It has been a year since I last visited the tree. I have made several attempts to visit the tree, but none were successful until tonight. When I arrived, the ground around it had sunk and the tree was in the bottom of a steep ravine. It was approachable from only one side and then it was a difficult journey with loose rock and uneven terrain. When I arrived, I placed my hands upon the tree and felt the many jagged and twisted paths in it's bark. As I did this a feeling of relief came upon me to know that the tree was still there. large and commanding as it was the last time that I had visited. It's five branches extending from one great trunk, like a hand that reached toward the sky, yet something was different about the tree and I did not know why.

I placed my head upon the bark and I found myself within it's mighty trunk. The tree felt tired and sad. This disturbed me so I set about to find the cause of the tree's weakness. I travelled to the top most branches, observing the rays of sunlight that touched each of it's many leaves. They were strong and the rainbow colored sap produced from the capture of the rays was good and strong. It travelled down to the trunk of the tree with little difficulty and I realized that this was not the problem.

I then travelled to the roots of the tree and it was there that I saw what affected the tree. It's roots had ceased taking the precious nutrients from the soil that would mix with the rainbow colored sap that the tree produced in it's strength to make the drink of inspiration of which I partook. I looked at length around the roots to determine why they had stopped in their function but I could not find the problem. This disturbed me for I felt that if I could not find the problem, the tree would surely die and I would not partake of the sweet mead that the tree produced in it's strength.

In the corner of the tree I found the cup that I had drank the precious mead from the tree before. This time however, their was only enough of the sweet tasting mead to fill the bottom of the cup. I drank what was there and the drink was bitter, not like the sweet honey like refreshement of last years visit.

I then found myself outside of the tree, at it's base. All around lay animals that were dead or were dying. This continued to affect the roots while the crown of the tree was unaffected. I then took it upon myself to removed the dead and dying around the tree, hoping that this would heal the tree and all would be well again. When I touched each animal, I saw it's life pass before my eyes and I knew each of there stories as if I had been the animal. There were more animals than I could count but I persisted until each animal had been removed and I knew their lives in detail.

When I finished, a raven appeared before me upon a branch of the tree. We stared at each other for several minutes as I tried to understand why it was the only animal that I did not see dead or dying around the tree. When I grew tired of this, the raven transformed into a beautiful maiden, with long black curls of hair and snow white pale skin. Her blue eyes danced in the sun and she had the most beautiful smile. She took me by the hand and we entered the tree again.

Some time later we were sat upon a bed when she offered me a cup of the mead from the tree. The cup was full and the taste was like I remembered it from my first visit. Three times I drained the cup and she filled it until I could drink no more. She then smiled and said, "I am healed" and disappeared as quickly as she came. I then found myself outside of the tree and all had been restored as I left it that year ago. It was then that I resolved that I would visit the tree more often and nurture it that it might not suffer this neglect again.