Echoes of Harmony

Lyra’s small, calloused fingers, usually adept at weaving reeds or shaping clay, now danced across the strings of a lute. It was a human instrument, crafted with a care that still felt alien to her, yet the notes that spilled from it were as familiar as the rustle of leaves in the ancient forest. She sat in a sun-dappled clearing, a place that had once been reserved for quiet contemplation, but now buzzed with the gentle murmur of conversation between her kin and the humans who had, against all odds, become their neighbours.

The lute had been a gift from Aris, a quiet offering after the storm had passed. He had seen her humming to herself one evening, a strange, melodic sound that had caught his linguist’s ear. He’d brought her the instrument, explaining its purpose with