Chapter Seven: Discovery Ashore
Well now I'm wandering aimlessly around some boarder or another of China. Confusing it is here, tried to stop and ask for directions from some short old man I did. Be damned if you think just one of these people speak a word of English, or dare I be bolder and say British? Anyhow, we rowed ashore about four hours back, and Nat's insisted on following me around like a lost puppy. Let's just say now I understand perfectly why people drown pups so often a year.
"Come on Nat, let's just give it a rest fer an hour. What harm can an hour do? I just want to explore the country side a bit, and I've even heard about hot springs round e're-" You know what? I take back hating Captain, right now all my hatred is too busy being aimed at Nat. Really I thought after remember Mullins owed me his life my day would go better. But damned be it the pain my ribs are giving me, and fuck my nose! It's all so god damn painful, and Nat's just making it worse being here and giving me worse a headache.
"We'll find a hot spring together, could use a bath myself!" Wow, did my eyes just pop out of me head? Sure Nat's handsome enough, but I haven't got the urge to see probably my best friend nude! And he definitely can't see me nude! That'd give away me secret, and probably cost me my life, or a lifetime in China, take yer pick. Besides, not many ships, at least not British type ships, come round here, so what luck am I going to have being allowed on another ship? I haven't got the money just yet to be a guest on a ship, and definitely not enough to travel half way across this world. Whoa now, I'm getting way too far ahead of myself.
"That's not the only reason I need to be alone!" Now that's not such a lie. I mean I do have more then one reason and all. Yeah I think I'll stick with this reasoning. Hm, then why's Nat raising that eyebrow at me? "What?" I bark at him, mostly cause neither of us have anything better to do since he's not exactly left my side yet. And I can't exactly take him with me unless I want him discovering my-er what would yah call them again? Developments?
"What other reasons would ye need to be alone?" Damn his curiosity. Forgot about that idiot detail.
"What business is it of yours?" Well like I've said once or twice before, if you can't beat them unconscious, and rather not kiss their ass, confuse the shit out of em. There goes that damned eyebrow again. You'd swear it'd just fly away if you couldn't see the follicles it was attached to. Follicles? Now where in the hell did that word come from?
"Your business is my business and my business is-" oh not this again.
"If my business is your business, and your business is mine, then whose business is that over there?" Cheap trick, but thank any gods that are listening for Nat's stupidity. My arm my be bruised up pretty bad, but if it's not broken it still works just fine for me, and lucky thing too or I wouldn't be able to point off in some direction my imagination has taken me. I wonder now where this speed came from? Sure as hell I'm injured, I can feel that just fine, but how is it I'm still running my normal speed? I'm almost positive when Mullins threw me into that table my leg got- what the…
"Who are you?" Who's this person? Ah! Too much perfume! Can't- breathes- too- close…
"T-T-Trent!" I sputter between gasps for fresh air. Seems good enough for this lady, whoever she is. Damn she needs to lay off the perfume! Er bath salts, whatever they use round here.
"You're injured?" Wow, I wonder if she observed this from the messily done bandage covering my fractured nose, or perhaps she's got a great sense of smell and caught the scent of me ever-present dried blood? Uh oh, can she read my mind? Looks pretty menacing stalking towards me like that. No don't get any closer woman! Can't breathe when you're c-close! Well now she's too close and I can't get a breath without tasting that terrible perfume. Perhaps if it doesn't smell so rancid I'd be able to stand it, but really I think she just dumped the bottle over her head and walked out the door this mourn. "Well?" Since I can't speak without tasting rancid perfume, I nod in answer. "Lost your voice you have?" Hm, this seems to be her foreign country, and yet she's speaking English, er sort of. Oh well, she looks like she's from here enough.
"N-no." I cough out, trying to rid my taste buds of that awful taste.
"Then what the issue?" Issue? Is she using ever more proper English then me? Doubtful, I dun think she even understands completely what she's saying.
"Yer perfume." Hm, maybe I shoulda been nicer? After all, she does look kind of hurt by what I said, but maybe I'll get lucky and that's not even perfume, just a freak-accident. Wonder if I'm making it worse by smirking at me thoughts? Hope not. "Listen, I'm looking fer a doctor." Here I've got to pause to take a quick shallow breath. "Do yah know where one may be?" Maybe I shouldn't ta made fun of her perfume, sure doesn't look like she wants ta help me anymore.
"I am a healer." Is this supposed to be good news? Is she a good healer, has she been at it fer awhile? But even while questions rush through my head one is sticking me straight in the face. Can she keep a secret?
"Trent yah bastard, I know I saw yah come down this way!" Damn it Nat, what bad timing he has.
"Uh," I flash the lady my most heart-warming smile before standing up and grabbing her hand and dodging into the nearest tent. Wonder how close Nat was? If my hearing weren't so messed up I may have been able to point out the direction, but with the awful case of pain that's just overwhelmed me. Hm, was I this close to the ground before? Damn it Mullins! Seven ribs! Did he have to break all seven of em? God I'm feeling weak, and wonder I can't help but if this woman is sensing it? She sure is looking at me funny. Wait a sec; is that even the same woman? Well there goes my great vision! Really hope she knows how to keep a secret, cause I'm starting ta feels a tidbit tipsy, and since I dun drink I'm definitely not drunk. And- there's the ground! Hello dirt! Well the bright side is dirt tastes better then that god-awful perfume! Is that the lady speaking ter me? Damn it what's happened to my hearing? It's like clothes been stuffed in me ears! No! I can't go deaf!
~*~*~* CORNY DREAM SEQUENCE *~*~*
Hey it's the man that looks like daddy again! Except he looks different again, is it the outfit? Nah he was wearing that last time too. Oh I get it, it's the scenery that's changed. Good news, no more mist! Really annoying that mist was, but feels like me thoughts don't want to harbor on that fact. They keep straying to the man, oh he's moving! Strange scenery this is, doesn't seem like I've told ye about it yet, and seems I've got time to spare.
Well looks like a field of some sort. The grass is too overgrown to get a good look at the man below the waist, so I'm only guessing he's wearing the exact same outfit. Anyway, the sky is blue, royal blue almost it seems. Funny thing is I can't find hide or hair of the sun or moon. Real funny that is, as it looks about noon, so shouldn't it be directing above our heads? Nope not there still. Damn this grass, nearly as tall of me; so I can't get a good tell of if our shadows are showing up er not. Dun even knows where the horizon is. Fuck height, where's a tree when you need one? Anyhow that's it for scenery, we're just walking through a big ass overgrown field of grass with a royal blue sky shining over our heads, with no sun and no moon. Pleasant huh?
Is it just I, or did the man that looks like daddy just speed up? Come to think of it, why am I chasing him and how do I remember what daddy looks like? And since I'm chasing after this guy how come I'm not feeling that already oh-so-familiar pain I've come to be used to? Usually by now since Mullins broke me ribs I'd be out of breath, or at least feeling a jabbing pain prolly caused by one of my broke ribs stabbing me lungs. Oh bad visual! And yet I'm speeding up more so.
For reasons I can't control my left hand has just shot out and grabbed the guy that presumably was jogging, and am tugging at his coat. Since when did I loose complete control over me body and brain? Have I gone mad? Well that's nothing new to be accused of. But then again, even when the crew calls me such I've never thought of me self as such! Wow I'm annoyed. Don't yah just hate it when everyone else seems to know everything, and yer left in the dark?
"Let go of me." He can speak! Man-that-looks-like-daddy can speak! Why didn't he talk before? This is the same guy that I saw in my last dream isn't it?
"Who are you?" Ah! That wasn't my boyish tone I've spent years training! That was my real voice! My girl's voice! I have gone mad; this man is going to murder me for lying to him! Wait a god damned minute; I haven't lied to him just yet. Right? Why does this weirdo seem so familiar to me? He's dressed funny too, like how the real old pirates used to dress. Didn't my daddy hate pirates? Wasn't that why he joined the navy? Wait a minute, how do I remember that now?
~*~*~* END CORNY DREAM SEQUENCE *~*~*
Am I awake now? What an awkward dream. Really that was strange. It was like I was unconscious, as in asleep, but at the same time awake. Especially weird since I'm remembering the dream, that's never happened ter me before. Ah what a horrible smell! Hasn't my nose been through enough already? What is that rancid smell?
"You are a wake?" Familiar woman's voice is speaking. Hey my hearing's back! And better then ever! Now I wonder about my sight.
"Too bright!" Did I just scream that aloud? Please tell me that was in my boy's voice, I'm begging you god, please may that have been my boyish tone I work so hard to keep up. And will someone please blow out all those damned candles? Or am I outside? Oh I pray not!
"I knew it! You are a girl." Who does that really weird voice belong to? It's familiar, and yet really awkward, as it sounds foreign. Why can I remember my dream, but not who that voice belongs to? Uh oh, and did she just call me by me real sex? Please tell me no one else is in the room! Did Nat find me? Oh yeah! Now I remember. That foreign lady, with the pretty raven black hair and oval eyes! That's whom the voice belonged to. Did I just gulp too loud, god I hope that's only loud to my ears. Ah there we go my eyes are adjusting better to the bright light. Yeah I was right! Candles, hundreds of em, and they're bright as hell! Or at least to my unfocused eyes, damn I hate the light right now.
"Announce it to the whole world why don't yah?" Hm, did that sound grumpy? Maybe I shouldn't be sitting up just yet.
"You should be resting." Well that's a new voice, and it's a male voice, and he's speaking near perfect English! Though lacks a British accent. Matter o fact I think he's foreign too from the sound of it. He keeps taking pauses after each word like it's an effort to form them, sounds old he does too!
"I'm fine, just give me a bit o water lacking the salt and I should be outta yer hair in no time." Ah there we go, back to me old trained boy's tone. Ouch! "Okay, okay! I'll lay back down!" Whoever just put their hands on me shoulders is pretty damned strong. Oh god! I pray that wasn't Mullins. Nah I'm getting too far ahead of me self again, Mullins hands are like lids to a trashcan, this person's hands felt smaller, and dainty almost. Was it that foreign girl? How'd I get here? Where's here for that matter? Yeah I know I'm in China and all, but if it's really twilight then the Captain will be worried about me. Did that thought just come to my head? Captain would leave me in a heartbeat; they've already got Nat to replace me. Now I'm just depressed.
"What is your name?" It's the male's voice talking again. He does sound aged, near ancient. Wonders how he picked up my language?
"Trent." I answer automatically.
"Your true name?" Smart-ass.
"Don't matter." I need to learn to stop struggling, really I do. "Ow damn it that hurts!" Whoops, said that aloud did I? Whoever keeps touching me needs to stop, it's just causing more and more pain, and even if my nose has ta suffer, I'm not letting my ribs suffer the same Fate. Is that old geezer chuckling! Where the hell is my dagger when I need it?
"Get her some water." I wish they'd stop saying that so loud. For all the crew knows I'm supposed to be a guy. There's the reason they call it cabin boy. Mostly cause in this day and age girls aren't allowed in the navy, or on any boat unless they are cargo. And I dislike being baggage. Footsteps lead away from me, and judging from the fact the man was speaking, I think it's the girl that's gone to get me the water. Oh three cheers! The rancid smell is diminishing!
"How'd I get here, and where's here for the matter?" He needs to stop chuckling round now. Oh lucky me he did! Er, at least long enough to answer me question.
"You are in my medicine hut. Chihiro is my apprentice, I am a healer." Annoying this man is really. Would have thought by now he'd have introduced himself. Oh well, alls fair since I haven't really introduced myself. Is he really that smart? Is he just not going to tell me anything else until I've told him my real name? Well then I guess we're going to be sitting in silence fer quite some time. Screw that, I hear footfalls coming closer. Wonder if this man is going deaf? Gasp! Maybe he heard them before I did!
"Master Takahashi." Ah ha! I've got his name now; er at least I think that's his name. Wish I could open my eyes without being blinded by dim candlelight.
"Chihiro-" I have no idea what he's saying now, he's resorted back to his old language. Damned be it if I speak a word of Chinese. Damn me eyes, if I could just open them and see clearly maybe I could see what that jumble of gibberish meant. Wait a sec, what was that rush of wind, should I be ducking, expecting a punch? "Open your eyes." Hey he's speaking English again!
Taking a deep breath to brace myself with I squint one eye open. How annoying, but the light isn't as bright as before. Things are still blurry, but I can at least define which shadowed outline belongs to which voice. One of the shadowy outlines looks feminine, wearing a pinkish, or is that peach color? I take it that's Chihiro; the rancid perfume-smelling girl that I can only guess saved me. As for the other outline, don't exactly look masculine, but least I'm gunna call that one Master Takahashi. Er wait, do I have to include Master? Maybe just Takahashi will be all right.
"Thank you." I wonder if he heard me mumbling. I don't know which, but one of the shadows is smiling, I can sense as much.
"You should rest. That man looking for you will be back soon."
"What!" What does he mean 'that man looking for you' which man? Nat? Has Nat been here before? More importantly, does he know? He can't, I'll be kicked off the Red Baron! I'll kill Nat if he tattles! Swear I will.
"Do not worry. If you wish it, Chihiro and I will not tell him you are a woman. He does not know yet, for Chihiro was not sure. I tended to your wounds, and have put ointment containing special herbs that will help your bones heal more quickly." This guy's got better English then me. Well good news is I've calmed down a touch, and oddly enough I don't care he's seen me. Ointment? Is that that strange scent of flowers surrounds me? Lessens the rancid smell at least. Guess I can't complain anymore. Then again- footsteps! Nat?
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AN: See, told you someone finds out her secret. I'm not sure if I want Nat finding out or not though. To clear up any confusion concerning Nat, Tristen ditched him, but he found her when she was unconscious and helped carry her to the Master Takahashi's medicine hut. Nat still doesn't know Tristen's a girl, and I'm not sure if I want him too just yet. If I can get just one review giving me their opinion on that little detail I'd be very grateful, and at the end of the 8th chapter I'll even give you a public thank you! Anyways, special thanks to those that have reviewed already and thanks to all my readers. Be happy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan. I do own Tristen, Nat, and any other of my original characters. (Takahashi is the author of one of my favorite animations titled Inuyasha. And though Takahashi is a female author, I'm only using her last name mind you, and just a hint; Rumiko isn't my original character's first name. My Takahashi is a male, mind you people!)