a form. And Ründ was given form and life. Then Nüm spoke: Delód, ‘Change, and Shift’ and the Yáš became solid. And Delód was given form and life. Then Nüm spoke: Wōde, ‘Steal, Take, and Replace’ and a portion of Yáš was taken, leaving it still and solid and separate. And Wōde was given form and life. These were the first great words.

“Then Nüm spoke: Wōsán, ‘Water, and Liquid’ and the still and solid Yáš became filled by the Wōsán. Then Wōde was reversed: Edów, ‘Give, Gift, and Lend’ and the Yáš that was taken was given to the Wōsán. And the Wōsán began to move and roil. Nüm named the darkest part of the Wōsán: Thüne, ‘Depths, and Deep’. These were the second words spoken.

“Then Nüm spoke a new kind of thing: Thün-a-Dín, ‘Depth dweller’. And a great, shelled creature was made to move along the ground of the deep. Then Nüm spoke to the Thünadín and said: Hól, ‘Calm, Quiet, and Wise’ and the great Thünadín began to move slowly through the deep. Then Nüm spoke: Hól-Völ, ‘Wise Plants’ and on the backs of the Thünadín grew trees of great wisdom. These were the third words spoken.

“Nüm Edów the Vánüm to the first of the creations: to Yáš, to Ründ, to Delód, to Wōde. With the Vánüm speech, Yáš spoke and filled itself with Völ, ‘Plants’, and with Vöh, ‘Rock and Earth’. Wōde loved the Wōsán and wished it to be filled. And so Wōde spoke: Fás, ‘Fish’ and the Wōsán began to teem with all manner of life.

“Delód loved the Thüne of Wōsán and wished it to be filled. And so Delód spoke and filled the Thüne of the Wōsán with Dōm-Fáss, ‘Big Fish’ and the Thüne began to teem with all manner of life. Ründ loved the Vöh that was not of the Wōsán and wished it to be filled. And so Ründ spoke and filled the Vöh with Ané-Vöh, ‘Animal Earth’ and the dry Vöh began to teem with all manner of life. These were the fourth words.

“Now it was that Ründ, Delód, and Wōde wished for a new kind of thing, a living thing that would love their creations as they did. And so they each spoke together: Gōr, ‘Body, Blood, and Flesh’ and a form was made in their own image. But the form was lifeless and without Nüm. Then the cold wind blew and Nüm saw what had been made. Nüm spoke: Cól, ‘Energy, and Essence’ and filled the form. All saw the Cól-Gōr, and all were pleased by the making. These were the fifth words.

“And it happened that Nüm watched all that had been created and felt that it was good. Yet one thing lacked still. The Fás swam endlessly in the Wōsán, the Dōm-fáss lumbered unceasingly through the Thüne, the Ané-vöh crawled indefinitely upon the Vöh, and the Cól-gōr lived unending lives upon Yáš. Nüm saw all of this and spoke a final word: Vésh, ‘End, Finish, and Complete’ and the final great word was spoken. And Vésh was given form and life.

“Vésh saw all that had begun upon Yáš, and all that was continuing to begin, but did not see any ending. And so it was that Vésh gave to all things an ending. Nüm saw this and felt that it was very good. But the great words became bitter at the ending of their beloved creations, and they shunned Vésh for the deed.

Petsune finds himself yanked back to the present. He is pulled forcefully from the grips of the Hollow Tree’s story as it ends abruptly. He knows without asking that the story is one belonging to the Cleave, and he wishes he could hear more. Instead, the Hollow Tree shifts it’s upper branches into a new pattern that feels theatrical, almost grandiose.

“For the one who is a place of worship, a story. Listen well,”

Chapel stops writing down the Vánüm words from the first story, instead paying complete attention to the new story. The Tree begins tapping its trunk and words form from deep within.

“There was once a tree that was friends with the sky. The two delighted in the beauty of the other. The tree would say to the sky, ‘You are so wide and so blue, you cover all that can be seen, and yet you are not bound to the earth. I wish I were more like you.’ Then the sky would say to the tree, ‘You are wide enough to shade the land beneath you, green enough to stand out from afar, and a refuge for many animals. Do not try to be what you cannot. You are a tree, and I am the sky.’ The tree did not listen however and sought to become more like the sky. Seeking to become blue, the tree sloughed all of it’s leaves until nothing but bare branches remained.

“The tree looked at it’s reflection in the lake below and was pleased. The sky saw this and said to the tree, ‘Why have you done this? Now you are no longer green, and I can no longer play among your leaves.’ But the tree simply stated, ‘I will be more like you.’ The sky responded with the same words as before, ‘Do not try to be what you cannot, or you will lose what you have.’ But the tree did not heed the words of the sky.

“Next, the tree sought to become as wide as the sky and cover all that could be seen. It stretched it’s branches wider and wider, until they became too heavy to support. The branches broke and fell to the ground. The sky saw this and said to the tree, ‘Why have you done this? Now you are no longer a place for birds to rest, and you provide no shade or shelter. I can no longer play among your leaves, and now I cannot even rattle your branches with my wind.’

“The tree felt saddened by the loss of it’s branches, but it simply stated, ‘I will be more like you.’ The sky watched the tree with pity. Only a trunk remained where the beautiful tree once stood. Finally, the tree sought to remove itself from the earth to be free like the sky. The tree pulled up its roots from the ground, but soon toppled over onto its side.

“The tree was greatly saddened at its pitiable state, and now it began to wither without roots in the ground. The sky saw the tree and grew very sorrowful, ‘You wished to be what you were not, and now you have lost even that which you were.’ The tree simply said the same words, ‘I will be more like you.’ and continued to wither away.”

Chapel begins mulling over the story once it ends, sensing an intentional and knowing touch on the story. He stands as Petsune does likewise, until they begin to hear the Tree rattling again. Petsune looks to the remaining crew at the railing with a questioning look on his face. Shushilah just shrugs but The Big Man continues to watch the Tree skeptically. The upper branches rearrange again with rattling shakes and tremors. This time the pattern appears almost sad, or perhaps pained in some way. The Hollow Tree’s shorter limbs begin clacking against the trunk, causing that strange, breathy speech to emanate from inside. Chapel is reminded of a wooden branch filled with rolling beads that he saw in the Oullman once. The Tree begins telling another story,

“For the one that bears the Tradition of Names, a story. Listen well,

“A master painter, respected across the seas, painted a simple scene. It was of a ship that was moored at a dock, with a man carrying a crate across the gangway. People came from far away to marvel at the master painter’s work. All who saw it loudly proclaimed it’s quality. Soon the master painter sold the work for a small fortune, and all agreed the price was fair.

“At the same time, an amateur painter, with no experience or teaching, painted a complex scene. It was of the dozens of royal navy ships floating in the harbor, with expert detail in every ship and rope. It was as though he had been painting for years and been taught in the finest of schools. Only a few ever saw the painting, however, and those that did gave it only a passing glance. After years of display, someone finally purchased it for a meager sum, and even then, complained of the price.

“The two painters were equally skilled and painted almost the same thing, yet one sold for a fortune and the other, a pittance. When the amateur painter finally sold his own, he recalled the master painter’s work. The amateur quit painting that very hour, never again lifting a brush. And so, the world was deprived of his work.”

The Hollow Tree ceases moving its branches, going completely silent and still. Petsune looks back at The Big Man and sees conflicting emotions playing across his face. It seems that the unexpected story meant something to him, though Petsune cannot say exactly what. Somehow the Tree knew that he was there, almost as though it could sense the need for a story. Pet and the Captain both climb over the railing and back onto the deck, meeting the Big Man at the railing. He seems lost in thought, so Pet attempts to break the silence. “That was a strange experience…” Pet says as he glances back at the Tree, “seems like we have some thinking to do. Perhaps some talking too.”

Benafield doesn’t meet their eyes, still seeming lost in thought as he mutters out a response. “Aye, it does seem so…”

Chapel appears thoughtful, then calls over Mavis and The General, giving the order to change the sails from blue to green. The Big Man and Mavis appear the slightest bit shocked, but The General sees the tactical advantage immediately, “Mmm, yes. We’re already stopped and out of sight of the Haul. A sound decision, I say.”

Chapel doesn’t smile or wink. Instead, he appears very introspective, then he simply walks away. Petsune watches him go, looking at The Big Man, who shrugs and walks off to help change the sails.

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