Chapter 8 - Excursus II

The acacia with the broken branch and an acid stain spread across the trunk began to move. Creaking loudly it leaned first to one side, then to another, tearing its roots from the earth. Once free, it began to crawl, leaving a trail of hoed soil. It was dead. The sun no longer gave it life, nor did water run through its fibers. Its leaves were rapidly withering away. But something else, dark and ancient now replaced life for the Ent. There wasn't much time left. The Pain tore at it's every cell with the ferocity of wildfire. The Command forced it from its place of birth. The Hatred for its Maker, who forced it to continue to exist in a dead body. One of the roots lashed out, snatched a clumsy hare, and threw it into the darkness of its burnt maw. New juices streamed through the tree's capillaries, and the Pain faded for a moment. The tree kept crawling East.