Trees - old souls

‘It’s beautiful now,’ Raken said softly, understanding.
Vannis nodded, but for him it wasn’t the same. ‘The Valleur regard water as sacrosanct, but trees are friends…to lose one is a personal grief, a wrenching…trees are one of the few species that are able to live as long as the Valleur…’ He drew breath, exhaled. ‘Some of them still stand.’
‘Aqua Island is more densely forested, but most of the trees are young,’ Raken said. ‘About two hundred years ago they began clearing the island of its ancient trees, the wood being a precious commodity, what with aversion to the Great Forest up north. Then they cleared it for habitation.’ She noted how he smiled. ‘You’re smiling because you know the land refused to stay cleared. When a tree fell the one day, by next morning another was growing, hardy little saplings that absolutely refused to budge. Within a week those saplings were as tall as the felled tree, if not as broad. Eventually Aqua Island was left to its own devices, and folk today believe it to be haunted by the spirits of murdered trees.’
‘I remember that,’ Torrullin muttered. He was Ultrain at the time, and found an excuse to be there, afraid of what they might find if they dug too far, but returned to Chiss smiling. The forest held its own, and everyone was afraid of the strange ruins discovered in the midst of ancient trees.