-2- Unease in the Morning Mist

Jirel woke with a start, pushing herself up in bed as she had been asleep lying on her stomach. Outside rain tapped on the window panes and she could hear the distant rumble of thunder. Beside her Hook lay sound asleep. Unable to shake her unease, Jirel got up and pulled on a long robe, tying the belt at her waist as she moved to the door. She walked the several yards down the dark hallway, the candles having burned out some time ago, to Gabriel's room. Lightening flashed forebodingly as she opened the door. Not knowing what to expect, she suddenly wished for her saber or her husband's deadly iron hook. She stepped inside the room and stood still to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room.

A quiet sigh flowed from her lips as she made out the shadowed form of her peacefully sleeping son stretched out across his bed. Jirel grinned; he was so like his father. She felt a pang of humorous sympathy for whoever married her son; she'd never have the blankets to herself again after the wedding.

Some of her unease abated, she returned to her suite. The rain was now falling steadily, the water running down the glass panes. Jirel tossed the robe haphazardly in a heap in a nearby chair before curling back under the covers. A soft, warm breath caressed her cheek. "Is everything alright?" Hook whispered to her, sliding his arm back around her shoulders.

She nodded as she rolled over to face him, snuggling into his embrace. Her silence troubled him more than if something had been amiss. "What's wrong?"

Jirel shrugged. "I don't know. I just have an uneasy feeling."

"Do you want to cancel Gabriel's trip?"

"No, not after the argument with father. I'm sure it's nothing." She said nothing more, falling back to sleep within her husband's arms. Soon Hook followed her, lulled to sleep by her smooth, even breathing and the rain outside the windows.

The morning dawned grey and overcast, the rain still persisting. The king, queen, Jirel, Captain Hook, Smee, and Gabriel stood in the entry hall of the castle waiting for Peter Pan to arrive. There was little talking, only Smee and the boy joking between themselves. A sudden clamor from the guards signaled Peter's arrival.

Hook rolled his eyes. After all this time the boy still insisted upon causing a fuss with the guards. Jirel caught the look and raised an eyebrow before speaking. "You'd do the same given half the chance." He snorted through his nose not wanting to admit she was right.

The great doors to the hall had been opened and the rest of the procession had walked out onto the steps leading into the castle. Peter floated in the air several feet above the steps. Good-byes and take cares were said while Jirel hung back till last. She smiled as her turn finally came to wish her son well on his trip. He had gone on many visits to earth in his fourteen years but the foreboding feeling from the night had not left her.

Gabe seemed to sense this as she hugged him. He gave her a questioning look as she held him at arms length. She ignored the look as she spoke. "Now, you mind your aunt and don't cause trouble. Your father and I are going to stay here till you get back and see that you're settled before we sail back to the island." Gabe nodded, knowing they wanted their second child born in Neverland, not Cimmariel or the open sea. Jirel mussed her son's hair. "Be careful and …."

"…don't forget to wear a coat if the weather is cool." Hook finished for her. He took his wife by the shoulders. "He will be fine, mother. It is only three weeks."

Hook nodded to his son and looked up at Pan. "I am more concerned about his guide!"

Peter stuck his tongue out at the captain from his place in the air. "C'mon Gabe, we're burning daylight!" Jirel smiled at the phrase Peter had picked up from Gabe, who in turn had acquired it from her friend Claude back on earth. Without another word Gabe stepped forward to let Tinkerbell sprinkle him with fairy dust before floating up into the air. Peter took hold of the boy's wrist and they were off into the grey, drizzling sky. Jirel leaned into her husband, resting her cheek on his chest as she watched them go. Hook was the only one who heard her whisper. "Be safe, my son."

Peter and Gabe flew upward till they couldn't see the city then they changed their direction, flying towards Harbortown and Neverland Island. Flying they could make far better time than sailing. It often frustrated Peter when he would have to wait for the Jolly Roger in Cimmariel. Often he would fly back and forth between the city and the ship several times in a day, trying to pester the captain into allowing him to call fairies enough to raise the ship into the air. The captain never relented to the attempted provocation, preferring to keep his ship in the water where it belonged.

Peter's thoughts were interrupted by a shout from Gabe. "There it is!"

Peter looked off in the distance where Gabriel was pointing. A dark, grey mass was growing on the horizon. The boys closed the distance in little time. They circled the island once looking for a place to land. Peter noticed the sand of the beach was an ash color and most of ground appeared to be covered by a sparse dead grass. Rocky cliffs rose from rolling grey hills. They followed along a ridge until they found a valley that continued along towards the sea. The pair of them dipped into the valley following it to the coast. Peter was the first to notice the crumbling stone buildings that started to dot the valley floor.

Gabe nodded. "We're going in the right direction." No sooner had the words been spoken than their destination came into view over a hill. The city was in shambles, there was hardly a building that still had an intact roof. The only building that seemed to be holding up to the ravages of time was a sprawling, squat stone structure near the center of the city. Gabe nodded to Peter, indicating he wanted to land in the open courtyard near that building. The boys touched down on the ground silently. Gabriel felt like he had just stepped into a tomb. Peter began to wonder if this was such a good idea.

Gabe took several steps across the crumbling flagstones, his crunching footsteps sounding incredibly loud in the silence. He stooped to touch the edge of what used to be a water fountain. He suddenly realized why the entire place seemed so eerie. There was absolutely no sound. They could feel the wind but couldn't hear it. There was no grass or trees rustling, there were no birds and they were far enough from the shore they couldn't hear the ocean. Everything felt muted by the oppressive silence. Gabe dusted off his hands and stood, turning to Peter. "Welcome to Marakesha"