We call him Rookh, the Stone‑Hearer. From his birth the earth spoke to him in the hush of the wind through the pines, in the way the river ran slow when danger was near. He would stand at dawn, eyes closed, feet on the moss, and feel the tremor of the mountains. When battle came, he could sense the shifting of the earth’s breath and knew which side of the ridge the wind would favour. His tribe would gather at the stone circle, and he would speak of the land’s song, reminding us that true strength comes from listening to the earth as well as to our own hearts.