I Read Stories: A Tree That Can't Be Chopped by Timothy Mudie

 

A Tree That Can’t be Chopped by Timothy Mudie in Kaleidotrope

Brinnen works in the mill and is friends with Steph, a research arcanist. One day Steph fails to arrive for dinner and Brinnen goes looking for her. Her boss the chief arcanist puts Brinnen off. When Brinnen goes to Steph’s apartment she’s not there and the neighbour thinks Brinnen’s there to clean the flues.

Otherwood is the stuff that runs the mill, a wood that is strong, that enhances fires, that is supple and magical. Most Otherwood Trees cannot be chopped – cannot be effected by those here. But some can and Steph has been researching why.

There are clues in the ancient writings of the Tree People. Clues that Steph has found and hidden and only Brinnen can find. Yet this may not be enough to stop the dark secret of how to reach to the other side so the Otherwood can be cut down. And the other side is not empty…

Read This: A tale of magical betrayal, friendship and strangeness
Don’t Read This: Violence, human sacrifice etc