Lace had to admit, he took some pleasure in making his student wait even though he clearly was both ready and eager to continue with the process. The hybrid stallion would have to learn to wait however. Patience was a vital part of most things in life, and especially when it came to the art of creation. Even more so when one dealt with trees. Plants were every bit as living as themselves, and it never did good to rush either. The result might be cracked, weak, leaving room for rot and disease... Altogether not a favorable state.

Thus, the gray steed took his time to slake the thirst and fill the belly before finally declaring himself satisfied. Returning to the trees and the unfinished work, his dark velvet nose once more connected with the rough bark of the trunks and with a sigh the tendrils of magic resumed their work.

"Cherry trees, tigers and lilies... Perhaps you were wondering why I wanted to know, hm? It's quite difficult to have you aid in the process of creation, as it is done through the magic ability I have been gifted with. For that reason, it's no more than fair that you get to decide on the motif, the theme of the decorations" he murmured with drowsy voice, paying no heed to whether the other was listening or not. It would be up to Tingal how interested he was in sharing in on the information Lace offered, and what he might learn from the process. Ultimately, it would be for the Earth God to decide if he'd been attentive enough.

From this point, the process was easier to follow with the naked eye. The section Lace had molded before was now turned into a square shape, roughly six by seven inches in height and breadth. The bottom was gradually flattened while the top received a curved shape, slowly and steady as the wood grew according to the will of the crafter. When the outline was done, the outer bark of the section between the mother trees receded, instead viewing the pale, fresh heartwood of oak. It was beginning to look like a chest now, and with seemingly endless patience a motif was grown over the surface. It took the appearance of a forest, where trees stood tall and healthy, some blossoming while others bore leaf, and yet others hung heavy with fruit in complete disregard for the flow of time and effect of seasons. Between branches and the flowers and grasses on the ground, small birds and animals peeked out, and at the very center, on the top of the part that would become the lid, a clearing formed around a small family of tigers. A mother with three cubs, all basking atop a large rock not unlike a throne.

It was here the purpose of using two kinds of trees became apparent. Instead of painting the chest, Lace used the different tones of the wood to create depth and add a tint to the work, by molding the trees together and turning them into one being. The pale lumber of the oak served as base, the red of the cherry became accents, and as the hinges formed and the top section separated from the rest of the box to form a lid, it was revealed that the inside held a deep crimson hue not unlike that of ripe cherries.

By now, the short ends of the chest was the only thing that connected the craft to the trees.

"Now you need to help me" Lace said and paused briefly to look over at Tingal. "I want you to grasp the chest anyway you can, and keep it in place while I separate it from the trees. BE sure to keep it still, or something might become crooked."