Title: The Forever Dance
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Eleven - Death Becomes Her
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Author's Note: Thank you's to all you wonderful people for reading and reviewing. Now on with the show........er....story.
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Peter whistled softly down to Paolo, the youth's face a pale blur as he stared up at Peter.
It had grown dark as they'd worked their way around the small camp in the middle of the woods. Paolo was behind a low hummock of boulders, his gaze fixed on the group of sailors crouched around the fire in the centre of the glade ahead of him. To one side sat Captain Moon, and beside her lay a bound and gagged Tiger Lily, both surrounded by a heavily armed bodyguard of crewmen. They hadn't been able to see Wendy anywhere and Peter had flown silently up into the dark canopy to get a better view, to try and spot where they were holding their other captive. Now he returned to where Paolo crouched, his expression worried.
"Did you see her?"
"She's not there.....they only have Tiger Lily."
"Not there?....But where...."
"I don't know Paolo....maybe...maybe she got away, ran back to the village. Maybe they took her somewhere else...." Peter's voice, barely above a whisper faded out altogether. Paolo glanced over his shoulder to see Peter's face, pale and stricken.
"Peter.....you don't know that they even caught her.....they don't appear to have done more than truss Tiger Lily, surely they wouldn't.....I mean, if they didn't recognise her....." Paolo trailed off, realising that he wasn't making the situation any better. In all probability, if Wendy had been caught, and taken for just another Indian girl, she might well have been taken away some place else and given to the crew to use. Swallowing hard, Paolo felt a muscle jump in his jaw, rage and grief at Wendy's imagined fate causing bile to rise in his throat. He heard a noise behind him and glanced once more over his shoulder at Peter. Obviously the same thoughts had been running through his mind as well, Peter's eyes were narrowed and a black as obsidian as he stared over the rocks at the sailors around the fire, his body as tense as a bow string. A sound close to a growl was thrumming through Peter's clenched teeth.
"I'll kill every last one of them if they've hurt a hair on her head!" Peter snarled, the rasp of a blade being drawn loud in the darkness. Paolo reached over and grasped his arm, stilling his hand while drawing Peter's attention back to him.
"Peter....we'll find her, but we have to free Tiger Lily first, if anything has happened to Wendy, she will know. Peter are you listening to me?"
Peter jerked suddenly, pulling his arm out of Paolo's grasp, his eyes pinning his friend in place. Just as suddenly the fire died in Peter's eyes and he ducked his head, a long sigh escaping his lips.
"You're right....we have to free Tiger Lily......but we take as many of these...animals down as we can. I'll get on the other side of the glade....you open fire when you see my signal...here are my pistols. Make every shot count. When you've exhausted your shots get out of sight, circle round and join me on the other side of the fire. I'll have freed Lily by then."
"Peter......" The two boys stared at each other before Peter tilted his lips in his trademark smirk, then leapt into the air and out of sight. "Good luck Peter.." Paolo muttered, laying the pistols on the top of the rock, checking the powder and shot, his gaze flicking between the men around the fire and the canopy of trees above.
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Lilliana took the beaker held out to her by Trent, the man's eyes glinting in the firelight, his gaze proprietary. Ignoring him, she drank deeply, her eyes flicking around the campsite, staring at the dark trees, the faint twinkle of stars appearing through the gaps in the branches. Beside her Tiger Lily squirmed against her bonds, her eyes glaring at the woman seated above her, her voice muffled behind the gag as she swore at her captor.
"Don't waste your breath my dear....there is no-one to hear you, and less to care. Shame we didn't capture your companion, she would have atleast provided some amusement for my men."
"What's wrong with throwing this morsel to the men? She'll still be able to tell us where the flying brat is afterwards, she'll might even be a bit more co-operative after some fun with the crew."
Lilliana glanced over at her henchmen, watching as he raised his hand to his mouth, sucking on the bite wound inflicted by the Indian Princess.
"Still smarting, is it?" Lilliana laughed, some of the men joining her as Trent scowled, jumping to his feet and stalking off.
One of the men threw a branch on the fire and sparks flew up into the sky in a blazing trail. As she drained the last of the wine a night bird screeched somewhere behind her, at the same moment a flash and a thunderous bang was heard. Instantly a man standing by the fire dropped to the ground with a cry, a stain blossoming across his chest. Panic ensued, her men rushing to snatch up their weapons, their figures running in front of the fire, garishly illuminated against the flames. Another shot rang out and another man dropped. Her men started firing wildly into the darkness, adding to the confusion as yet another shot dropped a man in his tracks.
Rising to her feet, Lilliana shouted for the men to converge on a pile off rocks that seemed to be the source of the shots. Some heard her command and started towards the rock, only to have one of their number drop to the dirt, his head half gone. They paused, only to continue when their Captain urged them on. Several musket shots sent stone chips and dust flying up from the rocks as they ran screaming towards them, their weapons raised, only to find the rocks deserted, their quarry flown.
As they milled around, another man suddenly clutched at his neck, a feathered arrow sticking out, having gone right through, blood soaking his shirt as he fell. Again and again the deadly arrows found their targets, whistling like silent death from the bushes. The men fired their guns again, aiming randomly, the noise deafening.
Lilliana stood near her chair, Trent and Surry by her as the men searched the area around the rocks, shouts and screams greeting them as their invisible assailant rained death from the dark.
"What do we do Cap'n?" Cried Surry, his wide eyes darting around the campsite, his hands holding a brace of pistols that he waved in the air, his breath coming harshly through gritted teeth.
"We stand our ground Mister Surry....what they want is here....we just have to hold our position."
Stepping back a pace, Lilliana glanced down at the ground where she expected to find the captive Indian Princess. She found only dust.
"SHE'S GONE!" Lilliana's enraged scream tore through the camp, her men stopping their search for the invisible assassin, their attention all on their Captain. Trent and Surry, their swords drawn, were searching around where they'd left the Princess, the flickering light of the fire sending long shadows over the ground as they swung around, peering into the darkness between the trees, Trent slashing at the bushes as if they were the cause of his Captains rage.
"Search the woods, you dogs....they can't have gone far!!!"
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Peter quickly cut Tiger Lily's hands and feet free, carrying her through the trees a little way before setting her down and removing the gag. A minute or two later Paolo joined them, appearing out of the shadows like a wraith. Tiger Lily gasped then threw herself on his chest, clutching his neck as he wrapped her in his arms.
"We have to go now.....they'll be on us in minutes!"
Holding out his hands, Peter grasped Tiger Lily on one side, Paolo on the other then lifted off, flying slowly through the darkness until they were out of sight of the fire and the mayhem they'd left behind.
Setting down again, Peter had barely let go of Paolo's hand when he rounded on Tiger Lily, gripping her arms above the elbow and almost shaking her.
"Where's Wendy....what did they do with her?"
"We got separated, I drew them away while Wendy was to warn the village.....she didn't get back?"
Peter dropped his hands from her arms, not noticing her rub them to restore the circulations after his punishing hold. Paolo brushed past Peter and put his arm around Tiger Lily.
"Nobody has seen her....she didn't make it back to the village. Where were you caught?"
"I can show you.....but I had veered off, there were two of them chasing after her the last time I looked...I saw her enter a thicket and then I was tackled. I don't think they caught her, nobody's mentioned her at all......except just now......"
Peter rounded on her, making her draw back as his figure advanced on her. Paolo's grip around her shoulders gave her courage as Peter approached.
"What did they say?"
"Peter....you don't want to know.....really you don't..."
"Tell me what they said!"
"They said....they were sorry they didn't capture my companion, she would have been a source of entertainment for the men."
"Bastards!" Peter swung away, his anger and frustration washing over his friends. Paolo squeezed Tiger Lily's shoulder before walking over to where Peter stood, his back rigid.
"Peter....they didn't catch her so she's out there somewhere....we just have to find her."
He lay his hand on Peter's arm, only to find it trembling.
Shaking off Paolo's fingers, Peter swung back to Tiger Lily.
"Are you sure no-one boasted of killing the girl with you, or anything like that?"
"Not within my hearing, and I'm sure if they had, they wouldn't have kept it a secret. Peter it's been hours since I last saw Wendy...she must have become confused, disorientated or......something, otherwise she would have returned before the sun set for sure."
"Then she's lost out there.....lost or injured."
"How are we going to find her, it's a black as pitch tonight, there's no moon until close to dawn."
"I know.....but I have to try. I'll take you both back to the village and leave you with the Chief. I'm going to need help from the fairies if I'm to find her tonight. I can move more quickly on my own, so don't ask to come. I'll need you to help at the village, I still expect Captain Moon to attack tonight.....despite our diversion."
Ignoring their protests, Peter held out his hands for them to take before lifting once more into the night air and rising high above the trees, Neverland laid out before them, gilded faintly with starlight. Once free of the trees Peter flew rapidly to the Indian village, leaving his friends there before taking off on his mission to enlist the aid of his fairy friends to find Wendy.
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She heard the faint popping of gunfire, followed by shouts and screams, her blood chilling as she strained to hear more. After long minutes the sounds stopped and she could only hear night noises. Giving up, she relaxed a little, her shoulders shifting as she tried to find a comfortable spot on the hard bark of the tree-trunk.
It was so dark under the trees she had difficulty even seeing her hands in front of her face, let alone anyone or anything approaching. She consoled herself with the thought that she was just as invisible to anyone looking as they were to her. Her knee had stopped throbbing but a shiver that she found impossible to stop, shook her from head to toe and her knee spasm'd, making her gasp as she bent over, clutching at her leg above the swelling. When the pain passed, she panted as she straightened up, her head banging against the tree, making her wince. She'd never spent a night truly out of doors, the closest being when she'd slept in the little house the Lost Boys had created for her, and even that had walls and a roof. Her deer-skin dress was really not adequate to ward off the chill of the night, despite her best effort. Braced as she was on her hands, her fingers dug into the deep layer of leaves that covered the ground all around her, the result of many seasons of undisturbed leaf drop. Idly, she scooped up handfuls of the leaves and spread them over her legs. She remembered doing something similar on a trip to Brighton once as a child, of sitting on a sandy beach and scooping sand over her legs, delighting in the silky feel of the sand running over her bare skin. Absently she continued to scoop up the large dry leaves until her legs were completely covered. With her limbs covered in a blanket of leaves, she started to feel a little less chilled, but she'd used all the leaves within her reach. Leaning to the side, she tried to scoop up more but only managed to overbalance and end up on her side, her swollen knee twisting and sending white hot agony up her leg, leaving her feeling sick and shaky. Once the pain receded, she decided to stay where she was, on her side. Leaning up on her elbows she pulled as many leaves towards her as she could, forming a crunchy pillow which she leant back against with relief, the slight elevation helping to clear her head. Using her arms like sweeps, she gathered all the leaves she could reach and piled them ontop of herself before finally resting, her body still chilled but not shivering anymore. Wrapping her arms around her body, she closed her eyes, shutting out the view of gently waving branches and a diamond bright, star strewn heaven that seemed to mock her attempts to keep warm.
"Please hurry Peter.....please hurry....."
In the dark, all but covered in leaves, Wendy became one with the wood, invisible to all but the insects and tiny creatures of the forest.
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Peter streaked across the island, diving down towards the fairy tree before stopping to hover several feet above the ground. Pulling his pan pipes from his belt he wet his lips before starting to play. The notes started off slowly and quietly before gaining in strength and speed. As he played lights started to appear out of the tree, drawn to the music, the few becoming many until he found himself within a swarm of bright wings and tinkling voices, the fairies brushing him with their hands and wings like the touch of a breeze.
Lowering his pipes, Peter turned slowly in a circle, the fairies swirling around him like a golden haze.
"I need help......I need to find someone lost in the woods."
One fairy, larger and more lavishly clothed than the others approached Peter and floated up to his eye level.
"Who do you seek, Peter of Neverland ?"
"Majesty, I seek my Wendy.....she was with Tiger Lily, in the forest beyond the Indian village when they were chased by Captain Moon's men, now she's lost and its dark and I need your people's sharp eyes and keen senses to find her."
"The forest if large, but we will help you......take us where you know she was last, we will seek from there."
"Thank you Majesty."
Peter slowly rose into the air, careful of the fairy folk around him. Once clear he shot off into the sky, the fairies streaming behind him as they followed.
When they reached the forest where Tiger Lily had described her last sight of Wendy, the fairy host scattered like so many fireflies, their tiny lights disappearing into the trees, while Peter hovered in the canopy, watching the lights dart amongst the dark branches. He wanted to follow them, call out her name, search every shadow but he had to let the fairies do it for him, the woods too dark for him to see anything, the shadows too many to search alone.
After long, worry filled minutes, a crowd of fairies streamed towards him, all chittering furiously, their wings fluttering around him as they relayed their news. They turned to lead the way and Peter followed, his body weaving through the trees and skimming over bushes until they reached a gully that sloped steeply away from the plateau. Here the fairies lead him down to the bottom and to the base of a tree. At first he couldn't see anything but the fairies clustered around a part of the forest floor and he saw, with the aid of their lights, a hand lying pale and still among the leaves. His heart stopped for a second before he landed and crouched down, scrabbling at the leaves to uncover the girl beneath them.
"Wendy....Wendy...please, don't be dead....Wendy!"
With the fairies hovering above and illuminating the ground, Peter saw Wendy's eyes open and blink sleepily up at him.
"You found me.......I knew you wouldn't be long...."
"Wendy what happened, why are you still here?"
"I fell....down that slope, and hurt my leg.....I couldn't walk."
As Wendy raised herself on her elbows, Peter carefully brushed the leaves away from her leg, the fairies clustering close so that he could see the injury. It looked swollen and sore.
"Can you move it at all?"
"No....I tried, it just hurts too much."
"I have to get you to Scratching Bird, she'll know what to do....she's with the women and children at the caves, I'll take you there now."
Despite his most careful attempts not to jog the leg, Wendy lay unconscious in his arms when he finally lifted off from the forest floor. She had dug her fingers into his shoulder when he'd raised her up to take her into his arms, but when he slid his arm under her legs she let out a scream then fainted. As quickly as possible he flew her towards the caves, having taken his leave and given his thanks to the fairies for their help in finding her. At the caves, Scratching Bird took Wendy from him and together with the other women settled the girl on a pallet before attending to her leg with gentle hands and cold compresses.
"There is nothing you can do for her right now Pan.....she is in good hands." The Chief's wife hustled Peter away as the other women carefully stripped Wendy's dirt dress from her and washed her.
"I have to get back to the village.....I know that Captain Moon will attack tonight.....and I want to be there. She and I have a score to settle."
"Go then......your Wendy will be safe with us."
With a last look at the huddle of women tending his brave girl, Peter took off at speed, streaking back to the village and the battle to come.
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"It looks quiet enough, only a few sentries patrolling the perimeter."
"Thank you Mister Surry......Trent.....are your men in position?"
"All set....they just await your order to attack."
"Good...pass me that glass again."
For several minutes Lilliana surveyed the Indian village through the spyglass, noting the figures that sat besides fires or walked among the tepees. Satisfied, she snapped the telescope shut and rose to her feet.
"Let's get this massacre over with gentlemen. Give the signal."
Surry immediately put his fingers in his mouth and uttered a piercing whistle. At once figures leapt out of the surrounding vegetation and ran at the few braves that patrolled the outskirts of the village. As the men and braves struggled, the rest of the Moonshadow's crew plunged into and among the tepee's, hacking at the tent ropes and barrelling through anything in their way, screaming at the top of their lungs, their weapons glinting in the firelight. As they neared the centre of the camp it became evident that the villagers were either dead or profoundly deaf, no screams or shouts greeting the sailors as they milled around the central fire in confusion. Then out of the darkness a hail of arrows arced over their heads from all sides, raining death for many of the men, the survivors running to take shelter between the tents. A second volley showered down, picking off more of the men and provoking a volley of answering musket fire from the sailors firing randomly into the darkness. Then the trap was sprung. While the sailors of the Moonshadow struggled to reload their guns, the Indians swept down on them with bloodcurdling screams and shouts, their tomahawks and knives flashing as they engaged the embattled men in hand to hand combat.
Lilliana watched the battle with her two remaining men, her lip curling in a sneer as she saw her men cut down by the savages.
"Time we left, I believe gentlemen."
"You expected this to happen, didn't you?" Trent stood in front of her, his face contorted in anger and disbelief at her complicity in the slaughter of the crew.
"I suffer no one to tell me how to run my ship....and the mutinous dogs deserved no better....now stand aside."
"You bloodthirsty bitch....this was all a set up to pay them back?"
"Take a lesson from this Mister Trench......I take orders from no man."
Sweeping past her dumbfounded henchmen, Lilliana made to leave the small rise, the battle already over behind her.
"Going somewhere Captain?" A voice made her pause, a figure stepping out from the shadow of a tree, the blade in his hand catching the light of the flames from a burning tepee.
Lilliana grinned savagely, the person she'd engineered this whole debacle to bring to her had finally made his appearance.
"You're a remarkably tardy young man.....I expected you to arrive hours ago."
Peter echoed the grin on her face with one of his own, his blade relaxed in his hand as he circled the tall woman with the glacial eyes. "Oh I had things to do.....Princess's to rescue....ambushes to plan...you know how it is."
Lilliana roared with laughter at his brash reply, her blade sliding out of its sheath with a shivering scrape as she took another step. "Impudent boy....you served your purpose in ridding me of a mutinous pack of dogs...but now I must return to my ship and plan my return to civilisation.....after I dispatch you from this world, of course."
"I can't let you do that.....dispatch me that is. You have tried to wreak havoc on my world and I won't allow it any longer."
"You won't allow it......what rot...you are just a boy, and a reckless one at that. Trent! Surry!"
"Don't waste you breath Captain....they are quite occupied already. They won't be coming to your relief......it's just you and me."
"You'll find I'm not so easy to get rid off as my brother..there's no convenient crocodile to do your dirty work for you this time Pan!"
With a quick flick, Lilliana brought her sword up and slashing down, only to find the blade cleaving air, Peter already moved around to her flank. Using her momentum she swung around on her heel, slashing backwards, Peter ducking to avoid the blade, his own lunging forward to catch Lilliana under her chin, the tip digging into her throat.
"Tsk...tsk, Captain.....too rash, too slow.......shall we try again?"
Infuriated, Lilliana stepped back, Peter's blade dropping from her neck, leaving a bead of blood in its wake. Bringing their swords up, they touched blades, drawing back to circle around again.
"I'll spit you on this steel and feed your eyes to the seagulls."
Peter raised his eyebrows and shrugged at this sally, his teeth gleaming in the starlight as he grinned back at her cheekily.
"Is that the best you can do......did you know that I called your brother a codfish.....it rather suited him at the end.....a codfish swallowed by a crocodile....." Peter laughed as Lilliana lunged, his blade blocking hers as she brought them together, her bunched fist lashing out to catch Peter in the gut, making him stagger backwards, fending off her furious blows as he gasped. Needing time to recover he twisted into the air, somersaulting over Lilliana's head to land lightly behind her. The Captain whirled to face him, her face contorted into a snarl. Peter regained his breath and grinned again. Adopting Hook's voice, he goaded his enemy.
"Not playing by the Queensbury rules, m'dear?...not very sporting!"
Astonished to hear her brother speaking, Lilliana halted in her advance and gaped at Peter. With a wink, Peter stepped forward and attacked, his blade flashing as Lilliana defended, finding herself driven back by the fury of his advance.
Panting, she lunged, Peter bringing his blade down hard, knocking her sword out of her hand. Jerking backwards in surprise, Lilliana nursed her stinging wrist for a second before standing rigidly still, her eyes burning, watching Peter as he bent down, his eyes never leaving hers, to flick her blade up and catch it in his other hand.
As they stood there, the woods around them started to lighten with the glow from dozens of fairies appearing from above, their light casting an unearthly glow over the combatants, fairy dust shimmering in the air as the host of glittering creatures formed a glowing halo around the arena. Peter appeared bathed in gold, his muscles rippling in his arms as he twirled first his then Lilliana's blade around his wrists while pacing around the edge of the clearing. Lilliana paced equally away from him, her eyes mere slits as she grimaced at the tiny creatures illuminating the scene.
With a flip, Peter tossed the Captain's blade into the air to fall between them, point first into the dirt where it shimmered before being snatched up by it's owner.
"Your sense of fair play will be the death of you boy!"
"And your cold heart will be the death of you Captain Moon......."
Once more Lilliana lunged, the blades clashing as they fought a pitched battle, neither giving quarter, both aiming to kill in this final conflict. As they parried and thrust, blocked and lunged, an audience started to gather in the outskirts of the circle of fairy light. Paolo and Tiger Lily, a bound and gagged Trent and Surry, together with the remnants of the crew all stood among the tree trunks, watching silently as their Captain and Peter Pan clashed and withdrew, only to come together again in a flurry of flashing blades. Behind the sailors stood the silent throng of Indians, all watching the dance of death between the protagonists.
Retreating, panting heavily, Lilliana noticed the silent witnesses, their faces in shadow beneath the trees. As she swept around she saw Paolo standing beside the Indian Princess, his face sternly impassive. Her heart gave a jolt as she stared into his achingly beautiful face, her sword dropping until the point dug into the ground. For a second regret swamped her, then her blade came up and she darted towards him, her face contorted into a snarl of rage. Her blade was lifted to strike but Peter blocked it, his hands wrapped around her wrist, holding her arm above her head, his face inches from hers.
"Get out of my way brat......I'm going to kill him!"
Bringing her head forward she managed to head butt Peter, sending him staggering back, but only for a second. As she brought her blade down to cleave him in two he blocked the blow with two hands on his hilt, the force sending a shock wave up her arm, numbing it. As if in slow motion Peter pushed upwards, forcing her backwards, her feet tangling until she was falling, her head striking the ground with force, her sword dropping from her hands to clatter onto the dirt beside her.
Peter stood panting in the silence that followed, his sword hanging loosely at his side as he stared down at Lilliana Moon, expecting her to roll over and leap to her feet. Instead he saw that her eyes were open and fixed, her head lolled to the side unmoving. Kicking her blade away, he crouched down beside her and carefully moved her head. It flopped bonelessly on her neck, his hand coming away coated with blood when he tried to lift it.
Lilliana Moon was dead.
Standing up, he gazed down at Hook's sister, so alike him in looks but with a heart colder than the harshest winter. Without turning to face the remains of her men, Peter spoke.
"She's dead......you a free, along with the other members of your crew, to leave Neverland and never return. Leave your weapons behind and take yourselves away.....don't come back."
He heard the sound of ropes being cut, then the shuffle of the Indian's feet as they parted to allow the men of the Moonshadow to leave the scene of their Captains death.
Only Trent remained behind, stepping forward, his face working as he stared down at the woman he'd served for so long.
"Let me take her back to the ship......I'll bury her at sea. She can't harm you or yours now...."
Raising his head, Peter stared at the man for a second before nodding. Trent knelt down and gathered Lilliana's limp body into his arms, cradling her against his broad chest, her long dark hair flowing over his shoulder, before staggering to his feet and carrying her out of the clearing and into the darkness.
Peter drew in a deep breath, rolling his shoulders as he released some of the tension in his muscles. The fairies still hovered over the clearing, casting their golden light as a precursor to the dawn not far away. Peter reached up and signalling one to come to him. He quickly gave the creature a message to give to Smee before sending it on its way. Paolo stepped forward and stood a few feet away.
"I want to stay here Peter....here in Neverland. There's nothing for me out there....beyond the horizon."
"I was hoping you would stay.......but you have the choice, you can leave with the Moonshadow, or make a life here....I'm sure you'd be more than welcome, not just by me....." Peter smirked as he saw Tiger Lily glide over towards Paolo and thread her arm through his, leaning against him.
"Then I choose to stay here....."
Stepping forward, Paolo extended his arm, his hand out. Peter clasped it warmly and drew Paolo into a hug, just as quickly releasing him, the two boys, so alike as to be brothers, grinning at each other in mutual relief that Paolo was indeed staying for good.
"I have to go and see how Wendy is......ask the Chief to send one of his braves to shadow the crew of the Moonshadow.....just to make sure they do as I've ordered."
"Of course.....I'll see you back at the village later."
Sheathing his sword, Peter rose into the air, through the ring of remaining fairies until he disappeared against the starlit sky.
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(phew.....so endeth this chapter......tally ho!)
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Eleven - Death Becomes Her
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Author's Note: Thank you's to all you wonderful people for reading and reviewing. Now on with the show........er....story.
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Peter whistled softly down to Paolo, the youth's face a pale blur as he stared up at Peter.
It had grown dark as they'd worked their way around the small camp in the middle of the woods. Paolo was behind a low hummock of boulders, his gaze fixed on the group of sailors crouched around the fire in the centre of the glade ahead of him. To one side sat Captain Moon, and beside her lay a bound and gagged Tiger Lily, both surrounded by a heavily armed bodyguard of crewmen. They hadn't been able to see Wendy anywhere and Peter had flown silently up into the dark canopy to get a better view, to try and spot where they were holding their other captive. Now he returned to where Paolo crouched, his expression worried.
"Did you see her?"
"She's not there.....they only have Tiger Lily."
"Not there?....But where...."
"I don't know Paolo....maybe...maybe she got away, ran back to the village. Maybe they took her somewhere else...." Peter's voice, barely above a whisper faded out altogether. Paolo glanced over his shoulder to see Peter's face, pale and stricken.
"Peter.....you don't know that they even caught her.....they don't appear to have done more than truss Tiger Lily, surely they wouldn't.....I mean, if they didn't recognise her....." Paolo trailed off, realising that he wasn't making the situation any better. In all probability, if Wendy had been caught, and taken for just another Indian girl, she might well have been taken away some place else and given to the crew to use. Swallowing hard, Paolo felt a muscle jump in his jaw, rage and grief at Wendy's imagined fate causing bile to rise in his throat. He heard a noise behind him and glanced once more over his shoulder at Peter. Obviously the same thoughts had been running through his mind as well, Peter's eyes were narrowed and a black as obsidian as he stared over the rocks at the sailors around the fire, his body as tense as a bow string. A sound close to a growl was thrumming through Peter's clenched teeth.
"I'll kill every last one of them if they've hurt a hair on her head!" Peter snarled, the rasp of a blade being drawn loud in the darkness. Paolo reached over and grasped his arm, stilling his hand while drawing Peter's attention back to him.
"Peter....we'll find her, but we have to free Tiger Lily first, if anything has happened to Wendy, she will know. Peter are you listening to me?"
Peter jerked suddenly, pulling his arm out of Paolo's grasp, his eyes pinning his friend in place. Just as suddenly the fire died in Peter's eyes and he ducked his head, a long sigh escaping his lips.
"You're right....we have to free Tiger Lily......but we take as many of these...animals down as we can. I'll get on the other side of the glade....you open fire when you see my signal...here are my pistols. Make every shot count. When you've exhausted your shots get out of sight, circle round and join me on the other side of the fire. I'll have freed Lily by then."
"Peter......" The two boys stared at each other before Peter tilted his lips in his trademark smirk, then leapt into the air and out of sight. "Good luck Peter.." Paolo muttered, laying the pistols on the top of the rock, checking the powder and shot, his gaze flicking between the men around the fire and the canopy of trees above.
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Lilliana took the beaker held out to her by Trent, the man's eyes glinting in the firelight, his gaze proprietary. Ignoring him, she drank deeply, her eyes flicking around the campsite, staring at the dark trees, the faint twinkle of stars appearing through the gaps in the branches. Beside her Tiger Lily squirmed against her bonds, her eyes glaring at the woman seated above her, her voice muffled behind the gag as she swore at her captor.
"Don't waste your breath my dear....there is no-one to hear you, and less to care. Shame we didn't capture your companion, she would have atleast provided some amusement for my men."
"What's wrong with throwing this morsel to the men? She'll still be able to tell us where the flying brat is afterwards, she'll might even be a bit more co-operative after some fun with the crew."
Lilliana glanced over at her henchmen, watching as he raised his hand to his mouth, sucking on the bite wound inflicted by the Indian Princess.
"Still smarting, is it?" Lilliana laughed, some of the men joining her as Trent scowled, jumping to his feet and stalking off.
One of the men threw a branch on the fire and sparks flew up into the sky in a blazing trail. As she drained the last of the wine a night bird screeched somewhere behind her, at the same moment a flash and a thunderous bang was heard. Instantly a man standing by the fire dropped to the ground with a cry, a stain blossoming across his chest. Panic ensued, her men rushing to snatch up their weapons, their figures running in front of the fire, garishly illuminated against the flames. Another shot rang out and another man dropped. Her men started firing wildly into the darkness, adding to the confusion as yet another shot dropped a man in his tracks.
Rising to her feet, Lilliana shouted for the men to converge on a pile off rocks that seemed to be the source of the shots. Some heard her command and started towards the rock, only to have one of their number drop to the dirt, his head half gone. They paused, only to continue when their Captain urged them on. Several musket shots sent stone chips and dust flying up from the rocks as they ran screaming towards them, their weapons raised, only to find the rocks deserted, their quarry flown.
As they milled around, another man suddenly clutched at his neck, a feathered arrow sticking out, having gone right through, blood soaking his shirt as he fell. Again and again the deadly arrows found their targets, whistling like silent death from the bushes. The men fired their guns again, aiming randomly, the noise deafening.
Lilliana stood near her chair, Trent and Surry by her as the men searched the area around the rocks, shouts and screams greeting them as their invisible assailant rained death from the dark.
"What do we do Cap'n?" Cried Surry, his wide eyes darting around the campsite, his hands holding a brace of pistols that he waved in the air, his breath coming harshly through gritted teeth.
"We stand our ground Mister Surry....what they want is here....we just have to hold our position."
Stepping back a pace, Lilliana glanced down at the ground where she expected to find the captive Indian Princess. She found only dust.
"SHE'S GONE!" Lilliana's enraged scream tore through the camp, her men stopping their search for the invisible assassin, their attention all on their Captain. Trent and Surry, their swords drawn, were searching around where they'd left the Princess, the flickering light of the fire sending long shadows over the ground as they swung around, peering into the darkness between the trees, Trent slashing at the bushes as if they were the cause of his Captains rage.
"Search the woods, you dogs....they can't have gone far!!!"
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Peter quickly cut Tiger Lily's hands and feet free, carrying her through the trees a little way before setting her down and removing the gag. A minute or two later Paolo joined them, appearing out of the shadows like a wraith. Tiger Lily gasped then threw herself on his chest, clutching his neck as he wrapped her in his arms.
"We have to go now.....they'll be on us in minutes!"
Holding out his hands, Peter grasped Tiger Lily on one side, Paolo on the other then lifted off, flying slowly through the darkness until they were out of sight of the fire and the mayhem they'd left behind.
Setting down again, Peter had barely let go of Paolo's hand when he rounded on Tiger Lily, gripping her arms above the elbow and almost shaking her.
"Where's Wendy....what did they do with her?"
"We got separated, I drew them away while Wendy was to warn the village.....she didn't get back?"
Peter dropped his hands from her arms, not noticing her rub them to restore the circulations after his punishing hold. Paolo brushed past Peter and put his arm around Tiger Lily.
"Nobody has seen her....she didn't make it back to the village. Where were you caught?"
"I can show you.....but I had veered off, there were two of them chasing after her the last time I looked...I saw her enter a thicket and then I was tackled. I don't think they caught her, nobody's mentioned her at all......except just now......"
Peter rounded on her, making her draw back as his figure advanced on her. Paolo's grip around her shoulders gave her courage as Peter approached.
"What did they say?"
"Peter....you don't want to know.....really you don't..."
"Tell me what they said!"
"They said....they were sorry they didn't capture my companion, she would have been a source of entertainment for the men."
"Bastards!" Peter swung away, his anger and frustration washing over his friends. Paolo squeezed Tiger Lily's shoulder before walking over to where Peter stood, his back rigid.
"Peter....they didn't catch her so she's out there somewhere....we just have to find her."
He lay his hand on Peter's arm, only to find it trembling.
Shaking off Paolo's fingers, Peter swung back to Tiger Lily.
"Are you sure no-one boasted of killing the girl with you, or anything like that?"
"Not within my hearing, and I'm sure if they had, they wouldn't have kept it a secret. Peter it's been hours since I last saw Wendy...she must have become confused, disorientated or......something, otherwise she would have returned before the sun set for sure."
"Then she's lost out there.....lost or injured."
"How are we going to find her, it's a black as pitch tonight, there's no moon until close to dawn."
"I know.....but I have to try. I'll take you both back to the village and leave you with the Chief. I'm going to need help from the fairies if I'm to find her tonight. I can move more quickly on my own, so don't ask to come. I'll need you to help at the village, I still expect Captain Moon to attack tonight.....despite our diversion."
Ignoring their protests, Peter held out his hands for them to take before lifting once more into the night air and rising high above the trees, Neverland laid out before them, gilded faintly with starlight. Once free of the trees Peter flew rapidly to the Indian village, leaving his friends there before taking off on his mission to enlist the aid of his fairy friends to find Wendy.
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She heard the faint popping of gunfire, followed by shouts and screams, her blood chilling as she strained to hear more. After long minutes the sounds stopped and she could only hear night noises. Giving up, she relaxed a little, her shoulders shifting as she tried to find a comfortable spot on the hard bark of the tree-trunk.
It was so dark under the trees she had difficulty even seeing her hands in front of her face, let alone anyone or anything approaching. She consoled herself with the thought that she was just as invisible to anyone looking as they were to her. Her knee had stopped throbbing but a shiver that she found impossible to stop, shook her from head to toe and her knee spasm'd, making her gasp as she bent over, clutching at her leg above the swelling. When the pain passed, she panted as she straightened up, her head banging against the tree, making her wince. She'd never spent a night truly out of doors, the closest being when she'd slept in the little house the Lost Boys had created for her, and even that had walls and a roof. Her deer-skin dress was really not adequate to ward off the chill of the night, despite her best effort. Braced as she was on her hands, her fingers dug into the deep layer of leaves that covered the ground all around her, the result of many seasons of undisturbed leaf drop. Idly, she scooped up handfuls of the leaves and spread them over her legs. She remembered doing something similar on a trip to Brighton once as a child, of sitting on a sandy beach and scooping sand over her legs, delighting in the silky feel of the sand running over her bare skin. Absently she continued to scoop up the large dry leaves until her legs were completely covered. With her limbs covered in a blanket of leaves, she started to feel a little less chilled, but she'd used all the leaves within her reach. Leaning to the side, she tried to scoop up more but only managed to overbalance and end up on her side, her swollen knee twisting and sending white hot agony up her leg, leaving her feeling sick and shaky. Once the pain receded, she decided to stay where she was, on her side. Leaning up on her elbows she pulled as many leaves towards her as she could, forming a crunchy pillow which she leant back against with relief, the slight elevation helping to clear her head. Using her arms like sweeps, she gathered all the leaves she could reach and piled them ontop of herself before finally resting, her body still chilled but not shivering anymore. Wrapping her arms around her body, she closed her eyes, shutting out the view of gently waving branches and a diamond bright, star strewn heaven that seemed to mock her attempts to keep warm.
"Please hurry Peter.....please hurry....."
In the dark, all but covered in leaves, Wendy became one with the wood, invisible to all but the insects and tiny creatures of the forest.
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Peter streaked across the island, diving down towards the fairy tree before stopping to hover several feet above the ground. Pulling his pan pipes from his belt he wet his lips before starting to play. The notes started off slowly and quietly before gaining in strength and speed. As he played lights started to appear out of the tree, drawn to the music, the few becoming many until he found himself within a swarm of bright wings and tinkling voices, the fairies brushing him with their hands and wings like the touch of a breeze.
Lowering his pipes, Peter turned slowly in a circle, the fairies swirling around him like a golden haze.
"I need help......I need to find someone lost in the woods."
One fairy, larger and more lavishly clothed than the others approached Peter and floated up to his eye level.
"Who do you seek, Peter of Neverland ?"
"Majesty, I seek my Wendy.....she was with Tiger Lily, in the forest beyond the Indian village when they were chased by Captain Moon's men, now she's lost and its dark and I need your people's sharp eyes and keen senses to find her."
"The forest if large, but we will help you......take us where you know she was last, we will seek from there."
"Thank you Majesty."
Peter slowly rose into the air, careful of the fairy folk around him. Once clear he shot off into the sky, the fairies streaming behind him as they followed.
When they reached the forest where Tiger Lily had described her last sight of Wendy, the fairy host scattered like so many fireflies, their tiny lights disappearing into the trees, while Peter hovered in the canopy, watching the lights dart amongst the dark branches. He wanted to follow them, call out her name, search every shadow but he had to let the fairies do it for him, the woods too dark for him to see anything, the shadows too many to search alone.
After long, worry filled minutes, a crowd of fairies streamed towards him, all chittering furiously, their wings fluttering around him as they relayed their news. They turned to lead the way and Peter followed, his body weaving through the trees and skimming over bushes until they reached a gully that sloped steeply away from the plateau. Here the fairies lead him down to the bottom and to the base of a tree. At first he couldn't see anything but the fairies clustered around a part of the forest floor and he saw, with the aid of their lights, a hand lying pale and still among the leaves. His heart stopped for a second before he landed and crouched down, scrabbling at the leaves to uncover the girl beneath them.
"Wendy....Wendy...please, don't be dead....Wendy!"
With the fairies hovering above and illuminating the ground, Peter saw Wendy's eyes open and blink sleepily up at him.
"You found me.......I knew you wouldn't be long...."
"Wendy what happened, why are you still here?"
"I fell....down that slope, and hurt my leg.....I couldn't walk."
As Wendy raised herself on her elbows, Peter carefully brushed the leaves away from her leg, the fairies clustering close so that he could see the injury. It looked swollen and sore.
"Can you move it at all?"
"No....I tried, it just hurts too much."
"I have to get you to Scratching Bird, she'll know what to do....she's with the women and children at the caves, I'll take you there now."
Despite his most careful attempts not to jog the leg, Wendy lay unconscious in his arms when he finally lifted off from the forest floor. She had dug her fingers into his shoulder when he'd raised her up to take her into his arms, but when he slid his arm under her legs she let out a scream then fainted. As quickly as possible he flew her towards the caves, having taken his leave and given his thanks to the fairies for their help in finding her. At the caves, Scratching Bird took Wendy from him and together with the other women settled the girl on a pallet before attending to her leg with gentle hands and cold compresses.
"There is nothing you can do for her right now Pan.....she is in good hands." The Chief's wife hustled Peter away as the other women carefully stripped Wendy's dirt dress from her and washed her.
"I have to get back to the village.....I know that Captain Moon will attack tonight.....and I want to be there. She and I have a score to settle."
"Go then......your Wendy will be safe with us."
With a last look at the huddle of women tending his brave girl, Peter took off at speed, streaking back to the village and the battle to come.
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"It looks quiet enough, only a few sentries patrolling the perimeter."
"Thank you Mister Surry......Trent.....are your men in position?"
"All set....they just await your order to attack."
"Good...pass me that glass again."
For several minutes Lilliana surveyed the Indian village through the spyglass, noting the figures that sat besides fires or walked among the tepees. Satisfied, she snapped the telescope shut and rose to her feet.
"Let's get this massacre over with gentlemen. Give the signal."
Surry immediately put his fingers in his mouth and uttered a piercing whistle. At once figures leapt out of the surrounding vegetation and ran at the few braves that patrolled the outskirts of the village. As the men and braves struggled, the rest of the Moonshadow's crew plunged into and among the tepee's, hacking at the tent ropes and barrelling through anything in their way, screaming at the top of their lungs, their weapons glinting in the firelight. As they neared the centre of the camp it became evident that the villagers were either dead or profoundly deaf, no screams or shouts greeting the sailors as they milled around the central fire in confusion. Then out of the darkness a hail of arrows arced over their heads from all sides, raining death for many of the men, the survivors running to take shelter between the tents. A second volley showered down, picking off more of the men and provoking a volley of answering musket fire from the sailors firing randomly into the darkness. Then the trap was sprung. While the sailors of the Moonshadow struggled to reload their guns, the Indians swept down on them with bloodcurdling screams and shouts, their tomahawks and knives flashing as they engaged the embattled men in hand to hand combat.
Lilliana watched the battle with her two remaining men, her lip curling in a sneer as she saw her men cut down by the savages.
"Time we left, I believe gentlemen."
"You expected this to happen, didn't you?" Trent stood in front of her, his face contorted in anger and disbelief at her complicity in the slaughter of the crew.
"I suffer no one to tell me how to run my ship....and the mutinous dogs deserved no better....now stand aside."
"You bloodthirsty bitch....this was all a set up to pay them back?"
"Take a lesson from this Mister Trench......I take orders from no man."
Sweeping past her dumbfounded henchmen, Lilliana made to leave the small rise, the battle already over behind her.
"Going somewhere Captain?" A voice made her pause, a figure stepping out from the shadow of a tree, the blade in his hand catching the light of the flames from a burning tepee.
Lilliana grinned savagely, the person she'd engineered this whole debacle to bring to her had finally made his appearance.
"You're a remarkably tardy young man.....I expected you to arrive hours ago."
Peter echoed the grin on her face with one of his own, his blade relaxed in his hand as he circled the tall woman with the glacial eyes. "Oh I had things to do.....Princess's to rescue....ambushes to plan...you know how it is."
Lilliana roared with laughter at his brash reply, her blade sliding out of its sheath with a shivering scrape as she took another step. "Impudent boy....you served your purpose in ridding me of a mutinous pack of dogs...but now I must return to my ship and plan my return to civilisation.....after I dispatch you from this world, of course."
"I can't let you do that.....dispatch me that is. You have tried to wreak havoc on my world and I won't allow it any longer."
"You won't allow it......what rot...you are just a boy, and a reckless one at that. Trent! Surry!"
"Don't waste you breath Captain....they are quite occupied already. They won't be coming to your relief......it's just you and me."
"You'll find I'm not so easy to get rid off as my brother..there's no convenient crocodile to do your dirty work for you this time Pan!"
With a quick flick, Lilliana brought her sword up and slashing down, only to find the blade cleaving air, Peter already moved around to her flank. Using her momentum she swung around on her heel, slashing backwards, Peter ducking to avoid the blade, his own lunging forward to catch Lilliana under her chin, the tip digging into her throat.
"Tsk...tsk, Captain.....too rash, too slow.......shall we try again?"
Infuriated, Lilliana stepped back, Peter's blade dropping from her neck, leaving a bead of blood in its wake. Bringing their swords up, they touched blades, drawing back to circle around again.
"I'll spit you on this steel and feed your eyes to the seagulls."
Peter raised his eyebrows and shrugged at this sally, his teeth gleaming in the starlight as he grinned back at her cheekily.
"Is that the best you can do......did you know that I called your brother a codfish.....it rather suited him at the end.....a codfish swallowed by a crocodile....." Peter laughed as Lilliana lunged, his blade blocking hers as she brought them together, her bunched fist lashing out to catch Peter in the gut, making him stagger backwards, fending off her furious blows as he gasped. Needing time to recover he twisted into the air, somersaulting over Lilliana's head to land lightly behind her. The Captain whirled to face him, her face contorted into a snarl. Peter regained his breath and grinned again. Adopting Hook's voice, he goaded his enemy.
"Not playing by the Queensbury rules, m'dear?...not very sporting!"
Astonished to hear her brother speaking, Lilliana halted in her advance and gaped at Peter. With a wink, Peter stepped forward and attacked, his blade flashing as Lilliana defended, finding herself driven back by the fury of his advance.
Panting, she lunged, Peter bringing his blade down hard, knocking her sword out of her hand. Jerking backwards in surprise, Lilliana nursed her stinging wrist for a second before standing rigidly still, her eyes burning, watching Peter as he bent down, his eyes never leaving hers, to flick her blade up and catch it in his other hand.
As they stood there, the woods around them started to lighten with the glow from dozens of fairies appearing from above, their light casting an unearthly glow over the combatants, fairy dust shimmering in the air as the host of glittering creatures formed a glowing halo around the arena. Peter appeared bathed in gold, his muscles rippling in his arms as he twirled first his then Lilliana's blade around his wrists while pacing around the edge of the clearing. Lilliana paced equally away from him, her eyes mere slits as she grimaced at the tiny creatures illuminating the scene.
With a flip, Peter tossed the Captain's blade into the air to fall between them, point first into the dirt where it shimmered before being snatched up by it's owner.
"Your sense of fair play will be the death of you boy!"
"And your cold heart will be the death of you Captain Moon......."
Once more Lilliana lunged, the blades clashing as they fought a pitched battle, neither giving quarter, both aiming to kill in this final conflict. As they parried and thrust, blocked and lunged, an audience started to gather in the outskirts of the circle of fairy light. Paolo and Tiger Lily, a bound and gagged Trent and Surry, together with the remnants of the crew all stood among the tree trunks, watching silently as their Captain and Peter Pan clashed and withdrew, only to come together again in a flurry of flashing blades. Behind the sailors stood the silent throng of Indians, all watching the dance of death between the protagonists.
Retreating, panting heavily, Lilliana noticed the silent witnesses, their faces in shadow beneath the trees. As she swept around she saw Paolo standing beside the Indian Princess, his face sternly impassive. Her heart gave a jolt as she stared into his achingly beautiful face, her sword dropping until the point dug into the ground. For a second regret swamped her, then her blade came up and she darted towards him, her face contorted into a snarl of rage. Her blade was lifted to strike but Peter blocked it, his hands wrapped around her wrist, holding her arm above her head, his face inches from hers.
"Get out of my way brat......I'm going to kill him!"
Bringing her head forward she managed to head butt Peter, sending him staggering back, but only for a second. As she brought her blade down to cleave him in two he blocked the blow with two hands on his hilt, the force sending a shock wave up her arm, numbing it. As if in slow motion Peter pushed upwards, forcing her backwards, her feet tangling until she was falling, her head striking the ground with force, her sword dropping from her hands to clatter onto the dirt beside her.
Peter stood panting in the silence that followed, his sword hanging loosely at his side as he stared down at Lilliana Moon, expecting her to roll over and leap to her feet. Instead he saw that her eyes were open and fixed, her head lolled to the side unmoving. Kicking her blade away, he crouched down beside her and carefully moved her head. It flopped bonelessly on her neck, his hand coming away coated with blood when he tried to lift it.
Lilliana Moon was dead.
Standing up, he gazed down at Hook's sister, so alike him in looks but with a heart colder than the harshest winter. Without turning to face the remains of her men, Peter spoke.
"She's dead......you a free, along with the other members of your crew, to leave Neverland and never return. Leave your weapons behind and take yourselves away.....don't come back."
He heard the sound of ropes being cut, then the shuffle of the Indian's feet as they parted to allow the men of the Moonshadow to leave the scene of their Captains death.
Only Trent remained behind, stepping forward, his face working as he stared down at the woman he'd served for so long.
"Let me take her back to the ship......I'll bury her at sea. She can't harm you or yours now...."
Raising his head, Peter stared at the man for a second before nodding. Trent knelt down and gathered Lilliana's limp body into his arms, cradling her against his broad chest, her long dark hair flowing over his shoulder, before staggering to his feet and carrying her out of the clearing and into the darkness.
Peter drew in a deep breath, rolling his shoulders as he released some of the tension in his muscles. The fairies still hovered over the clearing, casting their golden light as a precursor to the dawn not far away. Peter reached up and signalling one to come to him. He quickly gave the creature a message to give to Smee before sending it on its way. Paolo stepped forward and stood a few feet away.
"I want to stay here Peter....here in Neverland. There's nothing for me out there....beyond the horizon."
"I was hoping you would stay.......but you have the choice, you can leave with the Moonshadow, or make a life here....I'm sure you'd be more than welcome, not just by me....." Peter smirked as he saw Tiger Lily glide over towards Paolo and thread her arm through his, leaning against him.
"Then I choose to stay here....."
Stepping forward, Paolo extended his arm, his hand out. Peter clasped it warmly and drew Paolo into a hug, just as quickly releasing him, the two boys, so alike as to be brothers, grinning at each other in mutual relief that Paolo was indeed staying for good.
"I have to go and see how Wendy is......ask the Chief to send one of his braves to shadow the crew of the Moonshadow.....just to make sure they do as I've ordered."
"Of course.....I'll see you back at the village later."
Sheathing his sword, Peter rose into the air, through the ring of remaining fairies until he disappeared against the starlit sky.
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(phew.....so endeth this chapter......tally ho!)