Peter was annoyed. He watched the two wolves lay about the campfire. That was normal but normally their master was around. Dahlia had been gone when he woke up. He would have felt her leave him but he hadn't, and he hadn't been able to find her. Henry hadn't seen her, neither had Felix nor Devin. The wolves weren't restless which meant she wasn't in trouble. That didn't ease his mind though.
She didn't choose to be on this island, but she was here. And now she was right in the middle of everything. She had forged a bond with Henry that was nearly unbreakable. Henry had talked to her about his versions of fairy tales, about what he had seen. They were so close he didn't think he could force her into what he wanted her to do.
With Henry's family on the island, things were about to get interesting. He was resetting the board every chance he got, but Dahlia was making things complicated. The Dark One had a prophecy all his own. Peter had two working on him. He needed to keep the one about Dahlia a secret. The only other person who knew was Felix and there was no way the boy was going to let that slip. The one person who needed to know was Dahlia. He had to tell her because he had a sinking feeling that if he didn't, she would find out and hate him. For some reason, he couldn't handle her hating him.
Loras's head popped up, followed by Rosie's. The two wolves were in tune with their master that they knew when she was coming. He waited two heartbeats before he realized she was moving slowly. Something had happened. He could tell by the way Loras stood and started pacing the fire pit. A low growl emanated from deep within him. It wasn't a warning, more like an irritated noise. He was acting like a caged animal. Rosie crept forward on her belly, whining as if she were in pain. With both wolves acting out, it alerted the rest of the Lost Boys.
When Felix stepped up to him, Peter shrugged. He had no idea what was going on. This was his island. He usually had complete control, but the girl had ripped all that away. She didn't play by his rules; she made her own.
The trees above the camp rustled and every head looked up. Dahlia stood in the trees. She had her back turned but red was visible on her neck and shoulder. She jerked something roughly then tossed it down. It was a lion. Somehow she had come across a leopard. She followed it, landing on her feet. She grabbed the lion by its feet and started dragging it over. Devin and Felix met her half way. She didn't even shy away from Felix when he brushed her shoulder. As she drew closer, it was evident she was wet. Henry bolted down the path.
Peter didn't ask any questions as she sat down on his rock. Barry and George jumped to build the fire higher so she could warm up while another boy ran to grab something to clean the blood off. Loras got right in her face and growled at her, nipping her nose with his teeth. It was his way of berating her without words. Dahlia buried her hand in his scruff and he laid down, Rosie beside him. Henry returned with one of the cloaks that had been in his cove. He wrapped it around her and sat beside her, his head resting on her shoulder.
Barry snatched what first aid supplies they had and started dabbing at the crusted blood around her eye. She stared at the fire, keeping her eyes averted. She had tapped into the wolf's blood running in her veins and they were certain that her eyes were gold. That had been the reason Loras and Rosie had reacted the way they had. She had pulled some power from them.
"What do you want us to do with the leopard?" Felix asked.
Peter motioned to the girl. "Ask her. It was her kill."
Felix didn't look her in the face. He wasn't certain what her reaction would be to him now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He was still a little shocked that she didn't shove him away when he went for the leopard.
"Dahlia?" he asked. He had never used her name before. He normally just called her girl or she, never her name. He didn't want to put a name to her because it meant she was still around.
She turned her head slightly. "Use the meat. Keep the pelt."
Knowing better than to sit around for a reaction he knew would still be violent, Felix retreated to the other side of the fire to skin the animal and use its meat. Peter watched some indecision run across his second's face as he sat down to tend to the fallen animal. Even though he had attacked her, Felix was trying not to become too attached to her. That was so unlike his second, who didn't even like most of the other Lost Boys.
Barry finished cleaning her up then sat back and looked at her. "Why are you all wet? You know it's getting colder. You shouldn't be going for a swim in your clothes."
Barry was one of the three that Dahlia hung around most. George and Devin rounded out the other two. It wasn't unusual for him to ask her questions when she returned to camp. He understood that she didn't listen to his leader. It intrigued him yet scared him all the same.
"I hadn't planned on going swimming," she replied. "I was just a little north of the camp when the leopard jumped out at me. I think it must have thought that I would have made a good meal. It just didn't realize that I would fight back."
"You fell into the river with it didn't you?" Henry asked.
She nodded. "I went first, tumbling over the gravel. That's where this came from." She motioned to her eye. "I used Peter's knife to kill it. I cleaned the blade before I brought I back."
Peter accepted the knife without a word. He examined it like he always did after it was used then sheathed it. He motioned to Barry to get him another cloak then gently edged Dahlia to the ground in front of him. He took her spot and started to unbraid her hair, fingers running through the slick tresses as he brushed it out. Barry returned with another cloak and he used it to dry her hair. Rosie shifted enough so there was enough room. She rested her head on Henry's knees.
"You could have been killed," he said.
"I know. That's why I fought," she replied as she reached over to scratch Rosie's chin. The wolf's tongue lolled out of its mouth in a happy gesture. "She likes you."
"I like her." Henry ran his hand lovingly through her gray fur. "Oh, by the way, Devin attacked me today."
Dahlia looked at Peter, golden eyes full of anger. "What?"
"Before you get too angry, he won. If you noticed the nick on the boy, it was from Henry. He changed a stick into a sword. It was really something beautiful," he replied. She stared at him, not liking his blasé attitude. "He's the savior of magic. He has to be able to turn simple stick into a sword. It means he's the one I've been waiting for."
She stood and tossed the cloak in his face. "You're a real rat bastard sometimes, you know that?"
Peter stared in shock as she stormed away, the wolves going with her. Henry looked between the two of them, not really sure which one he should go after. He stayed by the fire because he didn't want to upset Pan. Instead of hanging around, Peter tossed the cloak to the ground then took off down a path.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Dahlia walked the paths rather quickly. Peter had gone too far in making Henry fight Devin. He really shouldn't continue on this path because he was going to get all of them killed. Irritated that she hadn't seen it before, she rounded the corner and stopped. There was a camp right in front of her with a fire still going. Someone was here.
Loras went first, his nose to the ground. He walked around the camp and made sure that no one was there. He yipped lowly and they ventured in. Rosie stayed behind her the entire time, making sure no one came at her back. Dahlia walked around the camp, kicking at the fire to see how hot it was. She noticed there were fresh water skins off to the side. Whoever was in this camp wasn't too far off.
She rooted around in some of the belongings that had been left. These people, there were at least four of them, were here for a reason. She didn't know what but she knew they were here. As she looked around, she saw pits from many of the fruits lying about the fire. They were going to be here until they found what they were looking for.
The bushes behind her rustled and five people jumped out bearing weapons. Dahlia looked around at all of them, committing their faces to memory. There were two women; one with long blond hair, the other with short black hair. The men also varied. Two had dark hair and the third had lighter brown hair. They all pointed their weapons at her.
"Who are you?" the blond headed woman demanded.
Loras growled, widening his feet so he could spring if he needed. Dahlia looked down at him then lifted her head to look at the others. Rosie was growling something fierce at them. She held her hands up slowly.
"Does it really matter?" she asked.
"What a minute, Emma," the shorter dark haired man replied. He held his hand out and lowered his crossbow. "I think she might be on be one of Pan's."
Dahlia frowned. "One of Pan's? Yeah right. I don't belong to him although he likes to think I do, the pompous ass."
"Wait. I thought girls didn't come to Neverland," the blond man said.
"Oh, I'm tired of explaining this. I was asleep in my bed when I woke up. I fell. No clue how, but here I am. Who are you?"
The blond woman dropped her weapon to her side. "I'm looking for my son. Pan took him."
She tilted her head. "What does he look like?"
It was the dark haired woman who answered. "He's about five foot three with dark hair. He's in jeans and a red shirt. His name is Henry." Dahlia took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "You know him?"
"Yeah, I know him. He's okay. He's been eating and keeping warm. He thinks his dad's dead." She looked at them with a thoughtful eye. "Did you give him this?"
She reached into the satchel on her side and pulled out a golden mirror. The glass was broken like it had been tossed. She had picked it up before anyone else had found it. That wouldn't have been good. Peter had been very short of temper lately. There was no need to upset him more.
The blond reached for the mirror and she handed it over. "We gave this to him so he'd know we were coming."
"He knows but there's not much he can do to help you. Pan keeps a close eye on him. He would me but I have werewolf magic in me so he can't control me."
"You're kidding me," the taller dark haired man said. "Did you say werewolf magic?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Whats up, Hook?" the blond man asked.
Dahlia snorted. "Captain Hook? Well isn't this dandy?"
"Nice to meet you too, love. There was a prophecy about ten years ago about a girl who would come to Neverland and throw Pan off his game. It was said she would be of the wolves and would still his heart. I think that might be you, love."
It suddenly made too much sense. It had to be the secret Peter and Felix were hiding. They talked about her when she wasn't around. That much she knew. It also made sense as to why Felix didn't like her as much, and the reason he had attacked her the way he did. The knowledge raised a lot of questions. Was it just the prophecy that had led to Peter coming on to her or had he done it all on his own?
The one named Emma stepped up to her. "Where is my son?"
"He's in the camp," she replied.
"Get us into the camp."
"I can't. I move through the trees so it would be hard for you to follow me. Besides, there are always sentries posted on every entrance. You wouldn't make it through even if you tried. Your best bet is to find another way in, one that doesn't include me. I can protect Henry. Peter won't mess with me as long as these two stay with me." She rested her hands on the wolves' heads.
"Won't he see where you've been?" the blond man asked.
She shook her head. "Werewolf magic won't allow him. He may be old but he knows how magic works. Though I don't think he's been around werewolves much, I think he does know how their magic works. He's not willing to tempt fate with all of it. I'll be safe. If I lead Henry away from the camp he will be as well."
"I will trust you to keep him safe."
Dahlia nodded. "I'll do my best. He's smart so he's able to handle himself, but I'll do what I can. Peter isn't someone to take for granted. He's one of the best I've seen at planning. I've only been here a few weeks and I can tell he's already ten steps ahead of you and he's rearranging the board. I don't know what his plan is yet, but if I nag Felix, he might spill."
"No, Felix is his number one man. He won't spill anything to anyone. They've been together for centuries," the shorter dark haired man said. "I'm Neal by the way. I lived here for a bit. There's a lot he hasn't told you."
"I don't stay in the camp much during the day. I'm running the paths leading in and out. Sometimes Henry joins me but Felix has been keeping him around the camp mostly. Peter disappears sometimes but a lot of the times he's with Henry as well."
"Why wouldn't Pan keep you on a leash? You're probably more lethal than Henry is," the blond said. "I'm David."
"Dahlia. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. The only ones who pull weapons on me are the Lost Boys, another reason I don't stick around camp. Peter doesn't think I can do any harm. I don't fight with weapons very well. I'm still learning, but I know the paths so I can run them better than anyone. I know hiding spots as well."
"I'm Mary Margaret. Pan gave Emma a map. Will it work?" the other woman asked.
Dahlia shrugged. "If Peter gave it to her and said it would work, then I think so. But I'd be careful about that. He's in a very bad mood. He might change it on you." She watched Loras turned back towards the path. He cocked his head then started to huff, a clear sign someone was coming. "I have to go. Trust me when I say I will watch out for Henry. It's the best I can offer right now."
She didn't wait around long enough for an answer. She grabbed the lowest tree branch and swung up into the tree. Rosie and Loras took off after her, away from the path in case someone saw them. She was usually with them so all anyone would have to do is look up into the trees and see her.
It didn't take very long for her to get back to the camp. The paths had been clear of any Lost Boys so she didn't think anything of it. She dropped into the camp as her wolves burst through the foliage. Henry made his way over to her, sword he had created in his hand. She tossed her arm around his shoulder as they went back to the fire.
"I saw your mom," she whispered as they sat down and grabbed some dinner. She hadn't realized how late she had been out.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"About an hour away from here. Peter knows where they are so it will be harder for them to get here. I'm piecing together his plan but I haven't gotten the final piece yet. He's ten steps ahead, and the only one who knows is Felix."
"Can you ask Felix?"
"I don't know. I doubt it. Peter has the ability to have five or six thoughts going on at once. It takes time to figure out which way he's going to lean."
Henry pointed across the fire. Peter and Felix were talking and the Pied Piper was a little annoyed. They tried to listen in but the fire roared too loudly. Dahlia held up a finger to Henry and tapped into the wolf magic. Henry sucked in a breath when her eyes turned gold. Her hearing was amped up as well when she did this. She turned her attention back to the fire. With her hearing better, she could hear the entire conversation.
"I think she found the others," Felix said. "The wolves' trail to the camp but didn't lead away. I think she found the camp and took the trees out. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"Do you think she talked to them? Besides Henry, Dahlia is the only one in this camp that I cannot control. The wolf magic inside her is too strong. You and I both know that werewolves don't live on the island, but we've met one. Their magic is almost as strong as Neverland's."
"Is that why you've been treading lightly around her? You're afraid she will unite the wolves of the island?"
"That and so much more, my friend. You're more concerned about the livelihood of me. I'm more concerned for everyone else. I don't want them to get hurt." He held up his hand when his friend was about to say more. "No more. Dahlia won't hurt the Lost Boys. We know that but the others will. We need Henry."
"You need a firmer hold on the girl. She's too much of a loose cannon."
"Dahlia is as trustworthy as you, but I cannot bind her to camp." A look passed between them, something the eavesdropper couldn't decipher. "Aye, my friend. That just might work."
Dahlia slipped out of the wolf's hearing with ease, finding it was much easier to do so. She watched Peter walk around the fire. He walked with a purpose even though he stopped to talk to some of the ones he treasured. These boys were his family. She could understand that.
He didn't touch her when he walked up to her. He looked down at Henry with a pleasant smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to steal your friend away."
Henry looked at her. He didn't want her anywhere near Peter again, but he didn't know what had already gone on between the two of them. He didn't need to know because he was just a kid. She ruffled his hair then leaned in close.
"I told your mom I'd protect you," she barely whispered. "Keep a low profile."
Peter tsked. "Secrets are no fun, Dahlia."
She stood. "I just told him that I'd be safe with you. It's not such a lie, is it?"
A mischievous smile flashed across his face and played havoc with his eyes. He was up to something. He bowed like a regal knight then motioned for her to go ahead of him to the path. She did so, feeling the familiar spark when his hand landed on her back.