diff --git a/include/node.h b/include/node.h
index 8386471..f168a30 100644
--- a/include/node.h
+++ b/include/node.h
@@ -13,6 +13,35 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
+#include "token.h"
+
+typedef struct _rnode rnode;
+
+struct _rnode {
+    rnode ** children;
+    int      children_len;
+    int      children_cap;
+
+    /* the combined regexp pattern string from pattern_tokens */
+    char* combined_pattern;
+
+    token_array * edge_patterns;
+};
+
+rnode * rnode_create(int cap);
+
+void rnode_free(rnode * tree);
+
+bool rnode_add_edge(rnode * n, char * pat , rnode *child);
+
+rnode * rnode_find_edge(rnode * n, char * pat);
+
+void rnode_append_child(rnode *n, rnode *child);
+
+
+
+
+void rnode_append_route(rnode * tree, token_array * token);
 
 
 #endif /* !NODE_H */
diff --git a/include/token.h b/include/token.h
index 3d37029..9df8fa1 100644
--- a/include/token.h
+++ b/include/token.h
@@ -33,4 +33,8 @@ void token_array_dump(token_array *l);
 
 token_array * split_route_pattern(char *pattern, int pattern_len);
 
+#define token_array_fetch(t,i)  t->tokens[i]
+#define token_array_len(t)  t->len
+#define token_array_cap(t)  t->cap
+
 #endif /* !TOKEN_H */
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index 5c92a4a..48204cc 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -6,7 +6,76 @@
 // Jemalloc memory management
 #include <jemalloc/jemalloc.h>
 
+// PCRE
+#include <pcre.h>
+
 // Judy array
 #include <Judy.h>
 
+#include "node.h"
+#include "token.h"
+
 // String value as the index http://judy.sourceforge.net/doc/JudySL_3x.htm
+
+rnode * rnode_create(int cap) {
+    rnode * n = (rnode*) calloc( sizeof(rnode) , 1);
+
+    n->children = (rnode**) malloc( sizeof(rnode*) * 10 );
+    n->children_len = 0;
+    n->children_cap = 10;
+
+    n->edge_patterns = token_array_create(10);
+    return n;
+}
+
+void rnode_free(rnode * tree) {
+    for (int i = 0 ; i < tree->children_len ; i++ ) {
+        rnode_free(tree->children[ i ]);
+    }
+    free(tree->children);
+    token_array_free(tree->edge_patterns);
+    free(tree);
+    tree = NULL;
+}
+
+
+/* parent node, edge pattern, child */
+bool rnode_add_edge(rnode * n, char * pat , rnode *child) {
+    // find the same sub-pattern, if it does not exist, create one
+
+    rnode * c = rnode_find_edge(n, pat);
+    if (c) {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+
+
+    token_array_append(n->edge_patterns, pat);
+    rnode_append_child(n, child);
+
+    assert( token_array_len(n->edge_patterns) == n->children_len );
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
+
+void rnode_append_child(rnode *n, rnode *child) {
+    if (n->children_len >= n->children_cap) {
+        n->children_cap *= 2;
+        n->children = realloc(n->children, n->children_cap);
+    }
+    n->children[ n->children_len++ ] = child;
+}
+
+
+rnode * rnode_find_edge(rnode * n, char * pat) {
+    for (int i = 0 ; i < n->edge_patterns->len ; i++ ) {
+        char * edge_pat = token_array_fetch( n->edge_patterns, i );
+        if (strcmp(edge_pat, pat) == 0 ) {
+            return n->children[i];
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+void rnode_append_route(rnode * tree, token_array * tokens) {
+
+}
diff --git a/src/token.c b/src/token.c
index 8547bce..b50d2ac 100644
--- a/src/token.c
+++ b/src/token.c
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ token_array * token_array_create(int cap) {
     return list;
 }
 
+void token_array_free(token_array *l) {
+    for ( int i = 0; i < l->len ; i++ ) {
+        char * t = l->tokens[ i ];
+        free(t);
+    }
+    free(l);
+}
+
 bool token_array_is_full(token_array * l) {
     return l->len >= l->cap;
 }
@@ -51,13 +59,6 @@ void token_array_dump(token_array *l) {
     printf("]\n");
 }
 
-void token_array_free(token_array *l) {
-    for ( int i = 0; i < l->len ; i++ ) {
-        char * t = l->tokens[ i ];
-        free(t);
-    }
-    free(l);
-}
 
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_tree.c b/tests/test_tree.c
index d899c11..36f0dc1 100644
--- a/tests/test_tree.c
+++ b/tests/test_tree.c
@@ -11,8 +11,36 @@ START_TEST (test_ltrim_slash)
 }
 END_TEST
 
+START_TEST (test_rnode_construct_uniq)
+{
+    rnode * n = rnode_create(10);
 
-START_TEST (test_route)
+    rnode * child = rnode_create(3);
+
+    fail_if( rnode_add_edge(n, strdup("/add") , child) == FALSE );
+    fail_if( rnode_add_edge(n, strdup("/add") , child) != FALSE );
+
+    rnode_free(n);
+}
+END_TEST
+
+START_TEST (test_rnode_find_edge)
+{
+    rnode * n = rnode_create(10);
+
+    rnode * child = rnode_create(3);
+
+    fail_if( rnode_add_edge(n, strdup("/add") , child) == FALSE );
+
+    fail_if( rnode_find_edge(n, "/add") == NULL );
+    fail_if( rnode_find_edge(n, "/bar") != NULL );
+
+    rnode_free(n);
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+START_TEST (test_route_split)
 {
     token_array *t;
 
@@ -75,9 +103,11 @@ Suite* r3_suite (void) {
         Suite *suite = suite_create("blah");
 
         TCase *tcase = tcase_create("testcase");
-        tcase_add_test(tcase, test_route);
+        tcase_add_test(tcase, test_route_split);
         tcase_add_test(tcase, test_token_array);
         tcase_add_test(tcase, test_ltrim_slash);
+        tcase_add_test(tcase, test_rnode_construct_uniq);
+        tcase_add_test(tcase, test_rnode_find_edge);
 
         suite_add_tcase(suite, tcase);