It has been decades after te incident with 'protect the Princess'. But after that I became a target for Captain Hook and his men. I made a habit of carrying a knife wherever I went, and if I left the camp I was never alone. And if I did leave I could see worry in Ruffio's eyes. I tried telling him I was fine, but he didn't buy it, neither did Felix for that matter. I found him checking up on me more often than before, always casual, but I noticed.
I didn't fear the Pirate captain, even if he was dangerous. I knew I could count on my friends, they had become my family and I wasn't gonna let them down. I trusted Pan with my life.
The pirates tried and tried to get me alone, to kidnap me from the boys, but they never succeeded. So they decided on another approach, taking something that was dear to me, to break me, and with that break Pan. They would never be able to break Pan, but they did manage to steal something of mine.
It had been a quiet night, there were guards stationed around the camp as usual. There was a fire but no real festivities, everyone was busy with their own crafting or chatting with each other. I was fixing one of Felix's shirts that he torn. Felix himself was sitting across the fire, talking with Pan. Ruffio was out on guard-duty. I was talking with Devin about tomorrow's dinner when he suddenly stopped talking. "What's wrong?" I asked a bit worried.
"I thought I heard something from your corner of the camp. Probaly Ruf." He had taken to call Ruffio by his nickname.
"Ruffio is guard tonight." I told him. We exchanged looks and stood up to take a look.
Our things were scattered around almost as we left it, the only thing different was my doll missing. My Mom had made me that doll when she was still alive, I noticed it gone immidiatly. I ran back to the campfire.
"Has anyone seen my doll? I left it with my things and now it's gone." I asked in general, but I got no respons other than some negative grunts. Pan looked alarmed though. He whispered something to Felix, who took off towards the jungle. Mere minutes later he returned with an alarmed looking lost boy, holding my doll.
I ran to the boys, Devin following closely behind. "That's my doll, where did you get it?" I asked. The older boys looked at each other with worried looks on their faces. They kept silent for a moment before Pan spoke. "Jack just wounded one of the Captain's men coming from our camp. It seems the pirate snuck past our defenses and took your doll. The man dropped it after he got hit with Jack's spear." He gave me my doll back, wich I held tight. "Felix, go check on the other guards. No word of this to the others, we don't want to start a riot. Jack go back to your post, stay alert for any pirates." Pan ordered. "And for you two, go back to what you were doing okay. No need for panick just yet."Pan, Felix and Jack took off to do their thing and Devin and I returned to our log, but we were both too shaken to talk about dinner.
After a while Pan returned to camp with Felix, discussing something and stealing glances towards me. Pan gathered some of the other strong boys and left for the woods again, but Felix stayed. I could read the worry on his face, but he didn't come over to talk. Not much later we heard rustling of leaves somewhere behind us, I turned around to see the boys Pan had gathered carrier something. I started to walk over there when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Felix was holding me back. The boys brought the thing they were carrying to the light of the campfire, that's when I saw it wasn't something they wee carrying, but someone.
Ruffio was heavily wounded and unconcious. He had suffered several stabwounds with a knife and one circuler through the heart. I ran to the crowd gathering and fell on my knees next to him, crying. "Ruffio! please don't die, please. C'mon big brother, stay with me." I sobbed. I felt someone place gis hand on my shoulder, but I didn't bother to look who it was. "I'm sorry Lucy, he's gone." I recognised the voice to be Pan's but I ignored him, still begging Ruffio to be alive, to not be dead. But he never responded, he kept still and after a while even I gave up and fell crying on his chest.
I brely noticed uproar on the other side of the camp, not until two strong arms pulled me away from my brothers limp body. I kicked and screamed in protest, not wanting to leave his side, until the boy holding me turned me around to face him. It was Felix that had dragged me away. "It's to late Lucy, he's gone. Captain Hook found our camp, he is attacking us."And he pointed to the fight going on. That's when I noticed the riot on the other side of the campfire, the pirates were attacking and Felix had dragged me out of harms way. He Hold me close, allowing me to hold him as tight as I wanted, but still holding a postition ready to fight.
The lost boys and Pan were doing an excellent job and I saw pirates falling and retreating. Felix had to strike some of them away from me, until they too retreated behind their Captain. Only Pan and Hook were batteling now, and Peter was winning. "You're gonna pay for what you did Captain." Pan threatened.
"The boy had brought it on himself. He killed more of my men then we killed boys." Hook answered. striking, but missing. "That's because your men don't follow my rules, they get themselves killed." Pan returned. Striking and bringen the Captain on his back. "You are right, we have killed many of your men. And I do understand the need for vengance, so I won't kill you this time" He kneeled down arm made a clean cut across the Captain's chest. "But let this be a reminder that if you seek evenge on my boys again, I won't be so kind. Now leave us alone to mourn our dead, and takes yours with you." Hook stood back up while his man picked up their mates bodies, and they left.
All this time I was still holding Felix, and he was letting me cry. Pan picked up Ruffio's knife and walked over to us. He nodded to Felix in approval and then turned to me. "I truly am sorry for your loss Lucy, for our loss. Here, he would have wanted you to have this." He handed me Ruffio's knife that he had brought with him from our land. "Bays lay him down over there, tomorrow we'll bury him, first thing in the morning."
That night, and many night after that, I slept in Felix's arms for protection.