“Long ago,” Theo said, “this land was ruled by beings of another world. Sprites and hidden folk. Nymphs and animal spirits. But the largest of all were the trolls.” He gestured to the giant ahead, and Thomas took in the vast, wooden creature, awestruck. “They tended to the land, caught fish in the rivers, and planted trees. Then one day, Man came to the forest. With axes brandished, they felled the trees that had been planted. They tore up the land and declared it their own.
“A moot was held in the forest between all who lived within it. The rodents cried out, filled with terror, ‘What do we do?’
“‘War!’ demanded the ravens, and the bobcats howled, and the elk raised their voices to agree. But one among them begged patience.
“‘Not yet,’ said the Owl King. ‘They can be taught. They have merely forgotten where they came from. We must remind them. We must be their example. But who of us will show them?’ The Owl King flew to the highest branch and turned his all-seeing eyes on Jakob.’
“‘Me?’ Jakob asked. ‘What if I fail?’
“‘You are certain to,’ said the Owl King. ‘And in so doing, you will succeed. That is the lesson of the forest. There is no such thing as finality.’”
“Finality?” Thomas asked, fumbling over the word.
“Death,” said Theo, and Thomas’ eyes widened. “The Owl King swooped down and landed on Jakob’s shoulder. ‘The trees will know,’ said the Owl King, ‘that they can never truly fall so long as you stand with them.’
“Jakob accepted the Owl King’s charge, and he took up his post among the firs. There he will stand forevermore—until his feet take root in the mud, until a moss coat grows thick and heavy over his fur, until mushrooms rise and flowers bloom.
“All the while, the land will change, bent to the whims of Man. One by one, the trees will fall until only a few remain. And when Man finds these few, they will see Jakob standing there, teeming with life, and they will learn at last this lesson of the forest. Nature cannot be tamed. It cannot be possessed. All which they have destroyed will grow again. All which they have built, the forest will reclaim. Jakob Two Trees will keep on standing, and the forest will never die.”
Somewhere distant, an owl hooted, and the shadows began their descent upon the land. “We should go,” said Theo after a moment in the easeful quiet. “The forest belongs to the creatures after dark.”
Thomas clambered to his feet and made to follow his brother, but halfway to the car, he remembered something he’d meant to do.
“Wait!” he cried, and he ran back to Jakob Two Trees. There, at the troll’s feet, he dug a small hole with a thin stick. He reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the paper-like helicopter seed he’d found at school. With great ceremony, he planted the seed in the ground and buried it. When he looked up, he swore he saw Jakob smile.
