Heart of the Sea

Chapter 13 - The Oncoming Storm

Killian noticed the darkness that had started to grow beneath Lili's eyes the next morning once everyone had gone. "You alright lass?"

"Fine." Her tone was clipped, a wee bit impatient with the question.

She was most certainly not fine, but he wouldn't press it. Didn't want to upset her any more than she already was.

Thunder rumbled, and Lili smirked a little; apparently the weather was in tune with her today. Her smile quickly turned into a frown and she rushed to the bathroom. She cursed. The storm would be starting soon. Her lip twitched and she sighed. Some days she hated her hair. She returned to her bag and quickly pulled out a hairband, roughly pulling the now impossibly poofy ball of hair back, tightening the band, knowing her scalp would be sore by the end of the day before she pulled her beanie on. "There."

"Problems, lass?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like you don't remember the crew giving me hell for it when a storm was coming."

"It was a good luck charm!"

"Now it's bloody vexing."

"What time d'you think it'll be here?"

She stepped to the window, poking her head out, taking a deep whiff. "Mm...six o'clock?"

"I say eight."

"What're we wagering?"

"Mm, fifteen minute massage?"

She grinned. "Sounds like a bet." They shook hands, and spent the rest of the day in relative peace.

Lili's mind calmed some as she continued her sketch of the captain, and was finally somewhat at peace by lunchtime. (Killian was the one to suggest it. She was grateful, as she'd probably forget to eat otherwise.)

For dinner, Lili fixed up a hearty stew, perfect for a dreary, cloudy night. Killian left early so as not to get caught in the storm. (Lili figured she'd need to pay up tomorrow, though she still had hope the storm would break on her side of the clock.) The storm broke at 7:01, and Lili swore the fates were mocking her. Henry convinced her to tell a few of the more harrowing tales from Neverland as thunder rolled and rain spattered the windows, of battles with the mermaids and the days they'd lost fifteen men to Echo Cave.

Lili's expression was grave in the candlelight. (Henry'd insisted they use candles and turn the other lights out.) "Pan'd captured a few of the crew and hid them in Echo Cave. We tried a helluva lot of things. Tried grappling over, driving a stake into the ground on our side, throwing the hook across. The first few times it slipped, but one of the men on the other side caught it. The three of them held it steady while two started to climb across. Without explanation, they lost their grip and fell into the chasm. This happened twice more, and the lahst time, the weight of the men pulled those in the cages over the edge. We tried to pull them up, but to no avail. The cages were empty when we reached the end of the rope."

"But that's only..nine men. What happened to the other six?" Henry asked.

"Sharp lad. Pan found us and told us the key to Echo Cave, about the secrets, and we broke into battle there on the edge, enraged as we were. That was how we lost the other six; the Lost Boys managed to push them over the edge or kill them during the fight. I was nearly lost that day too, Rufio nearly had me. He'd pressed me back against the edge and managed a good shove. I remember my stomach dropping as I felt the soil slip from beneath my heels. Then the captain saw." A small, beaming smile lit up her face. "His hook snatched out and caught me by me britches, and he pulled me back up to safety before he tossed Rufio into the ravine. Pan retreated, and what was left of us made it back to the Jolly to lick our wounds, as it were."