The Blue Woman and the High Wood

Book Two in the Nyla Series

Adam Cole

Chapter Nine

(C) 2018 Adam Cole

Published by Nuncici Press, an imprint of Adam Cole Works LLC

They didn’t feel like talking much.  It was quiet in the brig, and the silence seemed to recommend silence.  Neither of them wanted to be the one to break it.

So they sat side by side, Nyla with her little brown hand resting on Vival’s large pink one.  They stared at nothing and said nothing and contemplated a way they could get out of there as the boat rocked them back against the wall.

After a while, one of the sailors brought them some mush to eat.  He glared at them as he set it down on the floor, and then hastened to close the door behind him.  Nyla poked at the mush, but it was so unappetizing she didn’t even want to try it, choosing instead to turn her back to it and sit with her chin in her hands.

She must have fallen asleep because at some point she was shocked awake by the sudden opening of the door.  Vival tried to get in between Nyla and the three sailors who entered but being still in irons his movements were awkward.  The largest of the sailors kicked him over.

While Vival lay on his side with his arms trapped behind his back, the smallest of the sailors leaned down.  “Didn’t eat your supper, I see,” he muttered in a small, hard voice.  Vival did not answer.

“Why did you attack us?” Nyla demanded, fearless as always.  “Where’s Tom?”

“We asks the questions!” said the middle sailor.  The smallest sailor gave him a reproachful look and a little shake of his head.  The middle sailor looked crestfallen and meekly took a step back.

The smallest sailor straightened up.  “We asks the questions,” he said.  Looking from Nyla to Vival, he said, “Where’s that friend of yours?”

“Who, Tom?  That’s what we—”

“I think they mean Sherluck,” said Vival from the floor.

“Your friend, the cook!” snapped the smallest sailor.

“We don’t know!” answered Nyla.  “How could we?  We’ve been locked in here.”

“Oh, so innocent!” said the sailor.  “Meanwhile, your friend appears out of nowhere, steals all our money…”

“What?”

“Aye, that’s right,” said the sailor.  “Got us into quite the little dice match, he did.  Dunno how he did it, but by the end, all our wages was in his pocket!  And with all the magic we been seein’ round here lately, I doubt seriously it was a coincidence.”

Nyla rolled her eyes.  That was why Sherluck had been acting so sneaky.

“So here’s what we’re gonna do,” the little sailor said, kneeling down in front of them and smiling grimly.  “You’re gonna tell us everything you know, or we’re gonna walk ya off the short end of a plank right now.”

“Your Captain—“ started Vival from the floor.

“Captain as good as did it himself this afternoon!” snapped the sailor.  “Mate says he’s cookin’ up a story as how the storm did you in.  Me personally, I think he’s givin’ us the wink eye to go ahead and lose you ourselves!”

“We don’t know anything!” protested Nyla.  “Sherluck’s not magic, he’s just really, really slick.  You probably lost because you’re all terrible at dice!”

Vival felt himself grow tense.  This was one of those moments when he wished he had spoken up before Nyla had said anything.

The sailor’s frown deepened impossibly, and he glared at the girl.  “Well, sweetheart,” he said, acid in his tone.  “I believe you don’t know anything seeing as hows you’re just a stupid girly.”  Nyla bristled, but she had the sense not to react.  The sailor, grinning at his fellows through a gap-toothed mouth said, “Your brother on the other hand…”

“He’s not my…” Nyla began, but before she could finish the sentence, one of them had grabbed her roughly by the arms.

“Hey!” called Vival.  “What are you doing?  She’s…”  The other two hauled up Vival, who was equal in size to them, and held him tightly.  He was more of a threat, even with only his legs as weapons.

They took them above-decks where the half moon gazed mournfully at them across an expanse of calm water.  Looking around nervously, the sailor holding Nyla threw her roughly to the railing where she collapsed with the smart of the collision.  Very quickly, the sailor had produced a wooden plank which he secured to the rail.

As Nyla tried to scoot away, he pulled a rusty sword with a black tip from somewhere and brandished it at her.  “Up on that board,” he muttered.

“She doesn’t know anything!” Vival called out as loudly as he could.

“You’ll lower your voice, if you please,” snarled the sailor with the sword.  “No need to wake the Captain.  Now,” he said, taking a second to be sure that Nyla had positioned herself on the board.  She had, and with a brutal poke, the sailor encouraged her to walk closer to the edge.  “You’ll tell me everything you know or your little girl will swim with the fishies!”

“What do you want to know?” Vival cried.

More about The Blue Woman and the High Wood

Now that Veer Isle was secure, it was time for the hero Vival to take Nyla to see the Sand Witch.  Accompanied by Chere/Sherluck and Tom the Incredibly Helpful Sword, Nyla and Vival board a ship bound for Zen.  

But trouble begins as soon as the ship leaves the harbor.  A terrible storm comes up.  The sailors want to throw Nyla from the ship.  And rising out of the ocean is the mysterious Blue Woman. 

Adam Cole is an author and music educator in Atlanta, GA.  He has written numerous books and stories for children, as well as a number of adult and non-fiction titles including Motherless Child and Seven Ways the World Can End.  

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