Chapter VI

"What!? What is it? What's going on?"

I sat in bed panting. Baelfire was standing in the middle of the room with a sword in his hands. He stood there ready to strike.

"It's okay Baelfire, I'm fine. I just had a bad dream." Tears were streaming down my face as I spoke. He put the sword down on the table and came and sat with me on the bed. He looked at me awkwardly, not sure what to do.

"What was your dream about?"

"I saw my mummy. She told me that my daddy wasn't coming for me. Not yet anyways."

"I figured that, Pan is going to do everything in his power to keep your dad out of here. And Pan has lots of friends in low places. No matter how hard he tries, he can't come get you."

I let out a loud cry and let my head fall into my hands. I felt so hopeless. I missed my daddy. I missed Smee trading his supper for an extra cake. And now I missed my mummy too. I kept my face in my hands while I cried. I let myself ride the waves of pain and sadness as the tears rushed out. I felt Baelfire slowly move over on the bed and slide is arms around me. He held me as a shook and cried.

We must have stayed like that for quite a while because when we finally separated we were both stiff. My body ached and still shook from crying. I hiccupped a little as I wiped my eyes.

"Thank you. You're being so nice to me."

"You've been through a lot. I'll do whatever I can to help you out."

"But you barely know me, you really don't have to be so nice to me."

"I want to. We may not know each other very well personally, but I feel like I need to help those who need it. My papa never did, and I know I don't want to be anything like him."

"My daddy used to say the same thing about his daddy."

"Yea, he told me about that too. Both of our papa's weren't very good at their jobs." He looked sad as her spoke.

"What were your mummy and daddy like?"

"My father was a coward. I didn't really know my mother."

"What do you mean? How was your father a coward?"

"Have you ever heard of the Dark One?" I shook my head. "Really? Well, he's in control of a lot of magic. It's all in a dagger that he keeps with him at all times. He's also my papa. He uses his power to hurt people rather than help them. He found the dagger to try and save me from the ogre wars, but all of the power went to his head. He's awful now."

"He seems like a bad man. Is that why you left?"

"Yea, I was trying to find a land with no magic for us to go to, but he didn't come with me. He let me go. He wouldn't let the magic go." He lowered his head as he finished speaking.

"Wow, he really is a coward. What about your mother? You said you didn't really know her."

"Um, she left my papa and me when I was young."

"That's horrible. Why would she do such a thing?"

"Don't say that about her. My papa probably wasn't much of a husband. She um, met someone else, who made her happier and they ran away together."

"And she just left you behind? Why would she do such a thing? She sounds awful."

"Stop saying that about our mother! She wasn't awful she was just trying to find her happy ending!" He rushed to his feet as the words poured out.

I sat there shocked at his outburst. I wasn't sure if I was more shocked at him yelling at me, or saying our mother instead of my mother.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled." He sat back down on the bed.

"You said our."

"What?"

"You said our mother."

"Oh." We sat there in silence for a moment. He looked down at his hands while I stared at him. I could tell he was thinking hard about what to say to me next. I didn't know what to think.

"You didn't just save me because it was the right thing to do, did you?" He shook his head. "Your mummy left your daddy for my daddy didn't she."

He nodded his head. This was why mummy had been so sure Baelfire would take care of me, because he was her son; my brother.

"Is that why you and my daddy got in a fight?"

"Kind of. He didn't tell me that he was the reason my mother left me until I found a picture of her on the table in his quarters. I thought he had kidnapped her. Then I realized you were my half sister. I was so upset that I made him leave me here. He tried to get me to stay, so you could have your brother, and I guess he liked the thought of having his wife's son around. I've wished for years that I had let him talk me into staying."

My head was spinning. I couldn't understand why daddy hadn't told me I had a brother. Or how he and mummy had really met. I sat there, still in shock.

"Are you okay, Mara? I know this is probably a lot to take in. I mean, it's been 6 years and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it." He reached out and touched my hand. I wanted to cry again. All of this, being kidnapped, losing daddy, and now finding out I had a half brother; it was all too much for me. I felt like I was going to explode.

"Mara, if you want some time, or some space, I'll understand. I need to go out and get some supplies anyways, I'll leave you here to process." He got up and started preparing to leave. I sat for a moment, still unable to move from shock. Just as he was about to leave I rushed off the bed. I knew what I was going to do.

"Wait. If you're really my brother then I want to act like it. I'm coming with you. I want to get to know this island better. Be my older brother and help me get around here."

He stood in the door for a minute, staring at me. He was the one in shock now. Then he smiled.

"Lets get going then."