Ruth always loved the sunrise. Almost as much as she hated the dark. Mother always left lit candles in her room, and they became beacons of comfort. But they were fragile and there were nights when they went out early, and all Ruth could experience was the void. It terrified her. A child’s imagination was wild and Ruth’s was no exception. She imagined monsters with impossibly sharp teeth or long tendrils, ever since Teacher taught her about the monsters that fought their people.

  The pictures they showed her featured an unimaginable host of warriors fighting a rolling coiling mass of monsters. Horrorlim, Teacher called them. The sign for them conveyed great terror, a gnashing of teeth and outstretched arms like jaws. They hadn’t finished the story yet, so Ruth had no idea how it ended. Ever since that lesson, Ruth was petrified by the dark. But all that fear melted away with the sunrise. The faintest flecks of golden light welcomed themselves into her room. The beautiful light combined with her eternal silence was comforting. She felt peace and safety.

  She laid in her covers, content to watch the rising sun, not willing to embrace the day just yet. Unfortunately, Mother had other plans. With a wave, Mother trotted gently into the room. She had to turn to the side so her antlers fit through the door frame. Ruth burrowed into the sheets, as if they would take her away to a land of sleep.

  Mother slowly lifted the covers and smiled. “Good morning,” she signed.

  Ruth pouted before signing back sloppily, “Good morning.”

  Mother’s eyes twinkled in amusement and a gentle smile lit her face. “Come on. You have lessons today.” Ruth grumbled. At least it might have been a grumble. Her throat made some kind of noise but she didn’t know what it was. Whatever it was, it didn’t make Mother happy. Her smile faded. “What’s wrong?” she signed.

  “I don’t wanna go.” Ruth signed back in a messy blur of motion.

  Mother’s eyes softened as understanding entered her face. There were little micro expressions most people would miss. Yet Ruth was able to see them, hints of concern and sadness. Mother told her once that her deafness meant her other senses were better. She said that it made her special. Mother took a seat next to Ruth. “Why not?”

  “Last time the story scared me.”

  Mother’s hands were slow and calculating, as if she wanted to be precise in her wording. “But don’t you want to know how it ends? It has a happy ending.”

  Ruth tilted her head. “How? The good guys were about to die.”

  Mother’s smile returned. “If you go to the lesson, you’ll find out how. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.” She held out her arms gently and pulled Ruth into a hug.

  …………

  Ruth smiled happily as she took in the warm morning light. The golden hued grass felt cool as she ran her fingers through the smooth flecks of foliage. The faintest wisps of wind caressed her skin and her yellow dress. Gargantuan golden-brown trees dotted the lands, crowned by bronzed and yellow pine needles. It was as if the world held her in their warm embrace.

  But then Ruth saw the humanoid figures in the trees.

  Fellow Benelim, glaring at her with glowing eyes of bitterness. They were calling out to them, shouting something or other. They’d been there every morning, pointing at her, gesturing at her. One time they signed something and Mother forced Ruth to look away before she could read it. Ruth didn’t understand it. Why did they hate her? She hadn’t done anything to them! Why were they so mean?

  A gentle tug from Mother got her moving again. Ruth held her hand, and faced forward. That was what Mother told her to do, just face forward, ignore the “mean people in the trees” and keep moving. Aunt Kathy flanked Ruth’s other side. They kept her close and safe, like twin guardians of comfort. Ruth asked Mother why they didn’t like her so much. Mother promised to tell her when she’s older.

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  Ruth wished Mother would teach her more of the whisper signs, it would make signing to them easier when they held her hands so tight. Only once they cleared the area did their grips loosen.

  They stopped at the temple first. It was a meek structure carved out of an outcropping of stone. Mother always said they must pay their respects to the Gods once a day. Offerings were welcome but a stroll and a bow would suffice. A simple gesture, taking a few minutes out of the day to thank the Gods for all they had done for them. The temple was mostly empty, which suited them fine.

  The guards regarded them with a cold stoicism as they gestured inward. Mother told her it was merely part of the job and that they weren’t like the others on the trees. It still made Ruth nervous and she shifted uncomfortably as they entered the dim lighting of the temple. Mother turned to her. “Can you see me?” she signed.

  Ruth squinted, it was dim but as her eyes adjusted more it was good enough. Mother stood with a patient smile, a calming presence in the dark. Ruth nodded.

  Mother beamed and they continued on. They entered the sanctuary, a modest and spacious room dimly lit by red, gold and white candles. At each side of the room stood statues. Two on the left, two on the right. In the far back stood two more, bigger than the others.

  Aunt Kathy turned to Ruth. “Do you remember which God is which from class?” she signed.

  Ruth nodded, smiling.

  “Show us,” signed Mother.

  Ruth bounded over to the right most statue first. It depicted a tall man in leathery clothes and fur cloaks. A immense longbow was strapped to his back, it reminded Ruth of Mother’s, except bigger. One of his hands was missing, not that it stopped him. His face was serene and patient. Ruth bowed curtly to the statue before she began. She signed eagerly, her gestures nearly unreadable in her excitement. “Venatus, God of the Hunt, Protector of Fauna.”

  “Dominus Venatus,” signed Mother. “You must not forget their titles.”

  Ruth cringed and she shrunk back, shaking her head. She signed her apologies.

  Mother gave a reassuring grin. “It was fine otherwise! Keep going.”

  Ruth’s spirits perked and she leapt to the next statue. It featured a woman in a long dress with giant wings jutted out behind her. Her face was gentle and had a soft smile on her lips. Ruth bowed. “Domina Amare, Goddess of Healing and Fertility, Protector of Flora.”

  Mother and Aunt Kathy nodded encouragingly. Ruth went to the other side of the sanctuary. She didn’t recognize these two Gods yet. She shook her head. She turned instead to the two statues in the back. They depicted a man and a woman in long robes and matching headdresses. They held each other’s hand and the other was outstretched. They looked noticeably older and more wrinkled.

  Ruth bowed, deeper than the others. She gestured to the woman before signing, “Domina Terra, Protector of the Earth, Creator of the Benelim.” She pointed at the man. “Dominus Omnitus, Lord of All, the Shattered One.”

  Aunt Kathy signed excitedly, “Very good! I’m sure the Gods would be proud of you!” She gestured to Ruth to come closer and the two embraced.

  Ruth turned to Mother. She raised her arms to sign but the gestures were slow, as if she was figuring out what to say. “Mother? Why is Dominus Omnitus called the Shattered One?”

  Mother’s eyes flicked to Aunt Kathy’s before she signed back. “We’ll tell you when you’re older.”

  Ruth frowned, she saw concern on Mother’s face, though she tried to hide it.

  ………………….

  After leaving the temple, Ruth and her parents came to another tree, a massive and ancient oak with many stairs carved into the bark and ladders draping off the branches. Other children and their parents were there. They were uniformly Benelim, most of them had brown skin, with the occasional pale outlier. Their eyes glowed faintly yellow and blue, and their ears were pointed. Ruth sighed. How come her eyes didn’t glow? And why were her ears rounded? If her ears were pointed, would she not be deaf?

  Ruth tugged at Mother’s arm before signing. “How come my eyes don’t glow like the other kids?”

  Mother’s eyes flicked to Aunt Kathy’s again. “You’re just a late bloomer, that’s all,” signed Aunt Kathy.

  There was a hint of nervousness on Aunt Kathy’s face that made Ruth skeptical. The micro-expressions didn’t lie after all. Ruth was getting annoyed with all these secrets.

  “Everything will be alright, you’ll see. Now run along, you don’t want to miss class,” signed Mother as she gestured to the ladder.

  Ruth climbed up the ladder, and a small crowd of children joined her. Ruth waved to Mother and Aunt Kathy, who smiled gently and waved back in turn.

  “Be a good girl,” signed Aunt Kathy. “We have a surprise for you later!”