[Although not as popular as it once was, this legendary piece of Arborian romantic fiction has been published in over 2,000 languages and is still the bestselling novel in the Exile fleet. This copy easily falls open to second most popular section, page 171.]

Bristling with desire and fruiting bodies that were ready to drop, the ancient one shuddered in the face of the village's new matria. Untested, untried, she studied the wise tree's bark, tracing the lines on his aged surface with the tips of her fingers.

"But this love is forbidden," Matria Wanderheartwood whispered. "I'm a matria. But I've studied. You - you're a hybrid variety of what I think might be three different wise trees. You're the ultimate wise one." She laughed. "Now," she said playfully, "I think I want to climb a tree...."