Happy Thoughts || Peter Pan

Chapter 18

Peter Pan

It took Peter days to fly around all the mountains with Avery on his back, and so far they had only found caves inhabited by mountain lions and cave bears, which still often led to them narrowly escaping the cave with a ferocious beast at their heels.

When they flew around, Peter would talk about the island. At last he could tell her about it. He had held back, afraid he would say things that would scare Avery away, but no matter what he said now, he got a hundred questions in return. He told her about the concept of time, which did not exist in Neverland, how nothing grows older and stays young. And he told her about the seasons, which were in fixed places around the island; there was the snowy, wintery mountains with its glacier, the valleys in full bloom through spring, the pines and deciduous forests with their red-orange leaves in a forever autumn and the beach, where the sun always shone and the palm trees enjoyed the warmth of their summer. He was relieved that he could trust Avery and that she listened. Even when he finally dared to talk about his time after Wendy, the Lost Boys.. About Jacob. He caught himself regretting the moment when they discovered another cave. And that he had to let her go again.

'There! Is that another one?' she pointed over his shoulder and Peter followed her slender finger, pointing among the trees at a dark hollow in the mountain. Peter sailed across the sky toward the mountain and landed right in front of the cave's mouth. It was bigger than the others, almost too big for a predator to hide in. It was deep and dark inside, and Peter couldn't see farther than a meter inside.

When Avery took a step forward, he stopped her with his arm. 'Wait here a minute,' he said and walked ahead of her into the darkness. He had absolutely no intention of letting Avery walk in first. He would first check for wildlife himself. Unfortunately, his eyes just didn't seem to adjust to the darkness. He really couldn't see anything! But he didn't hear anything either, which was reassuring. When he walked back to Avery, she was not where he had left her, but she stood hunched over outside the cave. 'Avery?'

She looked up and seemed busy with a sturdy stick, around which she had tied pieces of fabric she had torn from her dress. They didn't look fresh, but he recognized the smell. 'Why did you smear those with tree resin?'

'I'm making a torch. Can you make a fire?' She pressed the torch into his hands and he looked at it, impressed. She was far too clever than was good for her. He smiled and quickly started the fire.

The torch burned quit well. Normally Peter always used animal- or fish fat, but tree resin worked fine, too, and he didn't even have to hunt for it. 'Come on.' He took the torch firmly in one hand and Avery in the other. He held her close as they walked deeper into the cave. It was so dark. He couldn't afford to lose her. He was amazed at how far into the mountain the cave ran. They had been walking for minutes now and nothing changed. Sometimes they even flew bits because sharp stalagmites blocked their path.

He pricked up his ears when he heard running water, and not much later they passed a small stream that sprang from a cavewall and surged past them.

'Is all that from the snowy mountains?'

He nodded, but wasn't sure if she had seen.

'It does run a long way, don't you think?' Avery's question echoed down the tunnel, and the tremor in her voice betrayed the tension coursing through her. Peter couldn't deny that he didn't feel the same, but he could not allow himself to show that to Avery. He held her hand tighter. 'Just stay close to me. I don't quite trust this.'

Suddenly Avery let out a scream and jumped up against Peter. Peter immediately drew his sword and pulled Avery behind him. He shone the torch into the cave and saw a fat rat shoot out from behind a stone. He chuckled softly and stowed his sword. 'It was just a rat,' he replied and turned back to her. His stomach turned when he saw her eyes, large with fear, tearing up. She breathed shallow, did not move a musle and looked down at the spearhead resting against her neck.

'Lower your weapons!' Peters voice echoed powerfully through the cave as he made his request in the Indian language. It remained dead silent; the spearhead did not move. And then a clear voice sounded between the walls, and Peter's heart fluttered with joy.

'Do as he says.' From the deep shadows appeared a face he feared he would never see again. The interwoven beads produced soft sounds when she moved. Flames flickered in the stern, deep brown eyes.

Peter smiled from ear to ear when he saw the Indian girl he hadn't spoken to in so long. She hadn't changed a bit. Still just as beautiful, still just as fierce. He took a deep bow and Tigerlilly flew around his neck, 'That took too long, Pan!' she said, smiling. She pressed her forehead against his. Then she looked back at Avery, looked her up and down before she spoke again. 'Are you Peter's new Squaw?'

Avery looked back at Peter confusingly, since she probably didn't understand the word 'Squaw'.

Peter shook his head laughing and held up his hand to Avery, which she doubtfully accepted and stood beside him. 'This is Avery,' he said, 'she is the one who found you.'

Tigerlilly looked at Avery for a moment and bowed to her briefly. 'Thank you for bringing Peter to us.'

Avery nodded and bowed her head to the chief of the tribe. 'It wasn't an easy task,' she said and smiled at Peter.

Tigerlilly turned and beckoned the two, walking deeper into the cave.