The Shadow (Second Book in the Neverland Bound Series)

Chapter 9 (Ethan)

The boys and I silently slip through the trees as we make our way to the Indian encampment. We tread cautiously like a band of shadows that haunt the night, the only thing fully distinguishable being our silhouettes which soundlessly creep through the foliage, careful not to disturb any of the surroundings for fear of detection. The forest is quiet, the sun having set not an hour ago, the only sounds being the ever present lullaby of the crickets and the wind lightly whispering through the trees.

Collin whispers silently from where he walks next to me, "Remind me again, why are we headin' to the Encampment? Wha's there tha' we need?"

"The pipe. The chief's pipe is what we need," I reply just as quietly, not wanting to be the one to give us away.

"Alrigh'. An' why would we need it?" he asks.

"It has magical capabilities, capabilities that supposedly were bestowed upon it by an Indian medicine woman who had a direct connection to Mother Earth. She had wanted to give it to the chief of the Encampment as a gift for his bravery during a battle that had saved the tribe from complete destruction. She even permitted him to choose the gift that would be bestowed on the pipe," I explained.

"Yeah. So?" Collin asks and I roll my eyes knowing that he can't see me.

"Just let me finish," I sigh. "The chief had a wife and he loved her more than life itself, vowing to please and love her until the end of time. She had been a very selfless woman, never asking for anything for herself, only seeking to do works for the benefit of others. One day this selflessness caused her to become gravely ill for she was trying to help the medicine woman heal those who were infected by a horrible disease. The sickness eventually took its toll on her and she died, leaving her husband, daughter, and entire tribe to grieve over her passing. This had happened years before the battle that warranted the gift occurred and so he asked Mother Earth to give it the power to show him any person he wanted to see from any realm, whether it be one of the living or the dead. His request was granted and he was able to see his beloved wife again and found peace in himself when he saw that she was alright.  The pipe has been considered a sacred artifact ever since."

"Bu' how is that goin' to 'elp us find Pan n' Cat if they aren' dead?" he asked.

"It's going to help us because it has the capability to locate any person in any realm to have ever existed whether they are living or dead," I irritably repeat myself and he nods.

After a long silence, he asks, "Isn' Cat pretty good friends with the chief's daugh'er?"

"Yes," I answer, confused as to why he would ask that question.

"Then why don' we just ask her if we can borrow the pipe insea' of stealin' it and possibly gettin' on their bad side?" he asks and I pause.

Why were we creeping through the forest if there was the possibility that they'd help us since they seemed to like Catherine?

"You have a point," I acknowledge before shouting to the boys, "Men, quit creeping around. We're going to ask before we steal."

Some groan because this is their favorite thing to do, others look relieved at my statement, and the remaining few just look confused.

"What do you mean, Curly? We've never asked for anything before!" Davis whines. After all, he is one of our more sticky-fingered members.

"You want to get Cat back right?" I inquire and all the boys nod fervently. "Then we are going to need the natives on our side," I state bluntly without any further explanation. "Come on then," I continue before leading the way through the forest.