For a moment, as soon as the carriage came to a stop, Ashlynn sat absolutely still, closing her eyes and soaking in the energy of the living earth that surrounded Orava Village. Compared to the Briar or even High Fen City, the feeling of lush, growing things was muted, but compared to the barren High Pass, it felt like stepping from a harsh desert into a vibrant oasis.
The trees that surrounded the village were all stunted with roots that dug their way inch by inch through the hard, semi-frozen earth. Like the mighty cypress trees of the Briar, these tenacious pines clung to life in a world tried every year to tear them from the soil they'd claimed as their own and the strength they radiated called out to Ashlynn like a loyal butler, offering to help her up and out of the carriage if only she would lean on their gentle arms.
