Outside the ancient fortress, Thane quickly guided Ashlynn to an area of the forest that was directly north of the tower she'd claimed for her coven. It was, in fact, the very same stretch of forest she'd planned to clear in order to plant a more diverse selection of trees that would be nurtured by her coven in the same way that Amahle nurtured the sandbox trees, blackberry vines and other thorny plants of the Briar.
When she arrived with Thane, Ashlynn was momentarily shocked by the scene of devastation that greeted her within this stretch of the forest. Branches lay strewn about the ground and on their way to a small clearing they passed several whole trees that had snapped and fallen in the tempest of the previous night's storm. The ground underfoot held a thick layer of freshly fallen leaves and cedar needles, muffling their footsteps and adding an eerie quiet to the forest.
