Iola stood shell-shocked at the talking tree, which was looking at her with some concern.

“Are you alright, child? Are you hurt anywhere?”

A snort was heard from the translucent man. “More like she’s probably not right in the head, if you know what I mean.”

The tree looked at him with a half scolding, half resigned gaze. “Now, Makani, that was not very nice to say.”

“Well, I’m just telling it like it is.”

“Makani….”

“Uh…excuse me?” Iola flinched a bit when the tree and the translucent man immediately turned to her. “Um….I don’t mean to interrupt, but….who are you?”

The translucent man rolled his eyes. “Told you she’s a bit slow in the head, Grandmother.”

The tree frowned, before one of her branch lowered down and smacked him on the head.

“OW! What was that for?!”

“I told you to be nice, Makani. It’s understandable that she’s confused right now.” The tree turned her attention back to Iola and smiled kindly. “I’m sorry you have to see that, dear. Trust me, Makani here is not as bad as he sounds.”

Iola nodded hesitantly, not really believing her but willing to accept it for now. “You were…you were the one that help me from those men who tried to take me, weren’t you?”

The translucent man snorted and a small gust of wind blew around her, messing up her hair. “Oh, wow, she managed to come to that conclusion all by herself! There may be hope for her after all!”

“Makani…” There was a note of threat in the tree’s voice that the translucent man rolled his eyes at but kept quiet.

“Well, then….” Iola stuttered, but quickly regain her composure. “Thank you for your help. And…uh…I don’t mean to sound disrespectful, but…who are you?”

The tree shook a bit and it took a moment for Iola to realize that she was chuckling. “Oh my goodness, where are my manners? I’m sorry, dear. This here,” a branch lowered again to gesture at the translucent man. “Is Makani, the Spirit of the Wind. And I am Livne, Grandmother of all the trees.”

Iola blinked. This world has begun to get more and more confusing for her. Just when she wants to ask more, a thought struck her, something that she should’ve realized before.

“Wait a minute. How come I could talk to you?” Seeing their confused looks she quickly explained. “I mean, ever since I got here, nobody could understand me because they have a different language. But, but here you guys could understand me!”

Makani scoffed. “That’s because humans have forgotten how to listen.”

It was a strange answer that made Iola frowned. Just when she wanted to ask further, Grandmother Livne chuckled dryly.

“There are more ways to talk and listen than by just using your mouth and ears, dear,” She quickly cut her off when Iola wanted to protest. “Don’t worry, child, you will understand soon enough. Now, I have a question of my own. Where do you come from, since it’s obvious you’re not from here.”

Iola wasn’t really satisfied with the answer, but decided to let it go for now. “No, you’re right, I am not from around here. Wherever this is, it’s not my world.”

Perhaps it was the sudden relief and joy of finally being able to talk and be understood, but she felt anxious to let out everything that had happened, even though she just met these people. From the moment the bright orb had appeared to her, to the days she spent with her new companions, she told them everything.

Grandmother Livne seemed to be in deep thought. “Tell me, did something else happen to you before the orb brought you here?”

Iola thought for a second before it came to her and she gasped. “The dream! I dreamt something about…about a tree.” She wondered at the knowing glances between the tree and Makani. “I dreamt of a tree, and it was calling out to me.”

She pointed to the tree. “Was that you who called me?” Even before the question was fully out of , she knew the answer.

“No, child, that wasn’t me. That was-“

“Admon.”

It came easily from and again there was a low, peaceful humming in her mind at the sound of that name. Her chest warmed all of sudden as a sense of ease and contentment spread over her.

Grandmother Livne smiled and surprisingly, so did Makani. “You know him.”   

Iola frowned. The name does come easily, but she was still as clueless as before. “No, I don’t. Just that…”

Again the tree cut off her words. “Now child, you have plenty of time to think about that matter later on, but for now you must go back to your companions. We don’t know whether the men who tried to kidnap you will come back.” She turned to Makani, then. “Go, see where her companions are, then accompany her to them.”

He looked like he wants to protest, but a branch had lowered dangerously close to his head, so with an undistinguishable grumble Makani disappeared with a gust of wind.

Iola stared at the empty space where the spirit was just standing seconds ago. “He doesn’t seem to like me much, does he?”

The tree smiled kindly. “Don’t take it personally, child. It’s not that Makani doesn’t like you, it’s just……it’s been many centuries since a human talk to us, so he doesn’t know how to deal with it or what to expect from it.”

Iola tilted her head. There seemed to be a hidden meaning under the words, but before she could delve further into it Makani had appeared again.

“I see the humans, about one to one and a half hour from here.”

The tree’s branches shook, gesturing for her to go. “Go, child. You’ll be more protected with your companions than here.”

Iola took a step away, urged by the tree’s insistent branches, before turning back again. She hesitated and debated internally, before moving forward to hug the tree, her arms only came up to encircle not even a fourth of the tree’s trunk.

“Thank you, Grandmother Livne. For saving me, and for everything else.”

The tree was stock still, before a few branches lowered down and lightly scratched her back. Iola guessed this must be the tree’s way of patting her.

 “You have nothing to thank me, child. In fact, it is I and everyone els