The First Lost Girl

Chapter Twenty-Six: I Underestimated You Once Rufio But I Won't Do It Again

Rufio's P.O.V.
The next few days seemed to be almost normal. As if there weren't even pirates on the island at all. The boys laughed and played, did their chores, hunted for their meals. The only difference was that some of the boys would leave at their appointed times of the day to patrol their assigned borders. That and Devin wasn't able to get out of bed during that time, and even if he was I wouldn't let him. He needed to heal. It was a nasty wound he had received, so he'd be where he was for a few days.
"Thank's, by the way." He said. I was in his tent, keeping him company since all of the other boys were busy. "You pretty much saved my life."
I smiled at him.
"Of course. What else would I have done?"
He smirked and closed his eyes.
"Rufio?" he asked, opening his eyes back up.
"Yes?"
"I've been wondering, where did you come from?"
I felt a chill go up my spine. That was the first time any of the boys had asked me that. I never really thought about my old life anymore, I'd almost forgotten. It felt like I had been here for forever.
"I lived in the Enchanted Forest."
"With your family?"
"No. I never knew my family."
"Oh. I'm sorry. That's about the same for the rest of us boys though. Not many of us had families. Whoever did eventually ran away, because their families didn't love them like they should have."
"Grown ups can be cruel." I agreed. "I lived as a slave most of...all...of my life actually. I was sold several times. Every time the people were the same: mean, and selfish. Nothing new ever happened. I always did what they wanted. Never what I wanted. I was never able to make my own choices... Not until I came to Neverland."
I felt a smile spread over my face, remembering the feeling I had when I was accepted by the Lost Boys.
Devin smiled too.
"And what made you stay? Why did you pick this island over going back to the enchanted forest, or really anywhere else you'd want to go, to start a new life, one that was your own?"
I pondered his question for a while. Why had I stayed? I could have gone anywhere, but I stayed here.
"I've never really thought about it Devin." I answered truthfully. He nodded, signaling for me to go on.
"Maybe it was because I felt like this was where I belonged. Like I wouldn't be able to fit in anywhere else than like I do here. Or maybe because I didn't want to leave any of you. You all grew on me so fast."
"We tend to do that." He chuckled. I smiled. It was true. Each boy that was brought to the camp seemed to connect well with the Lost Boys in a small amount of time.
I heard a rooster call coming from outside.
"That's Pan. I'll see you later Devin. Get some sleep okay?" I said standing up from his bedside.
He sighed but nodded and I left the tent.
The boys had gathered around Pan as he started to talk to them about what our next move was.
"We had such a great success in our last attack." He was saying, confidence and praise in his voice. The boys whistled and whooped in approval.
"I think we can get in and out of their ship easily and without trouble. But what would the fun in that be? We may have won our last fight, but those pirates need to be taught a lesson. No one crosses our path like that and gets away with it. So, who's ready for another adventure?!" The boys gave gleeful battle cries and dispersed from the crowd, darting through the clearing to prepare to invade the pirate ship.
"Rufio, you don't have to go if you don't want to." I heard Felix say from behind me. I turned to face him.
He was armed with his mace and his knife, or at least that's all I could see. I knew he had more weapons but he always had them hidden away, they were his back-up plan.
"I'm going."
"Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded.
"I won't be able to protect any of you from here. I won't be killing, but I'll fight."
"Okay. You might want to get ready though. Remember, this is a pirate ship, not the jungle, it'll be different terrain, and you're not used to it. None of us are. But that's what'll make this fun." He said smirking.
I smiled. He always had a way of making me do that.
Devin's question repeated in my mind: what made you stay?
Maybe I did know what had made me stay.
Felix shooed me off to get ready for the fight. I pushed the thought away. It couldn't be true anyways.