The Whispering Forest

Located at the core of Eldoria, where magic was as plentiful as water was to its people, was the Whispering Forest. Every tale will mention how the trees held deep secrets the brave would listen to. The villagers residing near it were in love with the forest but feared the consequences of coming any closer. Only one of the villagers was unaffected by that fear, a girl named Elara. She was eager to find out what lay inside.

Elara had always been a bit of an outsider in this village. She was unlike the others who were content with existing a simple life, Elara wished for a life full of excitement and magic. One such beautiful evening, just when the sun was setting throwing a golden glow everywhere, she revolved around the idea of visiting the woods. She felt excitement and trepidation as she stepped into the underbrush forcing its way through hostile plant life.

The further she moved into the woods the more captivating it slickened. The trees loomed above her glistening in green and golden hues. All of a sudden, a soft voice reached Elara’s ears. ‘Turn back’ or so it seemed to say. But instead of retreating, her inquisitiveness was stoked. ‘Who is there?’ she raised her voice.

When a small, stylish blue-winged girl with starry eyes appeared from behind one of the trees, it caught her off guard. “I am Lirael, the one who watches over the trees,” she stated, the voice ringing like bells. “Not many come to our land simply to browse.”

“I want to have a quick trip, Elara responded without any hint of timidity. “I would like to see beyond my village.”

Lirael searched her face for the answer for a second, then seemed to agree at last. ‘Okay. But remember: there is darkness behind every glittering beauty inside the forest’. Lirael waved her little hand and so Elara was encouraged to proceed further into the jungle.

As they traveled, Elara saw things that were even more magical than her wild imaginings—flowers whose petals glowed and produced soft sounds when the moon was high and rivers flowing with silver water.