Mara had a cold wet cloth on her head where she was hit by Thomas, her head throbbed a little, the hit that ended the second round. Sitting, scowling and humiliated, they were all back in the camp.

She caught the eyes from Thomas, Felix, Nibs, the Twins, Rufio and few other more gazing at her from across camp, all grinning and snickering at her. They were making fun of her as usual. She felt no humiliation this time, but rather infuriated.

"That wasn't bad" Curly commented, "I mean, it was a bit bad but I've seen terrible"

"Is that supposed to cheer me up?" She mumbled.

"No, merely a compliment which wasn't meant to cheer you up" Curly half laughed.

Mara moved the cloth to her cheek bone as she frowned. "But we did see worst of the worst before" James added, "you're not a worst fighter we've seen"

"I have a feeling you're trying to cheer me up" she replied, "if you were, it doesn't work"

How long will it go on? She might have to fight again on the morrow, if not, then the day after morrow. What if it goes on forever and the fight never ends? To think about it sounds rather exhausting for Mara.

"Can I give up?" She murmured as she turned her head at James.

He shook his head, "Can't" he leaned forward as he rest his arms on his lap, "Pan says you must until you take the boy down"

"That boy is no boy but a man trapped in a twelve year old body" Mara remarked.

James just snickered, "He only fights like a man, he's got a mind of a warrior, only because he was one of the first Lost Boys Pan found. They're both few centuries old. His mind only grew but he's still a boy"

She has thought of that about Thomas, she guessed Felix was also one of the first Lost Boys. "Felix is one of the firsts as well?"

James nodded "Aye. Rufio too... and Slightly"

Mara wrinkled her brows before turning head to her left and her gaze found Slightly with Tootles sitting nearby. She was actually surprised that Slightly was older than she thought, he was quiet, though he said couple words to her during training. She only hears dozen words from him each day. He was also the most sullen looking boy in the camp.

"You know, since it's free time the rest of the day I hope" James stood up, picking up his staff, "come with me"

Mara glanced up at him and giving him an odd look, "Why? Where we going?"

"I'm going to train you" he nodded to his side, "come on"

"But I prefer to stay here and catch a break while I can"

"I wasn't asking, come or I'll get Pan to get your arse up"

She scowled at him, eyed across the camp and spotting Pan sitting with Felix. She wasn't really afraid of him but rather not to face the boy. "Fine" she sighed then got on her feet. James lead the way, they weren't going to the training grounds because she noticed they were heading the other way. "Isn't the training grounds that way?" She pointed over her shoulder.

"Yes" James gave her a look. "We're going somewhere else"

Mara followed him out of the camp, it was just the two of them leaving.

The training took place not far from the camp, it was a meadow place that was filled with small white flowers, and the grasses were tall about up to Mara's knees. It was the only pretty place within the dark jungle. It was mostly cloudy and sometimes the sun came out. It was warm, not too warm.

In the middle of the meadow was where they stopped, James had another staff hidden within the grasses which Mara has to use to train. "Alright then, shall we begin?" James took his cloak off and toss it aside.

"No" Mara whined as she sighed.

James laughed, "We won't need to fight much, you're going to practice swinging, guard yourself and learn to fight with a staff"

She heaved then exhaled sharply, "Fine"

James approached her until he was close, drawing his staff and she followed, "We'll start slow . . . Left--" it was her left when their staffs smacked together, "--right, left, right, left, right, down, up, down, right, push--" he gave her a slight push on her staff guarding her chest that made her take a step back.

She swallowed a groan, taking a deep breath before they continued.

On and on, they went on with the swinging for full hour, they went from slow, quick then faster. He always told her to keep her eyes on the enemy and she would able to see the weapon in the corners of her eyes. In near the end of the hour, James needn't to warn or say where to swing as Mara was getting used to it until he aimed down which went behind her ankles and threw her down.

The first hour of training was finished and that's when they took a break.

While they were having snacks as they both sat on the grass few feet from each other. It was quiet for the first few moments of the break, no sound but their chewing, distant howls from the boys in the camp and the moving trees caused by the breeze.

"What happened to your family? Your parents" she asked.

"Long gone I suppose" he responded, "I suspect they're dead, I believe every parents of Lost Boys are all dead"

"Right" she replied quietly. She wondered about about Pan for some odd reason, "You know Pan much? You two close or something?"

He didn't say quickly, "He didn't found this place alone, he doesn't speak about the person he was with long time ago even if I tried to get him to talk but I assume whoever this person was is dead" sensing pity in his tone, "he was once a lonely boy, I guess that's why he brought the Lost Boys into this place, he found Felix, Rufio, Thomas and Slightly"

It almost made sense where Peter Pan got the word 'lost' from to call his boys because he was the first Lost Boy.

"Pan may seem cold and cruel, but he does care, he cares about the boys. Them and this place is all he's got, I suppose that's why he never leaves this place and never intents to ever"

"He's got a funny way to show that he cares" Mara mumbled, "I mean, these games we play, the rules and punishments... That seems...torture"

"Playing games is how we learn to survive, we learn from games, we learn from punishments and the rules, all of it is merely training because of the incoming wars we might not expect"

"Wars?" Mara was confused.

"There are men out there that know of this place, most of them desire eternal life, staying young and they're going to want to this place" James explained, "Some men are afraid of death and they believe that this place is the key. They're gonna want to take the place all to themselves. So all these games is how we train to grow stronger, smarter and better and be prepared for the war. We protect the place from the people who do not deserve this place"

Neverland can't fall in the wrong hands, Mara thought but there were still things she doesn't quite understand. "But...why are we not allowed to leave? Why does Pan keep us here?"

James furrowed his brows as he looked at her "He's not" looking very confused, "No one ever said you're being kept here, you're not a prisoner or anything. If Pan has you here, he has a good reason, you're lost like him, like me and like the boys. You're a Lost Boy, or in that case, Lost Girl"

"So... I can leave when I want to?" Mara was stunned.

"That is your decision you're going have to make in the end, but first, you're being tested then in the end, it's your choice whether you leave or stay" James explained, "but they all always chose to stay, even I did"

"What am I tested for?" Mara stood up, "I mean, when do I start the test?"

James half laughed, stood up, glanced at her with a small smile, "It already started days ago when the Pirates left you here"

Then she had nothing else to say. She wasn't looking at him anymore but at the ground.

"I advise that you should give this place a chance, you've been here barely even a week, you're not fond to this place at all but give it a chance" James had his hands on his hips, "and give Pan a chance, it's not him that's being a pain in the arse, you are"

She then glared at him, but thinking of how she's been acting around Pan from the start, the day Killian Jones left her, it wasn't Pan that was being such contemptible and reprehensible, it was her. She sighed as she changed expression. She gave a weak shrug before looking up at James again, "Fine" she replied softly.

"That's good to hear" he half smiled, "Now, let's continue"

They picked up their wooden staffs then proceeded training.

***