As the short days went on and long nights passed. Some days and nights were cloudy, warm and brisk. It was all the same, the weather, the calmness in the forest, the wind in the shores, the winds would sometimes blow into the forest, into the camp and the leaves whisper and dance in the wind.
Then the rain finally came after a month of Mara's arrival in Neverland.
Curly was right with the rain season, walking through the woods of Neverland was difficult, all the slippery slope, muddy and wet grounds. The weather was always gloomy, barely a sun would shine down the island and the moon hid behind the clouds making the nights darker as black. In this season, the first day it rained, Pan announced it was time to move to the caves.
There were two caves, both hollow and big. The Lost Boys and the Lost Girl separated in two groups, half-half in each cave. They all slept on the sheets they used as hammocks they slept on in the tents, use their cloaks or ponchos as blankets. Torches were always lit when dusk fell, the bonfires were only for to cook food or to get the caves warm.
Still, they played the games, they still hunted, rain or not, they still did their usual activities and even training. Even Pan proceeded training Mara how to fight, how to wield the sword better, with staff, with spear, daggers and a bow. They train at the beach when it's not raining, and in another cave that was far from the Lost Boys' caves but where Mara was training was located somewhere in the mountain.
She had improved a lot while training with Pan, even the fight with Thomas had gotten intense, frustrating and long. She even gave him bruises, made him hurt and bleed, yet she hasn't beat him.
Throughout those weeks, she made more friends on the way, the other Twin, she calls Twin One "One" and Twin Two "Two". Strange names but it was all they had. Nibs was less rude around her then, same for Felix. She spoke more to Ace too despite of his intentions and she'd avoid and walk away from him when she gets too uncomfortable around him. She had grown closer to Curly, Slightly and mostly Tootles. They were the only ones who called her "Mara" and the rest calls her "Turner".
As for James, he and Mara haven't spoken to each other for weeks. It was difficult for her at the start but then it got easy, more friends she made, it got easy, and the more she drew closer to her tentmates made it easier. There are times where she'd catch him looking at her, he'd look away a second later. He looked sulky all the time and his looks are the same every time Mara gazed at him. She would able to go on a few days without looking at him. He was the one who didn't want to talk to her anymore in the first place so she gave him that. Mara does think if James wants to speak to her, then he can, if he wants to be friends again, she'd definitely say yes. She doesn't really blame him despite how painful it was of him avoiding her, most of the times she actually blames herself instead.
As it was midday, it was grey and raining since morning, thunder can be heard in the distance, it'll either hit Neverland or pass by. There wasn't anything to do today, since storm season started, they've been getting break days quite often, it is difficult to play under this weather and to train.
During break days, they would stay in the caves all day, the one time they would come out was to go another cave and play small games with their friends. They'd practice with their swords and staffs, they'd wrestle each other, the usual they do in the camp. There are also nights where they'd dance.
Mara sat by the entrance, legs crossed, carving a wood to attempt to make an arrow, make the tip sharp enough to go into a tree, Slightly was teaching her, he had been teaching how to make arrows since yesterday, even getting the feathers on it's end.
"Make sure those feathers are apart from each other" Slightly told her.
She nodded, it was hard to get the feathers stuck onto the arrow together and the same time while getting a string to tied them together. After she finished them, she sliced the feathers' ends to make them small and even them.
Slightly had began to speak to her more often, she remembered how quiet he was when she met him, barely said a word to her or even a sentence. He was the only of her tentmate who calls her "Turner"
When she finally finished making her first arrow, which she ended up cutting her thumb when she last cut the feather's ends. She only winced a little, blood dripped down the ground and she wiped the blood off of her thumb on her pants. Pressed hard against it then used a small cloth to wrap her thumb around. "Well, first arrow finished" she handed the arrow to Slightly.
He examined it for a moment, took a closer look, up to his eyes to look more closely and even checked to see if the feather were even. "One is a bit taller than the two but still, not much and it's fine" He stood up, he went to get his bow from where he slept, where he usually puts it. He came back with it. "Let's test it"
Mara got on her feet and stood beside him. He got the arrow readied on his bow, he was ready to shoot. He was aiming down at the tree below, they were a bit far, they could just climb down the steep hill or slide down where they leave the caves. There was a target carved on one of the trees below where they practice shooting their bows and crossbows. Slightly took a moment to adjust his aiming before letting the arrow fly down in full speed.
They still heard that loud thud when the arrow made it's home on the tree over the torrent rain. Mara could barely it's white and grey feathers from the arrow on a dark tree. It was just a very tiny spot. "Not bad for your first try of making an arrow"
Mara smiled and shrugged weakly. She proceeded on making arrows with him throughout the rest of the noon.
After her second arrow, she heard someone coming, from outside, she assumed it was one of the boys from another cave. It was James, he stopped by the entrance when he saw her, she just stared in confusion, he turned to Slightly instead, "Curly in here?" He asked.
Slightly nodded toward behind him in response.
"Right, thanks" James went in and walked around them.
Mara peeked over her should as she watched him making his way to the back of the cave where Curly was playing with the Twins and Tootles. She glanced back at the wood she was carving into an arrow and she noticed for a second that Slightly was looking at her.
He was still looking at her after a moment. She asked "What?"
He shook his head lightly, "Nothing, it's just--" he shifted his head over his shoulder, looking to see if anyone was near. "--you probably get this a lot but... what happened between you and James? You two were... good friends. Since you hit with the Dreamgiver, afterwards, that's when you two were...stopped being friends"
Mara does get this question a lot, from Curly, from Tootles, from Ace, the Twins, Rufio and even from Pan. But Slightly never asked and she never told the truth. "Ask him" she said, "he's the one who decided to break the friendship"
"I don't really get it" Slightly said in a low voice, "He really liked you a lot"
"Apparently, he doesn't anymore" she half laughed.
"I think he still does" Slightly was looking back over his shoulder.
She looked as well, glanced ahead and saw James with Curly, Tootles and the Twins playing something on a wooden table. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" She murmured sarcastically.
"Well, he just looked away the moment you looked"
"He could've been looking at outside" she guessed. She wanted to talk about something else other than about James. "How many arrows are we to make?"
Slightly didn't speak for a few seconds, "At least a dozen maybe... each for the both of us"
Mara frowned a little, least it was something to do to pass time.
The thunderous boomed above Neverland and the storm began. Slightly did say yesterday that a storm would hit Neverland. "Well, whataya know?" She uttered.
"I did say it yesterday" Slightly shrugged as they both glanced outside and at the sky.
***
Nothing exciting happening in this chapter but maybe in the next one 😉
Stay weird in school everyone because weird is the new awesome ☺️