birch is a genus of hardwood tree, closely related to alder and oak. it grows in cold areas, like in ortal and some of the more sheltered valleys of fuun. it’s often used to make paper.

every other weekend birch goes up to ortal. one time he took me part of the way there. it was really beautiful. we climbed a fire watch tower and could see a hundred other mountains covered in green fuzz just like the one we climbed. there was also a very sweet spring of water near the top that we drank from. it was so nice i went back there with chrysanthemum another time.

i often see birch looking upward. not necessarily in an aspiration way, just upward.