"I see," Ashlynn said with a slow nod. "Help me up," she asked, reaching out for Ollie's support as she stood up from the base of the cedar tree before walking over to the tree that stood directly adjacent to the open grave. Her eyes slid over the grave, barely seeing it as she focused instead on the tree with exposed roots that was directly adjacent to the grave.
"You helped me that night," she said, leaning down and gently caressing the tree's root that had helped to pull her from the sodden earth. "I never thanked you," she said as she drew the knife from her belt and pricked a finger, spilling a single drop of potent witch's blood before dripping it on the root of the mighty cedar tree.
