there for a while.’
Nothing happened. Jack began to wonder if the Dorysk had played his own trick on them and given them the wrong information. Maybe the coin Nora had thrown in wasn’t acceptable, it was quite dull.
‘I thought nymphs liked shiny things?’
‘They do but we need to tempt her out. She’ll want to know who’s throwing dirty coins in her pool. She’ll be up soon,’ explained Nora.
‘She’s got a worse temper than Jennet,’ added Elan. ‘If she thinks we’re desperate for something she won’t let us have it. It’s really going to depend on how much she likes the gift we’ve brought. I’m hoping she’ll think it’s so special that she’ll let us have the cauldron plates without too much bother.’
Jack was worried. If this was the same nymph he’d seen in the spring at Viroconium she wasn’t going to want to chat like Myryl. He hoped she liked the gift. After all, he was the one who had to offer it to her.
‘What if she doesn’t like it or she’s got one already? She must have thousands of shiny things down there after all these years.’
‘She will have,’ agreed Nora. ‘But I’m sure what we’ve brought will be the best gift she’s ever had.’
Jack got a shock when Coriss finally decided to surface. He’d only seen nymphs rising from small springs or wells before. This time was different. Surrounded by a mass of bubbles, Coriss used the whole pool. The water began to swirl and spiral downwards, and a black hole appeared in the centre, out of which, a sword began to rise. The last time Jack had seen that sword, the Camp Prefect of Viroconium had been holding it in his hand. Now, pale green fingers gripped the hilt tightly. A faded red plume came into view – a little the worse for wear and with quite a lot of weed attached to it.
‘It’s her!’ Jack gasped.
He was amazed to see she was wearing the fish scaled armour he’d also seen on the Prefect. It looked strange to see her pale green skin underneath it instead of a red tunic. There was no doubt in his mind. They’d found the nymph he’d mistaken for Jennet at Viroconium.
‘AVE!’ Coriss shouted as she made a fist with her free hand and beat it on her armour. ‘Who comes here disturbing my peace?’
She pulled something out of the plume of her helmet and flipped it towards Nora.
‘I don’t take kindly to people throwing worthless things into my pool. If you’ve come for something, speak out, and it had better be worth my while.’
The coin rolled to a stop at Nora’s feet. Instead of picking it up Nora smiled before slightly bowing her head.
‘What marvellous armour and such amazing weaponry. Very impressive!’
Coriss straightened and thrust her shoulders back before bowing back.
‘It’s a matching set. The most magnificent gift I’ve ever had. Never had another gift like it, don’t expect I ever will.’
‘Is it Roman?’ asked Nora.
‘And why would you want to know that?’
‘We’ve been searching the land for the nymph who once lived in the spring at Viroconium. Many years ago she was given some armour as a gift.’
‘And why would anyone be wanting such a nymph?’
‘We have sworn to search until we find her. We have something belonging to that nymph, and she has something which belongs to us. We would like to undertake an exchange.’
Coriss looked thoughtful. Nora stood to one side so Jack could step forward.
‘Do you remember this boy?’
Coriss sniffed the air and looked intently at Jack.
Nora patted him encouragingly on the back.
‘I gave you three cauldron plates the night you acquired your armour, could I have them back please?’
‘In exchange for what? I don’t give things back unless I’m offered something much better in return. And even then it depends. I might not want to exchange.’
Nora signalled to Jack to unwrap the circular package.
Coriss thrust her head forward, sniffed the air, then reached for the gift, but Nora took it from Jack and held it
Nothing happened. Jack began to wonder if the Dorysk had played his own trick on them and given them the wrong information. Maybe the coin Nora had thrown in wasn’t acceptable, it was quite dull.
‘I thought nymphs liked shiny things?’
‘They do but we need to tempt her out. She’ll want to know who’s throwing dirty coins in her pool. She’ll be up soon,’ explained Nora.
‘She’s got a worse temper than Jennet,’ added Elan. ‘If she thinks we’re desperate for something she won’t let us have it. It’s really going to depend on how much she likes the gift we’ve brought. I’m hoping she’ll think it’s so special that she’ll let us have the cauldron plates without too much bother.’
Jack was worried. If this was the same nymph he’d seen in the spring at Viroconium she wasn’t going to want to chat like Myryl. He hoped she liked the gift. After all, he was the one who had to offer it to her.
‘What if she doesn’t like it or she’s got one already? She must have thousands of shiny things down there after all these years.’
‘She will have,’ agreed Nora. ‘But I’m sure what we’ve brought will be the best gift she’s ever had.’
Jack got a shock when Coriss finally decided to surface. He’d only seen nymphs rising from small springs or wells before. This time was different. Surrounded by a mass of bubbles, Coriss used the whole pool. The water began to swirl and spiral downwards, and a black hole appeared in the centre, out of which, a sword began to rise. The last time Jack had seen that sword, the Camp Prefect of Viroconium had been holding it in his hand. Now, pale green fingers gripped the hilt tightly. A faded red plume came into view – a little the worse for wear and with quite a lot of weed attached to it.
‘It’s her!’ Jack gasped.
He was amazed to see she was wearing the fish scaled armour he’d also seen on the Prefect. It looked strange to see her pale green skin underneath it instead of a red tunic. There was no doubt in his mind. They’d found the nymph he’d mistaken for Jennet at Viroconium.
‘AVE!’ Coriss shouted as she made a fist with her free hand and beat it on her armour. ‘Who comes here disturbing my peace?’
She pulled something out of the plume of her helmet and flipped it towards Nora.
‘I don’t take kindly to people throwing worthless things into my pool. If you’ve come for something, speak out, and it had better be worth my while.’
The coin rolled to a stop at Nora’s feet. Instead of picking it up Nora smiled before slightly bowing her head.
‘What marvellous armour and such amazing weaponry. Very impressive!’
Coriss straightened and thrust her shoulders back before bowing back.
‘It’s a matching set. The most magnificent gift I’ve ever had. Never had another gift like it, don’t expect I ever will.’
‘Is it Roman?’ asked Nora.
‘And why would you want to know that?’
‘We’ve been searching the land for the nymph who once lived in the spring at Viroconium. Many years ago she was given some armour as a gift.’
‘And why would anyone be wanting such a nymph?’
‘We have sworn to search until we find her. We have something belonging to that nymph, and she has something which belongs to us. We would like to undertake an exchange.’
Coriss looked thoughtful. Nora stood to one side so Jack could step forward.
‘Do you remember this boy?’
Coriss sniffed the air and looked intently at Jack.
Nora patted him encouragingly on the back.
‘I gave you three cauldron plates the night you acquired your armour, could I have them back please?’
‘In exchange for what? I don’t give things back unless I’m offered something much better in return. And even then it depends. I might not want to exchange.’
Nora signalled to Jack to unwrap the circular package.
Coriss thrust her head forward, sniffed the air, then reached for the gift, but Nora took it from Jack and held it
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