When the Storm Began to Whisper | Lyrion's Journey – Episode 2

Children often notice changes long before they understand them. A different tone of voice. An unfamiliar silence. A feeling that something isn't quite the way it used to be.

While adults may explain these moments with facts, children often experience them first through questions.

In this chapter of Lyrion's Journey, a storm settles over Glimmerwood, and Lyrion begins to sense that even familiar places can sometimes feel uncertain. As he searches for answers, parents and children are gently reminded that courage doesn't begin with having all the answers—it begins with being willing to ask honest questions and knowing there is someone safe enough to ask.

Take a few moments to read together, then ask your child: "Have you ever had a feeling that something was different, even if you couldn't explain why?"

Sometimes the conversations that begin with simple questions become the ones children remember most.

 

Rain tapped softly against the cottage windows as gray clouds rolled over Glimmerwood. What had begun as a gentle drizzle had become a restless storm. Wind twisted through the towering trees, bending their branches until they groaned like ancient voices sharing forgotten secrets.

Lyrion rested his chin on the windowsill, watching the forest hide behind sheets of rain. Silver flashes of lightning briefly flooded the woods before darkness swallowed them once again. He had never seen the sky so unsettled. It was as though Glimmerwood itself was holding its breath.

Behind him, his mother sat beside the fireplace with a basket in her lap. She smiled to herself as she carefully stitched the tear in his favorite trousers—the same tear he'd made chasing a young deer through the meadow only yesterday. The memory made her chuckle.

"Lyrion," she said without looking up. "One day those deer are going to decide you're too slow to keep up."

A small smile crossed his face. "I almost caught him."

"Almost."

For a few moments, only the sound of rain filled the room. Then Lyrion spoke again. "Mom..."

"Yes, sweetheart?"

He continued watching the rain and didn't turn around. "Do you think animals get scared during storms?"

His mother paused, resting her needle between her fingers. "I imagine some do," she answered gently. "The smallest creatures probably look for shelter. Birds tuck themselves beneath thick branches. Foxes return to their dens. Even the bravest animals know when it's wise to be still."

Lyrion nodded thoughtfully. "What about the ones who live alone?"

His mother looked up now. "The ones with no family?"

"Mm-hmm."

She smiled softly. "I don't know."

Lyrion rested his back against the window and turned towards her. "I always thought the forest took care of everyone."

"It usually does."

"Usually?"

She looked at her son and briefly hesitated. "The forest is beautiful, Lyrion, but even beautiful places can sometimes be deceiving."

"You've never said that before." He walked closer so he could see her better in the dim light.

"No."

"Why?"

His mother laid the trousers beside her. "Because until recently..." She looked toward the rain-covered window. "...it wasn't true."

Thunder rolled across the valley as Lyrion returned to the window. The rain had become so heavy that the trees blurred together like shadows beneath the water. Something made him keep watching. His eyes drifted farther into the forest than they ever had before. He was uneasy, because something didn't feel right. Not frightening… just different.

The lantern hanging outside the cottage swayed wildly as another gust of wind rushed through the trees. Then another flash of lightning lit up the forest. For only a heartbeat, the woods glowed white.

Lyrion froze. Deep between the trees stood a large, dark figure. It was perfectly still. Watching.

Lyrion leaned closer to the glass. Lightning flashed. The loud boom of thunder shook the window. He rubbed his eyes and stared into the night. It was gone. There was only rain.

"Mom..."

"Yes?"

"I think..." He hesitated. "I thought I saw someone."

She stood and walked beside him. Together they searched the forest but only saw rain and a dark mist hovering above the ground.

"I don't see anyone," she said gently.

Lyrion wasn't convinced. "It had eyes."

His mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Storms can play tricks on us."

Maybe they could. But deep inside... Lyrion wasn't sure this storm was playing at all. As another clap of thunder echoed through Glimmerwood, something answered from somewhere beyond the trees. It wasn't thunder. It wasn't the wind. It was low. Deep. And far enough away that only someone listening carefully would have noticed. A deep growl echoed within the storm.

Lyrion looked toward the forest once more. For the first time, he wondered if there was something living beneath Glimmerwood's branches that hadn’t been found.

 

Thank you for visiting the Glimmerwood Kingdom, one of the many magical places within the Starlight Realm, where every adventure helps courage, kindness, and imagination grow.

Join us next week as Lyrion's journey continues in Episode 3. Because sometimes the greatest mysteries don't begin with what we see... they begin with the questions we're brave enough to ask.

 — Written with care by W. L. Shaw, creator of Fanciful Tales