The Maps of Seven and the Trinket of Iris

Chapter 16-17

Chapter 16

A Sight for Sore Eyes: Off to the Temple

Jesub leaned over the starboard side of the boat to watch his reflection in the water. He and Dumago were the only two awake. The morning was calm, and there were no threatening clouds in sight. Jesub twirled his paw in the water and thought of catching butterflies in the fields near the abyss, when he noticed the hint of sand just beyond the ripples he had made.

“There is sand! I see sand and rocks in the water!”

Looking up, Jesub pointed excitedly at the spot of land in the distance, hopping up and down, rocking the boat. Atoria opened her eyes and looked about and then put her paw to her brow. Klever shuffled about, for he felt nauseous again.

“He is right! There is a patch of land ahead,” Atoria said sleepily.

“I do not see anything,” Klever groaned.

“That is because you are looking down at the water, Klever. Look to the north.”

“I do not think I can look at the moment, Atoria. My stomach is at war, perhaps with the fish I ate last night.”

“All right, Jesub, calm down, or you will capsize the vessel,” Atoria urged in concern for Klever’s sudden illness, amused at the sight of Jesub’s youthfulness. Klever held onto the portside and waited for the rocking motion to steady. When the rocking calmed, he sighed gratefully.

“Thank goodness,” Klever said beneath his breath as he looked out at the sea with great disdain for its essence: water. His words were still audible to all onboard, but none of them reminded him it was so. Klever had been through more than enough to earn their reverence.

“I was beginning to tire of the birds above circling about. I have no idea what all their fuss is about. They act as if we have taken one of their relatives as a hostage! How long until we reach the shore Dumago?”

“It will be but less than the hour, indeed. You must try to manage.”

“He will be all right,” the lady beast said calmly.

“Thank you, Atoria. You know, you are the only one that I would allow to rub my back this way.”

“You could not pay me any amount of Ruben to rub your back like that!”

“I thought that is what friends were for, Jesub! Scratch my back, and in return, I will scratch yours!”

“Poppycock rubbish . . . ! I am your friend, but I have my limits!”

Klever and Jesub burst out into laughter. Atoria chuckled and then retired to the stern of the boat to clean herself. Dumago glanced at her, and when she discovered him, he looked away. Jesub looked at Dumago and then at Klever who had just turned his eyes away from Atoria, and they burst out into laughter again. A quiet laugh escaped Teropen’s subdued mouth. Atoria paused, from cleaning her fur, and shot Teropen a ferocious scolding. The two young ones became more rowdy, laughing even harder. It was then that Teropen wished he were blindfolded better so that he could not make out her rigid image.

“Perhaps we should unbind Teropen here so that he will not start his whining . . .” Dumago said as he looked over at Atoria, who had just finished cleaning her fur. He tried not to stare, for she had eyes that could scold from a mile away. The color of her eyes was hypnotizing. Dumago tore his eyes away from hers, pretending to adjust the paddle.

“Fine. I suppose if he truly gets on your nerves,” Atoria replied plainly as she went to release the warlukite. Gagging, Teropen looked around as though he were opening his eyes for the first time. The light hurt his eyes, for they had been covered for days, and his mouth was dry from each time Atoria had crammed the cloth into it unforgivably. Now, he did thirst and begged for refreshment.