Whisper of Silence

"Wait! Wait!"

I step out into the warm summer air, shielding my eyes against the bright sunlight.

The summer sun hangs high in the blue sky above our village of Aldenvik. I've lived here all my life - every hill, every ancient oak and silver birch is like an old friend. The rolling landscape stretches in every direction, peaceful and familiar.

I fidget with the hem of my dress, a nervous habit Mom's always scolding me for.

A movement at the forest's edge catches my eye. Claire's voice rings out between the houses as she chases the dragon-lizard. It's beautiful - no bigger than old Mrs. Hedda's cat, with scales that catch the light like the crystals in Gondo's workshop.

"Just a moment!" Claire calls out. I smile - she's already out of breath, her braids coming undone like they always do when she gets excited.

The creature seems to be playing with her, and I can't help but laugh. It swoops down just low enough to get her hopes up, then darts away at the last second. Around and around the old stone well it goes, its dragonfly-like wings creating tiny rainbows in the water spray. I cover my mouth to stifle a giggle - it's like watching a dance where only one partner knows the steps.

"Julie! Julie!" Claire shouts. "Help me catch it!"

I run to join her, my own excitement building. We chase it through the villagers' lush gardens, the air sweet with lilies and roses. The little trickster leads us through carefully tended rows of carrots and onions, making us zigzag and stumble after it.

"Sorry, Mrs. Hedda! Sorry, Mr. Lars!" I call out, my face burning with embarrassment. Great, now Mom will hear about this at the market tomorrow.

We run past house after house - I know every one of them, every creaky board and weathered beam. The dragon-lizard suddenly swoops toward the wheat field, sending ripples through the golden stalks.

"Julie, Julie! Look up there!" Claire bounces on her toes, pointing frantically. "On the roof! Can you believe how pretty it is? Look at those wings - they're like rainbow glass!"

I try to focus where she's pointing, but a strange sound catches my attention. Whispers, soft and distant, like when you try to hear what your parents are saying from another room. My head feels fuzzy, and for a moment, everything seems far away.

"Oh my gosh, Julie, its tail! Did you see how it curled up? And those scales - they shine just like Gondo's prettiest gems!" Claire grabs my arm, shaking me in her excitement. "It's looking right at us! Julie, are you even watching?"

I blink hard, trying to clear my head. The whispers fade as quickly as they came, but they leave behind a chill that makes me shiver despite the warm day.

"What? I..." I stammer, still feeling strange.

"You totally missed it!" Claire's excitement shifts to concern. "It was the most amazing thing ever, and you were standing there like you were sleeping or something. Are you okay?"

"I just... I heard these weird whispers and-"

"Whispers? What whispers? Never mind that - you should have seen it! The way it moved was so graceful, like a dancer or something, and when it spread its wings-" Claire stops suddenly, studying my face. "You really don't look so good. Maybe we should get something to eat? I think I smell fresh bread from the square."

I manage a weak smile, grateful she's not pushing about the whispers anymore. "Yeah, that sounds good."

We start walking down the main street, but Claire can't stop talking about the dragon-lizard. "Wait till I tell everyone at dinner! A real dragon-lizard, right here in Aldenvik! Even if it was tiny. I wonder if it lives in the forest? Maybe we could find it again tomorrow? Though you'd have to actually look at it this time instead of daydreaming about weird whispers..."

I nod along, only half-listening as we make our way toward the square. The cobblestones are warm under our feet, and the afternoon sun makes everything look golden. We're about to turn onto Baker's Lane to find the source of that bread smell when Claire suddenly grabs my arm.

"Oh! Look!" She points toward the square. "The Millbrook traders are here already! That's a way bigger cart than last year!"

She's right - a massive cart stands in the center of the square, surrounded by what looks like half the village. The smell of fresh bread mixes with dust and horse sweat, and everyone seems to be talking at once.

"I hope they brought more grain than last year," Claire says, practically dragging me forward. "Winter was long and-"

She stops short, and I nearly bump into her. The crowd around the cart parts just enough for us to see the huge pile of grain sacks, and Claire's grip on my arm tightens with excitement. All thoughts of dragon-lizards and mysterious whispers fade away as we watch the bustling trade unfold before us.