you're goin' off the deep end again

JACK

Jack hadn't intended to come across the Greatwood's mother tree out here in the thickets of branches and heat and endless Longheat nonsense. He'd been following a skinny little stream, hoping it might lead to deeper water, somewhere there might be memory mud cloying against the banks. But instead here he is, sunglasses sliding down his nose a bit as he regards the Mathair, like she might get up and bite him. He wouldn't blame her, truthfully.

The Captain looks rough. Clearly hungover, his clothes are wrinkled and there's still a bit of blood still on one cuff that he might have tried to rub out once or twice before giving up. He doesn't look as if he's slept much if at all, and a bluish yellow bruise highlights one of his cheekbones into sharp relief. He'd still be drinking if it weren't for their passing over the Greatwood, but with the easiest part of his quest (or so he'd assumed) lurking here in the forest somewhere, he couldn't just sail on by.

Now if he could just find the stuff, that'd be glorious.

Grumbling and sliding his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose, Jack gives the mighty tree a respectful berth and tries to pick up on where his little stream has gone, sweat beading on his forehead as he weaves through the undergrowth.

we've gone way too fast for way too long
and we were never supposed to make it half this far

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!