Saving Peter

Chapter 30: Wendy

I stayed in the shadows watching my brother after I ended our talk. I see him leave the camp and follow him. It doesn't take me long to realize where he is going. Straight to the beach. Which probably means one thing, he is going to warn that pirate about what I have been up to. Or, more accurately what I asked for his help on. 

I think about going after him to stop him. To shut him up. To keep him from ruining things for me. But I pause and think about it. As annoying as this might be, it may turn out in my favor. After all, why melt my brain trying to figure out these insanely frustrating riddles when I can just follow someone who already knows where the prize is? Work smarter not harder, right? 

I get comfortable leaning against a tree in a hiding place in the trees by the beach where I can watch without being seen. I've been patient so far. I can be patient a little longer, especially if it will lead to my goal. They say patience is a virtue after all. If that is true, then maybe I'm not as horrible as they all claim I am. I have at least one virtue. 

I watch my brother row out to the ship and board. Odd, I don't remember there being a boat on the beach before. I shrug, it isn't that important where the boat came from. After all, it is being of use to me right now. I can't see what is going on on the ship, but I notice that he made it onboard just before they cast off and started moving though the water. Well, if they're going to be out all day, I might as well get comfortable. 

I start drawing in the sand absentmindedly, keeping the ship in my vision as much as possible. After all I am going to need to know where they are coming ashore. Not just to follow them, but to make sure I am not spotted when they do come ashore. Being unseen is key in my plans right now. But I also have to be sure that I can see them. 

I don't even realize I started humming until I hear myself absentmindedly singing the riddle that has been bouncing around my mind for the past few days. The one that tells the way to the door to the Fae realm. "This tale begins where dark meets light. Where one must fight with all their might . . ." I don't really pay attention to the words anymore, they just continue to spill from my lips without a second thought. 

It's written in such a lyrical way I start to wonder if it was originally a song. It might make more sense that way. It is a good way to remember the confusing clues after all. Very clever. But who needs a song to point the way when I have a pirate, a princess, and a Fae? A small laughs escapes my lips at the unintentional rhyme. Maybe I have had riddles and rhymes on my mind for too long. 

My mind continues to go around the riddle, though at this point I know it is not only no use, but not worth it. I have a much more efficient method of finding it now. Instead I try to focus my energy on thinking of what I'm going to do once I get there. After all, I won't be alone when I discover it now. And I have no idea what will be on the other side. There aren't exactly a lot of stories that I can use for a reference. 

As I transition from one thought train to another I realize just how ridiculous the riddles actually are. I know the whole point of a riddle map is to confuse people. But it still seems a little too ridiculous to me. Not just because it is essentially unsolvable, but because there are so many other ways to conceal the whereabouts of a secret location than to disguise the directions in a riddle. What about invisible ink? Or not even writing it down in the first place? Seriously, the whole thing seems beyond unorthodox and completely ridiculous. 

This revelation only makes me feel more foolish that I didn't bother to think of taking this more efficient route to the answer earlier. After all, I wasted all that time trying to solve the stupid thing when I could've just done this from the start. That enchanted woods must've really done a number on me and my ability to think clearly. 

I shake my head to clear it a little. Regardless of how I got here, I know where I'm going now and how I'm going to get there. The rest doesn't matter. I return my thoughts completely to what I will do when I find the door to the Fae realm. After all, that is my new goal. 

The Fae realm is supposed to be practically pure magic. But unfortunately only the Fae are able to use that magic. Or that's what they tell everyone. Part of me wants to see if I can find anything useful there. Another part of me is so annoyed with how this scavenger hunt has been going that I just want to close the door, permanently. So no one on the other side can come and interfere with my plans and goal. Maybe I'll find a creative thing to do that is somewhere in between the two options when I get there. But so far, these two options are the best ideas I have. And I am perfectly content to do either one. 

I don't exactly know how I would achieve either option. But it shouldn't be that hard to figure out, right? maybe I'll get lucky and they will open the door for me. Or they may let something slip on the journey there. This possibility only reinforces my conviction on my current plan. If I can gain any information while following them, I have to take the chance. So far I have just been a nuisance to all of them and they have been doing all the heavy lifting for me without even knowing it. The longer I keep this trend going the longer things will go in my favor. 

I keep drawing in the sand, occasionally looking up to spy the ship in the distance. A smile gracing my face just thinking about how everything is just starting to fall into place. And, with any luck, by tomorrow night I will not only know the location of the door to the Fae realm, but I will have either entered it or closed it for good. And that pirate and her pet fairy are going to lead me right to it.