Elizabeth of the Lily

The Jolly Roger Returns

Lost Boy Rule: Never negotiate with Pirates. They cannot ever be trusted to keep even their word of honor. 

The Jolly Roger landed with a muted splash in Cannibal Cove and hoisted anchor. The Crocodile clock donged the hour of ten. Captain Hook, who was on the main deck, smirked with cold satisfaction. They may have been too late to get the girl, but they were just on time to do some hunting. Maybe there would be some stray lost boys to wreak revenge upon the Boy. 

"Mr. Smee, assemble the crew on the upper deck and we will have hunting tonight." Hook drawled. 

With a gleeful smile Mr. Smee responded with an, "Aye Captain." then set about shouting gathering all hands to the upper deck. 

All faces turned towards the Captain who intoned, "In recompense for a day wasted, I give you men an opportunity to relieve your ire and go hunting tonight." A cheer rose up from the crew. Hook motioned for silence which was immediately in appearance. "Not all can go tonight, as some men will be needed to watch the ship, but your turn will come the next night. Mr. Smith, Mr. Flint, Mr. Watchman, Mr. Boone, Mr..." he listed off twelve more men and those were assigned to stay with the ship. The rest were split up into teams to hunt on different parts of the Island. They hunted for many things: food, Faerie-made spirits which they called grog, Wind People foolish enough to be beyond their boundary, and lost boys. Hook was always especially happy when they brought in lost boys. 

---

Since all lost boys come from the land beyond the barrier, the land of non-magic, they had something that most in Neverland did not. A potency in their souls, that grows from being lost and then found and loved. 

Hook was very good at one thing: doing whatever was needed to be done to win. And he did want to win very badly. He hated being outmatched by Pan, out magic-ed by the Fae, out maneuvered by the Wind People, and out navigated by the merfolk. So he stole a secret from the Deep Ones and began the tipping of the balance of power on the Island. 

He had stolen the secret knowledge of how to reap souls. 

This dubious skill took those poor souls and harnessed them to do his bidding, some very special souls he used to create magic, like the kind that made his ship fly. Peter Pan had lost many a lost boy to this sick practice of Hooks, though the Captain was not the only soul sucker on the Island.  

The Dark Fae were also soul eaters.

---------------------- Back where the Hideout disappeared-------------------------------

Ryan and Hunt had indeed been too late. They were right on Lucky's heels and were even at the entrance but got distracted by a sound in Cannibal Cove which was nearby. It was the unmistakable squelching splash of the returning Jolly Roger.  The boys had only hesitated for a few seconds, but it was enough and they were left behind. 

Hunt began to curse loudly and thoroughly. Ryan, more level headed, climbed the nearest tree to the very top, to see if there was a sign of which way the Hideout Tree had gone. If you knew what to look for, you could see the trace of green dust that served to give a direction to the Tree's new location. Ryan could see that the tree had headed to the South of the Island in the direction of the Camp of the Wind People. 

"We'll need to head towards the Wind People" He called down to Hunt who was still cursing. When Ryan landed, both boys began to run in that direction. They knew that the quickest route was nearby on the Winding Path, but Dark Fae had a habit of haunting that trail. Ryan decided that it would be safer for them to make their own trail through the woods instead of attempting the Winding Path. So the boys set off not bothering to cover their tracks.