"Hence the gathering," she said, her mouth hinting more amused a smile despite herself as she glanced back, indicating the hall of illusory people they'd left behind. "But it can wait. If you'd like, even in Auradon, I could 'introduce' you to them... but perhaps not so effectively all at once, especially without a proper power source to draw from. My home -- the real one, I mean -- is at the intersection of several ley lines, so that wouldn't be an issue there... but is it just me, or do you find juggling several things at once easier here as well? It feels to me as though this place wants to assist in maintaining what I try to do...."

Off through the forest she led them, the trees smallish close to her castle, but quickly growing in size as they went, showing their age in both individual height and girth, and in how many of them had grown together into one organism; it was not a mere handful that looked as though they had started out as several individual trees that were collaborating to form something bigger, something that looked distinctly older, their bark having smoothed together into a single surface despite their form suggesting multiple trunks leaning against one another, and roots following suit. Those were taller, as well, though size aside, they seemed not to be any different from the smaller ones. They still had the little black polished eyes on their trunks. Several had fruits, including those black spherical berries Mallia was so fond of, hanging from their branches, and even lowered them quite obviously, in a silent offer to the two as they drew nearer. The forest wasn't just alive, it was demonstrably aware... and friendly.

Absently, she reached up to one of the lowered branches, hand out... and a few of the big berries dropped right into her hand, prompting more of a smile from her. She gave the tree a nod in thanks, and put one in her mouth, offering the others to Rren.