How Dragons Survived the Flood

Chapter 7 part 1

Tochen looked in the garden. "Come Japheth, it is time for lunch and then we must be off to Temple."

Japh looked up from the small bench where he was working. On the bench was one of the cracked bowls that had been strewn around the garden. He had filled it with good soil and planted a cutting from the grape vine into it, as his tutor had instructed. He was hoping to have a new vine to take on the Ark. His instructor told him that, in its struggle to survive, the plant would grow new roots from where he had cut off the lower leaves. He was poking the final bits of soil down around the last cutting when he heard Tochen call to him.

"Let me finish this, then I will be there." Japheth lifted the bowl and placed it with the others sitting at the back of his bench. He cleaned his knife in the fountain and watered the many bowls of plant starts on his bench.

"We must not be late. Today you learn to harvest the Tree, and we must go to Daria's."

Japh looked at his cuttings one last time. His tutor had warned him that since the Flower Moon had passed and they were two days into the Unfurling Leaf Moon, the plants might grow poorly or not at all.

He shook his head. Maybe one of them would root and grow. If not, it was still good practice.

He wiped his knife on the hem of his tunic, inadvertently leaving a small gash in the fabric. The tunic, covered with dirt and sweat stains, now had a hole in it. He sighed. His dragon-skin tunic was better suited for this type of work, but Noah had forbidden him from wearing it.

Sedeqetelebab stood in the food area, holding out tempting bowls of lentil stew with small rounds of flatbread tucked into them. "There you are, Japheth. Tochen."

Both men nodded to her. "Today you learn more about the Tree. You must hurry. You two know your way to Temple, do you not? Or should I send a runner boy with you to make sure you are not late again?"

Japheth had lived in Noah's house for one moon cycle now. Sede's — Sedeqetelebab, he corrected himself — barbed comments and overbearing nature had worn on him. He forced himself to smile at his sister-in-law, feeling sorry for his eldest brother.

She frowned when she saw his smile. "You have nothing to smile about. You ripped your tunic. And look at the stains on it. Do you think tunics are easy to come by? Now Ne'elatama'uk will have to stop her work to clothe you again."

Ham walked into the house, "You do not have to bother sending them with a boy," he said.

He walked over to the stew pot. "Tochen can see to his other duties. I am taking sacrificial doves to town. I am also going to Temple to find out about the needs of Yahweh during the next sacrifice." He picked up a small round of flatbread. Folding it, he dipped it directly into the stew pot and took a bite.

He grimaced. "Where is Na'amah? This is not her lentil stew."

Sedeqetelebab scowled. "Get away," she said, pushing him aside. "The babe makes her tired. She has taken to her room."

She stirred the pot, "Your wife is lost in her work again, preparing Tree-of-Life fibers, muttering over them as she plans her various weavings. She has not heard anything I have said this whole morning past. Would you let her know the meal is about to be served?"

She stirred the pot again, "And—"

"Ne'elatama'uk! It is time to eat!" Ham's loud voice reverberated off the walls.

Sedeqetelebab scowled at Ham, "I could have done that."

Ham smirked at her. "But she does not listen to her elder sister as well as she listens to her husband, and," his smirk grew wider, "that is how it should be." He reached for a bowl of soup. "Anyway, I was saying that Japheth can walk to town with me. I need to discuss the fodder and bedding for the animals on the Ark."