Shumi talked to the World Tree, saying her goodbye to it. It wouldn't be long before she would leave this place, so she spent some of that time with the tree.
The tree had been aware of this fact for a long time now, and yet it was still despondent when the time came.
"Must you leave, mother?" the World Tree asked. "Can't you stay here forever?"
Shumi stroked the tree's branches. "You know better than anyone else that I can't," she said. "There are a lot more that need me than just you. At least you have your father. Most others don't even have that. I've talked to you about your sister, haven't I? One of them is stuck in a realm that is difficult to get in and out of. And your other sister is nowhere to be found. Don't you think the others, like your sisters, deserve our aid?"
The tree remained silent for some time before giving a feeling of affirmation.
"Yes," she said in a meek voice.
