The Care and Feeding of Flying Boys

by weezer42

PW The boy who defies gravity meets a girl with her feet firmly on the ground. Adventure and Romance ensues.

4. Armed and Dangerous

24/10/06

Title: The Care and Feeding of Flying Boys

Author: Squeezynz

Chapter: Four – Armed and Dangerous

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Peter crouched behind the broad trunk of a tree and surveyed the pirate camp spread out below. His Lost Boys were similarly hidden in trees all around the perimeter, their furs and feathers an effective camouflage among the leaves and shadows. Peter's eyes gleamed as he watched the rough crowd below, the flash of firelight on cutlass and sword making his blood start to race through his veins. Hook was not in evidence but Peter didn't worry, he knew the pirate Captain would be close by, maybe hunting the forest below Peter's hiding place, a thought that made his teeth itch. The pirates' camp wasn't that far from the Hollow, which made Peter wonder why the cutthroats had decided on this particular area to set up their tents and hammocks. It was a fair distance from the coast and not an area the pirates usually bothered with for foraging or hunting game, but something had brought them here and Peter wanted to find out what. The snap of a branch under someone's foot froze him in place, his ear telling him that several pairs of booted feet were passing directly under and around the tree in which he was hiding. Glancing down, he briefly saw a bright red feather attached to a wide brimmed hat pass below, it's owner oblivious that the quarry it sought was mere feet from him.

With the search party past, Peter inched his way out along the thick branch to get a better view and hopefully overhear some of Hook's conversation with his men when he entered the encampment. In this he was richly rewarded. Captain James Hook strode into the camp amid cheers and hails of welcome from his motley band of men. Behind Hook straggled a collection of more of the same, his first mate, Jedediah Smee, hurrying past his Captain to make sure all was ready. Accepting his men's adulation as his due, Hook sauntered the length of the camp, Smee waving him to an ornate chair lined with plush cushions for him to use.

"Gad Smee...me boots are pinching, get 'em off me feet quick smart, would ya!" Slumped in his chair, Hook extended one foot, placing the other on his first mates ample bottom and giving the man a hard shove, his boot flying off as intended. A second later he repeated the maneuver with his second boot, his first mate sent flying and almost going head first into a campfire, a gale of laughter greeting the portly little man as he flapped his arms to regain his balance. Instead of getting into a rage, Smee laughed along with the men, gathering up the muddy boots in one arm while rubbing his bruised backside with his free hand.

"Right you are Captain. Have a cup of tea ready in a trice. Just what the Captain ordered, a nice cup of tea."

"Tea be damned Smee, I wants me wine. None of that dish wash brew you pass off as tea."

"Right you are again Captain. Back in a tick." Scampering to do his Captain's bidding, Smee disappeared into the nearest tent and re-emerged clutching a long stemmed glass and a dark, corked bottle and a pair of soft leather slippers. Tucking bottle and glass under his arm, he reached for, and pulled over, a folding table to set them on beside Hook before pouring a full measure and handing it to his Captain. "There's ya go sir...nothing like a glass of the ships best to set you up before you eat."

"Damn your eyes Smee, I have to agree with you. Pity we didn't get a glimpse of that blasted tree, what did he call it?"

"I believe it was the 'Ollow."

"The Hollow...that's right. Damned stupid name, but who am I to complain if it gets us what we wants, eh Smee?"

"Too right Captain, too right. Peter Pan will never know we're 'ere before we's wops 'im a good'n."

"Really Smee, sometimes your cant is simply deplorable," Hook drawled, drinking deeply of the wine, his saturnine features deeply shadowed. He glanced around at his men still busy about the camp. "Anyone seen Trimble? He should have been back by now."

"No sir...not 'ide nor 'air of him, beggin' your pardon Captain." One of the men called out in answer.

"Damn." Hook downed the remains of his glass and held it out to be refilled. "Another man lost to those brats. Where's Black Jack...BLACK JACK!" His bellow brought forth a pirate who bowed deeply before his leader then stood, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You wanted me Captain?"

"Ah, Jack...good man. Time for you to prove your worth. Your map has brought us this far, now we need you to lead us the rest of the way. Those brats won't be expecting a night sortie, so once the lads have eaten and rested we'll plan our attack before dawn...watcha say to that?"

"Sound's like an excellent plan Captain."

"'Tis indeed Jack, as plan's go. Now, what about this other news...Smee says he's got a girl in tow!"

"That's what the mermaids sing. He was seen with her in Turtle Bay, so they say."

"A girl indeed!" Hook scoffed, "what would that puling brat know about girls. Never brought one to Neverland before, at least not for longer than a few hours at the most!"

"Quite right, not as long as this one ever, if the mermaids are to be believed. Mind you, I've heard a whisper or two among the tiny folk that this particular female has managed to oust the infamous Tinkerbell from her position as the Pan's companion."

"Never say," Hook exclaimed, accepting the silver, double-barreled cigar holder from Smee's hand. "Pass us a light Jack," he ordered, leaning forward when his newest henchman produced a glowing ember to light the ends of the fat cigars, clouds of fragrant smoke enveloping all three as Hook puffed. "That has to be a first for that fairy baggage. To be ousted from her place by some whey faced London brat...what a joke!" A gust of laughter shook the pirate Captain, the functional steel hook on his right arm thumping against the wood of his chair as he guffawed. When he was quiet again, he blew a cloud and peered narrow eyed at Jack through the fog. "What do you say, Jack? Has the Pan finally found her? Is she the one?"

"It would seem so. Of course, she may be nothing more than some orphaned girl child he's taken a fancy for."

"Didn't those lying mermaids give you a description? Something more to go on than just that she's a girl?"

"Not really. Other than the fact the mermaid's sister thought the female uncommonly ugly for one of her breed."

"Hah! Knowing their petty jealously, I wouldn't trust their judgment on that score. We'll have to see for ourselves, won't we lads. A pretty piece would certainly liven things up around here, a new face, a new conquest to lure away." Hook puffed contentedly, already planning on how to snatch Peter's new companion away from under his very nose. "You sure those soggy sluts told you true?"

"As true as they can, given their inclination. They are as trapped here as we are, and just as eager to prevent The End from happening as ourselves. If Peter Pan is lured away for good, this place will ice over permanently, and nobody wants that, least of all the mermaids. Everlasting hibernations is not my idea of how to spend the rest of my life."

"Nor I lad, nor I." Hook drew in a deep breath, blowing out the ensuing cloud so that it sat like some malevolent fog wreathed around his head and blurring his features. "So our course is laid in. We find this girl-child, take her back to the ship, and let fate decide her future. Are we agreed?"

"Aye aye Captain," chorused his men.

"And the Pan?" Jack asked, his features impassive.

"He'll try and rescue her and put himself neatly into our hands. Fancy another go at 'im Jack? Now you're no longer a Lost Boy, you have as good a chance as any of us at clipping Pan's wings."

"I don't want to just clip his wings...I want him dead."

"Just as well my fine fellow-me-lad. 'Cos that's the only way we can win our freedom from this accursed island is with the death of Peter Pan. Only with the last rattle of his mortal breath will the curse be lifted and our freedom won."

"Then let us hasten him to that end Captain."

"Indeed Jack...our sole purpose is to that end, and a right bloody one to boot. Gear up lads, we go to hunt the Pan and his Lost Boys!"

Clamping the cigar holder between his teeth, Hook rose up out of his chair and strutted the length of the camp, inspecting his men with eyes that missed little. Above his head, Peter signaled his boys to prepare their weapons. Having heard most of what was said, he wasn't prepared to let the pirates get within a yard of the Hollow and the precious treasure at it's heart. He felt a rage boil up inside him at the thought of Hook getting his hand on Wendy, a red mist rising in his vision as his body shook with the force of his temper. As if in accord with his mood, the clouds that had been peacefully scudding across the sky started to clump together, their fluffy roundness teased out into flying banners of unrest, the stars blotted out as the lowering mass started to rotate above the pirate camp. Feeling a speck of water land on his cheek, Hook tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, his forget-me-not blue eyes widening on seeing the growing mass of cloud gathering overhead.

"Odds fish!" He exclaimed, drawing his men's attention to the sky, the rasp of Hook's sword clearing it's scabbard loud in the sudden silence. "Arm yourselves brutes, Pan is close by!" His men scrambled for their weapons, the patter of rain drops hitting the dusty ground loud as each man held his weapon drawn and tried to pierce the dark shadows around them. Hook stood in the center of the camp, his trusty Smee at his side and Black Jack behind him, everyone wanting to be the first to spot the Pan, and everyone failing to see anything more than trees and darkness. Suddenly the skies opened and a torrent of water dropped from the thunderous clouds, soaking the pirates in a matter of seconds. Impervious, Hook remained as he was, staring expectantly at the trees for some sign of Peter's presence. As suddenly as it had started, the downpour stopped, the hiss and spit of the drowned fires sounding loud in the silence that followed.

"Steady men, keep ya eyes skinned..." Hook had barely finished speaking when a hail of rocks, sticks and other unidentifiable objects rained down on the pirate force from the trees surrounding them, the men ducking and holding their arms above their heads to protect themselves. Hook faired no better than his men, a large, well aimed missile knocking his scarlet and gold hat from his head to lay, its feather broken, in the mud at his feet. The clatter of small and large ammunition fell for a long minute, the yells and cries of pain from his men as rocks found their targets ringing in Hook's ears. While all around him tried to fend off the flying debris, Hook remained relatively unscathed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the dark trees for some sight of the Pan he knew was hiding in them.

"Come out you imp of the Devil! Show your cowardly face and meet me cold steel!" Hook challenged as another hail of pain rained down on the pirates, all his men now sporting cuts and injuries from the unavoidable attack. "Stop hiding and face me like a man, Peter Pan!" Angry that he had nothing to strike out at, Hook turned to his first mate, Smee hunched over beside him with his hands spread protectively over his stocking cap covered head. "Smee, stop cowering, you sniveling wretch, and marshal the men. The brats are in the trees all around us, take the men and go get those cowardly dogs!"

Wincing at the force of Hook's voice and the heavy blow delivered to his nether regions by the Captains slippered foot, Smee scurried away, shouting orders as he ran. Black Jack remained where he was, a trickle of blood snaking down his stubbled cheek from a well aimed stone.

"You and me, Jack, are going to find Peter Pan," Hook growled, flexing his sword arm and swinging the blade in an arc.

"Right with you Captain. From what I could tell, the one that took off your hat came from that direction," Jack pointed and Hook looked, his narrowed eyes trying to see beyond the sheltering leaves to the Pan behind them.

"Lead on Jack, I'm feeling lucky tonight."

With Jack in black and Hook in red they made a strangely dressed pair as they advanced on the tree where Peter crouched, hidden among the leaves. Before either pirate could get close enough to see, Peter flew straight up and above the canopy, invisible to those below. A short flight brought him to the Hollow, the tree and surrounding jungle unnaturally quiet as he alighted on the soft ground cover, his sword drawn and a dagger in his left hand. With his back to the tree, Peter circled the grove, straining his senses for any indication that a pirate had found his way to the tree before him. Satisfied that he was alone, he backed up to the tree trunk and pressed the concealed knot-hole, the door swinging open behind him. Slipping inside, he secured the bark door before running down the pitch black steps, his breath sounding loud in the darkness, the patter of his feet against the earth like falling rain. Bursting into the dimly lit chamber at the bottom, Peter took a moment to sheath his weapons before approaching the alcove where Wendy lay. Sheltered within the tree's heart, she lay sleeping peacefully, her cheek cushioned on her hand and her lips slightly parted . Peter stared down at her and felt as if someone had punched him in the chest, his lungs straining to pull in air and his heart thumping erratically. Why this one girl had a power to disturb him so profoundly, he was at a loss to understand. Leaning down, he carefully pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, loathe to awaken her but aware that the Hollow was no longer a safe haven. The Lost Boys would already be on their way to the Indian village to regroup and wait for Peter to join them, and soon the pirates would be starting to close in. With a wry grimace, Peter reached out and shook Wendy's shoulder, her eyes snapping open and staring up at him in some alarm before she recognized him.

"Oh Peter, it's you," she sighed, smiling up at him and blinking. A glance behind him told her he was alone, his tense expression making her sit up and rub her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"We have to leave, it's no longer safe. Hook is here."

"How did he know where to find you?"

"Black Jack betrayed us and led him here. Quick now, we have to leave before they arrive."

Wendy swung her legs over the side and stood up, Peter already moving away towards the stairs leading up to the surface. A sound from above froze them both in place, Wendy tilting her head and glancing up at the earth ceiling as another loud sound followed the first. "Peter...what is that?"

Unsheathing his sword, Peter held a finger to his lips before running across to the stairwell and peering upwards. Wendy came to stand at his shoulder, straining to make out the strange sounds coming from above. Several more thumps and blows sounded against the trunk of the tree sheltering them, Wendy biting her lip when a particularly loud thump made her jump.

"Can they get in here Peter?"

"Not if the tree doesn't want them to." Peter grinned at her over his shoulder, another loud thump from above drawing their attention back up the stairwell. After several successive blows, the attackers went silent, Peter and Wendy moving back into the center of the cavern and staring upwards as if to see their besiegers through the tangled roots and solid earth. Feeling more than a little apprehensive, Wendy crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed both arms up and down to dispel the rash of goosebumps that had appeared. Peter still had his sword in his hand, his head tilted to catch any sound of what the pirates might be doing up above. Wendy sniffed, then sniffed again. Not wanting to believe what her nose was telling her, she drew in a deep breath.

"I smell smoke...somethings burning!"

"They've fired the tree, the bastards!" Peter shouted, anger contorting his features as he raced over to the stairwell, a gust of smoke greeting him as he raced up the steps. Wendy stood at the bottom, coughing a little at the smoke that crept insidious tendrils down the stairs and into the Hollow. Thoroughly alarmed, Wendy stepped backward, her eyes darting everywhere, her imagination making her think that the temperature was rising and the air thinner than seconds before. Peter burst from the stairwell rubbing his eyes and coughing.

"We have to get out of here Wendy, it's a deathtrap."

"How Peter? Surely they'll be waiting for us...up there. This Black Jack will have told them where all the entrances are."

"Black Jack doesn't know everything Wendy, so take heart. There are more secrets unknown than known in Neverland, and this tree is no exception."

Smoke was starting to billow in from other entrances, filling the Hollow with the smell and taste of burning wood, Wendy feeling tears start in her eyes from the acrid fumes. Peter grasped her hand and pulled her over towards his bed, his sword once more at his side. "Follow me Wendy, we'll be safe I promise." Approaching the wall beside his bed, Peter reached up and twisted what Wendy had thought was just an ornament stuck to the wall. At once a section of earth seemed to fall inward, revealing a tunnel that led away into darkness. Taking one of the still burning conch-shell lamps, Peter bent over and led the way along the earthen passage, the roof too low for them to stand upright, but wide enough that Wendy could stretch her arms out and touch the sides with her fingers to steady herself. She followed the bobbing light in front of Peter through several twists and turns in the tunnel, her feet catching on the pebbles and roots protruding from the ground. At last Peter started to slow, the air clear up ahead of any hint of smoke, a solid wall blocking their way. Setting down the lamp, Peter drew his dagger and plunged it into the soft earth, a clod falling into the tunnel and rolling to Wendy's feet. He worked for several seconds before the wall crumbled, as the other one had done, falling outwards and giving them both free access to the outside. As they stumbled out, Wendy gulped in huge gasps of clean air before sitting down heavily on the grassy slope leading away from the hole. After extinguishing the lamp, Peter joined her, the pair of them enjoying the sensation of clean air and freedom from the close confines of the escape tunnel.

"What happened to the Lost Boy's?" Wendy asked, rolling on to her side and staring at the starlight rimmed profile next to her.

"We'll meet them at the Indian village. I was going to take you in the morning anyway...now we'll get there a bit sooner."

They lay for a long minute or two, Peter staring up at the stars twinkling above, Wendy pulling up tufts of grass as she mulled over what she was going to say.

"Peter?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can you really teach me to fight with a sword?"

"Easily...but why would you want to?"

Wendy decided to try another tact. "I suppose you believe girls can't do the same things that boys can."

"Well...I guess that might be true. Girls are usually weaker than boys, or so I've always understood. Is that wrong?" Peter turned his head to face her, his features outlined by shadows.

"Not entirely. It is true that there are a lot of physical things best left to the men to do, but there are a lot of things that women can do just as well as men."

"Like what?"

"Well, they can...and they could...oh there must be lots of things. Anyway, the point is...will you teach me to defend myself with a sword? After all, the Lost Boy's have weapons and presumably know how to wield them, and they are younger than I am, for the most part. And I'm sure if you taught me, I'd be able to help battle the pirates when the need arose."

"I don't know...show me your arm." He waited for Wendy to sit up and extend her arm, the flesh gleaming pale in the soft sheen of starlight. Getting on to his knees, he gripped Wendy's arm and pulled her forward a little, bending the elbow to test the muscles in her upper arm. "Not much here to work with, in fact you'd be lucky to hold a blade let alone fight anyone with it." He slid his hands down her arm to grasp her hand, turning it face up to inspect the smooth palm. "And this is so soft, you'd blister in minutes." He held out his own hand palm up, the hard ridge of callouses a direct contrast to Wendy's unmarked skin. "I don't think you'd be very good at sword fighting..."

"But Peter..." Wendy started, affronted at his assessment but unable to refute the truth of his words. "If I can't use a sword, how am I supposed to defend myself if I'm attacked by a pirate or another mermaid or some other enemy?"

"Let me think a moment. A sword is out of the question. It would take too long to harden your grip and build up the necessary muscle to hold it, even two handed. I could teach you to use a dagger, but that's only good for hand to hand, and you'd still be overpowered if your opponent had a sword." He rubbed his chin, cataloging the assorted weapons sported by his Lost Boys. Suddenly he lifted his head and snapped his fingers. "I know what you can learn to use!"

"What?"

"A bow!"

"A bow? You mean like Robin Hood?"

"Robin who?"

"Oh never mind...but where would you get one, and who would teach me?"

"That's easy, from the Piccaninnies of course. They use bows to hunt and often hold tournaments among the braves. Why Princess Tiger Lily herself is a first class bowman, she could teach you."

"Princess Tiger Lily," Wendy murmured the name that sent prickles down her arms. "Didn't you say that the last two times we met we didn't get on?"

"But this time it'll be different. She'll see you belong to me and won't be so jealous," Peter informed her airily, ignoring the incredulous expression crossing Wendy's face. "And neither will you."

"Neither will I what?"

"Be jealous...at least of Tiger Lily. She's really very nice once you get to know her." Peter added, getting to his feet in readiness to leave.

Swallowing down her temper, Wendy took his hand to get to her feet. "I'll take your word for it. Shouldn't we be going there now? Once the pirates realize that no-one is coming out, they're bound to come looking for the way we escaped."

Peter shrugged. "They'll give up when they find that enchanted trees don't burn very well, plus it's nearly dawn."

When he failed to elaborate Wendy prodded him to continue. "What's important about dawn?"

"Listen...can you hear that?" He pulled Wendy close. Faintly they caught the distant sound of something ticking, the sound fading then returning, each time a little closer than the last.

"What is that? It sounds like a clock?"

"It is...the one inside the crocodile. I told you the beast wouldn't be far behind the pirates. Where Hook goes, the croc will always show up. It's rumored that the reptile so liked the taste of Hook's hand when I tossed it too him that it wants the rest of him as well!"

"Oh Peter that's horrible...the poor man, to be hunted like that."

"Pah, Hook can take care of himself. Come on, lets get moving before the croc decides to make us his before-breakfast snack."

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The sun was rapidly rising into the sky when Peter and Wendy flew in to the Indian village, only a few braves from the previous nights watch scattered about the perimeter. They hailed Peter's arrival with upraised hands, showing only the mildest polite curiosity at Wendy's arrival with him. She, for her part, goggled unashamedly. She had seen illustrations and paintings of the noble savages with their long dark hair and sculptured features, she'd even seen one or two photographs in the strand magazine of various tribal chiefs wearing their exotic feathered bonnets. But to actually see a real red Indian up close was as much a surprise as finding out fairies really do exist. Trailing behind Peter, she looked left and right, marveling at the beautifully decorated and adorned painted tepees, the buffalo hide walls brightly colored with images of people and animals and other arcane patterns and symbols. So engrossed in staring about her she didn't realize that Peter had halted and helplessly bumped into his back before falling backwards on her bottom. A trilling laugh greeted her inelegant arrival at the chief's tepee and Wendy could feel her face burn as she scrambled to her feet with Peter's hand under her elbow.

"Wendy, let me introduce Big Chief Talagumpa Proud Elk, and his daughter, the princess Tiger Lily."

Ignoring the hot flush painting her cheeks pink, Wendy dropped into a deep curtsy, the move slightly spoilt by her having no skirt to hold. Rising up out of her abeyance, Wendy lifted her chin and stared back at the girl standing to the right of her father. To her deep chagrin she found herself staring into a pair of dark sloe eyes tilted up at the corners like a cat, the thick lashes only enhancing their exotic look. The beautifully Indian girl also had a dimple on each side of her cupid bow lips set within a finely bones face with high cheek bones and dark, arched eyebrows. Her hair was as dark as ebony, smoothed back from her wide brow and plaited with interwoven ribbons down her back. Clothed in the finest white deer-skin, fringed and beaded to perfection, the princess presented the quintessential image of an exotic, savage beauty.

Tilting her chin up a notch, Wendy tossed her own hair back over her shoulder and kept her expression impassively polite.

"Chief, Tiger Lily, may I present...Wendy Moira Angela Darling."

Wendy looked over at Peter in surprise, never expecting him to remember her full name, let alone announce her with it.

"Chief," Wendy nodded her head at the brawny man, his costume similar to his daughters but capped with a trailing feathered headpiece, the heavy beading framing his face and reaching to the ground behind him. "Princess," Wendy tilted her head at the Indian girl and received an answering tilt in return. Peter seemed oblivious to the tension in the air, his fingers finding Wendy's and giving her a gentle squeeze of encouragement. Grateful for his support, Wendy managed to lift her lips in a smile, relaxing a little when she noticed the narrowed gaze of the princess fasten on their joined hands.

"Welcome again, daughter of the big smoke," the chief swept his arm in an arc, "we of the Piccaninnies are honored to invite you into our lodge to share our meal. Peter is often a guest of our lodge and we are pleased to see he has, for once in his life, done as he has been told."

Wendy looked at the chief in surprise, the big man giving her back an enigmatic smile before ushering her towards the flap pulled back to allow them entrance. The princess had already gone inside and Wendy needed little urging to satisfy her curiosity about what a tepee looked like from the inside. Peter followed with the Chief bringing up the rear. Once everyone was inside the flap was once more lowered, the tepee amply illuminated by fragrant lamps hanging from brackets attached to the central support post. While Peter showed Wendy where to sit, the Chief sat himself down on a comfortable pile of skins, then took off his feathered head-dress which was taken by an Indian woman, one of several bustling about the tent. The center, around the pole, was laid with a large woven mat, around the edge of which guest and family members were seated in readiness to break their fast. Peter and Wendy found a space in the circle and sat down cross-legged with smiles and nods from their immediate neighbors. At once the women still standing started to pass round bowls of food in one direction while another started at the other side with a jug and a string of beakers hanging off her belt. The princess sat beside her father, serenely confident of her position, her dark eyes sweeping around the company but coming to rest on the down-bent blond head of Peter Pan. Wendy, slightly in awe of the handsome, dark skinned people around her, ate her meal slowly, savoring the tasty flat bread and fruit while trying not to stare at the different designs worked in beads on many of the garments worn by the Talagumpa family. Peter was conversing in the native language to the man on his right, laughing at whatever was being said before turning back to speak to Wendy.

"I was just telling Ahanu about last night. He suggested next time I send lightening bolts to toast the pirates backsides."

"Can you do that?" Wendy asked, her surprise at the extraordinary things that Peter could do, starting to wear off. "Control the weather I mean."

"Not really, but sometimes, when I get angry or upset, the weather seems to become violent and very localized, like last night."

"Oh, I see." Wendy took a sip from her beaker, Peter giving her a quizzical look.

"You don't seem surprised?"

"You said yourself, Neverland is magic, and I've already seen a sun that behaves quite unusually, as well as clouds that act like no clouds I've ever seen before. So being able to control the weather is almost...anticlimactic"

"Anticlimactic?" Peter looked puzzled. Wendy leant to the side and placed her mouth near to his ear.

"Not at all surprised," she whispered, before leaning back. Peter caught her eye and gave her a wide grin before lifting his bowl and using his fingers to push a concoction of meat and vegetables into his mouth. The meal was finished and over quickly, the jug passing around one more time, a woman gathering the bowls from each person while another cleared the platters from the mat. Chief Talagumpa raised his hand for silence and waited for everyone's attention to be focused on him.

"My family, my friends. This morning we welcome to our lodge the new companion for the Pan. Wendy Moira Angela Darling, daughter of the big smoke, has arrived as foretold by the wind, and the waves. We congratulate Peter on finding so able a protector for Neverland." His welcoming speech concluded, the Chief beamed at the assembled company, his eyes twinkling when they alighted on Wendy, who could only return his look and smile, having not understood a word of the native language. Others around the circle were also looking at her, making her nervous and self-conscious. Princess Tiger Lily raised her hand next, waiting for the lodge to fall silent before speaking, her voice husky and melodious.

"I too add my welcome for this Wendy from faraway. I would extend the hand of friendship once more, as I have done before, and offer her a dress of my own, as a gift of friendship to the one the Pan, and Neverland appears to favor above all overs." Her speech over, Tiger Lily gazed over at Peter, ignoring Wendy as if she was invisible, and concentrating her dark allure exclusively for him. Wendy understood the look, if not the words, and her own blue eyes narrowed slightly, quite able to understand why she'd taken the princess in such dislike the other times she'd been in Neverland. Keeping her thoughts to herself, Wendy turned to Peter for a translation of the Indian girls speech.

"The Chief welcomed you to Neverland and congratulated me," Peter told her, looking smug.

"What for?" Wendy interrupted only to be ignored at Peter continued.

"Then the princess welcomed you too and offered one of her dresses to wear..."

"Oh did she," Wendy muttered, Peter choosing to ignore the comment.

"As a gift of friendship," he finished, a crease forming between his brows as he registered Wendy's mutinous expression. "What's the matter?"

Not wanting to answer that question, Wendy lifted her face, all trace of hostility gone and a smile plastered on her lips. "Why nothing Peter, I was just thinking how kind and generous of the Chief. Could you give him my thanks and also ask the princess if she would teach me to use a bow and arrow?"

"Sure..." Peter turned to the Chief and Tiger Lily and relayed Wendy's gratitude, the Chief smiling broadly while the princess fluttered her lashes and looked coyly at Peter. This seemed to signal the end of their session with the Chief, the rest of the family getting to their feet and leaving the large tepee, Peter and Wendy gaining their feet and waiting their turn to leave. Princess Tiger Lily approached and laid a hand on Peter's arm, drawing him a little way from Wendy as people filed past them. Lowering her voice for his ears alone, she effectively cut the pale-faced girl out of the conversation. Wendy fumed but kept her temper, concentrating on the people leaving the tent, smiling back when smiled at, nodding when necessary. The low voiced conversation between the princess and Peter didn't last long, and Peter soon turned back to lead Wendy out of the Chief's tent and out into the morning sun. Tiger Lily followed but stood to one side, turning her back on the couple in green and signaling for one of her attendants to come forward.

"What was that all about?" Wendy asked, before Peter could open his mouth to speak.

"I was about to tell you. Lily has offered to take you to the Sun Pool to bathe. It's her own private washing pool, so you're very honored She also agreed to give you lessons in using a bow later this morning."

"How generous of the princess. What will you be doing?"

"Gathering up the boys and planning what to do about Hook, of course."

"Couldn't I come with you?"

"We'll be having a council of war with the Chief and his braves, it's no place for girls."

"Of all the horrid things to say!" Wendy gasped, her hands gravitating to her hips. "I bet the princess gets to sit in on these 'councils of war'!"

"I would doubt it," Peter scoffed, fidgeting and looking about. "Look, there's Top-Hat, and Rat, the other's won't be far. I have to go. Enjoy the Sun Pool." Not giving her time to protest, he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a hard, searching kiss, Wendy's hands reaching up for his even as he let her go, almost bounding away in his excitement to go and gather his small army of boys before meeting with the other men. A little stunned at the suddenness and intensity of his kiss, she stood for a moment with one hand pressed to her tingling lips. A sound behind her made her swing around, the beautiful Indian princess standing only a pace away, her arms folded across her chest and a hard look in her sloe eyes.

"Are you ready to go, milk-faced daughter of a dung pile?" Tiger Lily asked, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

"I beg your pardon princess, but I don't speak your language?"

A titter passed between the half dozen Indian women gathered behind the princess, their dark eyes glancing back and forth between the two girls. Wendy looked perplexed, unable to understand their whispered comments. The princess continued to smile at her, her expression at odds with her words.

"I would cheerfully gut you, you squinty eyed, straw haired insect," Lily swept her hand before her to indicate the direction they were to take. Wendy had no idea what the girl was saying, but felt it was not entirely complimentary to herself, the woman behind the princess having a hard time controlling their mirth.

"I'll take it to mean the pool is that way," Wendy answered, turning away from the giggling woman and walking towards the path indicated. "I will certainly enjoy having a wash. I'm sure my hair must smell of wood smoke after last night, and my feet are really quite grubby."

"You smell like a pig," Tiger Lily said, her face reserved but friendly, at odds with her insulting words. Behind her curved lips, the princess was grinding her teeth, this game of insults because the stupid pale-face couldn't understand her language a childish pursuit. Shooting a frowning glare at her attendants to stifle their giggles, the princess walked a little ahead of her guest to show her the way. It was obvious the girl didn't remember anything of their meetings before, and it was also obvious the Peter had made his choice, along with Neverland as she was wearing the leaves. Swallowing her jealousy, Tiger Lily decided then and there to throw off her evil mood and banish the spiteful spirits curdling her words.

"You will find that to swim in the Sun Pool is something to look forward to."

Wendy gasped to hear the girl speak perfectly clear, if a little stilted and carefully enunciated, English. Keeping her own voice calm and even, Wendy decided to grasp the olive branch offered. "I am told it is a great honor to be invited to use the pool." She racked her brain for something else to say. "Peter told me you are an expert with the bow."

"Yes, I am. He has asked me to teach you."

"I would be most grateful princess, if you could. Neverland is very beautiful, but since I came here, nearly everything I've met – mermaids, pirates, even the Lost Boys - have tried to capture, kidnap or kill me."

"Neverland is a difficult place, if you are not prepared for it."

"So I'm finding out. Last night the pirates tried to smoke us out of the Hollow!"

"Hook is a devil, and cunning as a snake. Never trust him. I will teach you to shoot the eye out of a mouse before the day is out, if you wish it?"

"Oh dear, poor mouse."

"If you are to be of use in a battle, you must be able to kill or else be killed," Tiger Lily told her, her expression fierce.

"I'm not sure I would be able to kill anyone, princess. I'm sure if I'd known that Peter's world was quite such a blood thirsty one I might have thought twice about coming here."

"Do you not love the Pan?"

Wendy blushed, knowing full well that Indian girl had seen Peter's hasty kiss. "I haven't known him long enough to answer that question. He's quite different from the young men of my world."

"As are you." Tiger Lily remarked. The trail they were following was leading them towards the sound of water, a steady chuckled of a stream running over rocks filling the air as they approached. Birds were in full cry in the branches above, their tuneful trills adding to the morning chorus as the group of women approached to stand at the edge of a circular glade. "This is the Sun Pool."

Wendy looked on with delight. The trees gave way to shrubs that surrounded a small lake that had formed at the center, the stream feeding in to the pool dropping over a ledge to create a mini waterfall. Each shrub bore a crop of flowers that scented the air and gave color to the greenery. Sunlight filled the sheltered glade, glinting in sparkles off the water which stretched from one side to the other, the channel that emptied it disappearing once more into the trees on the far side. Along each grassy bank was enough space so that the women could kneel and wash clothes, or just sit on the soft turf and dry off. There were no rocks or gravel to harm delicate feet and once they passed beyond the screening bushes, no way for anyone to disturb the privacy of the bathers. Sturdy wooden bridges had been made to span the serpentine lake in two places, several of the woman already using them to take them to a well used washing spot, downstream from the widest part of the small lake. Peering down into the water, Wendy could see that the bottom looked sandy and soft, the grassy edge giving way to the water so that everything was soft and inviting for tender flesh. Flowers dotted the grass, growing no taller than the green spikes and making a carpet of color for them to walk on.

"How beautiful."

"Come and soak near the falls, the leaves will come off by themselves and the soap plants are there."

"Soap plants?" Wendy followed the princess along the bank to the deepest part of the lake, the water turning a dark blue but still clear enough to see the bottom. The tiny waterfall frothed when it hit the surface, ripples fanning out and making the water glint like silver. Clustered thickly around that end of the lake were plants covered in green and yellow berries, hanging like cherries over the water. The two girls were now alone, the other women chattering and laughing further along, around a bend and all but out of sight. Tiger Lily kicked off her shoes and reached for the shoulder of her dress, releasing the fastening so that is slid off her arms and down her body leaving her standing in only a loin cloth twisted around her hips. Taking a short run the princess jumped into the pool, her arms around her knees so that she made a huge splash, the water forming waves that slopped against the bank and threatened to over spill. The Indian girl quickly surfaced, wiping the water form her eyes and giving Wendy a wide grin.

"What are you waiting for?"

The lure of the water was too much for Wendy to resist. Taking a more sedate course, Wendy sat on the bank and slid into the water like an otter, ducking under briefly to soak her hair. The princess was plucking some of the green berries from the plants edging the water.

"These are soap berries. You crush them in your hand, rub them together and then rub them all over you. Even in your hair!" Suiting words to actions, she did just that, a quantity of froth rising from her moving hands. Wendy could feel her coating of leaves starting to peel away from her body, the water feeling like silk against her skin as it became more and more exposed.

"I thought the water would be cold, but it's quite warm."

"The Sun Pool is fed by a hot spring. By the time it reaches here, it is just right." Tiger Lily explained, soaping her arms and shoulders. Wendy was surrounded by a growing flotilla of green leaves, her costume floating merrily away on the rippling water leaving her as naked as a babe. Keeping only her head and shoulders above the water, Wendy waded across to the Soap Berry plants and plucked several for herself. Copying the princess's actions, she crushed the berries between her hands and rubbed them together. At once a sweet smelling soapy froth filled her palms and she smeared it over her arms and neck and on top of her hair. It felt sinfully wicked to be standing naked in a pool in the great outdoors. Baths at home had, by necessity, been kept short and perfunctory. With hot water at a premium, and the whole family needing to bathe on the same night, it was more of a chore than a pleasure, her long hair proving a trial to wash and dry. Here in Neverland, in the Sun Pool, there was room to move and more warm water than she could ever need to wash and rinse her hair as many times as she wanted. Glad to rid herself of the smell of smoke, Wendy soaped her hair until it squeaked before turning her attention to her body. Tiger Lily had already completed her ablutions, a morning bath a common occurrence for her. She was sitting on the grass bank with her long black hair pulled over one shoulder, her fingers running through the strands to comb them out. Wendy was so absorbed in the novelty of having a wash out of doors that she didn't pay much heed to the near Indian girl watching from the bank. Tiger Lily, on the other hand, was taking great interest in the girl splashing about in the water.

She had expected, as in the previous visits, to take an unreasonable and violent dislike to the girl-from-faraway, and at first, that had been the case. But seeing her clothed in Neverland green, and that parting kiss, Tiger Lily had to admit to herself that all her silly, girlish fancies in regards Peter Pan were just that – silly. Peter had never really shown her more than friendship, and on the few times she'd tried to push it beyond those boundary's, he'd shied away like a startled deer. If she'd really looked and taken notice, even those first two short visits had shown the way the wind was blowing, Peter unable to hide his pride in the girl, his interest beyond the mere curious to something deeper and more long lasting. It was her own delusions that were harder to deny, her wish that Peter would look at her the same way, that she might ignite the light in his eyes with the ease that this pale skinned girl could do without even realizing her power. Giving up those secret wishes would be hard, but even Tiger Lily knew a losing battle when she saw one. Her father had been right, her stubbornness making her blind to Peter's true feelings. A splash drew her out of her introspection and she smiled at the girl standing up to her shoulders in the clear water. Her form was clearly visible and, despite knowing that her own rich, copper skin and enticing curves were attractive to a great deal of braves back at the village, Tiger Lily had to acknowledge that the slender limbs and creamy skin were a combination any man would find hard to resist. Dismissing the last vestiges of her jealousy, Lily rose gracefully to her feet and padded over to where her dress lay warming in the morning sun.

"You will wrinkle like a dried berry if you do not come out," she called to Wendy, slipping her dress over her head and tying the fastening at her shoulder. "I brought a dress for you to wear if you would prefer it to leaves?"

"Oh, thank you Princess, that's very kind of you. I was starting to wonder if there were any of the special bushes around here for me to use."

"They are about here somewhere, but for the time being, try this on. See, it is not a rag." Lily held out the dress for Wendy to inspect, several strings of feathered beading hanging from the decorated bodice.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, I'll get out right away." Wading over to the bank, Wendy hauled herself out and sat with her feet dangling in the water, her hands squeezing the water out of her hair. As if sensing somehow that she needed to get dry and warm quickly, the sun appeared to intensify, the heat beating on her skin and banishing the droplets of water in seconds. Instead of the usual half an hour it took to dry her hair in front of the fire, the sun managed in minutes, tendrils curling up at the bottom as Wendy fluffed it and spread it out to dry over her shoulders. When the heat abated, Wendy got to her feet and accepted the dress held out by the Indian girl, the cloth soft and silky between her fingers. Lifting it over her head she let it drop over her body, Lily lacing up the shoulder and smoothing the cloth over Wendy's arms.

"There, you look very pretty now."

Wendy stared into the dark, sloe eyes so close to her own. She sensed the change in the Princess and wondered at it. Instead of the intense enmity that had rolled off the girl before, now there was nothing but friendliness and acceptance in the thickly lashed eyes, a smile curving the perfect bow of the girls lips. "Thank you Princess, you have been very kind to me."

Tiger Lily shrugged. "There is no reason for us to be enemies, daughter of the big smoke. Peter has made his choice, and I must be content." She flung her arm wide. "There are many handsome young men wanting to walk with me, and Peter never offered me anything more than his friendship. What there was is in the past; you are the future."

Wendy ducked her head. "But is it the future I want?"

"Are you not sure? Did you not come here freely?"

"Yes...I guess so. But..."

"But?"

"This is all so new, so strange. I hardly know what to believe, that this isn't some dream that I'll awaken from in the morning. And what about the future I had thought I had, back in London? What about my family?" Wendy felt a surging rush of emotion choke her and she covered her face with her hands. Tiger Lily looked on in some consternation.

"Do you not want to be here?"

"I don't know. At first I thought this would be like a dream, fleeting and fun, exciting. But then...well..."

"Peter Pan is not an ordinary boy, nor will he be an ordinary man. You are still caught between your world and his."

"Yes, yes I am...and it frightens me." Wendy lowered her hands and stared wide eyed at the Princess.

"You know that the Pan can never die, at least not at the hand of evil."

"Are you saying he's immortal, that he's not human?"

"No. I am saying that the laws of this world would not allow the Pan to be killed by one such as Hook."

"Then they fight a never ending battle? What's the point of that?"

"The point, if such a thing exists, if to keep our two worlds in balance. Neverland is a place where dreams become real, where wishes take solid form, where life is an unending cycle of adventure and surprise."

"It sound's very tiring, if you ask me. Does it ever slow down, take a breath?"

"Does your world do that?"

Wendy thought for a moment, about the bustle and seething activities of a big city, of the people striving to give meaning to their lives, of the simple task of keeping what they had, of being a success. Even the day to day routine in her own family and household was a constant bustle of sound and movement, of school and home, of life all around them.

"I suppose not. But Neverland is nothing like London...there's no buildings, no trains, no people, at least not in the way London has people."

"Do you miss all those things?"

Wendy looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting together like her thoughts. "I miss my mother and father, and my brothers...but London? No. I heard my mother once asking my father if it would be possible for us to move further out of London, maybe even as far as the countryside, because of the sooty air and dirt of the city."

"What did he say?"

"That we had to stay close to his work, that we couldn't afford to live like yokels and have any hope of a future for us."

Wendy fell silent, the feel of the warm sun on her shoulders draining some of the tension from the muscles. "I know they want the best for us, but how do they know what that is?"

"Maybe this is what is best...for you." Spreading her arms wide, Tiger Lily spun in a circle, her face upturned to feel the sun on her face. "Maybe Neverland is the future you were meant for."

"Maybe."

Tiger Lily stopped turning and regarded her new friend pensively. "If we are to teach you to shoot an arrow and hit something other than air, we should start now. Peter will be looking for you soon, and he is impatient."

"Won't he just come here?"

"The trees would send him in circles!" Tiger Lily laughed, her white teeth bright against her copper skin. "Only women can come here, and only women find it again. Men who dare to go looking soon find themselves anyplace but here."

"How clever. But you're right, I do want to be able to show Peter I can defend myself and he did say you were the best."

Tiger Lily preened a little before slipping on her moccasins, Wendy accepting a pair that matched the dress, finding them soft and snug against her feet. Together the two girls, as different as night and day in appearance, waved goodbye to the women still washing further down the lake before heading through the sheltering belt of flowering shrubs to the trees beyond. Once through and into the shadowed depths they found the trail and walked side by side, the shrill calls of the birds following their slow return to the Indian village.

From his lofty perch high up in the canopy, Black Jack looked down at the distant figures of the two girls walking the track back to towards the village, their voices like fluting birds as they passed beneath and beyond his hiding place. Hook had been right to send him ahead to watch the trail and village for signs that Peter Pan was there. Hook had remained behind to smoke out the tree, already aware that his quarry would find an alternative escape from the trap. Even now the pirate brigands were making their way down to the valley sheltering the village, the intention to meet up with Black Jack and hear his report before finalizing their plans. Certainly Jack would have a deal more information about the newcomer to Neverland than he had before, the very girl he'd come to spy upon passing close enough for him to wish he could see the color of her eyes. She looked comely and young and Jack felt something stir, a crimp of jealousy that knotted his insides and made his teeth clench. Why should Peter Pan be the one to have the pick of the prettiest girls. He'd already toyed with the Indian Princess, and now he had another on his string. It was grossly unfair, and the reason he and Peter had fallen out in the first place.

Jack had fallen hard for the beautiful Indian girl from the moment he first set eyes on her. Tiger Lily had been similar smitten, teasing the two boys as they vied for her childish attention. But Jack wasn't Peter Pan and inevitably lost the battle for the dark-eyed beauty's attention. As the boys grew and Peter Pan started to assert his leadership, Jack found himself butting heads with his Captain over issues that before would have been deemed unimportant. Now they became battles fought to a standstill, Peter and Jack turning the skies of Neverland red with their rampant emotions out of control. In the end it came down to one of them leaving, Jack losing and being cast out of the Lost Boy's band. His rage had carried him as far as the beach, the Jolly Roger rolling at anchor in the bay before him.

At first Hook had treated him as he did any Lost Boy that fell into his grasp, throwing Jack into the brig to molder. Several interrogations later and Jack had managed to convince the black haired pirate Captain that Jack was sure to be useful, not least as a scout to lead Hook and his men against their common enemy, Peter Pan. As soon as Hook signed him on as crew, Jack started to grow, leaving behind his boyish form and becoming a man in appearance and manner. The rest of the crew welcomed him, naming him Black Jack for his midnight hair and brows as much for his brooding demeanor. Soon his previous life was all but forgotten, the rhythm and routine of the ship with it's hard work and quick tempered Captain keeping Jack's mind off his grievances. Being the newest member of the grizzled crew, Jack had to learn quickly the way things were done, discipline meted out with many a meaty fist connecting with his head and producing stars until he got to quick or to strong for such punishment. Now he was the equal of any man aboard, his corded arms and broad shoulders enough to make any pirate think twice before crossing him. Hook noticed, and took the younger man under his wing, making Jack his lieutenant and making use of his knowledge gained when still a Lost Boy and the Pan's right hand man.

Now Jack had only one goal in mind, to bring Pan to his knees and end the spell keeping the Jolly Roger tied to the island of Neverland. With knowledge gained from years of sailing the waters, Hook had gleaned that the only way for them to escape the islands hold would be to kill, once and for all, Peter Pan. An uneasy truce with the mermaids brought the pirates more information, confirming what Hook already knew and allowing them to more closely track Peter's movements and actions. The last freeze had cemented their plans, with maps and men sent ashore to search out and destroy the Pan as quickly as possible. The news that he'd returned with a girl from his last trip, came as something of an unwelcome surprise to Hook and his men. Rumors had been heard, from fairy folk and enchanted creatures, that like Jack, Peter had changed from a boy to a man and had gone looking for his other half. Now it appeared that the rumors were fact and the girl very real, already ingratiating herself with the native population. It only changed the plan a little, Jack grinning with the thought of snatching the girl and the princess together, of Peter flying to their rescue only to be spitted on Hook's sword and thereby ending their long servitude to the island. Maybe they wouldn't have to kill the girl and could keep them aboard ship as servants, the princess for him and the girl for the rest. That seemed fair. Satisfied he had it all worked out to his advantage, Black Jack slipped down through the branches to the jungle floor, his boots almost silent on the leafy ground as he hurried away to meet up with Hook and the rest of the pirates.

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