Dwellers of the New World Chapter Ten ( Pt 6 ) Captured

Bracus lifted the boy over roughly, so that he was now laying on his back. Shaking the poor boy made every effort to escape, wriggling around on the ground, but the man was sat on him and was too strong by far.

“You ain't gonna get away from me boy...so you'd best stop yer struggling and tell me yer name.” Bracus held the lad's arms on the ground.

The boy eventually looked Bracus in the eyes. “Me name's Varden...you ain't got no rights tying me up.”

At this remark, Bracus took some rope from his jacket pocket and tied the boys wrists together. He took pleasure in watching the boy squirm under his authority. “That's where yer wrong boy...see you be my prisoner now, I ain't about to ave you running off.”

Poor Varden couldn't believe he'd been caught, he thought he was so careful. Bracus tied the rope tight, it dug into Varden's wrists. “Ow! That burns...why you gotta have it so tight?”

Grinning Bracus picked the boy up and flung him over his shoulder. “So's you don't escape boy. Ah! Light as a feather you be boy. We'll ave to feed you up, before we can put you to work.”

With his wrists and ankles now tied, Varden tried to figure out a way of escaping, but the rope was so tight, he knew he had to accept his fate. 'It's my own fault,' he thought to himself.

'If only I hadn't allowed myself to get into this predicament and been more careful, like Si had told me...if only...if only!' Varden stopped struggling, scared as he hung over the man's shoulder.

Bracus had no trouble carrying the boy, even over the rocks. Varden could see the rock pools, he thought of Si who would have no idea what had happened to him. Varden wondered if he'd ever see his friend again.

It was the middle of the afternoon by the time Bracus reached the bay, which was now a throng of life. Children were at play, fishermen were hard at work scrubbing down their boats after a morning of fishing.

In all the height of activity, Bracus noticed Varg and Jason supping ale up at the Brew Cottage, deep in conversation with some other locals, Bracus knew they'd probably be no use at all for the rest of the day, so he wandered back to his ship.

Varden, still slung over the man's shoulder recognised the bay, it was not only the place he remembered being brought to when he was captured with his friends Gideon and Gerrard, but it was also the bay that Si had showed him. Looking up he could just make out the rocks
that Si had swum out to. He wished he were back with his friend in the nice warm cave, especially now he knew this man wasn't going to let him out of his sight.

Some of the men working on the ship looked up from what they were doing. One such man by the name of Kai approached Bracus. “Varg and Jason were looking for you...they're up at Brew Cottage.” Kai looked at the boy and wondered what his fate would be, knowing what Bracus was like, he had a good idea that the boy's destiny was to become a slave.

Bracus wasn't interested, all he could think about was questioning the boy. “Yes...yes I know where they are...that's fine...now get back to yer work.”

Kai slipped away, returning to his labours, feeling quite sorry for the young lad that was tossed over the man's shoulder.

Once in his sleeping quarters, Bracus tipped the boy onto his bed. “Right boy...I have a few questions that need answering...so you'd best speak up.”

Poor Varden was petrified, he wanted to cry, but wasn't about to give Bracus the satisfaction of calling him a snivelling idiot, which he had a feeling the man would.

“Right then!” said Bracus in a matter of a fact way. “Firstly you can tell me, how come when I went into that cave there was no one there, yet you came out?”

Varden stared at Bracus nervously. “Don't know what yer talking about, I ain't been in no cave.”

Bracus took Varden's face in his hand. “You think you can lie to old Bracus? But I know you was in that cave, so why is it that when I goes in to look for you, there ain't be anyone in there?” Bracus displayed black teeth, his evil – grinning smile and foul breath.

Poor Varden wanted to run away and heave, but Bracus held him tight. “I...I was in the cave, but...but I did see you coming and hid in the shadows.” Varden stuttered his words, so afraid Bracus wouldn't believe him.

Letting go of the boy's face, Bracus turned and paced the room, hands behind his back, thinking on the boy's answer to his question. He scratched his chin, remembering how dark it was in there and how he never had any torchlight. “So boy...what was you doing in the cave? That's what old Bracus wants to know.”

Varden had to think quick, he would never give away Si's secret haven. “I got caught in that storm we had last night, I was sheltering, when I fell asleep, that's all.”

Bracus was getting fed up with this line of questioning, he felt it was going nowhere and at least he had the boy now. “Well Varden me boy...you belong to me now, so you'd better not try anything stupid. We be setting sail in a couple of days, over to Wild Whistling Isle.”

Varden couldn't believe his ears, he'd be going home. He knew the island well, but wasn't about to let on to Bracus that it was his home, so decided to keep quiet. 'Perhaps!' he thought, 'me luck's about to change.' The boy smiled to himself, feeling a lot better.

Dwellers of the New World Chapter Ten ( Pt 7 ) Back To The Bay | ABCtales