Title: Necromancer
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Three - Settling In.
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Author's Note: Boy, there seems to have been a whole swag of stories with new Lost children sprouted up on FF.net lately. Never mind. To answer some questions raised - Bane is only in her early teens,(13/14) no serious threat to Wendy, only in her own mind. No, Pip bears no relation to Paolo from my previous story, just coincidence. No Peter isn't JM Barries younger brother....altho.....as Peter Pan is a creation of his imagination based on his experiences, and Wendy is another with her creating Neverland from her imagination.....nope, its getting way too complicated.....nuff said.....they are all fictional characters, except JM Barrie who I'm sure would turn in his grave to see me use his characters so recklessly. For those that keep sending me chocolate....I luv you all. For those that have visited the website and sent me wonderful feedback, again....I luv you all. Okay....on with the story. Enjoy.
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Wendy met the two remaining boys later that morning as she sat in the sunshine at the base of the tree that was her new home.
She had been absorbed in her thought, oblivious of her surrounding, her fingers plucking the petals off a pretty flower when she noticed the two pairs of grubby feet standing in front of her.
"Oh......hello......I'm.."
"Wendy.....yeah, we know......Bane told us you'd arrived."
Standing up, Wendy found herself eye to eye with the eldest boy, his torso cris crossed with leather straps, various knives and other weapons secured across his chest.
"You must be Briggs......are all those weapons really necessary? I thought with Hook dead....."
Wendy found herself regarded by a pair of green eyes under a mop of reddish-brown hair in need of a trim, their expression derisive. "Obviously you haven't been here long......there are other dangers than just the obvious ones, and who told you Hook was dead?"
"Don't tease her Briggs......you heard what Bane said......" the other boy nudged the elder, his blue eyes darting up and down Wendy, an unmistakable gleam of appreciation bordering on a leer in his eyes, his lips curved in a half smile.
"And you must be Topper......did you catch anything?" Wendy tried again, ignoring his impertinent stare.
Topper tossed back his shoulder length brown hair that had a habit of flopping over his face, lifting his arm to show off the rope carrying a dozen or more fat, gleaming fish threaded through the gills.
"Breakfast!" He grinned, revealing a gap in his bottom row of teeth.
"Peter said you were going to be our Mother......catch!"
Without warning Briggs tossed his string of fish at Wendy, her hands automatically reaching for the slippery fish, and just as quickly pulling away letting the fish slip to the ground as she felt their cold wet bodies, one or two still jerking in their death throws. Briggs and Topper threw back their heads and roared with laughter, Wendy wiping her hands on her skirt, glaring at the two boys as they laughed loudly at her squeamishness.
"What use are you if you can't even catch a fish!" Briggs snorted, picking up the string and shaking it to knock the dirt off the silvery catch.
"Well if you'd handed it too me I might have had a chance, but I've yet to see anyone scale a fish when it's thrown at them." Wendy replied with spirit, her face flushed.
"Hoity toity 'aint she Briggs?" Topper started to walk past Wendy, his lip curled, the fish once more over his shoulder.
"And not as pretty as Bane either.....don't know what Peter sees in her."
Wendy flushed at the eldest boys parting shot, her fists clenching in her skirt as she waited for them to leave. She found herself trembling, whether in anger or fear she wasn't entirely sure. She had met boys of her own age on several occasions, and dealt with her younger brothers, but in all those cases the boys had been polite to her, treated her with respect. Even Peter had treated her from the start with a wary admiration, but these boys were downright horrid, their sneers and knowing eyes unnerving her, sending a shiver down her spine as she rubbed her arms, her skin prickling.
"They're just boys......nothing to worry about.......they're just trying to get a rise out of me...." She muttered to herself as she walked away from the tree, the sun warming her chilled arms as she started along a faint track that led beneath the trees.
Above her head the treetops swayed in the faint breeze, the sound of birdsong loud, the air full of a variety of different tunes, somehow all melding together to create a wonderful harmony, as if they were singing together just for her. Relaxing, she let her thoughts drift, her hands reaching out to touch the tree trunks as she passed. She saw something moving among the trees and froze, her eyes searching the shadows. After a second she released the breath she'd been holding when a deer raised its head from the bracken and bounded away, Wendy laughing in relief, chiding herself for being so nervous.
Entering a small glade where the path widened she spied a fallen tree trunk, its mossy surface bathed in sunshine. Gathering her skirts, she sat down at one end where it lay buried partially in the earth, tilting her face up to absorb the warmth.
She thought about the children she'd met, the littlies Pebble and Pip, still at that adorable stage. Of Twig, so hostile at first, but warming to her quickly, the others following his lead. As she sat with her eyes closed, she thought of Bane, the young girl convinced she had some sort of right to own Peter. Wendy laughed quietly to herself, as if anyone could own a wild spirit like Peter. It was that untamed wildness, that devil-may-care courage that had drawn her to the adolescent boy, had coloured his adventures, his lack of fear and outrageous arrogance only adding to his charm, his fearless bravado as intoxicating as champagne. To a girl strictly brought up, albeit liberally for the times, Peter had represented everything that was free and unfettered. He was reckless but courageous, selfish but generous too. She wondered now how much of that was Peter, and how much her influence with the stories she'd fashioned and her own foolish romantic longings. He was certainly quite different from when she last knew him, his body that of an athletic young man, his boyish gangliness all shaped and moulded with long limbs and lean muscle, his skin sun browned and as soft as velvet. Just thinking about it, how it felt under her fingertips was enough to make her blush, her body squirming slightly as she recalled another dream she'd had involving Peter, her lips curving into a smile as she remembered waking up with the feel of his kiss still on her lips.
"Thinking of me?"
With a jerk she opened her eyes and found the object of her musings standing in front of her, his eyes dancing, an unbearably smug smile curving his lips.
"No......why would I be doing that?"
"Because you love me.....and you always think about me."
"Good grief......I see some things never change....your conceit appears to have grown in equal measures with your height!"
Instead of appreciating the set down, Peter only laughed, his folded arms dropping to his side, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Seeing the number of weapons secured about his body, Wendy opened her mouth to ask why he still needed them but barely drew a breath into her lungs before Peter clamped his hands over her lips, silencing her. In a lightning move, he pulled her off the tree trunk and threw himself on top of her when she landed on the thick layer of leaves behind, his eyes briefly meeting hers with a shake of his head, his hand still clamped over her lips. Completely pinned, Wendy could only stare up at him, his face only a inch from hers, his eyes turned to peer through a tiny gap between the fallen tree and the ground giving him a narrow view to the path running alongside it. She turned her head to follow the direction of his eyes, his fingers loosening on her mouth, his open palm coming to rest beside her cheek as he rested on his elbows, his attention all on the path.
"I thought I heard laughter Sir.....it wasn't far away...not far at all!"
"We've been at this since first light Mister Greer, and I'm still not convinced the Pan is even in this vicinity.....or even back in Neverland..."
"But you saw yourself......it's spring again......every damn bloom is in flower.....smells like a whore's boudoir in these woods."
"Yes......well, as colourful a description as that is.....we still have no proof that the brat...or should I say.......youth, is anywhere near here."
The sound of booted feet crunching over the fallen leaves coating the path paused beside the fallen tree, Peter's eyes swivelling to meet Wendy's, his lips pulling into a wicked grin while she stared up at him round eyed. In silence he confirmed her worst fears by mouthing the word "Hook", her lips parting on a gasp as she turned her head to stare through the tiny gap, noting it was now possible to see several pairs of legs standing about on the path, only feet away from where they lay.
"I weary of this searching....if we could only capture one of his scurvy brood we could dangle the brat from the mast and Pan would come to us.....not the other way around."
"As slippery as eels they are......like trying to catch ghosts!"
"An unfortunate turn of phrase, Mister Greer......I think it is time we moved on......we need to find a wider path, my palanquin can't possibly get through here."
The peevish voice continued to bemoan its fate, Wendy nearly giggling when Hook's voice could be heard complaining about some bird doing it's business all over his best green velvet. As they lay there, waiting for the sound of the pirates to fade away, Wendy became very aware of the male body laying protectively over her, his hard thighs straddling hers, knees either side of hers, his torso resting lightly against her ribs. As the sound of the forest reverted to its former noises, Wendy reached up with her hands to push Peter off. She might have well tried to move the fallen tree for all the impression she made.
"Are you going to get off me?"
"Nope.....I'm rather comfortable....aren't you?"
"For heaven's sake......this is ridiculous..." Wriggling furiously, she worked to dislodge him, her knees coming up, along with her hips to buck him off, but she only succeeded in letting her dress slip up to the top of her thighs while pressing herself rather intimately against his nether regions.
"If I'd known you were wanting to play mothers and fathers I'd have worn less leaves." Peter pulled his bottom lip in under his top teeth, his eyes half-shut as Wendy wriggled. "You know this reminds me of that time we were playing hide and seek with the pirates, and we hid in the hollow tree.....do you remember?"
A myriad images suddenly appeared in Wendy's minds-eye, her body ceasing its struggles as several images lodged in her mind bringing a flush to her skin and a light to her eyes.
"You are no gentleman to keep reminding me about these dratted dreams we supposedly shared....."
"Not supposedly....we did. Every last, tantalising one.....just you and me....and me and you...." Peter kept up his teasing until a sharp whack across his ear sent him tumbling to the leaves, his hand rubbing the offended body part while Wendy scrambled to her knees, panting, her face furious.
"It's quite bad enough that I'm dead and can never go home, and that I'm doomed to spend the rest of eternity here....but do I really have to have my past dreams thrown in my face every five minutes."
Laying on his side on his elbow, Peter regarded Wendy with a sombre expression.
"I'm sorry Wendy...I didn't mean to make you cross.....I thought it might help you remember if I told you about the dreams and what we did."
Mollified, slightly, Wendy rose to her feet and brushed the twigs and leaves from her dress.
"Now tell me.......why is Hook still alive?......If I recall, he was last seen disappearing into the gullet of the crocodile....and I know I've seen him since, the crocodile that is....so how can Hook be here?"
Still on the ground, Peter rolled onto his back and hooked his hands behind his head, sighing gustily.
"The crocodile didn't like the taste of him after all. Only a few days after I took you home, he was found washed up on the shores of Mermaid Lagoon. He was in a bad way, the croc having chewed him up some, but he recovered and has been seeking both it and me ever since."
"But if....oh I'm getting so confused....Peter if I'm dead....if we're....well....dead.....how can Hook hurt us? If all this," She swung her arms wide, "isn't really real......then Hook is powerless, we can't die.........can we?"
"There are worse things than dying Wendy."
"Oh tosh.....what nonsense.....what can be worse than dying ?"
Sitting himself up, Peter rested his arms across his bent knees, his head turned away from her. When he spoke his voice was low, without a hint of teasing.
"Hook has found a way of making us die......there's something here, we don't know where....but there's something in Neverland that can kill us....and I don't mean a quick, easy death."
"I don't understand....what do you mean?"
"Here in Neverland, we exist as you did in your world. We sleep, we eat, we feel everything as if it was real. If we're injured, we still feel pain and it have to heal, just as it would in the living world. We feel everything there is to feel....forget that fact that we're all ghosts....here we are alive again......really alive."
"Alright, I understand that......I think.....so what...what is it that Hook has?"
"It's called the Necromancer....no-one has ever seen it, or knows where it is....only Hook. The Indians call it the Soul Eater because it steals your spirit or soul and uses it to create magic, an evil magic that could eventually destroy all this.....destroy us."
"So Hook want's to capture you....all of us....to feed this Necromancer?"
"Yes......which is why the battle is still going on between us and Hook. We've only lost one to this evil.....and it was enough to cause total devastation."
"What did it do ?"
"I'll show you."
Getting to his feet, Peter held out his hand and Wendy took it, his fingers warm against hers.
Slowly he pulled them into the air, threading their way through the trees then up above the canopy, the forest spread out below them. As they flew across the island, Peter pointed out various landmarks to her, the sun dappling the land with patches of shadow and sun as the clouds floated languidly across the sky. A high ridge of rock appeared down one side of the island and Peter brought them to a halt before crossing it, the jungle still verdant and green below them, the rocks climbing dark and bleak above them.
"This is the divide.......it used to mark the end of the jungle and the beginning of the plains, there's a natural canyon that cuts right through its heart to allow animals to cross, but that has been blocked off now."
"What happened?"
"See for yourself."
With a tug he was pulling her up the sheer face of the rocky escarpment, leaving the greenery behind them. When they reached the top Peter stopped again, hovering at the peak giving Wendy an elevated view over the land beyond.
"Oh Peter......how awful!"
From where they hovered they had a clear view to the sea, the land below sloping to the foothills of the ridge, before flattening out and making a wide plain with evidence of deeply cut streams flowing through it.
"It used to be so green.....the grass was almost as tall as I am...it was like an ocean when the wind rippled the surface......now...well you can see what it's like."
Wendy stared, seeing nothing of the grass he spoke of, only an endless plain of blasted earth, the ground cracked and riven, the stream beds dry and bare of any sign of life. Every shred of living matter had been scoured away, as if in a blast of some sort, the rocks themselves split open and charred like the earth. It extended as far as the eye could see from left to right, only a thin strip of green visible in the distance at the edge. The contrast with the rest of the lushness of Neverland was shocking.
"Heaven's above.....how long ago did this happen?"
"A couple of years.....I think......we don't exactly keep track of the days here....but I reckon it was at least two years."
"But nothing has regrown....there's not even weeds or grass."
"Not a thing.....the streams haven't flowed either, it never rains on this side of the ridge, it's like a bubble, where nothing can grow, or exist. This is what one soul can do in the hands of the Necromancer."
"Who's soul was it, Peter?"
Peter brought them in to land on a ledge, the wind tasting acrid and gritty, the scorched earth sending up waves of heat that washed over Wendy, the desolation all around casting a pall over her spirits.
"One of the Lost Boys......he hadn't been here long, and wouldn't listen when we tried to tell him....Hook caught him not far from the shore and they had him back at the ship before we could mount a rescue."
"What was his name?"
"Dak.......he was alot like Twig, so angry all the time."
"What happened?"
"When we got to where the Jolly Roger was berthed, we found they'd already sailed. I found the ship anchored off this piece of the coast the following morning. I don't know exactly what happened next, I was spying on the ship from this ridge, waiting for the others to catch up when there was a scream....I don't know if it was Dak......it was not a sound I'd heard ever before...high and piercing....it went on and on, then there was this bright light, so bright I had to bury my head in my arms and even then I could still see it, it spread everywhere. When I opened my eyes again I saw this....every blade of grass consumed, every animal dead, even birds out of the air, all charred to cinders."
"How awful.....and Dak?"
"We never saw him again....we even had a chance to search the ship once, but we found nothing, not a trace. When we captured one of Hook's men, he was only able to tell us that Dak had been taken by the Necromancer. Hook had shut his crew up in the hold, confined them all to quarters, so they saw nothing, only heard that terrible scream and saw the evidence the next day before sailing back around the island."
"But Peter......if what you've told me so far is true....and I have no reason to not believe you.....where did this...this Necromancer come from. I'm sure I've never told any stories about it, or dreamed about it.....I'm sure I'd remember."
"Not a dream Wendy......a nightmare. That's what Hook told his crew, that it had come from a nightmare."
"But......"
"I don't know anything more, Wendy.....just remember this if you're ever tempted to be invited to piracy again."
"Am I never to be allowed to live that down?"
"No.....but I might just be coerced into forgetting?" The teasing note was back in his voice, his eyes twinkling as Wendy stood up and brushed out her skirts.
"And how would I coerce the great Peter Pan?" She asked nonchalantly, turning away from the devastated landscape to face him.
"Oh I'm sure I'll think of something?" Reaching out his hand, he grasped hers and pulled lifted them into the air, turning them away from the black plains, heading back to the jungle.
They arrived back at the tree with each of them carrying as roughly woven basket containing fruit. They'd stopped several times to harvest the bounty of Neverland, Peter weaving together some vines to create makeshift nets to hold the fruit. Now he led the way down through the trapdoor, Wendy close behind him. They heard voices as they approached the entrance to the underground.
"I don't agree, Bane...." Twigs piping voice easily reached them in the passage, Peter slowing as he approached the archway.
"Well nobody cares if you agree or not, Twig...what I say goes round here."
"No it doesn't.....Peter is Captain....and I know he wants her here."
"What he wants doesn't count...he's blinded by lust anyway!"
"And what are you blinded by Bane?" Asked Peter as he stepped into the light, surprising the small group of children.
Wendy felt her cheek burning as she halted suddenly, still hidden in the dark passageway, the net dropping from her nerveless fingers.
"I'm not blinded by anything," Bane spat, coming up to Peter, who slowly dropped the vine basket on the table, some of the fruit rolling out and onto the floor. "She doesn't belong here....not with us....she's not a Lost Boy or Girl....she's a grownup."
"Then I must be a grownup too, by your reasoning. Do I not belong here either?"
Bane scowled at him, swinging away so fast her long hair brushed Peter's chest before she stomped away. "You're the Pan...of course you belong here."
Peter stared at the children ranged around the room, his hands on his hips. The two older boys were watching him cautiously, Briggs whittling a stick while Topper just watched, his eyes lit with glee at the disharmony. The littlies were ranged behind Twig, who stood bristling and angry, staring at Bane's retreating back.
"We don't want her to leave Peter.......please tell Wendy we don't want her to leave?"
"She won't be leaving Twig, so calm down. Bane was only teasing, she knows, as the rest of you do, that Wendy is here for good."
Judging it a good time to put in an appearance, Wendy picked up the fallen fruit and stepped into the room, careful to avoid looking at anyone, her tone light as she spoke.
"I'm afraid I dropped half of them coming in.......oh....are we having a meeting, goodness what's that wonderful smell?"
Knowing full well that she had heard everything, Peter threw her a grateful glance, pleased that she'd not embarrassed the children further by revealing she'd heard their less than complimentary remarks. "The boy's usually cook the catch, I expect its ready...isn't it?" He looked meaningfully at Briggs who stopped his whittling and stomped off through the archway leading to their kitchen. Wendy dropped her armful of fruit on the table and looked about her.
"Is there a bowl or something I can put these into?"
Pip scrabbled to his feet, snagging a bowl lying upside down on the floor beside him before walking over to Wendy and tugging at her skirt.
"Thank you...that will do nicely....now if we're going to eat, I suppose we ought to clear this table......don't you think?"
Bane watched sullenly from one of the sleeping benches as Wendy and the three younger children set about wiping the worst of the scraps and mess from the long table, Twig using his knife to prise off some of the gobs of melted wax that sat like stalagmites rising off the table top. Peter watched for a second or two before gathering up the empty vine baskets and tossing them into a corner. Topper was still sitting to the side, watching all the activity with a lopsided grin on his face. Peter walked over to him and kicked his foot.
"Go get a bucket of water."
"What for?"
"Washing."
"But....."
"Now!" Not waiting to see if his order was obeyed, Peter walked off, disappearing through one of the arches.
Grumbling, Topper sloped off, returning shortly with a bucket. Plopping it down on the floor, he waited while Wendy and the others finished preparing the table before picking the bucket up and setting it on the newly cleared surface.
"Oh..thank you Topper..just what we needed....now that we've got a clean place to eat, I think its time to wash those hands."
A chorus of groans greeted her request, but Twig instantly dunked his hands in the water, rubbing them together vigorously before pulling them out, and presented them to Wendy for her inspection. Pip and Pebble followed suit, giggling when water slopped over the edge of the bucket. They too presented their hands to Wendy who smiled approvingly before dipping her own hands in the bucket and performing her ablutions.
"I don't suppose you have anything like a towel around here?"
Twig, Pip and Pebble all shrugged and shook their heads.
"Never mind.....I'll sort that out later, just shake them dry for the meantime......Bane? Topper?"
Topper grinned and made a great show of dipping only the tips of his fingers into the water, delicately flicking the drops of water off before returning to his couch and flopping onto it. Wendy ignored him and turned to Bane.
A strange look came over Bane's face before she rose to her feet and approached the table. It looked to the others as if she was doing as they did, dipping her hands in to clean them, but just as Wendy turned away to speak to Twig, Bane grabbed the bucket and flung the contents directly at Wendy, soaking her from head to toe, the bucket clattering to the floor as Bane laughed loudly.
Wendy stood, her dress soaked, her hair dripping, staring in shocked surprise down at herself. Twig and the littlies were staring at her, horrified, Twig marshalling the two behind him, stepping back out of range of any danger as Wendy turned to face the girl convulsed with laughter in front of her. Topper was also giggling, his eyes leering at Wendy's chest as the wet dress became semi-transparent, plastered to her breasts, their dark centres clearly visible. Briggs suddenly entered the tableau, carrying a platter heaped high with steaming fish, taking in the scene, his lips curled into a half smile, although he was more concerned with the food in his hand at the time.
Her cheeks burning with humiliation and anger, Wendy crossed her arms over her chest, pointedly glaring at Topper who blushed and looked down at his feet. Bane was still laughing, the sound high-pitched and slightly hysterical. Peter chose that moment to re-enter the room, only to find the air in the room filled with tension.
"What happened?"
No-one spoke, until Twig's piping voice broke the silence.
"Bane threw the water over Wendy."
"Shut up you little bug...or I'll squash you!" Bane hissed, her laughter cut off with the appearance of Peter. Everyone's eyes were on him.
Walking to his bed he whisked off one of the covers and brought it over to Wendy, tenderly placing it around her shoulders and pulling it shut at the front, their eyes meeting for a second before he turned to face the silent group behind him.
"This ends right now. Bane......you are banished for a day. No food, unless you find it yourself, no company unless someone seeks you out. I don't expect to see you until dusk.......and when I do, I suggest you come back with an apology for Wendy and a change in attitude for me."
"But Peter.....you can't..." Bane started, only to be cut off with a slash of Peter's hand in the air.
"Go....now.!"
Her eyes swimming, Bane rushed out of the room, the others not following, all still watching Peter intently.
Turning back to Wendy, Peter placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression rueful. "Are you alright?"
"Just wet, and a little cold.....I'm sorry Bane has taken such a dislike to me Peter....I didn't want to upset her for the world."
"I know......she has to learn....she'll come around, I'm sure."
"I'm glad you think so......I'll reserve judgement, if you don't mind."
With his arm around her shoulder, Peter turned once more to face the room.
"That fish smells great Briggs, lets get to it."
While the others sorted themselves out around the table, Peter led Wendy over to his bed and sat her down on the edge.
"Don't worry about Bane....she won't go far. She has a tree she goes to, she thinks it's a secret, but I know where it is. She'll sit up there and sulk for the rest of today, quite safe."
Wendy shivered slightly, pulling the blanket more closely around her.
"I can see I'm going to have to create a new wardrobe for myself if I'm going to live here."
"I may have something you'll like to wear."
Getting up, Peter went around the end of the bed and reached down to heave a leather bound sea chest onto the covers.
"I stole this from Hook's cabin, along with some other stuff. I thought it might contain treasure, but instead I found these."
Flipping back the lid, Peter pulled out a length of fabric, and laid it on the bed beside Wendy.
"Oh Peter....its lovely."
She held the dress up, the blanket slipping off her shoulders. The style was old fashioned, the fabric richly embroidered with tiny blue flowers against a cream silk background.
"Its very nice.....but hardly practical." Said Wendy, fingering the material wistfully.
"It's dry....which makes it very practical. Come on, while this lot feed their faces, I'll take you on a proper tour of the underground."
Getting up, Peter extended his hand which Wendy took, the blanket slipping off completely, the cream dress now clutched against her chest as a shield.
"I don't want anyone leaving this room until I return." Peter ordered, the children pausing in their meal before nodding and resuming eating. All eyes watched them leave through one of the archways, whispers breaking out as soon as the leather curtain dropped into place.
"Told you.....she won't be leaving here, not if Peter has anything to say about it," announced Twig, his voice lowered as he addressed the table.
"Whatever," Briggs muttered, "Bane's not going to like it......she's only going to cause more trouble....why did he have to bring her here?"
"Briggs you dope...because he's in love with her.....and her with him, I'd say...." Topper replied, grinning around a mouthful of fish.
"Your daft.....anyway, I still say Bane's a darn sight prettier, Wendy's just plain fat."
At once a heated argument broke out, food flying as apposing camps hurled insults over Wendy's looks and figure, the fight as amicable as ever, standard behaviour during any meal.
Peter led Wendy along a passage and showed her where they stored their food and supplies, the rooms dug out of the soil and lit by candle lanterns. Several of the rooms were dark, Peter lighting a lantern and showing her a small room she could use to change in.
"Its funny....I tried to do what I did at the beach, when we first arrived, but it didn't work.....why is that Peter?"
"The longer you're here.....the more normal everything becomes. Sorry, its just the way it is."
"Oh....that's a shame. I would have liked to have seen that ball dress one last time."
"Get changed, there's more to see."
"Um....you don't happen to have a hair brush anywhere?" Wendy lifted her still damp hair, the strands sticking together limply.
"I'll see what I can find." He turned to go, then stopped. "You don't....um....need a hand, do you?"
His outrageously hopeful expression made Wendy laugh before she pushed him out of the room, the curtain swinging behind him.
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(aaaaaah gotta luv that fluff and stuff. Onwards, dear reader, onwards.)
Author: Squeezynz
Chapter: Three - Settling In.
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Author's Note: Boy, there seems to have been a whole swag of stories with new Lost children sprouted up on FF.net lately. Never mind. To answer some questions raised - Bane is only in her early teens,(13/14) no serious threat to Wendy, only in her own mind. No, Pip bears no relation to Paolo from my previous story, just coincidence. No Peter isn't JM Barries younger brother....altho.....as Peter Pan is a creation of his imagination based on his experiences, and Wendy is another with her creating Neverland from her imagination.....nope, its getting way too complicated.....nuff said.....they are all fictional characters, except JM Barrie who I'm sure would turn in his grave to see me use his characters so recklessly. For those that keep sending me chocolate....I luv you all. For those that have visited the website and sent me wonderful feedback, again....I luv you all. Okay....on with the story. Enjoy.
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Wendy met the two remaining boys later that morning as she sat in the sunshine at the base of the tree that was her new home.
She had been absorbed in her thought, oblivious of her surrounding, her fingers plucking the petals off a pretty flower when she noticed the two pairs of grubby feet standing in front of her.
"Oh......hello......I'm.."
"Wendy.....yeah, we know......Bane told us you'd arrived."
Standing up, Wendy found herself eye to eye with the eldest boy, his torso cris crossed with leather straps, various knives and other weapons secured across his chest.
"You must be Briggs......are all those weapons really necessary? I thought with Hook dead....."
Wendy found herself regarded by a pair of green eyes under a mop of reddish-brown hair in need of a trim, their expression derisive. "Obviously you haven't been here long......there are other dangers than just the obvious ones, and who told you Hook was dead?"
"Don't tease her Briggs......you heard what Bane said......" the other boy nudged the elder, his blue eyes darting up and down Wendy, an unmistakable gleam of appreciation bordering on a leer in his eyes, his lips curved in a half smile.
"And you must be Topper......did you catch anything?" Wendy tried again, ignoring his impertinent stare.
Topper tossed back his shoulder length brown hair that had a habit of flopping over his face, lifting his arm to show off the rope carrying a dozen or more fat, gleaming fish threaded through the gills.
"Breakfast!" He grinned, revealing a gap in his bottom row of teeth.
"Peter said you were going to be our Mother......catch!"
Without warning Briggs tossed his string of fish at Wendy, her hands automatically reaching for the slippery fish, and just as quickly pulling away letting the fish slip to the ground as she felt their cold wet bodies, one or two still jerking in their death throws. Briggs and Topper threw back their heads and roared with laughter, Wendy wiping her hands on her skirt, glaring at the two boys as they laughed loudly at her squeamishness.
"What use are you if you can't even catch a fish!" Briggs snorted, picking up the string and shaking it to knock the dirt off the silvery catch.
"Well if you'd handed it too me I might have had a chance, but I've yet to see anyone scale a fish when it's thrown at them." Wendy replied with spirit, her face flushed.
"Hoity toity 'aint she Briggs?" Topper started to walk past Wendy, his lip curled, the fish once more over his shoulder.
"And not as pretty as Bane either.....don't know what Peter sees in her."
Wendy flushed at the eldest boys parting shot, her fists clenching in her skirt as she waited for them to leave. She found herself trembling, whether in anger or fear she wasn't entirely sure. She had met boys of her own age on several occasions, and dealt with her younger brothers, but in all those cases the boys had been polite to her, treated her with respect. Even Peter had treated her from the start with a wary admiration, but these boys were downright horrid, their sneers and knowing eyes unnerving her, sending a shiver down her spine as she rubbed her arms, her skin prickling.
"They're just boys......nothing to worry about.......they're just trying to get a rise out of me...." She muttered to herself as she walked away from the tree, the sun warming her chilled arms as she started along a faint track that led beneath the trees.
Above her head the treetops swayed in the faint breeze, the sound of birdsong loud, the air full of a variety of different tunes, somehow all melding together to create a wonderful harmony, as if they were singing together just for her. Relaxing, she let her thoughts drift, her hands reaching out to touch the tree trunks as she passed. She saw something moving among the trees and froze, her eyes searching the shadows. After a second she released the breath she'd been holding when a deer raised its head from the bracken and bounded away, Wendy laughing in relief, chiding herself for being so nervous.
Entering a small glade where the path widened she spied a fallen tree trunk, its mossy surface bathed in sunshine. Gathering her skirts, she sat down at one end where it lay buried partially in the earth, tilting her face up to absorb the warmth.
She thought about the children she'd met, the littlies Pebble and Pip, still at that adorable stage. Of Twig, so hostile at first, but warming to her quickly, the others following his lead. As she sat with her eyes closed, she thought of Bane, the young girl convinced she had some sort of right to own Peter. Wendy laughed quietly to herself, as if anyone could own a wild spirit like Peter. It was that untamed wildness, that devil-may-care courage that had drawn her to the adolescent boy, had coloured his adventures, his lack of fear and outrageous arrogance only adding to his charm, his fearless bravado as intoxicating as champagne. To a girl strictly brought up, albeit liberally for the times, Peter had represented everything that was free and unfettered. He was reckless but courageous, selfish but generous too. She wondered now how much of that was Peter, and how much her influence with the stories she'd fashioned and her own foolish romantic longings. He was certainly quite different from when she last knew him, his body that of an athletic young man, his boyish gangliness all shaped and moulded with long limbs and lean muscle, his skin sun browned and as soft as velvet. Just thinking about it, how it felt under her fingertips was enough to make her blush, her body squirming slightly as she recalled another dream she'd had involving Peter, her lips curving into a smile as she remembered waking up with the feel of his kiss still on her lips.
"Thinking of me?"
With a jerk she opened her eyes and found the object of her musings standing in front of her, his eyes dancing, an unbearably smug smile curving his lips.
"No......why would I be doing that?"
"Because you love me.....and you always think about me."
"Good grief......I see some things never change....your conceit appears to have grown in equal measures with your height!"
Instead of appreciating the set down, Peter only laughed, his folded arms dropping to his side, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Seeing the number of weapons secured about his body, Wendy opened her mouth to ask why he still needed them but barely drew a breath into her lungs before Peter clamped his hands over her lips, silencing her. In a lightning move, he pulled her off the tree trunk and threw himself on top of her when she landed on the thick layer of leaves behind, his eyes briefly meeting hers with a shake of his head, his hand still clamped over her lips. Completely pinned, Wendy could only stare up at him, his face only a inch from hers, his eyes turned to peer through a tiny gap between the fallen tree and the ground giving him a narrow view to the path running alongside it. She turned her head to follow the direction of his eyes, his fingers loosening on her mouth, his open palm coming to rest beside her cheek as he rested on his elbows, his attention all on the path.
"I thought I heard laughter Sir.....it wasn't far away...not far at all!"
"We've been at this since first light Mister Greer, and I'm still not convinced the Pan is even in this vicinity.....or even back in Neverland..."
"But you saw yourself......it's spring again......every damn bloom is in flower.....smells like a whore's boudoir in these woods."
"Yes......well, as colourful a description as that is.....we still have no proof that the brat...or should I say.......youth, is anywhere near here."
The sound of booted feet crunching over the fallen leaves coating the path paused beside the fallen tree, Peter's eyes swivelling to meet Wendy's, his lips pulling into a wicked grin while she stared up at him round eyed. In silence he confirmed her worst fears by mouthing the word "Hook", her lips parting on a gasp as she turned her head to stare through the tiny gap, noting it was now possible to see several pairs of legs standing about on the path, only feet away from where they lay.
"I weary of this searching....if we could only capture one of his scurvy brood we could dangle the brat from the mast and Pan would come to us.....not the other way around."
"As slippery as eels they are......like trying to catch ghosts!"
"An unfortunate turn of phrase, Mister Greer......I think it is time we moved on......we need to find a wider path, my palanquin can't possibly get through here."
The peevish voice continued to bemoan its fate, Wendy nearly giggling when Hook's voice could be heard complaining about some bird doing it's business all over his best green velvet. As they lay there, waiting for the sound of the pirates to fade away, Wendy became very aware of the male body laying protectively over her, his hard thighs straddling hers, knees either side of hers, his torso resting lightly against her ribs. As the sound of the forest reverted to its former noises, Wendy reached up with her hands to push Peter off. She might have well tried to move the fallen tree for all the impression she made.
"Are you going to get off me?"
"Nope.....I'm rather comfortable....aren't you?"
"For heaven's sake......this is ridiculous..." Wriggling furiously, she worked to dislodge him, her knees coming up, along with her hips to buck him off, but she only succeeded in letting her dress slip up to the top of her thighs while pressing herself rather intimately against his nether regions.
"If I'd known you were wanting to play mothers and fathers I'd have worn less leaves." Peter pulled his bottom lip in under his top teeth, his eyes half-shut as Wendy wriggled. "You know this reminds me of that time we were playing hide and seek with the pirates, and we hid in the hollow tree.....do you remember?"
A myriad images suddenly appeared in Wendy's minds-eye, her body ceasing its struggles as several images lodged in her mind bringing a flush to her skin and a light to her eyes.
"You are no gentleman to keep reminding me about these dratted dreams we supposedly shared....."
"Not supposedly....we did. Every last, tantalising one.....just you and me....and me and you...." Peter kept up his teasing until a sharp whack across his ear sent him tumbling to the leaves, his hand rubbing the offended body part while Wendy scrambled to her knees, panting, her face furious.
"It's quite bad enough that I'm dead and can never go home, and that I'm doomed to spend the rest of eternity here....but do I really have to have my past dreams thrown in my face every five minutes."
Laying on his side on his elbow, Peter regarded Wendy with a sombre expression.
"I'm sorry Wendy...I didn't mean to make you cross.....I thought it might help you remember if I told you about the dreams and what we did."
Mollified, slightly, Wendy rose to her feet and brushed the twigs and leaves from her dress.
"Now tell me.......why is Hook still alive?......If I recall, he was last seen disappearing into the gullet of the crocodile....and I know I've seen him since, the crocodile that is....so how can Hook be here?"
Still on the ground, Peter rolled onto his back and hooked his hands behind his head, sighing gustily.
"The crocodile didn't like the taste of him after all. Only a few days after I took you home, he was found washed up on the shores of Mermaid Lagoon. He was in a bad way, the croc having chewed him up some, but he recovered and has been seeking both it and me ever since."
"But if....oh I'm getting so confused....Peter if I'm dead....if we're....well....dead.....how can Hook hurt us? If all this," She swung her arms wide, "isn't really real......then Hook is powerless, we can't die.........can we?"
"There are worse things than dying Wendy."
"Oh tosh.....what nonsense.....what can be worse than dying ?"
Sitting himself up, Peter rested his arms across his bent knees, his head turned away from her. When he spoke his voice was low, without a hint of teasing.
"Hook has found a way of making us die......there's something here, we don't know where....but there's something in Neverland that can kill us....and I don't mean a quick, easy death."
"I don't understand....what do you mean?"
"Here in Neverland, we exist as you did in your world. We sleep, we eat, we feel everything as if it was real. If we're injured, we still feel pain and it have to heal, just as it would in the living world. We feel everything there is to feel....forget that fact that we're all ghosts....here we are alive again......really alive."
"Alright, I understand that......I think.....so what...what is it that Hook has?"
"It's called the Necromancer....no-one has ever seen it, or knows where it is....only Hook. The Indians call it the Soul Eater because it steals your spirit or soul and uses it to create magic, an evil magic that could eventually destroy all this.....destroy us."
"So Hook want's to capture you....all of us....to feed this Necromancer?"
"Yes......which is why the battle is still going on between us and Hook. We've only lost one to this evil.....and it was enough to cause total devastation."
"What did it do ?"
"I'll show you."
Getting to his feet, Peter held out his hand and Wendy took it, his fingers warm against hers.
Slowly he pulled them into the air, threading their way through the trees then up above the canopy, the forest spread out below them. As they flew across the island, Peter pointed out various landmarks to her, the sun dappling the land with patches of shadow and sun as the clouds floated languidly across the sky. A high ridge of rock appeared down one side of the island and Peter brought them to a halt before crossing it, the jungle still verdant and green below them, the rocks climbing dark and bleak above them.
"This is the divide.......it used to mark the end of the jungle and the beginning of the plains, there's a natural canyon that cuts right through its heart to allow animals to cross, but that has been blocked off now."
"What happened?"
"See for yourself."
With a tug he was pulling her up the sheer face of the rocky escarpment, leaving the greenery behind them. When they reached the top Peter stopped again, hovering at the peak giving Wendy an elevated view over the land beyond.
"Oh Peter......how awful!"
From where they hovered they had a clear view to the sea, the land below sloping to the foothills of the ridge, before flattening out and making a wide plain with evidence of deeply cut streams flowing through it.
"It used to be so green.....the grass was almost as tall as I am...it was like an ocean when the wind rippled the surface......now...well you can see what it's like."
Wendy stared, seeing nothing of the grass he spoke of, only an endless plain of blasted earth, the ground cracked and riven, the stream beds dry and bare of any sign of life. Every shred of living matter had been scoured away, as if in a blast of some sort, the rocks themselves split open and charred like the earth. It extended as far as the eye could see from left to right, only a thin strip of green visible in the distance at the edge. The contrast with the rest of the lushness of Neverland was shocking.
"Heaven's above.....how long ago did this happen?"
"A couple of years.....I think......we don't exactly keep track of the days here....but I reckon it was at least two years."
"But nothing has regrown....there's not even weeds or grass."
"Not a thing.....the streams haven't flowed either, it never rains on this side of the ridge, it's like a bubble, where nothing can grow, or exist. This is what one soul can do in the hands of the Necromancer."
"Who's soul was it, Peter?"
Peter brought them in to land on a ledge, the wind tasting acrid and gritty, the scorched earth sending up waves of heat that washed over Wendy, the desolation all around casting a pall over her spirits.
"One of the Lost Boys......he hadn't been here long, and wouldn't listen when we tried to tell him....Hook caught him not far from the shore and they had him back at the ship before we could mount a rescue."
"What was his name?"
"Dak.......he was alot like Twig, so angry all the time."
"What happened?"
"When we got to where the Jolly Roger was berthed, we found they'd already sailed. I found the ship anchored off this piece of the coast the following morning. I don't know exactly what happened next, I was spying on the ship from this ridge, waiting for the others to catch up when there was a scream....I don't know if it was Dak......it was not a sound I'd heard ever before...high and piercing....it went on and on, then there was this bright light, so bright I had to bury my head in my arms and even then I could still see it, it spread everywhere. When I opened my eyes again I saw this....every blade of grass consumed, every animal dead, even birds out of the air, all charred to cinders."
"How awful.....and Dak?"
"We never saw him again....we even had a chance to search the ship once, but we found nothing, not a trace. When we captured one of Hook's men, he was only able to tell us that Dak had been taken by the Necromancer. Hook had shut his crew up in the hold, confined them all to quarters, so they saw nothing, only heard that terrible scream and saw the evidence the next day before sailing back around the island."
"But Peter......if what you've told me so far is true....and I have no reason to not believe you.....where did this...this Necromancer come from. I'm sure I've never told any stories about it, or dreamed about it.....I'm sure I'd remember."
"Not a dream Wendy......a nightmare. That's what Hook told his crew, that it had come from a nightmare."
"But......"
"I don't know anything more, Wendy.....just remember this if you're ever tempted to be invited to piracy again."
"Am I never to be allowed to live that down?"
"No.....but I might just be coerced into forgetting?" The teasing note was back in his voice, his eyes twinkling as Wendy stood up and brushed out her skirts.
"And how would I coerce the great Peter Pan?" She asked nonchalantly, turning away from the devastated landscape to face him.
"Oh I'm sure I'll think of something?" Reaching out his hand, he grasped hers and pulled lifted them into the air, turning them away from the black plains, heading back to the jungle.
They arrived back at the tree with each of them carrying as roughly woven basket containing fruit. They'd stopped several times to harvest the bounty of Neverland, Peter weaving together some vines to create makeshift nets to hold the fruit. Now he led the way down through the trapdoor, Wendy close behind him. They heard voices as they approached the entrance to the underground.
"I don't agree, Bane...." Twigs piping voice easily reached them in the passage, Peter slowing as he approached the archway.
"Well nobody cares if you agree or not, Twig...what I say goes round here."
"No it doesn't.....Peter is Captain....and I know he wants her here."
"What he wants doesn't count...he's blinded by lust anyway!"
"And what are you blinded by Bane?" Asked Peter as he stepped into the light, surprising the small group of children.
Wendy felt her cheek burning as she halted suddenly, still hidden in the dark passageway, the net dropping from her nerveless fingers.
"I'm not blinded by anything," Bane spat, coming up to Peter, who slowly dropped the vine basket on the table, some of the fruit rolling out and onto the floor. "She doesn't belong here....not with us....she's not a Lost Boy or Girl....she's a grownup."
"Then I must be a grownup too, by your reasoning. Do I not belong here either?"
Bane scowled at him, swinging away so fast her long hair brushed Peter's chest before she stomped away. "You're the Pan...of course you belong here."
Peter stared at the children ranged around the room, his hands on his hips. The two older boys were watching him cautiously, Briggs whittling a stick while Topper just watched, his eyes lit with glee at the disharmony. The littlies were ranged behind Twig, who stood bristling and angry, staring at Bane's retreating back.
"We don't want her to leave Peter.......please tell Wendy we don't want her to leave?"
"She won't be leaving Twig, so calm down. Bane was only teasing, she knows, as the rest of you do, that Wendy is here for good."
Judging it a good time to put in an appearance, Wendy picked up the fallen fruit and stepped into the room, careful to avoid looking at anyone, her tone light as she spoke.
"I'm afraid I dropped half of them coming in.......oh....are we having a meeting, goodness what's that wonderful smell?"
Knowing full well that she had heard everything, Peter threw her a grateful glance, pleased that she'd not embarrassed the children further by revealing she'd heard their less than complimentary remarks. "The boy's usually cook the catch, I expect its ready...isn't it?" He looked meaningfully at Briggs who stopped his whittling and stomped off through the archway leading to their kitchen. Wendy dropped her armful of fruit on the table and looked about her.
"Is there a bowl or something I can put these into?"
Pip scrabbled to his feet, snagging a bowl lying upside down on the floor beside him before walking over to Wendy and tugging at her skirt.
"Thank you...that will do nicely....now if we're going to eat, I suppose we ought to clear this table......don't you think?"
Bane watched sullenly from one of the sleeping benches as Wendy and the three younger children set about wiping the worst of the scraps and mess from the long table, Twig using his knife to prise off some of the gobs of melted wax that sat like stalagmites rising off the table top. Peter watched for a second or two before gathering up the empty vine baskets and tossing them into a corner. Topper was still sitting to the side, watching all the activity with a lopsided grin on his face. Peter walked over to him and kicked his foot.
"Go get a bucket of water."
"What for?"
"Washing."
"But....."
"Now!" Not waiting to see if his order was obeyed, Peter walked off, disappearing through one of the arches.
Grumbling, Topper sloped off, returning shortly with a bucket. Plopping it down on the floor, he waited while Wendy and the others finished preparing the table before picking the bucket up and setting it on the newly cleared surface.
"Oh..thank you Topper..just what we needed....now that we've got a clean place to eat, I think its time to wash those hands."
A chorus of groans greeted her request, but Twig instantly dunked his hands in the water, rubbing them together vigorously before pulling them out, and presented them to Wendy for her inspection. Pip and Pebble followed suit, giggling when water slopped over the edge of the bucket. They too presented their hands to Wendy who smiled approvingly before dipping her own hands in the bucket and performing her ablutions.
"I don't suppose you have anything like a towel around here?"
Twig, Pip and Pebble all shrugged and shook their heads.
"Never mind.....I'll sort that out later, just shake them dry for the meantime......Bane? Topper?"
Topper grinned and made a great show of dipping only the tips of his fingers into the water, delicately flicking the drops of water off before returning to his couch and flopping onto it. Wendy ignored him and turned to Bane.
A strange look came over Bane's face before she rose to her feet and approached the table. It looked to the others as if she was doing as they did, dipping her hands in to clean them, but just as Wendy turned away to speak to Twig, Bane grabbed the bucket and flung the contents directly at Wendy, soaking her from head to toe, the bucket clattering to the floor as Bane laughed loudly.
Wendy stood, her dress soaked, her hair dripping, staring in shocked surprise down at herself. Twig and the littlies were staring at her, horrified, Twig marshalling the two behind him, stepping back out of range of any danger as Wendy turned to face the girl convulsed with laughter in front of her. Topper was also giggling, his eyes leering at Wendy's chest as the wet dress became semi-transparent, plastered to her breasts, their dark centres clearly visible. Briggs suddenly entered the tableau, carrying a platter heaped high with steaming fish, taking in the scene, his lips curled into a half smile, although he was more concerned with the food in his hand at the time.
Her cheeks burning with humiliation and anger, Wendy crossed her arms over her chest, pointedly glaring at Topper who blushed and looked down at his feet. Bane was still laughing, the sound high-pitched and slightly hysterical. Peter chose that moment to re-enter the room, only to find the air in the room filled with tension.
"What happened?"
No-one spoke, until Twig's piping voice broke the silence.
"Bane threw the water over Wendy."
"Shut up you little bug...or I'll squash you!" Bane hissed, her laughter cut off with the appearance of Peter. Everyone's eyes were on him.
Walking to his bed he whisked off one of the covers and brought it over to Wendy, tenderly placing it around her shoulders and pulling it shut at the front, their eyes meeting for a second before he turned to face the silent group behind him.
"This ends right now. Bane......you are banished for a day. No food, unless you find it yourself, no company unless someone seeks you out. I don't expect to see you until dusk.......and when I do, I suggest you come back with an apology for Wendy and a change in attitude for me."
"But Peter.....you can't..." Bane started, only to be cut off with a slash of Peter's hand in the air.
"Go....now.!"
Her eyes swimming, Bane rushed out of the room, the others not following, all still watching Peter intently.
Turning back to Wendy, Peter placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression rueful. "Are you alright?"
"Just wet, and a little cold.....I'm sorry Bane has taken such a dislike to me Peter....I didn't want to upset her for the world."
"I know......she has to learn....she'll come around, I'm sure."
"I'm glad you think so......I'll reserve judgement, if you don't mind."
With his arm around her shoulder, Peter turned once more to face the room.
"That fish smells great Briggs, lets get to it."
While the others sorted themselves out around the table, Peter led Wendy over to his bed and sat her down on the edge.
"Don't worry about Bane....she won't go far. She has a tree she goes to, she thinks it's a secret, but I know where it is. She'll sit up there and sulk for the rest of today, quite safe."
Wendy shivered slightly, pulling the blanket more closely around her.
"I can see I'm going to have to create a new wardrobe for myself if I'm going to live here."
"I may have something you'll like to wear."
Getting up, Peter went around the end of the bed and reached down to heave a leather bound sea chest onto the covers.
"I stole this from Hook's cabin, along with some other stuff. I thought it might contain treasure, but instead I found these."
Flipping back the lid, Peter pulled out a length of fabric, and laid it on the bed beside Wendy.
"Oh Peter....its lovely."
She held the dress up, the blanket slipping off her shoulders. The style was old fashioned, the fabric richly embroidered with tiny blue flowers against a cream silk background.
"Its very nice.....but hardly practical." Said Wendy, fingering the material wistfully.
"It's dry....which makes it very practical. Come on, while this lot feed their faces, I'll take you on a proper tour of the underground."
Getting up, Peter extended his hand which Wendy took, the blanket slipping off completely, the cream dress now clutched against her chest as a shield.
"I don't want anyone leaving this room until I return." Peter ordered, the children pausing in their meal before nodding and resuming eating. All eyes watched them leave through one of the archways, whispers breaking out as soon as the leather curtain dropped into place.
"Told you.....she won't be leaving here, not if Peter has anything to say about it," announced Twig, his voice lowered as he addressed the table.
"Whatever," Briggs muttered, "Bane's not going to like it......she's only going to cause more trouble....why did he have to bring her here?"
"Briggs you dope...because he's in love with her.....and her with him, I'd say...." Topper replied, grinning around a mouthful of fish.
"Your daft.....anyway, I still say Bane's a darn sight prettier, Wendy's just plain fat."
At once a heated argument broke out, food flying as apposing camps hurled insults over Wendy's looks and figure, the fight as amicable as ever, standard behaviour during any meal.
Peter led Wendy along a passage and showed her where they stored their food and supplies, the rooms dug out of the soil and lit by candle lanterns. Several of the rooms were dark, Peter lighting a lantern and showing her a small room she could use to change in.
"Its funny....I tried to do what I did at the beach, when we first arrived, but it didn't work.....why is that Peter?"
"The longer you're here.....the more normal everything becomes. Sorry, its just the way it is."
"Oh....that's a shame. I would have liked to have seen that ball dress one last time."
"Get changed, there's more to see."
"Um....you don't happen to have a hair brush anywhere?" Wendy lifted her still damp hair, the strands sticking together limply.
"I'll see what I can find." He turned to go, then stopped. "You don't....um....need a hand, do you?"
His outrageously hopeful expression made Wendy laugh before she pushed him out of the room, the curtain swinging behind him.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
(aaaaaah gotta luv that fluff and stuff. Onwards, dear reader, onwards.)