Stowaway (A Pirate Novel) (Completed)

Chapter 36 Black and Grey

***Somehow this wasn't published the other day. I'm sorry if it confused you. I don't know what happened. Sorry for the mistake.***

The row man dropped them off and picked up two others that were headed back to the ship.

They trudged over the hot dry sand. Elle pulled a black leather thong from a pocket. She used it to tie her hair at the nape of her neck.

"The garden, if you can call it that," Jr said with a laugh, "is about a mile that way." He pointed out to the jungle. "There's a little creek close to it."

Elle shifted the pack on her back. Her skin hadn't started to sweat but in the moist heat she knew it would. "Okay. So do you want to explore first or visit the garden?" She asked. She was looking at the crew digging the pit as she spoke.

"Both." He told her. Her tapped her elbow. "That way." He directed her with a pointed finger when she turned to look at him.

He shook his head at her. "You know you are doing something for Cook. You're not just lazing off."

There was no actual trail to follow. There were broken limbs, crushed foliage, and a few landmarks that Jr used to find their way.

One of the landmarks look like two giant snakes twisted up into the canopy. Jr told her the ten inche snake like things were actually vines. The next landmark was sheer rock wall raising up from the ground. It was eight feet long, three feet wide and excess of ten feet tall.

She asked what it was but Jr didn't know. "Cook had no idea." He told her. He pushed a huge fern aside and held it as she passed. "I found a few of them on the island. They're not all the same though." The fern shook as he let it go. "We'll hit the stream soon."

He was right. Less then five minutes later she could hear the sound of the water. The woody earth scent of the forest had also picked up the scent of fresh water.

The stream turned out to be a small river. It flowed rapidly past the banks and the water was dark but clear.

"We can't cross here, obviously. But there's a kind of land bridge around the bend just a few yards from a waterfall." He walked quickly along the banks edge.

Elle followed. The sound of the waterfall grew louder the closer they came to it. The temperature along the wide stream had lowered a few degrees. The air remained humid but didn't cause the same stickiness as before.

The waterfall crashed down to a swirling dark white-blue-green pool. The water broke up and churned into beautiful white foam. Elle studied it intently trying to memorize every movement it made.

The land bridge was nothing more than large boulders strewn between the banks. The water rushed around them intent on smoothing their edges farther and wearing away the rest of the rocks. Some of the boulders were almost even with the following water, others dipped slightly below its surface, the rest jetted up at odd angles above it. Green moss bloomed over the boulders making them slick and dangerous.

The effect was beautiful. The land bridge in the foreground and the waterfall crashing behind it. The deep dark pool of deceptively calm looking water between them was breath-taking.

Above the crashing water Elle heard a muffled scrapping noise then the sharp snap of a twig.

Both she and Jr spun around at the banks edge to face the sound. Nothing moved. Jr had drawn his bow. He scanned the foliage with an arrow pulled back. Still nothing moved. Birds called to one another. The water crashed but the scrapping noise didn't sound again.

After sweeping the area once more with the tip of the notched and drawn arrow Jr relaxed.

After replacing the arrow he motioned to Elle to the boulders.