Septimus Heap, Book One_ Magyk - Angie Sage [137]
Jenna walked down the slope to the landing stage. The boat was big, much bigger than she remembered from the night before, and was wedged tightly into the Mott now that the floodwater had left the marshes. Jenna hoped the dragon did not feel trapped. She reached up on tiptoes to put her hand on the dragon’s neck.
Good morning, my lady, the dragon’s voice came to her.
“Good morning, Dragon,” Jenna whispered. “I hope you’re comfortable in the Mott.”
There is water beneath me, and the air smells of salt and sunshine. What more could I wish for? asked the dragon.
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” agreed Jenna. She sat down on the landing stage and watched the curls of the early morning mist disappear in the warmth of the sun. Then she leaned back contentedly against the Dragon Boat and listened to the dabblings and splashings of the various creatures in the Mott. Jenna had become used to all the underwater inhabitants by now. She no longer shuddered at the eels who made their way out along the Mott on their long journey to the Sargasso Sea. She didn’t mind the Water Nixies too much, although she no longer paddled with bare feet in the mud, after one had stuck itself onto her big toe and Aunt Zelda had had to threaten it with the toasting fork to get it to drop off. Jenna even quite liked the Marsh Python, but that was probably because it had not returned since the Big Thaw. She knew the noises and splashes that each creature made, but as she sat in the sun, dreamily listening to the splish of a water rat and the gloop of a mudfish, she heard something she did not recognize.
The creature, whatever it was, moaned and groaned pathetically. Then it puffed, splashed and groaned some more. Jenna had never heard anything like it before. It also sounded rather large. Taking care to keep out of sight, Jenna crept behind the thick green tail of the Dragon Boat, which was curled up and resting on the landing stage; then she peered over to see what creature could possibly be making so much fuss.
It was the Apprentice.
He lay facedown on a tarry plank of wood that looked as though it had come from the Vengeance and was paddling it along the Mott using just his hands. He looked exhausted. His grubby green robes clung to him and steamed in the early morning warmth, and his lanky dark hair was straggling over his eyes. He seemed hardly to have the energy to raise his head and look where he was going.
“Oi!” yelled Jenna. “Go away.” She picked up a rock to throw at him.
“No. Please don’t,” pleaded the boy.
Nicko appeared.
“What’s up, Jen?” He followed Jenna’s gaze. “Hey, shove off, you!” he yelled.
The Apprentice took no notice. He paddled his plank up to the landing stage and then just lay there, exhausted.
“What do you want?” asked Jenna.
“I…the ship…it’s gone down. I escaped.”
“Scum always floats to the surface,” Nicko observed.
“We were covered in creatures. Brown, slimy…things.” The boy shivered. “They pulled us down into the marsh. I couldn’t breathe. Everyone’s gone. Please help me.”
Jenna stared at him, wavering. She had woken up early because she had been having nightmares full of screaming Brownies pulling her down into the marsh. Jenna shuddered. She didn’t want to think about it. If she couldn’t bear to even think about it, how much worse must it be for a boy who had actually been there?
The Apprentice could see that Jenna was hesitating. He tried again.
“I—I’m sorry for what I did to that animal of yours.”
“The Boggart is not an animal,” said Jenna indignantly. “And he is not ours. He is a creature of the marsh. He belongs to no one.”
“Oh.” The Apprentice could see