The Warrior of Neverland

Lagoon

She was up before the sun, taking to the trees, scavenging the jungle. Her hands gripped the familiar limbs with ease, her feet curling around the branches for balance. She'd jumped like a monkey through this forest all her life, which was thousands upon thousands of days. She crawled like an animal, feeling the mud through her fingers.

She stopped near the steep slope that led up to the pixie's hollow and swung out from the trunk, perching on her toes. Her eyes scanned the forest, catching sight of the river just ahead.

The sparkle of bells rang on the slope, and she looked up to see a fairy zipping down, headed determinedly to some destination, as the fairies always were. It was nothing more than a blur of light as it passed, leaving a trail of dust dissipating in its path.

Tigerlily could hear her heart beating above the enchanting sounds of the jungle. She kept her eyes on the underbrush, searching for movement, knowing she'd see it soon. One glance at the sky and she figured she had twenty minutes or so before she had to be back at the camp.

There! She saw the river ripple at some disturbance, and she crawled around to the other side of the tree and leapt from the sturdy branch to another, then another, coming closer to the river. She could hear the whoops and hollers now.

She stopped only when she reached the Crying Tree, a weeping willow that hung far over the river. There was a large branch hiding in its leaves that was perfect for hiding and watching, and Tigerlily crouched there, watching the Lost Boys stumbling in the shallows on the far side of the river.

A quick scan revealed that Pan wasn't with them. She frowned, but waited patiently. He was always off doing something else, discovering something new, creating some new adventure. Just before she decided to jump from her branch to the ground, a voice startled her.

"Hello, Tigerlily!"

She turned sharply to see Pan, swooping off his hat and bowing low. Tigerlily glanced back at the boys, then at Peter.

"No London girl?"

He shrugged. "I didn't find anyone." He smiled lopsidedly. "How'd you know I went to London?"

"I saw you come from the star last night."

He jumped up and grabbed the branch, swinging back and forth for a second before pulling himself up and sitting down next to Tigerlily. "Did you see the ship in the lagoon? You know what it is, don't you? It's pirates, Tigerlily! The boys and I can finally have real battles-"

"Battles? These pirates might not be enemies."

"Pirates are always enemies," he said offhandedly, pretending to slice through the air with a sword.

Tigerlily paused. "The tribe is taking a welcome party to the ship."

Pan stared at Tigerlily for a long second, then jumped to the ground and wouldn't look at her.

"Well, that's stupid."

Tigerlily rolled her eyes. "What's stupid is this whole London girl thing."

He whipped around defensively, looking up in the tree. "I know she's there somewhere," Peter said. "I just have to find her."

"You've brought seven girls to Neverland, Pan, they always want to go back home," Tigerlily said, a laugh in her voice. She crawled back towards the trunk of the tree, ready to go back to the camp.

"How's the Jungle side of Neverland?" Pan asked, changing the subject.

"Better than the forest, as always," she smirked.

Pan smiled broadly. "Ah, I'll fight you for that."

Tigerlily disappeared through the trees before he could, leaving the laughter of the Lost Boys in her wake.