Providence admired the wildlife that scurried and flitted about. Furry things that looked like flying squirrels swooped through the canopy, then scurried up the branches. One creature was brave enough to leap down onto a limb beside her. Providence stopped and stared in awe of the creature. It, of course, didn't look like a squirrel at all up close. It appeared more like a loris or lemur. Two huge, sweet, brown eyes stared back at her curiously. Its little pink button nose sniffed, then seeing that she had no food, ran off again up the tree trunk.
"They're not really afraid of us are they?" Providence commented as she watched the creature disappear into the foliage.
"No, this is a protected area." Dagaa replied as they trod onward. "It holds many natural wonders of Cadi."
Providence studied a clump of bright red blooms nestled in the stump of a decaying tree.
"Watch." Dagaa reached out and touched a crimson blossom. The trefoil burst, sending a shower of seeds spraying in the air like fireworks. "This was my favorite plant to hunt down when I visited here with my father." He smiled at the memory.
Providence knew Dagaa's father had died in the war and he'd lost his mother not long after that. It made Dagaa sharing this experience all the more important. She gripped his and Madhava's hand as they continued on their hike.
There was a crashing roar in the distance as a waterfall came into view. The trio stood for a moment to admire the stunning sight of the water cascading down two drops. It had to be at least a hundred feet high.
The men helped her scale the rocky slick trail that flanked the waterfall, the spray cooling them as they traveled upward. She would have managed on her own, broken finger and all, but the hand up was nice, and the men enjoyed helping her.
They walked quietly soaking up the scenery unless she had a question or Dagaa wanted to point something out to them. It was a nice morning, not too hot, so the hike was enjoyable.
About an hour after they started, Dagaa stopped suddenly as they came to a small clearing. Providence nearly ran smack into his back.
"What is it?" She asked, pausing in case he sighted something dangerous ahead.
"Here we are." Dagaa pointed.
It took a second before Providence saw what he was pointing to, nestled high up in one of the gargantuan trees.
"It's a treehouse!" Providence exclaimed excitedly. A staircase wound around the base of the giant tree spiraling up, up, up, to the awesome hideout. "I can't believe it. Is that where we are staying?" She asked feeling giddy as a child.
Dagaa nodded.
"I'm truly impressed my friend. Thank you for bringing me here." Madhava added with a broad grin. Even he was stirred by the sight.
Providence ran ahead and started scaling the steps. When she finally reached the summit, she threw open a heavy wooden door and was greeted by a large room, that looked like it was carved from a solid hunk of timber. On the far wall a stained glass, rosette window was inset into the burled wood. It showered the room with various hues of twinkling light.
To one side there was a table and a set of four chairs, fashioned from an old gnarled stump, that when pushed together looked like it was a whole tree again. The craftsmanship and carving was exquisite yet simple. Then in the center of the room, a palette bed hung from ropes. The vines that stretched to the ceiling almost appeared to still be living.
The sight was beyond breathtaking. The hideaway must have taken someone years, maybe decades to craft.
Providence turned with a stunned smile plastered to her face as the men entered and took in the sight much as she had.
"It is... I don't even have the words." Providence's breath caught in her throat as she wrapped her arms around Dagaa's waist.
"This is a work of art my friend." Madhava said as he ran his hand over the walls, smoothed and worn to a slippery sheen over time.
"Thank you. My great grandfather built this for his bonded. He donated the land to the state when she passed, but my family has been caring for it ever since. Though not as much as I'd hope. It's been a while since I've made it back."
"It's truly stunning."
Providence could see every bit of love several generations of Dagaa's family had put into the treehouse.
"Let's check out the deck. My great grandfather chose this spot especially for the view." Dagaa encouraged as they dumped their bags.
Providence went back out the door and walked around the balcony encircling the 'mile high' house. Dagaa wasn't kidding. The deck looked out through a clearing in the trees. She could see across the valley for miles. The sun was nearly at its zenith in the violet sky. It cast a rainbow of colors over the horizon, much like the sunsets back home. Providence plopped in one of the chairs on the deck and sighed as Dagaa and Madhava joined her.