Into the Runes

Lyela's Song

Lyela stood by the hearth, staring into the large iron cauldron that was suspended above the fire. She watched the water simmer as the heat of the fire warmed her skin till it burned, but she didn't move. Scratching at her rune that sat where her neck and right shoulder met absentmindedly, Lyela began to hum.

As the humming turned into softly singing, her rune began to warm up as it did when she used her gift. She held her fingertips to the black rune on her neck as she sang an old lullaby her grandmother taught her. Lyela's grandmother also had a rune that gave her the gift of song.

Just as Lyela closed her eyes to slip into her song, the door of the cabin cracked open. Lyela's daughter came running in, crying. She had her hands pressed to her eyes while she hid behind the wall of her long black hair.

"Laika, baby," cooed Lyela, pushing herself away from the hearth. "What's wrong?"

Lyela kneeled next to Laika as the girl's thin body shook. Laika's hair was tangled and her plain dress was torn and dirty as if she had been playing in the brambles. When Laika didn't answer, Lyela tried to pry the child's hands away, but she screamed and crumbled.

"Oh, my dear," said Lyela as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Please tell me what is the matter."

"They hate me, Mama," wailed Laika. "They spit at me and call me names! Push me into the thorns" Laika brought her head out of hands revealing wet eyes and the golden rune etched across the right side of her face. There were thin red scratches all over her face and arms as evidence that they really did push her into thorns.

"Laika," whispered Lyela. She stood up and went to a cupboard where she pulled out a pull full of herbs and ointments. Lyela attempted to smear healing ointment on Laika's arms, but she pulled away and smacked the bowl from Lyela's hands. Herbs scattered across the wooden floor. Lyela whimpered, unsure what to do. Laika's small body shook with sobs.

Lyela shuffled on her knees over to Laika as she said, "Don't listen to them, darling. You're beautiful and a normal child just likes them." Again Lyela tried to smooth down Laika's hair, to comfort her child in any way, but Laika stepped away, quivering.

Laika shook her head back and forth frantically. "You know that's not true, Mama. Look at my face! It's ugly." Little Laika pulled her hands away from her face, revealing shimmering golden lines that stretched across her right eye and spread out to her hairline covering the tops of her cheeks and her temple. It was a golden rune, much different from the normal black runes that are supposed to be on the neck. Runes that give the wearer a talent, though Lyela still didn't know what Laika's talent was.

"They say I'm evil because I don't have a rune like everyone else," Laika cried.

Lyela's blood boiled and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from running outside and screaming at the rest of the village. How dare they treat a child this way?

"No, my sunlight," Lyela began, grabbing Laika by the shoulders to look her directly in the eye. "No, you are not ugly. You are not evil. You are unique, Laika. You are as beautiful as--"

"You are as beautiful as your mother." At the door stood Aum, and Laika jumped up and ran over to her father.

"Papa," cried Laika, burying her face into Aum's thigh. Aum sunk down and held Laika to his chest and he kissed her head.

"You must ignore them, my golden love," Aum said as he rubbed Laika's back. He then pulled her away from him to look her in her bright blue eyes.

Lyela was shaking as she looked at her broken child. She knew not what to say to make it better, though she knew Aum did.

"Your rune," whispered Aum as he wiped away Laika's tears with his thumb. "Your rune is different, yes, but have you noticed how beautiful it is?"

"I don't care," screeched Laika, balling her fists and gritting her teeth. "I hate it! What is it?" Laika shook herself from her father's grasped and stood rigid, her face scrunched at the nose and her tiny fists clenched so tight her knuckles were turning white.

Lyela knelt next to Aum and tried to reach out to Laika, but she pulled away again.

"Baby, baby," said Aum as he caught Laika into his arms. Laika squirmed and hit her little fists against Aum's chest, though he still held her tight. Lyela joined them, putting Laika in between. Laika continued to thrash, so Lyela began to sing.

Lyela sang the lullaby that was passed down through generations of her family of music rune wearers. Lyela's voice was hypnotizing and it seems as if the whole universe stopped to listen to her song.

Soon, Laika's thrashing and screaming turned into sobbing. Then sobbing lowered into sniffling. Tears continued to stream down Laika's face and soon enough, Lyela began to sing again. She filled the heavy space around them with a melody so sweet that it made Laika feel like she was floating.

Lyela's song, which was sung in her native tongue, blanketed her daughter, soaking into every muscle to every tear. Laika drifted into a restful sleep and Lyela carried her to her bed. Lyela crawled into the bed with her daughter, still quietly singing her song.