Chapter 14:
It was cool that night in comparison to the blistering hot days that the island had to offer. The air actually felt good on Tala's skin as she made her way down to the tavern to meet Sebastian as she promised. She made sure to take extra caution when she left by grabbing her ivory dagger and leaving it tucked in the waist of the fur skirt she wore.
He was waiting outside, his freshly shaven face only barely illuminated by the lantern light hanging outside the front door. It made him look even more youthful, even more handsome. Tala didn't often feel attracted to other people, and there were only two she had ever met that she thought were handsome. One was Sebastian, the other was Hook.
"Ye made it, lass. I wasn't sure if ye would come."
"Why not?" She asked, standing a considerable distance away from him. She was still a little uneasy, mostly because she had never accepted a man's invite to be alone before. This was an entirely new experience for her.
"Like ye said before, a wolf can't be tamed," he chuckled. "I'm glad yer here, though, lass. I must admit that I wanted to see ye again."
"Why is that?" She interrogated him further, remembering what Hook told her before she left. He said that men only wanted one thing from her, and that Sebastian would be no different. She needed to be cautious if she was going to protect herself.
"It's been a long time since I've seen somethin' as beautiful as ye on this island. I know that sounds rather silly, but ye don't know how dull it gets 'round here." He reached up to scratch the back of his shaggy brown hair nervously.
Tala just nodded her head, unable to truly understand what he meant by that. Back home, she never remembered finding anything dull. There was always something to do, always training and target practice, always a war to fight for the Lost Boys.
"Come along, lass." He motioned for her to follow him with his hand, and she willingly obeyed. "It's just down the shoreline here."
She walked along just a little behind him, and he let her keep her distance without any complaint. Sebastian understood that she was a cautious creature, not that he really minded. It was understandable given her history.
"How did you come to be in Hook's possession, lass?" He asked while thinking about her complicated history. "I'm curious as to how you ended up in the Isle."
"It is a bit if a long story," Tala sighed, kicking her toes into the sand. "We attacked his ship to try and retrieve the fairy for Pan. My tribesmen were made to walk the plank, but Hook kept me aboard to use me as a bargaining chip. When he went to negotiate with my people, he learned that I had been bartered already. Pan asked for a soldier in exchange for protection, and my chief offered me. Hook retrieved me from the Lost Boys, and now I have no place to go other than with him."
"So this is yer fresh start, aye?" Sebastian raised a brow as he looked over his shoulder at her. "There are worse places to start over, I suppose." He looked ahead of them, where the sandy beach was giving way to dense foliage. "Just through these trees."
Tala was used to moving through trees and over rocks, so it was easy for her to follow him through the forest. In fact, she had to slow herself down to make sure he kept ahead of her. It didn't take long for the forest to open up again to a small but beautiful clearing.
There was a little babbling brooke running through it, falling down from some rocks just up ahead. It created a small waterfall, and a pool of water underneath it just large enough for a person or two to sit in if they needed a place to wash up. The water looked crystal clear and beautiful, more than clean enough to drink.
"This is it," he told her as he made his way closer to the tiny waterfall. "This is my favorite spot on the island. Nobody comes here. Many don't know 'bout it."
"It's beautiful," she smiled gently, walking to the edge of the water and dipping her bare foot into it. The water was surprisingly cool and refreshing. She was tempted to dive right into it. "How did you find it if no one else has before?"
"Oh, others have found it. Most just don't understand its beauty," he chuckled. "My mother told me about this place when I was but a wee lad. She liked to come here when she was young for clean water and peace and quiet."
"She no longer comes here?"
"She can't. She passed away a few years ago," Sebastian answered honestly, his mood changing ever so slightly. Tala only barely saw his solemn frown through the dark, and she decided to quickly change the subject.
"Thank you... for showing me your special place."
"Aye, it's nothing to thank me fer," he chuckled. "This place is here for anyone." He watched her as she crouched down beside the brooke and rested her fingertips over the surface of the water. She looked pretty like that, entrance by nature's simple beauty.
"Why are you so kind to me?" She asked suddenly. "Your people... hate mine. Hook's crew hates me. The men in the tavern hate me. Why don't you?"
"Ye haven't given me a reason to hate ye. I don't hate someone without a reason. My mother taught me that... anyone can be good or bad. Doesn't matter where we come from, or what we are. We have to choose to be kind or cruel. I know plenty of cruel, angry old men on this island. Your people make that choice just like mine do."
Tala looked up at him, a sparkle of something unfamiliar in her gaze. She was surprised to hear someone speak so genuinely, so sweetly. It was hard to believe there was a good man in this world, when all she knew were bad men, selfish men, cruel men. Yet, there he stood, smiling softly down at her without an ounce of anger or hate in his heart.
"Not many... choose to be good."
"I'm sure it seems that way. Yer Captain Hook's prisoner," Sebastian looked at her sympathetically. "Is he cruel to ye, lass? Does he hurt ye?"
"No," she answered honestly. "No, he can be good. Sometimes. Hook has never hurt me, but he hurts others. He is... often selfish. Thinks only of his own desires."
"And do ye have desires, Tala?" Sebastian asked her, moving closer to where she was sitting. He knelt down beside her, then dropped onto the soft grass. He leaned back on his hands and turned to hold her gaze as he waited eagerly for her answer.
"Some," she finally spoke. "I have some desires."
"I hope ye find all you desire, then," he said calmly, suddenly rising to his feet. "Ye deserve that much after all you've been through. As much as I'd love to stay and hear more, I best be gettin' you back to the tavern. Do ye want me to take you home from there?"
"No. I can walk on my own. Thank you." Tala stood beside him, brushing off her hands over the water. "I'm grateful... to know about this place, Sebastian."
He couldn't deny the warm feeling that spread through him at the sound of his name coming from her pretty lips. Sebastian cleared his throat and nodded his head as casually as he could.
"It's as much your place as it is mine now. Ye can always come here when you're hurt or scared. Remember that. And if ye ever need me, ye know where to find me."
"I do," she grinned up at him.
A/N: I know this chapter is a little short, but only because it was running into 3k words with the second part I had planned so I decided to split it up :) next chapter is a very intense moment between Hook and Tala, so it'll be much longer. I'm excited to hear what you think about it. I'll update again later today.