Her fingers, and wrists bruised, she felt some parts around her torso and legs growing bruises as each time she's been hit by a wooden sword. Practice fighting with Tootles was long but not painful, Mara only wanted the training to be done already. Throughout the training, she'd hear soft and quiet laughs from the boys around the training grounds, watching how much of a sloppy and terrible fighter she was.

"Stop" James called, Tootles had raised his wooden sword as Mara prepared to defend herself but both halted. Both heads turned to Pan's left-hand boy, "Take a break"

Mara was relieved that she heaved a sigh, she sat down on a steep hill and tossed the wooden sword away. She hated training but maybe it was better to train than to do whatever else they do around here. James brought her a canteen of water, she took it but didn't drink right away. She massaged her fingers and wrists and two of her fingernails were bleeding.

"What happened there?" James sat down beside, meeting his gaze but he was glancing at her hands.

"Well, I just fought Tootles so--" she shrugged.

"No, the scar on your hand, it looks recent"

Mara looked at the back of her hand, a barely-healed scar long from her wrist to the middle of her hand. "I was practice sword fighting with Killian about couple weeks ago, he cut me on accident" she finally drank the water from the canteen.

"How did you wind up on Captain Hook's ship anyway?" James was curious.

"I needed a ride" she replied simply, she pour a bit of the water on her bloodied nails then rubbed off the dried blood. "Killian kindly offered me a spot on his ship and to repay the spot, I'd clean up his ship"

"And where were you off to?"

"See the world" she didn't sound sad but she felt it anyway because of how disappointing it was when her adventure was cut short. Out of all places in the sea, she ended up in a place where no child grows.

"The world is too big, seemingly impossible to see it all" the boy muttered.

Mara said nothing to that, instead she was curious about him, "How did you wind up here in Neverland?"

James didn't respond right away, "Kinda like you wind up here. Few years ago, I was in a ship that was run by Captain Black Beard, vile pirate he was. We came here, he came here for something, a poison called Dream Shade, nasty stuff-- then he met Peter Pan, somehow Black Beard seemed to knew of him already. He needed the Magic Bean, so he sold me for it since Pan collects the boys who are Lost and here I am"

She wondered if he ever hated this place as much as she does at the moment, "Were you glad?"

"Honestly, I didn't like the sound of this place in the beginning but I got used to it, better than out there where I'll be alone for the rest of my life"

"And better by living out here forever and ever as you never grow old?"

"Who wouldn't think it's better?" he looked at her with his brows furrowed.

She wanted to say something, something that could possibly be offensive to him, bash about Neverland to him but instead, she said nothing and looked away.

"Anyway, continue"

"Who're you to order a girl to do something?" she didn't say it too harshly.

"Just doing what Pan ordered me to do, watch over you and guide you, whatsoever" he shrugged.

Mara sighed, stood up, and picked up her wooden sword as James called Tootles to continue.

Tootles wasn't that terrible as she was, the shy boy kept stumbling, not always, just sometime during the practice, almost tripped on his own feet or barely kept his balance and such. Tootles was a bit clumsy, Mara can see why James chose Tootles to practice fighting with her. She only hit him half a dozen times before James informed them to take another break. The other boy in charge was Pan's right-hand boy, Felix, who was watching over the other half of the boys and at the same time, practice shooting with a crossbow. James, however, Mara had never seen him fighting or practice with any weapon despite carrying a wooden staff.

When Mara noticed her canteen was empty, she had to ask James where the river was, he seemed too busy talking to the right-hand boy to take her and he responded "Just go straight there--" he pointed the west side, "--and it won't be hard to find"

She went where James was pointing, just straight ahead she went, the boys were still heard after taking about a hundred paces before hearing the river ahead. The weather was quite warm today, but she could feel the breeze coming from the ocean hitting her. She didn't want to continue training, she wanted to just stroll around, maybe take a look of the island and see what else is out here. When she reached the river, it was her chance to go, run off into those woods, skip training and tour herself around. She wouldn't care if she made Peter Pan mad or even James.

Pan said Neverland is a place where she could do whatever she wants. If she does not to train, then she won't. She'll might as well go for a walk. When she filled up the canteen, that's when she went to other direction, she followed where the river was flowing to.

It wasn't a long walk when she reached the end of the river, little waterfall from the river into the ocean, she found herself in a cove, it wasn't the same bay as yesterday where the Jolly Roger stayed. It looked more of lagoon though. Mara thought it was beautiful, especially the waterfall, flowery and green vines around. She climbed down the rocks, jumped off and landed on her feet on the rocky shore. She wanted to take a clear look at the waterfalls, she walked off further away.

As she was walking, she heard a splash from the water, she halted for a moment until thinking it could be only a frog or some sort, then kept going. It was another splash that sounded quite big, when she looked again, and to her surprise, she spotted a woman in the water but her head into the surface and staring right at her.

The woman was blond, heart-shaped face, her skin so white and clear looking, her lips were visible pink. Very beautiful that Mara envied of the woman's looks. She flashed a kind smile at Mara. "It's a girl" the woman's voice was hush, soft and as if she was announcing.

Another woman popped up out to the surface, her head out, this one had dark hair as raven's feathers, "A girl?" she sounded surprised.

"Girl?" another came up who had brown hair, then another then another and another. Few more, there were at least a dozen of them and different hair colors and skin tones. All said "Girl" when their heads popped up and said it like a song in a hush voice.

Mara was astonished, her mouth gaped as she stared at each woman. What were they doing in the water? The question went into her mind, but took a moment until she realized, "Mermaids" she whispered.

"Not just a girl--" a woman with dark hair and olive skin said, "--but a pretty one"

"Pretty, pretty girl" a red hair said.

"Come, pretty girl" the first mermaid rose up to her chest, her blond long hair covered most of her chest. "Come play with us, swim with us, we'll show you our secret"

Are these the inhabitants that James mentioned before? she wondered. He did say she wasn't the only girl on the island but were these mermaids he spoke of?

Every mermaid gave her a kind smile, she heard of them before, she had never seen one before, and she wasn't sure if they were whether friendly or not.

"Secret, we'll share with you" another said.

"Just play with us"

"Swim with us"

Mara was hesitant, something in her stomach told her to not to and didn't felt that they were trustworthy. These were creatures, and every creatures she had seen before her eyes were rude, cruel and vile. "I'm sorry" she responded finally, "I already have people to play with" she didn't want to mention the Lost Boys. "I'm supposed to go to them now"

I should leave, she thought, just walk away and leave. She did, she turned around, surely the mermaids can't just swim or walk onto the shore or anything if they were that vile enough to attack her or whichever. She stepped toward the forest when she heard one of them demanding "We said come play with us!" Something tangled her ankle instantly, yanked back and she fell on her arms and stomach. She was being pulled toward the water.

Mara tried grabbing onto the ground as she could while being dragged, she kicked and try shaking off the rope or whatever they used. She was already in the water until the rope snapped, she thrashed before getting on her feet then drew her sword. One of the mermaids was just a few feet away from her as she raised her weapon over her shoulder. Before she could swing, she felt a hand grasping her wrist from behind.

It was Peter Pan, looking all stern at her, "What are you doing?"

"They tried to drown me!" she exclaimed.

He pulled Mara behind him and looked at the mermaids "What did I say about leaving the Lost Boys alone?"

"She's no boy but a girl" the same blond mermaid responded all serious and she seemed to be the leader of the women. "She was the one who stepped onto my grounds"

"And we just wanted to play with her" one of the mermaids snickered.

"Again, I warn you all to leave the boys and even her alone" Pan replied sharply.

"As long as they don't come near" the blond mermaid sneered. With that, Pan turned, nudging Mara to go, she did, when leaving the lagoon, she heard the mermaids laughing.

***