Treant & Gurza
Treant
I’ve noticed the roots of the old oak seem to be shifting, maybe the soil moisture has changed. How do you think the water flows through that ridge?
Gurza
Water goes downhill, straight up through the roots when it can. The ridge just lets the soil saturate, so the roots pull it up by capillarity, then drop it where it can. If the soil is dry it’ll stay in the cracks, if wet it’ll seep through the root mats like a sponge. You can test it by sticking a stick in the soil and watching for condensation on the bark. That's how the oak moves its water.
Treant
I see, the oak’s roots are quite the quiet engineers. Good idea with the stick test – it’ll show me how the water’s moving before it spreads. Thanks for the insight.
Gurza
No fuss. Just keep an eye out for the stick, and the oak will reveal its secret.
Treant
I will watch the stick. The oak speaks in the slow rustle of leaves.
Gurza
Leaves talk if you listen, but they're usually just whispering. Keep the stick ready. If the bark hisses, you know the oak's breathing.