Within the embrace of nature’s bounty, out amongst the trees and the wild creatures, I am whole. The evening air is brisk as a drink from a cold mountain stream, and the calls of night animals just emerging echo in the fading light. I sit in the tall grass, still as a stone monument. The breeze brushes over my skin. My eyes are closed, my hands folded in my lap. I am one with the wild and her endless peace.

I hear footsteps approaching long before I see them. From the direction of camp, a figure slips out from behind the trees and moves in my direction. A familiar figure. One of my travelling companions. I lift my head and offer a smile in greeting.

“Oak Father preserve you, my friend,” I say with my arm to my chest. “Is there something you needed?”