Over 1K Reads! Woo-hoo! Thanks so much for continuing to read my updates. I tend to fall off fanfic writing rather quickly but your votes and comments are helping me push through and finally complete a multi chapter story.
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"Not so big and bad now are, ye?" Harry gloats at the two pirates tied upon the ground. "Dad is gonna be downright furious when he comes to. Glad I won't be around."
He is feeling chipper after having downed a thermos of strong black coffee that Uma swiped from the Slop Shop. Coffee makes him a hyperactive mess so Uma limited his indulgence in the strong drink.
"Come on, Harry," Uma tugs at his arm. "No time for games. We have a lot of ground to cover before sunset."
And with there being so little sunlight on the isle as is it was important to take advantage.
Harry and Uma hop into the rowboat with four other crew members one being Gil who are quietly waiting. The weather is in their favor as the waves are surprisingly calm this morning.
"We have one goal today and that's to find this treasure. I'm counting on all of you to not let me down. Now when we dock everyone will split up in pairs," Uma instructs her crew.
"When you think about it it's actually quite enthralling," Harry expresses. "We're exploring a part of the isle that's barely been touched. Who knows what lies in the forest on this part of the isle?"
Uma elbows Harry. "Don't scare them mate. They're going into the forest by themselves. The last thing we need is for them to be too paranoid to successfully complete our mission."
It's uneasy as is being out on the water in such a small boat. The water around them is a blue so deep and inky looking one can't even anticipate what lies beneath the surface. And there's a bit of fog making it so they can only see but so far in front of them.
Two of the boys with them were a couple of years younger than Uma and Harry and this is the first big thing they were doing as members of the pirate crew. The smaller of the two, a little blonde boy named Hawley, whom Harry had nicknamed Naïve piped up.
"Do you really think there are monsters in that forest?" He asks fear present in his wide brown eyes.
"Oh, I'm sure there are your standard goblins and ghost of pirate's past," Hudson, one of the older boys taunts the younger boy.
Hudson is a year older than Harry and Uma but joined the crew simply to be part of a group. Being a loner on the isle won't get you far and alliances are the only way to survive. He is tall with dark skin and short dark brown hair and swoon worthy hazel eyes. When it comes to being charming he even has Harry Hook beat and that one of the reasons Uma keeps him around despite his defiant streak. Unlike Harry he didn't have that extra dose of insanity that caused people to run in fear. Hudson's façade masked his true intentions.
"The goblins wouldn't gather on this part of the isle," Uma states matter-of-factly. "There's nothing for them to trade or control."
"We still have no clue what types of beasts call this part of the isle home," Hudson reminds her.
"I brought my bow and arrows," Gil taps the equipment under where he's seated.
"Don't worry mates I handled the Kraken; did I not?" Harry boasts. "These beasts have nothing on me."
Uma rolls her eyes and turns to the front of the boat where land is appearing through the fog.
"Land ho!" Uma yells to her crew who are continuing their rowing carefully navigating past the rocks close to shore.
Harry smiles at the look of determination on Uma's face the closer they get. He knows from their adventures over the years that anything Uma puts her mind to she can achieve. They won't be leaving empty handed, that he's sure of.
This side of the isle was much lusher than other parts boasting more green and healthy looking trees. Though the sand is black here like the rest of the isle it isn't so gritty and absent is the trash that litters the rest of the beaches. This sand is softer like the sand of the ocean floor.
"The map only shows what part of the island it doesn't give good instruction on where the treasure is located," Uma explains. "Don't expect a big 'X' to mark the spot. Neverland pirates are daft but not that daft. Look for patterns and anything out of ordinary."
"We shall search in pairs of two," Harry instructs everyone handing out two pocket watches. "The area is small but there's plenty of ground to cover before sunset. Let's meet back here in 2 hours to check our progress."
"So Harry and I will pair together, Gil and Hawley are together, and Hudson and John are together," Uma declares. "Let's hope this treasure is worth the hassle."
"I've been waiting for this opportunity," Gil proudly states. "I won't let you down, captain"
"I hope not. I expect a lot from you. All of you," she turns to the other crew members.
"Off we go then," Harry secures a small tan leather backpack on his pack and starts walking towards the palm trees where the forest begins.
Uma follows Harry's lead walking close behind him as they go through the winding forest dodging stray branches and looking for clues. The air is thick and humid and though there's still clouds some sunlight manages to shine through.
The pair reaches a clearing where there are two bridges made of thick vines secured by trees on both sides of a river. Uma stares down into the greenish-brown water which looks to be at least a 20 ft drop with an uneasy expression. Unfortunately for her there's no other way around unless she wants to walk back and try a different path.
"Don't worry," Harry attempts to assure her "I'm sure it's secure. And if not at least you can swim."
"You're not making me feel any safer," Uma glares at him. "And I'm pretty sure if we fall we can die on impact."
"No one ever feels safe around here," Harry reasons. "Sometimes you just had to take a leap of faith." Harry pushes her onto the bridge and follows close behind her.
"Make a move like that again and I may just have to demote you to second mate," Uma snaps desperate gripping both sides of the bridge to steady herself.
"I'll be your first mate not matter what."
Swallowing her fear Uma marches forward. She was halfway across the bridge when she felt her foot slip through the vines. Uma wiggled her foot trying to free herself from the tangled mess but no such luck.
"Harry, I need your help!" She shouts back to her first mate with pleading eyes.
Harry chuckles to himself before bending down to help free her ankle.
"It's alright I've got you," he says standing upright once again.
Finally they reach the other side and their footing is on solid ground again; and not a moment too soon because the old vines finally snap.
"That could've been us," Uma points out.
"But it wasn't we're safe. Onward to the treasure," He declares once again leading the way.
"Have you noticed any type of patterns or markings?" Uma asks. "I feel like we're just walking aimlessly and we've been doing this for almost half an hour."
"I have oat bars and water in my backpack. Let's stop and take a quick rest," Harry offers pulling her close.
"I don't need a rest," She turns in his arms. "I need to find that blasted treasure."
Harry pushes back a few stray blue curls that have fallen from her bun do to the humidity.
"You look so sexy with curly hair. You should wear it out of the braids more often."
Uma playfully pushes on his chest before leaning in to kiss him. Harry runs his tongue across her lips begging for entrance. His arm tightens around her back and Uma places a hand on his neck.
Suddenly they feel a bit of rumbling beneath them. Before either could react the ground gave way sending the pair tumbling down.
