Hello again! Here's another update :) I hope to keep them coming regularly if possible. I like the story and characters so far. Thanks so much for the constructive feedback, dearest reviewer on the last chapter :) it really helps me know where to go, what you like and dislike so i can keep up the good stuff and improve the bad. So thank you! Enjoy :)

Chapter 3:

Tala let out a disgusted huff as she picked up a particularly dirty piece of fabric from the pile of dirty clothes she was ordered to wash. She sat on her knees by the bucket, throwing the fabric piece by piece into the water and kneading it repeatedly.

The alcohol that the pirates dumped in the bucket to mix with the water to sterilize their clothes burned her eyes and throat. It was a strong smell, something she definitely wasn't used to as her people didn't have rum. They never cared to either. Sometimes they would burn specific herbs together to hallucinate and visit their ancestors. But only high ranking members could do things like that.

She went through the pile of clothes as quickly as she could, eager to get away from the strong smell of rum that permeated from the bucket. She switched over to the trough of clean water to rinse it all out, then hung them up over a rack like she was told to.

Pirates were truly disgusting creatures, she decided, and she would jump over the edge of the ship if she didn't have a mission to complete. Being Hooks servant was exhausting and horrifying. Her people were called savages, yet they were much cleaner and much more independent.

Once she was finished with the clothes, she climbed up the latter to get back to the top deck. The fresh air was a relief, and the breeze that brushed over her slightly sweaty skin cooled her immensely. She sat for a moment to catch her breath. It was so stuffy below.

"Tala, dear," came Smee's voice from across the ship. She let out a sigh, then pushed herself up to her feet, though it pained her lower back to do so. She shimmied through the crowd of men working to get to the stocky older man. "Captain would like to see you in his cabin."

"Why?"

"I don't ask why, miss," he told her honestly, shuffling towards the cabin. Tala followed behind him, a little wary and uneasy about going back there or being alone with him. He was a dangerous man. Even though she wasnt afraid of him, she wasn't stupid enough to not be cautious around him.

When she stepped into the cabin, Smee left immediately and pulled the door closed on his way out. Tala wished the older man had stayed, since Smee seemed to have some sort of compassion that he extended out to her. She was grateful for it.

"Hello, love," Hooks voice brought her attention to him. He had his boot up on a stool, sliding a small dagger into the side of it. He pushed his pant leg down over it, then stood upright and looked directly at Tala. "We're almost to the Cove. Smee has been ordered to keep you locked in here."

"Why?" She questioned with a frown. "I can't run. Why lock me away?" He lifted a little glass bottle with a cork in it that was tied around his neck with a string. Inside of the bottle, was the dim glow of the little fairy Tala was sent to retrieve.

"Tinkerbelle will be with me, so there is no sense in raiding my cabinets looking for her." He tucked the bottle away underneath his collar, then reached for a long, withered brown leather coat that laid strewn over the bed. "We will return to the ship by sundown."

Tala said nothing more as Hook slid by her to leave the cabin. She already planned her escape, so there was no sense in arguing. He left without another word, and Tala began digging around for anything she could use as a weapon. She managed to find a spare hook, so she grabbed it and waited for a little while.

After some time had passed, and the ship had slid ashore somewhere, Tala began knocking one of Hook's heavy boots against his bed frame. She then rushed behind the door, just in time as it swung open and a panicked Smee waddled in.

"What is it, Miss?" He called out frantically. Tala took the opportunity while he was looking around, to sneak out of the door he left open. The poor man was hopelessly dimwitted, and she wondered why Hook ever left him in charge of anything important.

The deck was empty, and she was grateful for it. Tala found where they had dropped the rope ladder over the side of the ship. She looked back for a moment to see if she would be noticed, then began climbing down.

The ship had landed on an island that was, quite literally, just floating in the middle of the ocean. It was small and covered by sharp jagged rocks. There was a large opening to a cave not far from the ship, and she knew they must have gone in there. With the Captain's rusty old hook in hand, she started towards the opposite end of the beach.

There was a pool of water in between some rocks that was crystal clear and almost glowing. Tala was excited at the prospect of being able to drink clean, cool water straight from the source, instead of rum or boiled ocean water.

She knelt down on the rock that sloped down into the little pool of water. She cupped her hands together, then brought up a handful of water to her lips. It was delicious and cold, truly refreshing after a week or more at sea with a bunch of pirates.

As she was drinking, she noticed something move at the very bottom of the pool. It had been surprisingly deep for its position, but then again, the rocks that trapped the water probably went down further than she initially thought.

Tala sat back, staring at the water. A shadowy figure came rushing towards the surface, and she scooted back away from the edge. Tala turned to scramble away entirely.

"A woman," a soft voice brought her attention back to the pool of water. "My, I havent seen a woman in decades." She paused and turned to see the upper body of a man, leaning against the rock she were had been sitting. He had golden blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His chest and arms were toned to perfection.

She had heard stories about the mermaids that lived in the caves around Neverland, but she thought they were all women. Or, shaped like women anyways. No, this was a man, an incredibly attractive man, with a scaly tail and swayed behind him.

"You seen to be in some kind of trouble," he observed, leaning on his elbow and scrutinizing her further. "You're afraid. You're running from something." What kind of magic did this merman possess? How could he know these things about her.

"I was taken prisoner," she told him honestly, moving a little further back from shore. His brow furrowed, not in concern but in curiosity.

"By Hook?"

"Yes."

"What a devil that man is," the merman clicked his tongue. His tone was soft, charming. He had dimples on each cheek that only added to his looks when he smiled at her. "I bet I could help you escape. I could take you back to your island."

Her eyes widened at that. She didnt know why he'd want to help her, but the idea of going home was something she wanted to indulge in. She moved a little closer to her, eyes searching his.

"How?" She asked desperately.

"Well, there's an old raft in the cave," he explained, "and I could lead you back. I know the way." He pushed himself up a little, his muscular abdomen stretching so he could be closer to her without moving onto the rock completely. "Come closer. I'll tell you how to find it."

Tala hesitated for a moment. It seemed too good to be true, but she was desperate. Her family was missing her, and she was missing them. Her tribe was everything to her. She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, then slid down the rock a little ways to get closer to him. As she leaned in to hear the location of this secret raft, his hand wrapped around her wrist.

Before she could react, Tala was dragged down into the pool of water. She didnt even have time to catch a breath before plummeting down. She gripped the hook tightly, then jabbed it at the merman that was pulling her deeper with each passing moment. Somehow, she managed to scrape it along his side, causing him to his and release her for a moment.

She immediately began scramblinhg for the surface, kicking as hard as she could to propel herself quickly. Just before she reached the edge of the rock, his large hand clasped her ankle. She was jerked back down, and she was sure that he was going to drown her. Her lungs ached, her chest felt like it was going to implode in on itself.

Another, different hand grabbed her lower arm, and she closed her eyes as she was tugged upwards. Something loud popped above the surface, and the hand around her ankle released her. She was hoisted up, breaking the surface, and pulled back onto the rocks, several feet away from the edge of the pool.

She rolled onto her stomach, coughing the water that had seeped into her body out onto the sand and stone beneath her. Tala lifted her head to see Hook standing there, tucking his gun away in the belt of his pants. He met her gaze.

"You are a very lucky girl," he smirked down at her. "Had Smee not come to tell me you escaped, you would have been fish food." He offered his hand to her, but Tala pushed herself upright without it. She was proud, and her naivety left her feeling ashamed.

"I suppose I owe you," she cleared her throat, enjoying the feeling of fresh air replacing the water in her lungs. She brought her braid around her shoulders to squeeze some of the water out. Most of her hair was loose, falling around her face and poking out of the braid, so she pulled it loose altogether and let her long, black hair fall free.

"I'm sure we can arrange something. My errands are finished here, so... shall we head back, love?" He offered his arm to her, which she also decline. Tala walked passed him, though she wobbled a little, and Hook just chuckled at her.

She was a wily beast, that one. He knew it would only make it that much more fun to tame her. He walked behind her, admiring her feminine curves, and her beautifully tanned skin. She was a beauty, there was no denying it. Hook wondered if maybe he should postpone negotiations with the savages for a little while. After all, he had a wolf to domesticate.