Chapter 1 - Mute and Deaf

Lily walked through the forest by herself. She had heard of a place called the Valley of Light. She had heard that it was a beautiful place where there were no wars, everyone was friends with everyone, the weather was always perfect, and where peace reigned. She had also heard that the Valley of Light could be found in the West. So that's where she was headed; to the West to find the Valley of Light. As she walked through the forest, she smiled at the songs of the birds and at the squirrels chasing each other up the trees. She giggled a little, but the sound didn't come. It was just silence.

Lily Alshemay was mute, and she always had been for as long as she could remember. It was quite hard on her sometimes, having to say everything with sign language or not being able to really laugh at a joke. Yet, she still managed with it. There was always someone around who understood sign language and could act as her voice. Though, they never stayed by her side constantly. It was always someone different who would be Lily's voice.



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Alex sat alone beneath a tree. He knew that no one would ever accept him, especially not other elves. He was different from all of them, and he knew it. He sighed sadly and conjured a small orb of pale blue light. A small sparrow landed on his arm and opened its beak. Alex smiled at it, and the little sparrow looked at him. The young elf put out the small orb of light, and the sparrow opened its beak for a moment before it flew away.

From the moment he was born, Alexaldrian Koramaar was deaf. He had never heard the song of a bird or the music at elfin festivals. It was tough for him sometimes, not being able to hear the birds or listen to elfin music. However, he ignored it most of the time and didn't let it bother him. Even though he'd been shunned by all other elves, he still managed to keep a cheerful attitude. Yet, he wished he had someone to be his ears.



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Lily stopped and looked around. She'd seen a small light for a moment, but it hadn't lasted long. She started to head in the direction that she'd seen the light, and she came into a clearing where she saw a teenage boy about her age sitting beneath a tree. She slowly moved closer, not wanting to startle him. As she got nearer to him, she saw that he had the long, pointed ears of an elf. She wasn't really paying attention to her feet until she was right next to the young elf, and then she stopped and knelt down next to him. She tapped him on the shoulder, and the young elf panicked.

Alex stared at the young human girl kneeling beside him. His heart was pounding so fast that he felt as though it would burst. He wished that he could've heard her coming. He longed to be able to hear the sounds of the world. Yet, his wish would never come true, and he knew it. He swallowed hard, hoping the girl would just leave him be and not harm him. The human girl gestured to him in sign language, saying `It's okay. I won't hurt you.'

“How did you know?” Alex asked.

`What do you mean?' The girl inquired in sign language.

“How did you know about my…” Alex paused, choosing his words carefully. “My curse?” He finished. “How did you know to speak to me in sign language?”

`It's the only way I can speak.' The girl answered. `I'm mute…'

Lily didn't understand what the elf meant by `his curse'. The elf stared at her when she told him that she was mute.

“Oh…I-I didn't realize.” He stated. “So…you don't…don't know about it…”

`Know about what?' Lily questioned.

“I'm deaf.” The elf replied. “I have been for as long as I can remember.” Lily stared at him.

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