A Word a Day

Day Nine: Fingers

        A small child with golden blond hair frolicked in a grove of cherry trees, the pink leaves falling down around her like something out of a fairy tale. She donned a white dress, belaying her innocence, her toes bare against the cod, soft earth. Her face was lit up by a beautiful smile, her odd lavendar eyes twinkling, for she knew not of the odd beings watching her every movement.

        "Are you sure this is her?" Johan muttered in disbelief, his long brown hair laced with twigs and leaves.

        Cordula rolled her lumescent eyes in exasperation, returning the hoarse whisper. "Of course I'm sure. Look at her eyes. This is the girl the queen was talking about," she hissed. "We aren't to question our orders, only bring her to the queen."

        Clearly distraught and confused, the scholarly Johan nodded, and Cordula liked to think that he was submitting to her superior intellect. Truth be told, however, she knew that despite his generally submissive nature, this was not the case. More likely, he had once again lost himself in his own thoughts and she wouldn't be getting a cohorent sentence out of him for many minuttes. Not that she minded. She'd wait.

        After what seemed like ages, Johan spoke up. "Well, if you're sure, I suppose we should make haste and take in the child?" His words were more of an inquiry than a statement, and Cordula shrugged. To her relief, Johan took that to mean she'd take care of the matter. He was never particularly skilled in such fragile affairs; despite his graceful nature, he really was quite the clutz.

        Taking her leave, Cordula dropped out of the tree she had been perched in, yet the child did not turn her head. Pink lips turning downward in a tight frown, Cordula merely stared after the young girl for a moment, her purple hair being graced by the pink and white petals of the cherry blossoms. Soon, however, she tired of just standing there, waiting for the child to acknowledge her prescence.

        "Hello, Child," she called out, drawing near with footsteps that made not a sound on the velvetty earth, her golden eyes fixed upon the girl intently. However, the child did not turn.

        Frowning, Cordula drew closer still, calling out once more. "Little girl, would you turn to face me?"

        Still, no reaction.

        Suddenly quite annoyed, Cordula took three long strides so she was standing just above the child, her arms crossed in frustration. "Girl! I bid you turn to face me!" The child did not look in her direction. Angry, Cordula grasped her arm so she could not ignore her anymore.

        As soon as she touched the little maiden, the girl swung around with a start, mouth falling open to form a silent 'o' of surprise. When her odd little eyes fell upon Cordula, they inexplicably lit up, and the faerie woman felt the child's gaze lingering to her white-tipped black wings in awe.

        "Why did you ignore me?" Cordula spat, and the child's face instantly turned from awed to frightened, and she shrunk away wordlessly.

        Cordula started closer to the girl.

        "I said, why did you ignore me!"

        No answer aside from a frightened visage.

        Cordula stomped her foot on the ground, feeling her temper rising. "Answer me, you little--"

        "I don't think she can hear you," a soft voice said from behind her.

        Cordula whirled to face Johan, who somehow managed to descend the tree on his own without falling, despite his cloven hooves. "What?" she spat, unable to contain her fury.

        "I don't she can hear you," Johan repeated, light green eyes boring into her.

        "But how is that possible? She's just in front of me!"

        Johan wasn't looking at Cordula anymore; instead, his gaze fixed powerfuly upon the terrified child with her back pressed against a cherry blossom tree. "I don't think she can hear anything," he whispered sympathetically.

        "But that's preposterous! How--"

        The male faerie looked up and gave her a stern frown. "I think she's deaf."

        Alarm colored Cordula's mystically beautiful face. "What? Are you suggesting the queen's chosen one is... deficient?"

        Johan knelt down beside the girl, offering her a weak smile, which she returned shakily. "She's not deficient," he said quietly, fitting hisslender hand into the child's. "She's just... different. Special."

        Cordula looked quite annoyed by now. "How can you say that? She can't even speak?"

        The girl began giggling, tugging at the leaves and branches that entwined Johan's hair. "I can teach her," he responded vaguely, the majority of his attention now on the child.

        "How?" Cordula spat. "She can't even hear you!"

        "There are other ways for her to communicate," Johan answered with a shrug.

        "How, pray tell?"

        Johan opened his hand slowly, splaying out his fingers. The little girl smiled with delight and did the same, pressing her hand against his.

        "With her fingers."