Far away from the permitted and well-traveled paths of the forest, hidden in a grove of dark orange fan trees, I stood on a branch that was more familiar to me than any friend. The bark was smooth and worn down from all the times I sat there. I snuck back there often when I could, to remind myself that my last encounter with Alethi wasn’t a dream. The forest floor cracked beneath my feet and the branches pulled apart in front of me to reveal a freechi.