Chapter Fifteen - Asteroidea
"So wait - who are you again?" Iris tilted her head. "This is all very confusin' and where'd ya take the little ones?"
Brigan smiled patiently and adjusted his mushroom-like cap again. "My name is Brigan and I'm just an apprentice here in Nettlehelm. We're going to help you, Iris, I promise. And your siblings, such as we can. Really, there's nothing that can harm you at all."
Nodding, the oldest of the Trubor siblings looked around the small, circular room, taking in its details. The walls were not walls at all; from the floorboards to the ceiling (which was nearly 12 feet high) were ancient bookcases made of some richest darkest wood she had ever seen. The places where books had been moved lately were glossy and fine, but mostly they were laced in a powdery layer dust. More books than she had even imagined existed lined each of the shelves. There didn't appear to be any obvious order, tall books next to short ones, red next to blue or green or brown, leather-bound beside those which were just sewn together with thick, heavy thread. Some had printing that shone like gold and silver, others were so faded she couldn't make them out at all. Here and there upon the shelves were curios and small boxes and small statues or carvings. There was a star-shaped creature at eye level, dried out like an old husk, but oddly beautiful with its pattern of ridges and graceful long limbs. It captured her attention so fully, that she heard absolutely nothing of whatever it was the Brigan was explaining to her.
"...so we need to find the maegabairn. Do- do you have any questions, Miss Trubor?"
She blinked. "P-pardon?"
The young man smiled, shaking his head. "You did not hear a word I said, did you?"
Blushing, Iris nodded. "N-no, I'm so sorry Brigan. Its just... " Her eyes drifted back to the strange star-shaped husk and she moved toward it. "What is this? What is it made of?"
Brigan gingerly picked up the object she indicated and held it out toward her. "This is a starfish; well, the dried remains of one. They're sea creatures, they live in the shallows mostly and they-" He turned it over on his palm, showing her the intricate underside. "Have mouths on this side. They actually vomit their stomachs into mussels and clams and oysters and eat them that way."
"That's disgusting," Iris commented, peering down at the starfish in awe. "They sure don't look like any fish I ever saw."
"No, I don't suppose they do. Have you ever seen the sea, Iris?"
She shook her head.
"There are so many wonders in the ocean. These starfish are just one of them. You know, if they are attacked and lose an arm or even more, they can actually regrow the missing limbs?"
"They can do that? Just...grow it back?"
Brigan smiled at her. "Oh yes. There is magic in the sea, the deeper it goes, the stronger the pull. One day, when I am a full Maegabairn, I shall learn to breathe water like a fish and-"
"My Pa says that we are born knowing how to - how to breathe water. He says inside our mamas, even cow- and dog- and horse-babies, we all breathe water inside her."
Brigan was taken aback by her comment, and paused to consider the ramifications. Certainly he had never been told any such thing in the classes, nor read it in any book. But- it made a certain queer sense. He had seen himself in visions, breathing and floating deep in a lagoon, talking to fish and sharks and whatnot.
"Oh. Um, yes, well. I- I-" he stuttered, and then gave her a nervous smile. "I had never thought of that before."
Iris laid her hand atop his, covering the small starfish and letting her fingers brush over his wrist.
"I think, Miss Trubor, that there is a lot we will learn from each other."
Posted by Pheenie @ 9/28/2008 09:08:00 AM