Callum watches as Aaravos's mouth opens, no words escaping the elf, golden eyes widening. The look of anguished pain is gone, replaced by shock and dawning realization.

"Oh shit," Callum breathes, and suddenly realizes that he can't hear himself either.

Aaravos raises one eyebrow, a silent You think? clear on his face.

Then slender fingers are twisting into familiar signs, Are you alright? Aaravos asks.

I can't hear, Callum says, wondering just when Aaravos had learned to sign. Some signs appear to have been slightly modified as elves only have four fingers to human's five.

Neither can I, says Aaravos, nor do I think I can speak.

Callum winces. I'm sorry. I only wanted to help.

Aaravos seems to sigh. I know.

As it is, Aaravos continues, this may wear off. It may be temporary.

I didn't mean to...do whatever this is, Callum says, gesturing helplessly.

I know. Aaravos says again and adds, It's actually rather impressive. He offers Callum a wry smile. You are quite powerful, little najima.

It's strange seeing the endearment finger-spelled rather than the fluid movements that make up most signs.

I'm sorry, Callum says again. How do we fix this?

First, what was your intention in casting the spell? Aaravos asks. We'll go from there.

I just wanted to take away the pain, Callum says after taking a moment to decipher just what the elf is trying to say. I tried to do what I did last time.

With the ice? Aaravos asks.

Yes, Callum says, and Aaravos frowns.

I do not know if that would have quite worked as you intended, Callum, Aaravos says, Though your spell has had...interesting consequences…

If losing one's hearing and voice is interesting, Callum wonders what Aaravos finds hilarious. Maybe all elves have strange senses of humor…Rayla certainly does.

You cast with a stronger intention than before, Aaravos continues, and there is warm pride in his eyes as he watches Callum. You've managed to do something that I have been unable to do for years.

And what's that? Callum asks.

You took away the fog, Aaravos says and Callum isn't imagining it; there are tears in the elf's eyes, trickles of starlight that flow down his dark face. You gave me back a precious gift I did not even know I had, little najima.

But we can't speak or hear, Callum says, even as he smiles at Aaravos's evident joy. I don't know if that's an equal trade.

It is trivial compared to this, Aaravos says, brushing his tears away. And think of it as a lesson in patience.

Callum winces again.

What you have done, Callum, Aaravos says, and there is a strange hesitancy now to the way the elf spells his name, fingers trembling. Is re-created a spell that was used by my people in teaching. We use it so that a child may learn to cast without words, using only their will to guide their magic.

You cast without words? Callum asks.

Yes, Sihr, Aaravos says, and again there is that shiver down Callum's spine at the word.

What is that word? Callum asks. You used it earlier.

It means...magic, Aaravos says. It is the name that your father might have given you upon your birth. We divine our children's names from the stars themselves and though your mother, Sarai, named you Callum, Sihr, is the name that speaks to your soul.

You divined my name? Callum asks. Why?

I did not divine it, Aaravos says, shaking his head, It came to me while I dreamed.

The name that speaks to his soul...Callum isn't sure if he quite likes the feeling the spoken or signed name gives him. It's as if someone is walking over his grave.

Something must show on Callum's face, for Aaravos signs, Forgive me, I do not mean to use a name that makes you uncomfortable, little one.

Is there a way to make it...not feel weird? Callum asks. Like someone is not walking over my grave?

Aaravos frowns, clearly mulling something over in his mind.

I am...unsure, little najima, Aaravos says, I will try if you wish me to.

Callum considers it for a moment. Maybe after we've solved, he waves a hand between them, this?

Everything is crystalline and clear in Aaravos's mind, bright and vivid as a summer's dawn. And oh, he remembers.

And before him, with bright green eyes and glittering star-marks, is his son. His child.

There is a fierce protectiveness that has begun to well up inside him, scorching as dragon's fire. He will see his child safe.

But how could he even begin to tell Callum the truth? How could he tell him why Sarai had thought him dead? Callum doesn't even know the name that Aaravos would have given him, the knowledge of its very existence strangely alien to the half-elf child. And why did it jar Callum so to hear it spoken? Or signed even?

Aaravos muses over the problem, then pushes it aside as Callum had asked him to. Right now, the more pressing issue is that of removing the Silence.

Well, Aaravos thinks with a wry smile, he could just do that himself now. Callum has managed to destroy the chains that wove so insidiously through Aaravos's magic, unlocking that which was long held at bay. Aaravos may be missing the heart of his power still, sunken into the depths of the ocean with his lost apprentice, but he has so much more now.

He begins weaving together symbols, thinking back to his own childhood so very long ago, finding the proper runes, a wisp of memory coming back to him as he does.

"Remember youngling, it's all in the wrists. You must twist just so to make your lines neat or your spells shall ever go awry. Shaky lines makes for ill spellwork, remember that now."

Aaravos pushes power through the symbols, focusing on Callum, on his bloodline and twisting magic through that connection.

The air shivers. Blood connections make spells stronger, which is no doubt why Callum's spell had done far more than he'd intended.

Something akin to pride thrums through him, delight at this child who has defied the odds to learn magic, with a power to rattle the stars in their very heavens. Aaravos can sense it, the deep well of magic that Callum carries within him, the power that roils like the sea in a storm, pure and bright as any star.

There is an audible snap and Aaravos feels the Silence shatter like broken glass, allowing words and sound to come once more.

"Ah," Aaravos sighs, and Callum realizes that he can hear him again. "That's better."

"How did you-?" Callum asks.

Aaravos chuckles, and the sound is warm and fond. "I cast a dispelling of the Silence," he explains. "Here, let me show you again," he draws the symbols slower, and Callum etches them into his memory, noting each curve as Aaravos draws them. "If you cast the Silence again, on accident or otherwise," Aaravos says, "This will undo it."

"Okay," Callum says, something tense uncoiling in his chest that he hadn't even known was there. If he messed up again, he could fix it. He knew how to fix it. "Sorry about...that," he apologizes again.

"Even the most powerful of Archmages was once a small child, filled with wonder and little restraint," Aaravos says, smiling ruefully. "Patience comes with time, Callum."

Callum opens his mouth to ask a question and yawns widely instead.

"You should rest, little najima," Aaravos murmurs. "I will still be here to talk with you later. You have cast powerful magic this night and need to rest fully."

"I mean, I'm technically asleep alread-"

Callum jolts awake as icy water splashes his face.

"What the-!" he sputters as he sits up, wiping the water away.

"Finally!" Rayla says, corking the waterskin and tossing it back onto her bedroll. "You've been out for ages! I tried everything to get you up, yelling in your ear, poking you in the ribs, I even got Zym to fan you with his wings. If this didn't work, I was about ready to dunk you in the pond."

Zym chirps from beside Rayla, blinking wide eyes and nosing at Callum's boots.

Callum takes a deep breath, wincing. So that was why his ribs hurt a bit, she must have been poking a while. "Sorry," he says. "It was...just a bit shocking to...see that..."

"The diamonds, you mean?" Rayla asks, crouching beside him, eyes intent and surprisingly serious.

"Yeah," Callum says, and brushes back his hair, revealing his ears. "My dad was an elf. I'm only half-human."

A/N: Hi guys, I know it's been a while since the last update. I was recently hospitalized and we're still trying to figure out if it's anything serious so updates are going to be on a back burner until that's settled.

I'm going to try for a twice a month update schedule for this, but if that doesn't pan out we'll go to a monthly schedule.

Thank you all for your kind reviews, they give me the drive to keep going.

Edit: Been out of the hospital for a bit, we've got follow-up with a doctor to figure stuff out. Doing pretty okay at the moment. Lots of rest. Thank you all for the kind words and concern.