A/N: Hi, it's me Dendraica. I'm posting this story under my new pen-name Foxglove33, so don't be alarmed. ;) I haven't stolen anything unless it's possible to steal from myself! LOL. Anyhoo, hope you all enjoy the continuation to The Storm Begins 1 - 11! More will come hopefully soon! :)


Soul Cages
Dawn found its way through the cracks in the loose stones of the entrance to the cave, streaming rays of light across the bodies of three sleeping children.

Not too far away, a tall black man rested with his head pillowed on his arm and a blanket around his shoulders, while yet another man slept fitfully beside the children, moaning as landsickness filled his dreams with troubled thoughts.

Maegie stirred and drowsily lifted her head, brushing stray red-gold spirals away from her eyelids. She opened her eyes and saw the light of the sun through one of the cracks in the makeshift rock wall.

"Daylight . . . urgh . . ." she muttered, and let her head drop again to lie against Jukes' flank. She really didn't want to wake up. And if I'm this tired, I don't know how the others will keep from sleeping all day. They had a rougher time than I. It was only the walk up the mountainside that wore me out.

Maegie held her breath so she could hear Jukes and Slightlys' soft breathing. She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the sound lull her back to sleep. On her other side, Slightly rolled over and Maegie felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, holding her like one would a stuffed animal. Maegie grumbled and moved a little to try and disengage herself from Slightly's arm. He only held on tighter, murmuring in his sleep. Maegie lifted his arm and gently, so as not to wake the Lost Boy, shifted away from him to lay facing Jukes.

"Good morning," she heard him whisper, just as she was about to drift back to sleep.

"G' mornin," she answered, just as softly. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Slightly."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I mean Slightly. He did."

"Oh."

"A few hours ago, he was having a nightmare. I woke him out of it, then we talked for a while and he drifted back to sleep."

"But you've been awake since?" Maegie asked, concerned.

"I'm too nervous to fall asleep again," Jukes admitted. "I'm half-expecting the cave wall to go crumbling down and Hook to come marching through."

Maegie touched his arm gently. "I take it you had some nightmares of your own?"

"If I did, I mercifully don't remember them."

They were both silent for a while. Maegie closed her eyes to keep the small but insistent rays of sun from jarring her awake completely. "Maegie?" she heard Jukes ask.

"Yeah?"

"Where do we go from here? I mean, what now? I've been thinking about it almost all morning."

"I don't know. But we'll all think of something; you don't have to do it on your own."

"I don't feel like sleeping any more. I kind of want to get up." Jukes began to sit up.

"Aren't you tired?" she asked, surprised, raising herself up on one elbow.

"Yes. But also worried. Nevermind --" Billy sighed, lying back down, "It appears I won't be going anywhere for a while longer."

Slightly was lying with his head on Jukes' legs, pinning him down. Jukes was tempted to yank his legs away, but after all Slightly had done for him yesterday, he didn't have the heart to give the Lost Boy such a rude awakening.

Maegie grinned."Guess you might as well catch some more sleep."

"I wish I could."

"There's little chance of Hook finding us here. Even our footprints must have been washed out by the rain."

"Sooner or later, we're going to have to come out. For water. And food. What then?"

Maegie wanted to console him, but she could not think of an answer.

* * *

The Jolly Roger was in an uproar come morning. When the pirates came to from their drunken stupors to find Jukes, Cecco, Slightly, and even the Turncoat gone, a hasty conference was called, and lots were drawn to pick the unfortunate man who would have to break news to the Captain.

As the unlucky and miserable Starkey headed toward Hook's cabin and knocked on the door, the men shivered in anticipation. The hype of their terror was not disappointed. Hook's reaction to the news sent a flock of Neverbirds flying away from the rocks of the pirate's lagoon, shrieking in panicked disorder.

"What do you mean, gone?!" Hook was roaring. "What cozening is this? How did they escape, you miserable dogs?!"

The pirates looked at one another. Maegie and Mullins had also been discovered gone to mystery, but things were bad enough without mentioning that.

"Load the longboats," Hook snarled. "Peter Pan must've come for them . . . of course, it was Pan! The sniveling brat must always manage to escape when I have him at the tip of my claw! Well not this time! I have come too far to give up now . . . I will find his house, with or without Jukes' help . . . even if I have to kill every creature -" Hook's eyes were beginning to darken - "pull every tree up by the roots--" Hook's irises were now black as ink and the darkness was still spreading - "and turn Neverland into a wasteland of corpses and barren earth, I will find Peter Pan!!!" the pirate captain screamed to the sky.

Hook's eyes were now completely darkened, the irises, the whites . . . everything. The men were terrified; no longer was anything human standing before him. Fear struck to their very hearts, and as they held life dear, they knew better than to disobey his slightest whim.

With cries of obedience, the men fled to the longboats on both the Galleliea and the Jolly Roger and began lowering them into the water. Hook scarcely payed attention to their labors, instead fixing his dark, unnatural eyes on the horizon, daring Peter to show himself in daylight.

And from her lair high on Witch's Peak, Arizael watched and smiled with delight.

* * *

Unknowing that Hook and his men were headed toward the mainland at that very moment, Jukes and Mullins were embroiled in an argument. Upon awakening, it was discovered that food was not a problem, but water was. There were only three canteens for five people. That wouldn't last them very long at all. Someone was going to have to go down the mountainside and gather more water at the base of the hill.

"Lad, listen, it's true we need water, but you ain't ever gonna set foot out of this cave, d'ye hear me?"

"Why not? I can be quick--"

"I don't care if yer quick as a grasshopper, yer not going. Yer covered in wounds and you need to get over 'em. I'm going."

"You?! But you're wounded too!"

"I ken handle it."

"Not with your landsickness."

Mullins sighed sharply. "I am not going to sit here while ye risk your neck to get water. You could fall, lad, an break your neck, and --"

"So could you," Billy said gently. "But I won't be walking."

"Huh?" Mullins asked, scratching his head.

"Me and Slightly can fly right down there, grab some water, and be up before anyone knows it."

"Flyin?! Good gods, I thought ye'd forgotten how to by now! You've been in that brig for so long . . . wait a minute, how come ya walked us all up the mountainside last night then?"

"Well, we couldn't just leave you behind, now could we? That would be slightly rude, I think!" Slightly chimed in. "And it was slightly raining, not the best of weather for flying."

"It would've been way too hard to carry you three, under those conditions."

Mullins stroked his mustache. "I see." He sighed sharply, then. "You promise me you'll be fast? No lollygagging about?"

"Promise," said Jukes, grinning.

"I'm coming too," said Maegie.

"Lass, they can't carry both you and the water back up, now can they?" Mullins said, practically.

Embarrassed, Maegie lowered her head. "No, I don't suppose they can." She felt silly; there was no reason for her to go except to keep them company. That and she just didn't want to be left out.

"It'll only be for a couple of minutes. Then we'll be right back, honest," Jukes consoled her. He reached out and playfully tugged a ringlet of her hair. Maegie flipped her long tresses back over her shoulder, glaring and half-smiling at the same time.

"Don't pull my hair."

"But it's shiny! How can I help myself?" he teased her. His face grew solemn. "Hey Maegie, you better not step outside of the cave today. Hook'll be able to pick out that flaming red hair like another sun."

"Oh shut up, you!" Maegie laughed, giving him a shove toward the cave opening.

* * *

"Father?" Tiger Lily called from outside Chief Panther's tipi. "Father, Hard-to-Hit and I are going out to dig up some roots. Is that allright?"

"I'm not going to dig roots! She can, but I'm going hunting!" said Hard-to-Hit.

Tiger Lily rolled her eyes.

Chief Panther drew back the flap to the tipi. "If you're going, you better take weapons. I had a bad premonition . . ."

"What happened?" Tiger Lily asked, concerned for her father. "How tired you look! Are you allright?"

"I am fine, Tiger Lily. Both of you stay within sight of each other. And come back before dark."

Both children nodded, and ran off to collect their bows and arrows. Chief Panther sighed as he watched them. He let his mind wander back to the disturbing vision he had gotten, a vision of tears falling along with blood . . . an immense grief caused by a violent rage. He saw a shape of a boy standing between two battling entities, trying to separate them.

"I have never had a dream like this . . . whatever can it mean?" the shaman mused. He turned around and walked back into his home to think more on it.

* * *

Just as Slighty had told him, they found the waterfall's pool within a grove of trees, all but completely hidden from view.

Billy splashed some of the trickling water on his face, then leaned backwards to get his hair wet. Slightly laughed. "I thought we were getting some water, not bathing!"

"Well excuse me, mister, but you weren't in a rat-infested brig for a week with no way of keeping clean." Jukes shook off the excess water, purposely making sure some of it landed on Slightly, who scowled at him.

"I see you're aching for another splash war."

"Yeah, but we can't. We've gotta get some water up to the cave and quickly. Mullins won't be very happy if we're playing around down here while they're worrying for our safety."

"Oh, but of course you could spare time to take a shower," Slightly argued, good-naturedly. He grinned suddenly. "I think it's because you want to impress Maaaegie!"

"Now stop that!"Jukes warned. But it was too late; Slightly had already started singing.

"Billy and Maegie sitting in a tree--"

"Quit it!"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Slightly, so help me . . ."

"First comes looove . . ."

"Slightly! Cut that out!"

"Then comes marriage . . ."

"All right, that's it!"

"Then comes a -- YEOW!!!"

Billy didn't even let Slightly finish the song before tackling him, landing them both in the water.

* * *

Maegie looked out of the cave entrance, trying to see if she could spot the two boys. It had only been ten minutes; surely something couldn't have gone wrong in such a short time?

"Do you see anything?" asked Cecco.

"No. The trees are too tall for me to see where they've gone," she answered. Maegie looked over to the sparkling horizon of Neverland's ocean and gasped as she saw movement. A small fleet of longboats were stead-fastedly rowing towards shore. "Hook's coming!" she cried. "I have to warn them!"

Cecco leapt to his feet. "I'll go find them," he volunteered.

"No! Let the girl go," said Mullins. "She's small enough to hide if they need to take cover from Hook. Come here, lass!"

Maegie was at his side in the next instant, and her eyes widened when he handed her a dagger. "Take this weapon, ye may need it. Although I hope it don't come to that. Just find them two kids and get yerselves up here! No heroics!"

"I promise, Mullins," she called over her shoulder as she darted from the cave.

* * *

"Fan out," growled Hook, drawing his cutlass. "You men search everywhere, and if you find any children, bring them to me. I want the privilige of slitting their throats myself."

"Aye Captain," was the chorus of assent.

While Alf Mason, One-Eye, Brine, and Cookson hauled the longboats ashore, the other pirates stalked across the sandy beach to enter the looming forest.

* * *

It wasn't until after both of them were dripping wet when they realized they had better fly up to the cave as soon as possible. "They must be worried sick about us and we're soaked! This is gonna be slightly hard to explain. Why'd you have to go and knock both of us in the water for?"

Jukes tied up the last waterbag and glowered at Slightly. "Why'd you have ta go and tease me for? I swear, I was blushing so badly I almost caught afire. Don't do that to me!"

Slightly burst out laughing.

"Anyway, we'll just say we, ah . . . fell in."

The boys were prepared to fly back up to the cave, when they heard a frightened voice call their names.

"Billy! Slightly!" Looking terrified and out of breath, Maegie burst through the shield of ferns and bracken. Slipping in the wet mud, she would have met a fate equal to that of Jukes and Slightly's dripping garments, had Billy not caught her in his arms before she fell into the pool.

"Oy, what's wrong? You okay, Maegie?" Jukes asked, seeing the fear in her storm-blue eyes.

"Hook --" she started to warn them, just as the Captain of the Jolly Roger slashed through the remaining plants obscuring his way to stand before them.

* * *

"We're lost," muttered One-Eye, looking about him uneasily.

"Ah, now ye tell me when I've been following you!" Brine snapped. Alf Mason, Smee, and Starkey had been separated from their group when they'd heard something beyond a copse of strange-looking trees with moving vines. They hadn't been heard from since.

Delighted laughter filled the air and both One-Eye and Brine spun around. "What's that?" Brine demanded.

"Must be demons . . . or worse, those flyin' kids!"

"Peter Pan, actually," laughed the young sprite, suddenly hanging upside down from a tree-branch before the two terrified pirates.

"Jee-hosephat!" yelped One-Eye, drawing his sword.

Peter was faster and he had his dagger ready before One-Eye even got his weapon out of the scabbard.

"Where're Jukes and Slightly?" Peter demanded. "Tell me, and I'll go easy on you both!"

"We can take him, One-Eye, don't be a fool! He's only a little brat!" Brine whispered.

"A flyin' brat! With magic fairy dust; I ain't gonna go against that!" the pirate hissed back to his comrade.

"Hook's orders were to capture any flyin' kids. Here's one, let's capture it!"

"I'm still waiting for an answer. Where're the boys you have prisoner?"

"They escaped."

"Escaped? How?"

"One of the wenches - Maegie's her name--"

"Shh! Why you tellin' him, One-Eye? We supposed ta be fightin', not conversatin with him!"

"So they're not leading Hook to my house?" Peter asked, puzzlement clear on his young face.

"Well apparently bloody-not, kid. We wouldn't all be stranded like beads from a broken necklace if Hook had someplace for us to be!" snapped Brine.

Pan smirked. "Thank you, gentlemen. You've been most helpful." The boy darted off and out of the pirate's sight.

"We helped him? How'd we help him? We weren't supposed to help him . . ."

Brine groaned at One-Eye. "No, really, ya think? Let's just get outta this g'fersaken place before anything else happens!"

* * *

The three children were frozen, not even able to cry out. Jukes forced himself to snap out of the trance of fear, and glared defiantly at Hook. The Captain's eyes appeared to be shadowed under his hat, giving him an even more frightening countenance.

Hook, likewise frozen, but only from surprise at finding them so soon, drew his cutlass and Jukes' hand darted for his own sword. Only to remember that it was still on the Jolly Roger, having been stripped of his weapons during his confinement in the brig. Slightly had lost his own sword the same way and he silently cursed its loss.

Jukes felt something press into his hand and Maegie backed away. Without looking, he identified it as Mullins' dagger, and his hand tightened around the hilt.

"Leave us alone," he warned, trying to make his voice low and threatening. Hook laughed cruelly.

"So Peter Pan didn't rescue you . . . you rescued yourself. Clever. Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to give you all the credit, Mr. Jukes. I'm sure you couldn't have done it without the help of that red-haired harlot."

Maegie's eyes widened in fury and she stepped forward. Jukes flung out an arm to keep her back. "Don't let him bait you, Maegie," he said. Inside, he felt a surge of fury and bewilderment. What was going on? Had Hook really sunk far enough to insult a woman, something the gentlemanly Captain didn't ever seem capable of doing before?

Hook raised his cutlass, preparing for an attack. Jukes frowned. The Captain was on the defense, meaning he was expecting Jukes to attack him. Surely the Captain didn't think he was stupid enough to leap into a duel against a cutlass and an iron hook while armed only with a dagger?

"Come on, boy. Attack me! I'll kill you anyway, but at least I'm giving you an option other than dying like a cringing coward."

"I'm not afraid of you," snarled Jukes.

"Then attack me. I challenge you!"

"You're enjoying yourself slightly too much, I think," muttered the Lost Boy. Hook's attention snapped toward Slightly and Maegie. He smiled.

"I grow weary of this stand-still. If you will not fight me, you will watch your friends die!" growled Hook, ferally lunging past Jukes toward Maegie and Slightly.

"No!" This motivated Jukes into action and he grabbed Hook's arm, holding on and digging his heels into the soft earth, trying to stop as the Captain's weight carried him forward towards his intended victims. Slightly and Maegie darted underneath the sweep of Hook's blade easily as Jukes' interference was making it difficult for Hook to use his arm properly. With a snarl, Hook turned on the boy, elbowing him hard in the face. Jukes cried out in pain as black stars burst in his head. He fell to his knees, overcome with dizzyness. Hook was towering above him and the boy closed his eyes, preparing for death.

"Wait your turn, Jukes. First your friends, then you." Hook lunged once again towards Maegie and Slightly.

Maegie made a dash to the right, and Slightly to the left. Hook's blade went right and Maegie screamed as she felt a sharp pain slice across her back. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Grinning, Hook walked forward to finish her off. Jukes' eyes widened in horror. He tried to get to his feet, but fell back to his knees, slipping in the mud. Maegie had only one chance left . . .

"Hook!" Jukes yelled, trying to draw the attention on himself. The Captain did not turn, but instead raised his sword over Maegie's form.

Jukes did not want to do this, but it was either Hook or Maegie . . . he took careful aim and threw the dagger, its point flashing toward Hook's back. It might not kill him, but it would stop him before he harmed any of his friends.

The Captain whipped around and deflected the dagger with his cutlass, without even breaking a sweat. "What the . . . ?" There was no way Hook could have humanly sensed that dagger coming.

He leered triumphantly at Jukes then turned back toward Maegie. "Say goodbye to your young wench, Jukes!" he laughed, raising his sword again.

"NO!!!" Jukes struggled to his feet and charged toward Hook. A brown blur shot past and beat him to his target.

"Leave her alone, Codfish!" There was the clash of steel upon steel and Pan floated above Maegie, his sword keeping Hook's blade away from her skin. Hook stepped back.

"Peter Pan," he growled, a strange note of satisfaction in his voice. "Your entrails will make a worthy stain on my sword."

"Ew, Codfish, must you be so gory about it? Whatever happened to all that gentleman talk?"

Jukes moved quickly to Maegie's side and helped her sit up. "Are you okay?" he asked her as the fight between Peter and Hook raged on.

"Y-yeah . . . it just hurts a little."

Jukes took his hand away from her back and saw that both were covered in blood. "We have to get you to a doctor."

"Yeah, and slightly sooner than later," declared Slightly, peering anxiously at Maegie who was growing paler by the minute.

Behind them, Peter cried out in surprise and pain. He flew up a few feet above Hook, examining the new wound the Captain had given him. A horizontal slash was cut into his thigh. "You win the first blood, Hook. But I'll win the second!"

Peter swooped down and his sword flashed. Hook did not make a sound, but Jukes, Slightly and Maegie gasped when they saw black liquid splatter across both Peter's sword and Peter's face. Peter wiped at his face and frowned. "Why are you carrying an ink bottle in your clothes, Codfish?"

"I . . . I don't think that's ink, Peter," Slightly said, breathlessly.

Only one word managed to work it's way into Juke's mind: Arizael. She had to be behind this! There was no other explanation . . . but what on earth was her purpose?

Hook put his hook against the scratch Peter had given him and let the dark unnatural blood stain the iron claw. He did not seem affected by his wound in the least, while Peter was still wincing from the sharpness of the cut on his leg.

Hook raised his blade again, and the fight resumed.

"Come on," Jukes said, lifting Maegie in his arms.

"I can walk, it's okay," Maegie said, softly.

"But----"

Jukes was interrupted by Peter's scream of pain. He saw the leader of the Lost Boys dart backwards in the air, holding his side which was streaming with red blood . . . and black blood as well. Hook smiled and calmly wiped the red stain on his hook off with his cloak. Peter crashed against one of the trees and slumped to the ground. Whatever wound Hook had given him, it had been deep. But as long as Peter was still alive, Hook's revenge was not finished.

The Captain strode purposefully to the wounded boy, and Slightly cried out and ran forward as well. "Slightly!" Jukes warned him, helplessly. He began to put Maegie down to run after his best friend, when Hook cried out in fury. A flurry of arrows pelted him, keeping him from walking any closer to Peter. Slightly grabbed Peter by the arms and dragged him clear of the tree. The arrows were not aimed to kill; tearing more cloth than flesh. Hook growled, distracted from his prey, and concentrating on shielding himself.

Jukes cried aloud as a pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders and spun him around. "Jukes! Let's go, lad!" Mullins yelled. "Now while we still 'ave the chance!" Cecco had picked up Peter and slung the now-unconscious boy over his shoulder. With Maegie, Jukes and Slightly in tow, they made a quick exit out of the grove of trees.

Maegie stumbled often from fatigue and the loss of blood and Jukes and Slightly had to keep her from fainting more than once. It was adrenaline more than anything else that kept them going; although they knew not where they were headed. Fear was spurring them on mercilessly.

Mullins came to a sudden halt and held out his hands to stop the others. "I hear somethin' . . ."

Sure enough, the cries of men could be heard coming from a copse of trees. Were-trees. "Sounds like Mason . . . an Smee . . . an Starkey; yeah, I can recognize that squealin' o' Starkey's anywhere."

"But aren't they after us?" asked Cecco.

"Lissen, they're our only chance. I don' think neither I nor the lassie can run any further an ye can't carry three people."

"Will they help us if we help them?" Maegie panted, doubled over for breath.

"That's what I'm hopin."

"Look after 'em, Slightly," Cecco told the Lost Boy, setting Peter down in a patch of soft moss.

Mullins drew his sword and Jukes took the dagger strapped to Peter's leg. Cecco had his own sword out, and together, the three men ran toward the Were-trees.

Alf Mason, Starkey, and Smee were freed soon after. Slightly, sitting by Maegie and Peter, jumped to his feet when he heard grumbling and arguments coming his way.

"The Cap'n gave us orders," sniffed Starkey. "You're to come with us, unless you want to fight."

"There's no way in hell we're goin' back there!" argued Jukes.

"Watch yer language, lad. Starkey, have ye seen Hook?! He's a demon, I'm tellin' ya! No good can come from following that man!"

"That's a song I've heard sung by you many times, Robert Mullins," Starkey said.

"No, he means it this time!" Jukes put in. "There is seriously something wrong with Hook."

"Next, Billy Jukes, you'll be saying 'there's evil in it'."

"Don't ye be tellin' me there's anythin' wrong with the Cap'n, you two scoundrels! Me Captain is as fit as a fiddle, an I ain't going to abandon him without a right good cause!" Smee piped up.

Jukes, by this time, had reached Slightly, Maegie, and Peter ahead of the others. "Do you have his sword, Slightly?"

"Yes, I grabbed it. Knew Peter would get furious if I just left it behind." Slightly pulled the sword from his belt and handed it to Jukes. The black blood was not yet dry, but it eerily clung to the blade without dripping. Jukes walked toward the other pirates who were still embroiled in the argument.

"I think we oughta help 'em!" rumbled Mason. "Jukes an' the Lost Boys saved our lives an Hook threw the lad in the brig, an even flogged 'em, while we stood aroun' an did nothin! We owe them, that's what!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mason. Hook will do the same to us if we mutiny."

"Keel-haul me! How can ye still say no after they saved our lives from those infernal Were-trees?"

"Nobody's asking you to mutiny. Just help us," Cecco pleaded. "We are all exhausted and we need treatment for those of us who are wounded."

"Anythin' against the Cap'n orders is still mutiny! I'd sooner die then go against me Cap'n, an' any man who does otherwise is going ta get tickled with Johnny Corkscrew!"

"Which happens at the moment to be wedged in a Were-tree branch," Jukes said, dryly. "You wanna run back and get it, feel more than welcome."

"What the 'ell is that?" cried Alf Mason, staring at the dark-stained sword in Jukes' hands.

"This the blood of the Captain."

"It . . . I . . . that's what came from his wound?" Starkey sputtered, dumbfounded.

"Bejeepers, an' I always thought blood was red . . ." murmured Smee, scratching his head.

"It is, Smee," Mason muttered. "Keel-haul me . . . that really came outta the Cap'n?"

"Slightly, Maegie, and I all saw it. Something's wrong with Hook, guys. I don't know what, but I know it's starting to take control over him. If you all value your lives, don't go back to the Jolly Roger."

"Now yer tellin us ta jump ship?!" Smee cried. "Never on me life would I abandon the Cap'n! I promised ta serve him till me dyin day!"

"Then that day may arrive shortly." The coldness in Juke's voice froze Smee to the very core. "Go back if you must. I'm only trying to tell you that the Captain your so focused on serving faithfully is in the grips of a sorceress. Arizael is behind this . . . she has to be!"

"The lad's right! The Captain was fine before she came ta Neverland . . ."

"I have to agree with you, Mason. It looks like we're temporarily out of this childish skirmish . . . and into something much more dreadful," Starkey murmured. He sighed. "Very well, we'll help you."

Smee was more puzzled than anything. He did not want to abandon Hook . . . what if nothing was wrong? And that blood . . . it meant the Captain was wounded! Hook would need Smee's help . . .

"I . . . I'm goin' ta find him . . . can't let me Cap'n die from those wounds Peter gave him."

"Smee, now listen --"

"I be tellin ya, I won't be disloyal to my Captain for any reason! If he kills me, I'll be dyin loyal."

"And you will cause him grief when he returns to his senses," Jukes shot back.

Smee was taken aback. Hook would grieve for him?

"He may not show it, but I'm sure he would at least feel pain if he harmed someone as loyal as you unintentionally. Smee, if you don't want to help us, I understand. But at least stay clear of him until . . . if . . . we free him from Arizael's hold."

"I . . . I ken see the sense in that, Bill Jukes." Smee looked forlorn, but then he shook his head and gathered his resolve. "I'll help ya for the sake of the lass, there, an nothin' more, ye understand me? The Cap'n always did have a soft spot for ladies, what with bein' the gentleman that he is an' I intend ta do 'im proud."

Maegie smiled at him warmly. "Thank you, Mr. Smee," she said as the bosun gently helped her stand up.

"I say the best bet would be th' Indian camp," Mullins said. "But we don't know how ta get there from where we are now."

"We do," spoke a voice from the inner depths of the forest.

"Who's there, now?" Smee demanded. Starkey and Mason's hands went for their swords, but Slightly cried out in recognition.

"It's okay! It's Hard-to-Hit, I'm slightly sure!"

"Only slightly?" Starkey worried.

Hard-to-Hit stepped out of the shadows, followed by Tiger Lily. They were carrying bows and arrows and although the young Indians must have run quickly to catch up with them, they didn't appear out of breath in the least. "We drove Hook off; he ran when he realized you six were gone. Went off to find you, I think," said Tiger Lily.

"You saved our lives with those arrows!"

"You'd better come with us. He could be anywhere. The forest is frightfully still . . . no birds chirping or anything . . ."

Hard-to-Hit was right, the forest was too quiet. "Let's go then," said Cecco. Mason slung Peter over his back and Cecco lifted Maegie in his arms. Starkey and Smee flanked the men carrying the wounded children like guards of honor.

As they followed Tiger Lily and Hard-to-Hit, Jukes chanced to look up and saw a lone robin sitting in a treebranch, void of any other bird companions. It opened it's beak and sang a high song, clear and echoing emptily throughout the woods. At the sound of it's lonesome voice, Jukes could not help but shudder.

To Be Continued . . .