Neverland - Peter Pan - OUAT Fanfiction

Chapter 38 - Parallax

I had spent too much time training. I had calluses on my hands in places I didn't know calluses could exist. I knew I was using it as a tool to escape the reality I was living in, but I wasn't sure how to fix whatever was making me want to escape. I was hiding from him, I knew that much. My whole being was pulled in every direction when I thought of him. I was angry with him, scared of him...but somehow. I shook my head. No shred of logic existed as to why I was still getting butterflies thinking of him near me. It hurt too much, was I crazy? I was insane. That made sense.

I flipped the blade in my hand, watching it rocket towards the target and twist into the bullseye.

"Its time to put that arm to good use, Girl." The voice made me turn uneasily. Felix stood at the edge of the clearing, club resting lazily across his shoulders.

"What?" I muttered in response.

"You're coming along in todays hunting party." Felix watched my expression with amusement.

"Me?" my voice cracked.

"Pan's orders." He turned on his heel, obviously expecting me to follow.

What choice did I have?

After a quick breakfast we gathered outside of Legend. I had strapped a spear to my back with a thick leather strap and a few knives to my thigh. I couldn't help feeling fierce but wasn't thrilled at what the weapons meant. I wasn't a vegan by any means, but I felt uncomfortable at the thought of hunting with primitive weapons. I had gone fishing, but other than that I hadn't really killed anything but the occasional fly or mosquito, much less a wild boar. I walked up to the edge of the group, met by a chuckling Nate. It didn't look like he had fully realized me going wasn't a joke. It seemed to finally dawn on him as Pan turned to leave after a quick approving glance of the group.

"What? Her? Actually hunt? But she's useless!" Nate sputtered.

Then again, there was a first time for everything. Those rotten pigs could take a flying leap. I wasn't about to let Nate get away with a comment like that. I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and shoved passed him as the group started to move out, ignoring Nate's protests.

Nate's backup arrived late, gasping for breath just as we left Legend behind. A few eyerolls greeted a still queasy looking Byron. He was recovering rather well, besides the hallucinations. To my relief Timothy was also getting stronger, making a quick comeback.

Will was still to injured to go hunting. I assumed I was the replacement. It was Pan, Felix, Seth, Nate, Byron and I who set out into the icy morning. I couldn't say I was exactly comfortable with the group; over half of them hating my guts.... come to think of it, Seth might be the only one who didn't have a strong opinion towards me, but that was just an assumption at this point.

No one had told me what to expect on the journey and I had neglected to bring my cloak. That was my first mistake. The chilly forests' breath nipped at my flesh, the dryness shortening my breath as we pressed through the trees. We walked for many hours, only stopping for a couple of short breaks that were few and far between.

After the sun had reached its summit and began to descend, signaling the afternoon, a stag was spotted. We pursued quietly, the buck leading us to his small herd of four does and a couple of juveniles. Seth produced his bow and noiselessly fitted an arrow to the taught string. Nothing that I noticed had given us away, but the stag suddenly seemed to stiffen and become alert.

In a moment he had gathered his little herd and led them without delay through a small ravine that cut through the mountain in front of us. The alpha had carefully led his charge through a thicket, making it nearly impossible to get a clear shot as the sure-footed creatures disappeared into the undergrowth between the mountain.