The forest was tremendous, bright, and prospering. Its canopy was dominated by rowan, juniper, and sequoia, still plenty of light passed through their crowns for all sorts of shrubs to control the stony grounds below. Swooping creepers clung to most trees, and an array of flowers, which grew dispersed and sparingly, looked almost out of place in the otherwise dark backdrop. A hodgepodge of animal sounds, which were caused by foraging beasts, echoed in the air, and formed a chaotic orchestra with the trickling sounds of a gentle river stream.