4. Word

Ignika sighed again. She was becoming bored but also – and that was probably worse – irritated. A long time had passed since she had been pushed in this room and nothing had happened. Through the strange transparent, cold surface that was placed inside a hole in the wall – a window, but Ignika didn't know that – she could see that it became darker outside. The day had almost passed. If nobody came to meet her before night had truly fallen, she would go. And when she would go, she would be angry, oh yes she would. This was not how her desires of friendship should be repaid! With darkened thoughts, Ignika waited, watching the sky turn dark blue and eventually black.

Night had fallen and still Ignika sat waiting. Enough was enough! The body of the Mask rose to her feet, face twisted with what Ignika supposed was an angry expression. She marched to the wooden door. She tried to open it, but found it was locked. That was no problem. Ignika hurled her powers of Life at the organic wood, speeding up its decaying processes until the door was a rotten heap on the floor. Satisfied, Ignika stepped out of her prison. Once outside, Ignika looked around, momentarily uncertain of her next course of action. The living beings here had proven to be enemies, not allies, so there was no point in staying. She looked around to find the way out of the village. That was not easy in the dark. Her body's eyes were made to be able to see during day, not night.

Slowly Ignika shuffled over the wooden pathways in the trees. She tried to remember which way she had used to get here and then walk that way in the opposite direction. She could feel the living beings all around her, but none too close to see her, or so she thought. She believed that if she could not see well in the dark, those living beings that looked like her could not either. And there was no moon tonight, which made it even darker. The perfect cover for Ignika. She would go away here and try to find friends and family elsewhere, for it was clear it could not be found here.

She descended the staircase that would lead her back to the forest floor. Ignika was pleased with herself, she had not been noticed so far. Soon she would be away from this bad place. Accidentally, Ignika stepped on a dried twig and it snapped in two. Startled, Ignika halted, but the damage had been done. She felt a presence turn in her direction and a voice call out.

"Who goes there?!"

Ignika did not answer, for she still had no grasp of spoken language. But even if she had been able to speak, she would not have answered. Ignoring the voice, she walked further down the stairs. Yet she was halted when an arrow flew straight past her, this time doing as much as scratching her pale left cheek, leaving a small cut in it. Blood began to appear in the small wound.

There was a long silence, then Ignika slowly turned and to the direction the arrow had come from. Slowly she lifted her hand and let her fingers brush against the small wound. It didn't really hurt, the wound had only shocked Ignika. Her thoughts where a maelstrom again. Why? That was the question that bothered her most of all. Why was she treated like this?! What had she done?! She saw one of those creatures with pointed ears appear on a tree branch above her. She saw his startled and confused face.

"It is you." He then said, surprised. "The child Gelluin and Elhonir brought here. Why are you outside?!"

Ignika did not understand a word of what he was saying, but she cared not. He had attacked her for no reason. He was an enemy, not worthy of the gift of Life. She would take it back! Ignika raised her hand and began to drain the Life out of the creature. At first he felt nothing, but he soon became weaker and weaker.

No! The creature realized with a shock. I'm dying!

Soon he was so weak he fell from the tree and on the ground. Ignika watched with a mixture of pity and anger. She did not want to kill, that was wrong, but this was an enemy, Life's gift was too good for him. The figure managed to gather all his strength that remained in him to let out a loud cry, but she did not understand what he was saying. She cared not. However, another arrow hit the ground right in front of her feet. Startled, Ignika jumped back, her concentration broken. The Life-draining attack on the creature stopped. Life seeped back into him. Ignika looked around and saw many of these males with pointed ears, arrows all aimed at her.

All enemies. Ignika thought. All of them attacking me for no reason. They are not worthy of the Gift of Life. I will have to take it back from all of them.

She wanted to unleash Life's power like she never had before, but more arrows distracted her long enough for a creature to leap down from the trees, grab her and pin her to a tree by her arms. She recognized him as the male that had attacked her earlier this day.

"Who are you?!" He shouted, angrily. "Why are you here?! And don't you dare using that Life-draining trick of yours again, or you'll regret it, you understand?!"

Ignika's eyes blazed, her breathing was rapid.

So this… The new being thought. This is what rage feels like!

How could she best respond to this new emotion? Ignika swiftly scanned the memories of the creature from the lake to find the answer. Those memories told her that living beings commit acts of violence when enraged. Since she was now living, that was what Ignika would do.

But before any blow could be struck or any Life could be drained, another voice was head.

"Wait. Let her go, brother." Ignika looked up, past the male that now was slowly releasing her. This voice had not sounded male, so it had to be a voice belonging to one from the opposite gender, namely female. Two more figures appeared, one she recognized as the second male she had met today, the one that had not attacked her. The other was entirely different from any male she had seen so far. His hairs were longer, his face somewhat shaped differently, more slender. And he had two bumps on his chest. Ignika realized this was not a male, rather a girl, like herself.

"What are you doing here, Alwiniel?" Gelluin demanded. "This 'child' has proven to be an enemy, possibly a Spy from the Enemy! She nearly killed one of us!"

The female, Alwiniel, glanced at her older brother. "I have heard from Elhonir what has happened." She gave Ignika a brief glance. "She killed a wolf because it attacked her. She attacked the watchman because she felt he attacked her. She is but a child Gelluin, her views of the world are so different from ours."

Gelluin shook his head. "Agreed it might have been self-defence, but there is still something very wrong with this child. Why does she not speak? How did she kill that wolf and almost our watchman? A child of her age should know verbal communication and a child of her age can not possible posses the powers to defend herself by draining the Life out of her attackers."

The female creature simply smiled. "All good questions my brother, on which I know not the answer. But you won't find out by angering or threatening her, either."

"Then what do you suggest?" Gelluin demanded impatiently.

"Let me take care of her." Came the reply. "I am a woman as well, perhaps I'm better suited to find the answers on our questions. I do not guarantee success, but let me try, my brother."

Finally Gelluin gave in and he sighed deeply. "The responsibility is yours." He said, before disappearing with the others into the trees.

"Be careful, Alwiniel." Elhonir said to his sister, before leaving as well.

Ignika stared at the female in front of her. She had no idea what had been said just now, but at least the males had left. Now Ignika stood waiting, unsure of what to do. She could leave now. But the female in front of her looked at her with a strange gaze. A quick scan of the memories Ignika held, told her the female was gazing 'warmly' at her. That was a sign of friendliness. The female approached her, but Ignika did not stir, not even when the female kneeled and brought herself on eyelevel with Ignika. Alwiniel stared in Ignika's black eyes. And though she did not show it, she felt a bit uneasy. This girl's eyes had a blank stare, they were almost lifeless. But Alwiniel tried to ignore that and focus on trying to get the girl to trust her. Though Ignika's eyes betrayed little to no emotion, Alwiniel still felt – or believed at least – that this girl was confused and perhaps even frightened.

"I will not hurt you." She told Ignika, her voice gentle and soft. Ignika cocked her head to one side, blinking. She did not understand. Alwiniel sighed silently. Elhonir had told her of this girl's incapability to understand or speak any form of spoken language. This puzzled Alwiniel. She had spoken in Westron, the language most humans used, but this girl had not understood. How was this possible? This girl did not appear poor, so she should know how to speak, like every girl of her age. But apparently not.

Alwiniel pointed at Ignika. "Who are you?" She asked gently, making a puzzled expression as she spoke.

Ignika blinked again, but she thought she had understood the question. This female wished to know her name. Ignika wanted to answer. She moved her lips, but no sound came out. Frustrated, Ignika tried again. This time she focussed intensely on the memories of how speaking sounds, how every letter that made up Ignika's name was pronounced. In her mind Ignika repeated these letters. She combined them into one word until she was sure she had the right combination. She said it in her mind again, focussing this time on the memories on how the lips were to be moved when speaking the letters that made up her name. She repeated that again, this time doing her very best to move her lips in the same fashion. When Ignika was sure she had the correct pronunciation and correct lip-movements in her mind, she took a deep breath. Air was needed to make sounds, after all.

"I…" Startled by the first form of sound leaving her lips, Ignika stopped. She swallowed hard and looked at the female in front of her. Said female was giving her an encouraging look. Ignika took another deep breath. She could do this…

"Ignika." She then said, with a soft and almost genderless voice, while pointing at herself.

--

End of chapter 4. Next chapter, Ignika spends time with Alwiniel, who tries to teach her more of spoken language.