Under The Oak Tree -- Read Novels & Stories

The path beneath their feet grew uneven, the forest growing thicker and more ancient as they walked, until they arrived at the base of the oldest oak tree in Valenwood. The massive oak towered above them, its gnarled branches stretching out like protective arms, creating a canopy that filtered the moonlight. Caius stopped beneath the tree, his shoulders tense as he exhaled a slow breath. Lira stood beside him, unsure of what to say, the weight of the prophecy hanging between them.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The oak tree was huge and from where Lucas stood, its shape reminded him of a piece of broccoli. The great trunk was thick and gnarled, the leaves spreading like a vast canopy of deep jade. This magnificent symbol of nature sat alone in a green field, an azure, cloudless sky as a backdrop. Lucas ambled up the hill. There was no such thing as urgency in a place such as this. His heart maintained the sense of peace he had carried since . . .

I am not worried about getting lost, I know the place like the back of my hand. When I reach the forest, I take in a deep breath and let it out before continuing to walk. It does not take me very long to reach the giant oak tree. It even has my initials that I carved into it the first time I ran here to get away from everyone and everything. The almost full moon sits in the sky and gives the night an eerie feel. I sit right under the tree with my back laid against the trunk. The ground is dirty but I gladly rest my legs on it.

“Stay still, everyone.” “What is it?” Eve noticed her sudden stop and asked. “I saw something on that tree.” Diana pointed out the uneven, massive old oak tree. “What did you see?"Inquired Eve. “Someone,” she said, seeing the figure, little more than a smudge, wobbling in the distance. She snuffed Eve’s lamp and brightened the area. “What the hell is that?” Impossible. She thought. The bloodbath was all but impassable on a fine day, but with the little old lamp on her hand, to venture across them during such intemperance was madness. But still, the shadow plodded, bowed, and was resolute. Shoving itself into the wind as if into a challenging lover.

Then Amber felt it too. “What is that?” “I think the tree is trying to communicate with us.” “What?” Amber looked shocked. “Let’s just go see.” Isabella continued up to the top and stood under the tall oak. She looked at the leaves and half rotten acorns around its base. “It’s a black oak.” She whispered to Amber. “How can you tell?” “You have to look at the leaves and the acorns. Those are black oak leaves and acorns.” “Okay.” Amber looked up at the tree.

"Meet me tonight at midnight. The old oak tree beside the river. The words made me shudder down my back. The old oak tree stood in a quiet area covered in murmurs and mysteries. Under the cover of darkness, lovers met here, their trysts kept from view. One thousand questions whirled around my head. What had Kavan planned for me? Was this a secret meeting, an opportunity to investigate the forbidden attraction buzzing between us? Alternatively, was it more of a sinister, a trap set by a wolf trying to take advantage of my weaknesses?

The accumulation of fifteen years of being together had made the arrangement more fully itself, not less. They stood under the oak. The June light came through the full canopy in the specific quality of the filtered summer light — green and warm and particular. The oak's trunk was wide — wider than Ernest could reach around, wider than two people could reach around together. The bark was rough, the texture of the old oak, the specific pattern of ridges and crevices that had formed over decades. The roots spread out from the base, some of them visible above the ground, the evidence of the tree's underground life.

Golden, warm sunlight that didn’t scorch, that didn’t burn the skin, a very clear weather that made everything brighter… clearer, and a warm breeze that cooled them even in the warmth, such a contrasting paradox, she knew, but that was exactly what it was. When she saw the large oak tree, she just knew that they’d be lunching under its numerous branches, and she told him her thoughts. “Nothing gets past you, does it?” He shot her an amused grin. “Well, I did tell you I hated surprises, so that’s what you get for trying to swing one over my head anyway.” She shot right back with a smirk of her own. A mat had already been laid under the huge tree, with their lunch spread out, more than one mea

It was less than a mile to the river along a trail through the forest that bordered their house. They walked in silence, savoring the smells and sounds of the forest until they got to the river. Then a little further along the bank they came to a small grassy clearing under a big oak tree that overhung the river. "God, I love this place," Kelly said, flopping down on the ground on her back, her arms flung wide. "It's the best," John agreed, noticing that her shirt had pulled up, exposing the undersides of her breasts.

With that, he turned and disappeared into the trees, leaving River and Thane to navigate the fragile bond forming between them. River guided the wheelchair beneath the sprawling canopy of an ancient almond tree, its gnarled branches stretching towards the sky like nature's own cathedral. The warm sunlight filtering through the leaves cast dappled shadows on the ground, and the sweet scent of blooming almonds wafted through the air. She settled onto one of the tree's massive roots, the rough bark pressing against her skin as she faced Thane. From her bag, River retrieved a worn leather-bound book, its pages yellowed with age. As she opened it, the musty smell of old paper mingled with the alm