Wendy carefully lies the map she and Tinkerbell drew upon the table in the nursery. It was the only map of Neverland she had ever seen. It was nothing like it looked from the air. Then, they hadn't the time for so much detail.
"Here," Tinkerbell lands on a patch of words nestled in a cove near the east side of the island. "Skull Rock. That's where Captain Hook will be anchored."
"For how long will he be at Skull Rock?" Wendy wonders aloud, processing alternative outcomes in her head.
"Most prisoners are killed after just two days missing," John informs, being the first of the two brothers present to break the silence after their meeting had begun. Wendy's cheeks are visibly whiter. "Well so that's good, he'll be taking Peter some place new to hide him every few weeks to avoid being found." Nobody says anything so John continues, obviously teaching them information they didn't previously know. "Irrelevant, though, as you seem to already know where he is. So you have the element of surprise as Hook doesn't know you're coming for Peter," he holds up one finger in count, "you have two to three weeks maximum before Hook relocates," up goes the next finger, "and you have a vaguely creepy message about doves that somehow means something important." Three very excellent points.
All eyes trail to Tinkerbell unknowingly.
"I only know he's at Skull Rock because that's where he was when I escaped, I suppose he may have moved once he realized I'd gone," Tinkerbell admits, realizing her mistake.
Michael and John glance at Wendy curiously, not knowing how to make sense of the pure little rattles and whistles. Fae is a very complicated language to learn, but Wendy had only the best instructor, and Tink to speak for example.
"She says she escaped from Skull Rock. Once he realizes she's gotten away he'll have anchored elsewhere," Wendy tells the boys dejectedly. They only have two valid points now, and that's not enough information to safely facilitate a rescue mission. She doesn't have to say it aloud for the rest of them to know this, too.
So they stare at the map, thinking, working out possibilities in their minds as to his whereabouts. It wasn't so much as they wanted to know where he was so they could rescue Peter from him; it was that they wanted to make sure they weren't going to be captured by his men like he was the moment they arrive. But where to look, where to look...?
Tink suddenly groans and dips her head, pouting and stomping over to the Indians Camp, otherwise named Calman Seal. Looking at the words, she wonders why a native people to Neverland would name their village in Gaelic language. When she met Tigerlily the girl only spoke English and the indigenous island tongue, which most certainly sounded nothing like the Scots who neighbored her on her own island.
"What does that mean? It's Gaelic isn't it?" Wendy points to the script below the tiny woman's feet. Tinkerbell nods. "I think I know what that means, but we have to check to make sure," Wendy says calmly, as to not get anyone too excited should she be wrong. It was more of hunch she had to be completely honest.
"I have a translation manual," John notes proudly, "Remember we were encouraged to learn different languages for our summer studies?"
"Yes of course, I speak french fluently," Wendy says, "but I don't recall you learning a lick, in fact the first time I heard you try to pronounce a word you tossed the book and called it "old highlander rubbish"."
John narrows his eyes and returns to the table. "It doesn't matter. My choice is coming in handy, so thank me," he raises his eyebrows, holding the book away from her mockingly while he waits.
Michael snatches it from him with a laugh.
"When will knowing Mandarin come in handy?" he wonders as he opens the book. Wendy chuckles- it was true, the young boy could take part in conversation with the Chinese. But when shall the need arise? Will he go into trade, war...? Wendy's thoughts are cast adrift into darkness once again, so she shakes her head and focuses her attention on the moment.
The book had an admirable thickness to it, giving way to hope that they'd find what they need in there. How hard could it be to find two words?
Apparently it was very hard. Hours passed, it was near noon and they had not yet found what they were looking for.
"Why can't we just ask the Indians what it means?" Michael questions tiredly.
"We can't just show up, Hook could capture us," Wendy sighs impatiently, nudging the boys elbows off the table, as it was improper to lean on them so heavily.
"So why do we have to learn what their name means?" The youngest rolls his eyes, setting his volume on the table in defeat.
"I just want to make sure I'm right, because if I am then we know for sure that's a safe place for us to go," Wendy explains, still in the process of figuring out what information she was ready to give them. If she was wrong it could mean hours of lost time and work. She couldn't bear to let them down, much less herself, and Peter.
"Calman Seal?" John is taken slightly aback by this. "What makes you think they'd give us refuge?"
"I think it has something to do with the message Hook sent for Peter, "white doves fly in the morning". Wendy admits, trying to think of the right way to word this.
"What makes you think that, you studied french?!" Michael questions defensively. She pinches his arm to calm him.
"We studied in school until last year when it was cut from the program," Wendy explains. "I know three languages."
Michael rolls his eyes.
"You should keep trying, it's not impossible," she pushes the next volume towards him. He didn't know if she was referring to the search or the learning of the language. She meant both.
"White," John says, holding the book up, pointing to a page. "Calman- it means white."
Satisfied, Wendy closes her book with a rush, dust swirling up from beneath his long unopened pages.
"White dove, that's the name of the village," she announces as she stands to her feet, immediately turning to the baskets near the corners of the room, inconspicuously holding lethal weapons among the children's' toys- the swords they'd brought back from Neverland years ago. "Peter must've trusted what that meant, an obviously native saying, which means if there is any safe place with answers it's with them. That's the best place to start," she encourages, all the while racing around the room and rummaging through drawers.
"The bloody indians then." Tinkerbell begins to prepare the map for transportation.
"Mother and Father," Michael says suddenly. "W-we can't just leave them here, again," he stutters, nervous now that it was all so real.
"Michael," Wendy soothes, kneeling next to her brother. "I won't leave without telling them," she finally says, after a few silent moments of thought. "Do you think you can manage to look after them? Make sure they don't forget John and I," she gestures to John as he nods, "while we're gone?" He has no choice but to reluctantly agree. "Right, then we ought to get to it," she looks at her companion, now her height and far smarter. John was a boy of fifteen, a strong jawline and straight nose, freckled cheeks and shiny black hair.
The siblings disperse, Michael to put away his books and the other two to prepare for their journey back to the island. John leans in to Wendy and murmurs quietly, "They will never let us go. I'll leave a note." He looks to her for assurance and she nods, swallowing the lump that crowned her throat at the thought of once again leaving her parents. Leaving her mother after such tragedy...
"What about Michael?" Wendy whispers back, avoiding the guilt she faces at having had to lie to her littlest brother.
"I'll handle that too. You get changed into pants, I'll not fly beneath you in a nightgown again.
He turns and reconvenes with the two at the table while Wendy ventures to her room for what might be the last time, though she'd never dare tell John that.
Taking the time to gaze upon its contents she admires all the memories each holds. It makes her sad to think she'll not return, when it's entirely possible she might, she still hopes she doesn't. She hopes she stays with Peter, forever.
She gathers everything she needs- proper clothing, hiking packs, food, and a tiny acorn attached to a string, of which she wraps around her neck and tucks safely under her jacket. When she returns to the nursery John and Tinkerbell are waiting for her by the window in the silence, unable to communicate with words. The sight of the open window makes it all so real, but still a strange sight as this would be the first time she's ever attempted to fly away from her world in broad daylight.
"How will we know where to go?" Wendy questions as she approaches them, heart racing faster and faster with every step.
"I've made the journey enough times, but stay close." Tink says.
"Hold my hand," she says to John, raising a foot up onto the ledge. She had forgotten what it was like to be sprinkled with pixie dust- as if you're being covered in warm snow, that instead of melting into your skin just radiates off of you in a beautiful golden shimmer. A calm envelops her and she closes her eyes, a face in her mind, a specific grin.
When she opens them again she's no longer on the ground.