The howling, the cheers, the drumming were too loud for Mara, it irritated her head that it pounded against her skull, she wanted the loud noises to stop. When she opened her eyes, her vision was a blur for a moment until she blinked few times to adjust her sight. She first saw blurry black shadows dancing in front of the dancing flames, she was slowly adjusting as she noticed the boys were dancing around the bonfire, all in hooded cloaks and masks.

It reminded her a bit of pow wow, she seen this before but with an indian tribe dancing. The Indians were rather better and amusing than the Lost Boys. The Lost Boys' music was quicker.

I'm still alive? She was stunned and confused. The thought startled her, weren't they supposedly kill her? She does remember what happened, a boy who had his chance to kill her, she was only shielding herself with her sword before falling off the edge and hit her head on something hard.

And here she was, still alive. Surrounding by a pack of wolves and they're not doing anything but dancing. Mara sat up slowly, her head worsened when she lifted her head that she winced as she shut her eyes. She found herself away from the dancing circle, they weren't paying attention to her at all, they danced pass by her as if she wasn't there.

"Had a nice nap?" A voice said behind her.

She fidgeted as she turned to see Peter Pan standing by her with an amused smile given to her. She didn't had any words to speak, but she wanted to ask a few questions. She didn't know which she wanted to know first; why were the Lost Boys dancing? Why is she still alive? Why hasn't he got her killed?

She returned her gaze at the boys, "I'm not dead?" She uttered in perplex, had her hand on the back of her head where it took a land and felt a bump.

"Not yet anyways" he grinned as if it was funny.

Mara frowned at him, she cannot be rude towards him anymore, "No one killed me, why?"

"You were unconscious, where would the fun be with you unconscious?" Pan stepped to her side, "I'm much impressed that you lasted quite long than I expected"

"I've went through worse" Mara murmured, bringing back the memory of that night with the Ogres.

She could see him in the corner of her eye looking at her, sensing a taunting smile on his face. "The hunt isn't the worst" he replied.

Her gaze never departed from the dance, she noticed twilight had broke, and wonders how long she's been out of conscious. She needn't to know that anyway. She avoided what Pan had just said, "What's happening here?" Questioning about the boys dancing.

"Mainly celebrating"

"For what?"

"For you"

Mara's brows instantly dropped before glancing at the boys, her face scrunched a little and her expression was complete perplex. "For me? Why?"

"You're a newbie, you're one of us now" his wicked smile remained.

She was almost appalled, but was not even a little appreciated. "So you nearly had me killed and then you're suddenly celebrating for me being one of you. Yes, sure I appreciate that" she responded derisively. "I've been here for barely three days and I already almost died couple times" she stepped away, turned, found a sat nearby and sat down.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to almost dying" he turned to her and stepped closely toward her.

Somehow she found his words intimidating and part repulsive. He didn't sound like he was making a joke at all.

"Most of these boys nearly got their heads shot by the poisoned arrow, get stabbed and slashed by knives or impaled by spears"

When Mara glanced up at him and giving a disgusted look with a bit of aghast, he shrugged.

"Although, some did got shot on the shoulders, legs and arms and get slashed, but they were no life-threatening wounds at all and I'm sure you as well will able to get through them as a lot of these boys did" he flashed a grin as if finding it all funny.

"You're all mad!" She uttered, staring at him in aghast.

"I suppose we are, makes the games more fun, don't you think?"

Mara couldn't listen to any more of his barbaric words, she sighed exasperatedly, standing up without looking at the boy again, turned then made her exit out of the camp.

She strolled through the dark jungle, there was barely light from the moon and barely saw where she was going. She stumbled a lot while walking, she kept walking forward until she heard a river ahead. The howls and the drumming were still heard, faintly anyway.

She found the river, she nearly fell forward when she suddenly stumbled upon a small steep hill but sent her half running down until she reached the ground. Her feet did slipped onto the river. She frowned.

She cupped her hands into the water then drank which she did a few times before moving back away and sat down to relax.

She always wondered through dark woods like these, spent many nights in them, slept through, slept on the trees and grass and sometimes she'd go through them throughout the night until she reached next village. Which is how Mara got used to dark forests. She should be afraid like how most would but she wasn't. She would only worry over the night creatures that lurks in the nights but she rarely encounters any of them.

The occasion in the camp was still heard, she admitted she found the music and the dance quite nice and enjoyed listening to it. Even with that mysterious harmony she had heard earlier that travelled through the trees to her ears was soothing, it even made her fall into amazement and daze, she wondered how could such music like that would make her feel that way, easing, comforting, like everything she had went through and everything she was worried about went away all of sudden. Mara smiled like she never smiled before.

When the music stopped, she didn't want it to stop, whatever that was, it wasn't the drumming or the Lost Boys were making, it was something else.

She stayed where she was, the occasion seemed lasted long, and it stopped until an hour later. That's when Mara attempted to sleep despite she fell unconscious all day. She tried and tried and it took her very long to fall asleep again.

In the early morning, she was woken by a smack on her leg, something like a stick was smacking her ankle couple times. They didn't stop until she opened her eyes.

A boy was standing over her with a wooden spear in his hand, looking sternly as he stared down at her. This was the boy she ran into yesterday during the hunt, he let her run and showed no intention of harming her. He stood at Pan's side and appeared to be his left-hand boy.

"May I help you?" She was groggy.

"Pan wanted me to get you back to the camp," he replied, he sounded serious.

Mara got on her elbow, looking left and right to see if anyone else was around but it was just the boy. "I don't really need someone to guide me back to the camp" she responded not so harshly or rude, "I can find my way back"

"I know you can but I insist" he said.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" She sat up then got on her feet slowly.

"My name's James and I'll be your guide duration of Pan's absence"

"Where did he go?"

"We don't question him at all, nor even bother of asking what his favourite food is or the name of his parents" his tone was rather ironic.

She sighed, "Great, I'm stuck with you for now"

"Believe me, I think you're lucky you're stuck with me rather than with Pan" He stumped his spear on the ground.

Since he let her go yesterday and did not attempt to kill her at all. He seemed less intimidating than Pan, so this boy had a good point. She was hesitant at the moment before responding, "Lead the way then" she gestured him to go.

She followed him out of the clearing and went back to the camp.

***