Title: The Forever Dance
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Ten - War of Attrition
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Author's Note: thank you again for all your wonderful feedback. It is quite a challenge to come up with original adventure yarns considering all the fanfic already written, so it's extra special when it delivers the goods and give such pleasure to my faithful readers.
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The headache was getting worse. With her elbows resting on her desk, Lilliana massaged her temples with her long fingers. It had been several weeks since the disaster of their first attempt to capture Peter Pan using his Wendy as bait. To add insult to her already injured ego, her Paolo had appeared to have switched allegiance, joining the flying brat and his slut in their war against the Moonshadow and her Captain.
His defection had been the cruellest blow, even more than finding out her brother had died a needless and bizarre death. She had raised the boy and kept him for herself, and for this he runs off and joins her enemy, Peter Pan? It beggared belief. Had she not looked after him? Nurtured him in her own way, taught him to read and write, something children of only well-to-do families expected as their right? Hadn't she sheltered him from the excesses of the crew, keeping him close so that they wouldn't have the chance to debauch and ruin the lad? That she herself had made use of his youth and vitality once he had grown was dismissed as the Captains prerogative, for all the time she'd spent on the boy, and he'd hardly complained when she'd introduced him to the pleasure of carnal lust. It was hurtful and inexplicable that her beautiful Paolo would choose to run about in the jungle with the savages, than be her cabin boy and so much more. Her head ached abominably, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as she tried to wish it away, images of Paolo chasing through her head as she grimaced with another spasm of agony. So long had she gone without the touch of a man, so long her body had been neglected, was it any surprise that once the boy had grown into a handsome youth, she had taken his innocence for her own needs, teaching him to pleasure her and make her feel like a woman again. For that was what he did for her, Paolo made her feel for those brief, precious moments that she wasn't the heartless terrifying Captain of the Moonshadow, but a woman with wit, and sensitivity and feelings, his artless eagerness filling her starved heart with something close to love. Lilliana needed him to remind her that youth and beauty were still alive and accessibly in the world she moved in, that she was not untouchable, but a living, breathing, desirable woman in his eyes, if in no others. That his affection was forced, that he didn't go willingly to her bed, or do what she asked out of anything but fear, never occurred to her. She was queen of her domain, her subjects were expected to fear her, but from Paolo she wanted only love and devotion. Now he had proved himself as corrupt and debased as the lowest member of her crew, his treachery worthy of the worst punishment. Moaning, Lilliana pressed harder against the sides of her head, her eyebrows knotting as she tried again to massage the pain away. Unbidden, a single bead of moisture overflowed her right eye and trickled its lonely way down her cheek. Angered anew at this evidence of Paolo's defection, Lilliana slammed her hands down on the top of the desk, the ink well and wine jug dancing as she glared at the journal open before her.
"I'll be damned if I'll let some pretty whelp reduce Lilliana Moon to a snivelling, maudlin bitch. I'll make you pay, Paolo, most grievously!"
Gritting her teeth, the pain in her head receding slightly, Lilliana once more took up her pen and started to write, the scritch of the quill filling the room, drowning out her thoughts and feelings, numbing the pain in her heart.
A knock at her door raised her head. "Come in."
Trent entered, his face impassive, but long acquaintance with him and his manner alerted Lilliana that Trent was nervous.
"What is it.....I'm busy."
"One of the search party's has returned.....with fewer men than left."
Her pen didn't stop its squeak across the page as Trent delivered his report. Finishing the sentence, Lilliana propped the pen back in its holder and threaded her fingers together, her eyes pinning Trent were he stood, just inside the door.
"What do you mean, fewer men......what happened to them?"
"Er...they are not exactly sure, Cap'n. Twenty men left, but only fifteen have returned. They didn't see what happened to the other five, only that when they turned around, they were gone....one, after the other."
"And nobody saw anything....no shouts, no scuffle....just disappeared?"
Trent fidgeted, his eyes darting around the room as Lilliana's deceptively calm voice.
"Nothing Cap'n......it's as if they disappeared.....or summit."
Flattening her hands on the deck, Lilliana rose, fury making her tremble as she stepped around the deck and came to stand a foot in front of her lieutenant.
"Nobody disappears without a trace.....bring me the leader of the search party....I want to hear his report with my own ears."
Swallowing hard, Trent sketched a hasty salute before turning to leave. Lilliana remained where she was, a smile stretching her lips as she considered the punishment she'd mete out to the man about to enter her cabin.
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The war of attrition had begun. As the Moonshadow sailed around the island, mapping it's coastline and sending men into the interior to search its land, fewer and fewer crewmen returned to the ship. The survivors of these sortie couldn't report what was taking the men, or how or why, only that the men were being taken, their bodies never found, their voices never heard. Rumours of ghosts and spirits started to invade the chatter on board ship and Lilliana had more than one man flogged for daring to suggest such nonsense. As the days passed and the crew continued to dwindle, there were other mutterings as well. Trent and Surry remained loyal to their Captain, but the lower orders were not so faithful. More than once the Captain overheard mutterings about a woman on board, of bad luck and talk of a curse on the ship. In private she raged at them, cursing them herself for the black dogs that they were, her frustration reaching new levels so that even those loyal to her avoided her company outside of the absolute necessity of their daily reports.
By the end of a month her crew had been decimated, only a third of the original company remained to sail the ship. When it came time for the usual morning selection of the party to go ashore she had an outright mutiny on her hands.
A deputation was sent to the Captain with their demands, the rest waiting on the deck for their answer.
Lilliana sat in her ornately carved chair, her hair brushed and coiled to a raven's-wing sheen, her clothes as fine as a kings with gold braid and lace ruffles to spare. Her fingers sparkled with rings of every hue which caught the light of the candles on her desk and dazzled the men standing in front of her. Leaning back and crossing her long legs, Lilliana steepled her fingers and smiled thinly at the deputation. Trent and Surry stood on either side of her chair, their faces expressionless but alert.
"So gentlemen......you are unhappy with the state of affairs. What would you have me do about it?"
Her voice dripped with honeyed sarcasm, her thinly arched brows rising above her glacial eyes as she surveyed the men before her.
"Beggin' the Cap'n pardon....but there's not enuf' men to crew the ship.....let alone, send more out to get killed, or captured or wot ever happened to t'others."
"I say again.....what would you have me do about it?"
"Take the ship away from this accursed island.....cut our losses and get out...there's nowt we can do here....and we don't wanna end up like the rest!"
"I see.....so we just," Lilliana made a running motion with her fingers in the air. "Run away like so many mice from a cat?"
The men stared back at her grimly.
"And what of your shipmates...the men you've served with all these years....do we just leave them here? Not bother to find out if they're alive or dead?"
"Not our concern...beggin' ya pardon. We don't want to end up the same....its not natural, what's been happening.....there's no warning, no sound....it's like there's an invisible monster on this island....and we won't go ashore anymore to get taken like the others!"
"So your plan is for us to sail away, without adequate supplies of food or water and just run, like dogs, with our tail between our legs?"
"Not exactly....as you put it like that....we'll need to get the ship equipped before we leave."
"Yes, we will....which will mean men going ashore to do that."
"Then we want more men to go ashore...and with more weapons."
"I agree, a more conspicuously armed party might fare better. But I have another proposal for you."
Rising from her chair, Lilliana walked around her desk, leaning herself against the front and crossing her arms over her chest before speaking again.
"I will restrain myself and not hang the lot of you treacherous curs from the nearest yardarm in return for one last foray into the depth of this island. I myself will lead the expedition, and we will be armed with everything we can carry. We have already mapped the coastline, and half of the island itself. With a guide from the Indian village we will make one last attempt to capture Peter Pan and his cohorts. If we are successful, I am sure we will find the whereabouts of our missing crew, if we are unsuccessful we will provision the ship and sail away from these shores never to return."
"How are we going to get a guide?"
"From the Indian village.....the chief has a daughter, Tiger Lily...we will take the girl with us, to ensure the Chief's cooperation. I'm sure she will prove a suitable guide to help in our quest to find Peter Pan. If not, then I will give the crew full license to pillage and rape to their hearts content, as an incentive to the savages to provide the information I seek."
"What about the braves?"
"We must plan a surprise attack and, surround the village and slaughter the men as they sleep. Only the women and the Chief will be left.....and I know you men have gone a long time without the comfort of a woman."
She saw the men's eyes ignite at the prospect of violence and rapine, their hearts and minds transparent to her.
She waited while the men muttered among themselves, their voices like the distant growling of wolves. Finally one man stepped forward.
"We'll go along with the plan......and we want a full share of any booty we discover in the Indian village....we know these savages must have a treasure somewhere, the men have seen gold on some of the woman.....so we wants that as payment."
"Whatever you can find......you can keep......I have no need of it."
"And if we find neither the missing crew or this Peter Pan?"
"Once your lust for murder and rape are satisfied....we sail away and never return."
At that the men grinned, the leader spitting on his palm and holding his hand out for Lilliana to shake. Without batting an eyelash, she did just that before watching the men file out of the cabin and shut the door.
Pushing away from the desk, she turned to look at her two stalwarts.
"They'll turn on you as quick as a rat in a barrel." Trent muttered, his brows drawn together in a scowl.
"The Indian's will put up a fight, however much you surprise them." Surry observed, fingering his beard.
"You are quite right Trent, I am well aware of the crew's propensity for treachery, and yes Surry, there will be a fight. In fact, I hope the Indians cut all their stupid heads off."
Both Trent and Surry stared round eyed at her as she sauntered around the desk, her hips swaying provocatively.
"I have only one objective, and that is to find Peter Pan and kill him. After I have despatched him, then I have plans for the bastard that used to be my cabin boy....and finally, once her lovers are dead, I will rend that girl limb from limb. Then, and only then will I depart these shores."
Standing behind her two astonished henchmen, Lilliana draped her arms across their shoulders, giving each man a kiss on the cheek as she stood between them.
Trent, the younger of the two, turned slightly, a glint in his eye as Lilliana returned his regard with a smouldering one of her own, her rich, red lips pouting slightly.
"Are you with me gentlemen?"
Still not entirely sure of her mood, both men remained where they were, while Lilliana lowered her arms and slowly took off her velvet jacket, the white shirt beneath hugging her lush curves as the jacket fell off her arms to the floor. Lifting them again, she fluffed out her hair, the long black curls clinging to Trent's jerkin as she half turned to leave them.
Trent moved first, his big hand closing around her arm, jerking her back towards him so that she ended up plastered against his chest, her mouth inches from his.
"What game are you playing Lilliana.....we've been faithful to you.....is this to be our payment?"
"Are you man enough to take it?"
A little unnerved by this change in her attitude, Trent hesitated, his eyes narrowing as Lilliana laughed up at him. With a snarl he jerked her forward and sealed his mouth over hers, his kiss brutal, his grip on her arm sure to leave bruises. Surry stepped back, sure that his Captain had lost her senses, his hand drifting to his sword in readiness for what he was sure would be a swift and bloody retribution for Trents' outrageous liberties. To his everlasting surprise, Lilliana's free hand reached out and grabbed his belt, drawing him back towards her. She was still engrossed in Trent's assault on her mouth, one of his hands still gripping her upper arm while the other roamed freely over her body. Lilliana's hand, once Surry was within easy reach, slowly drifted down from his belt over the front of his trousers, her fingers caressing the bulge in his pants, making him groan and push into her palm with urgent need.
Sure now that she had both men's undivided attention, Lilliana wrenched her mouth away from Trents', her eyes blazing as they both panted with arousal created solely by her busy hands and eager mouth.
"I suggest, gentlemen, that we take this somewhere more...comfortable, where we can plan our strategy for the forthcoming battle." Purring, she preened beneath their glazed stares.
With both men enslaved with lust for her, Lilliana drew them backwards to the large bed at the side of the cabin. Damning herself to all hell, she gave herself up to their hunger, her need to expunge all memory of her gentle, treacherous, beautiful lover overwhelming her crumbling self-respect and devastated heart.
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Peter's guerilla tactics were winning the war. They had taken almost two thirds of the Moonshadows' crew with their sneak attacks, the men disappearing from under their mates noses without a single drop of blood being shed on either side. Paolo had suggested the tactic, finding favour with the Indian Chief who wanted no finger pointed to his tribe but who was more than willing to help rid the island of the threat of the Moonshadow. With cunning and a lot of help from the Chief, Peter and Paolo used a potent drug from a rare plant to create darts with which to thin the number of sailors each time they stepped ashore. The darts were silent and deadly accurate, the ambushes carefully planned and executed until it became almost too easy to pick off the men one by one. The captured sailors, paralysed temporarily by the darts, were transported to the other side of the island in small groups, all taken by a different route to confuse and confound them, and kept alive and well and in the care of the former pirates from the Jolly Roger. Smee had proved more than able to organise his rabble, building a sturdy fort in which to contain the crew of the Moonshadow.
Now there was few left to support Captain Moon and a showdown was inevitable. The fairies were acting as Peter's eyes and ears, alerting him whenever a boatload of men left the ship, their will to fight bolstered when the Moonshadow's men carelessly set fire to a tree that housed a fairy family. The creatures escaped, unharmed if a bit singed, but the destructive fire galvanised the fairy population to approach Peter for help in ridding the island of the scourge of Captain Moon.
Wendy and Tiger Lily were put in charge of supplies of the plant needed to create the paralysing drug, their days spent searching for the rare leaves, ever alert as they had to wander further and further from the Indian village to find it. Despite this, Wendy felt like she was floating on a cloud most days, her relationship with Peter having been taken to a whole different level since the night of the storm and the start of their physical relationship. The tepee she'd originally shared with Paolo was now hers and Peter's exclusively, Paolo having moved to Scratching Birds tent temporarily. Wendy smiled to herself, thinking about how different her life was now, her days spent searching and preparing the syrup for the darts, while fitting in all the other domestic chores of everyday life, then the nights spent in Peter's arms, the novelty of their new life not dulled by familiarity, but rather enriched as they explored their bodies and themselves. Peter had become insatiable, his love for life and her almost consuming her in its intensity, his curiosity and ingenuity bringing a blush to her face just to think about their nights together exploring and experimenting endlessly, and very exhaustingly. During the day, Wendy often found herself nodding off, completely at odds with Peter who always seemed more energised, as if their nights of lovemaking only served to fuel and feed his life force, while it left Wendy feeling well-loved but yawning the next day.
Tiger Lily teased her endlessly about it, her dark eyes laughing as Wendy yawned again.
"You should tell him to slow down, surely he's tired at the end of the day too?"
"You would think so," Wendy sighed, "but it's like every night is our first, its truly wonderful...."
"And truly exhausting.....you've not stopped yawning all day."
"Oh.....sorry," Wendy looked sheepish, her cheeks glowing. "We were up late talking.....Peter was telling me his plan to capture Captain Moon." She frowned.
"What is it Wendy?"
"I just feel......maybe I'm just being silly.....but I feel that he's pushing too hard. I'm worried that they will both try and take her while she is still too strong....her men are ruthless, not like the pirates of the Jolly Roger. Captain Hook was the worst of them, but his men were never as brutal as the Moonshadow's. I'm just worried about them both...." she grinned at Tiger Lily, "and if I'm completely honest....I'm a little jealous that they get to do all the fighting and we get to do all the boring, safe things."
"You're right, how did we get persuaded to take over the hunt for the Dragon plant?"
Wendy laughed, "We were bamboozled by two cheeky boys with their kisses and fair words."
"If you only got kisses and fair words, you were cheated!" Tiger Lily replied archly, her expression smug. Wendy gaped at her before giggling, the girls continuing their trek, threading their way through the trees.
From his position behind a fallen tree trunk, Trent watched the two Indian girls pass by, their voices drifting across the clearing as they walked by, occasionally stopping and picking some plant as they went. He recognised one as the princess Tiger Lily, from his previous visits to the Indian camp to parley with the chief. Careful to keep his presence a secret, he backed away from the fallen tree and cautiously turned to leave. Lilliana and the remains of the Moonshadows' decimated crew were several minutes behind him, Trent sent to scout the way ahead as they circled the Indian village before setting up to ambush it later that night. Finding the princess out of her village was an added bonus, saving them time and giving them a lever to guarantee the co-operation of the Indian Chief.
Silently he slipped away to report to his Captain.
Wendy paused in her search, her head turning as she sought the source of the sound that had attracted her attention.
"What is it?" Tiger Lily asked, catching Wendy's attentive expression and sweeping the woods with her own eyes and ears.
"I thought.....I felt as if someone was watching us....over there," she pointed to where a huge tree lay on its side, covered in creepers and ferns. The two girls stood still for long moments but saw and heard nothing more. Wendy shivered.
"I think we've gathered enough today Lily, lets get back."
Warily they turned on their heels and started back along the faint track they'd been following , their eyes keeping a watch for any sign of movement. Twice they were made to almost jump out of their skins by a rabbit leaping out of the brush and running across the path, the second time a deer bounded away as they approached, crashing through the dead wood and leaving the girls laughing at their fears.
As they trudged along, Wendy felt a prickling between her shoulders blades, her nerves wound as tight as a spring as she whispered for Tiger Lily to hurry. As they started to jog along the track a figure jumped out at them, making them scream in fright. The man was one of the Moonshadow's crew, his hands holding a brace of pistols which he held unwaveringly on the two girls.
"Captain Moon would like a word with you.....princess!"
Wendy saw a movement from the corner of her eye and turned, seeing another man approach from their flank. Seeing the trap closing, Wendy turned back to the man in front, noting that his attention was all on the beautiful Tiger Lily. In a desperate move, Wendy swung her bag, that contained that days haul of leaves, at the mans head, making him flinch and rear back, at the same time Tiger Lily swung her bag like a bolero and wound the straps around his pistols, the momentum dragging his hands down. Together the girls kicked and pushed him so that he fell, the girls leaping over him and away as a shout came from behind.
"Get back to the village........I'll lead them away!" Tiger Lily hissed, pushing Wendy ahead before veering off to the side towards a dense thicket. Wendy only had time to glance behind her, seeing the second man give chase after Lily, before she lifted her skirts and ran as fast as she could, dodging and weaving among the trees, her braids flying. She heard more shouts as men appeared out of the trees, a loud bang from a pistol shot, its whine passing over her head as she dodged to the side and kept on running. She didn't dare look back, the sound of booted feet crashing through the undergrowth spurring her on as she scrambled over logs and fallen branches, the track long forgotten, fear giving her strength to run faster.
The shouts started to dwindle behind her, the sound of crashing feet fading to nothing. Not slowing her pace, Wendy ignored the branches and brambles snagging her hair and face, her dress ripping as she pushed through a bush, her feet digging into the loose leaves as she plowed on, panting harshly. Suddenly the ground disappeared from under her and she only had time for a breathless scream before she hit the ground, rolling over and over down a leaf strewn slope, narrowly missing several tree trunks before coming to a rolling stop at the bottom. Sick and giddy, she stared up at the sky above her, her senses reeling, her chest heaving as she fought to breath.
A sound galvanised her into action, drawing her legs up and sending her scooting behind a thick trunk. Trembling, she listened for the sound again, only to collapse weakly against the rough bark when a squirrel appeared and paused on its way across the leaves, twitching at her before scuttering away.
Panting, Wendy peered around the tree and up and slope she'd so precipitously come down. She listened, but there was no sign that she had been followed or still being pursued. While she waited for her body to stop trembling and her lungs heaving, she tried to piece together what she'd seen. She was sure that Peter hadn't mentioned anything about a report from the fairies regarding Captain Moon leaving the ship, which meant that the Captain had moved fast indeed to reach this close to the Indian village from where they were the previous day. She had to warn the Indians and Peter.
Using the tree, Wendy climbed shakily to her feet, brushing the leaves and dirt from her fringed dress before stepping away from the tree. To her horror, her leg collapsed under her, sending her sprawling, agony lancing through her as she landed heavily.
Gasping, she lay for a moment, her blood pounding as she gingerly reached down to feel her knee. It was swollen and hot, Wendy wincing as she pressed the joint.
Panting, she rolled over and sat up, almost crying out when her injured leg twisted. Pulling up her skirt, she saw a huge swelling where her knee was, the skin unbroken, but the joint useless to her.
Looking back up the slope, she could see several rocks just poking out of the leafy ground and she grimaced at her ill fortune to have hit one of them. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to stand up, putting her weight on her good leg. Gingerly, she tried to put weight on the other and almost screamed at the pain, sobs tearing at her throat as she rode out the agony.
Lowering herself once more to the ground, she scooted backwards and leant up against the tree, her legs straight out in front of her.
"Now what are you going to do?" She asked herself, her voice sounding unnaturally loud under the trees. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her system, Wendy started to feel other bumps and bruises from her headlong flight, long scratches down her arms starting to sting, her face sporting a graze from her fall.
Sitting against the rough bark, she tried not to think too much about the hopelessness of her situation, lost in the forest, injured and unable to walk with the night only an hour or so away.
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"What do you mean they've not been seen all afternoon, when did they leave?"
Peter had returned to the village, full of excitement with the news that the Moonshadow had been abandoned, all her crew gone ashore along with Captain Moon. He and Paolo had received the news while working on their latest batch of darts, as well as practising their aim. As the Moonshadow hadn't sent anyone ashore for a couple of days, they used the time to practise and hone their skills with sword, pistol and blowgun. Peter and Paolo found fencing together very rewarding. Being evenly matched in height and strength they made perfect sparring partners, Peter teaching Paolo to fight with a cutlass and dagger, Paolo teaching Peter some of the dirtier tricks used by pirates. Both were equally as inept with pistols so the captured weapons from the prisoners already captured, provided them with plenty of powder and shot to practise and become quickly proficient with both pistol and musket. Their training arena was a cleverly concealed valley with an overhang of rock that muffled the sound of the firing and clang of weapons. It was only a short distance from the village so that several braves joined the two boys as they sharpened their skills, the Indians passing on their knowledge with the bow and the hatchet, while Peter and Paolo taught the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. Often those bouts turned into wrestling contest which Paolo almost always won. At the end of that day they'd returned triumphant to the village, invigorated from the training and the latest news. TinkerBell had flown down to them and told them about the Moonshadow, although the fairies hadn't found out where the crew and Captain were at that precise moment. Peter was almost bouncing as he and Paolo entered the village only to be greeted with long faces and no Wendy or Tiger Lily.
"They left just after lunch to gather the Dragon plant leaves," Scratching Bird explained, her face screwed up with worry. "That was hours ago, normally they are back well before sundown."
Peter glanced up at the clouds, seeing the colours painting them, the sun long gone below the sheltering hill behind the village. Anxiety squeezed at his heart, his mind conjuring up images of Wendy recaptured by Captain Moon or lying injured somewhere, even dead.
Shaking his head, he tried to think.
"I have to speak to the Chief.......Paolo?"
The two boys strode over to the largest tent, meeting the Chief as he ducked out of the flap, straightening up just as the boys reached him.
"You know what's happened to Tiger Lily?" The Chief asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"No.....we're only just found out she's missing, along with Wendy. Chief the Moonshadow has been abandoned, which means Captain Moon and what are left of her men are on the island somewhere, I'm waiting for TinkerBell to return with news of their whereabouts. In the meantime I suggest you get your men armed and ready, there could be an attack tonight."
"Why would they attack us?......we have traded with them,"
"It's possible they've caught Wendy and Tiger Lily. Paolo and I are going to search for them now, but don't be fooled because they've traded peaceably before.....Captain Moon is up to something and I think you're tribe are her next target. From what we've leant from the prisoners, she is obsessed with finding me, and she could use Tiger Lily to force you to tell her what you know."
"She is quite ruthless Chief," said Paolo, stepping forward. "She wouldn't hesitate to slaughter all of you to get at Peter, or me. And she'll use whatever means to find us......"
"I will move the women and children to the caves.....if this Captain Moon has captured my Tiger Lily then it is likely she will appear tonight to bargain with me for her safe return. If there is to be a fight, I don't want the women and children put in danger."
"Very wise Chief, make the camp look occupied, but hide your men, leave only a few in the camp to walk about and make it look busy."
"We'll leave now, before it gets dark.....good luck Chief!"
Peter turned away, Paolo behind him.
"What about Tink....how will she find you?"
"I told her to report to the Chief first.......then she'll find me the way she always does...."
Returning to Scratching Bird's tent, the two young men reloaded their pistols and armed themselves before noting the direction Wendy and Tiger Lily had been last seen going in. With the sky above their heads blazing pink and orange, the two ran across the open ground and disappeared into the darkening border of trees in search of their missing loved ones.
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(I scent a showdown......Peter against Lilliana, Trent against Paolo.....and what of the fair Wendy and gallant Tiger Lily.....all will be revealed in the next enthralling episode....er...chapter...stay tuned)
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Ten - War of Attrition
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Author's Note: thank you again for all your wonderful feedback. It is quite a challenge to come up with original adventure yarns considering all the fanfic already written, so it's extra special when it delivers the goods and give such pleasure to my faithful readers.
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The headache was getting worse. With her elbows resting on her desk, Lilliana massaged her temples with her long fingers. It had been several weeks since the disaster of their first attempt to capture Peter Pan using his Wendy as bait. To add insult to her already injured ego, her Paolo had appeared to have switched allegiance, joining the flying brat and his slut in their war against the Moonshadow and her Captain.
His defection had been the cruellest blow, even more than finding out her brother had died a needless and bizarre death. She had raised the boy and kept him for herself, and for this he runs off and joins her enemy, Peter Pan? It beggared belief. Had she not looked after him? Nurtured him in her own way, taught him to read and write, something children of only well-to-do families expected as their right? Hadn't she sheltered him from the excesses of the crew, keeping him close so that they wouldn't have the chance to debauch and ruin the lad? That she herself had made use of his youth and vitality once he had grown was dismissed as the Captains prerogative, for all the time she'd spent on the boy, and he'd hardly complained when she'd introduced him to the pleasure of carnal lust. It was hurtful and inexplicable that her beautiful Paolo would choose to run about in the jungle with the savages, than be her cabin boy and so much more. Her head ached abominably, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as she tried to wish it away, images of Paolo chasing through her head as she grimaced with another spasm of agony. So long had she gone without the touch of a man, so long her body had been neglected, was it any surprise that once the boy had grown into a handsome youth, she had taken his innocence for her own needs, teaching him to pleasure her and make her feel like a woman again. For that was what he did for her, Paolo made her feel for those brief, precious moments that she wasn't the heartless terrifying Captain of the Moonshadow, but a woman with wit, and sensitivity and feelings, his artless eagerness filling her starved heart with something close to love. Lilliana needed him to remind her that youth and beauty were still alive and accessibly in the world she moved in, that she was not untouchable, but a living, breathing, desirable woman in his eyes, if in no others. That his affection was forced, that he didn't go willingly to her bed, or do what she asked out of anything but fear, never occurred to her. She was queen of her domain, her subjects were expected to fear her, but from Paolo she wanted only love and devotion. Now he had proved himself as corrupt and debased as the lowest member of her crew, his treachery worthy of the worst punishment. Moaning, Lilliana pressed harder against the sides of her head, her eyebrows knotting as she tried again to massage the pain away. Unbidden, a single bead of moisture overflowed her right eye and trickled its lonely way down her cheek. Angered anew at this evidence of Paolo's defection, Lilliana slammed her hands down on the top of the desk, the ink well and wine jug dancing as she glared at the journal open before her.
"I'll be damned if I'll let some pretty whelp reduce Lilliana Moon to a snivelling, maudlin bitch. I'll make you pay, Paolo, most grievously!"
Gritting her teeth, the pain in her head receding slightly, Lilliana once more took up her pen and started to write, the scritch of the quill filling the room, drowning out her thoughts and feelings, numbing the pain in her heart.
A knock at her door raised her head. "Come in."
Trent entered, his face impassive, but long acquaintance with him and his manner alerted Lilliana that Trent was nervous.
"What is it.....I'm busy."
"One of the search party's has returned.....with fewer men than left."
Her pen didn't stop its squeak across the page as Trent delivered his report. Finishing the sentence, Lilliana propped the pen back in its holder and threaded her fingers together, her eyes pinning Trent were he stood, just inside the door.
"What do you mean, fewer men......what happened to them?"
"Er...they are not exactly sure, Cap'n. Twenty men left, but only fifteen have returned. They didn't see what happened to the other five, only that when they turned around, they were gone....one, after the other."
"And nobody saw anything....no shouts, no scuffle....just disappeared?"
Trent fidgeted, his eyes darting around the room as Lilliana's deceptively calm voice.
"Nothing Cap'n......it's as if they disappeared.....or summit."
Flattening her hands on the deck, Lilliana rose, fury making her tremble as she stepped around the deck and came to stand a foot in front of her lieutenant.
"Nobody disappears without a trace.....bring me the leader of the search party....I want to hear his report with my own ears."
Swallowing hard, Trent sketched a hasty salute before turning to leave. Lilliana remained where she was, a smile stretching her lips as she considered the punishment she'd mete out to the man about to enter her cabin.
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The war of attrition had begun. As the Moonshadow sailed around the island, mapping it's coastline and sending men into the interior to search its land, fewer and fewer crewmen returned to the ship. The survivors of these sortie couldn't report what was taking the men, or how or why, only that the men were being taken, their bodies never found, their voices never heard. Rumours of ghosts and spirits started to invade the chatter on board ship and Lilliana had more than one man flogged for daring to suggest such nonsense. As the days passed and the crew continued to dwindle, there were other mutterings as well. Trent and Surry remained loyal to their Captain, but the lower orders were not so faithful. More than once the Captain overheard mutterings about a woman on board, of bad luck and talk of a curse on the ship. In private she raged at them, cursing them herself for the black dogs that they were, her frustration reaching new levels so that even those loyal to her avoided her company outside of the absolute necessity of their daily reports.
By the end of a month her crew had been decimated, only a third of the original company remained to sail the ship. When it came time for the usual morning selection of the party to go ashore she had an outright mutiny on her hands.
A deputation was sent to the Captain with their demands, the rest waiting on the deck for their answer.
Lilliana sat in her ornately carved chair, her hair brushed and coiled to a raven's-wing sheen, her clothes as fine as a kings with gold braid and lace ruffles to spare. Her fingers sparkled with rings of every hue which caught the light of the candles on her desk and dazzled the men standing in front of her. Leaning back and crossing her long legs, Lilliana steepled her fingers and smiled thinly at the deputation. Trent and Surry stood on either side of her chair, their faces expressionless but alert.
"So gentlemen......you are unhappy with the state of affairs. What would you have me do about it?"
Her voice dripped with honeyed sarcasm, her thinly arched brows rising above her glacial eyes as she surveyed the men before her.
"Beggin' the Cap'n pardon....but there's not enuf' men to crew the ship.....let alone, send more out to get killed, or captured or wot ever happened to t'others."
"I say again.....what would you have me do about it?"
"Take the ship away from this accursed island.....cut our losses and get out...there's nowt we can do here....and we don't wanna end up like the rest!"
"I see.....so we just," Lilliana made a running motion with her fingers in the air. "Run away like so many mice from a cat?"
The men stared back at her grimly.
"And what of your shipmates...the men you've served with all these years....do we just leave them here? Not bother to find out if they're alive or dead?"
"Not our concern...beggin' ya pardon. We don't want to end up the same....its not natural, what's been happening.....there's no warning, no sound....it's like there's an invisible monster on this island....and we won't go ashore anymore to get taken like the others!"
"So your plan is for us to sail away, without adequate supplies of food or water and just run, like dogs, with our tail between our legs?"
"Not exactly....as you put it like that....we'll need to get the ship equipped before we leave."
"Yes, we will....which will mean men going ashore to do that."
"Then we want more men to go ashore...and with more weapons."
"I agree, a more conspicuously armed party might fare better. But I have another proposal for you."
Rising from her chair, Lilliana walked around her desk, leaning herself against the front and crossing her arms over her chest before speaking again.
"I will restrain myself and not hang the lot of you treacherous curs from the nearest yardarm in return for one last foray into the depth of this island. I myself will lead the expedition, and we will be armed with everything we can carry. We have already mapped the coastline, and half of the island itself. With a guide from the Indian village we will make one last attempt to capture Peter Pan and his cohorts. If we are successful, I am sure we will find the whereabouts of our missing crew, if we are unsuccessful we will provision the ship and sail away from these shores never to return."
"How are we going to get a guide?"
"From the Indian village.....the chief has a daughter, Tiger Lily...we will take the girl with us, to ensure the Chief's cooperation. I'm sure she will prove a suitable guide to help in our quest to find Peter Pan. If not, then I will give the crew full license to pillage and rape to their hearts content, as an incentive to the savages to provide the information I seek."
"What about the braves?"
"We must plan a surprise attack and, surround the village and slaughter the men as they sleep. Only the women and the Chief will be left.....and I know you men have gone a long time without the comfort of a woman."
She saw the men's eyes ignite at the prospect of violence and rapine, their hearts and minds transparent to her.
She waited while the men muttered among themselves, their voices like the distant growling of wolves. Finally one man stepped forward.
"We'll go along with the plan......and we want a full share of any booty we discover in the Indian village....we know these savages must have a treasure somewhere, the men have seen gold on some of the woman.....so we wants that as payment."
"Whatever you can find......you can keep......I have no need of it."
"And if we find neither the missing crew or this Peter Pan?"
"Once your lust for murder and rape are satisfied....we sail away and never return."
At that the men grinned, the leader spitting on his palm and holding his hand out for Lilliana to shake. Without batting an eyelash, she did just that before watching the men file out of the cabin and shut the door.
Pushing away from the desk, she turned to look at her two stalwarts.
"They'll turn on you as quick as a rat in a barrel." Trent muttered, his brows drawn together in a scowl.
"The Indian's will put up a fight, however much you surprise them." Surry observed, fingering his beard.
"You are quite right Trent, I am well aware of the crew's propensity for treachery, and yes Surry, there will be a fight. In fact, I hope the Indians cut all their stupid heads off."
Both Trent and Surry stared round eyed at her as she sauntered around the desk, her hips swaying provocatively.
"I have only one objective, and that is to find Peter Pan and kill him. After I have despatched him, then I have plans for the bastard that used to be my cabin boy....and finally, once her lovers are dead, I will rend that girl limb from limb. Then, and only then will I depart these shores."
Standing behind her two astonished henchmen, Lilliana draped her arms across their shoulders, giving each man a kiss on the cheek as she stood between them.
Trent, the younger of the two, turned slightly, a glint in his eye as Lilliana returned his regard with a smouldering one of her own, her rich, red lips pouting slightly.
"Are you with me gentlemen?"
Still not entirely sure of her mood, both men remained where they were, while Lilliana lowered her arms and slowly took off her velvet jacket, the white shirt beneath hugging her lush curves as the jacket fell off her arms to the floor. Lifting them again, she fluffed out her hair, the long black curls clinging to Trent's jerkin as she half turned to leave them.
Trent moved first, his big hand closing around her arm, jerking her back towards him so that she ended up plastered against his chest, her mouth inches from his.
"What game are you playing Lilliana.....we've been faithful to you.....is this to be our payment?"
"Are you man enough to take it?"
A little unnerved by this change in her attitude, Trent hesitated, his eyes narrowing as Lilliana laughed up at him. With a snarl he jerked her forward and sealed his mouth over hers, his kiss brutal, his grip on her arm sure to leave bruises. Surry stepped back, sure that his Captain had lost her senses, his hand drifting to his sword in readiness for what he was sure would be a swift and bloody retribution for Trents' outrageous liberties. To his everlasting surprise, Lilliana's free hand reached out and grabbed his belt, drawing him back towards her. She was still engrossed in Trent's assault on her mouth, one of his hands still gripping her upper arm while the other roamed freely over her body. Lilliana's hand, once Surry was within easy reach, slowly drifted down from his belt over the front of his trousers, her fingers caressing the bulge in his pants, making him groan and push into her palm with urgent need.
Sure now that she had both men's undivided attention, Lilliana wrenched her mouth away from Trents', her eyes blazing as they both panted with arousal created solely by her busy hands and eager mouth.
"I suggest, gentlemen, that we take this somewhere more...comfortable, where we can plan our strategy for the forthcoming battle." Purring, she preened beneath their glazed stares.
With both men enslaved with lust for her, Lilliana drew them backwards to the large bed at the side of the cabin. Damning herself to all hell, she gave herself up to their hunger, her need to expunge all memory of her gentle, treacherous, beautiful lover overwhelming her crumbling self-respect and devastated heart.
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Peter's guerilla tactics were winning the war. They had taken almost two thirds of the Moonshadows' crew with their sneak attacks, the men disappearing from under their mates noses without a single drop of blood being shed on either side. Paolo had suggested the tactic, finding favour with the Indian Chief who wanted no finger pointed to his tribe but who was more than willing to help rid the island of the threat of the Moonshadow. With cunning and a lot of help from the Chief, Peter and Paolo used a potent drug from a rare plant to create darts with which to thin the number of sailors each time they stepped ashore. The darts were silent and deadly accurate, the ambushes carefully planned and executed until it became almost too easy to pick off the men one by one. The captured sailors, paralysed temporarily by the darts, were transported to the other side of the island in small groups, all taken by a different route to confuse and confound them, and kept alive and well and in the care of the former pirates from the Jolly Roger. Smee had proved more than able to organise his rabble, building a sturdy fort in which to contain the crew of the Moonshadow.
Now there was few left to support Captain Moon and a showdown was inevitable. The fairies were acting as Peter's eyes and ears, alerting him whenever a boatload of men left the ship, their will to fight bolstered when the Moonshadow's men carelessly set fire to a tree that housed a fairy family. The creatures escaped, unharmed if a bit singed, but the destructive fire galvanised the fairy population to approach Peter for help in ridding the island of the scourge of Captain Moon.
Wendy and Tiger Lily were put in charge of supplies of the plant needed to create the paralysing drug, their days spent searching for the rare leaves, ever alert as they had to wander further and further from the Indian village to find it. Despite this, Wendy felt like she was floating on a cloud most days, her relationship with Peter having been taken to a whole different level since the night of the storm and the start of their physical relationship. The tepee she'd originally shared with Paolo was now hers and Peter's exclusively, Paolo having moved to Scratching Birds tent temporarily. Wendy smiled to herself, thinking about how different her life was now, her days spent searching and preparing the syrup for the darts, while fitting in all the other domestic chores of everyday life, then the nights spent in Peter's arms, the novelty of their new life not dulled by familiarity, but rather enriched as they explored their bodies and themselves. Peter had become insatiable, his love for life and her almost consuming her in its intensity, his curiosity and ingenuity bringing a blush to her face just to think about their nights together exploring and experimenting endlessly, and very exhaustingly. During the day, Wendy often found herself nodding off, completely at odds with Peter who always seemed more energised, as if their nights of lovemaking only served to fuel and feed his life force, while it left Wendy feeling well-loved but yawning the next day.
Tiger Lily teased her endlessly about it, her dark eyes laughing as Wendy yawned again.
"You should tell him to slow down, surely he's tired at the end of the day too?"
"You would think so," Wendy sighed, "but it's like every night is our first, its truly wonderful...."
"And truly exhausting.....you've not stopped yawning all day."
"Oh.....sorry," Wendy looked sheepish, her cheeks glowing. "We were up late talking.....Peter was telling me his plan to capture Captain Moon." She frowned.
"What is it Wendy?"
"I just feel......maybe I'm just being silly.....but I feel that he's pushing too hard. I'm worried that they will both try and take her while she is still too strong....her men are ruthless, not like the pirates of the Jolly Roger. Captain Hook was the worst of them, but his men were never as brutal as the Moonshadow's. I'm just worried about them both...." she grinned at Tiger Lily, "and if I'm completely honest....I'm a little jealous that they get to do all the fighting and we get to do all the boring, safe things."
"You're right, how did we get persuaded to take over the hunt for the Dragon plant?"
Wendy laughed, "We were bamboozled by two cheeky boys with their kisses and fair words."
"If you only got kisses and fair words, you were cheated!" Tiger Lily replied archly, her expression smug. Wendy gaped at her before giggling, the girls continuing their trek, threading their way through the trees.
From his position behind a fallen tree trunk, Trent watched the two Indian girls pass by, their voices drifting across the clearing as they walked by, occasionally stopping and picking some plant as they went. He recognised one as the princess Tiger Lily, from his previous visits to the Indian camp to parley with the chief. Careful to keep his presence a secret, he backed away from the fallen tree and cautiously turned to leave. Lilliana and the remains of the Moonshadows' decimated crew were several minutes behind him, Trent sent to scout the way ahead as they circled the Indian village before setting up to ambush it later that night. Finding the princess out of her village was an added bonus, saving them time and giving them a lever to guarantee the co-operation of the Indian Chief.
Silently he slipped away to report to his Captain.
Wendy paused in her search, her head turning as she sought the source of the sound that had attracted her attention.
"What is it?" Tiger Lily asked, catching Wendy's attentive expression and sweeping the woods with her own eyes and ears.
"I thought.....I felt as if someone was watching us....over there," she pointed to where a huge tree lay on its side, covered in creepers and ferns. The two girls stood still for long moments but saw and heard nothing more. Wendy shivered.
"I think we've gathered enough today Lily, lets get back."
Warily they turned on their heels and started back along the faint track they'd been following , their eyes keeping a watch for any sign of movement. Twice they were made to almost jump out of their skins by a rabbit leaping out of the brush and running across the path, the second time a deer bounded away as they approached, crashing through the dead wood and leaving the girls laughing at their fears.
As they trudged along, Wendy felt a prickling between her shoulders blades, her nerves wound as tight as a spring as she whispered for Tiger Lily to hurry. As they started to jog along the track a figure jumped out at them, making them scream in fright. The man was one of the Moonshadow's crew, his hands holding a brace of pistols which he held unwaveringly on the two girls.
"Captain Moon would like a word with you.....princess!"
Wendy saw a movement from the corner of her eye and turned, seeing another man approach from their flank. Seeing the trap closing, Wendy turned back to the man in front, noting that his attention was all on the beautiful Tiger Lily. In a desperate move, Wendy swung her bag, that contained that days haul of leaves, at the mans head, making him flinch and rear back, at the same time Tiger Lily swung her bag like a bolero and wound the straps around his pistols, the momentum dragging his hands down. Together the girls kicked and pushed him so that he fell, the girls leaping over him and away as a shout came from behind.
"Get back to the village........I'll lead them away!" Tiger Lily hissed, pushing Wendy ahead before veering off to the side towards a dense thicket. Wendy only had time to glance behind her, seeing the second man give chase after Lily, before she lifted her skirts and ran as fast as she could, dodging and weaving among the trees, her braids flying. She heard more shouts as men appeared out of the trees, a loud bang from a pistol shot, its whine passing over her head as she dodged to the side and kept on running. She didn't dare look back, the sound of booted feet crashing through the undergrowth spurring her on as she scrambled over logs and fallen branches, the track long forgotten, fear giving her strength to run faster.
The shouts started to dwindle behind her, the sound of crashing feet fading to nothing. Not slowing her pace, Wendy ignored the branches and brambles snagging her hair and face, her dress ripping as she pushed through a bush, her feet digging into the loose leaves as she plowed on, panting harshly. Suddenly the ground disappeared from under her and she only had time for a breathless scream before she hit the ground, rolling over and over down a leaf strewn slope, narrowly missing several tree trunks before coming to a rolling stop at the bottom. Sick and giddy, she stared up at the sky above her, her senses reeling, her chest heaving as she fought to breath.
A sound galvanised her into action, drawing her legs up and sending her scooting behind a thick trunk. Trembling, she listened for the sound again, only to collapse weakly against the rough bark when a squirrel appeared and paused on its way across the leaves, twitching at her before scuttering away.
Panting, Wendy peered around the tree and up and slope she'd so precipitously come down. She listened, but there was no sign that she had been followed or still being pursued. While she waited for her body to stop trembling and her lungs heaving, she tried to piece together what she'd seen. She was sure that Peter hadn't mentioned anything about a report from the fairies regarding Captain Moon leaving the ship, which meant that the Captain had moved fast indeed to reach this close to the Indian village from where they were the previous day. She had to warn the Indians and Peter.
Using the tree, Wendy climbed shakily to her feet, brushing the leaves and dirt from her fringed dress before stepping away from the tree. To her horror, her leg collapsed under her, sending her sprawling, agony lancing through her as she landed heavily.
Gasping, she lay for a moment, her blood pounding as she gingerly reached down to feel her knee. It was swollen and hot, Wendy wincing as she pressed the joint.
Panting, she rolled over and sat up, almost crying out when her injured leg twisted. Pulling up her skirt, she saw a huge swelling where her knee was, the skin unbroken, but the joint useless to her.
Looking back up the slope, she could see several rocks just poking out of the leafy ground and she grimaced at her ill fortune to have hit one of them. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to stand up, putting her weight on her good leg. Gingerly, she tried to put weight on the other and almost screamed at the pain, sobs tearing at her throat as she rode out the agony.
Lowering herself once more to the ground, she scooted backwards and leant up against the tree, her legs straight out in front of her.
"Now what are you going to do?" She asked herself, her voice sounding unnaturally loud under the trees. Now that the adrenaline was leaving her system, Wendy started to feel other bumps and bruises from her headlong flight, long scratches down her arms starting to sting, her face sporting a graze from her fall.
Sitting against the rough bark, she tried not to think too much about the hopelessness of her situation, lost in the forest, injured and unable to walk with the night only an hour or so away.
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"What do you mean they've not been seen all afternoon, when did they leave?"
Peter had returned to the village, full of excitement with the news that the Moonshadow had been abandoned, all her crew gone ashore along with Captain Moon. He and Paolo had received the news while working on their latest batch of darts, as well as practising their aim. As the Moonshadow hadn't sent anyone ashore for a couple of days, they used the time to practise and hone their skills with sword, pistol and blowgun. Peter and Paolo found fencing together very rewarding. Being evenly matched in height and strength they made perfect sparring partners, Peter teaching Paolo to fight with a cutlass and dagger, Paolo teaching Peter some of the dirtier tricks used by pirates. Both were equally as inept with pistols so the captured weapons from the prisoners already captured, provided them with plenty of powder and shot to practise and become quickly proficient with both pistol and musket. Their training arena was a cleverly concealed valley with an overhang of rock that muffled the sound of the firing and clang of weapons. It was only a short distance from the village so that several braves joined the two boys as they sharpened their skills, the Indians passing on their knowledge with the bow and the hatchet, while Peter and Paolo taught the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. Often those bouts turned into wrestling contest which Paolo almost always won. At the end of that day they'd returned triumphant to the village, invigorated from the training and the latest news. TinkerBell had flown down to them and told them about the Moonshadow, although the fairies hadn't found out where the crew and Captain were at that precise moment. Peter was almost bouncing as he and Paolo entered the village only to be greeted with long faces and no Wendy or Tiger Lily.
"They left just after lunch to gather the Dragon plant leaves," Scratching Bird explained, her face screwed up with worry. "That was hours ago, normally they are back well before sundown."
Peter glanced up at the clouds, seeing the colours painting them, the sun long gone below the sheltering hill behind the village. Anxiety squeezed at his heart, his mind conjuring up images of Wendy recaptured by Captain Moon or lying injured somewhere, even dead.
Shaking his head, he tried to think.
"I have to speak to the Chief.......Paolo?"
The two boys strode over to the largest tent, meeting the Chief as he ducked out of the flap, straightening up just as the boys reached him.
"You know what's happened to Tiger Lily?" The Chief asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"No.....we're only just found out she's missing, along with Wendy. Chief the Moonshadow has been abandoned, which means Captain Moon and what are left of her men are on the island somewhere, I'm waiting for TinkerBell to return with news of their whereabouts. In the meantime I suggest you get your men armed and ready, there could be an attack tonight."
"Why would they attack us?......we have traded with them,"
"It's possible they've caught Wendy and Tiger Lily. Paolo and I are going to search for them now, but don't be fooled because they've traded peaceably before.....Captain Moon is up to something and I think you're tribe are her next target. From what we've leant from the prisoners, she is obsessed with finding me, and she could use Tiger Lily to force you to tell her what you know."
"She is quite ruthless Chief," said Paolo, stepping forward. "She wouldn't hesitate to slaughter all of you to get at Peter, or me. And she'll use whatever means to find us......"
"I will move the women and children to the caves.....if this Captain Moon has captured my Tiger Lily then it is likely she will appear tonight to bargain with me for her safe return. If there is to be a fight, I don't want the women and children put in danger."
"Very wise Chief, make the camp look occupied, but hide your men, leave only a few in the camp to walk about and make it look busy."
"We'll leave now, before it gets dark.....good luck Chief!"
Peter turned away, Paolo behind him.
"What about Tink....how will she find you?"
"I told her to report to the Chief first.......then she'll find me the way she always does...."
Returning to Scratching Bird's tent, the two young men reloaded their pistols and armed themselves before noting the direction Wendy and Tiger Lily had been last seen going in. With the sky above their heads blazing pink and orange, the two ran across the open ground and disappeared into the darkening border of trees in search of their missing loved ones.
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(I scent a showdown......Peter against Lilliana, Trent against Paolo.....and what of the fair Wendy and gallant Tiger Lily.....all will be revealed in the next enthralling episode....er...chapter...stay tuned)