The Words of the Wandering (The Crowns of Croswald Book 3) by D.E. Night

Author:D.E. Night [Night, D.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: magic, Middle Grade, fantasy, fairytale
Publisher: Stories Untold
Published: 2020-05-29T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE ARCHMAP

IVY entered Cartography class to find dozens of little fluff balls, floating like dandelion tufts in a breeze. As light as air, they bumped into each other playfully as they floated out of their little cages. Like her classmates, Ivy reached up to catch a critter. The little creature fit perfectly into her hand and was as soft as goose down. Part rodent, part white puffball. Ivy peered down at the critter, and it curled into an even tighter perfect little ball, burying its glossy black nose and eyes in its fluff. Only its pointy little ears indicated where its head might be. Ivy pet the one curled in her hand and this one stretched out its little pink paw.

“They’re so cute!” Ivy said to Rebecca.

“Hey! Thanks for catching that one. Please put it in the habbitry on my desk,” Hayword said as he lunged and caught two more.

“Oh! Let me help.” Hannelore sped around the room, almost in a blur, catching the rest within reach.

“Thanks!”

The last handful were floating higher and higher, up toward a transom window over the door and into the library.

“They’re just floating. You’d think they’d be easier to catch!” said Hayword, clearly frustrated.

“Ah! Puff possums,” Professor Bingle remarked as he watched. “I’m afraid the potions room had suffered a minor explosion—all fixed up now—but the expellers aren’t up to soaking up all the smell. Hence the puff possums floating away: they always like to help clear the air. No chance of catching them now, Hayword.”

“But I need them for Croswaldian Fauna!” moaned Hayword.

“I’m sure that Professor Wrigley will understand. Turn your minds toward cartography, please, class!”

A blank rectangular piece of parchment lay on the table, next to Professor Bingle’s thick brown boot. He pointed a knobby finger at it and said, “You students have been here for going on three years. Yet, how well do you really know the Halls? This map is called an archmap. Has anyone ever heard of this type of map before?”

No one raised a hand.

“This map is for the times when it’s not good enough just to find a place, but you need to see within. Using an archmap, you can explore deep within a cave, down below water, behind locked doors, and so on. Please open your Collecti to the archmap entry.”

Woodley Butterlove volunteered to read: “Archmap, n. A complicated tool used for exploring within structures and environments. It is created using parchment made of sophie leaf, cured over a period of two to three weeks, then spelled to completion. To use, scrivenists must sketch the scene they wish to explore—”

Professor Bingle interrupted, “It helps to be in or near the place you wish to explore, for accuracy in sketching!”

“—and then cast the spell, Depths, reveal yourself.”

“That’s enough, Woodley. Let’s give it a go.”

Professor Bingle brought out his quill and set to sketching the Halls. It was rough, but it was clearly a bird’s eye view of the main buildings, leaving off the dormitories and grounds.

As he sketched, Ivy thought about the very rooms she knew so well as classrooms.

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