A New World pt. 2

this is part 2 of a story that I started posting on 4/20. You can read the beginning there.

Looking forward, he realized that one of the trees was rooted a pace or two to the side of the ridge which ran forward and up to the other. It sat just this side of the slope, and it provided a destination. It was intriguing to look at, and so he set out for it, walking slow along the lesser ridge and looking forward. There was nothing at all to make him nervous; no need for caution – only intrigue. He didn’t have to look as he walked; every view was as beautiful as the next, and the last. What a place. So Peaceful. As he walked, the first sound registered, almost inaudible. A little further on, and it grew a tiny bit louder, but was still quiet. If there had been any background noise, it would have drowned out this quaint rustling. Everything is so still. What’s that sound? It took a moment to reach the base of the tree at the bottom of the ridge, and before he arrived there, the rustling had cleared into more of a splashing sound, like running water. He knew by then that the sound wasn’t coming from this towering tree at all, but somewhere on the other side of the massive ridge. However, he wasn’t the the least bit anxious to explore beyond the ridge; he was perfectly content right there, absorbing the sight of the towering tree. It had to be eight feet in diameter and sixty feet or more to the highest branches. The trunk was smooth and had a marbled look to it, with different shades of white swirling upward and then out along the branches. The leaves were smooth as well, but lacked the marble design found on the wood. They each had three distinct parts and three distinct shades, yet there were no veins dividing them. He realized that he was trying to compare them to leaves he had previously seen, and that his mind was becoming somewhat accustomed to the place now.He was once again capable of reason and comparative thought; even recollection, though his memories were faint, hazy, and generally useless in such an alien environment. The tree was more beautiful than anything he could recall seeing before. He stood beneath it, feeling the life emanating from it. The silent voice of life the tree sang with filled him with awe and respect. What could have been hours passed before self awareness started to creep back in, and he decided that this couldn’t be the only thing here to see. He realized he was completely unclothed, but didn’t feel ashamed or unnatural at all about it. It felt exactly right, like he had never worn a shirt or pants before, and thus - feeling at peace as he had all along, his mind moved back to exploring the world around him. Once more his eyes followed the swirls up the gargantuan tree trunk and settled on one of the thick of the branches overhead. I can’t imagine anything more beautiful, but I have to move on. There must be a reason I’m here. Smiling at the simplicity of his thoughts, unhampered by the normal distractions of life, Jacob turned himself toward the greater ridge and then began the ascent, keeping close to the lesser ridge to maintain a straight path.