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I'm definitely enjoying writing the story, so it's always nice to see/read others are liking the story too!

I hope you like the next chapter and have a nice week everyone :)

Chapter 3

The next few days went by in a whim. Nothing much exciting happened for the siblings. No dangerous storms, no nosy crew members asking annoying questions, no bumping into the Governor... The lack of excitement makes time go so slow, it makes Brittany almost wish for some action. The blonde hates sitting still. She's always moving.

After a while, staying on a ship just becomes plain boring and repetitive with the tasks at hand. It's not like you can run for miles, dance your heart out in a ballroom or take long walks in places you've never been…

The only thing that makes time move, is Brit's nerves to talk to her brother about her idea of leaving the crew behind her and to explore the New Land on her own. It's not that the sibling is afraid of her brother, no, not at all. She just wishes they won't leave each other in the middle of a fight. They've never done that before, and that's something the blonde definitely wants to avoid.

Postponing her idea seems like the best solution … for now.

Not that Brittany had a lot of opportunities come her way to talk anyway. The days have been boring, but there are still plenty of tasks to do on a ship. The amount of jobs you have to do on a ship to keep it afloat … it's a lot. Repairing and checking for leaks, making sure the sails aren't ripped somewhere or wrongly tightened, keeping the deck as clean as possible to prevent an outbreak from an illness, …

Sometimes the siblings get the feeling they're the only people with brains on board. Lots of men don't have the guts or sea legs to make themselves useful. Others drank too much by morning so they have to sleep their drowsiness off by day.

There are a few lads, who do a fine job of helping to keep things under control. Thomas for example.

Whenever John is too busy with other stuff that need to happen, Brittany seeks the company of the red haired man. He's a nice sailor. Got his heart on the right place. Sort of… When he uses words like savages, Brittany cringes inwardly, trying to remind herself it's how most people of London were raised to think about the outside world. Though she still doesn't have to like it.

They talk about it sometimes, Brittany trying to show him her perspective about how she sees the outside world and the importance of not seeing them as savages, but native people of their own lands. At least it looks like he's listening to her when she tries to change his mindset. That on its own makes him a more decent person. And besides that, he really is a good man. The way he talks about his wife, his brother and his future child… he's really doing this to find them a better life. The blonde thinks its admirable … in some way. She hasn't missed the irony of the parallels between Thomas' and John's motivation to start exploring…

Nevertheless, she likes to be around Thomas. He has manners, doesn't drink a lot, tries to make himself useful and just the same as Brittany, he can say things most people won't understand. It's a wonderful feeling. Never, not even once, did they have to ask each other to explain what the hell they were saying at the moment. Apparently Thomas has a dog at home that's in a cult too!

They're certain now Lord Tubbington and Princess Hobbes, the dog, have created and assembled the dangerous group of violent animals together…

When Brittany isn't with John or Thomas, she keeps more to herself. There are some others on the ship that work just as hard, but she has no need to talk to them. She prefers to keep to the sidelines for most of the time. She helps where she can and goes on with her day.

This ship asks a lot of energy from people. Finding a way to get a smooth travel … it's hard.

Brittany has to give her brother the credit, he does have a knack for keeping the boat from sinking, bringing structure to a disorganized crew. If it hadn't been for John, a lot more rages and fights and dangers could have happened already.

One thing is for sure though, Brittany does not have sea legs. Give her earth beneath her feet and she's good. Water … not so much. So over the past week, once she's finished all the jobs and things in her agenda, the only thing she can do is fall down in their cabin, sleeping the fatigue off.

That doesn't give her a lot of breathing space for a serious conversation with her brother. Does it?

Nevertheless, there's one more thing the blonde keeps herself occupied with. The mysterious lad she saw a few days ago. It's hard to locate a certain person, if you're not wandering around the same posts. Each day the blonde is in awe of the size of the ship. Roughly calculated there are probably more than eighty men walking around on this wooden structure.

By now Brittany is sure the person she's looking for is taking another shift. For the moment Brittany sleeps during the nights and works during the day. Half the man work differently. In a few days they'll switch the shifts. Part of the blonde dreads it. She loves the sun. She hates the dark. Part of her has been afraid of the dark since her childhood and even though she's an adult now, she still prefers daylight a hell of a lot more!

All that doesn't matters that much, It just means the person Brittany is looking for is probably working the night shift, so some evenings, Brittany lingers around for a bit longer, hoping to see a glimpse of the person she's looking for.

For the first few evenings she's had no luck, until this evening. Luck is on her side. Brittany was ready to go to her cabin and walked towards it, before something stopped her. Almost certain the figure she saw in the distance is the person she's looking for, she decides to take a side tour.

She follows the person towards the cooking quarters, realising this is the reason she doesn't see the person that much. This person is probably working with the cooking shifts. Those lads almost never come on deck. They tend to get a lot of commentary their way about the bad food, when they're trying to mingle with the other crew members. There's not a lot of luxury going on with their food, but at least they try …

Once she was passing a few men bringing food to the governor and her taste buds had never been so activated. Though she couldn't see what was on the plate, a metal bowl keeping curious eyes at bay, her nose could most definitely rule out the governor is eating the same things as his crew.

Even though it didn't surprise the blonde the Governor was capable of not sharing his wealth, it still angered her at some point. Maybe she should have taken that job, preparing the governor's meals. She could have spit in it or used too much pepper or something. Though pepper is incredibly expensive… maybe salt would have been the better way. Yet, recipes confuses Brittany so much, she probably would have been fired from the job after the first day either way.

Brittany shrugs the memory away and walks into a storage room, where her mark came to a stop. looking at their back for some time, Brittany is most certain of her suspicions now and decides to speak up.

"Quinn?" the person in front of her stops their motions. "Quinn Fabray?"

The shorter blonde doesn't hesitate for a moment and pushes Brittany against the door, keeping a knife against her throat, commanding her to identify themselves.

Brittany, frightened by death, starts to talk without thinking. "Wwwait. Uhm. Ducks. No wait. Unicorns! No." Brittany glances up to the ceiling, desperately trying to remember something. Quinn, hesitant to continue her threatening, looks at the mumbling lad in front of her in wonder.

Brittany tries again. "Lord Tubbington! Yes, Lord Tubbington flying on unicorns trying to find ducks to play with!"

For any other person in the world, that sentence wouldn't have made any sense at all, yet to Quinn it does. It's a password. A password an old childhood friend of her invented, using it when they hid in an old tree house that was abandoned in an unused garden.

Quinn takes in the sight of the person in front of her and realisation settles upon her. Those piercing blue cat-like eyes, the contours of her face much too feminine to be of a man, small hint of freckles and the slight hight advancement … "Brittany?"

Quinn immediately lowers her knife, taking a small step back. "Brittany Smith?"

Brittany exhales loudly, her whole face lighting up from excitement at seeing her long lost friend back. "Yes! Uh actually I go by Brit Pierce now. But wait, that's totally not important right now." Brittany clears her throat. "How are you .. when did you …" Brittany shakes her head, at a loss of where to begin. "Where did you go?" Brittany asks in a fragile voice.

A deep sadness cross over both their faces. Quinn doesn't need more context to know what the blonde is asking of her.

You see, Quinn lived in the same neighbourhood as Brittany and John, up until she was sixteen. They didn't really know each other until they were fifteen, only recognising the other when they wandered around in the same church, often used as a dry shelter in heavy rains by the siblings.

They've only started to interact with each other on one unfaithful night, where Quinn was wandering around in the streets on her own, sulking in her own misery.

Unlike Brittany, Quinn still has her parents. They've had financial struggles at that time too. The whole neighbourhood had. Though Quinn's parents were very strict. And ever since the girl turned fifteen, her father has been hinting she'd give courting a wealthy man a chance, who'll give her parents a big amount of money for the hand of their daughter. Of course, being as stubborn and independent as Quinn stands in life, she didn't like that suggestion. Not one bit. That's why she was walking around on her own, in the dark, at night.

It was a bad move, because it didn't take more than five minutes until Quinn was bothered by a group of men. Fortunately for her, it was near an alleyway the siblings slept at, at that time. John wasn't near, but Brittany was. She saw what was going to happen and helped Quinn out.

By then, Brittany was also fifteen and had recently gained a bit of a reputation of keeping up a fight against others, if she had to. The group of young men didn't thought it was worth their time anymore, so they left Quinn alone before anything bad happened. Basically that meant Brittany stepped up and saved the day.

That's when a blossoming friendship occurred. The blondes, even though at first sight not that much in common, quickly bounded over their free spirits. Brittany started to go to the church more, since Quinn went every day with her parents. Quinn discovered a nice tree house they used every day to escape reality for some time.

They created stories, told secrets, watched animals at work for their own families for hours and sometimes even no words were exchanged. They gave each other the space to find some peace and quiet.

Until suddenly, one day it stopped.

Brittany went to their tree house for weeks, but Quinn never showed up anymore. The blonde had her suspicions, since Quinn nor her parents went to their church anymore, but part of her was still hesitant and insecure. The other part of her knew Quinn was to get married in another, more wealthy, neighbourhood, far away from theirs. Her parents probably forbid her to come back. But come on, not even a hidden message in their tree house to say goodbye or something? Nothing?

Quinn must have heard her thoughts, because her broken voice breaks the building tension in the room. "I'm sorry Britt. I really did try to contact you, but we moved to the other side of London from one day to the other! I didn't have time to contact you. My father suddenly woke me up one day and said we were to move, that he found a man who wanted to marry me and let my parents live in his hunting house. My father immediately said yes. There wasn't time. And I can't write nor can you read, so how could I have sent you something?"

Brittany, being the quick forgiver that she is, takes a closer step to Quinn and embraces her. "I'm sorry that happened." She mumbles.

The shorter blonde lets out a lost tear, the surprise of seeing Brittany and the missing of the short-lived friendship that appeared between them, rushing back in her memories. Quinn clears her throat. "It's not like it was extremely bad. I mean … I was safe, my husband left me alone, I had a maid who learned me how to read …"

Brittany nods, letting the silence linger between them for some time.

After a while Quinn gains back her tough composure and asks Brittany how and why she decided to come aboard this ship. Giving her a short summary, Brit asks the same thing in return.

Quinn shrugs. "Same as you really, running away. I'm sick of my parents making every decision for me. I'm sick of sitting at home doing nothing. And sure, I don't have to worry about money anymore, but my husband … he's not a bad man, but I don't want to be with him. My life is just … boring!" Quinn's eyes get dull for a moment, thinking over the last few years. "So yeah, with nothing to lose I thought this could be the thing I'm looking for."

Brittany takes a second to take all this new information in. She never thought she was going to see Quinn ever again, boxing her in a deep hidden, happy, memory in her mind, cherishing the weeks they had together. And now, suddenly, at the last place she ever thought to possibly bump into the girl, here she is! In the most unpredicted way possible, miles and miles away from home, coursing to the other side of the world, there Quinn is.

Brittany really thought John was going to be the only person she knew on board.

Now that she thinks about it, it does give her a sense of comfort to see Quinn back. It certainly is nice to see she's alive and well, she worried about her for a long time.

Brittany motions Quinn to sit down on one of the crates next to her, looping an arm around her in the process. "Well … I'm so happy and relieved to see you alive and well Quinn. I missed you."

A small smile tugs at the corners of Quinn's mouth. "I missed you too Britt." Quinn lays her head on Brit's shoulder, finding some comfort in a familiar face on board. "Now what have you been up too these past few years? I've heard rumours about your brother, but I've never heard word of you, I was afraid …" Quinn bites on her bottom lip. "At one point I was afraid something might have happened to you too, you know." she clears her throat, shrugging away the negative thoughts. "Anyway. Seems like we both worried about each other, but in the end we didn't need to. So I'll repeat my question, what happened to you after I … left?"

…

The old friends catch up for some time, telling stories about what the other one missed. Brit's life has certainly been a bit more exciting then Quinn's, who literally almost never stepped foot out of the house when her parents didn't want her too. Nevertheless, they soon discover they still get along well, conversation flowing fluidly. Both have grown up over the last years, but they're easy going dynamic they had as fifteen years old, never passed.

When the moon is starting to rise to its highest point, Quinn excuses herself to start her tasks and Brittany suddenly feels the exhaustion taking over.

Planning a meeting place and moment the next day, Brittany bids Quinn goodbye. The shorter blonde, still surprised Brittany forgave her so quickly for her departure and lack of goodbye, thanks the blonde again for her forgiveness. They give each other another long hug before Brittany walks out towards her own cabin.

Feeling happy about how the day went through, Brittany walks away with a small smile on her face. Brittany didn't have a lot of friends back in the streets of London. She didn't feel the need for it either. Her brother was more than enough. Though Quinn … something triggered her to get to know her better. Seeing others making friends with each other … it made her take a leap of faith to try that out with Quinn.

That worked perfectly well at first, until she suddenly disappeared. Brittany didn't do any more effort to find another friendship ever again. Her quirky nature was lost on most anyway. She'll never forget how Quinn never judged her, even though half the time she didn't know what she was talking about.

So the smile is for that. Childhood Memories. Relief of Quinn being fine. Release to the thought of Quinn abandoning her for no reason. Happiness for Quinn that she was able to get herself out of an unhealthy situation. Having another familiar face in these close quarters.

It's nice to know.

Another strong wave makes Brittany put a hand on her mouth of the nauseous feeling that's taking the upper hand. Her stomach is calling for attention. Again. Brittany prays she'll find her sleep before her seasickness will win their battle of the day.

…

After another day of hard work, the siblings make themselves ready to sleep. It's not very comfortable in such a small room, but they've had worse sleeping arrangements in their childhood, so neither are complaining. Having a roof above their head and something else than a hardwood floor is already a small blessing.

Before John blows out the candles, Brittany takes in a deep breath, asking her brother to keep the light on for a moment. She figures it's best to rip the band-aid of quickly and tell him her plan of exploring the New Land on her own. Before she chickens out again.

As predicted, John's worry takes over and refuses to listen to her plan. Once again, Brittany tries to explain how she's ready to find a new life for her own to live. How living in London didn't feel like living for her and how everything would be better than surging the streets of London for survival.

When she talks with hope about the New World, John snaps.

"Brittany. I love you, you know that. But those New Worlds… They're not any better than London. There are other dangers you've never even thought off that could happen. And most of all, there are savages walking around on those lands, you think they'll allow you to walk freely there?"

"If I wouldn't immediately shoot them and call them savages then maybe I will!" Anger courses through her veins, sick of the endless discussion where her brother never listens to her. "Maybe you're the savage one instead. They have every right to attack you when you step foot on their land with nothing but ignorance in your mind."

It's a heavy blow to use against her brother, she knows it. They've talked about this multiple times already on this boat. How she doesn't understand her brother feels the need to act on violence and call them savages in the first place, yet John at his core, doesn't want to harm anyone either.

But John has had it with the passive aggressive lines. They disagree, what's so difficult for Brittany to understand about that?

"For the love of God, Brittany, this world isn't all unicorns and rainbows. If I wouldn't act like that around these men, then I would be an outcast. They are savages. I've seen them killing hundreds of our men. They don't want to talk, they fight. I don't like violence. You think I like to hurt people? Not at all. But this is the real world Brittany." A defeated feeling crashes over the older brother. He takes a step back, getting some thinking space. "I wish there was a better way but there isn't. So if I have to act more arrogant and tough to survive in this world, then I will."

Brittany doesn't let it go. Not now. "And do our men use the right way?" Getting only a shrug in response she approaches her brother. "Do we save them this way? Attack first so they won't?" Her voice wavers for a second, agony clearly hearable in her voice. "All those New Worlds our country is conquering. All that gold that comes back to our shores. It's not ours to take… If you wouldn't fight then they would still have their land. If…"

"If I didn't fight, then someone else will finish the job." John interrupts. "It's as simple as that Brittany. Don't you see it's not something we can stop? I don't want to fight either, but I have to. It's how this world works."

"Not if you take a first step and don't pick up your gun it isn't."

"The world doesn't work like that." Seeing no reaction from his sister he gets even more agitated. "Stop being stupid and naïve Brit, we can't change the world. It is at it is."

Regret immediately flashes through his eyes at the mistake he's made. He knows his sister doesn't like that word. And he certainly knows she's not stupid either. It was just a slip of the tongue.

He wishes he could see the hope his sister sees in this world, but he just can't. Not after seeing so much of the dark side of the world. But calling his sister naïve and stupid because of having hope … that's low, even for him.

Brittany thinks so too. Instead of falling apart at his words, she steps up. Her voice is almost silent, her tone extremely dangerous. "You call me naïve brother, but we've been raised on the same streets. I know with a single look which person wants to help me by giving me something and which ones will use it against me. Who made sure we've got food on our plates every day during our childhood? Me. Who made sure nobody found out we lost our parents, preventing us getting separated, when people came snooping around? Me."

She grits her teeth at feeling her own anger. "You call me stupid, and sure, I may have my moments, but I didn't make it this far in life to get treated like this. I made it on this boat didn't I? I made sure you still had a roof above your head in London to come back to, when you were traveling to God knows where? I managed to convince this crew I'm just an equal part of this voyage as anyone else. I've made .."

"I know. I'm so sorry B…"

The younger sibling silences her brother by raising a single finger. "Don't interrupt me. I know you're sorry, I feel it. I see it in your eyes. Doesn't make it okay. I don't care about your opinion anymore. Once we've made it to the New World I'll go out on my own and we'll see from there. I'll make sure to not get too far away so I'll notice when the ship will go back to London. I'll find a way back to you. Then I will decide what I will do. This is my life, and I know how to live it."

"I'm sor…"

"NO! you don't think I worry about you? You don't think I wanted to say to you I don't want you to go on this adventures? You don't think I've stayed awake for nights in a row, praying I'll see you again? You don't think I contemplated to beg you to stay in London with me forever?" Tears start to form in both their eyes. "Every damn time I saw you, I wanted to keep you safely in my arms and never let go. But I didn't. I didn't, because I don't own your life. I know, deep down, you have a restless heart. You … we both yearn for adventures. We yearn to explore. So I let you." Her eyes become even more glassy at this point. Years of built up hurt and anger comes to the surface. "I never understood you couldn't do the same for me."

Before John can grab his sister's hand, she's out of their cabin. Guilt rushes to his veins, realisation of how bad his behaviour towards her has been, flashes through his mind. He really messed this up. The bumper in their relationship these past few years, didn't come out of lack of seeing each other… It came out of a lack of not listening to his sister.

He curses himself to hell for a moment. This is not him. He was raised better than this. He's so similar to his sister, though she's so much stronger. She doesn't let people around her manipulate her behaviour. He did let that happen to him…

…

When the moon has already travelled halfway through his course for the night, Brittany steps back into their cabin. Both haven't slept a moment yet, but John keeps still until she laid down to speak up.

"I'm sorry Brit. I know I'm not acting like it, but I know you're strong. I know you know what's best for you and I apologize I didn't act like it before." Getting no reaction out of her he continues, though with a heavy heart. "And … if it's really that important to you, then you have my blessing to explore on your own. I realize I've been selfish. I've done nothing else then jumping straight into danger and new lands, making you worry about my safety … I think it's time the roles were reversed… if London really makes you that unhappy … and you really don't want to stick around this crew for now … then I'll find a way to help you."

Brittany doesn't really give a verbal respond, but searches comfort in the arms of her brother. Both stay awake for a long while, hesitant and worried for the other. Nervous for what the next weeks will bring for them. But they're there for each other. No matter what.

And being here together, in this moment, close to each other… it brings them a peace they haven't felt in a very long time. It's a moment they'll cherish for the rest of their journey to the New World, and beyond.

…

Two days later. Near the village of Powhatan's tribe

"Santana?!" A woman runs through the woods, followed by a raccoon and a hummingbird close by. There's no worry on her face, only awareness for finding the woman she's calling for.

The woman that's calling for Santana, is named Pocahontas. She's the daughter of Powhatan, the chief of the Powhatan tribe. Santana is her niece, though she practically sees her as a sister. You see, Santana has lost her parents at a very young age. Killed by a neighbouring tribe they once were at war with.

Those people that killed her parents, knew they were close family to the chief in command and figured Powhatan would give up.

You see, Santana's father is Powhatan's eldest child. There is more than twenty years age difference between him and Pocahontas. Powhatan had his son when he and his wife were both barely nineteen. To their greatest joy they raised him together, hoping he'll have a sibling soon. But they were out of luck.

It took more than twenty-two years for his wife to bare him a second child, Pocahontas. Unfortunately, and to his greatest grief, his wife died during giving birth to Pocahontas. Nature blessed him after so many years of sadness to the wonderful miracle Pocahontas, but it came with a great price.

Barely two years later his son's wife had the great joy of baring her own child, Santana. News travelled fast that Powhatan, barely forty-five years old now, will live to see a grandchild of him growing up… That news became the downfall for his son. A few years later, war broke loose between a hostile tribe a week riding from here, and they thought they found the tribe's weak link.

They were wrong. Once news travelled the village of the beloved couple getting killed, a new found force breathed within them, and the war ended within the day. Chaos, joy, sadness, victory and grief all happened very closely after each other.

When everything was calm again, there was place for grieve. Santana, already old enough to comprehend the situation at hand, was inconsolable for weeks. Powhatan didn't speak a word for a week, grieving the loss of his oldest son. Pocahontas, because of the huge age difference, was never that close with her brother, so she helped Santana and her farther through their biggest sadness when time was ripe again to move on.

The tribe had a peace for longer than ten years after that. Trading with their neighbouring tribes without a glitch, great cultivations of their corns and fruits … the seasons came and went, sacred fires made every night, though very few of them Santana witnessed.

It's been clear almost instantly that Powhatan would take Santana under his household. Since she and Pocahontas weren't that far apart in age, they figured they'd entertain each other. For most of the time that was correct, the village seeing them grow side by side.

All the same, Santana's life is very different from Pocahontas'. For one, Santana does not have the responsibilities of being next in line to lead their tribe. Her niece does. Santana has the freedom to keep herself from the village for multiple weeks. Nobody will miss her. Pocahontas can't do that.

Though the nieces are very much alike. They're restless spirits. Village life isn't exactly made for them. They're always looking for something new. Listening to the silence of the forest. The whispering of the wind through the leaves of the trees. Exploring new rivers, never sure what the next riverbend will send their way.

Pocahontas has envied Santana's freedom for having the option of staying away for so long. Sure, the daughter's chief can explore too, but she needs to keep close to the village. Witnessing Santana's lack of engagement in their village … it's a blessing and a curse she's got such a great responsibility to fulfil.

However, her envy for Santana's freedom never lasts that long. Every time she sees her father back, safely in her arms, standing next to her … she feels Santana's grief coursing through her veins like it is her own. She's forever grateful to have him in her life. Her father means so much to her. Same as Santana's parents where the beating heart of their daughter … losing them … it made Santana more closed off. More offensive. More fearful off non-existent dangers.

That fear for dangers is what thrives Santana to what she does today. Despite her lack of showing it to her niece and the few friends she has, she does care immensely about her people. Her tribe is her life. That's what her parents raised her to do. Powhatan may be the chief in command, but her parents were the silent safekeepers of their tribe.

So ever since her parents were killed, she felt the immense need to never give anybody else in their village the same faith. Nobody knows, not even Pocahontas, but most of the times Santana doesn't even walk that far. She protects the village. She trained herself to be the best spy she could ever be.

She guards the village. In any way she can. Defending the walls of their village. Searching around for newfound danger. The less time she wastes in helping the daily tasks in the village and talking with friends, the more she can protect them. She has her eyes and ears open at all times, trying to be one step ahead of newfound danger. People think she's been miles away from home, but most of the times she doesn't walk that far.

"Santana where are you? The warriors are back!" Pocahontas calls into thin air.

It's been a few week since the older niece saw Santana. Time works different around these forests. A few weeks is nothing for Santana to be away.

Pocahontas understands her need for wandering away from the village at some level. It frustrates her how difficult it is to see her sometimes though. She misses her. It can be a challenge to find each other in the weeks Santana is wandering around.

"Santana?"

Pocahontas looks around in the forest as far as her eyes allow her. The smoke of the fires, made out of celebration for the return of her father and his warriors, are a distant dot from here.

She's close by her Grandmother Willow, so she knows she can find her niece here somewhere.

At a time like this, when the warriors from their tribe return, Santana won't be far away. And Santana knows to keep close to their grandmother when Pocahontas wants to speak with her. So she's sure the younger niece will be near. Especially since there's such a huge turmoil going on in the village. For most the times their tribe experiences peace, but now and then an enemy tries to bring them down. However, the cheerful callings of the returns of the warriors means another time of peace will begin.

She calls again, and after a few moments there's rustling out of a nearby bush. The daughter's chief of the Powhatan clan closes her eyes and focuses on the noises around her. She knows her niece is somewhere within a close distance radius. The only question is: where exactly?

After a deafening silence that lasts more than a few minutes, Pocahontas hears footsteps nearby, sprinting towards her. The only thing she can do is embrace herself for the hit she's going to have to endure, before a smaller body collides with her, letting them both fall on the ground.

Laughter erupts from the smaller woman and she tries to keep Pocahontas' hands locked. The black haired woman doesn't want to lose without a fight though, so she kicks the woman above her and tries to outsmart her.

It's a battle that takes more than five minutes before Pocahontas calls out a truce. The news she's got today has worn her out faster than she wants it to. Santana stops her movements immediately, but speaks up, curiosity taking the upper hand.

"What's gotten into you today niece?" There's a teasing tone in her voice. "Are you seriously asking for a truce, afraid to lose or something?"

They both try to catch their breath, and Pocahontas looks down to her clothes. "See, this is why I don't look for you more often. Every time I see you, I have to wash my clothes because they're covered in dirt. My father doesn't like that I come back home, representing myself like that."

Ignoring the teasing bit of her niece, Santana changes the subject. "How's that grandfather of me doing? I saw the boats across the river, nobody looked hurt that bad. And he looked relieved too. Everything went fine?"

Pocahontas wrinkles her nose. "You know I don't like it when you call him your grandfather, it makes me feel so old!"

Santana sticks out her tongue, their younger images taking the best of them. "Well technically he is, so I'm not saying anything wrong aren't I?" She teases. Getting no snarky response she decides it's not the time for annoying her further. "But you ignored my question, how is he?"

Pocahontas looks a bit dejected, thinking back to the conversation she had with her father a few hours ago.

"He's fine." She mutters.

Santana, still lying on the ground, frowns and turns on her side to look at Pocahontas. "Just fine? I thought you would be more excited to see him back then this?"

Pocahontas' expression softens for a moment. "Yes of course, I'm extremely grateful to have him back … it's just … I'm having this dream for a while now and I asked him for guidance … and I didn't like what he said."

"What did he say your dream meant?"

Pocahontas looks up to the sky. "Kocoum asked to seek my hand in marriage and he accepted."

Santana coughs out of shock. "Kocoum?! The one who never smiles? That serious one?"

Pocahontas nods in affirmation. Santana crosses her arms and huffs. "Well that sucks."

Rolling her eyes, the black haired woman pushes her niece gently. "Geez, and here I thought you were going to give me some wise words."

Mischief glistens in the younger woman's eyes. "That's your doing, my precious older niece. I'm just the wild one who's out of control."

She pushes Santana's shoulder again, pulling herself up in a seating position in the process. "That's not true. Don't talk about yourself like that."

Santana sits up too. "Whatever. So back to you. What … what do you think about that?"

"I don't like it, of course. Sure, he brings stability … but you and I both know that's not what I need. And I can't seem to let go of this dream I'm having." Pocahontas ponders.

"What's the dream about?"

Pocahontas' face goes blank for a moment, trying to call back the exact details of her dream. "It's like this arrow that's turning endlessly. It starts to spin faster and faster, until it suddenly stops."

Santana gets a puzzled look on her face. "Hmm. Well, I can't help you with that." Santana frowns. "I can just say that you know and feel with your gut. Don't let anyone force you on a different path." Seeing Pocahontas deep in thought she continues. "Maybe you should see grandmother Willow. I'm not going to admit it to anyone else, but that woman has given me some advice I've never forgotten. She knows her stuff."

Both standing up, Pocahontas calls out for Meeko before she responds. "You're right. I'll do that." Helping her niece stand up by offering a hand, Pocahontas questions Santana further. "Now back to you. What did you do these past few weeks?"

…

When the nieces have caught up with each other's lives, Pocahontas makes herself ready to go to her Grandmother Willow.

People would think off a human form, but their grandmother is nothing like that. Grandmother Willow is actually a talking tree spirit. She's old and wise, all the clichés you could think about when you think about a wise old guidance counsellor. Both woman visit her often, finding guidance there.

Pocahontas bids her niece goodbye and Santana waves when she's almost out of sight. She didn't show it, but the younger niece is a bit worried. She's never seen her niece so distressed. Whether it's about her dream or about the turmoil's in the town, the brunette doesn't like it.

When she starts to collect her own stuff she mentally thinks about ways to keep a closer eye on her niece for now. She's got a gut feeling that something huge is going to happen. And even though Santana doesn't have as much instinct as Pocahontas, the bottom of her stomach is asking a lot of attention right now. She just can't quite put her finger on it, never mind predict whether it'll be a good or a bad thing.

Santana checks her weapons before she puts them away.

She's got a recently sharpened knife, bow and arrow and some small throwing knives she's recently learned how to use. She's got a feeling she has to keep them close for now. Their village might have defeated their enemy, but they're not the only enemy lurking around the bushes. It's a big world out there.

Santana will be damned if she won't try to protect her close ones at all cost.

She lets Pocahontas be for now, she's a big girl and Santana did a quick sweep of the close perimeter of the village, so nothing major could go wrong.

Pocahontas did mention her uncle would like to see her, so the first thing on Santana's list for now is to take a stroll back to the village. He's been away for a long time. Greeting her beloved uncle is the least she can do.

Yet for the most part, she'll keep her eyes and ears open for trouble. If anything is going to happen, she wants to be on top of it, asap.

Later that afternoon – on the ship

"Come in."

"Good day Governor. I've got a crew up and ready to set foot on the lands. I've handpicked them myself. However, at first glance I don't think we'll have any trouble. Do I have your permission to go first with my crew?"

The governor is standing in front of the mirror, barely looking up to make eye contact with John. Though it doesn't surprise the brother, he's still annoyed by it. Ratcliff isn't noticing, or is ignoring that annoyance and waves his hand without turning around. "You have my permission. If you see any natives, make sure they don't disrupt our mission." He commands.

"I'm sure I won't get anything in my hands I can't handle."

After getting the okay from the governor, John rushes over towards his cabin. Brittany is putting away the small amount of clothes and things she brought with her in a small cloth bag. The eldest pauses in the doorway for a second, once again worry overwhelming him. He tries to ignore it, sensing no use in it. This is what his sister wants, and by the look of excitement on her face … how can he stand in her way?

Plus, he certainly doesn't want this reunion to end in a fight. Lord knows when they'll see each other again… If they see … No, John shrugs the negative thinking aside and instead walks into the small sleeping room they've been sharing over the past few weeks.

Once he sees his sister ready and packed he clears his throat to gain her attention.

"You ready sis? I just got the okay from the Governor. You can go with me and Thomas on the first boat. Nobody will notice if you wander around the bushes and don't immediately return. I've said you'll be a scout to explore new terrain, so nobody will go looking for you the first few days. After that we'll see how we'll handle things. 'S allright for you?"

Brittany gives her brother a grateful smile. "Thank you Johny." They give each other a brotherly hug, letting it linger for a while, realising the importance of this moment.

"Just … don't get yourself killed." John whispers to her. "I won't." She mumbles into his shoulder.

When they part their hug, she grabs her brother's shoulders. "The same goes for you. Promise me the same?"

"I promise." He sighs. "Now.." He grabs a large linen bag he put in the corner of their cabin. It's filled with food, clothes, small weapons, a blanket and a tent. "I've asked around, and I've made this for you, it's filled with things that come in good use when you'll be wandering around on your own."

Brittany takes the bag and thanks him. Once they're both outside the cabin, John takes one last look inside, cherishing the weeks he's had to get back in touch with his sister. He closes the door, worried and excited what new adventures will await them in this New Land.

When they're walking towards the deck, John loops an arm around his sister. "I love you Britt, you know that right?"

Brittany stops for a moment before she replies. "Love you too brother."

When other men are starting to come in sight, the siblings let go of each other. Before they can get on deck, Brittany suddenly remembers something.

"Ow wait, I'm just going to say goodbye really quick to Quinn. See you at deck?" John nods and walks over towards the deck, Brittany walking in the other directions towards the meeting spot Quinn and her have been using over the past few weeks.

It's been a very nice surprise for Brittany, gaining contact back with Quinn. Despite her lone-wolf lifestyle, Quinn was a nice change in that, at least for those few months. Now, more than five years later, it's like a second chance they've got. And they didn't ignore it. They talked to each other almost every day for the past weeks.

Talking about the missing gaps in their history, thinking back to old memories, telling their dreams and wishes, … it's been fun. Brittany is going to miss that. Quinn is going to stick with the crew for now, helping around. Building a fort and tents they'll use to sleep here.

Since Brittany is not going to do that, they'll be separated once again…

Once she sees Quinn waiting for her near the storage room they've been using, she comes to a stop and bids the blonde goodbye.

"Don't be a stranger Britt."

"I won't." Brittany's piercing eyes look up. "Go find your happiness Q, you deserve it."

A small tears escapes the smaller blonde's eyes. She nudges Brittany. "God, Brittany, you act like we're never going to see each other again. We'll find a way, at least we're on the same side of the world!" Quinn jokes.

Brittany shoves Quinn playfully, before she gives another fast embrace. When she hears the men calling for departure, she scurries of towards the deck, readying herself to be the first part of the crew that'll set foot on the ground again.

…

Brittany can barely believe her own eyes when they see the New Land approaching. She's never seen that much nature before. Having grown up in the streets of London … a small forest is already amazing to her, but this … it's indescribable what Brittany feels. It's breathtaking. Beautiful. Untouched by humans… It's exceptional.

Believe it or not, the blonde immediately feels more at home than she ever felt in London. John comes to a stop next to his sister, a small surprise transforming on his face from the vision in front of them.

Brittany turns around and gives her brother an excited grin. John is in awe of his sister's reaction. It reminds him of the first time he saw something out of London, and he grieves his selfishness of never sharing this before with his sister.

The look on her face makes him forget about the past though. If he wasn't convinced before, then he's sure now she doesn't belong between the English men and woman. She needs adventure. She needs nature. John just hopes this place will be one of peace…

Once the boat is anchored, John, Thomas, Brittany and a few other crew members take the first few boats to get their feet back on the ground. Brittany is fidgety. She can barely sit still for more than a few seconds. She can't wait to feel the earth between her toes, breath in the forest instead of salty sea, see the animals that live on the land with her own eyes.

When all seems to go too slowly for the blonde, she has to contain herself to not row any faster than the other crew members. In the end that'll only slow them down.

In the corner of their eyes, the siblings see the governor standing on the deck, visualising the situation. John thought it would be best if she went North and he went South, in that way it'll definitely look like they'll both be scouting the direct environment for possible danger.

They've already bid their goodbye's to each other in their cabin to not bring any suspicion to anyone. Brittany gave a bearhug to Thomas on deck, which he didn't exactly understood the reason for, but allowed her to do anyway.

Part of her is going to miss Thomas too. She won't wander too far away at the beginning, trying to keep in touch with her brother and Quinn. Maybe she could even see Thomas back again, if the opportunity calls for it.

God knows what her path will bring her. Will she ever go back to London? What will John do? Can she leave her brother when the settlers and invaders decide this land is not the place to build a new town?

Those are all what if's, the blonde will worry about later. For now, adventure awaits!

A few days later

Brittany is living.

She's never felt so alive in the twenty-one years she walked on this earth. Sometimes she's still not sure whether she's in some corner of her imagination dreaming away, or actually living in the real world. The fact that she hasn't found a unicorn wandering around in these bushes makes the blonde a little more convinced she's awake though.

A bit to her own surprise she's surviving pretty well. She managed to feed herself, find relative warm and dry sleeping places (though springtime and a tent help immensely) and found places that take her breath away again and again. She's put herself in some tricky situations, but none of them came even close to a fatal ending. Most of the times she witnesses things that made her leaving stunned and perplexed.

For example, yesterday she saw a waterfall. It was as high as she could see, a rainbow showing all the colours, reflecting on the water. Her ears listened to more than an hour to the waves making music when they fell down into the river on the bottom.

The day before that, she decided to find a hiding place and survey the local fauna and flora. She's never seen so much diversity in animals, small and large. It was a small disappointed she couldn't take a closer look to any of them, they were always very aware of her presence, which made them run. They were very suspicious of the strange smelling human, with clothes and skin colour they're not used to. Brittany figures she must seem as a threat. And they're not the only one …

For the moment Brittany is hiding behind a small bush. This morning she heard voices close by, and she immediately recognized one of them as the voice of her brother. Pleasantly surprised the blonde wanted to say her greetings, but another noise made her stop. It was a foreign voice to Brittany. That's why she's hiding. She wants to estimate the situation further before she'll intervene.

To her surprise she sees her brother interacting with a woman she's never seen before. The tanned woman looks like she's from around here. She's walking barefoot, wearing a bright blue necklace around her neck, almost brown-blackish eyes to match her beautiful black hair and she wears clothes made out of a texture Brittany never seen before.

It's the first time she sees her brother since they set foot on this land and part of her is incredibly shocked to see him communicating with a local person. Brittany wasn't even sure yet if there were even people living here at all! She hasn't been in the company of anyone these past few days.

Or that's what the blonde thinks …

A few trees behind Brittany's hiding spot, there's another person lurking. It's Santana.

For the past few days, Santana's been frantically trying to protect and help her village nonstop. Ever since the strange looking boat set its anker on their lands, Santana has been on high alert. She's been walking back and forth between her village and the place where the foreign ship was floating. Between those paths, she's been trying to make sure she's aware of every stranger walking around in their forests.

That's how the brunette found herself in the situation of following the mysterious blonde in front of her around, adding another responsibility next to her other tasks. Santana's been on and off common roads villagers use, the coast, the village and wherever the blonde went.

Luckily for Santana, the mystery person is very trackable. It makes Santana even a bit suspicious how she's not even trying to cover up her tracks at all. Is it pure arrogance? Is it believing there is no danger around? Nothing makes it look like her mysterious blonde is aware of her, but the brunette stayed cautious through the days.

Seeing her interact with her surroundings, Santana learned a few things about the woman she's following around. The blonde sees beauty in practically every little thing she passes. She's got this childish way of trying to interact with the animals, which she tries to do with the upmost care. She's got no clue how to make a proper fire that doesn't have a risk of burning the entire forest down. She's got little clue of how to survive in the open nature. No clue of finding her way in a forest and loses her stuff almost daily, making her obligated to try to find her way back to her previous overnight place to find her stuff back. But most of all she's got this sensitivity around her, a deep care for the plants, trees and living creatures around her.

Part of Santana is amazed by that. When she's spying on the rest of the strangers, she finds nothing like that.

They dig into the land, with no care if there are creatures living underground in that region. They kill trees with saws and fire and explosions Santana doesn't understand. They scare animals away from their nests because of their loudness … they act like they don't care about their environment at all.

Santana can't quite seem to figure out what's so different about the person who's wandering on her own. Part of her fears she's here to spy and give back intel in a few days or weeks. That worries Santana. And the fact she hasn't figured out the strangers' intention yet, makes her even more scared.

Especially after this morning.

She just heard news of one of their warriors getting hurt when they were (also) spying on the strangers. The wound he has … their local healer can't heal it properly. He's never seen something like that before.

Good news is that he'll survive, but if it would come to a war tomorrow … Santana's people would be in great danger.

So the Latina needs more intel. Their village needs more information about these strangers. What their intentions are. What their weapons work like. What they want. What they think.

So here we are. Santana spying on Brittany, spying on John and Pocahontas.

It's the wrong move from Brittany, because believe it or not, Santana is extra protective of her niece. And seeing the blonde spying on her niece … Not a good move in Santana's book.

What is this blonde woman in front of her up to? What is her plan? Why didn't she attack already? And why hasn't she reported back since the strangers arrived? Santana hasn't seen any other person beside her stepping foot deeper into their land. Except the blonde man standing at Pocahontas' side. He's much less good looking though …

Not that she looked. Nope. Santana certainly didn't notice those curious blue eyes exploring the forest. She didn't notice her nice and soothing voice she uses when animals try to approach her. And she most certainly does not think this woman in front of her is the most beautiful woman Santana has ever seen in her life. She most certainly isn't curious to what the woman would look like without her cap, overly large sweater and long pants on. Nope.

No. What if her beauty is part of their trap? She's already seen this woman in front of her using a knife. If she would approach her niece now, then it would be two against one! What if it's a trap?!

No. Santana has to act now. Pocahontas can hold her own with one person, and a few days ago she saw Pocahontas interacting with the same man. So apparently he must be … okay.

But it's up to Santana to avoid a dangerous interaction.

Making no noise, she sneaks up to the blonde, who's still not aware of the person behind her. Santana contemplates what to do, because she doesn't want to start a fight.

Remembering something her father learned her a long time ago, she figures it's a time as this that's good to try it out. She grabs a small rock, checking that it doesn't have any sharp edges, before approaching the blonde as close as possible. She's in luck, because said victim is still not aware of being watched, too focused on what the hell her brother is doing right now.

Brittany is confused. She doesn't understand John right now. He never told her of immediately interacting with the locals. So why now? Should she talk to them? Is that a good idea? At least she could take a closer look. Right?

Blindly grabbing her stuff behind her she makes herself ready to sneak a bit closer until …

Suddenly the world turns black for the blonde. The mysterious woman that followed her hit her on the head in one smooth motion.

Smiling in triumph Santana throws the rock away, relieved she doesn't have to fight. It gives her the time to think her plan out. It gives her time to determine a plan to interrogate this woman… it's already too late anyway in the day to bring her back to their village before nightfall.

Grabbing a rope she carried with her, she ties the blonde's hands and ties the other end of the rope around a small tree.

As for her niece … Pocahontas and John have walked away to another place and are out of sight now. If Santana is not mistaken she's going to Grandmother Willow. Which is strange, why would she bring a stranger with her? That place is one of great importance to them. You don't bring anyone around their guidance spirit. Who is this man that Pocahontas makes an exception for? And why is Pocahontas letting him be in her presence?

Shrugging away her confusion, Santana decides to wait until her victim gains conscious again. She makes a small fire and makes herself comfortable, hoping the wait won't take too much time.