Alice's Adventures In Storybrooke (A Crossover Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: The Cabin Boy

Meanwhile, back in the Enchanted Forest....

Jasmine pushed aside a stray branch as she and Will made their way through the woods to the coastal towns.
"So how long d'ya reckon we have before they start looking for us?" Will asked.

Jasmine glanced at the sun's position and shrugged. "Normally, I'd say we had another hour or so before she usually starts calling for me, but--"

Will glanced at her in alarm. "But?" he prompted.

Jasmine hung her head. "I think she saw me."

"'oo did?"

"Anastasia," Jasmine fiddled with that seam on her skirt again. "I was trying to be careful, I think she just happened to look my way--"

"Aww, that's bloody perfect," groaned Will. "So what you're saying is, we could be ahead of them by only a few minutes."

Jasmine rolled her eyes at him. "You have to admit, we made good time; look, we're already at the harbor town." She pointed to the furthest-inland buildings of the town just ahead of them.

They passed an inn, a tavern, and a bookshop before Will pointed and cried, "There!"

Just ahead of them swayed the tall masts of ships in the dock. The two friends ran forward.

"How will we know which one hired Allan?" asked Jasmine, looking at all the deckhands to see if she could recognize his face among them.

"You there! Harbormaster," Will addressed a man standing in front of a wide lectern making notes in a large book, "are you the one who keeps record of the crews on every ship that comes in here?"

"Well now," the man replied, "I wouldn't be the Harbormaster if I didn't!"

"Would you be able to tell us the name of the ship our friend joined some years ago?" Will continued.

The man rubbed his nose and began thumbing through the records. "Mm, maybe... How many years are we talking?"

"Three years, five months and twelve days," Jasmine answered immediately.

Both Will and the Harbormaster stared at her briefly, and she blushed.

The Harbormaster kept a wary eye on her as he flipped back to the page for that date. "Ah, here it is; now, what was your friend's name?"

"Allan-a-Dale," said Jasmine, "but most times he just goes by Allan."

"Hmm, Allan... Allan... Here we are! Looks like your friend was the registered cabin boy on the merchant ship Hispañola, but--" the man stopped at a certain bit of information.

Jasmine looked stricken. "But what?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, lass," the Harbormaster said quietly, "that ship was raided on the last voyage, and some of the crew was taken by pirates, along with the cargo. Your friend was among them."

"Pirates!" Jasmine gasped, and burst into tears.

"Aye; Long John Silver it was, if I remember. Those who came back were lucky; t'ain't often that Silver leaves survivors."

Will thanked the man and the two of them went into the tavern to collect themselves.
"I'm sorry, Jazz," Will said quietly.

"I never gave up hope, you know," Jasmine murmured softly. "I always thought I would see him again sometime, like I could come out here when I heard that the ship was in port. Oh Will!" she grasped his hands as the tears sprang up again. "Do you think Long John Silver would have taken him only to kill him?"