Elara
"That stem is sound."
The worker stopped with the blade raised.
Elara crouched beside the service path. She kept her face away from the dark patch below the roots and turned a clean leaf with the end of the guide's staff.
Its underside was pale.
The torn edge had dried brown. The stem beneath it remained firm.
Three handspans farther down, a similar stem sagged against the soil. Fine gray matter clung beneath its leaves.
They were close enough to look like one problem from the height of a frightened person holding a blade.
They were not the same.
"This was damaged before today?" she asked.
The guide leaned closer without touching.
"The wheel took that side yesterday."
He pointed to the split bark.
"We tied it back after the linen delivery."
Elara followed the tie. It was still in place.
The damaged living growth helped hold the upper edge of the path. Cutting it all would clear the surface quickly and leave loose ground beside a route about to carry patients.
