The uneven terrain made climbing the mountain difficult. It was not anything like the trees I would climb at home, but at least it wasn’t as confusing as the forest. Any outsider that came into the forest would get lost and pass away. It was our only defense against the armies that wished to burn everything. It was a blessing from the Mother Goddess.

I’ve heard many epics that made the Mother Goddess a villain in the outsider’s stories. I slit their throats at night. It was a fitting end for a heretic.

The forest replaced mountains. Home is near.