We left the hideout an hour ago and have been traveling through the forest ever since. Most of the Lost Boys skip playfully behind Peter and I. Nick is the only one that doesn't seem happy about our adventure. Every time I glance back at them I see him glaring daggers at the back of my head. He must hate Elves; it is the only thing I can think of that would explain his resentment towards me. I try not to let his attitude bug me, but it still burns the edges of my patience. Peter doesn't seem to notice.
Peter leads the way by flying at a speed that we can keep up with. He hovers above the ground just inches from the tops of bushes, preventing him from getting snagged. Tinkerbell flies next to him, rounding his head on occasion and speaking in her native tongue so quietly that even I, can't hear her.
"Peter, where are we going?" I ask finally.
"It's a secret." He flips over onto his back and floats like that while he looks at me with a devilish grin on his face.
I step to the side to look around him and notice a gray bumpy wall off in the distance. When I follow the wall upwards I notice that it's a mountain wall. All my life, I have never been outside of our city limits. Never saw the ocean, which I did just an hour ago in Peter's bedroom, and never been to the mountains. I could see the mountains from afar from some high areas in the city but to actually see them up close is completely different.
The mountain itself, is tall with a white cap at the top. I imagine that the white is snow, but it has barely ever snowed here on the Island.
As we approach, I start to notice a large opening in the mountain off to the side of our line. It's dark inside, but massive, where the light of the sun breaks through the darkness at a good stretch. Peter makes a turn and heads for the opening. A cave. My pace quickens, he has caught my interest. I have never been in a cave before.
When we reach the entrance a warmth bellows out of the cave, it's wet and sticky. Peter comes to land in front of me. He stretches out his hand to me, his fingers and palm dirty. "Come with me." He says with a smile.
I contemplate touching his hand. He is after all, a human. Humans are selfish, ignorant creatures. But Peter – he seems different. He flies, talks to faeries, and steals little girls from their beds. The last one, other humans do as well, but he thinks he's rescuing me. The longer I wait, the more innocent his eyes start to shine, rounding with a small pout dropping his lower lip. I can hear the Lost Boys whispering behind me.
Hesitantly, I reach out and touch the tips of our fingers together. A heat overwhelms me, and there is an explosion where my heart is. Slowly, my fingers glide up his and onto his palm before our hands wrap around each other. My eyes look up at him, expecting his expression to be as confused as mine feels but he looks content, a smile growing on his lips.
"Hold on to me, it's going to be dark for a bit." His hand tightens around mine, escalating my heart beat. I wonder if he can feel the pulse of it in our hands.
He sets off, dragging me along with him, into the bowels of the darkness. He is right. It is dark. So dark that I can't see in front of me at all. Our hands disappear before my eyes and the only light that shines is Tinkerbell who leads the way.
I hear the pitter patter of the boys rushing up to me and I almost take off running, but instead I continue my slow pace with Peter holding my hand. Something grabs my other hand, it's soft and flesh-like. It clamps on like Peter has. It must be one of the Lost Boys, holding on so not to get lost.
We walk like this in silence with only the sound of our bare feet on the cold, wet surface of the rocky ground. It remains like this for several minutes until I see a glow up ahead. It's a blue glow, shimmering from the high ceiling of the cave. The closer we get the more I realize that the glow is coming from gigantic crystals hanging from the ceiling like icicles.
"Pretty…." I whisper.
Now I am able to see enough of Peter to notice he's staring at me while he leads the way. The blue of the dim light covers him and makes his smiling complexing seem more intense than I am sure it is. But even now with the glow of the crystals above us to light our way, he doesn't let go of my hand. My other hand is released, and when I look back I notice the boys are following close behind, now not needing me to guide them.
"Just a little bit further." Peter assures, regaining my attention.
We walk under the crystals that leaves shadows on the walls where rocks and boulders sit nearby. It's like this for a few minutes until there is another opening up ahead with a deeper blue color above it. This opening is exceptionally different. This part of the cavern is more than massive. There starts to be a jungle up ahead, and mixed within the jungle is a decrypted gray castle that sits next to an open lagoon. The lagoon exits out another opening where a bright white light tries to shine through to the cave. Up above are more crystals but are a mixture of blues and greens.
It's beautiful.
Peter lets go of my hand and flies up ahead of us a few feet. He crosses his arms with a proud grin on his face.
"Let's go swimming!" Yells Weasel. He swings his arms up into the air and starts off towards the lagoon. It only takes a second for Rets and Pint to follow suit, leaving Peter, Nick, and I behind.
"How did you find this place?" I ask, slowly making my way down towards the water.
"I've been here for a few months and have been going on my own adventures ever since I am arrived." Peter swoops down next to me and flies at the speed I am walking, but eventually he gets tired of this and lands to walk next to me.
"It must have been lonely." I mutter.
"That's why I found the Lost Boys."
"How'd you find them?"
"They were lost children in the human city off the beach – where I found that Elven boy almost being hung. They were forgotten children living off the streets."
Forgotten children. In my city there is no such thing as forgotten children. We live such long lives that once we make a decision to have children it stays with us. If a child loses their parents, they are moved to another home suitable to their skills and needs, never abandoned. Our lives are pretty peaceful up until humans' attack. They burn our houses and trees down, slaughter us with their crude weapons, take us for slaves or hang us. I have yet to meet a kind human.
But then I look over to Peter whose eyes have never left me. I don't know if I would call Peter kind. He's definitely prideful. With a bit of innocence and adventure.
We make it to the edge of the lagoon. The water is dark and hard to see into but the closer we get to the light the clearer it becomes. It's a light shade of blue. The three youngest Lost Boys are already in the water, playing. The youngest stays near the shore, only wading through the shallows. He's much too young to be swimming in the deep water but that doesn't stop the other two.
Peter takes off, flying above the water's surface and skimming his hand along the top of its surface. He stops several feet over the water and gets in a position that looks like he's sitting.
"The water is warm!" Peter excitedly says.
I try to smile but as I stare down into the water the more I realize that I can't swim. I have never been near a body of water like this to learn how to. The reflection of me in the water is frowning. Even if I wanted to swim, how could I in the dress I am wearing?
My dress is of Elven made, a simple green and yellow color. A slip on with long green sleeves and a yellow center with silk strings to tighten the front and back. It's no way heavy, but it is the only clothes I have on me.
"I can't swim." I mumble.
Nick snickers from somewhere behind me. "An elf – that doesn't know how to do something? How classic."
I snap a dirty glare back at him. "Excuse me?"
"Elves are supposed to be good at everything. Living such long ass lives allows them to learn all the skills and perfect them." Nick shakes his head as he stares down at me with a frown on his face. "But yet, here you are, a talentless little girl."
I am about to walk over and smack him across the face but before I can move Peter is in between us his arms spread to each one of us, but his smile is gone and he's glaring angrily at Nick. "Don't talk to your Queen like that."
"She's no Queen of mine."
Peter drops his hands, and one falls onto the hilt of his sword. "Then you can leave."
"Gladly. I don't want to be a part of this pretend charade." For the first time I see Nick smile, he turns on his heels and walks off back towards the entrance of the cave.
"You should have let me slap him." I grumble.
Peter twists back to me and shrugs. "You don't know how to swim?"
"No," I sigh, "We didn't have a body of water nearby to swim in."
A slow grin spreads across his cheeks. He turns his body fully to me and bows with one arm in front of him and the other behind. He's done this before when we first met in his bedroom. When he stands back up, he stretches out his hand again to me.
This time I don't hesitate. I grab his hand and that same hot jolt rushes through me. He walks pass me to the water's edge and steps into the lagoon. He's slow as he leads me in. My feet touch the warm water before gingerly stepping down into it. He waits for me patiently as I take in the waters warmth, edges of my dress becoming wet.
"I'll teach you."
He continues to gently lead me into the water until our waists reach the surface. He leans forward and takes my other hand into his free one and holds them both in between us. He lowers himself down until he's covered to just his neck. I follow his movements, my fingers tightening around his but he doesn't seem to mind.
"Just hold onto me." Peter watches me attentively, his eyes scanning my upper frame until I am lowered to the point my neck and head are above the water. We walk like this with our knees bent and feet on the slippery rocks below.
I start to smile and the feeling of accomplishment excites me. But then I feel my foot catching on something and then I slip. My hands release Peter's and I slide forward into him. My arms wrap around his neck and our chests meet. Our faces are inches away from one another and my heart beats rapidly in my chest. I am almost sure he can feel the beat.
His warm blue eyes stare into the depths of mine, his lips slightly parted and his hands are carefully on my hips.
"Sorry," I breathe.
I should move. Unwrap my arms from around him and back up, but I can't. My feet aren't touching the rocks below and the only thing keeping me from sinking is him.
"It's okay." He whispers, his hot breath brushing across my face. I am surprised at how good it smells, for a boy with such little hygiene.
We stay like this, staring into each other's eyes with just Peter holding us up. I can tell he's getting nervous the longer we float. His eyes start to dart here and there, but he also, doesn't try moving. I don't want to let go in both fear that I'll drown and…. a part of me just feels safe. What can I do to distract him? To make him feel comfortable?
"Tell me about your home." I start. "Was it Neverland?"
He nods. "Yeah, Neverland. It's where faeries, Indians, and pirates live. But also Lost Boys. They are boys that fall out of their perambulators and after seven days, are brought to Neverland."
"Is that how you found Neverland?"
"Yeah. Tinkerbell found me, she took me in and taught me how to fly." He smiles at this memory.
Knowing how he responded when I mentioned adults before, I don't bother bringing up where his parents are.
"I am guessing there aren't any lost girls, since you haven't mentioned any."
"Girls are too clever to fall out of their perambulators."
I chuckle the slightest and shake my head. "I suppose you're correct on that for I have never fallen out of my crib."
There's the slightest upturn of the left corner of his lips.
I look over my shoulder at the boys. They are playing in the shallows, paying no mind to us, and I couldn't be more thankful.
"How about we go check out that castle?" I ask, nodding my head towards the decrypted building. A slow grin spreads his lips.