“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

  -- Gospel of Thomas

  -----

  Gaia rose and extended a hand toward Caleb. “Walk with me a while, if you would.”

  Her eyes searched his, deep and ancient, and he swallowed—feeling not judged, but measured. With a fluid motion, she waved her hand. The table, chairs, teapot, and cups folded silently back into the earth, vanishing without a trace.

  Caleb stared, blinking, before realizing she had already begun to glide away, moving toward the rising sun.

  She glanced back over her shoulder and called, “Don’t forget the oak’s gift.”

  It took him a few steadying breaths to realize she meant the staff.

  Gaia's swaying motion was deceptively fast and Caleb found himself needing to jog to keep up. Just when he was about to breathlessly ask for a reprieve, she stopped and looked back at him with a smile, "Can you tell me why the oak gifted you that staff?"

  At his blank look, she continued, "He saw in you the seed of your connection to me."

  With a start, Caleb recognized that they were standing under the tree where he had found the staff.

  Gaia went on, "My children see more deeply than humans know." She held her graceful hand to the rough bark of the tree and called out in a soft yet commanding voice, "Come forth my son!"

  Caleb had been through a lot in the last day; he had experienced the strangest dream of his life, he had met a goddess, been told that magic was real, even had tea with the avatar of Earth. But none of that had prepared him for what happened next. Stepping from the trunk of the old tree, like he grew from the wood itself, came the strangest looking man that he had ever seen. At once he appeared stooped and withered, only to then look like a hale warrior with a flowing golden beard, then again to appear like a sage from legend. In any form, this being held Caleb's gaze with eyes that could not be denied.

  Caleb, at a loss for what to say or do, made his best attempt at a bow. But before he could get a word out, the spirit glared at him and snapped in a voice like creaking timber:

  "A bow?! Do I look like a bloody lord to you? You're nothing but a sapling with your roots out of the dirt. You don’t even—"

  "That’s enough of that, son."

  Gaia spoke in the softest of whispers, but the old tree’s mouth shut with a snap. When he spoke next, it wasn’t to Caleb, though his eyes never left him.

  "What can this old root do for you, Mother?" All trace of his ire had vanished.

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  Gaia turned her gentle gaze to Caleb.

  "The world of men does not remember the old way of things," she said, sorrow touching her tone."Many will perish in the coming days—but there are those we can help."

  The old oak snorted, a sound like shattering branches.

  "Sounds like more feed for the soil..." He trailed off at a sharp look from Gaia and muttered, "Yes, yes. Dead humans. Very sad. Mustn’t poke fun."

  Gaia’s voice, still gentle but now edged with steel, brought him up short once more.

  "Oak. You felt that Caleb was worthy of one of your branches. Would you be so kind, dear, as to share with him why?"

  The Oak harumphed and shrugged.

  "It’s like this: like calls to like. If the channels are correct, that’s where everything flows. Obviously."

  Caleb’s face made it clear he wasn’t following.

  The Oak sighed—a long, windy sound that rustled the leaves around them—and continued:

  "Things match. When things match, they go together. "He paused, eyes narrowing at Caleb. "Your spirit needed a staff. I gave you one. I don’t know why you’re not getting this. You matched with it. That’s all there is to it!"

  Caleb spoke slowly, trying to sort through what he’d just heard.

  "So... the world is like a giant game of Mahjong?"

  The Oak grumbled.

  "I don’t know what that is. I gave you the staff because you needed it. ’Nuff said. "With a sour glance at Gaia, he sank back into the trunk.

  Gaia sighed.

  "He has a good heart, despite his rough exterior."

  Now it was Caleb’s turn to snort.

  "Did you just make a pun?"

  The twinkle in her eye told him everything he needed to know.

  "Two puns, if you were paying attention."

  Caleb jumped when a chipper voice called out from behind them. "I can help Mom!"

  Gaia turned with a radiant smile, "Yes little Juniper, you wish to assist this mortal?"

  The little figure pulled herself up straight, her shock of unruly hair like a tangled bramble. Little berries shone blue all through her spikey curls and her bright eyes fairly glowed with youthful exuberance. She danced with excitement, hopping from foot to foot, unable to contain her joy, "yes mamma! I've never felt so much.... so much..... I don't know. Just SO MUCH!" she finished with a gleeful shout.

  Gaia knelt down in front of the small tree sprite and held out her hand, Juniper grabbed it with both hands and placed her little chin in the palm, eyes looking up adoringly. "hi!" She said in an excited little voice.

  Gaia's smile was like the new risen sun.

  "Taking care of a human is a big job, little Juniper. Are you sure you are up to it?"

  The little sprite nodded solemnly. "Yes mother, I will teach him. He has so much life in him. I will teach him and he will learn, and I will show him, and we will be ready!" her words coming out all at once.

  Gaia turned to Caleb, "What about you, son? This is my daughter and I love all of my children." The little sprite gazed up at her with rapt adoration. "She is young, but her tree comes from an ancient line."

  Caleb's delighted grin slipped from his face at the gravitas in her voice.

  With a hesitant voice, he replied, "I am honored that she would choose me, but I don't know how to care for a tree spirit."

  Gaia replied with a smile, "You don't need to care for the spirit. The spirit will care for itself, you will however need to care for her physical form."

  With that, she produced a earthen vessel, with strands woven into a pack. Caleb took the pot with trembling hands. Juniper skipped over to him and pulled the pot down to look inside.

  She stuck her head in and yelled, "Hello!" her giggles echoed from within.

  "Why do you want to go with me, Juniper?"

  "I must go with you, hooman!" her cheery voice held absolute certainty. "You have thing to learn, and I want to feel all of the life!"