In this Chapter, Maggie will be making her choice in accepting the mission with Charles Corven taking her along on horseback whilst Caitlin Corven smuggles Moira Banning and Lieutenant William Austen out of the seaport to alert Lieutenant Curly Corven of the invasion to come.
Disclaimer: I don't own the hook characters but I do own the characters of the story.

Chapter four

Commodore Charles' quarters.

As the attack upon Fort Fairfax was continuing, Maggie was still standing in front of the side windows watching as the battle outside the whole ship was going on.
When the attack had happened, Charles told Maggie and Moira to stay in the quarters with Caitlin before he went out of the cabin to head up the deck to assess the situation and take charge immediately.

With his personal guidance, the crew worked vigorously to reset the cannons and return fire on the outside enemy lines.
Each cannon fired upon the line of pirate cannons in the far off woods.
Most of the crew worked on each of the cannons to reload them with cannonballs and powder before they fired them, bombarding the enemy. As Charles watched his crew fire on the enemy, he knew that the crew of the fortress would not be able to last another week.
So he had to turn to his other solution, seeing as he would need to smuggle the mother and Daughter out of the ship immediately before the next bombardment might land right upon the decks of the whole ship and destroy its whole interior.

As he turned to the main doorway, he was about to walk over to the door to go inside when Lieutenant Austen appeared, coming up the gangplank to the ship's doorway.
He approached Captain Corven before he spoke to him.
"Commodore sir, did you ask for me?"

"Yes, I did. I need you to come with me to my cabin immediately, I will tell you about the mission along the way." Charles said to Lieutenant Austen before he went to the doorway and entered, Lieutenant followed Charles heading through the hall towards the doorway into Charles' cabin.
Charles and Lieutenant Austen entered the cabin through the doorway to see Moira and Maggie Banning sitting side by side with Caitlin standing about.
As soon as Commodore Charles and Lieutenant Austen were inside the cabin, Charles was the one to speak addressing the two guests Moira and Maggie Banning.
"Mistress Banning, I'm afraid the time has come for you to depart from this ship. The Invasive pirates outside the fortress are preparing their cannons for another bombardment. So my lieutenant will need to escort you and my wife from this ship before anyone else finds out that you two are here."

"No, I'm not leaving my daughter." Moira objected to Charles' proposal. "The only solution for us to protect your daughter Mistress Banning is for you to go with Lieutenant Austen and my wife Caitlin. You are to head for the northern outpost and alert them of the siege at Fort Fairfax. I can protect your daughter. By taking her with me to seek out the aid of the Lost Boys, She and I can make plans to quell the invasion before they take over this whole ship as well as the Fort. Unless."
Charles paused a few seconds before he spoke.
"Would You and your daughter rather go out the front gate and take your chances with the cannons? because there's still a hundred lonely cutthroats and scoundrels waiting outside."

"If they see you and your daughter in the open, they will hunt you both down, sell you off to their captain who will do such things that would have you begging to be executed. Does that prove a point to you Mistress?" said Lieutenant Austen.
Seeing the point that Charles and Lieutenant Austen, Moira realized her choice was not optional.
So she spoke. "Alright, you made your point clear. I'll feel better if Charles will go along with my daughter."

Charles looked at Moira and then he answered,
"I will go with your daughter, Moira. She will be safe in my charge as you will be safer with Lieutenant Austen. Caitlin will come with you for the company as I cannot allow her to be alone with my soldiers." Understanding Charles' promise, Moira nodded her consent.
In the next thirty minutes after the discussion, Commodore Charles and Lieutenant Austen had gathered some weapons from Charles' personal armoury and armed themselves for their trip outside the fortress.

Outside the ship.

As the defences were working hard to defend the wall, the ocean outside the ship was quiet and unnoticed as a leaf in the lake. But what they didn't know was that there were a few pirates who were swimming underwater, they were coming towards the side of the ship slowly until they got to the surface.
As soon as they were close, they swam along the side of the ship towards the front of the ship and they waited for the signal from an inside man on the ship.
With that signal given from their inside man, they would sneak on board the ship and attack the crew so that they can take control of the ship's guns and attack from the inside.

But whilst the pirates were waiting for the chance to attack, Commodore Charles and Lieutenant Austen were leading Moira and her daughter Maggie out through a side entrance of the ship.
As soon as the side entrance door had opened, Charles stepped out of the ship followed by Maggie and Lieutenant Austen. When Moira and Caitlin had stepped out of the ship doorway, Lieutenant Austen closed the door whilst Moira and Maggie took the time to say a brief goodbye to each other.
"Maggie. if anything happens to me, I want you to get yourself out of Neverland and go back home. I want you to tell your dad everything that happened."

"Mom I won't leave without you. And I know that you and I are going to leave neverland as soon as we can, I promise you this." Maggie responded to her mother, who drew a grin before she brought her into her arms. Maggie then said. "I love you mom."
"I love you too Maggie, now you don't forget me when you're in Neverland and stay safe." Moira replied.

"I will mommy, Promise me that you'll stay safe too." said Maggie,
Moira nodded her reply before she turned to Charles. "Keep her safe for me Commodore! It's all I ask..." she pleaded to Charles. "I cannot promise you anything Mistress, but I will see to your daughter's safety. All she needs to do is seek out the lost boys and convince them that we are their allies in need of their aid. Now you better go before any pirates appear on this harbour and capture you, Caitlin and Lieutenant Austen. Take care of yourselves."
It was then that Lieutenant approached Moira who turned to him.
He nodded his head to the boat before she nodded to his gesture, heading towards the boat that Caitlin was stepping on board, Moira followed Lieutenant Austen to the boat but she looked back at Maggie with a small grin as she then stood beside Commodore Corven.
Once the three were on board the boat, Lieutenant Austen untied the rope to the boat and then sat himself down to start rowing the boat towards the open ocean passing the wall of the fortress.

When he looked down at her, Charles took her hand and he spoke.
"Come, Maggie. We must get to the horse."
Taking her by the hand Charles brought Maggie from the pier as the pirates slipped onboard the ship, he led her across through the streets of the town to the stable where there was a few horses waiting there. Charles went to the first horse block before bringing his saddled horse out into the open floors.
Maggie kept well away as the Commodore was bringing his horse out and calmed him down to a gentle simmer. When he turned to look at Maggie who stood on the spot, he gestured with his hand for her to come forward whilst holding the reins in his other hand.
Maggie approached the side of the horse, placing her hand on the back of the horse she brushed on its hair as the horse snorted and neighed. Charles laughed at the horse's reaction to the little girl's touch before he turned to face her and raised his hands to pick her up from the floor, he then placed her upon the saddle.
Maggie looked down at the Commodore's right hand which was covered with an armoured gauntlet, when she looked up at Charles she asked him.
"What happened to your hand?" Commodore looked up at her and then at the right hand.
Breathing a sigh, he raised his leg up to the stirrup and he climbed up on the saddle.
"It happened on the day that the pirates had murdered my family in Lyme, my father and brother were among those who were in the house. I thank god my mother wasn't alive on that unfaithful day as she passed away a few years before the massacre.
The woman Caitlin was the one who found me when I was lying on the grounds the next day. It was after sending my son to neverland.
Did my wife Caitlin tell you anything else?" Charles said as he settled himself into the saddle with the girl Maggie sitting in front of him on the horse's saddle.
Maggie turned her head to look at him and she spoke.
"Well I learned from Caitlin that she and her father found you and nursed you back to health, he even fixed your arm into place and build a gauntlet around it to protect it."
Commodore drew a small grin at the memory of how he met Caitlin as he took up the reins in his hands whilst Maggie held on.
"That's one thing I remembered about the day when I met her, but we must not linger too long on this." Charles responded to Maggie as she sat on the saddle.
With a flick of the reins and a kick on the side, Charles urged his horse forward out through the stable doors.

As soon as they were out of the stables, the commodore and Maggie were riding the horse across the streets to the front gate. The guards turned their heads to see the commodore riding on his horse, so he turned to the guards at the gate. "Open the doors, the commodore is coming!"
With the order given, the guards immediately unlocked the doors and opened them before the horse that was carrying Commodore Charles and Maggie, rode outside.
Once they were outside the gate, the guards closed it up and locked it again.
Charles and Maggie rode forth into the open grounds as blasts of dirt and cannon fire blew past in their way and the horse kept on running but dodging the blasts in the fields along the way towards the open ground which was their only way out.
When they saw that a couple of pirates were getting ready to shoot, Charles looked down at Maggie. "Maggie take the reins in your hand and hold on."
he ordered Maggie handing them to her, she took the reins whilst Charles drew out an old 19th-century pistol with his left hand. Aiming his pistol, he fired one shot upon each of the pirates who were seeking to kill the two riders off their horse.
The Leviathan Pirate Captain Edward Sephiran turned his head when he heard the pistol fire.
On seeing the horse carrying two people on horseback, he suddenly recognized the sight of his sworn enemy alive and well.
In his anger Sephiran showed his teeth and shouted, pointing at the horse rider.
"GET THOSE RIDERS! NOW!" Sephiran shouted aloud ordering his pirates to arms.
The pirates immediately brought their rifles and swords together before they charged after the horse which then passed through the open ground between the Pirates' camp lines. Soon after the horse carrying Commodore Charles and Maggie banning had passed through, Captain Sephiran ordered the pirates to go after the horse riders getting away.
The two large pirate groups had rallied together to send one group to chase after the riders.

Meanwhile on the open ocean.

As the three on the boat were floating along the wall on the shoreline, Moira, Caitlin and Lieutenant Austen were able to sneak out of the fortress grounds.
Now Austen and Caitlin were rowing the oars with Moira handling the rudder of the boat, on the open ocean heading to a safe route along to a small cove near the Indian encampment where Lieutenant Austen, Caitlin and Moira shall make their way to the forest.

Whilst they rowed the boat, Moira took the time to get to know Caitlin and Lieutenant.
Looking at Caitlin's face Moira then asked her.
"Caitlin, may I ask how long have you been married to the Commodore?"

Caitlin looked at Moira when she asked her that question and thought about it.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it you know." Moira said seeing her face, and wondering if it was not a good time to talk about things.
But then as Lieutenant Austen was about to speak, Caitlin answered her question.
"It was a long time, almost three hundred and sixty years ago." Caitlin paused a few seconds in thought before she continued.
"Our first meeting had happened a few days after the attack on his family.
I was the daughter of a blacksmith who was a surgeon's brother, we were lucky to have been far outside the town of Lyme when the groups of pirates invaded. I went out in the open a few nights after that night.
I was looking to gather some things for my uncle and once I had gathered them from the inside town I made the long walk home when I found the Commodore lying on the ground.
Charles Corven looked at me as if he was dead; His arm was slashed and bloodied but when he moved, I was convinced that he was alive, so I rushed back to my father and uncle and told them about him being alive. They brought him to our house and we cared for him for a week as my uncle fixed Charles' broken arm and my dad built an iron arm brace to keep the bone straight so that he can heal properly.
During that whole week, as my dad worked on his arm, Charles lay asleep and then he woke.
When I came into the room, I found him awake and I stopped him from taking off the arm brace on his right hand; I then explained to him where he was and that I had found him.
Once he was able to tell us what happened, Charles laid to us the story of the horrible events;
The murder of his family, the death of his son Ronald and how he had escaped with his son Andrew, but he told us that he prayed for the angels to take him to safety. He never told my father or uncle that the fairy folk had answered his call and taken his son to a safe place, but he told me and he asked me to keep this a secret.
So I agreed with him. The following weeks, the surgeon watched over him."
Moira sat on the aft of the boat beside the rudder whilst Caitlin told her the story of Charles' life: the day Caitlin married Charles Corven on January 16, 1637, after a year of courting together.
And the day Charles brought Caitlin on board his ship as one of the ship's cooks.
The following weeks at sea in pursuit of Captain Sephiran and his ship known as the Crimson Skull led to their journey to Neverland. It was November 15th, 1638; a fleet of three warships under Commodore Charles' command had pursued Sephiran's ship the Crimson Skull across the sea until their ships became engulfed in a magical fog filled with heaps of Pixie dust and in that instant the magic itself then sent the two ships to the second star to the right into the place called Neverland.
It was on the north-west coast where they had founded the town of Fort: Fairfax. Over the years that followed the foundation in 1638, the town flourished and became a fortress for its soldiers and their families whilst their enemy's pirate ship had vanished from sight.
And there was only one pirate ship called the Jolly Roger at sea, so they kept out of the sight of the ship for fear of losing their own ship.

As Caitlin was telling the story, Lieutenant Austen was keeping his ears open for any sounds and his eyes out for any pirates on the shore, but soon he found himself jumping into the storytelling as he spoke. "Of course during those years Caitlin, some of the crew had heard rumours of a boy who never grew up named Peter Pan and his band of Lost Boys who were fighting against Captain Hook and that time when he cut off Hook's hand and threw it out to a crocodile in the sea."

"Oh that's true Austen, I heard that story from my grandma Wendy." Moira said to Lieutenant Austen and Caitlin. The two nodded to her when Caitlin spoke.
"Hmm, she must have told loads of stories in your time."

"Yes she did which makes me miss her more, she passed away of old age last year." Moira confessed to Caitlin, who looked down in despair on Peter pan's wife. "I'm sorry for your loss Moira, but should know that the story of Hook's hand is true, Lieutenant Austen saw it from afar when it happened."
"Well, it was when I was scouting on the Pirates' ship on the bay a long time ago." Lieutenant Austen replied as he kept on rowing the oars.
He looked at the shoreline before he spoke again.
"We should be far enough from the Fort and close to the small cove near the Indian encampment, so we'll make our way from here. Mistress Banning can you steer the rudder to the left side?"
Moira did as Lieutenant Austen asked and soon the boat was turning to the right towards the cove leading to the Encampment.

Back in the Forest at the same time.

Whilst the boat carrying Lieutenant Austen, Moira and Caitlin Corven was nearing the small cove where they would walk from there, Charles and Maggie had ridden their horse across the path into the forest, they rode for at least a couple of minutes as they now knew that they were being pursued by the band of pirates.
But when Charles Corven had slowed his horse down to a walk he stopped the horse.
Maggie looked at Charles confused with what he was doing, so she asked him.
"What are you doing Commodore?"

"I'm sorry Maggie, but it turns out that this is your journey to make." Charles explained, before climbing off the saddle as Maggie sat confused about his actions.
"Now you need to get going Miss Banning." Charles said further.
"But Captain, you promised my mom that you would stay with me." Maggie said protesting.
"Maggie, what I promised your mother was that nothing would happen to you and those pirates are on our trail, So I have to lead them away from you. Now get going." Charles stated before he gave a slap on the rear to send the horse riding forward.
Once he saw her riding off in the distance, Charles turned his head to look the other way to where the pirates were coming. Breathing a sigh, Charles then ran to the side of the forest bush so that he can ambush the first pair of pirates.
His plan was to lead them down another trail in the jungle and keep them on his tail whilst Maggie got away.

As Maggie rode Charles' horse across the forest which then changed into a jungle area, she was about to stop and turn her horse to go back for Charles when she heard what sounded to be gunshots in the distance and someone screaming aloud.
Realizing that Commodore Charles Corven might be dead or worse, she suddenly found herself a little lost for hope but she knew that the only way for her to get herself and her mother home was to seek out the Lost boys and save the people of Fort Fairfax.
So with her resolution in mind, Maggie faced forward.
Kicking the horse on the side, she urged it forward and she rode in through the jungle path filled with bushes and trees. Soon enough after a while of riding to the other end, Maggie was able to get to a small place which was known as Hangman's tree.
Taking up the reins she slowed her horse to a walk until she commanded it to stop at the tree which looked so familiar, Maggie looked around the area for a moment before she dismounted to take a close look at the tree where she found a set of carvings on a tree stump.
But unbeknownst to her, there was a shadow figure hiding out in the bush and it was starting to step out. All of a sudden as she was about to come close to the small tree stump, Maggie felt a point of a sword touching her chin.
"Move to attack me girl and you'll feel the taste of my sword." said a boy's voice.
Maggie raised her hands in surrender before she spoke. "I come unarmed, I don't have any money or anything. Just don't hurt me please."

"Oh so who are you and what are you doing with that horse?" asked the boy who kept holding his sword on Maggie's chin.

"A Commodore named Charles Corven sent me here, do you know of him?" asked Maggie.
The boy raised her head at the mention of that name, and then lowered his sword down before he responded. "You know my father Charles Corven, so might I ask where did you come from?"

Maggie turned around to look at the boy who turned out to be nearly the same age as she was and he was only an inch tall than she was in height.
But as she looked at his eyes, she recognised him as the boy who stood outside her window at her home in San Francisco.
Curiously, she asked him a question him. "Are you Charles' son Andrew?"
"Yes, my name is Andrew. And you are?" Andrew asked Maggie, but she didn't answer him.
Instead, she curled the fingers of her right hand, balling it into a fist and she punched him in the eye, sending him flying backwards onto the ground.
Maggie approached him and she spoke. "My name is Margaret, Margaret Banning. I recognise you as the boy who stood outside my window. So if you're also the one who dropped that necklace into my room in San Francisco, then I'm not sorry for punching you."

"Ow!" Andrew grunted in agony as he held his eye.
"What was that for girl? I only sent it into the lake reflection hoping that it might find its way to Peter Pan." Andrew said to Maggie who looked at him, but she blinked at the mention of her dad's previous name and she spoke. "Peter Pan, you say?"

"Yes, but I didn't think that it would wind up in your room. And Who is this San Francisco?" asked Andrew.

Realizing that the boy was from Neverland and has no idea about San Francisco or California, Maggie decided to explain the city of San Francisco to the bewildered boy.
"San Francisco is not a person it's a city in the Americas. I live there with my brother and Parents. My mother found your necklace when she came in my room, she wound up being brought here through my mirror by accident, I couldn't get through the mirror so I had to fly all the way here to Neverland."
Now seeing that it was a mistake, Andrew stood himself up.
Brushing his clothes off, he then spoke to Maggie. "Oh then allow me to apologise for your mother being brought here by accident, I was meant to send for the adult Peter Pan so he could help me recruit the lost boys to my but alas I have admitted to my mistake.
When I saw you behind the glass I wasn't sure if you knew him, so you said that you flew to Neverland?"

"I did, I called for the fairy Tinker bell for help when my mom was taken and I flew all the way to Fort Fairfax to save my mom." Maggie explained her story to Andrew who listened to her and he started to believe her as he could see that her clothes were strange. So he asked her.
"And where's my father now, Is he alright? If he has sent you out here to help me then he must be still at Fort Fairfax."

"Actually he left the fort with me to go out here to find you but the group of pirates were chasing after us in the jungle." Maggie explained further before Andrew finished her sentence.
"So he sent you off to look for me and lead the pirates off the trail." Andrew said and Maggie nodded.
Andrew looked down in utter shock as he realized that he made a mistake coming out here.
"Sorry for telling you this but your father Commodore Corven said that the camp was running out of ammo." said Maggie.

"Yes that's true, it's why I was out here. I was looking to get to my cousin Curly. You see he was a former Lost Boy himself, but I couldn't get there with the pirates on the lookout for me and the coast had a pirate band on a boat patrolling the waters. So I knew that if I could send for Peter Pan maybe he could recruit the Lost boys and get them to help me stop the pirates and aid my father. Now I'm not sure if the Fort will hold for another day or so." Andrew said before he turned away from her.
He went to pick up his sword.
Once he had his sword by the handle, Andrew sheathed it into his scabbard and went to pick up his pistols and provisions. Maggie followed him into the bush.
"What if I could help? the lost boys helped Peter pan save me and my brother from Hook and his pirates so maybe I could convince them to help you." Maggie suggested to Andrew who looked at her.
"And what makes you so sure that you could convince them to help?" He responded to her.

"Because Peter pan is my dad, the lost boys trained him years ago." Maggie answered.

"You know for a girl you do have a mean right hook, but I'm not sure if you could sword fight either."

"Then if you say that I don't know how to sword fight, I'm asking you to teach me. Unless you're afraid to be beaten by a girl." Maggie spoke, goading Andrew into teaching him to fight. Andrew squinted his eyes as he looked at her.
"I'm not afraid of being beaten by a girl, but since I now know that you're Peter Pan's daughter, I might as well train you to fight whilst we make our way to the Lost boys Island. And if we're successful in this mission then I promise to send you and your mom back home to San Francisco, So do we have an accord?" Andrew asked, offering his hand to Maggie. She looked down at it before she looked at his face, and then she took his hand.
They shook hands in agreement. "Its a deal Andrew Corven." Maggie answered.

"You can call me Andre if you want." Andrew replied drawing a small grin.
"Then you can call me Maggie." Maggie stated as she withdrew her hand from him and turned to head for the horse which waited for them, Andrew followed her to the horse before they came to the side.
Maggie tried to climb up the stirrup but she couldn't get up there, so Andrew came to her aid.
"Here let me help you, it's the least I can do for accidentally sending your mother through the mirror."
Maggie looked at him suspiciously but she knew that she had to get up the horse saddle, so she stepped back to let him give her a boost.
When Andrew bent down and cupped his hands, Maggie raised her foot up to place it on the cupped hands, but Andrew hooked his arms under Maggie's legs and lifted her up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
He threw her flat upon the saddle before he jumped up on the tree side.
Andrew then climbed up on the saddle with the horse neighing aloud.
"One day I will get even with you for punching me in the face." Andrew remarked.

Maggie squinted at him in scorn for that rude remark as he settled on the saddle, so she elbowed him in the groin and slid herself off as Andrew scrunched his eyes in the agony of the pain in his groin. Doing the same thing that Andrew did, Maggie climbed up the tree and raised her right leg out to climb onto the saddle.
When her leg slid over the side of the saddle Maggie shift herself about to get comfortable. She then moved her feet about to get them set on the stirrups.
Once she balanced herself on the saddle, Maggie took up the reins with a smile.
"Sorry about that!" Maggie said turning her head to look at Andrew who was behind her.
"No, you're not." Andrew replied as he placed his arms around her waist to hold on.
Soon the two kids started riding the horse from the tree into the forest.
As the two rode for the next hour, Andrew held on to Maggie as she rode like a horseman.
To his view, Andrew had to admit that she has a skill for riding horses as if she has ridden them for years.
They continued to ride through the forest. Andrew became curious about something to know from Maggie. So he asked her. "So Maggie, can I ask where is your mother?"

"She's headed off with Lieutenant Austen and your stepmother to an Indian encampment so that they can get to an outpost in the North!" Maggie answered as she kept her eyes on the front ahead. Andrew thought it out before he spoke.
"So they're going to seek out my cousin Curly in that outpost!"
"That's right." Maggie responded to Andrew's question as they rode deeper and deeper through the forest which was almost ending near the coast.

That's the end of Chapter four, so I shall be getting to work on Chapter five where Tinkerbell will be alerting the Lost Boys of Andrew and Maggie coming to see them and to recruit them for the mission at hand and we'll be seeing what happens to Moira and the others when they get to the coast. So Stay tuned for chapter five, and be sure to leave a comment and share with your friends.