West Haven appeared on the horizon at sunrise, just like Porter said it would. Against a painted pink and orange sky, tall masts stood like spires and white sails looked like clouds. There must have been over a hundred ships, all with a crew, a captain, and goods from every Never Isle and land beyond.
"It's a whole other world over there," Fane said to me, resting his elbows on the rough wood railing at the front of the ship. His eyes sparkled and danced as he took it in.
I smiled. "I've heard stories."
"You've never been?" he asked, sounding surprised.
I shook my head. "My father always said it was too dangerous. Too many opportunities to get taken away on a foreign ship, never to return."
Fane snorted, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"How ironic that you got taken away on a foreign ship on your own island," he retorted, nudging me with his elbow. He was quiet for a moment, then, "I guess we are returning you though, so maybe your father's right." I could feel his eyes on me, and when I turned to look at him, one side of his mouth was pulled down into a frown.
"What?" I asked, nudging him with an elbow and a smile.
"I wish it was under better circumstances," he said.
"Me too."
We stood there in silence together for a few more minutes, the Jolly Roger making it's way closer to West Haven, until Gresham called to Fane and told him to get ready to drop anchor.
"Best get below deck, Lass," Porter hollered at me as he made his way down from the crow's nest. "We'll be moving fast once we dock." I waved to let him know I heard him, and made my way back below deck and back to the empty barrels.
Langley had brought me onto the Jolly Roger in one of these barrels, and he would carry me off in one.
Something that Porter had said to me after Langley had knocked Hook unconscious came to mind."It's best to keep you hidden for as long as possible. There's no telling what kind of price Pan has put out to have you returned to him. There's going to be a lot of scum out looking to make a fortune. We have to make sure you get handed over to the right people."
A lump was beginning to form in my throat, and I tried to focus on anything other than the hundreds of men on the hundreds of ships that sat waiting. They had seemed so beautiful before, but now each one seemed like a threat, a sleeping monster that could wake up at any moment and swallow me up.
Gresham's rough voice brought me out of my racing thoughts. "Drop anchor!"
The anchor fell overboard, hit the water and, within moments, I could feel the drag as it's teeth drug through the sand below.
After tossing my bag into the barrel, I hoisted one leg up and over the rim.
When the grate above the ladder that led to the deck opened, I paused and watched as a short, stout man in a striped shirt and red hat began to climb down the ladder.
With both feet back on the ground, I turned to face Smee and smiled.
"Hello, Smee," I said.
"Hello," he replied, but he was distracted. He pulled his shirt down where it had rolled up over his belly, then adjusted his hat and glasses before he finally peered up at me over the rims of his tiny glasses.
"I… I just wanted to say good luck, Princess," he said, giving me a shy smile. He broke eye contact with me, his cheeks and bulbous nose turning crimson as he shuffled his feet.
My heart swelled. "Thank you, Smee."
This seemed to make him even more bashful. He took off his hat and wrung it between his hands. "We're all going to miss you," he said, his eyes darting between me and the floor, "Especially Captain."
His statement was innocent, but it felt as if he struck me. I felt my smile falter, and Smee's eyes widened as he realized what he had said.
"I'm sorry, Princess," he sputtered, "I only meant—"
I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Smee." I squeezed when he began to sputter another apology. "Really, it's alright. After what happened earlier, I'm not sure he'll miss me as much as you think."
It was harder to say than I thought it would be.
"Don't take offense, Princess," Smee said, putting his hat back on his head, "but I don't think you realize how much you mean to Captain." He shrugged. "It seems that way at least."
I stared in awe at Smee's boldness, eyebrows raised. I opened my mouth to reply, but closed it again when I realized I didn't have anything to say.
"Captain does love you, Princess, make no mistake. And someday, he'll stop letting his fear get in the way."
My heart pounded in my chest, and I needed to take a few breaths before I could speak. When I finally could, my voice was shaky. "Well—" I swallowed, "—when he's ready to stop letting his fear get in the way, he'll know where to find me."
"That he will, Lass," Porter said as he hopped off the ladder. He slapped Smee on the back and Smee nodded. "That he will." He arched a busy brow and asked, "Ready?"
I nodded. "Ready."
Porter nodded. "Good."
Nothing more was said as I hoisted myself into the barrel and settled in. Porter sealed the lid, and I waited patiently for Langley to come below deck and hoist me onto his shoulder.
###
The hustle and bustle of West Haven slipped through the wood of the barrel as Langley, Porter, and Gresham pushed their way through the crowds of merchants. I tried to peek out the cork hole of my barrel as much as I could, but all I could see were blurs of colors as people passed by. I caught bits of conversations and whiffs of different meats, spices, and baked goods, but nothing ever stayed long enough to piece it all together.
Occasionally, we would stop and I could hear either Gresham or Porter inquiring about ships, but many reacted the same way.
"We don't do business with the likes of pirates."
"Even if we wanted to, Pan has forbade we do business with you."
"Not amount of goods is worth Pan's wrath."
"You're better off loading your goods and heading back to wherever you came from."
Minutes dragged on and began to bleed into hours. The sun was climbing higher and the heat was beginning to seep into the barrel, making the air heavy and difficult to breathe. The wood dug into my hands and knees, leaving splinters in my palm-soaked hands. My joints ached and I could hear Langley grunt each time he tried to readjust my barrel on his shoulder.
"Langley," I whispered, unsure if he could hear me. When he grunted in response, I said, "Can we stop? Just for a moment? I can't breathe in here."
He grunted again before saying, "Gresham. A moment."
"Porter," came Gresham's voice. "The lad needs a moment."
"We all do," Porter said sounding tired and a bit defeated. "I know a place not far from here, away from all the people."
"Lead the way," Gresham said, and then we were moving again.
The noises of the port, markets, and people slowly fell away as we moved and soon, all I could see as we walked were empty streets and quiet buildings.
"Down this way," Porter said, and soon the sun disappeared and cast us into shadow. It was a relief as the heat dissipated enough to make it easier to breathe again. We walked a few feet more before Porter stated, "This will do. Let 'er down, Langley."
Despite having carried me on his shoulder for as long as he did, Langley set me down as if I hardly weighed anything at all. When he popped the top of my barrel open and the cool air rushed in, I couldn't help but sigh happily. I tried to stand, but after being cramped in the same position for a couple of hours, my legs felt numb except for the throbbing heartbeat I could feel in my bloodied knees.
As I rubbed my legs in an attempt to get some feeling back, Langley reached in and scooped me out before gently setting me back on the cool ground.
Gresham wiped his hands over his face and grumbled something I couldn't understand. Porter leaned against the opposite wall and shook his head. "I didn't think it would be this difficult," he admitted as he stretched his arms over his head.
Langley grunted in agreement and nodded as he slowly rotated the arm he held the barrel with. He didn't even cringe.
Sweat drenched my hair and clothes, but as the cool air hit my skin, I erupted into goosebumps. I closed my eyes, thankful for the chill, and leaned my head back against the wall of the alleyway.
"Well, I'll be damned," came a voice from the mouth of the alley that I didn't recognize. "You didn't say you were carrying the greatest treasure of Mystasia in that barrel. I would have taken her off your hands!"