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Nest Of Vipers
Chapter Four: Storms and Books
The lantern light was flickering softly inside the cabin, being held tightly by Ulysses who didn't want the only light source to extinguish or even worse break and catch fire to the ship. He wasn't sure how calm he could stay in this storm. There was too much at risk. The skiff, their lives and so much hope. It would have been wasted, all for what? A storm? The lantern was becoming warm to the touch as the flame heightened inside. He didn't know how long he could keep holding it before he had to eventually let it go.
The warm glow of the fire was illuminating some of the cabin. Ulysses was up against the cabin wall, next to Cecilia and her hammock. They were wedged in place, and it was a good thing as the storm picked up. If there were more items they would have been broken or shattered to no return. He looked over at Cecilia, who, he could tell, was in a panic. He knew that she hated storms. She kept mumbling something un-comprehensible under her breath. He decided that this was the time that he would maybe talk to her to keep her mind distracted. A distracted on edge witch doctor is better than a non-distracted on edge witch doctor.
He wasn't sure what to call her, Anneke or Cecilia. Either one would suffice he imagined. He knew that in public he had to call her Anneke. It was her chosen name. He was proud that she had chosen it instead of something like 'Mary Ivey.' He didn't know what he had against the name. He just felt it was so unlike her. He knew that Anneke meant favor or grace. He felt that it suited her because of how graceful she could be. But Ohlen was what he couldn't understand. It meant traditionally popularity and origin. He could justify that if he had the time. He knew it was a bad idea when his father decided to teach his only son to read.
He had told Ulysses that it would be best be literate than that of a clueless idiot that didn't know where he was going. He supposed his father was correct in that aspiration. He would need to be able to read if not only so he could understand a map. But Ulysses liked it past that point. He even had a few books with him in his own private trunk that was kept on the far side of the room. That was when he got the idea to start reading part of a story. He knew that it might distract Cecilia enough that no magical accidents would occur. Now which of the three books should he brave the rocking cabin for? He had no clue, so he devised a plan to grab the first book he could grab out of his trunk.
Carefully he moved out of his cramped position, giving the only light-source to his friend. He moved swiftly across the floor, making sure that he moved with the storms natural rhythm. He made it to the trunk, opened it up quickly and grabbed a book. The sound of thunder could be heard. He scurried across the floor, back to Cecilia and went into his original position. He watched as the hammock slammed into him. It was painful as hell, but he knew that he needed to open the book, and with Cecilia still holding the lantern he could.
"Ulysses, what are you doing?" Cecilia asked in a meek voice. She still hadn't recovered from the thunder.
"Would you like a distraction, Cecile?" He asked in return.
"Yes, but what exactly are you going to do?" She asked.
"I'm going to read, just keep on holding the lantern, okay?" He told her.
"Okay..." Cecilia replied.
Ulysses opened the book, and turned the pages until he hit the first chapter. He now knew which one he grabbed. It was a famous book and one that he hoped Cecilia would recognize; after all it did take place in Marleybone.
"In the ancient civilization of Marleybone, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the 16th century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name Canty, who did not want him. On the same day another Marleybonian child was born to a rich family with the name of Tudor, who did want him. All of Marleybone wanted him too. Marleybone had so longed for him, hoped for him, prayed to god for him, now that he really did come, the people went mad with joy..." Ulysses read.
Cecilia was interested, and wished that she could read. Living on the streets took that little bit of education away from her. So she listened, and listened, until the storm ended. It was really too bad that the book lasted longer than the storm and now she would never hear the end of it. For the first time in her life she was actually curious to how something ended. Sure she wondered how things worked, who didn't? She just never was curious like she was now. The story couldn't just end where it had, could it? There were too many questions to leave. Maybe she should swallow her pride and ask Ulysses to teach her to read. It couldn't be too hard, could it?
"Ulysses, someday could you, um... teach me to read?" Cecilia asked. Ulysses looked up at her surprised.
"You don't know how to? I thought you would. I will, when I have time, teach you. Um... okay, I should go out and see where we are. Chances are we aren't in the same place we were before," Ulysses told her.
"Thank you. Can I come with? I don't know if I can stay in here for the moment," She told him.
"Are you sure, I mean, don't you want to try to sleep?" He asked.
Cecilia sighed. She was exhausted, but she didn't want him to notice. Even though an idiot could tell. She hadn't slept for the past few days, because of worry. She feared that she wouldn't be able to make it far. She feared she would die from the same blade that killed her parents. It was almost too much for her. Even though she had slept earlier, it wasn't a replenishing sleep. It was one that was only for regaining some of her magic back. Past that point it was worthless. It certainly didn't make her any less tired.
She didn't know how everyone else could do it. Stay awake for so long without some type of stimulant. Ulysses she knew was very used to late nights and he went without anything. She was one for sleep. It kept her calmer, less likely to rob someone and less likely to hex whoever was in her way. Sleep was definitely a good option.
"Fine Ulysses, you win," she told him begrudgingly. She didn't like the fact he had won, once again.
"Cecilia, um... why aren't you being your usual argumentative as hell self?" Ulysses asked. He was curious. Normally she would've not agreed with him and if she did it was after a debate. "Are you sick?" He then asked. It was an honest question. He wasn't sure how she would get sick, being they had been out of contact of people for a month, but one never knew...
"Ulysses I'm fine, I just haven't slept, other than the spelled sleep, for days," She told him.
"Before I leave this cabin, I have a question," He told her.
"What is it?" She asked.
"How the hell does Patch open doors, know what people are asking of him and other things?" He asked.
"Oh, well... Patch kind of was at one time, a person that had accidentally turned himself into a spider that my family had given up trying to turn back," Cecilia answered.
"How did he turn himself into a spider?" Ulysses asked worried.
"Accidents happen all the time with magic, and in spider form he's kind of like a familiar, meaning that part of my magic flows through him. According to my family he was my brother..." She told him.
"You know that's just wrong right?" He told her.
"Yeah, but there's worse things..." She told him.
"I truthfully don't think so," Ulysses said under his breath as he left the cabin.
