Chapter Four: Shapes in the Water

The water rippled in a cool night breeze, its inky hide dappled with moonlight. Smee clung to Yekin's slippery spine as he was borne aloft above the waves, his eyes traveling thither and yon as dark shapes passed him beneath the waves. Shivering, he leaned forward toward Yekin's sleek head.

          "What be these shapes passing, Yekin?" he whispered fearfully. "They don't seem to be croc or shark or mermaid, or big fish even..." He trailed off as yet another passed, as though drawn by the duo's very presence.

          Yekin's strange black eyes rolled back to look at the pirate astride him, and he bared his fangs in a wan smile. "They are creatures much like myself," he said, "or at least, they were once. They succumbed to their greed, you see; they killed every creature upon this isle that they could find. The Watchers became very angry. So valuable is life to them that they punished the usurpers. Those punished could mount no defense, for the wrath of the Watchers was swift and terrible.To them every single life is sacred, from each lost boy to every beast, and even every pirate...and to end so many for the sake of greed did not sit well amongst their councils. The bloody-handed ones were banished thusly to dwell beneath these waters, where all other life would perish." Herein he heaved a great hissing sigh, and Smee clung to him as he rose and fell in time with Yekin's woe.

          "You... knew 'em then, did you?" inquired Smee quietly, fearful of further lament, which might compromise his position astride the creature. Stubbornly he clung like a limpet

          "Alas," said Yekin, "that this burden would fall upon my shoulders, for there are none of them left who tread upon the soil of the Neverland save for me. Many of those banished were my brothers; see how they have risen with our arrival. Alas,too, that they should be so covetous, and leave me in the end."

          Smee felt very sorry then, and bowed his head despite himself, as he knew to do in times of grief.

          Tis but memory, thought his better self, a plight not worthy of your reverence. Smee, however, ignored this hard voice of reason as he often did, and kept his head properly lowered until the voice of Yekin again came in the watery dark.

          "Hearken to me, little pirate," he hissed, "for yonder lies your ship. Tell me where your guards would stand so that I might avoid them; there is a wicked great weapon peering over the edge, and surely they would not hesitate to direct it upon me should they know of my coming."

          "They would see me here," replied Smee, "and would not fire."

          "You are deceived. You know not that we journey under an unnatural cloak of shadows, a spell I travel under to preserve my safety, for I am feared by many. They will not see you; by the time I am revealed it will be too late for you, for already will the weapon be upon us."

          Smee gulped and said, " Towards the front of the ship, then... That's the Cap’n's quarters. There's no way they can get there, even if they wanted to. Er... but without the lifeboats we're too low to reach up there."

          "Leave that to me," said Yekin as they approached the foreward end of the ship. "Brace yourself, little pirate."

          Smee clung to Yekin, and just in time, for at that moment the creature heaved his bulk out of the water and shot straight upward, his long body trailing after him like a banner of bone and muscle as hard as steel; a column of might. Smee shut his eyes tightly as the great hull of the ship whizzed past him in a blur of shadow and moonlight, as just as he thought he could hold on no longer they were safely on the ship's deck.

          Smee slid off of Yekin and onto the deck, and only when he felt the solidity of it beneath him did he open his eyes, and saw before him the doors of his captain's chambers, and all within was deathly silent. Then Yekin hissed, "Little pirate; there are men upon his deck; we must find shelter from fearful eyes, for in their fear men do much damage..."

          "Too late," Smee whispered back, "the prisoners have seen ye. But their mouths be bound; they can't breathe a word about ye to the crew."

          "And even if they could," said Yekin, eyeing them scrupulously, "I do not think they would have any believing ears, for before me I see the faces of men driven mad; their eyes are empty and hopeless. There is no hope of life there. And 'tis not the fear of me that robs them of their bearings. Some foul deed has befallen them this night."

          "Aye, we slaughtered their cap'n and crew this evening," said Smee, "and after what one of theirs did to the Cap'n they know they won't survive long, not if Hook has anything to say about it."

          "He will not," said Yekin, "lest we make haste. We have tarried outside his company long enough. I am loathe to be subjected to such exposure. Quickly, ere more come to view us."

          Smee quietly pushed open the door, peering inside, and after a moment gestured Yekin to follow him inside.

          His captain's quarters had grown cold.